The theme of this weekend has been the "DC Underground," which is cousin S-speak for the singles dating/party scene. It makes it sound like it's some sort of secret, which is weird because it's remarkably easy to infiltrate house parties around here.
Friday night my new DC best friend and I went to Columbia Heights for a dinner party at the townhouse of a guy we met last week. I made my famous pasta salad, and apparently everyone else had the same idea. There was literally a table full of noodles. And raw meat. No kidding, we had only been there a few minutes, and the host asked me, a guy from New Orleans, and a girl from North Carolina to "man the grill." I asked, "Was this a random assignment or did you pick the 3 southerners on purpose?" Of course it was on purpose. And a good decision. I may not have gone to Yale, but I can flip a burger or two.
This girl, we'll call her Houdini, got supremely wasted and started yelling about how she had the digits of every Italian in the city. "It's a fetish," she says. I ask her why she is so drunk after a glass of wine and 2 beers and she says "my people are intolerant." I think she meant "alcohol intolerant" but it's still funny because she's Indian. She overheard an Indian guy telling us that he blogs for a living and attacked him on the spot because she is a blogger too. He writes about technology and she promotes restaurants and clubs. Two professional bloggers at the same party? I write blog posts for my job, but I didn't know that companies hired people to blog and facebook all day. Sounds intriguing.
So we meet this guy J, and he is one of those guys who is from California, plays the guitar, wears funky necklaces, and uses all of the above to get girls. So I let him attempt to work his magic on me for awhile (he was trying HARD....even offered to "take" me to annapolis for crab cakes...in my car) before telling a story involving my boyfriend. See, you can't just blatantly say you have a boyfriend unless people ask, because then they can pretend they weren't trying to pick you up. So he moved on to Houdini the drunken blogger and succeeded in acquiring her number.
Several interesting people later, there was a cop-in-training who gathered a crowd to show off his party trick, which involves a Q-tip up his nose. ALL the way up his nose. I said, "i want to make a tiny cop brain joke but i just met you. oops too late." But it was all good because I've discovered that, outside of the south, southerners can say whatever we want and people still love us.
The New Orleans guy we met, I'll call Tom Sawyer because he definitely kicked off his shoes and rolled up his khakis to grill. He insisted that my friend and I come to his house party Saturday night. Having nothing else to do, of course we went. First thing, met this guy and we got to talking about football and tailgating. I told him about my effort to convince some people last night that Yale's tailgating is not really tailgating, and it turned out that he played football for Yale! Oops...he was a good sport though and generally impressed that I can talk football.
Later, I had one of those DC-type policy discussions that one must master in order to survive in this city. I was outside on the steps with a New Yorker and a California girl discussing local food vs. big agriculture, and subsidy issues. We came to a consensus that local food is good for fruits and veggies, but inefficient when it comes to staple crops like corn and wheat. And also that subsidies need an overhaul. This is actually what most people my age think, which gives me hope for "opposites" to work together in the future. Is our generation generally more agreeable and open to compromise, or do we all get more ornery and one-sided with age? It's a scary thought.
Highlight of the night story: My friend set her sights on a fluffy-haired guy with a man-bag. Sorry, "bolsa." Apparently it was from Colombia. And he is French. And he showed us pictures of his previously long long hair, which he tied in a samurai topknot. I say to another girl who knows him, "he's french, he's colombian, he's effing samurai, who the hell is this guy? He is confused." She said OMG I am so glad someone who just met him said that. Happily, we managed to leave the party without him. We now refer to him affectionately as "knob-head."
It is a tragedy that fake, attention-seeking guys like J and knob-head are able to attract girls, yet perfectly nice guys like Tom Sawyer get the shaft because they are "marriage material." I guess most girls in their early twenties in DC, or anywhere actually, date the wrong people on purpose until they are ready for commitment. The secret of the "DC Underground," is, I think, that single life persists here until at least 30 because people like to get "established" in their careers first (which usually means in a high-enough position to afford to ditch your 3 roommates and to be able to take off work for a honeymoon)...so I advised Tom to go cougar-hunting if he wanted something meaningful.
And that is my assessment of the DC Underground.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
America!
Too much fun and not enough time over the long weekend to post! Georgia came to me in the form of 3 crazy friends and my poor boyfriend who braved all the estrogen magnificently. We conquered DC in 2 days, despite the blistering heat, and managed to breeze through most of the tourist-y stuff. Note to self: next time I traverse through the memorials and Arlington Cemetery, I will bring a big floppy hat. Scalp burns are no joke.
