If I tried to contact any of my friends at Wake Forest, I could be trying in vain because they are living in Z. Smith Reynolds library. Final exams are the first priority of almost every college student right now. But here in D.C. it works a little differently.
Maybe because this program does not have intense final exams, the end of the semester has honestly snuck up on me. I now have about a week and a half left with the Quebec Government Office and it is bittersweet- as much as I have enjoyed my time here, I am ready for flip flops and summer. So, because this week I have a final paper due in my WFU independent study class, an exam and a paper due in my TWC academic course, and a portfolio due to TWC, this is my final blog entry.
In my family, we have a tradition after a vacation to list the four worst activities and the four best activities of our trip. So to carry on that tradition, first I will tell you what I saw to be the pitfalls of the semester:
4) Missing Wake Forest- As much as I love that my WFU friends sincerely tried to keep in touch with me, it was hard to hear of them doing the typical spring semester events without me. But in order to spend a semester in D.C., obviously I had to leave Wake. So all in all, it was a good trade off, but just something I did not expect to feel when I arrived here.
3) My Apartment- I actually have no great complaint here. My apartment had everything that the four of us needed, but I do know that others lived in more upgraded apartments than mine. However, the apartment complex is going to renovate our particular apt unit so the next group will be good to go!
2) Mount Vernon- I never got a chance to go here. The weekends were always busy with something going on in the city, so I never wanted to leave for a full day. Same with the Newseum- I know that it takes about 2 days to go through that museum, and I never wanted to set aside that much time from the other events of D.C. to be in just one museum. Oh well….
1) The Snow- Oh. My. Goodness. I still am reeling from how much snow we got. But it was record breaking amounts, so I don’t think this will be a huge problem for others in the future.
As you might have noticed, I have very few legitimate complaints from the semester, because I had with the semester because realistically everything ran very smoothly. So, playing off of that and to leave it on a positive note, I want to include list of the top four things from my experience here:
4) My Roommate- After living with someone for a semester, you naturally know the other person better than most. I think that personally I lucked out with my roommate, but living with Anne was nothing short of a pleasure- she is now one of my best friends, and I will not be able to think back on this semester in D.C. without having her in my memory (sorry if that sounds cheesy, but its true).
3) The Internship- Obviously this was the reason I came to D.C. so it’s a good thing it ended up on the list. But the people in the office were great, and the work experience was invaluable. Now when I go back to college next year and continue to avoid the real world, I have a better idea what to expect when I get out of the University atmosphere.
2) The Undies Run- Yes, I think that this experience, although bizarre and possibly embarrassing to my family name, was one of the best things that I did. Having the opportunity to get involved in some of the local, young single life was enjoyable and it gave me the opportunity to see the city in a completely new light!
1) The Supreme Court- I am totally and completely a nerd, but the two hours I spent in that court room were inexplicably unlike anything else I have ever done. It was absolutely worth my time in D.C. just to see that.
And so, just as every great actress does as she wins her Oscar, I feel the need to thank all those people who kept reading this blog: Mom and Dad; Aunt Barbara and Tom; Aunt Becky; Anne’s family; Connor; Sarah W; Sara C.; Corey; all my other WFU friends; Mr. Bryant; my mom’s friends; Mr. McCarthy, and all those people that consistently read this without my knowledge. Knowing that you are reading about my experience has made it enjoyable to consistently write about my time here.
And as usual, I will end my blog humming to:
Que Sera Sera.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
“All the World’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” So if Shakespeare was right, then what’s your part in the play??
Personally, I couldn’t tell you mine. Not because of wanting to keep some sort of secret, but because of really having absolutely no clue. I mean none. That’s part of the reason I came to D.C. and wanted the internship was to figure out my life goals. And while I am maybe a half step closer to that, as of now I still have no idea about my role. Zip – zero – nada.
But luckily, Monday evening it was not my time to figure out my role. Rather, I got to watch a play take place!!! As part of my Christmas present, I had received a gift certificate from my father to use at the Kennedy Center. So, Anne and I put our heads together and decided how we wanted to use this gift.
Since Anne is a thespian and can understand artistry, we went to see Shear Madness which is a satire play about a murder that took place within a hair salon. This play is one of the longest running plays in the United States, so we thought it was a worthy choice.
After all our Monday programming activities we rushed home to get ready for our big night out. We got all fancy- dresses worn, hair done, heels on. Too bad no one else in the room was as well dressed as us. Apparently the middle school groups with matching hooded sweatshirts can look like they are at a slumber party when they go to a play. But whatever- GIRL’S NIGHT OUT!
Anyway, the Kennedy Center building was surprisingly large! Look how high the ceiling is!
Because I refuse to give up the ending to the play, I will include these pictures in the blog. Technically I got yelled at when I took them, but after giving the doe-eyed look, the security people did not make me delete them. So here’s the stage!!!
So for a night, I was able to put aside my portfolio, my Wake Forest independent study, and my TWC class to watch a play. And instead of trying to figure out my particular role in the world, I was able to watch others take on a well-acted personality.
As Shakespeare said, “and so he plays his part.”
Que Sera Sera.
Personally, I couldn’t tell you mine. Not because of wanting to keep some sort of secret, but because of really having absolutely no clue. I mean none. That’s part of the reason I came to D.C. and wanted the internship was to figure out my life goals. And while I am maybe a half step closer to that, as of now I still have no idea about my role. Zip – zero – nada.
But luckily, Monday evening it was not my time to figure out my role. Rather, I got to watch a play take place!!! As part of my Christmas present, I had received a gift certificate from my father to use at the Kennedy Center. So, Anne and I put our heads together and decided how we wanted to use this gift.
Since Anne is a thespian and can understand artistry, we went to see Shear Madness which is a satire play about a murder that took place within a hair salon. This play is one of the longest running plays in the United States, so we thought it was a worthy choice.
After all our Monday programming activities we rushed home to get ready for our big night out. We got all fancy- dresses worn, hair done, heels on. Too bad no one else in the room was as well dressed as us. Apparently the middle school groups with matching hooded sweatshirts can look like they are at a slumber party when they go to a play. But whatever- GIRL’S NIGHT OUT!
Proof for my family and friends who know all too well that I enjoy jeans and tee-shirts more than heels and makeup. Anne’s family is probably not surprised at her fancy appearance as she is always put together!
Anyway, the Kennedy Center building was surprisingly large! Look how high the ceiling is!
Anne found her favorite Argentinian flag
So the play- I don’t actually want to give away the ending because obviously is a murder mystery. And sorry mom, I know you like to skip to the end of the book to know what happens, but I’m not giving this one away. But I will recommend this play to EVERYONE. It is about a male hairdresser, his flaky yet flirty assistant, a surly businessman, and a certifiably nuts cougar of an old woman who are all murder suspects. While much of the play is rehearsed, there are ad-libbed references to popular culture and D.C. references throughout the play- the witty banter really keeps the audience on their toes.Because I refuse to give up the ending to the play, I will include these pictures in the blog. Technically I got yelled at when I took them, but after giving the doe-eyed look, the security people did not make me delete them. So here’s the stage!!!
So for a night, I was able to put aside my portfolio, my Wake Forest independent study, and my TWC class to watch a play. And instead of trying to figure out my particular role in the world, I was able to watch others take on a well-acted personality.
As Shakespeare said, “and so he plays his part.”
Que Sera Sera.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
One Potato, Two Potato
Three Potato, Four!
Five Potato, Six Potato
Seven Potato, MORE!
That’s the rhyme that’s been stuck in my head the past few days. Except that my version goes slightly differently.
One Motorcade, Two Motorcade,
Three Motorcade, Four!
Five Motorcade, Six Motorcade,
Seven Motorcade, MORE!
The nuclear summit took place here in D.C. the past few days. Remember when I said that D.C. has a one track mind? Well, this summit was literally all anyone could talk about. Because everyone in the metropolitan area of D.C. has been affected by this summit in one way or another, story after story is being told about how the summit affected so-and-so. Well here’s my story:
On one rainy Tuesday afternoon at the corner of 13th and H, I was abruptly stopped by a man in camo. I needed to get on the Metro to go to my class, but he wasn’t letting anyone cross the street until the streets were “clear.” So I waited there between two temporary barricades and waited for the man in camo to let me cross.
A few minutes pass. I still haven’t crossed the street. A few more minutes go by. A motorcade goes through. I still haven’t crossed the street. A few more minutes go by. Another motorcade goes through. I still haven’t crossed the street.
THREE more motorcades later I still haven’t crossed the street. As a general rule of thumb, I try not to mess with huge guys in camo, but I finally asked the man if he would ever let us cross. Answer: no. Perfect. Why he couldn’t have told me this earlier I don’t know. After maneuvering my way around the rest of the city to open streets, I finally made it to my Metro stop. So thank you to the diplomats at the summit for making me 5 minutes late to my class session.
Although, venting aside, I did see the president’s motorcade. You ever seen a big black SUV? Ever seen three of them driving behind each other on the highway? Well, that was about what it was like – times 10 – with sirens. But just knowing that Obama was somewhere squeezed in between the secret service guys made it way more exciting.
On a different note, I had my public policy dialogue today. This is the part of TWC experience where you talk to your senator or congressman (or in my case, his aide). I met with the aid of Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. The point of this meeting is to get to either ask questions of or suggest policies to your representative. Since I’ve been focusing so much on energy for the Quebec Government Office, most of my questions revolved around the policy area of energy within the state of Georgia. But despite my knowledge on the subject, I’m not about to presume that I know enough to suggest energy policy to a senator.
