DC Days

So after meeting my colleague Danielle, handing over as much information as I could muster in one day, and a whirlwind of packing and preparation, I finally left for the USA.  I'd been warned about the TSA and the stringent safety measures in US airports, so I was not really surprised.  They really do slow down the queues, though, and I didn't realise that the screening started in OR Tambo airport.

Airport screening in JHB for a flight to JFK

After landing in JFK, I had about 2 and half hours to make my flight to DC, so I was nervous about missing it, but I made it with plenty of time to spare.  DC was a blur.  I landed, took two buses to the international hostel and then somehow got to the venue - I think I walked the 2.5 km. I definitely did this for the rest of my time there; it was simply less hassle than taking the bus.

We had a choice: get the conference shirt for free, or use the credit for anything else in the conference shop.  I opted to get an "I edit Wikipedia" shirt instead.

When I say DC was a blur, I really mean it. I hardly took any photographs. I did photograph the delicious clam chowder I got at Così, though.

Apart from the amazing, stimulating talks I attended, and the valuable meetings we had about Wikimedia South Africa's upcoming WikiLovesMonuments project, one of the main highlights was the OpenStreetMap mapping party.  This year, the unofficial theme was "I map dead people": a tour through the Congressional cemetery.

Why is the organiser the only one not wearing a cool orange Official Open Street Map Surveyor vest?

While mapping the famous graves, I spotted a few inscriptions that I found amusing in a kind of schoolboy fashion:

I'm guessing this guy didn't die poor.

Another tragic victim of the Spam Wars

Soo, do you come here often?

But there were also some more interesting ones, many of which have Wikipedia articles about their subjects, and some who probably could have, but don't.  One interesting example of the former is Ann Royall, Pioneer Woman Publicist. An example of the latter is A-Moose or Little Bee, a Chippewa chief who died of the "Black Measles" while part of a delegation of chiefs being shown around Washington to put the fear of the US Army into them, so that they would not get all warlike again.

What are those little red flags, anyway?

The major output of all of this is that the Congressional cemetery is no longer just a green blob on the map: it's now a pretty good work in progress, and I had a hand in it!

I like the layout of DC: If you want to be on 11th and K, you walk until you find 11th street, change direction and then walk until you find K street.  Easy!  It's also got an interesting street life: lots of homeless people (probably because of the warm weather?) I even got to play some chess in the park after dark with some strangers.  I have never claimed to be a great chess player, and these guys kicked my butt quite thoroughly.

Look out for the next episode, in which I arrive in New Jersey!