Celebration our Nation’s Birthday

Sunday July 4, 2010 was the 234^th birthday of the United States. I began my day just as Patriots began theirs in Philadelphia 234 years ago. Sunday was to be a scorching day, with the temperature hovering around 100 degrees. We read about the Constitutional Convention eleven years after the Declaration of Independence and the intolerable heat the delegates had to endure as they debated and compromised the structure of our government. I imagine eleven years earlier, the heat in Philadelphia must have been similar as in DC two days ago, which makes the experience all the more enjoyable.

I walked with two friends who I live with to the National Archives. Scheduled at the National Archives was a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence. We joined the line at the archives which extended around the back of the building. As the clock approached ten in the morning, we were worried that the line would be too long for us to be able to get inside to listen to the dramatic reading. However, after asking some of the security guards around the area, we realized that the line we were standing in was actually to enter the National Archives building, where the actual Declaration of Independence document is housed. Although this would have been a great thing to see, the three of us decided to stick to the original plan and attend the recreation of one of the most extraordinary events in US history. We walked around to the front entrance of the National Archives and found some space on the large marble stairs in front of the podium. From this spot we looked on to Constitution Ave. and watched and listened to a military band perform and set the mood for the dramatic reading.

To begin the reading, a house representative and a local school district administrator read aloud the introduction to the declaration. Soon afterwards, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin stepped up to the podium to read the redress of grievances. The re-enactors did a great job re-creating the voices and characters of those three Founding Fathers and their enthusiasm got the crowd in a festive spirit. Afterwards, a re-enactor of a free black Continental Soldier, Ned Hector, read aloud the fifty-six signers of the declaration. When the last name was read, the whole crowd erupted in one grand “Huzzah!”, much like the Philadelphians would have after the first dramatic reading to the public long ago. This reading acted as a kick off to celebrations for Independence Day.

My friends and I stayed on the stairs of the National Archives to watch the Independence Day parade. The amount of people participating in the parade is massive. We stayed for only half of the parade but still saw many military units, high school bands, cultural organizations, etc from all across the country. The diversity was amazing and it reflected what America was all about. The heat forced us to leave the parade early and tour the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. This turned out to be a very popular choice amongst the other people in DC at the time as many of the exhibits were extremely crowded. The National Museum of American History, I think, does a great job representing the different aspects of American history from politics to popular culture. There is certainly a lot to learn from your visit there which you should take advantage of. There are not many places that offer so much and are also free.

After our visit to the Smithsonian, my friends and I headed back to our apartment to begin a barbecue. Many other friends from my college were visiting DC for the fourth and they all came over to join the barbecue. It was great to celebrate with them on such a clear and sunny, albeit, hot day. We “chowed” down on some great American food before heading to the National Mall to find a spot to watch the fireworks. By the time we left as a group to go watch the fireworks, it was almost 8:30pm and the fireworks were to start about 9:10. We had to walk twenty-five minutes to the National Mall and find a security checkpoint to enter. Many of us didn’t believe we would be able to make it in and find a good spot to watch the fireworks. I had heard all week that it would be impossible to find a spot unless you literally camped out for one hours in advance.

It turns out that those warnings were all exaggerated. Although crowded, the Mall area was still open enough for any group of people to maneuver through all the other groups and families settled down with blankets very easily. We had a group of about fifteen and we had no trouble staying together and finding an open spot for all of us. We were also in between the Washington Monument and the WWII Memorial, which was one of the prime viewing areas for the fireworks, which were scheduled to go off over the reflecting pool. I was extremely relieved to have found a spot to watch the fireworks with some great friends. The show didn’t disappoint. It lasted about a half hour and was an amazing display of color, the perfect corroboration of what John Adams had predicted Fourth of July celebrations would look like in America.

Afterwards my group of friends and I headed back to the apartment to continue celebrating into the night. I wonder if Philadelphians had done the same thing, despite knowing that the most powerful army in the world at the time was ready to destroy everything in its path. It is thanks to them and all others who fought for our independence that my friends and I could celebrate with no worries in the world whatsoever.