Other than that, I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My semester with The Washington Center is quickly coming to an end, which means that I have more than enough work to do with the final portfolio, finishing up my independent study, and doing the last minute sight-seeing opportunities.
This past weekend, Anne and our friend, Colleen, did some sightseeing of our own. With the trees trying to hold their last blooms of the season, it was quite a sight to walk around the memorials and Arlington National Cemetery (I went back to see it without snow). So the following are pictures of that. Plus, I’ve added a few pictures from the silent drill team competition outside the Lincoln memorial. You never know what you’ll run across when you’re on the Mall!
So please excuse the frequency of my posts these last few weeks (or the lack thereof), but there is so much to do in so little time!
Que sera sera.
Three Potato, Four!
Five Potato, Six Potato
Seven Potato, MORE!
That’s the rhyme that’s been stuck in my head the past few days. Except that my version goes slightly differently.
One Motorcade, Two Motorcade,
Three Motorcade, Four!
Five Motorcade, Six Motorcade,
Seven Motorcade, MORE!
The nuclear summit took place here in D.C. the past few days. Remember when I said that D.C. has a one track mind? Well, this summit was literally all anyone could talk about. Because everyone in the metropolitan area of D.C. has been affected by this summit in one way or another, story after story is being told about how the summit affected so-and-so. Well here’s my story:
On one rainy Tuesday afternoon at the corner of 13th and H, I was abruptly stopped by a man in camo. I needed to get on the Metro to go to my class, but he wasn’t letting anyone cross the street until the streets were “clear.” So I waited there between two temporary barricades and waited for the man in camo to let me cross.
A few minutes pass. I still haven’t crossed the street. A few more minutes go by. A motorcade goes through. I still haven’t crossed the street. A few more minutes go by. Another motorcade goes through. I still haven’t crossed the street.
THREE more motorcades later I still haven’t crossed the street. As a general rule of thumb, I try not to mess with huge guys in camo, but I finally asked the man if he would ever let us cross. Answer: no. Perfect. Why he couldn’t have told me this earlier I don’t know. After maneuvering my way around the rest of the city to open streets, I finally made it to my Metro stop. So thank you to the diplomats at the summit for making me 5 minutes late to my class session.
Although, venting aside, I did see the president’s motorcade. You ever seen a big black SUV? Ever seen three of them driving behind each other on the highway? Well, that was about what it was like – times 10 – with sirens. But just knowing that Obama was somewhere squeezed in between the secret service guys made it way more exciting.
On a different note, I had my public policy dialogue today. This is the part of TWC experience where you talk to your senator or congressman (or in my case, his aide). I met with the aid of Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. The point of this meeting is to get to either ask questions of or suggest policies to your representative. Since I’ve been focusing so much on energy for the Quebec Government Office, most of my questions revolved around the policy area of energy within the state of Georgia. But despite my knowledge on the subject, I’m not about to presume that I know enough to suggest energy policy to a senator.
Other than that, I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My semester with The Washington Center is quickly coming to an end, which means that I have more than enough work to do with the final portfolio, finishing up my independent study, and doing the last minute sight-seeing opportunities.
This past weekend, Anne and our friend, Colleen, did some sightseeing of our own. With the trees trying to hold their last blooms of the season, it was quite a sight to walk around the memorials and Arlington National Cemetery (I went back to see it without snow). So the following are pictures of that. Plus, I’ve added a few pictures from the silent drill team competition outside the Lincoln memorial. You never know what you’ll run across when you’re on the Mall!
Que sera sera.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Zyrtec. Singluair. Benadryl. Claratin. Are you catching a pattern here? It's officially pollen season.
According to studies online, the leading pollen cities are as follows:
1) Lexington, KY
2) Greensboro, NC
3) Johnson City, TN
4) Augusta, GA
5) Jackson, MS
6) Knoxville, TN
7) Birmingham, AL
8) New Orleans, LA
9) Little Rock, AR
10) San Diego, CA
Why D.C. is not high on this list I am not sure. They are 51st on the list. FIFTY FIRST. Are you kidding? My nose, eyes, and throat all beg to differ.
Yes, the cherry blossom trees here are gorgeous. And the tulip magnolias are so amazingly underrated. But apparently the pollen is underrated too.
A man this morning on the Metro thought that I was emotionally distraught. I kid you not. He even offered me his handkerchief. I simply explained to him that pollen season is usually a rough time of year for me.
So with swollen eyes, I continue my daily routine. Wake up at 6:45 am, pull myself out of bed by 7:15 am, Metro at 8:00 am, work 9-5, home by 6:00 pm, and then stay awake for as long as I can (and yes Connor, 9:00 pm is late these days).
The past few days I stayed particularly busy as I was able to attend a prestigious energy conference for my office. The Canadians have a strong interest in clean energy, and therefore my supervisor encouraged me to go to the 2010 Energy Conference hosted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration and Johns Hopkins University.
I saw speakers such as the Dr. Steven Chu (Secretary of Energy), Joseph E. Aldy (National Economic Council/Office of Energy and Climate Change, The White House), Dr. Lawrence H. Summers (Director of the National Economic Council), and others who are well known in their field. If you are interested in energy, then this conference would have been heaven. But now that the conference is over, I am officially on energy overload. I see everything in terms of how energy is being used and how it could be used once plans like smart grid takes effect.
After the conference, I even feel guilty for turning up my air-conditioning at night! Although I will say that it is absolutely necessary. I do not pity you summer Washington-Center kids because it is going to be hot as Hades here. Today it was 90 degrees and since I am originally from Atlanta I thought it felt great. But if it is already 90 degrees in early April, I do not want to think of what it will be like in July. Especially when the humidity builds up. D.C. is, afterall, a swamp. Yeah, enjoy that.
I only have about 5 weeks left with the program, so the weather should be perfect from here on out. The semester has been so busy that I have honestly lost track of time. It’s bittersweet. And I have so much left that I want to do! The pollen will not stand in my way.
Que Sera Sera.
According to studies online, the leading pollen cities are as follows:
1) Lexington, KY
2) Greensboro, NC
3) Johnson City, TN
4) Augusta, GA
5) Jackson, MS
6) Knoxville, TN
7) Birmingham, AL
8) New Orleans, LA
9) Little Rock, AR
10) San Diego, CA
Why D.C. is not high on this list I am not sure. They are 51st on the list. FIFTY FIRST. Are you kidding? My nose, eyes, and throat all beg to differ.
Yes, the cherry blossom trees here are gorgeous. And the tulip magnolias are so amazingly underrated. But apparently the pollen is underrated too.
So with swollen eyes, I continue my daily routine. Wake up at 6:45 am, pull myself out of bed by 7:15 am, Metro at 8:00 am, work 9-5, home by 6:00 pm, and then stay awake for as long as I can (and yes Connor, 9:00 pm is late these days).
The past few days I stayed particularly busy as I was able to attend a prestigious energy conference for my office. The Canadians have a strong interest in clean energy, and therefore my supervisor encouraged me to go to the 2010 Energy Conference hosted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration and Johns Hopkins University.
I saw speakers such as the Dr. Steven Chu (Secretary of Energy), Joseph E. Aldy (National Economic Council/Office of Energy and Climate Change, The White House), Dr. Lawrence H. Summers (Director of the National Economic Council), and others who are well known in their field. If you are interested in energy, then this conference would have been heaven. But now that the conference is over, I am officially on energy overload. I see everything in terms of how energy is being used and how it could be used once plans like smart grid takes effect.
After the conference, I even feel guilty for turning up my air-conditioning at night! Although I will say that it is absolutely necessary. I do not pity you summer Washington-Center kids because it is going to be hot as Hades here. Today it was 90 degrees and since I am originally from Atlanta I thought it felt great. But if it is already 90 degrees in early April, I do not want to think of what it will be like in July. Especially when the humidity builds up. D.C. is, afterall, a swamp. Yeah, enjoy that.
I only have about 5 weeks left with the program, so the weather should be perfect from here on out. The semester has been so busy that I have honestly lost track of time. It’s bittersweet. And I have so much left that I want to do! The pollen will not stand in my way.
Que Sera Sera.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
If variety is indeed the spice of life, then I am in good shape. These past few days have been a series of completely random and disconnected events. So welcome to A.D.D. central…
First off, I forgot in my last blog post to discuss the civic engagement portion of TWC program. My fellow Wake Forest students will have no problem with this component, as it is simple pro humanitate. I heard students from other schools complaining about the need to do this portion of the portfolio, and while I find it bizarre that it is required, I understand that some would not participate in this without it being part of their final grade. I have chosen to participate with a group called Greater D.C. Cares that has an extremely wide variety of volunteering opportunities. I am particularly interested in working with special needs children, and this group has a program for teaching sports to special needs children.
The overall program could not have been easier--it was a 20 minute walk from my apartment building, and everyone was extremely welcoming. I played with two autistic boys who were extremely sweet and enjoyed simply exploring the gym. After volunteering with them for a full 3 hours, I was tired out!!
Also, by a stroke of good luck I discovered a local community lacrosse team that was playing outside the Greater D.C. Cares volunteer location. After talking to the head of the program, I suddenly became an assistant coach for a 7th and 8th grade team. So now my schedule is even more complicated since the last blog entry I wrote because Friday evenings I have lacrosse practice and Sunday afternoons I have games. But I could not be any more excited about this opportunity!
