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!

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.

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)

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Washington D.C. seems to have a one track mind. During the week of the State of the Union, that’s all anyone could talk about. Articles in the free news papers on the metro discussed pre- and post-speech analysis. Conferences were held to talk about the speech. Parties were held to celebrate the speech. Everything was all about the speech.

And now, D.C. is focused on the snow. Everything is all about the snow. You wouldn’t even know that the Super Bowl is coming up because all that’s talked about is the storm. The Weather Channel has replaced ESPN on every TV set, as meteorologists forecast the nor-eastern to be one of the biggest in D.C. in the past ten years. With two feet of snow is in the forecast, this storm has captured the focus of the entire District.

Here is the gate to my apartment complex

One of my Roommates and I stand by allllll the snow

The federal government closed their offices at 1:00 pm on Friday, and therefore, like a domino effect, the rest of the city shut their doors as well. Despite the fact that my office is full of people who are from Quebec and consider 2 feet of snow in 30 degree weather to be trivial, we also closed at 1:00 pm. The main concern of both my office and the federal government was the safety of transportation.

The Metro system announced that in open air sections of the Metro, if the snow accumulated over eight inches then the trains would not service those stops. With not having a car and with the Metro not servicing my area, I’m stranded at my apartment. But in all honesty, I have everything I need here in Bethesda.

The grocery store located right next door to my building is fully stocked with food even during the storm. With the hype of the storm building, my roommate and I went to the grocery store to stock up on some essentials. The grocery store was so full that the lines to check out extended up the aisles of the store. While everyone in the grocery store grabbed meat, eggs, and milk, I grabbed multiple boxes of hot chocolate mix.

And now, with my hot chocolate beside me, its like Christmas in February.

Que Sera Sera

You know the song Don’t Stop Believin’? Journey sings about a small town girl living in a lonely world- well that’s not me. I’m a city girl from Atlanta, and living in DC is anything but a lonely world.

The Washington Center program has been going on for almost two weeks now, and the city is already starting to feel like home. After mistakenly riding the Metro trains the wrong direction (oops), making snow angels after the “snow storm” (sorry to all you Yankees, a foot of snow is the equivalent of a blizzard to a Southerner like me), and burning multiple chicken breasts which were originally for dinner (sorry mom), I’m finally getting my footing.

And you thought I was kidding about making snow angels…

I have been working at my internship with the Quebec Government Office for a bit over a week. The office is small, friendly, and busy. Even as an intern, I’m doing real work to help my supervisor monitor policies that affect Quebec and the relationships between Canada and the United States.

While the office has been great thus far, it has been a transition going from the college life to real world. Working 9-5 is surprisingly exhausting, and that does not include the amount of effort it takes to commute to and from work. While the Metro is the most efficient commute I have experienced in my life, my previous transportation habits won’t make you jealous…the locals here say that the Metro can be unreliable and slow, but I have yet to see it that way.

My apartment is 5 minutes away from the Grosvenor-Strathmore stop on the red line, and it is about 35 minutes from the center of the city. The living situation is not shabby--2 bedroom 2 bath with a kitchen and living area. Honestly, except for weeknights, my roommates and I don’t hang around the apartment much. Weather permitting, we have a goal of visiting one notable place or participating in one unique event each weekend.

This past weekend we visited the Arlington National Cemetery. It was extremely easy to find (just on the blue line of the Metro) and it is a great area to explore. The snow on the tombstones made practically everything white, and it really made us understand the expanse of the cemetery.

So I’ll keep writing about my time here with The Washington Center as well as my adventures around the city.

Que Sera Sera.