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

Half-Way Home!

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the cherry trees will soon be in bloom! The causation/correlation effect between the weather and my mood is more apparent than ever at this time of year. The spring sun brings a smile to my face and the fresh air fills my lungs as I walk, walk, walk everywhere. From The Washington Center to Dupont Circle to Adam's Morgan to Farragut Square to Lafayette Square to Chinatown…. this past week I had D.C. covered on foot! It's the best way to feel the vibe of a city, to get oriented, get some exercise, and escape the metro. Try it folks!

This week also marks our entry into the second half of the D.C. semester. While Easter weekend is poor compensation for Spring Break, I'm taking the time to head back to New York and stock up on bagels and Bollywood (family and friends too :))! I enjoy my periodic Hindi film and the easiest place to catch them is in Manhattan. Also, Bubble Tea. Tried some in Georgetown but they flat out refused to serve it up hot (everyone always refuses at first, but my New York spot always agrees to do it hot on my insistence that the tapioca globules DO NOT melt in hot tea).

NY "everything" Bagel + Wasabi cream cheese + Lox = Breakfast Bliss

Hot Bubble Tea

Bolly "Masala" wood

Oh, and by the way, I decided to abandon Part 3 of the brunch series since the weather is now nice enough for you guys to do some exploring and get back to me on what you think is the best D.C. brunch. Enough about edibles.

The week has been productive and fun at the same time. I have continued my patronage of the Alliance Française by renting French films, books, and magazines as regularly as possible. I am also deeply engrossed in what I am compelled to call one of the finest books written in my lifetime, Gregory David Roberts' "Shantaram". And please don't ask me what it's about because one, I cannot put it in a nutshell and two, I insist you delve into this one and discover the "magic" for yourself!

Book of the Year

Yesterday, I had an excellent interview/chat with the Advocacy coordinator at the U.S. Campaign for Burma. I had originally sought a 15 minute appointment with her to get some expert opinion for my foreign policy recommendations paper on the unfolding political and human rights crisis in Burma, but our conversation went well over an hour and she gave me information and insights I could not have obtained from reading reports and articles. I also spent about 5 hours at Tryst in Adam's Morgan on Monday afternoon, reading vociferously for the quiz we had in class last evening, and discovering that I could indeed read, sip tea, and listen to music all at the same time. Way to multi-task!

Our Chief of Staff just decided to close down the office on Friday, which makes me happy but also throws off my plans since I set up an informational interview at 4 p.m. If I had known we were going to be off, I would've scheduled it for next week and left for NYC on the morning bus. Actually, I'm going to try and re-schedule NOW!

Oh and I have 45 minutes to get to the D.C. Cares Orientation - time to turn on multi-task mode once again (been doing that a lot lately)!

Bon week-end!

Float On

Making my way up to Adam's Morgan (it's a bit of a walk from the Metro), I worked up quite an appetite and went on to realize that the key to really enjoying a brunch is being hungry enough! Here's a peak of what that truly lively neighborhood has to offer on a Sunday afternoon:

1) Perry's
1811 Columbia Road, NW. Washington, DC

Let Perry's be your one culinary splurge in the Capital! I don't know what makes this place the perfect spot for Sunday recreation, but its location (18th Street & Columbia Road – the heart of Adam's Morgan), eclectic menu (mac&cheese meets sake toro meets duck confit), and the special drag brunch on Sunday mornings give it a flavor that you're not going to find anywhere in the vicinity. Did I mention they had rooftop dining (the weather is visibly better now), and plenty on offer for more "new age" (read vegan) food preferences?

2) Lauriol Plaza
1835 18th Street, NW. Washington, DC

No Brunch survey is complete without atleast one Mexican joint in the mix. I considered talking about Oyamel again, but since I already recommended it to you in my first blog, I'll give you another spot to add to your ever-growing list of "much check outs"! Lauriol Plaza gives you the option to choose, there's everything from seafood and shrimp, to Spanish sausage, and English muffins. I strongly vouch for the Mahi Mahi Mazatlan but the Huevos Rancheros brings together a lot of my favorites (beans, cheese, eggs, and fresh fruit!) in one helluva mouth-watering combo J. If you have any room left for dessert (c'mon, you can share it with your friend(s)), dig into some homemade coconut ice cream!

3) Mezè
2437 18th Street, NW. Washington, DC

In my continuing quest to find you the best cuisine from all corners of the globe, I think Mezè is a must for every lover of chickpeas and kebab (me)! Their weekend brunch runs from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and includes Boreks (Anatolian rolls), Gozleme (Turkish crepes), and a Cantaloupe Berry Boat for the fruit aficionados. This joint doubles up as a bar/lounge in the evening and even has a special "Eat Late" menu. So if you can't make it to brunch, bring your friends here after work and lounge around. The music might make you want to break out those new moves, and the Turkish cocktails and beers will only add to the authenticity of the experience!

That's all for Brunch Banter this week, but Dupont Circle is next in the line of fire!

