good old DC

Well, if you have talked to me recently, odds are you have gotten a lot of eeyore "woaaa is me" crap. I have been having a pity party as of late and have not been the best person to talk to. But, as most of you have told me, i am worrying far too much. And, upon reading the blog of a certain someone experiencing much of the same stuff as me, i decided that i should start informing everyone of the funny/interesting things that make DC so classic...

Going out:

Well, i haven't been going out very much as most of the places out here are 21 and over and despite roommate prodding, i have not attempted to use Tania's voter ID from puerto rico. perhaps some weekend soon... i'm going to try to start being more fun. anyway, Friday night i was exhausted from work and everything. Last week basically was the longest week ever in existence. So i came home and napped for a good 2 hours and then awoke to screaming about going out to a big party that night for halloween (i had not even been thinking about halloween as i'd been at work all week and blah blah blah) So anyway, tania is yelling about this party where you can see a band and it's like 20 dollars cover but you get to see a show and it is at this club that is four stories and everything and she says that i can go because it is 18 for girls (funny how that always works out like that). So, Tiffany and I decide "Why not?" and frantically get on a bus to go to king street and find some sort of costume. We ended up going to Ross (like a trashy TJ maxx or marshalls) and didn't really find anything (Tiff bought little devil ears that were supposed to go on a dog... haha) So then we go to CVS (it's pouring down rain at this point). We get matching big witch hats with feathered brims and some candy, gum and beer. I end up not getting charged for my witch hat (5 dollars saved, cha-ching). We come back to our apartment, get all decked out and head out in the cold and rain to the club. For those of you i haven't told yet, the band that we saw was DANITY KANE (band from P.Diddy's show--Making the Band 3)(i've had mixed reactions from those i have told... from Adriane who thought it was the greatest thing ever, to megan who i think wants to stop being friends with me after this) they were fairly good, closed with their song "Show stoppin" and we continued on in our clubbing experience. There was a sufficient amount of creepy mexican guys trying to dance with me by just grabbing me (i almost felt at home, haha). oh, and the high light of the night i think was dancing with a GW law student dressed as... HARRY POTTER. can you get anymore me? Everything was going great until Hermione came by and told harry they had to leave... so it goes.

The Ghetto:

As most of you know, i work about 2 blocks from the capitol building. This can be great on nice days when you see a lot of wealthy working professionals walking around and reading their yuppie literature on the steps (i can be that person somedays...ha). The thing that is interesting about the area though (and you will find this a lot of places in DC) is that if you turn your head to the right, you go towards the beautiful capitol, everything that is quinessentially DC and all. BUT if you go straight or to the left and walk about a block (once you pass the all boys private school that has a professional grade football field), you are in the ghetto. hardcore. I have never been there, but from what i hear, most people are coked up or drunk from 6AM on. Which is both terrible and somewhat amazing considering this all happens a mile from where our country's legislation is passed. Though i have never been to the ghetto, i am able to interact with its fine inhabitents most days of the week. Mostly, this interaction consists of one of two things:

1) Asking for money- people are getting extremely creative about this. It is no longer the typical "yo, i'm broke. Help a brother out". Now it is "It is my birthday, my house burned down last night, i lost my job" all while holding their morning starbucks and wearing timberlands and a sean john jacket. these people that i have met have been, to their credit, extremely nice most of the time. When james was here, we were greeted with a series of "God bless you" "have a great evening" "Keep that little lady smiling, big daddy" etc. So, though i rarely believe these acts and seldom give out money unless the person has real talent (there is a group of guys who sings mo-town better than the original to whom i gave 50 cents), they are all generally kind people.

2) Getting whistled at/harassed/etc.- This is more interesting. Most of this has occurred while walking from my office to DHS headquarters. My favorite one has been when i guy actually pulled his car over, rolled down his window, and yelled something at me in the middle of traffic. That almost beats "Chickee chickee boom boom" from when i was in BCN... almost, but not quite because this guy was speaking english. But, if i have learned one thing from these experiences it is that a big butt is a universal language. lucky me.


Oh, and just as a random side note, i think my racial/ethnic identity has been further confused to the point where i am just going to start blending into all of my surroundings. Yesterday, i was down in Au Bon Pain getting my free drink from my punch card (7 teas later, i get a free caramel macchiato, woot). One thing you must know about ABP is that all of the workers there are african american. this would usually be a non-issue, but it is an issue for the sake of this story. so i basically go in there on a daily basis to get a bagel and some tea. These people know me, know what i get and that i work upstairs and everything. They are all very friendly and i always make conversation with everyone. Well, yesterday, i'm down there waiting for the girl to make my drink, when another girl working the counter is kind of chatting with another worker about something and then approaches me and says, "Can i ask you something?" and i'm like "yeah, sure" and she goes, "Are you mixed?" Now, i have been called jewish, tania thinks i can pass for latina, one of the security guards in our building asked me if i was italian one day, i am actually kind of german, i always try to tell shweta that i'm approaching indian darkness... but i did not know that, other than for my backside, i could be confused for being mixed. The funny thing is that my skin tone has actually gotten extremely light since i have been here. it makes no sense. but anyway, that was entertaining.


So, there are a few of the fun parts of my experience here. I will update more later save to say that i am taking all of your advice to heart and really trying to relax and enjoy life as it comes my way. Thank you for all of your love and support. i truly do not know what i would do without each and every one of you.

Currently listening to...At the bottom of everything- Bright Eyes


xoxoxoxox.

love,

amy