Visiting DC attractions

This past weekend, my family came to visit me in DC. Like me before I arrived here for the summer, they had never been here before. Therefore, we engaged in the normal “touristy” activities that many do when they visit this city for the first time. Let it be noted that I am not putting myself in the “native” or knowledgeable label of people in this city. I would say that I am very much a novice when it comes to living in this city. While my family was here, I was able to experience some fantastic attractions DC and the surrounding area has to offer for the first time. I realized how important it is for young interns to experience these attractions, and I want to share some of my feelings on some great things to see while in the city.

First of all, I want to talk about Georgetown. I walked down there Friday evening with my parents and older brother. For me, I’ve noticed that there are only certain areas which have a variety of restaurants to choose from. Parts of Dupont Circle especially on Connecticut Ave. have some great restaurants and pubs as does Adams Morgan and Bethesda (these are observations I have made living near GW and Dupont). Georgetown, I found out, is another one of these locations with a variety of restaurants. They all looked wonderful (We actually didn’t try any restaurants) and they were all hometown/local restaurants. I didn’t see any chains there. In addition to these restaurants, there are many dessert shops to hit up in the late evening. Also, Georgetown is probably the best shopping district in the city. Every shop I have ever seen is there. Naturally, the place is a great attraction for students. If you walk two blocks from this main street, you’re on the shoreline of the Potomac, where you’ll find great clubs and nice walkways and parks where you can find crowded clubs or quiet places to sit along the river. I know I will definitely head down to Georgetown a few more times before my DC experience is over, and I may just look more into the school for my future grad school plans

Secondly, I want to advocate a route which allows you to explore some great sites. After visiting the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, whose reputation speaks for itself, my family and I walked to the Lincoln Memorial. On the way, we passed through the National Mall and then we walked to the Washington Monument. If you desire, you can walk up to the base of the Monument and get tickets to the top. If you walk in front of the Monument you have an excellent view of the White House, granted from afar, but still a great view. After passing the Monument, we walked through the WWII Memorial and then walked along the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is my favorite site so far. It is what I imagine walking in a Roman temple must have been like. You are able to walk amongst the columns where there are many citizens interacting. Inside everyone pays homage to a man who is basically a god, or at least idolized like one, like many Roman heroes of the past were honored by future generations. Although the Memorial is always crowded unless you go late at night, which I do recommend because the Memorial is well lit and has a fantastic view of the Monument and Capitol, if you walk around the back of the Memorial there aren’t as many people. My brother and I were basically the only ones present at the time and we sat down in peace with our legs dangling over the side and we had a great view of the Potomac. It is a great place to sit and reflect especially if you want more of a quiet place.

Lastly, I must mention the Newseum. This place is one of the new museums in the city and is in a prominent location on Pennsylvania Ave. It is expensive to get in, even for students, but trust me, it is worth every penny. My family and I didn’t have enough time to finish all the exhibits (I swear you can spend hours in there) and I know I will go back to finish the rest of the exhibits. This museum honors the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech. The museum contains sections on sports reporting, the media and its relation to the FBI in famous investigations, a Berlin Wall exhibit and a wall which has all the Pulitzer Prize photo winners since the contest’s beginning. There are also something like fifteen theaters to catch movies throughout the day. So although the price is substantial, you certainly get the most out of your entrance fee. The museum contains six levels and I only got through one and a half. I was in awe the whole time and sometimes close to tears; many exhibits were that powerful. I hope that you take my word and find the opportunity to go to the Newseum. You won’t be disappointed.

All in all, I am extremely glad my family visited this past weekend and that we could experience these DC attractions together. I definitely look forward to experiencing these attractions again and new ones with more friends and family.

