Life In Bethesda, MD

This past Wednesday I was able to get a taste of what it's like to live in Bethesda, MD.

If you have been following some of my previous blogs, then I'm sure you are familiar with the night class I am currently taking, A Taste Of D.C. It is by far the most exciting academic course I have ever taken. Each week, our class visits a neighborhood in or around the D.C. area. Some of the locations we have seen thus far include: Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, Alexandria and more! This week we visited good ol' Bethesda, MD. Prior to our visit, I had only passed through the area once. It was kind of hard to get a feel for what the neighborhood was like, but from quickly glancing at the buildings and streets, it seemed like a quaint little town.

On Wednesday July 29th, I was given the chance to really explore and learn about Bethesda. My class and I met up at the Bethesda metro stop. Once we were all together, we proceeded down Wisconsin Ave and then eventually ended up in a little shopping/restaurant area near Woodmont Ave. For dinner, our teacher let us go off individually and select the restaurant of our choice. My friends Joelle, Karen and I decided to try an entree at a placed called Lebanese Taverna Bethesda. This was actually my first time trying Lebanese food. For my order, I decided to try the chicken shawarma. It was incredible!

Once we finished up with our meals, we met back up with the rest of our class and then proceeded up Bethesda Ave and stopped at a little rest area next to Barnes and Noble. This is where my classmate Megan gave her presentation on Bethesda. After listening to her speech, I found out that Bethesda is actually where the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants novel takes place. I also learned from Megan's presentation that the average income is around $110,000/yr and the average house costs about $900,000... perhaps this why I became so fond of the neighborhood?!

World Football Challenge

So, how did you spend your Friday night... See a new movie? Take a road trip to the beach? Have dinner with some friends?

I spent my Friday at the Raven's Stadium in Baltimore, MD! For what you ask? The World Football Challenge of course! For those of who are not familiar with the WFC, it is a competition for international club football (soccer) teams. The teams come from both Europe and North America and each team plays the others once in a round-robin tournament format. I had the privilege of watching the game (between Chealsea and AC Milan) from up in the press box with all of the media and photographers! This was a real treat!

For those of you who still aren't quite sure of just how HUGE these teams are and how big of a deal this event is, David Beckham once played for AC Milan. You know, David Beckham, one of the most popular athletes in today's sports. FYI, he was the world's highest-paid footballer (soccer player) in 2004.

If this still does not impress you, then I don't know what will!

Anyway, the reason I was able to attend this event was because of my internship with Brotman Winter Fried Communications (BWF). BWF handles some of the public relations work for this event. When BWF mentioned they would need interns to help with the WFC, I volunteered immediately. I'll admit, when first signing up to help with this event, I didn't really know much about it. In fact, I didn't know a whole lot about football (soccer) in general. However, I love trying new things and this seemed like an interesting opportunity.

After watching an amazing game and attending a intense press conference afterwards, I really think I'm starting to take a liking to professional soccer. I even found myself rooting and booing for some of the calls that were made.

Who knows what's next, maybe I will make the initiative and purchase tickets for an upcoming game!

Welcome to The Torpedo Factory!

It was finally my turn to step up to the plate! This week was my week to give a presentation for my night class, A Taste of D.C. As part of the assignment, my requirement was to select a landmark or historical site and conduct research on some of its history and its significance to the neighborhood we were visiting that week.

On Wednesday, our teacher took us to Old Town Alexandria. I had only been there once before and it was for a short amount of time, so I wasn't very familiar with the area and its landmarks. After looking up some of the local tourist attractions, I came across one building called, "The Torpedo Factory Art Center." The name really stood out to me and the building seemed to have a lot of valuable history. After reading a few articles and reviews about the site, I found out that not only was it a torpedo factory in the 1920s, but it also served as a storage space for: art work and dinosaur bones from the Smithsonian, government documents from Congress, and even German war films and records from the Military. I was really fascinated by the information I found and so I decided to focus my presentation on this historical landmark.
Prior to giving my presentation, my class and I had met up at Chadwick's Restaurant. This is were we gathered together and talked about some of the places we have been able to visit while living in D.C., as well as the places that we still hope to see and experience. For me, my two favorite visits were to the Georgetown Waterfront and Adam's Morgan. As for the two places that I still hope to see, one would have to be Kenilworth Park and The Aquatic Gardens, the other would be the National Zoo.

I am actually planning to visit one of these two sites within the next week. Hopefully my plans will work out and I will be able to share my experience with everyone!

PS. The informational interview that I have been talking about for a few weeks now is going to take place this Monday at 11AM. Check back next week to see how it goes and what kind of feedback Marc (the gentleman I am interviewing) provides.

It's Salsa Time!!

Before I talk about my "Dancing With The Stars" moment (not really), I want to explain what led me to taking salsa lessons.