So, beyond all the parts of TWC program that keep me busy, I am still finding time to explore the city. This weekend was the Smithsonian’s Kite Festival. And that is exactly what it sounds like--a bunch of kites flying around in the air for hours. This took place on the mall around the Washington Monument, so I went into the city on Saturday with my co-worker, Christine, to fly some kites and watch some of the shows.
As part of the day, they had kite flying competitions that were judged based off of crowd response. I never knew that people could have such control over kites. Personally, my favorite activity was watching the public’s individual kites. There were the traditional kite-shaped kites, but there were also turtles, elephants, Barbies, planes, ships, and more! Very cool:
As another completely random yet very cool event, I went to the Supreme Court on Monday morning. This might have been the coolest experience I have had in D.C. Almost makes me want to be a lawyer (but don’t worry Dad, it's not going to happen)!!! I had received a pass through Justice Thomas’ chambers through my interviewee, and so I got a seat on the floor of the courtroom.
The nutshell of the events: the first five seconds were action packed--someone banged the gavel, the people (including myself) literally jumped to our feet, the curtains folded backwards and the justices all flowed in and took their seats. All within the first 5 seconds (and I swear I am not exaggerating). And the way that the justices entered was almost like a scene from Harry Potter--robes flowing behind them as they seemed to just apparate into the room. Then about 10 people were sworn into the bar for the Supreme Court. Then the arguments started.
For the record, I have no idea why anyone would want to plead a case in front of these justices. After the lawyer got as far as possible through his initial arguments, the justices proceed to interrupt and ask questions for the next 25 minutes. I almost felt badly for the lawyers, but to me it was like watching some sort of tennis match, so I was well amused.
I listened to two oral arguments, and then the justices exited the exact same way they came--within 5 seconds of flowing robes.
So sorry for the disjointed thoughts in the blog. But as always…
Que Sera Sera.
First off, I forgot in my last blog post to discuss the civic engagement portion of TWC program. My fellow Wake Forest students will have no problem with this component, as it is simple pro humanitate. I heard students from other schools complaining about the need to do this portion of the portfolio, and while I find it bizarre that it is required, I understand that some would not participate in this without it being part of their final grade. I have chosen to participate with a group called Greater D.C. Cares that has an extremely wide variety of volunteering opportunities. I am particularly interested in working with special needs children, and this group has a program for teaching sports to special needs children.
The overall program could not have been easier--it was a 20 minute walk from my apartment building, and everyone was extremely welcoming. I played with two autistic boys who were extremely sweet and enjoyed simply exploring the gym. After volunteering with them for a full 3 hours, I was tired out!!
Also, by a stroke of good luck I discovered a local community lacrosse team that was playing outside the Greater D.C. Cares volunteer location. After talking to the head of the program, I suddenly became an assistant coach for a 7th and 8th grade team. So now my schedule is even more complicated since the last blog entry I wrote because Friday evenings I have lacrosse practice and Sunday afternoons I have games. But I could not be any more excited about this opportunity!
So, beyond all the parts of TWC program that keep me busy, I am still finding time to explore the city. This weekend was the Smithsonian’s Kite Festival. And that is exactly what it sounds like--a bunch of kites flying around in the air for hours. This took place on the mall around the Washington Monument, so I went into the city on Saturday with my co-worker, Christine, to fly some kites and watch some of the shows.
As part of the day, they had kite flying competitions that were judged based off of crowd response. I never knew that people could have such control over kites. Personally, my favorite activity was watching the public’s individual kites. There were the traditional kite-shaped kites, but there were also turtles, elephants, Barbies, planes, ships, and more! Very cool:
A view of the location- with all the kites in the air!
Another view of the kites
Our Kite!
One of the coolest kites there (with the cherry blossoms in the background)
As another completely random yet very cool event, I went to the Supreme Court on Monday morning. This might have been the coolest experience I have had in D.C. Almost makes me want to be a lawyer (but don’t worry Dad, it's not going to happen)!!! I had received a pass through Justice Thomas’ chambers through my interviewee, and so I got a seat on the floor of the courtroom.
The nutshell of the events: the first five seconds were action packed--someone banged the gavel, the people (including myself) literally jumped to our feet, the curtains folded backwards and the justices all flowed in and took their seats. All within the first 5 seconds (and I swear I am not exaggerating). And the way that the justices entered was almost like a scene from Harry Potter--robes flowing behind them as they seemed to just apparate into the room. Then about 10 people were sworn into the bar for the Supreme Court. Then the arguments started.
For the record, I have no idea why anyone would want to plead a case in front of these justices. After the lawyer got as far as possible through his initial arguments, the justices proceed to interrupt and ask questions for the next 25 minutes. I almost felt badly for the lawyers, but to me it was like watching some sort of tennis match, so I was well amused.
I listened to two oral arguments, and then the justices exited the exact same way they came--within 5 seconds of flowing robes.
So sorry for the disjointed thoughts in the blog. But as always…
Que Sera Sera.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
For me, D.C. is the city that never sleeps.
Along with writing this blog and participating in my internship, The Washington Center keeps me plenty busy. Since I have not explained many of the specifics of the program, this post explains more specifically the logistics of what the program entails.
As part of TWC program, we have Monday programming in the afternoons. This is where we will listen to a variety of lectures given by businessmen/politicians in D.C. We usually meet in different parts of the city in different buildings. For example, this past Monday we listened to James Steinberg, the Deputy Secretary of State at the Department of the Interior. After giving the lecture on the topic du jour, the speaker generously takes questions from the students.
Words of Wisdom for participating in Monday programming: Listen carefully because the speakers are usually very important people with a variety of experiences. And also breathe deeply when your long-winded peers stand up to ask a question. Remember that they deserve some respect for standing up in front of a microphone and asking a question in front of a few hundred people...regardless of how long it takes them to ask it.
Also, as part of TWC program the students turn in a portfolio that includes various assignments to be completed throughout the semester. For example, we have an “Individual Development Plan” that outlines our life goals and our goals for our time here. Similarly, we write an updated resume and cover letter for future use which is reviewed by our advisors at The Washington Center. Also as part of this portfolio, we include a summary of an informational interview with someone from D.C. who is of interest. The person I interviewed (who will remain nameless for the sake of privacy) gave me some great life advice over lunch, and he was even so kind as to get me a ticket to see the Supreme Court in action on March 29.
Words of Wisdom: This entire portfolio is what you make of it. So it is probably easy to slack off and make up goals for the Individual Development Plan and to interview the guy on the Metro just because he is sitting next to you. But it is equally easy to approach the portfolio with the attitude that you can use the assignments to sort through what career path truly interests you.
In addition to these aspects of the program, academic courses are offered through TWC as well. Wake requires that its students take one evening course, so mine is on Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m. TWC offers a variety of courses, and the courses here are often taught by professionals in their fields who can give great insights to the students. I am taking “Peaceful Solutions” with Colman McCarthy, a former writer for the Washington Post. The class itself is not extremely rigorous (which I appreciate given the amount of time that my internship takes up), but the perspectives in the class are widely varying and different from any perspectives that I would get at WFU.
Words of Wisdom: Pick a topic that interests you, and then your course session will be some of the best 3 hours of your week.
For all you Wake Forest students reading this, we also are required to do an independent study/directed reading with a WFU professor. This can be anything you want it to be--I’m doing a study on the separation of church and state and I’m communicating via email with my professor. I am writing 3 papers and I am writing weekly reflections on readings. Also, I am going to lectures that are related to my topic and writing a summary of the event as a "participation" aspect of the directed reading.
My Words of Wisdom to the Wake kids: pick a professor who understands that this independent study is not your primary focus of your time in D.C. Luckily the professor who is working with me is very understanding of the program and has been very flexible with me, and I really do not know what I would do if I needed to spend extended periods of time on this independent study.
Well, that’s the program in a nutshell. My next blog will be back to more details on my adventures. Until then, I’ll be staying very, very busy. But as my mom says, a busy girl’s a happy girl!
So sorry to those of you who are reading my blog expecting to hear of more of my experiences in D.C., but I wanted to make sure to discuss the nitpicky details of TWC program.
Que Sera Sera.
Along with writing this blog and participating in my internship, The Washington Center keeps me plenty busy. Since I have not explained many of the specifics of the program, this post explains more specifically the logistics of what the program entails.
As part of TWC program, we have Monday programming in the afternoons. This is where we will listen to a variety of lectures given by businessmen/politicians in D.C. We usually meet in different parts of the city in different buildings. For example, this past Monday we listened to James Steinberg, the Deputy Secretary of State at the Department of the Interior. After giving the lecture on the topic du jour, the speaker generously takes questions from the students.
Words of Wisdom for participating in Monday programming: Listen carefully because the speakers are usually very important people with a variety of experiences. And also breathe deeply when your long-winded peers stand up to ask a question. Remember that they deserve some respect for standing up in front of a microphone and asking a question in front of a few hundred people...regardless of how long it takes them to ask it.
Also, as part of TWC program the students turn in a portfolio that includes various assignments to be completed throughout the semester. For example, we have an “Individual Development Plan” that outlines our life goals and our goals for our time here. Similarly, we write an updated resume and cover letter for future use which is reviewed by our advisors at The Washington Center. Also as part of this portfolio, we include a summary of an informational interview with someone from D.C. who is of interest. The person I interviewed (who will remain nameless for the sake of privacy) gave me some great life advice over lunch, and he was even so kind as to get me a ticket to see the Supreme Court in action on March 29.
Words of Wisdom: This entire portfolio is what you make of it. So it is probably easy to slack off and make up goals for the Individual Development Plan and to interview the guy on the Metro just because he is sitting next to you. But it is equally easy to approach the portfolio with the attitude that you can use the assignments to sort through what career path truly interests you.
