So this weekend was our 'Spring Break', and we got literally one day off... FRIDAY.
Yes, you're right in thinking this sucks...
Anyways, I haven't written in a while, so here's a few stories I think you'd like to hear...
Heels were a bad idea...
One of my recent assignments required me to go to the Family Research Council (FRC), where a luncheon on religious liberty was being held. I was excited and prepared for the day in a really nice outfit. To work I usually wear a pair of comfortable ballet flats, but no. This day was special, I was going to a fancy luncheon, with fancy people, so I needed to look fancy... meaning HEELS. So as I scarily got onto the Metro, I quickly sat down on the train only to go two stops to my destination. People filed on and off, and I was swiftly at my stop. Once I got off the train, I had no idea where the FRC was and so I did what any sensible person would do... I confidently in my heels walked in some direction that I figured was the right one... Soon I found myself at least 3 streets from the Metro stop confused, alone, and with sharp foot pain. I quickly found refuge in a cupcake shop that specialized in Red Velvet cupcakes. I literally probably looked like a weirdo, but I stood in line starring at the map on my IPhone trying to figure out where the place was. I think the very attractive young man behind the counter assessed my confusion, and did not solicit that I buy anything. Once I felt I lingered for too long, and kind of knew where I was going maybe, I set out. On my way to the FRC (in the right direction now...) a homeless man called me gorgeous and asked me for some money. A little shocked by him calling me gorgeous, partially afraid for my life, and concerned for the well-being of the arches in my feet, I told him didn't have anything (which I really didn't...). After walking a ways I went into a nearby restaurant to ask if I was going in the right direction and a small Asian woman with an horribly rude attitude directed me across the street. Once I got there, all the food was virtually gone. A nice young 25-something woman with strawberry blonde hair and bright red painted lips came up to me and made small talk. We discussed the small amount of food left, how we both got lost, and also something about the weather... It was about 26 degrees outside that day. After the event, I sat there eating my two halves of sandwiches going over my notes, checking my recorder, and thanking the woman for her small talk and for giving me the seat next to her. I stuffed the last leftover sandwich from the platter outside into my backpack, went to the restroom, and then was out of there.
You can read my story for this event, here if you haven't already!!!
http://bpnews.net/printerfriendly.asp?ID=39790
Lupe Fiasco Concert, great idea...
That same week of the FRC luncheon, my friend David, my roommate Shonette, and I bought very cost-effective tickets to a Lupe Fiasco concert. To our dismay the event was in Maryland, at the Fillmore. Walking towards Union Station, I realized I had forgotten my ticket, so we had to walk back so that I could print it out, and then we were off. We got onto the Metro and all of a sudden we could see outside. Shonette and I kind of freaked out, we knew our destination was a ways, but we had never been on an outside Metro ride before, especially at night... Once we were inside I saw the most diverse crowd of people I could ever imagine... It was weird. I also quickly realized how short I am. A couple was standing in front of me for the whole really RACHET pre-show by some local DC rapper who had the lamest songs I ever heard. The couple was cute, but they both had to be at least 6 ft tall. I moved over towards a space in front of David. I almost got run over by some girls who looked like they were in junior high trying to be cool.With Shonette to my left, and a guy smoking some serious Mary Jane about 3 people away from us, we are almost certain that during the concert we got a contact high. Once the concert, that was awesome, was over, we got back on the Metro, went to the local 7-Eleven and pigged out on snacks in the hallway of our apartments... We've made inside jokes about our 'contact high' ever since... The next morning I woke up after 4 hrs. of sleep, got dressed and was able to turn in the edited FRC story... A week after, still listening to the most recent Lupe Fiasco album on YouTube, I looked up my story again on the Baptist Press website, and saw that it was on the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission website also. Listening to the album, remembering my contact high, and recognizing that I technically work for both places was quite sobering...
I'm never flying a plane again.
That weekend some friends and I decided to go to the Air and Space Museum. Its a Smithsonian with a McDonalds, and a Boston Market in its food courts. Winning. Anyway, we were walking around and the guys suggested we do the airplane simulator. We, girls, figured it might be fun so we all walked in the direction of the ride. When we arrived, we realized that there was an interactive and a non interactive ride, so being the daring people we are, we tried the interactive. Once outside the ride my partner, one of the girls in the program and I tested out our flying skills on the tester outside. I was the gunner and she was the pilot. After looking over at her, and then the screen, seeing that she could not even fly the plane on the tester, and then being informed that the ride went upside down was not the best combination of things to experience within the span of 5 minutes. I decided in that moment to say a prayer.
I knew it would be needed.
We got in the ride, and they strapped us down like we were going to parasail through the jungles of the Amazon.
They told us where the Emergency STOP button was.
They closed the door.
I panicked.
After going in about 3 upside down circles, we figured out how to fly the plane in the opposite direction of the plane shooting at us in the game. Once the game was counting down to be over all of a sudden unannounced to us, with our hands off of the controls our plane tilted over almost all the way upside down.
The screen went black.