Each and every Wednesday, I meet up with the students from my night class, "A Taste of D.C." Each week our teacher chooses a new neighborhood for us to visit and to learn about its history. This week we went to Adams Morgan and explored the neighborhood. Just to give you a brief history about the area: President John Quincy Adams had actually owned estates and land on the countryside here. During this point in time, the area was known as Adam’s Mill. Okay, back to the story. So, my class and I met up at Columbia and 18th street. We then proceeded from there and stopped at some places like: Madam's Organ and Julia's Empanadas. One of the students (Joelle) gave a short presentation about Madam's Organ and explained its history and its contribution to Adams Morgan. After that, our whole class piled into Julia's Empanadas to grab some of their delicious treats!

After we ate, our teacher decided to take us to this place called, "Habana Village." This is where we were going to learn how to salsa dance! Once we all crowded into the room, our teacher started to explain some of the basic steps. By the time the class was over, I was "1,2,3"-ing like a pro (not really, but I'd like to think so). Anyway, I really had a fun time and I enjoyed learning how to salsa! A lot of my friends from the class and I decided we should go back a day and perhaps take the intermediate class. That should be interesting to see!

Seriously though, if you ever get the chance to take salsa lessons, I really think you should. It's a great experience!

That was ALMOST a typical day

Yesterday was ALMOST a typical day for me, but there were a few twists and turns along the way. I woke up at 8:11AM right after my fifth or sixth alarm went off (I always hit the snooze button a lot, my roommate Lexy tends to get a little annoyed, but I can't blame her. It's okay though, she now laughs every time I swear that I'm going to stay awake after the first alarm).

Anyway, so I woke and got ready for work/my internship. Unfortunately, I was running a little late, so I wasn't able to make breakfast or prepare a lunch. As soon as I was done fixing my hair and putting on my outfit, I grabbed my bag and my phone (without realizing that I did not have my keys), headed out of my apartment and down the elevator, then quickly walked across the street to my bus stop. As I was riding on the bus, we approached our stop at the East Falls Metro Station. After sitting there for about 5 or 6 minutes, I was waiting for the bus driver to depart from the station. However, there was no sign of leaving. The next thing I heard from the bus driver's mouth was, "Something is wrong with the bus, sorry everyone!" She explained to us that she had called for another bus to come and pick us up, but it would not arrive until 10:15AM. This is not exactly what I enjoy hearing whenever I know that I have to be at my internship at 9:30AM. I had to think fast and so I ended up deciding to walk the rest of the way. Walking a long distance in 80-something-degree weather and with blisters in high heels is not my ideal commute to work. However, I had to do what needed to be done and I actually ended up arriving on site 20 minutes til 10AM.

Surprisingly, my day actually went pretty smooth after that. I started my day off by collecting and organizing a list of online articles that focused on an event my agency put together for one of our clients. After finishing that, two other interns (Jeff and Alex) and myself helped out Steve, the president of BWF. The project we were working on required us to engage in some in-depth research and to utilize our cleaver and creative writing skills. I really enjoyed working on this particular project because it I think it was one of the larger tasks that needed to be completed and, as corny as it sounds, I really felt like I was making a difference with my work due to the fact that it was a major publication.

My day had ended very well. I completed just about all of the projects I had been working on and when I left the office, the sun was still shining and there was not a cloud in the sky. One of the other interns (Dana) and I even decided to stop by Z Burger after work to enjoy a free burger and one of their delicious milkshakes. I think everyday should be as good as this one (minus the broken down bus)!


P.S.
The interview that I had mentioned in one of my previous posts was set to take place yesterday (July 14th). Unfortunately, the gentleman had to cancel the interview due to a last minute business trip. However, we are currently planning to reschedule for Monday. Stay tuned for details!

"A Taste of D.C." Continues...

Where did I leave off? Oh right, my Wednesday night class ("A Taste of D.C." is the title of it) and Mr. Brown's presentation.

After Mr. Brown's presentation, my class and I walked down the street a little and stopped in a place called, "Busboys & Poets." It was an interesting little place. Not only does it serve as a restaurant and lounge, but it also has a popular book store inside where a lot of locals and tourists catch up on some good reading materials.

Once everyone was done scanning through book pages and admiring the funky art, we all headed back toward the metro station. Before I got onto the metro, I met up with my professor and asked her where she would like me to interview her (F.Y.I.- I had spoken with her the day before to see if she wouldn't mind doing an interview with me). The interview was originally for an assignment that each intern/student must complete, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted to interview her for my own benefit. Some of the questions that I asked my professor focused on graduate school, her personal experiences and some of the challenges she has faced. All of the information she provided turned out to be very helpful. I really enjoyed getting her opinion about some of the graduate-school questions that I had rolling around in my head. It was also intriguing to hear about her accomplishments and some of the locations she has traveled to. I found this interview not only to be informational, but I also believe it was very inspirational and uplifting.

While I'm on the topic about interviews, I actually just sent out an email tonight that confirmed another interview to take place with a gentleman who gave a presentation at one of the intern program events just a few weeks ago. After that presentation, I spoke with him and told him that I would love to hear more about his ideas and would appreciate any advice he could give me. The interview will take place on Tuesday, July 14th. Therefore, I think I will spend some time tomorrow preparing questions and points that I would like to mention in the interview.

Check back soon to see how everything goes!

If you remember one thing, remember that family is everything.