In addition to these aspects of the program, academic courses are offered through TWC as well. Wake requires that its students take one evening course, so mine is on Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m. TWC offers a variety of courses, and the courses here are often taught by professionals in their fields who can give great insights to the students. I am taking “Peaceful Solutions” with Colman McCarthy, a former writer for the Washington Post. The class itself is not extremely rigorous (which I appreciate given the amount of time that my internship takes up), but the perspectives in the class are widely varying and different from any perspectives that I would get at WFU.
Words of Wisdom: Pick a topic that interests you, and then your course session will be some of the best 3 hours of your week.
For all you Wake Forest students reading this, we also are required to do an independent study/directed reading with a WFU professor. This can be anything you want it to be--I’m doing a study on the separation of church and state and I’m communicating via email with my professor. I am writing 3 papers and I am writing weekly reflections on readings. Also, I am going to lectures that are related to my topic and writing a summary of the event as a "participation" aspect of the directed reading.
My Words of Wisdom to the Wake kids: pick a professor who understands that this independent study is not your primary focus of your time in D.C. Luckily the professor who is working with me is very understanding of the program and has been very flexible with me, and I really do not know what I would do if I needed to spend extended periods of time on this independent study.
Well, that’s the program in a nutshell. My next blog will be back to more details on my adventures. Until then, I’ll be staying very, very busy. But as my mom says, a busy girl’s a happy girl!
So sorry to those of you who are reading my blog expecting to hear of more of my experiences in D.C., but I wanted to make sure to discuss the nitpicky details of TWC program.
Que Sera Sera.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Did you watch CNN this weekend? If so, then you probably saw me on TV.
I was the little speck in the brown sweater at Obama's health care speech at George Mason University last Thursday. So maybe you didn't see me per se, but I was there!!!
Obviously politics is just humming with talks about the new health care bill. I'm getting emails from senators and congressmen telling me to either help or hinder this bill. The Express newspaper that is free to the public at the Metro stops has headline after headline about the bill. And my supervisor got an email inviting him to the speech that Obama was giving for one last push on the bill.
I will not disclose my political views, but regardless of if I am or am not in favor of the bill, the atmosphere in the GMU basketball arena was very cool. The line to get into the building was 4 blocks long, and although I didn't wait in the line, I quickly realized that there was not a bad seat in the house. Along the giant line, people with signs and coordinating tee-shirts protested the health care bill. But for the most part, everyone was very respectful to Obama during his speech.
I sat, as you can tell from the pictures, not too far up and to the back right of Obama. He waved in my direction a few times.
It is only appropriate that if I spend 3 months in the nation's capital that I see the President of the United States!
On Friday my office had yet another event with the Francophonie festival. This time it was a discotheque. It took place in the National Postal Museum which was really cool to see the museum morph into a club at night. So we had the DJ “make the girl dance” come from Paris to perform for everyone.
The exhibits inside the museum were still open despite the fact that the place had turned into a giant dance party. Because we are too nerdy to pass up a quick tour of the free museum, Anne and I took a look around the exhibits. Seeing the progress of the mail service over time is surprisingly impressive. Although maybe it was just seeing it with the techno beats of the DJ that made it especially unique.
So all in all, a very eventful two days. Who knows what's in stock for the future! Its cheesy, but its true.
Que Sera Sera.
I was the little speck in the brown sweater at Obama's health care speech at George Mason University last Thursday. So maybe you didn't see me per se, but I was there!!!
Obviously politics is just humming with talks about the new health care bill. I'm getting emails from senators and congressmen telling me to either help or hinder this bill. The Express newspaper that is free to the public at the Metro stops has headline after headline about the bill. And my supervisor got an email inviting him to the speech that Obama was giving for one last push on the bill.
I will not disclose my political views, but regardless of if I am or am not in favor of the bill, the atmosphere in the GMU basketball arena was very cool. The line to get into the building was 4 blocks long, and although I didn't wait in the line, I quickly realized that there was not a bad seat in the house. Along the giant line, people with signs and coordinating tee-shirts protested the health care bill. But for the most part, everyone was very respectful to Obama during his speech.
A view of Obama and the crowd
I sat, as you can tell from the pictures, not too far up and to the back right of Obama. He waved in my direction a few times.
Close up on my angle of watching Obama’s speech
It is only appropriate that if I spend 3 months in the nation's capital that I see the President of the United States!
On Friday my office had yet another event with the Francophonie festival. This time it was a discotheque. It took place in the National Postal Museum which was really cool to see the museum morph into a club at night. So we had the DJ “make the girl dance” come from Paris to perform for everyone.
A view of the stage with the DJs
The exhibits inside the museum were still open despite the fact that the place had turned into a giant dance party. Because we are too nerdy to pass up a quick tour of the free museum, Anne and I took a look around the exhibits. Seeing the progress of the mail service over time is surprisingly impressive. Although maybe it was just seeing it with the techno beats of the DJ that made it especially unique.
So all in all, a very eventful two days. Who knows what's in stock for the future! Its cheesy, but its true.
Que Sera Sera.
Friday, March 19, 2010
D.C. is a cultural hub. Look beyond the fact that I’m living with two girls from around the world. Or that the morning Metro ride is full of physically diverse people. Look, for example, at the involvement in the city to celebrate Saint Patrick’s holiday.
Previous to this weekend, this is what I thought of when I heard the word bagpipes:
But after the St. Patty’s Day events going on throughout the city, let’s just say that my knowledge and taste have become more refined.
Sunday, March 14 kicked off the celebration. Constitution Avenue from 7th street to 17th street was lined with Irish and American flags. And for three hours military men, police officials, bands (military, bagpipers, students, etc), floats, Irish and step dancers lined the streets.
Because a picture is worth a thousand words, here are photos from the event:
Then St. Patty’s Day finally arrived. March 17. The morning Metro was a sea of green. The security guard greeted me with “top o' the morning.” And I avoided getting pinched all day.
The coolest part of the day had to be the bagpipes that played at 4:30 pm. Apparently there someone who is so passionate about St. Patrick’s Day that they arrange for a bagpipe to be played over McPherson Square for about a half hour every March 17.
And then of course there is the usual rowdiness at the bars in the evening. Every bar that I know of had some sort of special on drinks for the evening. From the stories I have heard I can safely say that bars and restaurants from Woodley Park to King Street were filled to the brim with people dressed in green to celebrate. That is obviously not unique to DC, but it still made for quite an affair.
I can’t wait until the next parade and cultural celebration. And with the Cherry Blossom Festival coming soon, I won’t have to wait long!
Que Sera Sera.
Previous to this weekend, this is what I thought of when I heard the word bagpipes:
But after the St. Patty’s Day events going on throughout the city, let’s just say that my knowledge and taste have become more refined.
Sunday, March 14 kicked off the celebration. Constitution Avenue from 7th street to 17th street was lined with Irish and American flags. And for three hours military men, police officials, bands (military, bagpipers, students, etc), floats, Irish and step dancers lined the streets.
Because a picture is worth a thousand words, here are photos from the event:
Obviously this is the Irish flag- these were on all the light posts
The grand marshal maybe?
One of the floats all decked out in green
The band made up of members of different branches of the military
I don’t really know why these were in the parade but I WANT ONE
Aren’t bagpipes technically Scottish?
Anne and I with the parade behind us
(Please note our amazing headgear!!!!!!)
Then St. Patty’s Day finally arrived. March 17. The morning Metro was a sea of green. The security guard greeted me with “top o' the morning.” And I avoided getting pinched all day.
The coolest part of the day had to be the bagpipes that played at 4:30 pm. Apparently there someone who is so passionate about St. Patrick’s Day that they arrange for a bagpipe to be played over McPherson Square for about a half hour every March 17.
And then of course there is the usual rowdiness at the bars in the evening. Every bar that I know of had some sort of special on drinks for the evening. From the stories I have heard I can safely say that bars and restaurants from Woodley Park to King Street were filled to the brim with people dressed in green to celebrate. That is obviously not unique to DC, but it still made for quite an affair.
I can’t wait until the next parade and cultural celebration. And with the Cherry Blossom Festival coming soon, I won’t have to wait long!
Que Sera Sera.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
News Flash: D.C is about to mildew.
But all the rain (and I mean ALL the rain) has not stopped me from exploring the city. My mom and Aunt came in town so we made a point of ignoring the rising river and constant mist to see the sights.
While I was at work they explored sights such as the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, the many national monuments on the mall, and the Newseum. I was able meet up with them during lunch on Thursday so we walked to the Lafayette Plaza and took the ever-necessary White House picture. This was pre-rain.
And then the rain started. But regardless, on Saturday we still visited all the necessary sights. First we went to the American History Museum, which was definitely worth our time. We spend the morning going from display to display. We saw Michelle Obama’s inauguration ball gown (among other first ladies’ gowns), a hand stitched gigantic American flag, Julia Child’s kitchen, and more. By lunch I had hit my museum limit and I was overwhelmed with information.
Since it was still raining, we decided to go to the National Geographic Museum next since we wanted to stay inside. Anne joined us for this museum and we all eagerly waited for the Terra Cotta Warriors. Unfortunately, however, all the tickets are sold out for the Terra Cotta Warriors, but their public museum was AMAZING. The gallery lined with photograph after photograph of water themed scenes was nothing short of stunning. I’m pretty sure that Anne and I are going to run away and become National Geographic photographers--sorry to both of our families in advance. But in all seriousness, this was easily the best museum I’ve visited thus far in D.C.
