Let the games begin

Sometimes--or, in my case, often--life finds us in unexpected circumstances. Writing last week's blog post, for instance, found me sitting on the floor of our bathroom at 2 or 3 in the morning, in search of a quiet space in which I could focus without disturbing my sleeping roommate (don't be fooled by the time of the post). Last Wednesday found me briefly touring the White House with fellow disillusioned Media & Comm. students; Thursday found me filing my first web story, conducting a phone interview with a major company president, and then darting between socializing local business leaders at the Washington Business Journal's Book of Lists Celebration, attempting to be invisible as I made a bee-line for the buffet. If you’ve never tried “baked Alaska,” please do yourself a favor and procure some.

Photo courtesy of http://alaskaoffer.blogspot.com/2009/08/baked-alaska.html 

While the Book of Lists Celebration had networking as a top priority, I'm not ashamed to admit that the baked Alaska dessert was pretty much the highlight of my evening. 

The weekend, thankfully, found me relaxing and preparing for the coming week, as Tuesday will find me back at WBJ with another interview, Wednesday will find me visiting the Israeli embassy, and Thursday will find me in a dialogue with a group of Israeli students, discussing the high-tension topic of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Whew. Please pause as I catch my breath and grab a plate of tikka masala chicken and rice (which, I am pathetically proud to report, I made in the comfort of our apartment), because some form of food is required to boost my energy in the midst of this whirlwind.

      

In the mean time, I should note one thing: the laptop I am using currently is not my own, which is currently traveling the nation compliments of the Geek Squad. Thankfully, my lovely roommates have graciously leant me theirs. Don’t ask me why, but TWC lists “laptop” as something to either send for or purchase after arrival (though, freakishly enough, toilet paper made the list of things to bring with you)… I know, I know, people have different priorities. My recommendation, though: bring your laptop, buy the toilet paper. Logical? I think so.

       

Thus I spent part of the morning growing accustomed to a foreign laptop- foreign to me and foreign to this country. Admittedly, I didn’t notice the peculiar keyboard until I began typing and was horrified to see the number of typos involved. It was then that I noticed the “fin” instead of “end,” placed a few keys to the right of the “Ñ” and the “ç.” Indeed, Spanish; just one of the numerous new cultural experiences I’ve enjoyed since my arrival. 

Look closely, please. Non-English keyboards, for the record, are a bit off-setting! I couldn’t help taking a picture for posterity… absurd.

       

On the first day here, my parents and I went out for lunch at Chevy’s Fresh Mex restaurant just across the street, where we were helped by an excellent Indian waiter by the name of Deepak--a token beginning to the wonderfully multi-cultural region of DC. My first international keyboard was, in fact, preceded by my first time trying eggplant (which, warning, can smell semi-foreboding in the process of roasting it for baingan bharta), my first time being hit on in Spanish, and my first dinner at a sushi restaurant, to name a few. The new experiences and getting a taste of different cultures (literally) are definitely part of the fun of being here.

       

Speaking of new experiences, my placement as Washington Business Journal’s editorial intern is moving along at a speedy but relatively exciting clip. I was assigned my first piece within half an hour of arriving for my first day, and since then have published my first web story, interviewed a local business honcho and set up a second interview with another such important fellow for the coming week, not to mention getting a feel for the office and jumping (being thrown?) right into WBJ’s biggest event of the year, the Book of Lists Celebration at the National Building Museum. The building was absolutely decked out, as were some of the attendees; quite frankly, I was rather out of my league.  

National Building Museum= 100 percent impressive. Pillars, fountain, delicious buffets, and many business-sorts mingling about and exchanging business cards: I give you the Book of Lists Celebration at its finest.

       

The rest of the week has been equally on-the-go, but nothing too crazy to report here. Honestly, there’s little point in my informing you that taking a “tour of the White House” is not at all as exciting as it sounds, as my fellow Media and Comm. students discovered last week after choosing not to fully believe me. Really, it’s great for saying “I’ll be back in a bit; I’m going to tour the White House” (which, let’s admit it, is fun to say), and it’s great for checking out dishes and furniture that once graced presidential presences, but they’re not about to allow you to case the joint. Our next program bonding time was an optional dinner at a sushi restaurant in Arlington, which was fairly entertaining, regardless of the fact that virtually everyone was notably late and I don’t actually like sushi. It made for great company, great conversation, and a generally positive experience, raw creatures of the sea aside.

The coming week will hold plenty in store, not the least of which will include the visit to the Israeli Embassy and dialogues (compliments of additional TWC programming), getting better acquainted with my placement, and hopefully doing some more exploring. These flighty city folk have been easily scared off by the roughly two inches of snow we’ve received in the past couple of days; an Erie, PA native, I’d say their fears are a bit over the top. This fluffy stuff is what makes the cold of winter worthwhile – time to get out and enjoy it! 

¡Hasta luego!