Walking in a winter wonderland

I felt like I woke up in a snow globe this morning. A blanket of powder whiteness covered the sidewalks and parked cars on the street. The streets were quieter than normal, the snow falling from the sky created a stillness in the air. Mesmerized by the occupation of frozen water demonstrating the principle of gravity, I stood staring out the window like a small child peering into a giant toy story. Wide-eyed with a grin on my face, I thought to myself, "I can't believe I'm living where it snows!" Coming from San Diego, I know I am blessed to live in a place where I can go to the beach in less than ten minutes. But here, the beauty of living in a city with a climate that allows such performances by Mother Nature, has began to sink in. Though the nearest sandy beach is a good three hour drive or so, I am not tempted to make the homage towards my once addicted ecosystem. Don't get me wrong, I still love the beach, I just am captivated by the difference in weather and surroundings in D.C. as opposed to San Diego.

This morning, as i got ready to go Downtown for my interview with the Online Editor of the Washingtonian, I was a little skeptical of my attire. I knew that snow made the air temp slightly warmer, but I was more worried about my shoes. I knew the possibility of sporadic ice skating would occur, but I wanted to limit my chances. At the same time, I didn't want my feet to become soaking wet from the slush I would have to endure as the day wore on, and the trampled snow melted from pedestrians, cars and salt. I decided to blend fashion and function together and go with my black scrunchy , high heel boots I had purchased from Target back home. I knew they would keep my toes warm and dry but I would just have to make sure I didn't drag my feet which might lead to an epileptic pirouette.

Walking to Union Station, the snow was coming down moderately like powdered sugar being sifted on a plate full of french toast. With every step, I just became more and more amazed that I live in such a beautiful setting. The snow would set in my eyelashes, on my nose and on my lips, my tongue savoring the fresh tasteless flakes like truffles. To some who live in areas like Vermont or Minnesota, my ecstatic and overzealous reaction my appear quite odd, and some people could even call me silly. I mean I've seen snow, I played in two feet of it before I left when a storm had dumped it on Mt. Laguna. But it is living in it, commuting in it (though I heard the metro encounters some problems and driving sucks) but its just different.

Back to the Basics...a Born Again Brunette

I am losing my native roots! Being in Washington, being around corporate and political officials, with their conservative attire and flair wears on you, or at least on me. Being from California, I'm use to the mellow, sunny, shorts, Rainbows, t-shirt wearing scene. Not here, no sir. It's all about professional-dressed and cleaned cut. Now I'm not opposed to this, but it is just different. Tomorrow morning I have an interview with the Washingtonian. I must dress up for the interview, which I don't mind doing, since I had to buy all sorts of cute outfits for the occasion, but I felt the need to kick it up a notch. The other day, Natalie suggested I dye my hair, she said I would look really good with dark hair. Well, considering the sun has spent many hairs customizing the golden strands on my head along with a couple hairs spent at Paul Mitchell downtown to enhance some of them, I juggled the thought. Maybe I would look more mature, more classy, more professional. So today, Natalie's roomie Christina and I ran down ( and I literally mean ran-with my Camelbak on) to Pennsylvania about a mile down the road to CVS and got some dye. Natalie then took on the role as hair stylist and massaged the dye through my hair, eliminating all signs of California.

I'll miss my blond, sunshine-glistening locks, but in this city, I think it's more appropriate...more professional. But hey, don't worry I'm not changing who I am, just the color of my hair. And I got a great before and after sequence I will post later.

Oh and by the way, if you have nothing better to do watch this video I not only shot all the photos for (except for the live video) but also directed and edited. It was my first time using imovie! :)

I think I am really blessed to have such a great friend...Natalie. This girl is my twin sister, but from a different southern state....Tennessee. If you haven't been noticing that I make a lot of references to her. We are inseparable. I don't know what I would do without her in the program with me, I don't think I would be enjoying it as much.

Last 48

Ok! So I am such a geek! I don't mean like computer geek or comic book geek or WOW geek. Pretty much to justify my meaning, you need to visual me jumping up and down in a hallway in the U.S. House of Reps on the fifth floor, in between an American flag and the state flag of California. A bronzed plaque displays the name "Susan Davis". For about three minutes, I felt a little closer to home. What even made the experience of signing the guest notebook even better, was that above a door in the left wing of the office, hung a PLNU pennant. :)

Still proceeding in fulfilling the tasks in our list for my groups scavenger hunt, we had to visit the House of Reps to get a picture of Mark in front of (the only guy in our group) his front of his representative's door.

After leaving, Natalie and I decided to venture off on our own, and we stumbled upon a quaint bookstore.

The smell of old, used books was intoxicating for me, you could even say euphoric. My eyes raced across the stacks and shelves full of titles. The suddenly stopped on the front cover of a book with a blurred picture of a woman's back loaded with a green and red pack among a mosaic of blurred leaves. The title "A journey north". I was intrigued. I picked it up and briefly read the bottom of the cover underneath the picture. "One woman's story of hiking the Appalachian Trail." I was sold! I've been doing a lot of reading on long distance hiking about the PCT and John Muir (Last American Man is a good one!) and while I'm here on the East Coast would like to even just go for a day hike on parts of the Appalachian Trail. I needed an escape for the concrete jungle.

Though, I'm pretty surprised on how much I like the city. Actually, I'm pretty surprised on how much I LOVE the city. I think it is a great change from San Diego. One thing here is that you walk EVERYWHERE. I probably walk on average 5 miles a day, sometimes seven. And not to mention I've been spending at least an hour in the gym everyday.