My favorite things we did weren't even of the typical sight-seeing variety:
1) made sad faces at the NPR building security guard until she let us inside to at least look around the lobby and get free stuff
2) didn't get to go to the restaurant I picked in advance but found this awesome little Greek restaurant instead - if actual Greek people are eating there, you know it's good, and it was
3) stumbled upon an impromptu concert at Dupont Circle...they played everything, but my favorite was the Cash, of course
4) clogged up our arteries with delicious hunks of meat from Ray's Hellburgers (Obama ate here with Medvedev in June and Joe in May!)....unfortunately I failed to conquer mine but I WILL return
4) to top it all off, rather than roast in the sun all day on the Mall on the Fourth, we rolled into town later and watched the fireworks and drank margaritas from the 14th floor of a Chinatown apartment building, like real DC-ers
Overall, successful weekend:)
I love America!
Arguably one of the best things that makes America America is the amount of opportunities and choices one has. For example, you can plan your entire short life on going to say, law school, and then suddenly one summer you question the plan. Why? Because you can. I've met so many people this month who LOVE their jobs (usually government, but some nonprofits too) and who once considered a law degree, thought better of it, and ended up in pretty sweet careers anyway. SO, I've spent the past two nights browsing grad schools online for public policy programs. I found several, even some who offer joint MPP/JD programs...but then I saw the price tags. How am I supposed to take advantage of opportunities if I'm afraid of the $80,000 debt attached to them? Does opportunity only knock on the doors of the rich? Not if you know how to fill out scholarship applications/plan on paying off the debt with your future 6-figure salary:)
My favorite things we did weren't even of the typical sight-seeing variety:
1) made sad faces at the NPR building security guard until she let us inside to at least look around the lobby and get free stuff
2) didn't get to go to the restaurant I picked in advance but found this awesome little Greek restaurant instead - if actual Greek people are eating there, you know it's good, and it was
3) stumbled upon an impromptu concert at Dupont Circle...they played everything, but my favorite was the Cash, of course
4) clogged up our arteries with delicious hunks of meat from Ray's Hellburgers (Obama ate here with Medvedev in June and Joe in May!)....unfortunately I failed to conquer mine but I WILL return
4) to top it all off, rather than roast in the sun all day on the Mall on the Fourth, we rolled into town later and watched the fireworks and drank margaritas from the 14th floor of a Chinatown apartment building, like real DC-ers
Overall, successful weekend:)
I love America!
Arguably one of the best things that makes America America is the amount of opportunities and choices one has. For example, you can plan your entire short life on going to say, law school, and then suddenly one summer you question the plan. Why? Because you can. I've met so many people this month who LOVE their jobs (usually government, but some nonprofits too) and who once considered a law degree, thought better of it, and ended up in pretty sweet careers anyway. SO, I've spent the past two nights browsing grad schools online for public policy programs. I found several, even some who offer joint MPP/JD programs...but then I saw the price tags. How am I supposed to take advantage of opportunities if I'm afraid of the $80,000 debt attached to them? Does opportunity only knock on the doors of the rich? Not if you know how to fill out scholarship applications/plan on paying off the debt with your future 6-figure salary:)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Good and Bad Side of Time Wasters
My brief stint as a bee Thursday was exhausting but worth it. I don't know if it was the costume or the free ice cream, but people seemed to leave the room a little happier. There were even a couple of babies to entertain. Apparently my antics were caught on tape and will most likely be on Good Morning America this week. Awesome.
Friday was more relaxing; worked on newsletter drafts (hopefully all the ag economists out there actually read this stuff, but if not I get paid anyway), and then finished the day strong with what's becoming a weekly tradition: happy hour in the sculpture garden. MUCH less crowded this week, but we were still lucky to find a shady spot. I definitely rocked the floppy hat, as my perpetually sunburned face just can't take it anymore. I was peer-pressured into going to a friend's townhouse nearby later instead of going home to sleep, which at that moment sounded more delicious than anything they could buy at the liquor store. Glad I went though, don't want to sleep my summer away! Sipping cider in rocking chairs on a back porch feels like home, except for the added pleasure of being able to see directly in a senator's house next door.
Most of the weekend was blissfully uneventful. Cake-baking adventures followed by a successful surprise party Saturday, reading and a get-together in Columbia Heights Sunday. I discovered the Pentagon City mall on my way to the thing Sunday, and bought a new straw cowboy hat (more for sun protection than looks at this point). Highlight of the day: walking to the Metro from the mall wearing my new hat when this military-looking guy yells "what's goin' on cowgirl!"