World Cup Fever

Every time there is a big game or big tournament that involves U.S. Men’s Soccer, there are many optimists in this nation that say soccer is about to take off in this country. I think there are equally as many pessimists who say that soccer will never be popular in the United States. From my observations that I have accumulated while being in DC for the World Cup, I have concluded that despite what some pessimists say, soccer is a growing sport here in America, and the fan base especially, is growing at a rapid rate. I am not sure we are on an equal level with Europe as far as intensity of the cheering goes, but I do know the World Cup has captivated the hearts of many in America.

One reason why the world cup is so popular here in DC is that there are people from all over the world here. America itself is a place with so many different cultures and nationalities. Many Americans are glued to the World Cup games just because they wish to watch their country of heritage play in addition to watching the United States play. In a way it resembles the Olympics. I think with just one team, a group of 22 men, there is a much more personal or intimate connection between the team and the country as a whole. In addition to this connection, which certainly attracts myself and many of my American friends, DC has a great number of foreign people either working here or visiting. There is a great story here to illustrate this fact.

The first weekend of the tournament, June 12, saw the United States play England. Dupont Circle, in the Northwest part of the city was playing venue to two big projector screens which would broadcast the games to the public. This was the same location of the famous DC snowball fight of 2010. The event was attracting a lot of news and excitement. Three games were to be shown. From what I hear, the first two games before the U.S. vs. England game attracted a more mellow crowd. There was enough room for fans to sit down on the lawns in front of the screens, relax, watch the game, and in a few cases smoke their hookahs. About two hours before the 2:30 kickoff for the U.S. game, the circle began to attract American and English fans, both groups it is safe to say are very loyal and obnoxious. I guess it is in our blood. Soon thousands of people were in Dupont Circle. I arrived about a half hour before kickoff and was still able to navigate around the park easily. I decided to drop into a bookstore to check on a part-time job and get out of the heat until kick off. This was probably wasn’t the smartest idea because when I left the bookstore just before kick-off, I could barely move in Dupont Circle. The place was packed and pedestrians walking through the park had either stopped to watch the game or were watching as they were walking. It was a very painstaking process to find a spot to stand to be able to see the screen (by this point, it was impossible to be seated and still see the screen). I did eventually find one, next to one of the crazier English fans in the park. Five minutes in when England struck first, this fan’s outbursts nearly knocked me off my feet; first came the yells of jubilation and then the five minutes of chanting and mocking which follows a goal against a great rival. I tried to congratulate the man on the goal but there was no response from him acknowledging my attempts of striking up a conversation. I realized he wasn’t interested at all. He was a true English fan and all that mattered for him that day was an English victory, which he would celebrate later in the bars with only other English fans.

It was very hot outside that day, especially amongst such a great crowd. Had I gotten there earlier, I would have found a spot in the popular area of the fountain, which by game time was certainly over capacity. After a half hour, I decided to head back to my air-conditioned apartment three blocks away from Dupont. This was certainly more comfortable, although without the awesome atmosphere. A group of fellow WII friends joined me at my apartment and together we watched Clint Dempsey’s goal shatter that Englishman’s plans for the night. In the end it was a 1-1 tie, giving the American fans a reason to celebrate!

As a quick note, it would be interesting to study how much an event like the World Cup affects work production. Where I work, at the Woodrow Wilson Center, everybody is constantly checking back to the online game casts to see the updated scores throughout the work day. Either people check scores throughout the day or they are working extremely hard to finish all their tasks before 2:30 so they can leave to catch the daily 2:30 kickoff. We in the Western Hemisphere or the Far East have it rough with the games taking place during the work day or during unpleasant hours of the night. 2014 Brazil will give us our chance to enjoy the games at home, relaxing with our feet on the table. Until then, this tournament is our focus. No matter the difficulty, true fans, and there are lots, will find a way to tune in for every minute. The games may be exciting, they may be boring, but they will always have those watching on edge.

