Another week, another series on internet problems- we're hoping the latest coming of "Johnny" from Advanced Computing solves those problems. Personally, I've never seen the guy, so only the emails we get from Dr. Schneider on a regular basis serve as my assurances that he actually exists and is the answer to those computer problems. Time will tell, I'm crossing my fingers hoping I make it through this blog post without the internet crapping out.
The internship here keeps me busy, and I'm soaking up all the info I can. As a communications intern, I don't deal directly with a lot of Middle East related material, but it does pass by me in the form of press releases, media alerts, and interviews- I'm going to do my best to learn about whatever it is I'm writing or sending out. So far, I've written two press releases, logged a lot of media hits, and put together media packets. My big project though, started with the interview I did with Dr. Herman Franssen last Friday. I'm writing an article on him for the Middle East Bulletin that goes out to all the members of MEI- if you didn't click the link above, we was the first senior western advisor at OPEC meetings, so he was a real cool guy to interview. I'll make sure to post the article here when it gets written- it's due the 15th of February. I spent most of today transcribing it, he had a lot to say about the $100/barrel oil spike.
Classes have been pretty cool- the first week was the usual get-to-know-each-other sessions, but my professors are really cool, especially the one tonight, he had us cracking up last week at some political commentary and an offhand dismissal of Hilary Clinton (sorry, mom). The workload shouldn't be too horrible and a lot of stuff is work with a partner- and for once, I feel like everything I'm learning in a semester is stuff that may actually help me later in life...wh
at a novel concept!
The weekend was a welcome sight though, because having met everyone here, it was nice to finally have a little time to chill with them. I opted out of Friday night's clubbing/drinking for a sweet Mario Kart session with some handicapped or fake ID deprived students. Saturday found me in a bummed out mood after and SU lost to Villanova, but the day got better as Alex and I made a downtown DC trip to the monument area. I got my first view of the WWII memorial and, I must say, was extremely impressed. It's a very moving tribute and I really can't wait to see it when it's nice out and there's water in the little fountains. Alex, meanwhile, fulfilled his goal to meet Mr. Lincoln at his memorial. Several miles of walking led us past the Vietnam Memorial, Washington monument, and around the mall till we almost hit the Capitol. The night finished with a few movies with Liz and Jackson and, naturally, a delicious pot of chili:)
The memorial wall at the WWII Memorial Me and Mr. Lincoln, chillin' out
Sunday, of course, was football day- congrats to the Giants for making the Super Bowl, and whatever crappy team they've got you playing, I'm sure you can handle them. Afterwards, I began for the sixth time the Band of Brothers series- I never get tired and I always love showing it to others. (Random note: as I look at our large floor, I remember we've committed to turning it into a dance floor at some point. Look at the middle of the third picture and take away the carpet...yeah, you're thinking what I'm thinking:)). Mond
ay was a really cool day too, mostly because of the trip up to the National Cathedral for the MLK Jr. service (a trip I wasn't sure Liz would survive- note to all my handicapped friends, do not, under any circumstances, allow Chad to drive your wheelchair anywhere). There were some pretty cool rappers, poets, and a large church choir that sand "Imagine" and "One Love" as good as I've ever heard them done. The acoustics really made it a moving experience. After that was my pasta-making skill exhibition, followed by a Syracuse-Georgetown game that was exciting but ultimately disappointing; we lost 64-62 in OT with a game-winning 3 clanking around the rim as time expired. Nick and I had fun beating off drunk G-town girls hurling insults as we left.
Washington is truly a great place to be. The more I stay here, the more I'm considering looking for a summer internship. We'll see how that goes as we move along the internship.
Well, that's about all for now. For photos or interview requests, please be sure to contact my publicist. He looks an awful lot like me and has the same name. And now I leave you with a video that my French roomie Alex assures me accurately depicts an average day in his life. Ciao!
I've also managed to snag 6 free meals so far in just a week and a half here- leading the contest over my r
oommate Nick, who's in a distant second with just 3. It bodes well for my wallet, though I have been finding enough cheap places to eat that I don't have to completely rely on the kindness of strangers. The $3 empanadas down the street are the real deal- I look forward to many cheap Mexican lunches. I also tried out the cheap cafe down the street from the internship,
fast service and good burgers. Over the weekend, I showed off my culinary skills (well, exhausted them, really) with a delicious pot of chili Saturday and a pasta dinner Monday night. I'll be walking the edge Super Bowl weekend with an attempt at crock-potting some BBQ beef.
oommate Nick, who's in a distant second with just 3. It bodes well for my wallet, though I have been finding enough cheap places to eat that I don't have to completely rely on the kindness of strangers. The $3 empanadas down the street are the real deal- I look forward to many cheap Mexican lunches. I also tried out the cheap cafe down the street from the internship,Classes have been pretty cool- the first week was the usual get-to-know-each-other sessions, but my professors are really cool, especially the one tonight, he had us cracking up last week at some political commentary and an offhand dismissal of Hilary Clinton (sorry, mom). The workload shouldn't be too horrible and a lot of stuff is work with a partner- and for once, I feel like everything I'm learning in a semester is stuff that may actually help me later in life...wh
at a novel concept!The Syracuse Embassy, site of all our classes
The weekend was a welcome sight though, because having met everyone here, it was nice to finally have a little time to chill with them. I opted out of Friday night's clubbing/drinking for a sweet Mario Kart session with some handicapped or fake ID deprived students. Saturday found me in a bummed out mood after and SU lost to Villanova, but the day got better as Alex and I made a downtown DC trip to the monument area. I got my first view of the WWII memorial and, I must say, was extremely impressed. It's a very moving tribute and I really can't wait to see it when it's nice out and there's water in the little fountains. Alex, meanwhile, fulfilled his goal to meet Mr. Lincoln at his memorial. Several miles of walking led us past the Vietnam Memorial, Washington monument, and around the mall till we almost hit the Capitol. The night finished with a few movies with Liz and Jackson and, naturally, a delicious pot of chili:)
The memorial wall at the WWII Memorial Me and Mr. Lincoln, chillin' out
Sunday, of course, was football day- congrats to the Giants for making the Super Bowl, and whatever crappy team they've got you playing, I'm sure you can handle them. Afterwards, I began for the sixth time the Band of Brothers series- I never get tired and I always love showing it to others. (Random note: as I look at our large floor, I remember we've committed to turning it into a dance floor at some point. Look at the middle of the third picture and take away the carpet...yeah, you're thinking what I'm thinking:)). Mond
ay was a really cool day too, mostly because of the trip up to the National Cathedral for the MLK Jr. service (a trip I wasn't sure Liz would survive- note to all my handicapped friends, do not, under any circumstances, allow Chad to drive your wheelchair anywhere). There were some pretty cool rappers, poets, and a large church choir that sand "Imagine" and "One Love" as good as I've ever heard them done. The acoustics really made it a moving experience. After that was my pasta-making skill exhibition, followed by a Syracuse-Georgetown game that was exciting but ultimately disappointing; we lost 64-62 in OT with a game-winning 3 clanking around the rim as time expired. Nick and I had fun beating off drunk G-town girls hurling insults as we left.Washington is truly a great place to be. The more I stay here, the more I'm considering looking for a summer internship. We'll see how that goes as we move along the internship.
Well, that's about all for now. For photos or interview requests, please be sure to contact my publicist. He looks an awful lot like me and has the same name. And now I leave you with a video that my French roomie Alex assures me accurately depicts an average day in his life. Ciao!
No comments:
Post a Comment