Homemade sangria and brownie-muffins were as perfect as my friend R's tiny one-bedroom apartment on 14th Street that she shares with her guy. It was just so neat and clean and organized...she must not be a pack rat like me. I've already managed to lose the floor in my room here underneath piles of bags and clothes. This could also be attributed to the fact that there is no dresser yet in the baby's room (aka my room).
I meant to clean up yesterday, but after working a 10 hour day (not kidding), followed by a Metro delay because some fool jumped in front of the train, sleep won over neatness hands down. I spent most of the 10 hours finishing up the 3 newsletters we send to members, but I met a lot of interesting people yesterday morning at the Farm Bureau briefing. The first woman I talked to asked me if I was "familiar" with the organization as we were setting up breakfast. I replied that I was a total FFA dork in high school, so of course. I didn't tell her that I actually applied for the Farm Bureau summer internship and didn't get it, but it wasn't really a great fit anyway - rejection leads to bigger and better things! Nice people though. The chief economist told mean excellent story involving Zippy Duvall and GA peanuts...must remember to tell his son, who interning on the Hill, about this. I met a guy who works for the Environmental Defense Fund, which basically sounds like what I want to do with my life, and they hire lawyers and economists, so I could go either way. Plus I would love to work in DC or NYC!
Final observation for today's post: people in this town want quick, to-the-point, dumbed-down information. I think reporters call them "sound bites." At every single briefing I've attended thus far, the reporters/representatives always ask the speakers what their "recommendations" are or the "implications" of their work on this or that. I feel like regular folk don't grasp that scientists and researchers aren't supposed to make policy recommendations; they research facts and present them to people who make the decisions. The first lesson they taught us in economics intro classes was the difference between positive and normative economics. You would think that grown people who have been on the DC scene for years would have figured that out by now. And another thing, I HATE when people ask questions either about something the speaker has already discussed or is in the written report. I am the world's worst listener and have a slight case of ADD, so if I already heard the answer, you did too. Speaking of wasting time, my lunch break was over ten minutes ago. Back to the real world!
Friday was more relaxing; worked on newsletter drafts (hopefully all the ag economists out there actually read this stuff, but if not I get paid anyway), and then finished the day strong with what's becoming a weekly tradition: happy hour in the sculpture garden. MUCH less crowded this week, but we were still lucky to find a shady spot. I definitely rocked the floppy hat, as my perpetually sunburned face just can't take it anymore. I was peer-pressured into going to a friend's townhouse nearby later instead of going home to sleep, which at that moment sounded more delicious than anything they could buy at the liquor store. Glad I went though, don't want to sleep my summer away! Sipping cider in rocking chairs on a back porch feels like home, except for the added pleasure of being able to see directly in a senator's house next door.
Most of the weekend was blissfully uneventful. Cake-baking adventures followed by a successful surprise party Saturday, reading and a get-together in Columbia Heights Sunday. I discovered the Pentagon City mall on my way to the thing Sunday, and bought a new straw cowboy hat (more for sun protection than looks at this point). Highlight of the day: walking to the Metro from the mall wearing my new hat when this military-looking guy yells "what's goin' on cowgirl!"
Homemade sangria and brownie-muffins were as perfect as my friend R's tiny one-bedroom apartment on 14th Street that she shares with her guy. It was just so neat and clean and organized...she must not be a pack rat like me. I've already managed to lose the floor in my room here underneath piles of bags and clothes. This could also be attributed to the fact that there is no dresser yet in the baby's room (aka my room).
I meant to clean up yesterday, but after working a 10 hour day (not kidding), followed by a Metro delay because some fool jumped in front of the train, sleep won over neatness hands down. I spent most of the 10 hours finishing up the 3 newsletters we send to members, but I met a lot of interesting people yesterday morning at the Farm Bureau briefing. The first woman I talked to asked me if I was "familiar" with the organization as we were setting up breakfast. I replied that I was a total FFA dork in high school, so of course. I didn't tell her that I actually applied for the Farm Bureau summer internship and didn't get it, but it wasn't really a great fit anyway - rejection leads to bigger and better things! Nice people though. The chief economist told mean excellent story involving Zippy Duvall and GA peanuts...must remember to tell his son, who interning on the Hill, about this. I met a guy who works for the Environmental Defense Fund, which basically sounds like what I want to do with my life, and they hire lawyers and economists, so I could go either way. Plus I would love to work in DC or NYC!
