À la fin

I'm sitting at my desk on the second last day of work, thinking back to my very first day at this office at the end of January. I wore the same suit that wintry Monday morning as I walked into the Longworth House Office Building, hoping this experience would be worth the extra semester in Paris that I had 'sacrificed' for it. Today I can only laugh at my naiveté. Each experience is unique and distinct in itself and though I wouldn't think twice about living in Paris once again, I cannot undermine all that I have learned these past 4 months on the Hill. Therefore, I am convinced that I made the right decision, given the available choices and my circumstances.

Washington, DC has been a gracious host and over the past few weeks, as the weather improved and the greenery spread like an epidemic, I find myself wanting to stay just a little bit longer. This past weekend I had visitors from NYC and we spent most of our time in the sun – lunching on the grounds of the French Embassy, walking around the memorials, napping on the Mall, and window-shopping in Georgetown. We had our TWC commencement ceremony on Monday afternoon with speeches and a slideshow that went on a bit too long (and painfully repeated the same song thrice). I came away with one word – 'connect'.

I took off from work on Tuesday and Wednesday to hit the museums and boy, what a great idea that was! I spent most of Tuesday at the Holocaust Museum, taking in the intense and immense permanent exhibit. I was deeply moved by the images and installations but what almost brought me to tears was the small room at the end dedicated to the ongoing genocide in Darfur. It is hard to stomach that after the world has seen such horrors during the Holocaust and other ethnic cleansing campaigns, something like this continues to unfold. While we continue to mourn those who were brutally murdered some 60 years ago, the casualties of genocide grow every minute of everyday. The following quote by Martin Niemoller, a Lutheran Minister and early supporter of the Nazi regime who was later imprisoned for opposing Hitler, captures the consequences of looking the other way while discrimination and racism prevail in society:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist,
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Trade Unionist,
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew,
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.

With a heavy heart, and the gruesome images of the Holocaust fresh on my mind, I wandered through the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. It certainly had a lot on offer, but at the time, it did not quite help my mood or the weak but persistent headache that had begun to nag me. On Wednesday I visited the National Gallery of Art, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Archives. Owing to the mid-week, mid-day lack of crowds at the National Gallery, I actually ended up getting a private walk through the collection highlights with a museum guide. We talked about the architecture of the building, Calder's installations, and all the major works by artists from Picasso to Matisse, Rothko to Pollock. At the National Portrait Gallery they had a special exhibit on Katherine Hepburn, with all four of her "Best Actress" Oscars on display (she still holds the record for most Oscars won by an actor in a leading role). The National Archives was a quick walk through but you see [very faded] originals of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights and a surprisingly dark and clear Magna Carta from 1296. So that was it for sightseeing!

Tomorrow is my last day at work and the evening will see some sad goodbyes and frenzied packing. I know I will look back on my time in DC as a rich learning experience, having discovered things about myself and the working world that I probably would never have been exposed to till much after my graduation from college. I have made new friends and professional acquaintances, I have learned to speak new words in new languages, I have surveyed the artistic and cultural offerings of the Capital and sampled its culinary hotspots, I have led tours and taken a couple too, I have worked hard but also taken the time to think, explore, discover, and enjoy, but most importantly, I have grown. Thank you for accompanying me on this journey.

Till we meet again,

DC Diaries

Penultimate

Week 14 has arrived and though I always knew it was coming, now that it's finally here I'm in a state of panic! Of the 3 P's my life is supposed to revolve around (portfolio, proposal, paper), in reality it's revolving around a fourth – procrastination! But I am confident that everything will be in order by this coming weekend so I can fully enjoy Week 15, spending time in museums that I still have to visit and restaurants I still need to sample. Of course I shall also go to work, but only on Thursday and Friday ;) My supervisors thought it only reasonable for me to want to take a couple of days off to pack up and do last minute DC things, and there was no reason for me to reject their suggestion!

This whole deal with Reverend Wright hogging headlines is so (as New York magazine would say) lowbrow. The controversy has undoubtedly hurt Obama even though the Reverend's behavior this past weekend should convince anyone in their right mind that this man is suffering from a severe case of mediatitis.

Last evening we had a great time in class playing a game of imaginary international geopolitics. I was the King of Saudi Arabia, who fell victim to a nuclear trigger happy Iran, while the Americans (led by none other than President Obama, House Speaker Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott) lame ducked their way through the unfolding chaos in the Middle East. That was our last "academic" class of the semester since we're going to dinner next Tuesday.