And despite the fact that the rain was becoming steadier, we visited the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Be forewarned, it was a hike. And the rain made it even longer. With raincoats on and umbrellas up, we walked along the Tidal Basin and made it to the monument. This monument is one of my favorite places so far, and honestly I cannot really explain why--there was just an air about the place that I really liked. And I know once the cherry blossoms come out it will be gorgeous.
So here are a series of pictures from our soggy weekend:
And although my Aunt and Mom had to leave on Sunday, the rain continued for another two days.
Too bad it wasn’t raining men. If only. Alleluia.
Que Sera Sera.
But all the rain (and I mean ALL the rain) has not stopped me from exploring the city. My mom and Aunt came in town so we made a point of ignoring the rising river and constant mist to see the sights.
While I was at work they explored sights such as the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, the many national monuments on the mall, and the Newseum. I was able meet up with them during lunch on Thursday so we walked to the Lafayette Plaza and took the ever-necessary White House picture. This was pre-rain.
My mom and I taking the ultimate touristy picture. Done and done.
And then the rain started. But regardless, on Saturday we still visited all the necessary sights. First we went to the American History Museum, which was definitely worth our time. We spend the morning going from display to display. We saw Michelle Obama’s inauguration ball gown (among other first ladies’ gowns), a hand stitched gigantic American flag, Julia Child’s kitchen, and more. By lunch I had hit my museum limit and I was overwhelmed with information.
Mom and I in front of the American History Museum. Doesn’t look like much on the outside, but it’s cool inside!
Since it was still raining, we decided to go to the National Geographic Museum next since we wanted to stay inside. Anne joined us for this museum and we all eagerly waited for the Terra Cotta Warriors. Unfortunately, however, all the tickets are sold out for the Terra Cotta Warriors, but their public museum was AMAZING. The gallery lined with photograph after photograph of water themed scenes was nothing short of stunning. I’m pretty sure that Anne and I are going to run away and become National Geographic photographers--sorry to both of our families in advance. But in all seriousness, this was easily the best museum I’ve visited thus far in D.C.
And despite the fact that the rain was becoming steadier, we visited the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Be forewarned, it was a hike. And the rain made it even longer. With raincoats on and umbrellas up, we walked along the Tidal Basin and made it to the monument. This monument is one of my favorite places so far, and honestly I cannot really explain why--there was just an air about the place that I really liked. And I know once the cherry blossoms come out it will be gorgeous.
So here are a series of pictures from our soggy weekend:
My Aunt and I in front of the Washington Monument
Anne and I showing off Thomas Jefferson
Mom, Aunt Barbara, and I in front of Jefferson
And although my Aunt and Mom had to leave on Sunday, the rain continued for another two days.
Too bad it wasn’t raining men. If only. Alleluia.
Que Sera Sera.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
With all the walking and moving around the city, it’s hard to gain weight here in D.C. But somehow I feel like I gained close to 5 pounds this weekend.
Note: I, by the way, and not a food critic, do not pretend to be a food critic, and therefore I do not pretend to write like one. Keep that in mind as you read my ramblings on the deliciousness of my weekend.
First off, Georgetown Cupcakes are absolutely heavenly. By far the best cupcakes I’ve had in my life. And although it sounds like I’m exaggerating, I swear that I’m not. The icing is creamy, and it complements the cake part of the cupcake wonderfully. It is inexplicably thick yet light. There are so many different flavors and variations of cupcakes that there is something for everyone. Personally, I chose the vanilla iced chocolate cupcake. I would have taken a picture of it in the giant box of cup cakes, but unfortunately I ate it too fast. No joke. So here is a picture of Anne’s cupcake and the cute box it came in:
Check out this website to vicariously indulge: http://georgetowncupcake.com/
My second delicious dining experience of the weekend took place Sunday morning at Martin’s Tavern. Located on the streets of Georgetown, this place holds both history and great food.
My cousin, Leigh, lives directly south of the city by Old Town Alexandria, but she loves to frequent this restaurant for their fun brunches. Because her brother/my cousin, Will, was visiting D.C. this weekend, we all decided to meet up. Martin’s was the perfect place for this.
Upon arriving in the busy restaurant Leigh pointed out the booth where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jackie Kennedy. How romantic! This restaurant is clearly well known and popular, but each time we have met for brunch the tables open up quickly. The small dining room is cozy, yet comfortable. And their brunch food is quite good, but then again its hard to go wrong with French toast, pancakes, or omelets.
Finally, my last eating experience of the weekend was Sunday night dinner. My apartment tries to have dinner together on Sunday night. This is usually pasta night (Eun-Hye has never needed to cook in the past so we are teaching her the “art” of boiling pasta), but recently we had a new addition to our apartment. Raquel is our newest apartment-mate who showed up about a month later than us and will leave about a month later than us. She is on a slightly different program than the rest of us, but she is still here on The Washington Center program.
Raquel is from Vera Cruz, Mexico and does not speak or understand English--this makes it a bit challenging for me (since I can only speak English and French) and Eun-Hye (who can only speak English and Korean). But luckily Anne saves the day since she can speak Spanish! So with a lot of smiling and charades, we explained our Sunday evening apartment dinner tradition to Raquel. She wanted to take part and to share some of her culture with us.
This Sunday, Raquel made tacos. They were easily the spiciest tacos I’ve ever eaten. My throat was sweating, Eun-Hye’s mouth was on fire, and Anne’s nose started to run. And Raquel didn’t even think that was spicy! Mental note not to ever eat anything that she considers spicy. But the food was delicious, and despite the perspiration I ate every single bite.
So thus I ate my way through the weekend.
Que Sera Sera.
Note: I, by the way, and not a food critic, do not pretend to be a food critic, and therefore I do not pretend to write like one. Keep that in mind as you read my ramblings on the deliciousness of my weekend.
First off, Georgetown Cupcakes are absolutely heavenly. By far the best cupcakes I’ve had in my life. And although it sounds like I’m exaggerating, I swear that I’m not. The icing is creamy, and it complements the cake part of the cupcake wonderfully. It is inexplicably thick yet light. There are so many different flavors and variations of cupcakes that there is something for everyone. Personally, I chose the vanilla iced chocolate cupcake. I would have taken a picture of it in the giant box of cup cakes, but unfortunately I ate it too fast. No joke. So here is a picture of Anne’s cupcake and the cute box it came in:
She had a chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing and chocolate sprinkles. Yummmm.
Check out this website to vicariously indulge: http://georgetowncupcake.com/
My second delicious dining experience of the weekend took place Sunday morning at Martin’s Tavern. Located on the streets of Georgetown, this place holds both history and great food.
My cousin, Leigh, lives directly south of the city by Old Town Alexandria, but she loves to frequent this restaurant for their fun brunches. Because her brother/my cousin, Will, was visiting D.C. this weekend, we all decided to meet up. Martin’s was the perfect place for this.
Upon arriving in the busy restaurant Leigh pointed out the booth where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jackie Kennedy. How romantic! This restaurant is clearly well known and popular, but each time we have met for brunch the tables open up quickly. The small dining room is cozy, yet comfortable. And their brunch food is quite good, but then again its hard to go wrong with French toast, pancakes, or omelets.
Here is a view from our booth of the restaurant.
Finally, my last eating experience of the weekend was Sunday night dinner. My apartment tries to have dinner together on Sunday night. This is usually pasta night (Eun-Hye has never needed to cook in the past so we are teaching her the “art” of boiling pasta), but recently we had a new addition to our apartment. Raquel is our newest apartment-mate who showed up about a month later than us and will leave about a month later than us. She is on a slightly different program than the rest of us, but she is still here on The Washington Center program.
Raquel is from Vera Cruz, Mexico and does not speak or understand English--this makes it a bit challenging for me (since I can only speak English and French) and Eun-Hye (who can only speak English and Korean). But luckily Anne saves the day since she can speak Spanish! So with a lot of smiling and charades, we explained our Sunday evening apartment dinner tradition to Raquel. She wanted to take part and to share some of her culture with us.
This Sunday, Raquel made tacos. They were easily the spiciest tacos I’ve ever eaten. My throat was sweating, Eun-Hye’s mouth was on fire, and Anne’s nose started to run. And Raquel didn’t even think that was spicy! Mental note not to ever eat anything that she considers spicy. But the food was delicious, and despite the perspiration I ate every single bite.
Our Sunday evening dinner! (from left to right--Raquel, Anne, Eun-Hye)
The desert Raquel and Anne made--chocolate cupcakes with cranberries and chocolate chips. almost as good as Georgetown Cupcakes.
So thus I ate my way through the weekend.
Que Sera Sera.
Monday, March 8, 2010
I know we are well into Lent and that Mardi Gras already seems a distant ways away as our Lenten promises quickly start to fail, but the theme of my week was nothing short of LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!!!
Throughout the month of March and into early April my office is helping to run the Francophonie Cultural Festival of 2010. This is where different French-speaking nations come together and celebrate their different cultures. And since this is the first week of March, that means that it was the first week of the Francophonie Festival!
Monday night was a grand affair--it was a reception for the different members of the francophone nations. So I met the ambassador of Haiti and Canada, and although others were present I merely saw them from afar. Needless to say, I--the intern--was the lowliest person in the room. The event took place in the Willard InterContinental Hotel in a HUGE room with marble and plush carpet. Delicious spreads of food as well as different drinks were scattered throughout the room. The entire evening was about 80% in French and 20% in English. It was quite the affair.