Final observation for today's post: people in this town want quick, to-the-point, dumbed-down information. I think reporters call them "sound bites." At every single briefing I've attended thus far, the reporters/representatives always ask the speakers what their "recommendations" are or the "implications" of their work on this or that. I feel like regular folk don't grasp that scientists and researchers aren't supposed to make policy recommendations; they research facts and present them to people who make the decisions. The first lesson they taught us in economics intro classes was the difference between positive and normative economics. You would think that grown people who have been on the DC scene for years would have figured that out by now. And another thing, I HATE when people ask questions either about something the speaker has already discussed or is in the written report. I am the world's worst listener and have a slight case of ADD, so if I already heard the answer, you did too. Speaking of wasting time, my lunch break was over ten minutes ago. Back to the real world!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Dedicated....to what?
I spent more time in Capitol Hill offices this week so far than in my office. Not to complain, but that is a lot of walking! My comfy shoes are about worn thin, and I'm not even halfway through the summer yet! Bought some cotton shoes in Chinatown yesterday before enjoying delicious free froyo at tangysweet. I also found a theater there to watch the midnight Eclipse show next week - hopefully this place will be more lively than where I watched New Moon was. I read a story today about people who are already camped out for the premiere. In tents. Now that's Twihard dedication.
Another example of dedication this week: two agricultural economics professors flew to DC this week to give a briefing on their local food market research and meet with staffers from their states. They really believe in what they are doing, and we were able to help them get the message out by setting up the congressional staff visits and the briefing. I find that a lot of people who work in DC play this "middleman" role after some sort of Hill experience. I met a man Monday who has his own Capitol Hill consulting firm. He has about 6 clients who pay him to set up briefings and events on the Hill. It sounds great, until you have 3 events in the same week! I am helping him with a briefing tomorrow as well, in a bee costume. Don't ask.
Another thing about the meetings with the staffers: you never know what type of person you are going to meet with until you get there. There are LD's (legislative directors), LA's (legislative aides), and LC's (legislative correspondents). An LC is typically fresh out of college, and the lower tier; I think LA's focus on specific issues, and we met with the ag LA's; an LD is an older, mid-30's staffer who is one of the congressman's top advisors. We only met with one LD, and I wasn't quite sure whether to judge him for verbally abusing the poor professor, or to appreciate his question-peppering as a sign of genuine interest. The LA's and LC's were a mix of people who knew a lot or a little about agriculture, and some weren't even from the same state as the congressman! How does one get a job in one of these offices if one is not a constituent? I guess Congress works the same way as any industry; you hire the best person for the job. This gives me hope that if I go that route, I can work for whatever state I want. California would be nice, and they have a LOT of congressmen. And wine. There are racks of wine everywhere.
Today I delivered flyers to all the offices in Rayburn HOB (House Office Building) about the briefing event tomorrow. All you have to do is mention free ice cream and people seem to come out of a daze and perk up. Had several random exchanges with staffers doing this, but the highlight of the day was Sanford Bishop's office. The lady at the front said "you must be from somewhere in the south," and I replied that I actually grew up in Bishop's district. She got so excited that she went and got the man himself, so I talked with him a bit about school and my internship. He is super-nice, and one of the few Democrats to escape the red curse of Georgia. Also discovered a former classmate working in his office and promised to meet up next week.
Slight awkward moment when I tried to explain to Bishop and his staff who I work for. It's hard to explain as it is, but the Pollinator Week briefing that I was handing out flyers for is for another organization that we are affiliated with, so I was kind of "rented out" for the day. I believe in the importance of pollinators, but I'm not dedicated to the cause past tomorrow; after the event I have other things to worry about at work. There is always something to do and nothing to focus on. I need something to be dedicated to; I'm using the World Cup right now as my cause, my "something" to cheer for. Maybe that is an American attribute. We love a cause, but we are fickle. Few Americans were into soccer until we were actually good (which the boys proved today, yay!).
There is a difference between unconditional dedication and fickle fandom. I think the government can take a lesson in this; they change their minds on what to support way too much. And most of the time the "issues" part of their webpages are woefully vague. I respect people who take a stand, no matter what side you are on. Put it out there for everyone to see, and don't backtrack when it's not the popular thing anymore.
Off my soapbox now....and debating about whether to walk around old town Alexandria this weekend or hit the Folklife Festival on the Mall...so much to see and only a month and a half to see it!