All else is ça va. Its 12:57 a.m. and I think I will end right here. I promise to be doubly entertaining next week!

Crooked Teeth

I hear in my mind, all of these voices

I hear in my mind, all of these words

I hear in my mind, all of this music

(And it doesn't break my heart!)

Spring is in the air, Regina Spektor is [stuck] on my tongue, and I'm getting ready to say goodbye to Washington! But not without lots of last minute sightseeing, event attending, Capitol tour giving, and working! Last night I volunteered with Asia Society at an Indian Classical Concert (Dagar Ensemble) that they organized in partnership with GWU's Sigur Center and the Indian Embassy. Tomorrow there's a performance by Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, on Friday there's a Korean Film Festival, and on Saturday I'm going to the National Symphony Orchestra at Kennedy Center.

At work, things are busy as ever, with no signs of a new Staff Assistant and very strong signs that I may be filling two roles till my last day on the job. But I must confess it does makes me feel important, more needed, more wanted, more appreciated [and more exhausted] ;)

Over the past week we've had so many constituents visiting DC and all the tours I did for them have kept me on my toes (literally!). Since architectural trivia is just flowing out of my ears at this point, why don't I give you guys a virtual tour of the Capitol?! Here goes...

We descend to the basement of my office building (Longworth) and take the tunnel to the Capitol. Here I mention how networks of tunnels and a mini subway train connect all the House and Senate office buildings to the Capitol and in turn, to each other. Also, visitors find it interesting to observe that we have every service under the sun available right inside our office buildings – bank, post office, cafeteria, barber shop, supply store, dry cleaning etc. Next we stand on line from anywhere between 5 and 55 minutes depending on the season (this is high high season), and once security is cleared we proceed through another long tunnel (this one adorned with art made by high school students from around the country – winners of a competition aptly titled Artistic Discovery) and arrive at the Columbus Doors.

These doors were originally installed as doors for the House chamber in 1863 and were then moved to the front of the Capitol in 1871. They are 17 feet tall and weigh about 20 tonnes – a product of German craftsmanship (Munich) from 1860 depicting events in the life of Christopher Columbus.

Next we proceed into the crypt, which lies directly beneath the Rotunda and the big dome of the Capitol. The Crypt was intended to be the final resting place of George and Martha Washington but both of them passed away before the Capitol was completed and hence were buried at Mount Vernon. The significance of the crypt doesn't end here though – the star at its center is also the geographic center of Washington, DC from where the lines that demarcate its four quadrants (NE, NE, SE, SW) shoot out.

The next stop on the tour is the Old Supreme Court Chamber, which was the meeting place of the Senate from 1800 to 1808 and then the Supreme Court from 1810 until 1860. It was also the site of the first presidential inauguration (Thomas Jefferson) in 1801. It is important to note that seven of the Justices' desks and five of their chairs are originals from about 1850-1860. The Willard Clock on the back wall was installed on the instruction of Chief Justice Taney, a stickler for punctuality, who had the clock set five minutes fast to ensure the proceedings took place in a timely manner. It still functions today and will definitely be five minutes ahead of your wristwatch!

We take a flight of stairs up while gawking at a beautiful crystal chandelier (14,000 cut crystals), which is originally from Czechoslovakia but was purchased by the Architect of the Capitol at an auction in 1965 for a mere $1500. The gasps continue as we enter The Rotunda, by far the most impressive room in the building. The dome above your head is approximately 180 feet (18 stories) tall. The painting on the inside, done by Constantino Brumuidi, is called The Apotheosis of George Washington and as the name suggests, depicts his ascension to the rank of a god. The thirteen maidens surrounding him are believed to represent the original 13 states. The Brumidi Frieze that wraps around the wall of the Rotunda is another awe-inspring painting that looks like sculpture.