As well as the mingling and socializing and handshaking, speeches were given and awards were handed out. Like I said, quite the affair. And to top it off, just as I discovered the chocolate covered strawberries, a group of 4 boys started to frap. Nope, that wasn't a typo, frap is French rap. Now, while I can understand French, I can honestly say that I cannot understand a single word of frap. But the experience of hearing them and watching those at the reception bobbing their heads in approval to the beat of the song was entertaining enough.
Then Wednesday evening my office helped participate in yet another event. This event was the collaboration of the New York State Society, the Canadian Embassy, and the Quebec Government Office (my office). This event took place in the Canadian Embassy and was formatted similar to Monday evening. There was delicious spread of food, wine/soft drinks, and speeches. Congressmen from the State of New York, members of the Embassy of Canada, and the members of the Office of Quebec were present to celebrate the continuing partnership between Canada and New York. The only difference in the evening was that this event was 80% in English and 20% in French. Overall, it was quite a fancy event.
And finally, the week was concluded with the Grande Fete de la Francophonie. About 35 different French speaking nations lined tables around three huge rooms in the French embassy and handed out food and drink native to their nation. So I was pouring one of three different beers, some sort of maple sugar whisky, cheese, and meat--all of which came from Quebec. The number of people that came to this event is inexplicable. The rooms were totally and completely packed, and the it was a busy evening.
So all in all, that was the social part of my week. I can safely say that there never seems to be a down moment in D.C. And with the Cherry Blossom Festival around the corner, the city is only going to get busier!
Que Sera Sera.
Throughout the month of March and into early April my office is helping to run the Francophonie Cultural Festival of 2010. This is where different French-speaking nations come together and celebrate their different cultures. And since this is the first week of March, that means that it was the first week of the Francophonie Festival!
Monday night was a grand affair--it was a reception for the different members of the francophone nations. So I met the ambassador of Haiti and Canada, and although others were present I merely saw them from afar. Needless to say, I--the intern--was the lowliest person in the room. The event took place in the Willard InterContinental Hotel in a HUGE room with marble and plush carpet. Delicious spreads of food as well as different drinks were scattered throughout the room. The entire evening was about 80% in French and 20% in English. It was quite the affair.
As well as the mingling and socializing and handshaking, speeches were given and awards were handed out. Like I said, quite the affair. And to top it off, just as I discovered the chocolate covered strawberries, a group of 4 boys started to frap. Nope, that wasn't a typo, frap is French rap. Now, while I can understand French, I can honestly say that I cannot understand a single word of frap. But the experience of hearing them and watching those at the reception bobbing their heads in approval to the beat of the song was entertaining enough.
Then Wednesday evening my office helped participate in yet another event. This event was the collaboration of the New York State Society, the Canadian Embassy, and the Quebec Government Office (my office). This event took place in the Canadian Embassy and was formatted similar to Monday evening. There was delicious spread of food, wine/soft drinks, and speeches. Congressmen from the State of New York, members of the Embassy of Canada, and the members of the Office of Quebec were present to celebrate the continuing partnership between Canada and New York. The only difference in the evening was that this event was 80% in English and 20% in French. Overall, it was quite a fancy event.
And finally, the week was concluded with the Grande Fete de la Francophonie. About 35 different French speaking nations lined tables around three huge rooms in the French embassy and handed out food and drink native to their nation. So I was pouring one of three different beers, some sort of maple sugar whisky, cheese, and meat--all of which came from Quebec. The number of people that came to this event is inexplicable. The rooms were totally and completely packed, and the it was a busy evening.
My supervisor and I wait behind our table for the Grande Fete to start!
So all in all, that was the social part of my week. I can safely say that there never seems to be a down moment in D.C. And with the Cherry Blossom Festival around the corner, the city is only going to get busier!
Que Sera Sera.
Monday, March 1, 2010
I failed at being a spy. No seriously, I actually failed. Wake Forest would not be proud of me.
This past weekend, a few of my friends and I decided to check out the International Spy Museum over on the Chinatown Metro stop. Although the tickets were pricey (18 bucks!!!!), the museum is well worth the price. Upon entering the museum we had to assume a given identity- I was Greta Something from some part of Germany who was traveling to London on some sort of business. And now you see why I failed at being a spy, because I simply couldn’t even remember my cover story.
Anyways, as we continued through the museum with our individual undercover spy names, we saw room after room of spy gadgets. Even James Bond would be impressed with this museum. There were shoes with knives in the heel, microdots to transmit messages, wigs of different colors, cars with stowaway seats, and more! Propaganda lined the hallways about how “the walls have ears” and “silence keeps secrets.” To a certain extent, the museum was a sensory overload.
After spending about 2 hours inside I of course wanted to become a spy (just as how I always want to be a fighter pilot at the end of Top Gun). Unfortunately, we have to test our identities before leaving the museum, and I failed. It was a epic fail. The computer asked me who I was and to define my mission and all I could remember is that I was Greta and that I was 33 years old. Alot of good that did, so the computer told me that because I failed my mission I was tortured and killed. Oh joy.
On a different note, Wake Forest would have been proud of me for my nerdy adventure this weekend. Anne and I were interested in visiting the National Archives, and since this museum is a government related building it was free which made my wallet happy.
There, located in one extremely dark rotunda (kept dark to protect the documents) were the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The documents themselves were only moderately legible given the amount of abuse they had taken over the years, but they were still impressive. It was weird to think that those were the very documents that the founding fathers signed! Like I said, it was a nerdy adventure.
To add to our busy weekend, Anne and I also went to the Vagina Monologues at UMD College Park with my coworker, Christine, and a friend of hers. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to the Vagina Monologues, but it might be worth going if not just for the overwhelming experience of hearing women talk about usually unapproachable topics. If anything, I got the opportunity to see yet another ACC school. Their facilities were nice and the redbrick and columns around the campus had a homey feel to it. My only critique concerns their mascot.
I mean, really, who can actually fear a Turtle?
Que Sera Sera.
This past weekend, a few of my friends and I decided to check out the International Spy Museum over on the Chinatown Metro stop. Although the tickets were pricey (18 bucks!!!!), the museum is well worth the price. Upon entering the museum we had to assume a given identity- I was Greta Something from some part of Germany who was traveling to London on some sort of business. And now you see why I failed at being a spy, because I simply couldn’t even remember my cover story.
Anyways, as we continued through the museum with our individual undercover spy names, we saw room after room of spy gadgets. Even James Bond would be impressed with this museum. There were shoes with knives in the heel, microdots to transmit messages, wigs of different colors, cars with stowaway seats, and more! Propaganda lined the hallways about how “the walls have ears” and “silence keeps secrets.” To a certain extent, the museum was a sensory overload.
After spending about 2 hours inside I of course wanted to become a spy (just as how I always want to be a fighter pilot at the end of Top Gun). Unfortunately, we have to test our identities before leaving the museum, and I failed. It was a epic fail. The computer asked me who I was and to define my mission and all I could remember is that I was Greta and that I was 33 years old. Alot of good that did, so the computer told me that because I failed my mission I was tortured and killed. Oh joy.
On a different note, Wake Forest would have been proud of me for my nerdy adventure this weekend. Anne and I were interested in visiting the National Archives, and since this museum is a government related building it was free which made my wallet happy.
Picture courtesy of archives.gov
There, located in one extremely dark rotunda (kept dark to protect the documents) were the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The documents themselves were only moderately legible given the amount of abuse they had taken over the years, but they were still impressive. It was weird to think that those were the very documents that the founding fathers signed! Like I said, it was a nerdy adventure.
To add to our busy weekend, Anne and I also went to the Vagina Monologues at UMD College Park with my coworker, Christine, and a friend of hers. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to the Vagina Monologues, but it might be worth going if not just for the overwhelming experience of hearing women talk about usually unapproachable topics. If anything, I got the opportunity to see yet another ACC school. Their facilities were nice and the redbrick and columns around the campus had a homey feel to it. My only critique concerns their mascot.
I mean, really, who can actually fear a Turtle?
Que Sera Sera.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Charles Dickens described D.C. as being “a city of miraculous distance.” And after this weekend I totally and completely agree with him.
This weekend my roommates and I decided to explore the city like tourists. So we charged up our camera batteries, made ourselves an itinerary, and grabbed our three-fold pamphlet maps. The only thing that could have made us look more like tourists was if we had strapped on fanny packs--which, for the record, we were not opposed to, but unfortunately we seem to have misplaced that wonderful excuse for a purse.
On the Friday before our big adventures began I went online to reserve 3 tickets for our weekend tour of the Capitol building. All in all, the reservation process was quite easy- visit http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/ for more information. The nutshell is that we made an online reservation, got an email, printed out the email, and showed up at the capitol building a quarter hour before our tour. And we even got into the earlier tour group!
The tour of the Capitol building started with a quick thirteen minute film that recounted the entire history of the United States. And yes, it was impressive that somehow they squeezed so many events from 400 years into 13 minutes. But the movie was very well done and so clear that even my Korean roommate had a better understanding of the United States when we left the theater.
Given that I’m a nerd for United States history, the tour of the Capitol building was very cool--definitely worth a visit. We saw the original room for the Supreme Court, the old meeting room for the Congress, and the famous rotunda. I don’t want to give any spoilers for the fun facts I learned on the trip, so make your reservations today!
The Capitol building happens to have a tunnel that connects to the Library of Congress so we made an impromptu visit next door. The LOC was interesting, although we were only allowed to look into the real library. I’m determined to figure out how to get in...the front door seems to be hidden--so stay tuned!