Another example of dedication this week: two agricultural economics professors flew to DC this week to give a briefing on their local food market research and meet with staffers from their states. They really believe in what they are doing, and we were able to help them get the message out by setting up the congressional staff visits and the briefing. I find that a lot of people who work in DC play this "middleman" role after some sort of Hill experience. I met a man Monday who has his own Capitol Hill consulting firm. He has about 6 clients who pay him to set up briefings and events on the Hill. It sounds great, until you have 3 events in the same week! I am helping him with a briefing tomorrow as well, in a bee costume. Don't ask.
Another thing about the meetings with the staffers: you never know what type of person you are going to meet with until you get there. There are LD's (legislative directors), LA's (legislative aides), and LC's (legislative correspondents). An LC is typically fresh out of college, and the lower tier; I think LA's focus on specific issues, and we met with the ag LA's; an LD is an older, mid-30's staffer who is one of the congressman's top advisors. We only met with one LD, and I wasn't quite sure whether to judge him for verbally abusing the poor professor, or to appreciate his question-peppering as a sign of genuine interest. The LA's and LC's were a mix of people who knew a lot or a little about agriculture, and some weren't even from the same state as the congressman! How does one get a job in one of these offices if one is not a constituent? I guess Congress works the same way as any industry; you hire the best person for the job. This gives me hope that if I go that route, I can work for whatever state I want. California would be nice, and they have a LOT of congressmen. And wine. There are racks of wine everywhere.
Today I delivered flyers to all the offices in Rayburn HOB (House Office Building) about the briefing event tomorrow. All you have to do is mention free ice cream and people seem to come out of a daze and perk up. Had several random exchanges with staffers doing this, but the highlight of the day was Sanford Bishop's office. The lady at the front said "you must be from somewhere in the south," and I replied that I actually grew up in Bishop's district. She got so excited that she went and got the man himself, so I talked with him a bit about school and my internship. He is super-nice, and one of the few Democrats to escape the red curse of Georgia. Also discovered a former classmate working in his office and promised to meet up next week.
Slight awkward moment when I tried to explain to Bishop and his staff who I work for. It's hard to explain as it is, but the Pollinator Week briefing that I was handing out flyers for is for another organization that we are affiliated with, so I was kind of "rented out" for the day. I believe in the importance of pollinators, but I'm not dedicated to the cause past tomorrow; after the event I have other things to worry about at work. There is always something to do and nothing to focus on. I need something to be dedicated to; I'm using the World Cup right now as my cause, my "something" to cheer for. Maybe that is an American attribute. We love a cause, but we are fickle. Few Americans were into soccer until we were actually good (which the boys proved today, yay!).
There is a difference between unconditional dedication and fickle fandom. I think the government can take a lesson in this; they change their minds on what to support way too much. And most of the time the "issues" part of their webpages are woefully vague. I respect people who take a stand, no matter what side you are on. Put it out there for everyone to see, and don't backtrack when it's not the popular thing anymore.
Off my soapbox now....and debating about whether to walk around old town Alexandria this weekend or hit the Folklife Festival on the Mall...so much to see and only a month and a half to see it!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Time Crunch
This phrase pops up everywhere in DC, a buzzword used for everything from an assignment for work to the metro rush home to cook dinner. It's the main reason I never have time to blog, and then later I either a) am too tired to look at words on a screen, much less write them, or b) I can't remember what I wanted to write earlier when I didn't have time. Am I cut out for this fast-paced life? The sad thing is, I overheard a New Yorker on the Metro complaining about how things are "slow" here. No wonder everyone in New York smokes!
Quick recap of the week:
Monday: My organization sponsored a special briefing for interns in our discipline. I personally felt a little overwhelmed with all the opportunities on Capitol Hill - now it's that much more difficult to decide what to do with my life! Should I work as an expert on this committee, or an administrator for that agency...is a law degree or graduate school the way to go? None of the speakers could answer that one; legal expertise can be good in some instances and met with derision in others. I liked what the "Chief" when asked what led him to this point: serendipity. Things happen, and you may not like it at the time but in the end it'll all turn out. This was especially comforting as I don't think I did as well on the LSAT as I would have liked. I believe you make your own luck, and often people who were "in the right place at the right time" make a habit of being in the "right places" so the odds are more in their favor. Luckily, with this internship I often find myself in the perfect place at opportune times.
