So far, all of my blog posts have been topical, intellectual or philosophical. This is for those friends and SAWIP supporters who want to know the fun we have been having after hours, once work, curriculum activities and meetings are done.

 

Last night Dinika and I took the Metro to U Street for a free movie screening. The community around the Harrison Field show a different outdoor movie each month to raise money for the Harrison Recreation Center. We were given free popcorn and had some interesting discussions about energy conservation while sitting on the grass and enjoyed some of the movie- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, which was completely appropriate for DC.

 

Some of the other interesting things we have done include visiting the famous Air and Space Museum, wandering around the National Gallery of Art which hosts the only Van Gogh in the Western Hemisphere, and having drinks on the roof of the W hotel (which, even in $ terms, was rather expensive). Adams Morgan is a quaint area boasting a variety of more bohemian stores and pubs. This is where Matt and I had our first falafels, a type of vegetarian-humus-vegetable meal which tastes delicious late at night.

 

When it comes to food, there doesn’t seem anything comparable to the variety and portions of American food. Du Pont circle hosts a quaint coffee and pastry shop as well as Shake Shack, a lively burger place we visited with the Irish. Favourite fast-food so far includes Ben’s Chilli Bowl, Subway and, of course, Star Bucks. My office is on I street, about a block away from the White house and right above FrozenYo, which is constant temptation for me and my fellow SAWIPers who come visit. One of my favourite lunch time spots is on the White House grass watching the anti- nuclear protester, Concepcion Picciotto, 65 (who has been there for 30 years and never once met a president) and the sniper on the top of the presidential residence.

 

Reading newspapers is part of DC culture so every morning everybody reads the New York Times and the Washington post. A rightist (in my opinion) newspaper called the Washington Examiner is given out free on the metro. It’s always enlightening to check out the war propaganda which is deceptively moving. This picture is of a full page advertisement in the Examiner on 16 June.

 

DC in the summer is a real haven for interns, so every second person I meet is an intern. This makes for great networking. Last week I invited the other 2 interns at my office for happy hour after work and, just by word-of-mouth, about 12 people joined us.

 

Tonight I’m due to have my first country-club experience watching the pre-July 4^th Fireworks at Columbia Country Club. My host mom, Kathie, warned me about the blonde plastics I might meet but I’m confident that I will fit in perfectly with all the cotillion alums and pastel polo golf shirts.

 Baseball- Nats v Orioles