First DC Event

Last Friday, June 11, I attended my first “event” in D.C. The Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center was hosting a conference discussing a cooperative policy between the U.S. and Mexico in response to Mexico’s problem with drug trafficking. I work at the Wilson Center and so it was very easy for me to attend the conference during the day. Also, one of the scholars whom I work for is affiliated with the Mexico Institute. His name is Alfredo and is one of the most interesting people I have met. He’s an accomplished journalist and he currently works as the Mexican Bureau chief for the Dallas Morning News.

I was a bit hesitant to attend the event because it was my first week working and I felt that if I would take time out of the day to go attend this conference it would seem as if I wasn’t a devoted worker. I didn’t want that reputation after only a week of working at the Center. I debated whether to go or not until I checked my email and received a message from Alfredo, encouraging me to go. When I read this part of the email I firmly decided that I would attend the conference. As I read the last part of the email, my heart sank. The conference had started at noon and it was already 12:30. At this point I was determined not to let this obstacle prevent me from attending the conference. Showing up late would not be such a bad thing. The faster I walked in silently as best I could, the faster any embarrassment would subside. I walked up to the conference room and opened the door as the discussion forum was in full swing. Luckily I walked in the back of the room and didn’t interrupt the speech coming from the other end of the room. I looked around for a seat but couldn’t see any seats open at the two giant conference tables. As I was standing awkwardly, another intern working directly for the Mexico Institute sitting in the back of room came up to me and asked who I was and what I was doing here. I told her that I was a scholar intern and that I was invited to attend this conference. She directed me to some seats along the side of the conference room. I sat down without drawing much attention.

Full of confidence, I set aside my backpack and got back up to get a plate of food from the buffet. I didn’t want to create any noise as the discussion was going on but this was the best looking lunch I had seen in a long time. So I took my time to not cause too much of a ruckus and grabbed a delicious plate of food. As I was eating I began to scope around the room and tune in to the discussion which was going on. Listening to all the participants in the discussion being introduced, I realized I was in a room with some very intelligent people. Professors, policy experts, presidential advisors, other government officials, business leaders, and organization leaders from all across the United States, Mexico and a few from Canada were in attendance. In addition there were four current or former ambassadors in attendance. Being in a room with such accomplished individuals certainly made me feel privileged; I was just a first-week intern!

The issues being discussed mostly had to do with analyses developments in cooperation between the Mexico and the United States, and different ideas for how to improve the cooperation between the two countries. The current tension due to the Mexican teenager being killed by border  patrol police was addressed as well. There was definitely tension in the room too somewhat, as one woman who was from Mexico called the situation not an accident but a downright murder. Despite the obvious differences in ideology, I realized how important it was for all of these professionals, with different viewpoints, to be in the same room together, going back and forth discussing the important issues which affect both countries. In the end transparency and cooperation not only amongst high government officials was important, but cooperation between both American and Mexican police and officials in the border area was essential in the eyes of all those there. There was a call to change the way we think of the drug issue as not a series of events where Mexico does one thing and the United States does some other thing, with each action having its own conferences for that respective country, but as a series of events where both countries see the actions or inactions of one country having repercussions for both nations, thus making cooperation a goal to continue to develop. I hope we see this new way of thinking taking hold in a majority of citizens in our country. I hope soon we see Mexico as not only our close friends, but also one of our closest friends.

I need to conclude this post by telling a very coincidental experience I had while at the conference. After sitting in the conference for about an hour I saw a man sitting in the middle of the room who looked strangely familiar to a professor at my college. When he was introduced, my hunch was proved to be correct. It turns out this professor is a member of the Advisory Board of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center. I had never met this professor in person, but I had asked him through email while I was abroad in Spain to be my faculty advisor for this internship at the Wilson Center. I was able to introduce myself after the conference. After communicating through email for all that time, it was great to finally meet him.

All in all, the lesson to be taken here is to always attend a conference if you have the opportunity. Also remember that it’s not a big deal to show up late. I will certainly go out of my way to attend more this summer.

Delay

My bad for the delay in posts everyone! I’ve now posted a couple to tide you over.