Tuesday: Worked from home until after lunch (hooray for sleeping past 6AM!). Then I got all dressed up for a lecture and reception downtown. As soon as I walked in the door, I felt a bit out of place. First, I knew no one; second, academic types apparently have something against color. I mean, I love black, but REALLY. I rocked my flowery skirt and seafoam green blazer, though, and found a friend in bright red. We sat together during the lecture, and I was actually good and paid close attention instead of whispering to my new friend (those of you who know me know how hard this is). It was a good lecture/panel discussion on the future of agriscience research, but I did feel like they were preaching to the choir a bit. There were two main points that I remember, so they must have been good: (1) ag research MUST be multidisciplinary, which means cooperation among colleges within a university, and among universities and the private sector across the country. (2) we need to move away from trying to fix localized problems with localizes solutions to some degree. I agree that certain things only affect a state or a region, but in some instances many states face the same issues and instead of collaboratively working out a wide-area solution, state universities duplicate research and leave pieces of the puzzle out. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people don't want to collaborate because that means they won't get full credit for the results. Case in point: the party system in Congress. Anyway, back to the reception. S and I met this lady in hot pink, tennis shoes, and swigging Sam Adams. I immediately told her she was a baller at life and she made my day. I don't remember what she said, but she sounded German. Or maybe Canadian. Later on I gave S a demonstration on how to talk to important people. You can't let the crowd of people around them discourage you; you are just as important as anyone else. Interject, but don't interrupt, and mention something specific about that person/something from their speech. This is how I hooked the keynote speaker and the World Food Prize winner/panelist. TA: Don't act like an intern unless you want people to treat you like one.
Wednesday: Helped with briefings all day. I timed each of the speakers (they each had 10 minutes), and of course all but one went over the limit. One guy even actively avoided my eyes! Well, I didn't want to wave around the "Time is up" sign wildly and look like an idiot, so I sat quietly holding it in front of my chest and giving him my best "wrap it up or I scream" smirk. All in all, everything went well and we had a great lunch with the speakers at Bullfeathers (famous DC lunch spot). The one who I spoke with had a fit when he found out I took a soil science class last year (he is an agronomist). He even knew one of my professors (why does everyone know this man?!?). I told him everything I knew about our soil back home (i.e., how generally awful it is), which I don't think counts as sucking up because he was genuinely fun to talk to and he was the one asking me questions. Super-tired from running around all day with a giant bag, so I watched all the Grey's Anatomy episodes that I missed this season (six! what kind of fan am I?).
Thursday: I will NEVER take the beltway to Huntington Station again. There was a wreck, so it literally took me 40 minutes to drive 4 miles. Ridiculous. I was so late, I just went straight to the hearing, only to check my gmail on my phone and find a message from my boss to call 5 congressional offices before the hearing! See what I mean by time crunch? I freaked out and started to call while I was waiting for the hearing to begin, but I had to hang up on the staffer when she answered because I realized at the last second that I couldn't look at the email with the information and talk on my phone simultaneously. So embarrassing - at least I didn't say my name! It worked out later, though, and I got all the congressional visits scheduled for next week except one, which is apparently usually tough to do. Must be the southern charm I exude through the phone;) As for the hearing, I always find something entertaining at these things, even while I'm feverishly taking notes. Today's gem came from the ranking member of the subcommittee to the chief administrator of a USDA agency: "now I know since you're from Nebraska you know all about the problems that my people face in Kansas because they are the same problems and you have a vested interest in the solutions. However, I still hate Nebraska." Obvious reference to the school jumping the Big 12 ship; although some nerds in the room didn't get it. Funny men.
That's about enough for today; I need to work on a bunch of documents that need to be done by 3:00 tomorrow. TIME CRUNCH! But I just might finish in time to see a USA World Cup win tomorrow!
Quick recap of the week:
Monday: My organization sponsored a special briefing for interns in our discipline. I personally felt a little overwhelmed with all the opportunities on Capitol Hill - now it's that much more difficult to decide what to do with my life! Should I work as an expert on this committee, or an administrator for that agency...is a law degree or graduate school the way to go? None of the speakers could answer that one; legal expertise can be good in some instances and met with derision in others. I liked what the "Chief" when asked what led him to this point: serendipity. Things happen, and you may not like it at the time but in the end it'll all turn out. This was especially comforting as I don't think I did as well on the LSAT as I would have liked. I believe you make your own luck, and often people who were "in the right place at the right time" make a habit of being in the "right places" so the odds are more in their favor. Luckily, with this internship I often find myself in the perfect place at opportune times.