It traces America's history from the landing of Columbus to the discovery of gold in California. Of the paintings that adorn the walls of the Rotunda, four are done by John Trumbull, who when told he couldn't sign them, found an interesting way to be identified in each. He actually painted himself into each of them, always placing himself fourth from the frame or fourth from the American flag and looking in a direction opposite to that of the main subject/source of action. Trumbull spotting is certainly my favorite Rotunda pastime ;)

Right next to the Rotunda is Statuary Hall, which, true to its name holds lots and lots of statues arranged against its walls. Each state is required to send two statues to the Capitol and many of these are displayed in this room. However, this was also the former meeting place of the House of Representatives (1800-1857) and was sometimes known as "The Oven" because it would get really warm in the days before air-conditioning was installed (or existed even!) There's a curious acoustic quality to this room that is better demonstrated than explained, so I won't ruin that surprise here!

The last stop is usually the House Gallery, where we sit for a few minutes and if we're lucky enough, catch the House in session. It's always great (after all that history!) to see where the action actually takes place today. I suggest if you're planning to tour the Capitol, try and be sure to select a date and time when the House is in session.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this brings me to the end of my virtual tour. Your compliments and gratitude are being telepathically transmitted to me! Even though I did such a fabulous job, please contact your Representative's office for the real deal!

Till next week,

DC Diaries

Overload!

Internship Defense Letter, Program Specific Analysis, Civic Engagement and Informational Interview write ups, a final draft of the term paper, an Honors Thesis prospectus for next semester, a weekend in New York, and taking over my Supervisor's duties – to put it mildly, over this past week my life has been turned upside down! The tragedy is that for now I'm spending more time thinking about all I have to do rather than actually doing it but I can't be blamed for hesitating to take a leap into this ocean of work!

I walked into the office last Tuesday only to find out that my supervisor had found a new position on the Hill and would be gone by the end of the week. To replace him, there would a fresh application and interview process, which could take at least a couple of weeks if not more than a month. Hence, when everyone looked around to see who could fill his shoes till we found a real replacement, all eyes settled on me! I did already know what he did and had assisted him over the past few months, so in some sense it wasn't an irrational choice. But hey, he was paid to do all that work and I'm a mere intern! My one privilege, I got his desk and chair, much more spacious and comfortable than mine! And they told me today, that if I were graduating at the end of this semester, I would most definitely be hired as his replacement. A case of bad timing then, I guess.

My mom just called me and after talking to her for about 30 minutes I feel completely drained of energy and the will to do anything (no offense to you maman, I'm sure you feel quite the same). Back at home in India my sister is being difficult about her college decisions, there's a hundred other problems that I need to address here in the U.S., no one is too happy with the way things are going, and I really just want to hit 'Quit.' But I know I will go to bed soon and tomorrow will be a new day, renewed optimism, and recharged batteries. Hopefully I can actually get started on some of the things I need to accomplish within the next 1-2 days.

I also have a lot of DC sights to see before I leave (only 3 and a half weeks to go). But at the rate that my "Things To Do" list is growing, I think I'm only going to get to see them if and when I ever come back to visit. The weather is excellent and this would be the perfect weekend to do some serious sightseeing but when you've got a thesis prospectus to write and a portfolio to put together, there's no time to tango around town.

I'm off to bed now in an attempt to rise early and burn all this negative energy on the treadmill.

Cherry Blossom et Crêpes au Citron

(this title rhymes with the appropriate application of a french accent!)

A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. I think this last weekend is best described in pictures. Feast your eyes folks!

From Martin Luther to Mira Nair

Its 6:25 p.m. EST and I'm home, in my jammies, sniffling, sipping my Yogi tea and happy to be typing on my own baby Mac once again! Outside, raindrops fall from the high heavens – April showers, they say, bring May flowers. But what of the cherry blossoms? They're probably falling to the ground as we speak, and to think I didn't even get a peek :(. Week 10, Blog 10 Ladies and Gentlemen. Just another 5 weeks to go and I'm starting to think I should get down to some monument visiting and museum surveying. Someone from class the other day told me that the Holocaust Museum has a waiting of 2-3 months, which I cannot wrap my head around since I've been to a lot many museums all over the place and the worst wait has been no longer than 2-3 hours. I am very keen to visit the Holocaust Museum, having heard great things about it, and now in a position to compare it with other Holocaust memorials I've visited (especially the ones in Germany). Maybe I can use some Congressional "pull" to get in?!