For today's agenda after class, our group went to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception ("Can I buy any more prepositional phrases please?"-Natalie) Ascending up the hall to the upper church, I gasped as I looked above me. Large mosaics plastered the ceiling. The ecclesiastical art was unbelievable. I was consumed by its spiritual and historical grandeur. I took a seat about ten pews from the front and began to soak it all in.

We then headed to the Nationals Ball Park-mind you, it was already past 7 p.m. and when we got off the metro at Navy Yard, there were no one on either sides of the streets. We walked three blocks over to the field and came in contact with only two people ( two security guards to be more specific). Natalie and I plan on going to a Nationals game when baseball starts, I can't wait.

It's Chili, for breakfast!

Today was the second day in a row I beat the sun. I woke up at 5:30, and you want to know why? To walk tens minutes to Union Station, take the Red line towards Chinatown then transfer to the Green line towards Greenbelt to get off at U st./Cardozo to eat at Ben's Chili. Bill Cosby ring a bell? Yes, the Famous Ben's Chili where just eleven days ago our President as of yesterday had visited. For the WJC program we have to go do this scavenger hunt and it involves going around the city taking photos (we ALL have to be in the photo) and one task was to eat at Ben's. We tried going on Sunday, but the line was a block long, at least over a two hour wait for a bowl of 5 dollar chili--we weren't willing to comp the time. Time spent on one task, meant less time towards the other five or so that require us to frantically run about the city to distinguishable and significant landmarks.



Outside a large ice sculpture of Obama's name is red, white and blue stood outside on a table in a tray of ice. It greeted us as it gleamed in the twilight and orange glow of city lights. Inside, about four cooks were bustling behind the counter, frying eggs, taking orders and pouring coffee while hungry, bundled early birds were waiting for their worm. Pictures of

Natalie and I split eggs, potatoes, and toast (she had grits instead of potatoes-she is from the south now). The five of us enjoyed out dawn patrol meal in the corner of the restaurant, sleepy eyed and numb. At first it felt good to eat warm food, but as soon as it settled down and we began to make our journey back to the apartment, I definitely felt like sinking into the concrete or curling up in a ball under a bench...my stomach isn't use to such heavy meals early in the morning.

I do plan on going back some time to get chili (even though I'm not a huge fan of it, especially eating it at 6:30 in the morning) but I will forever remember getting up at the crack of dawn to go there....forever. It was probably the most ridiculous thing I've done here...so far, all for a scavenger hunt. A scavenger hunt that I have to pay for mind you.

Well, as everyone else in the entire apartment complex wakes up now that we have returned, it is now onto class, then a meeting for a job, no lunch, then class again, then off to check off another tedious task then dinner then probably study.

I can't wait for the weekend to finally enjoy a day of not frantically running around.

1.20.09 -- Surreal ecstasy at the Capitol Building

I didn't want to go.

The raucous sound of my alarm went off at 5:20 a.m. Sirens and cars were bustling on the street outside on this frigid Tuesday morning. I hate crowds. All I could think about were the annoyance of rude people engulfed around me in mass hysteria.

After forcing a meal of cereal and tea down in fear of not knowing when I would be able to refuel that day, I quickly got dressed, grabbed my camera and notepad and headed downstairs from my apartment with my roommate to meet the four other people in our group. We all stood in the lounge area, bundled up, our faces the only skin exposed, ready to endure the elements.

We had no formal route or itinerary; our goal was to get to the mall somewhere between the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building in front of a jumbo tron, somehow.

It probably took us an hour of weaving in and out of the city blocks, southwest, going almost all the way around the backside of the Capitol building. After an hour of following an endless crowd, we arrived towards the back of the Mall near the Washington monument. You could sense that this day was long overdue...

We made our way as comfortably close as you could, directly in the middle of the lawn. Small American flags stretched out of the crowd like blades of grass among beanie-covered heads sporting Obama paraphernalia. The attitude of change and renewal hung thick like an intoxicating smoke in the almost single digit degree Washington air. Though I was beginning to lose the feeling of my toes, fingers and face around 10 a.m., I was to preoccupied to be to concerned about the first stages of hypothermia that was being numbed by the anticipation and excitement of being able to not only witness but be a part of history, just two hours away.

As the caravan of delegates, officials, and senators arrived along with superstars like Beyonce and P. Diddy ( or is it Puff Daddy.....or just Diddy? well which ever name he goes by now) Obama soon appeared on the jumbo tron, content and lacking any severe facial expressions.

Minutes later, it was time.

Obama stood in front of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., right hand raised in the traditional manor of typical oath-swearing posture and took the oath as the 44Th president shortly after 12 p.m.

As soon as he finished the famous words of the oath from Article II Section I of the U.S. Constitution, the placid crowd, who had been patiently and attentively listening, savoring every word like a sip of a well-crafted pinot noir, the stillness of the sea of people was broken. People were cheering, screaming, jumping, hugging--any form or embrace and celebration were preformed. The end of an era and the beginning of a new one was born.

I kept rotating in a circle, watching the crowd of about 2 million people around me--I was excited, overjoyed, ecstatic. I wanted to cry, scream and laugh all at the same time. Now, ten hours later, I am still processing and can't even really grasp what just happened today. I'm still chewing at the neck bone but ready to for the feast that is being prepared for not only this nation but the world. Though it won't be filled with exotic dishes and savory morsels, we can definitely hope for it to be a better meal.

Fast Times

Three days in already.
I am beginning to get use to mass transit...mainly the metro.
D.C. is def different from San Diego...


It's snowing right now outside....