Tuesday: Worked from home until after lunch (hooray for sleeping past 6AM!). Then I got all dressed up for a lecture and reception downtown. As soon as I walked in the door, I felt a bit out of place. First, I knew no one; second, academic types apparently have something against color. I mean, I love black, but REALLY. I rocked my flowery skirt and seafoam green blazer, though, and found a friend in bright red. We sat together during the lecture, and I was actually good and paid close attention instead of whispering to my new friend (those of you who know me know how hard this is). It was a good lecture/panel discussion on the future of agriscience research, but I did feel like they were preaching to the choir a bit. There were two main points that I remember, so they must have been good: (1) ag research MUST be multidisciplinary, which means cooperation among colleges within a university, and among universities and the private sector across the country. (2) we need to move away from trying to fix localized problems with localizes solutions to some degree. I agree that certain things only affect a state or a region, but in some instances many states face the same issues and instead of collaboratively working out a wide-area solution, state universities duplicate research and leave pieces of the puzzle out. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people don't want to collaborate because that means they won't get full credit for the results. Case in point: the party system in Congress. Anyway, back to the reception. S and I met this lady in hot pink, tennis shoes, and swigging Sam Adams. I immediately told her she was a baller at life and she made my day. I don't remember what she said, but she sounded German. Or maybe Canadian. Later on I gave S a demonstration on how to talk to important people. You can't let the crowd of people around them discourage you; you are just as important as anyone else. Interject, but don't interrupt, and mention something specific about that person/something from their speech. This is how I hooked the keynote speaker and the World Food Prize winner/panelist. TA: Don't act like an intern unless you want people to treat you like one.
Wednesday: Helped with briefings all day. I timed each of the speakers (they each had 10 minutes), and of course all but one went over the limit. One guy even actively avoided my eyes! Well, I didn't want to wave around the "Time is up" sign wildly and look like an idiot, so I sat quietly holding it in front of my chest and giving him my best "wrap it up or I scream" smirk. All in all, everything went well and we had a great lunch with the speakers at Bullfeathers (famous DC lunch spot). The one who I spoke with had a fit when he found out I took a soil science class last year (he is an agronomist). He even knew one of my professors (why does everyone know this man?!?). I told him everything I knew about our soil back home (i.e., how generally awful it is), which I don't think counts as sucking up because he was genuinely fun to talk to and he was the one asking me questions. Super-tired from running around all day with a giant bag, so I watched all the Grey's Anatomy episodes that I missed this season (six! what kind of fan am I?).
Thursday: I will NEVER take the beltway to Huntington Station again. There was a wreck, so it literally took me 40 minutes to drive 4 miles. Ridiculous. I was so late, I just went straight to the hearing, only to check my gmail on my phone and find a message from my boss to call 5 congressional offices before the hearing! See what I mean by time crunch? I freaked out and started to call while I was waiting for the hearing to begin, but I had to hang up on the staffer when she answered because I realized at the last second that I couldn't look at the email with the information and talk on my phone simultaneously. So embarrassing - at least I didn't say my name! It worked out later, though, and I got all the congressional visits scheduled for next week except one, which is apparently usually tough to do. Must be the southern charm I exude through the phone;) As for the hearing, I always find something entertaining at these things, even while I'm feverishly taking notes. Today's gem came from the ranking member of the subcommittee to the chief administrator of a USDA agency: "now I know since you're from Nebraska you know all about the problems that my people face in Kansas because they are the same problems and you have a vested interest in the solutions. However, I still hate Nebraska." Obvious reference to the school jumping the Big 12 ship; although some nerds in the room didn't get it. Funny men.
That's about enough for today; I need to work on a bunch of documents that need to be done by 3:00 tomorrow. TIME CRUNCH! But I just might finish in time to see a USA World Cup win tomorrow!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Pride
Pride means a lot of things to a lot of people. The roaring sound of a stadium crowd, the right to marry the one you love...
Today I watched a bit of the World Cup, and call me mushy but I teared up a bit at all the national pride, especially when I saw a tear in the eye of more than a few Team USA players when they played the national anthem. I'm a sucker for a good sports story; Remember the Titans gets me every time. Definitely proud of the boys in blue! I don't know much about soccer, but I do know that it's a big deal to even tie the lion that is England. I wonder if the outcome would have been the same if they had had Becks on the field. Either way, I don't think a loss would have fazed the fierce support of the 8,000 Americans there.
On another note, my first weekend in DC was a success! A get-together on a rooftop terrace on Capitol Hill and dancing at the Hawk n Dove last night, and "Capitol Pride" festivities tonight. The Hawk n Dove was interesting; it's an old pub on the bottom and a dance club up top. I still prefer my city to the DC scene though - maybe I'm just not going to the right places. Suggestions are appreciated!