Think of something that you've always wanted to learn how to do. What is it? Play an instrument? Learn another language? Learn how to juggle?

For me, something that I have always wanted to learn is how to create and edit videos. I have always loved taking pictures, but there is one problem that I always run into... you can only hang up so many! I think learning how to create and edit videos would be so helpful and it would also allow me to view and show off all of my pictures that usually remain stored away on my computer.

Help has arrived! This past Monday, the students from my TWC program and I attended our weekly programming. For this activity, we were taught how to create and edit our own videos! The computer program we used was very basic, but it was also very helpful and it allowed me to learn the fundamentals of video editing.
(After I finish perfecting my skills, I will post one of my videos)

Moving on... For those of you who don't know a lot about DC, if you ever happen to visit here, there are a handful (or 2 handfuls) of local restaurants/diners that every visitor must experience. One of these places is called, "Ben's Chili Bowl." This local food joint has been around for quite some time (50 years and counting). It was one of the very few businesses that survived during the 1968 riots (whenever Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot). My point is, Ben's Chili Bowl has a lot of history behind it and it is even a historical landmark. My first time at Ben's occurred this past Wednesday. During my visit, I was not only able to enjoy some of their delicious food, but I also had the privilege of meeting a close friend of Ben Ali (owner of Ben's Chili Bowl), his name was Mr. Brown and I also got to sit in on a very inspirational, as well as informational, presentation that he gave.

One thing that Mr. Brown kept stressing throughout his presentation was that, family is everything and that you will not overcome challenges or major issues without the love and support of your family.
Always remember that!

Happy Fourth of July!

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than to share it with someone you love?

This weekend my boyfriend Terry came down to visit for the holiday. Before he arrived on Thursday, I had already created a list of places and sites that I wanted to take him to. In my head, I was thinking of how we would spend our first day in D.C. together... getting dinner at a local restaurant, going to a museum, maybe visiting the Lincoln Memorial at sunset, you know- cute things. Well, that's not what exactly happened.

After I was done with my internship work on Thursday, I eagerly hopped onto the metro and headed toward the capitol (where Terry was waiting). When we finally met up, neither of us could stop complaining about how tired of walking we were and how hot and humid it was outside. As a result, we decided to save all of the exploring for the next day and to just spend the rest of the day relaxing in the air conditioning and eating chinese take-out.

The next day came and it was finally time to sightsee! We woke up early (11AM is early for me) and got some brunch in Chinatown. After a delicious meal, we walked a few blocks and ended up at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment (check out the pictures!) Once we were finished there, we then headed over to the National Archives Building where we got to see historical documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Although the line took us at least 2 hours to get through, it was still really interesting to see and well worth it.

After we were done exploring, we hopped back onto the metro and headed back to Arlington.

The next day we got up and headed down to the National Mall. While we were there, we went and visited the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, as well as the White House.

After we were done sightseeing, we headed back toward the Washington Monument and found a little grassy area where we got to sit and see the fireworks! They were outstanding! I honestly had an amazing experience and I was so happy that I was able to share my Fourth of July with someone I love.... along with 600,000 others at the National Mall!

Don't Blink, Time is Flying!

I know I have been keeping you waiting... this week has been so busy, so lets see what all I have so far this week.

On Monday we had our bi-weekly programming. For this event, all of the interns had to meet at the Capitol Building Visitor Center. My program advisor was taking all of us Communication and Media students on a tour of the Capitol Building. Before I go any further, I have to talk about an embarrassing moment that happened to me right before I started my tour. So, I was going through the security check-line and one of the security officers asked everyone if they had any weapons on them. I of course said, "No" and then proceeded to place my bag onto the moving scanner. After walking through the sensor, one of the officers said, "Excuse me mam, what is this?" I looked at him and my eyes lit up, I completely forgot I had my mini-mace spray on my key chain. I apologized to the guard and told him it was an honest mistake, I really wasn't trying to smuggle a weapon inside. He looked at me very seriously and then laughed and told me to go put it outside. I felt relief whenever I was able to walk away.
Now we can pick up with the actual tour. So, I met up with my group and our group leader took us all throughout the capitol building. The tour was very interesting, but it was kind of difficult to hear all of the information about each room because there were so many people talking and walking around. After the tour, we headed to a hotel down the street. This is where the second part of our day was going to take place. This event was called the, President's Lecture Series. This is where four politicians (two Democrat and two Republican) came in and talked about their experiences and shared some of the challenges they've had to face throughout their career. This part of the program was also very interesting to hear, but I think I would have had to know a little more about political science in order to fully appreciate their perspectives.

On Wednesday I went to my night class after I finished up with my work at my internship. I really enjoyed this class because we got to go to Eastern Market and see all of the old neighborhoods and even a local food market! (see pictures below)










On Thursday I probably had the best "work" day. The agency I intern for was helping with an event for one of their clients, Z-Burger. This wasn't your typical event, this was a burger eating contest! Not only did I get to meet and talk with the contestants, but I also got to be one of the "models" for the contest (f.y.i- it was only because two of the models didn't show up, but that's okay- it was still fun to do!)

How many people get to say, "I was a burger model!"