The screen filled with white computer coding.
A voice shouted to us "We are going to get you girls out in a second! We are working on fixing it now!"
3 minutes passed.
After tilting us back right side up, we got out, and were thankful.
I looked at the girl flying the plane with me, and we vowed never to take jobs as pilots.
For the next 30 minutes, we shook sporadically, like golden retrievers who were trying to dry off from a bath they were just given.
The Mandarin Snowquester
This past week, as many of you know, the areas surrounding DC got lots of snow. DC didn't get ANY. The one day it was supposed to snow, the Federal Government shut down, and so did my office. The day before, I had covered an event at the Canon House office building, an event on human rights in China. Working from home, I had to listen to and transcribe the recording I had from the event. The event was half in Mandarin, one of the world's most beautiful, but complicated languages. There was a translator at the event, but she spoke way too softly. As the snowquester descended, small white snowflakes blanketed the streets of DC, but were rapidly swept away in an almost torrential rain that poured from the dark sky. That day I sat inside my apartment cozied up in a large sweater with warm vanilla caramel tea, transcribing the whispers of the translator, and listening to the beautiful and complex language of Mandarin.
Another Contact High.
The night of The Mandarin Snowquester, we were all invited again by David to attend a Lecrae concert at Howard University. Unsure of my bank account's temperature, I prayed about the event looked up where it was, and decided not to go alone. To my surprise, one of the other girls from the apartment had planned on going, so when she arrived home from work on the day of the rainy snowquester we ventured out. After no dinner and a long Metro ride, I was unsure of my purpose at this event. Yet being surrounded by young attractive black men who could quote lyrics from Lecrae or Propaganda at the drop of a hat comforted my spirit. David invited us up to the stark front, but the girl I was with decided to sit in the middle. The auditorium was large, and there was a medium sized crowd, I wanted to be in the front. So after the opening acts of Dee-1, Propaganda, and a comedian whose name escapes me I moved up. I moved up towards where David was, not quite making it all the way. I stood uncomfortably between some girls who seemed to attend Howard. The girl in front of me had very long dreads that slapped me in the face for about the first 5 minutes of Lecrae's set. Then she left, praise the Lord. I was left standing in the front singing along with the girls next to me in the stark middle of the crowd. When Lecrae performed the song 'Dum Dum', I was done. I was so excited and dancing and singing along with the girls beside me it was ridiculous, cause we all knew the words and were having a great time. After the concert when we walked downstairs with David to the merchandise tables it was so good to see him so passionate about the subject he loves as a journalist, which is Christian Hip Hop. He interviewed Dee-1 and Propaganda. He was toting around his VIP pass like a pro. Once again when we got back and went to 7-Eleven, we were on a contact high, but not a actual high, a spiritual high from the Lord.
A small Breakdown
Recently I realized how much I missed home. I went to a National Geographic Museum exhibit on pirates with Shonette and another friend of ours, and it was horrible. The exhibit was targeted at younger children, but was still kind of interesting.... We just paid 9 dollars for it. That was the horrible part. It should have been free.... Anyway, when I got back I thought of home, I thought of beaches, I thought of my mother, and my friends at Biola, I was scared. I was stressed out. I was hungry. I was TIRED. So I shed a tear or two. I'm not ashamed. Its the middle of the semester, and this usually happens about once halfway through. I cry. I pray. I realize that I'm not in control, God is.
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
This morning, daylight savings, I decided to have the bright idea of going to 9 O'clock service. WHAT WAS I THINKING?? AM I CRAZY??? Maybe.... Aren't we all a little crazy now and then... I think so... Anyway. My roommate and I trekked to our local church, National Community Church (NCC). We got in halfway through the worship set. We got doughnuts, and we ate them during service, cause NCC is fancy like that. After our church service in the old theatre building we left came back to the apt. Watched an episode of our beloved 90s show 'West Wing' and then set out. My roommate was covering a Adventure Expo. She said she had an extra pass to the event, so I went along. It was awesome. I now really want to go traveling, but as it can be seen, planes scare me. We had signed up for an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony where we ate sambusas, which is meat and or vegetables in a pastry type wrap thing, its good... We drank strong coffee that was a little too bitter for my liking and also ate baklava, which I LOVE. After networking at the event and meeting up with two other girls from our apartment we planned to go back to the expo. It was closed. So we decided to do what any set of 20 yr old girls in a large city 3 streets away from a Forever 21 and H&M would do. We shopped. It was epic. We tried on clothes that we knew we would never wear. We tried on clothes like a cliché mall montage of best friends in any good old chick flick! After our shopping excursion that only ended in the purchase of one shirt, and one dress, we set out on our way back to the apt. We realized we were hungry so we decided on Johnny Rockets. THOSE BURGERS.... Anyway when we got back we figured we had a great day, but we had to get back to the homework grind.
Sorry I haven't been writing as often, class and internship and my other blog kind of don't allow for a lot of time to write here, but I hope you enjoyed these stories, I know I did!!!
More to come, as soon as things happen. Stay classy.
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