Although on Sunday we decided to have more of a cultural day, we still walked around with just as many cameras and maps. This time we rode the Metro to Chinatown for the festival for the Chinese New Year (so yeah, apparently I’ve celebrated 2010 three times now). Following a parade full of dragons dancing on the street, there were other events such as fireworks, poppers, and speeches. Wandering between 6th and 8th street on H Street, we got a full and complete cultural day.
Thinking back on the weekend with my pamphlet next to me, I realize that I walked on parts of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th streets; C, D, E, F, G, H, and I streets; and Independence, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Constitution Avenues. So yes, I understand exactly what Charles Dickens was talking about.
While nursing the blisters on my feet, I put up my weekend map for my weekday work clothes.
Que Sera Sera.
This weekend my roommates and I decided to explore the city like tourists. So we charged up our camera batteries, made ourselves an itinerary, and grabbed our three-fold pamphlet maps. The only thing that could have made us look more like tourists was if we had strapped on fanny packs--which, for the record, we were not opposed to, but unfortunately we seem to have misplaced that wonderful excuse for a purse.
On the Friday before our big adventures began I went online to reserve 3 tickets for our weekend tour of the Capitol building. All in all, the reservation process was quite easy- visit http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/ for more information. The nutshell is that we made an online reservation, got an email, printed out the email, and showed up at the capitol building a quarter hour before our tour. And we even got into the earlier tour group!
The tour of the Capitol building started with a quick thirteen minute film that recounted the entire history of the United States. And yes, it was impressive that somehow they squeezed so many events from 400 years into 13 minutes. But the movie was very well done and so clear that even my Korean roommate had a better understanding of the United States when we left the theater.
Given that I’m a nerd for United States history, the tour of the Capitol building was very cool--definitely worth a visit. We saw the original room for the Supreme Court, the old meeting room for the Congress, and the famous rotunda. I don’t want to give any spoilers for the fun facts I learned on the trip, so make your reservations today!
Looking up at the ceiling of the rotunda
Part of the Rotunda--although the section under the windows looks like a sculpture, it's actually a painting!
Anne taking the “touristy” photo outside the Capitol building
The Capitol building happens to have a tunnel that connects to the Library of Congress so we made an impromptu visit next door. The LOC was interesting, although we were only allowed to look into the real library. I’m determined to figure out how to get in...the front door seems to be hidden--so stay tuned!
Yay library!
Now I’m the one taking the “touristy” photo outside the Library of Congress
Although on Sunday we decided to have more of a cultural day, we still walked around with just as many cameras and maps. This time we rode the Metro to Chinatown for the festival for the Chinese New Year (so yeah, apparently I’ve celebrated 2010 three times now). Following a parade full of dragons dancing on the street, there were other events such as fireworks, poppers, and speeches. Wandering between 6th and 8th street on H Street, we got a full and complete cultural day.
The gigantic wall that crossed over H Street
The Chinese dragon performance
Thinking back on the weekend with my pamphlet next to me, I realize that I walked on parts of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th streets; C, D, E, F, G, H, and I streets; and Independence, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Constitution Avenues. So yes, I understand exactly what Charles Dickens was talking about.
While nursing the blisters on my feet, I put up my weekend map for my weekday work clothes.
Que Sera Sera.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Hobnob:
1) To mingle, usually with the upper class of society
2) The verb hobnob originally meant “to drink together” and occurred as a varying phrase, hob or nob, hob-a-nob, or hob and nob, the first of which is recorded in 1763.
"After the opera, we hobnobbed with the foreign heads-of-state."
urbandictionary.com
During the Washington Center orientation about a month ago a speaker advised all us students to “hobnob” with the people in DC. Because of the snow, the past few weeks have not been a great time to rub elbows with anyone. This week I haven’t exactly hobnobbed, but I’ve definitely rubbed elbows with some high profile people--quite literally.
It all started with the beginning of the week when my father came into town on business. His D.C. office is located on Pennsylvania Ave about 5 blocks away from my office (which is at the corner of 15th and H). We scheduled a lunch for noon at the Lafayette Restaurant which is located an equal distance from our respective offices. This restaurant is located across Lafayette Park in front of the White House, and little did I know until upon arrival that this was the restaurant located in the famous Hay Adams Hotel.
Our lunch was quite good, although I recommend going there with someone who is willing to pay more than the average college student. The service was upscale, the decorations were elegant, and the food was delicious. It’s definitely a place worth visiting if you want to have a really nice outing. That being said, a small cup of soup may not be worth 10 bucks to me--which reminds me, I`ll pay for our lunch outing next time you come in town, Dad....how does cheap ole Chipotle sound?
But anyways, as my dad and I decided that we both left the restaurant to head back to work, I brushed arms with an older man. We heard the host welcome this man by name, and I recognied him as being a well known senator. Ironically enough, this is the very same senator who happens to be sponsoring a bill that my boss asked me to research and summarize for him. As I somehow suppressed the urge to grab his arm and ask him questions about the 'Buy American' language within his bill, my dad explained to me that the Hay Adams hotel is the site of the ever common “power lunch”--
Power Lunch
1) A gathering of co-workers or of mostly young corporate males for a 3 hour lunch on the clock that includes such things as a motorcade of Lexus and BMW automobiles, motivational speakers, cheers, steak, and talk about something like the “bottom line” or bonuses or something.
“Hey, there’s a power lunch at the Capital Club next Friday.”
urbandictionary.com
Although this is a relatively common event in DC, to my knowledge no one in my office has recently participated in a power lunch. My office has been busy preparing for Quebec’s Premier to come into town this weekend--think of him as being the equivalent of one of ten governors within Canada. So his advisors came in town to prepare for his visit, which lead to organized chaos in our office all week. And to add to the list of important people I have met during my week, the head of the NY branch of the Quebec Government Office also came to visit our office mid-week. I was nervous about meeting him but I soon realized that he not only knows about Wake Forest, but he is also well versed in WFU’s famous athletes--impressive not only for a northerner, but also for a Canadian.
Before this week I did not fully understand the connections that D.C. offers. As I saw the past few days, connections to powerful people exist within my office as well as during simple outings in the city. The Washington Center provides the students with business cards so that we can NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK! Honestly, the idea of networking never seemed comfortable to me, but after a week of haphazardly running into powerful people, networking seems like a much more ordinary concept now.
I have yet to hand out my business card, but maybe I’ll hobnob this weekend...
Que Sera Sera.
(p.s. sorry for the lack of pictures, its slightly inappropriate to whip out a camera and take flash photos in the faces of the people I’m meeting)
1) To mingle, usually with the upper class of society
2) The verb hobnob originally meant “to drink together” and occurred as a varying phrase, hob or nob, hob-a-nob, or hob and nob, the first of which is recorded in 1763.
"After the opera, we hobnobbed with the foreign heads-of-state."
urbandictionary.com
During the Washington Center orientation about a month ago a speaker advised all us students to “hobnob” with the people in DC. Because of the snow, the past few weeks have not been a great time to rub elbows with anyone. This week I haven’t exactly hobnobbed, but I’ve definitely rubbed elbows with some high profile people--quite literally.
It all started with the beginning of the week when my father came into town on business. His D.C. office is located on Pennsylvania Ave about 5 blocks away from my office (which is at the corner of 15th and H). We scheduled a lunch for noon at the Lafayette Restaurant which is located an equal distance from our respective offices. This restaurant is located across Lafayette Park in front of the White House, and little did I know until upon arrival that this was the restaurant located in the famous Hay Adams Hotel.
Our lunch was quite good, although I recommend going there with someone who is willing to pay more than the average college student. The service was upscale, the decorations were elegant, and the food was delicious. It’s definitely a place worth visiting if you want to have a really nice outing. That being said, a small cup of soup may not be worth 10 bucks to me--which reminds me, I`ll pay for our lunch outing next time you come in town, Dad....how does cheap ole Chipotle sound?
But anyways, as my dad and I decided that we both left the restaurant to head back to work, I brushed arms with an older man. We heard the host welcome this man by name, and I recognied him as being a well known senator. Ironically enough, this is the very same senator who happens to be sponsoring a bill that my boss asked me to research and summarize for him. As I somehow suppressed the urge to grab his arm and ask him questions about the 'Buy American' language within his bill, my dad explained to me that the Hay Adams hotel is the site of the ever common “power lunch”--
Power Lunch
1) A gathering of co-workers or of mostly young corporate males for a 3 hour lunch on the clock that includes such things as a motorcade of Lexus and BMW automobiles, motivational speakers, cheers, steak, and talk about something like the “bottom line” or bonuses or something.
“Hey, there’s a power lunch at the Capital Club next Friday.”
urbandictionary.com
Although this is a relatively common event in DC, to my knowledge no one in my office has recently participated in a power lunch. My office has been busy preparing for Quebec’s Premier to come into town this weekend--think of him as being the equivalent of one of ten governors within Canada. So his advisors came in town to prepare for his visit, which lead to organized chaos in our office all week. And to add to the list of important people I have met during my week, the head of the NY branch of the Quebec Government Office also came to visit our office mid-week. I was nervous about meeting him but I soon realized that he not only knows about Wake Forest, but he is also well versed in WFU’s famous athletes--impressive not only for a northerner, but also for a Canadian.
Before this week I did not fully understand the connections that D.C. offers. As I saw the past few days, connections to powerful people exist within my office as well as during simple outings in the city. The Washington Center provides the students with business cards so that we can NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK! Honestly, the idea of networking never seemed comfortable to me, but after a week of haphazardly running into powerful people, networking seems like a much more ordinary concept now.
