Union Station

After a long day of walking around Washington DC, I made my way to Union Station for some R&R. I walked around the buzzing place, people communicating and having fun. I look across the street and saw a restaurant called Sakura Japan. There was a nice lady handing out samples in the front, and I, of course, took one. The teriyaki chicken tasted splendid so I decided to go in. I'm a sucker for Asian food anyway. I kept it simple, ordering fried rice with teriyaki beef and a side order of vegetables. The portion to cost ratio was reasonable. The cook was fast and concise. I looked around and the restaurant was rather quaint and nice. I love the little rooster designs they have on the wall and the tiled feel. It was a nice place to go.

After my satisfying meal, I went outside and looked around. I wanted to bring something back home so I can remember my amazing experience at Washington DC. After traveling around I found a store with a rather fitting name called "America!"The front of the store was very patriotic ,with the colors red, blue, and white with faded pictures of famous American symbols. I walked inside, greeted with friendly voices. I browsed the bright store quickly and picked out a rather nice and simple hat with a eagle on it and a bobble head of our president, Barrack Obama.

I walked out of there happy and satisfied. Going to Washington DC was an amazing adventure and I hope I can come back sometime soon.

Senators and Representatives

I walked across the fields of Washington DC, having such a glorious time.I'm so glad I wore my comfortable clothing, jeans and sweater. I looked around the entrances of the buildings and there were many metal detectors. Huh, well it's a good thing I didn't wear a belt or any buckles of any sort. I also saw that in the garbage were newly packed lunches, however all full of unhealthy substances. the White House doesn't seem to allow any unhealthy food so it would be best not to pack your own lunch.

I started to ponder about who really runs our country, specifically our state. The senators of California are Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. I reside in District 8 and my representative is Rose Herrera. If I wanted to meet her, I'd probably have to contact her by her email which is stated on her page, and set up an appointment that way, and I'd meet with her at San Jose City Hall. However, I'd probably have to be careful about security, like a background check or metal detectors, since it is a rather important person I'm going to be talking to.

If I really did get the chance to talk to such an important person I'd ask about how we could get our youth to play a more important role in our government. Something that will include not only young adults, but teenagers. I feel like that teenagers have insightful ideas that may influence our government positively, but because some people are a bit closed minded they feel that younger people don't understand, but that's not true.

I pulled out my phone really quickly and made a note to meet with my representative. I tucked my phone back into my pocket, feeling slightly more lifted knowing that I'll be able to have some of my questions answered.

The Capital Building

The footsteps crunched on the soft grass as ahead of me lay a huge white building. It's two colossal pairs of stairs are only matched the amazing pale center with the point on top. I swiveled my head back and forth, inspecting the two wings that were connected to the center only heightening the building's amazingness. I entered the structure with high hopes and

each room met my expectations and exceeded them. One room in particular I enjoyed was the House Chamber in the interior of the building. It has 448 seats and is surrounded by portraits of important people.

One of my favorite portraits is the one of Edward I of England. I really like his portrait because of his proud significant look, hence the crown and hair. He ruled from 1239 to 1307 and he contributed to our government by finding the Parliamentary Constitution of England which we took part of our Constitution from. The artist was Laura Gardin Fraser.

Another portrait I really liked is Gaius, for he had a very strong look to him, like he was ready for anything life throws at him. He was a Roman jurist and lived from 110 to 180. He throughly analyzed the elements of Roman law that held all of the Roman civilization together. He also wrote many works, his most famous is the Institutes. The artist was Joseph Kiselewski.

The last portrait that was one of my top three is portrait of Hammurabi. I love the clothing he is wearing and also the detail in his hair and beard. It gives it a very important look. Hammurabi lived in 1792 to 1750 B.C. and was the King of Babylonia. He was also the creator of the Code of Hammurabi, hence the name, which is one of the earliest legal literature of rules for the people. The artist was Thoams Hudson Jones.

I turned my head slowly to the side and laughed as the thought of my portrait being on these walls flashed in my head. I took another glance around the room and walked out, feeling glad that our nation has been influenced by such important people.

The Monuments

The sun shone brightly above in the blue sky as I walked forward towards the monuments of the great Washington DC. I stopped in front of a flat plain of green and in the near distance, I see two silver hands reaching out of the ground and a face just barely emerging. A leg and just barely a foot protruded out a bit farther away from the hands and head. My eyes grew wide as my mind came to realization of the giant man buried beneath the earth. This statue was named "The Awakening" and was built in 1980. It is at the National Harbor in Maryland. Five separate aluminum pieces were buried in the ground so it would give that feeling of distress. It was created by J. Seward Johnson Jr. and was originally at Hains Point, but was then removed and moved to its current location. It was created to be part of the annual Sculpture Conference.

As I continued my journey in Washington DC, another amazing statue catches my eyes. My footsteps quickly hastened as the monument became more in view. I approached the metal figures, six figures to be exact. They were all working valiantly to plant the American flag town on land. It was the Marine Corps War Memorial. The Marine Corps War Memorial is dedicated to all of the people who have died in defending the United States from 1775. The six people represent the second United States flag on Mount Suribachi during World War II in the Battle of Iwo Jima. The huge suclpture was designed by Felix de Weldon. The statue was completed in 1954 and is in Arlington Ridge Park in Virginia. The quote on it was "Uncommon valor was a common virtue." This quote is really inspirational to me because it tells me how each person really tried their best to protect our nation.

