Right in the Mix of Things…

This week I began to learn Russian using Rosetta Stone, started “All the King’s Men” by Robert Warren Penn, and threw up at work and had to go home, which I could have done without. I am studying abroad next semester in St. Petersburg if you are wondering why I am learning Russian. This Monday TWC had us attend our civic engagement workshops and our separate programs. Also, my class got to take a field trip to IFPRI, or the International Food Policy Research Institution. Interesting, and really informative. It is nice to know that all these places exist and are more than willing to hire young professionals like ourselves, or to let anyone utilize their documents and archives.

While the economic crisis is unfolding, my boss, who worked for the Clinton administration as a financial advisor, talks everyday about the economy and will randomly break out into different languages. I have heard him talk in at least ten so far. My coordinators and I are constantly asking him questions about banks, golden parachutes, and all this other stuff. The President of Afghanistan was also at the Woodrow Wilson Center for an hour long meeting. The Secret Service was everywhere. When do you get a chance to meet, or even see, a foreign president and important international figure?

At the On the Hill event, “Rethinking the Grid” Lester Brown, really famous, talked about the environment and essentially what our world needs to do to ensure that civilization itself survives the human footprint. Essentially, if by 2020 we do not curb our CO2 emissions, the effects of climate change will cost more to fix than it will to change our ways and our grid. Wind and solar power is where it’s at. I plan on devoting my life to environmental law, so I got really into this briefing. One figure states that the world would have to spend 12 trillion to fix the grid to utilize alternative energy. I asked Lester Brown after how much we would spend if we didn’t spend the 12 trillion. He essentially told me that it would be a whole lot more than 12 trillion and that’s if we even get the chance to do it. So while some are a bit gloomier about the climate, I try to be optimistic.

Before I go on an environmental tangent, I am going to stop myself and talk a bit more about the city. The weather is evening out and I am beginning to find the better restaurants. Also, I no longer have to look to see which train to get on, which means I am an honorary city guy now. People can ask me questions about the lines or stops and I can answer no problem. This city has some real strange people on the trains. Why is everyone so unhappy all the time when they are on the trains? Also, the escalefter’s on the weekends are beginning to bother me.

Some noteworthy places to visit are the Old Post Office Pavilion, which provides a good view (about 10 miles visibility) of the city, and Ben’s Chili Bowl. The post office is sweet and I am going to include some pictures in this blog just in case you don’t get a chance to go. If you do go, look at the Ronald Reagan Building, and you can see where I work from up on high. Ben’s Chili Bowl has really good food and is one of those places that you can only see or go to here, so it’s worth checking out.

Well everyone, until next time, here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Timmy V

City Living

As I adapt to living in D.C., I'm finding out a few things. Do not wear flip flops when visiting the National Mall; my right foot still doesn’t feel the same. The weather in this place doesn’t know what it wants to be--southern or northern--and therefore it is hard to know if you need an umbrella or a pair of shorts. Always bring an umbrella just in case. Bring your business cards with you wherever you go. I have not been carrying them on my person and every time I want to give it to someone I regret not having them. They are a big part of networking. Another great part of this city is simply always having something to do, and like I have said before, it is mostly free. You would think the security would be insane here, but anyone really can just walk into the Capitol building, though a small security checkpoint and then just see where all the congress people are working.

When I first got here and saw my syllabus for the International Affairs Program, I really thought I would have absolutely no free time. I mean I don’t watch television anymore, but I prefer actually being out in the world watching and meeting professionals. I have plenty of free time and most of it is spent walking around museums, which is a very big shift from the college setting, in which the weekends consist of, well, the usual. My other concern was not learning as much, in an academic way, as I would have had at college. I couldn’t have been more wrong; I am learning just as much, if not more, from the various briefings and events that my coordinator (really just my boss though she refuses to recognize that) sends me to. Last Tuesday I got to go to an event on the Hill, which means at one of the buildings near the Capitol where members of Congress work, and I got to meet a congressman from Alabama. It was all about the education and school reform and how No Child Left Behind is failing, or so that was the debate.

Time is literally flying by. When you are busy all the time, you don’t even realize that you have been away from home for weeks. Now that I think about it, I haven’t been homesick once. Did anyone else know you could get a roundtrip bus ticket from New York City to D.C. for 35 dollars? My roommate's friend came down for the weekend like it was nothing.

Starting next week I will enter into my civic engagement service, which related to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Essentially, it is meeting every Saturday to help, as an American citizen, with lobbying for the creation of two separate states. I will be going to the Hill and meeting with members of Congress who are experts on the issue. Also, TWC sets up meetings with your states representatives so I might be meeting Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. I will most likely be bringing my business card for that event.