I can't close without expressing my disgust with Spitzer and his sleazy ways. It just really pains me to see his wife standing there next to him, while he publicly owns up to his actions and consequently resigns. To think that he has three teenage daughters, all younger than I, who have to deal with their father's infidelity, go out every morning and face the world, read the hostile headlines, and watch their mother in such anguish...it really breaks my heart. The Republicans and the media are having a field day with the whole thing and it is rather unfortunate that someone's personal failings make such gripping tabloid fodder. Well, who can say the man doesn't deserve it, but can the wife and the children be spared?

Blog 6

I started off this blog as the first in a two part series covering the best brunches in DC. However, the events of this evening compel me to sideline the food talk for just a bit and give you some idea of how it feels to be in the same room as Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, and David McCullough. Yes, one of the perks of being a Congressional staffer is getting to go to all these events on the Hill, your ID being your free ticket to most. And boy, I lucked out this evening! The morning update said HBO would be doing a pre premiere screening of their new miniseries "John Adams" starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, exclusively for Members of Congress and staffers. What I did not know was that Tom Hanks is the producer of the series and that it is based on two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough's biography of the same name. The icing on the cake, they were all in attendance (except Laura Linney) and the Cannon Caucus Room served as a perfect 'historic' setting for the series to be showcased. HBO replicated the frame of the famous painting entitled Declaration of Independence that hangs in the Rotunda of the Capitol and used it around the projection screen. The episode itself was every bit as gripping and historically sound as all of HBO's other ventures in this genre of film. Both Giamatti and Linney provide powerful, poignant, moving performances, supported by an outstanding cast. The attention to detail and the effort to re-create exactly the conditions that prevailed at the time are reminiscent of "Rome". All in all, it was an evening that I will not forget anytime soon. Enjoy the photos and don't forget to tune into the TV premiere on March 16 at 8 p.m.

Man of the Moment - Paul Giamatti

Cannon House Office Building

This man needs no introduction

Cannon Caucus Room










David McCullough

And now, ladies andgentlemen, THE blog…

Brunch Banter, Part 1

Inspired by this week's promise of sunshine and mild weather (which I'm hoping will continue over the weekend), I decided to make this aBrunch special (I had previously warned you that that at some point this blog would become a forum for the foodie in me!). Surprisingly, DC has a wide variety of offerings that would please any budding gourmand, but remember that brunches are more expensive than breakfasts or lunches (duh, they're both) so be prepared to shell out anywhere between $12 and $20 depending on variety, type and quantity of food, and accompanying drinks (the champagne will not flow if the cash doesn't!). If you play the game right, brunch can be your one and only meal of the day which makes a $15 tab sound somewhat justified. Due to the sheer volume of places to check out, and the convenient clustering in various neighborhoods around the District, I've divided this feature into two parts. This week we'll look at...hold your breath...Georgetown!

GEORGETOWN:

1) Café Bonaparte

1522 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. Washington, DC

My blatant French bias shouldn't come as a shock to any of my regularreaders, and hence, this tops my list of brunch spots. Dig into the sumptuous crêpes (Suzette, St. Germain) and galettes (Capri, Mirabeau), a meal-sized salad (Marie, Niçoise), or even just the mouth-watering desserts (Cigar Chocolat, L'Exotique). The special brunch menu consists of divine French pastries and creatively named omlettes, each containing a unique mélange of ingredients and flavors (the Rembrandt is a personal favorite).

2) Filomena

1063 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. Washington, DC

This may just be the best deal in terms of value for money and the sheer variety of offerings. The restaurant has a very homely feel to it, they beckon you calling it "the home of your Italian grandma" and you'll see why. It's been around forever and is frequented by a mixed crowd from all over the tri-state area but the biggest draw is definitely the authentic home-style Italian cooking. And as a general rule, when the biggest draw at a restaurant is the food, you know it's a good place to go! At $17.95 you get an all you can eat brunch buffet with an excellent selection of salads, breads, pasta, meats, desserts, soft drinks, tea, and coffee. You can be sure you will be served only the freshest of foods and that you can plan to stay put throughout the entire duration of brunch (11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) to pace yourself well enough to get at least a taste of everything.

3) Old Glory All-American BBQ

3139 M St., NW. Washington, DC

French (down), Italian (down), but what we were lacking was an All-American brunch spot to dig into some French toast (ironic) and spicy Bloody Marys! That is exactly what is on offer at Old Glory with the stuffed French toast being my personal favorite (sweet cream cheese, bourbon peach caramel, bacon strips, and sliced fruit - hell yes!). You are strongly encouraged to try The Big Breakfast (burrito, home fries, corn on the cob, fruit) which is a steal at $11.95. Quench your thirst with a fresh squeezed fruit juice or the much talked about Bloody Mary. This brunch has the potential to throw you into a food coma so don't plan to accomplish too much (rather anything) that Sunday afternoon!As for next week, no prizes for guessing, I shall bring you the best from Adam's Morgan and the Dupont Area. For now, I sign off leaving you with enough to chew on...quite literally!