This morning there was a ceremony in the National Statuary Hall in the Capitol, honoring and remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the eve of the 40th anniversary of his assassination. I listened intently as the Speaker of the House, the Majority Whip, the Minority Leader, and Dr. King's very own son (among others), spoke about his life and work. But 40 years later, I think we are still struggling with many of the issues Dr. King attempted spent his life addressing. Racism is far from being "rooted out" and though segregation under law has been abolished, cultural and social stereotypes that plague our thinking are widely subscribed to by almost all members of society. Perhaps the November election will tell a different story, maybe America will have its first Black president, but while I cannot discount the importance that landmark moment will have in history, I can certainly question why in a country such as this, based on liberty and equality, welcoming one and all, how come it took this long?

As I watch the Hillary-Obama scuffle unfold on the idiot box, I cannot help but notice how the media and the candidates' campaigns demarcate everything by racial, ethnic, or economic parameters. Hillary has the Hispanics, he has the Blacks, Hillary has the low-middle income working class, he has the intellectuals and college goers. My colleague at work just started a blog last week and wrote about the compartmentalization of American society, protesting how it was implied that all Asian Americans under 25 think the same way, or Hispanic women over 50. Since reading that, I've kept my eyes and ears open for such references and there have been plenty just in the last two days, most coming from mass media sources.

Earlier this evening I did my informational interview with the Executive Director of Asia Society, Washington, an organization that I would like to work for someday (hopefully at their Bombay center). He was very candid about his experiences in the non-profit sector and told me that I had a long, hard, road ahead if I wanted to make my way up this ladder. For me, I've always had problems narrowing down and deciding what it is that I want to commit myself to (academically or career wise). Hence I am currently pursuing two majors and four minors, and have college work experiences ranging from the Study Abroad Office to a museum and a Congresswoman's office. Although he strongly advocated gathering a wide variety of experiences, he did say that internships are only good for deciding what you don't want to do. So where does that leave me? I'm afraid I am a soon to be "Jack of all trades..."

Before I sign off, I shall applaud myself for getting my Burma paper draft in on time despite all the technical difficulties and applaud my sister on receiving acceptances and scholarships to excellent schools and my mother for being a tireless crusader to ensure we have the best possible life experiences. We are one happy family, perhaps happiest when in different corners of the globe (corners of a globe?!) ;)

Till next week,

Rattan

P.S. – I just watched this on You Tube and I think its worth sharing, especially interesting for fellow lovers of the cinematic arts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXJmT-zDbH8

My Computer Strikes Back!

This is the email I wrote to my Program Advisor last Thursday which should also explain why my Wednesday blog comes to you today and has no pictures of Cherry Blossom or happy feelings attached.

Hi Sweeta,

I will try my best to make it this Monday for the Portfolio Workshop and the Korea Panel. I know I owe you a journal but my laptop died last evening and now I have a thousand things to do but no way to get them done. I have an appointment at the Apple Store this evening so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they can fix it. My 10 page paper draft is due in Tuesday's class, my blog was due yesterday, and my journal was due on Monday. Basically, I’m screwed. Also, I have no back up so if they say the hard disk is gone I end up losing all my research, all my documents since I started college, more than 7000 photos, my music, my life!

And if you thought it couldn’t get any worse, my flat mate Nay's keyboard broke the other day so now none of us have functional computers in the apartment. Our third flat mate had a desktop which was acting up a lot so he took it home over Easter weekend.

This really is the worst time for my trusted machine to turn its back on me!

A very distraught, yet dramatic,

Rattan

The “Genius” at the Apple Store was clueless when it came to diagnosing my white baby’s ailment. It just wouldn’t turn on and he didn’t have any tricks up his sleeve to revive it. “This will have to go into repair,” he declared as my heart sank. How long will it take? What about all my data? I have a 10 page paper due next Tuesday…all my research, my draft! Zilch. Nada. Lesson learnt: Technology can turn its back on you when you need it most so don’t invest your all in it (I wish).

So, my computer is in repair, I paid $150 to have them back up my data since they couldn’t guarantee that it will be on the machine when it returns. On another front, I talked my flat mate into buying a Mac (even after he saw what happened to mine – but hey, if I had a Dell it probably would’ve happened two years ago and so far I’ve had very positive experiences with Apple Care).

My time at work is being spent juggling between real work and using the available computer to catch up on email and sometimes even facebook. Sorry Boss :-/ I will tell you more about my weekend and why I still haven’t been to the festival in Wednesday’s post (which will, if I can manage it at work, come to you more or less on time).

Tchau