Well, until next week, keep reading and go buy some stocks while they are cheap and the market is down. Now’s the time to buy!

Timmy V

Here We Go

This week, being the first full work week at the internship, has finally setup a feeling of normalcy and routine. The big news for this blog is Sarah Palin and the hurricanes really messing up people’s lives (neither of which I am very happy about to be completely honest; if you saw her interview then you know why). Other things, more along the lines of my life, done this week include visiting the Pentagon Memorial, which was an interesting way to spend September 11th and one that I recommend seeing just for the mere fact that they designed really well. Actually, I enjoy this city so much I pretty much decided that I am coming back to live here for a year or to go to graduate school in the area. Interesting, eh?

If any of you get a chance, definitely go to the Federal Triangle food court in the Ronald Reagan Building. Best General Tso’s chicken you will ever eat. Making food for every meal has certainly not gotten any easier, especially now that the roommates get back at different times. But I digress, because I downloaded about 25 Christian power anthems and I listen to them everyday now. Understand that I am not really that religious, but they are pretty good songs if you give them a chance; tons of good imagery. Another sweet music program is Pandora, which is essentially a radio station that only plays music that you like.

Besides life in the city, the internship is going really well. The great part about my job is that I do research on things that I would not normally read about, so it forces me to learn about subjects like the Caucuses, United States and foreign education systems, wind as an alternative energy and the electrical power grid. I also get to visit the offices of the Capitol Building off of the Capitol South Metro stop. I never knew you could just walk into a congressperson’s office. Oh, and the beast of a printer in the office can pretty much launch someone into space.

During the week I got to attend an education seminar and helped with the Wilson Center on the Hill “Russia Georgia Conflict: What Happened and Future Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy.” Now I am writing the summary for the report which will be published by the Wilson Center for the other workers and those who attended the conference to see, which is never a bad thing, unless I really mess up.

On Wednesdays I am in the Population, Gender, and the Environment class, which keeps me awake and engaged for three hours, even after an eight-hour work day. This just goes to show how intelligent and good my professor is, as I am sure it is true with other classes.

Here are some pictures from my camera that you may or may not find interesting.

Heck Yeah Massachusetts

Abe

Korean War Memorial

We went to the house that Lincoln died in

Elephant's butt in the Natural History Museum

Dinosaur

Hope you are all enjoying yourself, and like I said feel free to facebook or email if you need anything, though I am not entirely sure what you would need from me.

Timmy V

My First Few Adventures

It is hard to write a blog without sounding really corny, so I am going to attempt to make this as painless as possible for all of you to read. I suppose talking a little bit about me first is in order. I am from Burlington, Massachusetts, which is about 25 minutes outside of Boston. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, but my accent isn’t too obnoxious (pak ya ca, maket, havad, etc…). I am a political science and international relations student at Stonehill College, which is also in Massachusetts. If you want to know why I am in D.C., I’ll send you my Learning Objective Statement (the first Washington Center assignment, which lays out your goals for the semester) as an attachment and you can glance over that. Feel free to facebook me if you want.

My internship at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is really interesting. Essentially I do research for my boss, who is a freaking genius, and then he writes books and sets up conferences about United States education, energy policies, and anything that has to do with globalization. The Center has tons of programs so I get to sit in on different seminars and meetings. On the second day they had a huge presentation about the crisis in Somalia, and a few experts from around the world flew in just to talk for an hour and a half. Next week they already have one on the Russia-Georgia conflict. Everyone talks about politics all day and they are all pretty much concerned and wholeheartedly devoted to their jobs. Can’t give names for security reasons and such, but I’m sure it’s the same for many D.C. interns.

Any readers out there participating in the fall semester with me? How are you all enjoying the city? If you guys have been to Boston, you know that it isn’t easy to get around. I feel like I have lived here for months, simply because it is so easy to get around. It’s nice to be surrounded by people who have similar interests and to be in a city with such a massive amount of history and culture (even better that most of it is free as well). Every street is a different picture to upload to a new album. Here are some of my roommate’s greatest pictures to date; my mom bought me a plum camera for some reason, so I had to get a black one shipped to me, but it hasn’t come yet. Yes I realize how trivial and uninteresting that story was. Just a warning, he likes to take pictures of people taking pictures or just people themselves when they aren’t looking.

Lincoln Memorial from the WWII Memorial

On the Bridge going to the Jefferson Memorial

George Washington Monument while lying down

Some lady taking a picture of the White House

Feel free to comment on these mind-blowing works of art. My roommates are all from Texas and they are a bit strange. Especially the one who took these pictures. I couldn’t ask for better people to live with. Hey guys, sorry about that. Is everyone enjoying themselves here? Anyone want to live here again? Who is everyone voting for and why?

Until next time…

Timmy V