What to say about the gay pride parade? Let's just say that 1 million gays in the street = a ballin' party! Met up with some friends and saw probably more than I wanted to see. My favorite was the "DC Boys in Leather." Yeah, it's exactly what you think. But back to the pride theme. Almost teared up again when some DC cops and veterans walked by holding hands with their "others." The police force and the military are two of the most difficult jobs for openly gay people, yet these people were not afraid to let it be known. Crazy parade antics aside, the point of the parade was solid.
Another funny thing about pride is that it often comes with a uniform. A military uniform, a sports jersey, a rainbow T-shirt, it's all basically the same. You wear the uniform to show your pride. You literally wear it on your sleeve. (or your crotch, as I witnessed today) So be careful what you project; people will applaud you or judge you for it (i'm looking at you, Jesse James) TA: What does pride mean to you?
Quote of the Day: "I'd like to Marie his Antoinette!"
Today I watched a bit of the World Cup, and call me mushy but I teared up a bit at all the national pride, especially when I saw a tear in the eye of more than a few Team USA players when they played the national anthem. I'm a sucker for a good sports story; Remember the Titans gets me every time. Definitely proud of the boys in blue! I don't know much about soccer, but I do know that it's a big deal to even tie the lion that is England. I wonder if the outcome would have been the same if they had had Becks on the field. Either way, I don't think a loss would have fazed the fierce support of the 8,000 Americans there.
On another note, my first weekend in DC was a success! A get-together on a rooftop terrace on Capitol Hill and dancing at the Hawk n Dove last night, and "Capitol Pride" festivities tonight. The Hawk n Dove was interesting; it's an old pub on the bottom and a dance club up top. I still prefer my city to the DC scene though - maybe I'm just not going to the right places. Suggestions are appreciated!
What to say about the gay pride parade? Let's just say that 1 million gays in the street = a ballin' party! Met up with some friends and saw probably more than I wanted to see. My favorite was the "DC Boys in Leather." Yeah, it's exactly what you think. But back to the pride theme. Almost teared up again when some DC cops and veterans walked by holding hands with their "others." The police force and the military are two of the most difficult jobs for openly gay people, yet these people were not afraid to let it be known. Crazy parade antics aside, the point of the parade was solid.
Another funny thing about pride is that it often comes with a uniform. A military uniform, a sports jersey, a rainbow T-shirt, it's all basically the same. You wear the uniform to show your pride. You literally wear it on your sleeve. (or your crotch, as I witnessed today) So be careful what you project; people will applaud you or judge you for it (i'm looking at you, Jesse James) TA: What does pride mean to you?
Quote of the Day: "I'd like to Marie his Antoinette!"
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
"Union Station, please exit to your left"
6:00 AM does not like me. As I boarded the Metro, I thought to myself that of course it was just me, being a newbie and all, but the hundreds of sleep-deprived faces I saw quickly corrected me. According to my cousin S, people commute in to DC from far, far away....some people even leave their houses at 2AM! I believe I would just move here.
I perked up after some coffee and a cookie, and headed to a committee hearing. Definitely didn't get into the actual room due to some shoe and security issues, but observed from the overflow room. TA (take-away)#1: congressmen love to hear themselves talk. Maybe talking time correlates to votes? Most of the discussion seemed to be about poorly worded/interpreted terms in the Bill, which is really not getting at the heart of the problem, if you know what I mean. TA #2: no one should be worried about their representative not speaking up for them. Almost every question posed to the witnesses by the subcommittee was prefaced with a description of how the issue (when I say issue, I mean how the agency allegedly effed up) affects their constituents. I don't know why I found this so funny, but I laughed audibly a couple of times. Good thing I was too late for the hearing room after all.
TA #3: The absence of a heel on a shoe is a necessary but insufficient condition for the shoe to be deemed a "comfortable shoe." I learned this the hard way, and will be rocking sandals tomorrow for walking purposes, with the heels in my bag for a quick switch when I get there. Locals probably already know this trick, but future interns should take note.
I successfully navigated the Metro (with the help of my Meetro app) back to my car, but sadly the search for a bank and a pharmacy was not as successful. Grocery stores, however, are relatively easy to find. Or maybe I just have an internal food radar:)
Quote of the day: "That seems to be the thing of the day, to multitask." - Rep. Goodlatte, reprimanding a witness for her agency's failure to finish a report on time.
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