After walking around for a while, I came across the last, and one of my favorite monuments, and the most famous, the Washington Monument. This huge tower towered over me as my head stretched to its limit to see the peak. It is built on the National Mall, built to commemorate George Washington in 1884. It is the world's largest stone structure, made out of gleaming marble, shining granite, and beautiful bluestone gneiss. It is a bit over five hundred fifty-five tall. Through history, the monument was damaged by time and earthquakes and it was also remodeled greatly after damages.

I stretched after a long day of adventure and looked up towards the sky. Washington DC is full of knowledge and history and there's only so much more to learn.

The Supreme Law of the Land

My next stop was prestigious Supreme Court. I looked up at the massive marble building. The large steps were only matched by the huge columns holding up this behemoth of a structure. On the sides were massive sculptures representing the Authority of Law and the Contemplation of Justice. At the top of the stairs, there was a gleaming golden door, shining in the sun. My hands trembled as my feet stepped forward and my hands slowly pushed it open.

The inside was just as huge as the outside. The floors gleamed from the wax and busts of important presidents surrounded the hall. Each footstep echoed through the great hall, making a gentle tap noise with every step. At the other end of the hall was a large conference room. My eyes darted around the large room, peering at all the seats available to the large amount of people. The other rooms connected consisted of chambers of important people, filled with books and important documents. Laws and justice literally builds this entire building. On the exterior, there are the Portico Frieze and the two statues of Law and Justice, and the interior, there were the many busts of important people, and the many archives of history.

My favorite piece of historical architecture is huge bronze front doors. It's the first thing a person sees when walking into the Supreme Court, so it would have to be of great importance and aesthetically pleasing as well. The bronze doors were sculpted by John Donnelly Jr., and it depicts the development of our law, from a Roman person publishing an edict, to the Justice Story. They says pictures speak a thousand words and this one speaks 8 stories in total. Other two that I greatly enjoy are the two statues in front of the Supreme Court. The one of the right is the Authority of Law. This statue is represented as "powerful and vigilant." He is holding the tablet of law and a sheath, representing force of order by law. The statue on the left is the Contemplation of Justice. This statue represents "intellect and justice." Below her left arm is the book of justice and in her right hand is a blind folded Jesus.

The Supreme Court makes the rules that all the other courts must follow. The Supreme Court also decides whether the federal, state, or local governments are acting within the abiding laws. They also choose cases they feel like are eligible to be one and also announce the final result of said case.

I walk out of the building, my body and mind feeling enlightened. I look back, smiling with my new found knowledge and travel to my next destination.

Visiting the Documents

I slowly walked into the National Archives Building, my eyes darting around to see all the splendid wonders I could pass. Once I entered the building, there were security guards in every corner. There must be something pretty important for it to have this much security. Next to the wall, laid a large row of displays. My footsteps quickened, but then quickly reduced to a slow walk as the guards stared at me with intimidating eyes as I approached the case. My eyes peered down towards the old, tan parchment. The elegant black ink writing was sprawled out across the page of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. They're very important to the United States because they represent our freedom and the rights of the people.

The Declaration of Independence is important to America because it stated our separation from the country England, and announced our freedom. It also tells the people that they are entitled to certain rights that cannot be taken away. It also states that everyone is treated equally, regardless of gender or race.

The Constitution is important to America because it was the basis of our government and what really formed the United States. It outlines all the rights of the citizens explicitly, giving a complete list of what we can or cannot do. The Constitution protects us from any wrongful acts that are committed. It allows everyone to be truly free, letting them act out their own religions and beliefs.

The United States government is in charge of enforcing and preserving the important documents. These documents represent our nation and what we stand for.

I took a couple steps back after reflecting on reading these documents. I turned on my heels and paced out the room; but not before taking another glance at the marvelous interior and of course the gleaming cases holding the most important documents of our country.

The White House Visit

My footstep started to quicken as I sprinted across the area that held this marvel of a building. My eyes glowed at all the fascinating artifacts and structures I ran by. Each room was absolutely huge, even the hallways took my away with their massive size. Although some rooms feel more important than others, like the Roosevelt Room where conferences would take place, or the Press Briefing Room to give more space to the growing White House Press Corps, the one place that really caught my eye was one that helps the public more than anything. Across the glistening and beautiful South Lawn lays The Kitchen Garden. The Garden simply took me away, not only with its amazing, clean-cut, fresh looks, but with its purpose. First Lady Michelle Obama was the one who implemented the garden to originally feed her family more healthily, but now it's used not only for her own consumption, but for the less fortunate. Sometimes, food grown in the crops are donated to Miriam;s Kitchen, which is a homeless shelter near the White House. This was really important to me as that it shows our authorities really do care about the public. I looked back at the large building of white. I would really like to visit this place once again, so might as well write a letter in advance. I swiftly took out my paper and pen and started writing.

3300, Quimby Road

San Jose

CA 95148

1600, Pennsylvania Ave Nw,

Washington, DC

MD 20500

12 December 2014

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to ask for permission to visit the White House. I would love to go and marvel and the spectaculars of the building and to obtain all the historical information and significance of the place as well. I want to see the amazing garden for myself, for I hear that much of the dinner's are grown right there, and they also donate the food to the needy. I also want to see the many different representations of the presidents that have gone by in the White House to see how our country has developed. I have heard many great things about the area and I want to experience them for myself. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I look forward to visiting.

Sincerely,

Calvin Li

As I dotted the last dot on my last name, my smile only grew wider as I knew I would be able visit once again.