I have yet to hand out my business card, but maybe I’ll hobnob this weekend...
Que Sera Sera.
(p.s. sorry for the lack of pictures, its slightly inappropriate to whip out a camera and take flash photos in the faces of the people I’m meeting)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I’ve never streaked before, but this weekend I got pretty darn close.
At 2:00 pm on February 13th, 350 people gathered at the Pour House Bar on Pennsylvania Avenue in their Valentine’s themed undies to run around the Capitol building. And I was one of those people.
The description of the run was as follows:
Are you single? Meet a fellow runner, and this could be your last/first date! Are you taken? Bring your S.O. for a romantic romp around the Capitol! Is it complicated? What better way to further complicate things than a sexy strut in your Valentine's Day best?
I mean, who wouldn’t want to run that?
The 2-mile run was set up as a fundraiser for the Children Tumor Foundation as well as a way to raise the awareness about CTF and the diseases it helps. In all seriousness, I’ll run around in my underwear any day if it helps a cause like that.
The run itself was quite an experience. My roommate, Anne, came to take pictures while I ran around the Capitol with her coworker, Nick. As she stood on the steps of the bar in her winter jacket, pants, boots, scarf, hat, and gloves, Anne took pictures of everyone else standing in their skivvies.
The tourists around the Capitol got an eyeful as we started the run, and the loop around the Capitol building provided a completely new perspective that I don’t think I’ll ever get again. Never before has the building looked so large and so much like an obstacle. The race was initially supposed to be a jog, but since everyone wanted to get back to the warmth of the bar, we sprinted the 2 miles. When running up the hill, one of the boys in a Speedo and strap-on wings stopped running and announced to everyone that he wasn’t in the race for the run, but for the opportunity to run around the city in his underwear. Weren’t we all?
Check out the coverage on NBC! I run by in my neon pink sports bra...it’s hard to miss.
Other than the race, my roommates and I had a cultural weekend. Anne and I gave our Korean roommate, Eun-Hye, an American Valentine’s Day experience. We bought her flowers, made her a valentine, and gave her a stuffed bear. Eun-Hye, in return, taught us about the celebration of the Korean New Year. Following the lunar calendar, this weekend (rather than January 1) held the celebration of the New Year. She gave Anne and me the traditional Korean New Years cookie which was made up of jelly covered in rice. A blandly interesting delight.
Since we had Monday off from work for Presidents Day, we decided to celebrate the Korean New Year by splurging and going out to dinner. D.C. is not necessarily a cheap city, but cheap meals can be found. We visited the hole-in-the-wall restaurant Casa Blanca (yeah, a Mexican restaurant to celebrate the Korean New Year--it didn’t make much sense to us either), and we each had a delicious meal while not spending a fortune. After all, we are on a college student’s budget.
So now that I’ve done my own version of Cupid’s shuffle, shared a cultural Valentine’s Day, and celebrated the start of 2010 for the second time, it’s time to start yet another work week.
Que Sera Sera.
At 2:00 pm on February 13th, 350 people gathered at the Pour House Bar on Pennsylvania Avenue in their Valentine’s themed undies to run around the Capitol building. And I was one of those people.
The description of the run was as follows:
Are you single? Meet a fellow runner, and this could be your last/first date! Are you taken? Bring your S.O. for a romantic romp around the Capitol! Is it complicated? What better way to further complicate things than a sexy strut in your Valentine's Day best?
I mean, who wouldn’t want to run that?
The 2-mile run was set up as a fundraiser for the Children Tumor Foundation as well as a way to raise the awareness about CTF and the diseases it helps. In all seriousness, I’ll run around in my underwear any day if it helps a cause like that.
The run itself was quite an experience. My roommate, Anne, came to take pictures while I ran around the Capitol with her coworker, Nick. As she stood on the steps of the bar in her winter jacket, pants, boots, scarf, hat, and gloves, Anne took pictures of everyone else standing in their skivvies.
Nick and me trying to stay warm before the run
Before the run
As the run begins!
The tourists around the Capitol got an eyeful as we started the run, and the loop around the Capitol building provided a completely new perspective that I don’t think I’ll ever get again. Never before has the building looked so large and so much like an obstacle. The race was initially supposed to be a jog, but since everyone wanted to get back to the warmth of the bar, we sprinted the 2 miles. When running up the hill, one of the boys in a Speedo and strap-on wings stopped running and announced to everyone that he wasn’t in the race for the run, but for the opportunity to run around the city in his underwear. Weren’t we all?
Check out the coverage on NBC! I run by in my neon pink sports bra...it’s hard to miss.
Freezing my butt off in front of the Capitol building
Other than the race, my roommates and I had a cultural weekend. Anne and I gave our Korean roommate, Eun-Hye, an American Valentine’s Day experience. We bought her flowers, made her a valentine, and gave her a stuffed bear. Eun-Hye, in return, taught us about the celebration of the Korean New Year. Following the lunar calendar, this weekend (rather than January 1) held the celebration of the New Year. She gave Anne and me the traditional Korean New Years cookie which was made up of jelly covered in rice. A blandly interesting delight.
Since we had Monday off from work for Presidents Day, we decided to celebrate the Korean New Year by splurging and going out to dinner. D.C. is not necessarily a cheap city, but cheap meals can be found. We visited the hole-in-the-wall restaurant Casa Blanca (yeah, a Mexican restaurant to celebrate the Korean New Year--it didn’t make much sense to us either), and we each had a delicious meal while not spending a fortune. After all, we are on a college student’s budget.
So now that I’ve done my own version of Cupid’s shuffle, shared a cultural Valentine’s Day, and celebrated the start of 2010 for the second time, it’s time to start yet another work week.
Que Sera Sera.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Looking outside my window is like watching a black and white movie. Just without the black.
The snow storm over the weekend was everything the meteorologists forecasted. It snowed about 30 inches in North Bethesda, and created a winter wonderland. The weekend events were full of snow ball fights, snowmen, and sledding.
And apparently one blizzard wasn’t enough. Just as the snow from the first storm was starting to melt and it looked like the city was going to wake up, the evening of February 9 brought in another storm. As round two pounds on the cars, trees, and building, the city of D.C. is shut down. The federal government, along with the rest of D.C. companies, has been closed for the past 3 days.
The city is officially stagnant. The Metro is again limited to only the underground portion of the metro. My bosses and I remain in contact via email, but realistically there is not much for me to do from home.
Originally my calendar for this week was full of senate hearings: as groups receive funds from the government, they must present their financial requests on the hill. These hearings are open to the public, and my supervisor encourages me to get out of the office to participate in events that can be educational.
Last week I attended a hearing for the budget of the Department of Energy (DOE) and I was amazed the entire hearing process. That was my first trip to the Hill, so seeing Senators from Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Arkansas, and Wyoming, North Carolina was nothing short of impressive. The room was enormous and stately, with wood paneling along the walls and comfortable faux leather chairs neatly organized throught the room. As I sat in the room surrounded by lobbyists, I tried not to look out of place as I scribbled down notes. Realistically, since my eyes were the size of saucers during the hearing and my jaw kept dropping with every entering Senator, so I do not doubt that I looked extremely out of place.
With the federal government closing, these Senate hearings will be rescheduled, so I will merely pencil them in on my calendar for a later date. But with the snowy weather and no access to public transportation, my roommates and I have not only been unable to explore the city of D.C., but we also have been unable to leave the 2 block area surrounding out apartment building. Cabin Fever is beginning to set in.
With this winter weather, I’m starting to believe Punxsutawney Phil. Maybe it will be another 6 weeks of winter.
Que Sera Sera.
The snow storm over the weekend was everything the meteorologists forecasted. It snowed about 30 inches in North Bethesda, and created a winter wonderland. The weekend events were full of snow ball fights, snowmen, and sledding.
Yes, this is a picture of weather.com's forecast
And apparently one blizzard wasn’t enough. Just as the snow from the first storm was starting to melt and it looked like the city was going to wake up, the evening of February 9 brought in another storm. As round two pounds on the cars, trees, and building, the city of D.C. is shut down. The federal government, along with the rest of D.C. companies, has been closed for the past 3 days.
The city is officially stagnant. The Metro is again limited to only the underground portion of the metro. My bosses and I remain in contact via email, but realistically there is not much for me to do from home.
Originally my calendar for this week was full of senate hearings: as groups receive funds from the government, they must present their financial requests on the hill. These hearings are open to the public, and my supervisor encourages me to get out of the office to participate in events that can be educational.
A typical Senate hearing room
Last week I attended a hearing for the budget of the Department of Energy (DOE) and I was amazed the entire hearing process. That was my first trip to the Hill, so seeing Senators from Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Arkansas, and Wyoming, North Carolina was nothing short of impressive. The room was enormous and stately, with wood paneling along the walls and comfortable faux leather chairs neatly organized throught the room. As I sat in the room surrounded by lobbyists, I tried not to look out of place as I scribbled down notes. Realistically, since my eyes were the size of saucers during the hearing and my jaw kept dropping with every entering Senator, so I do not doubt that I looked extremely out of place.
With the federal government closing, these Senate hearings will be rescheduled, so I will merely pencil them in on my calendar for a later date. But with the snowy weather and no access to public transportation, my roommates and I have not only been unable to explore the city of D.C., but we also have been unable to leave the 2 block area surrounding out apartment building. Cabin Fever is beginning to set in.
With this winter weather, I’m starting to believe Punxsutawney Phil. Maybe it will be another 6 weeks of winter.
Que Sera Sera.
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