Washington DC part 1: The Internship

Last Post

2009-06-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Last night my roomie and I had a smashing night on the town with friends, so I'm a little behind again on the b-l-o-g, sorry!

I began yesterday morning with a panel at the New America Foundation concerning the Obama administration's relationship thus far with China. And I'll be honest, I went into this discussion anticipating a two hour drumroll of economic jargon, vague historical references relating to this trade agreement or that other one, and 'Washington-speak' so thick I would need a katana to cut through it. Fortunately I was mistaken. The speaker, Franklin Lavin, had a very smooth speaking style and spoke candidly. Most importantly he spoke succinctly. His sidekick for the morning was moderator, Steve Clemons, the seven foot tall avid blogger of the Washington Note who had a definent air of "rock star" appeal as Dr. Williams mentioned. Together, the two led a very informative and thought-provoking discussion and even got a few chuckles here and there, something else I didn't anticipate :).

This post is the last of the Part 1 series before I leave for Texas tomorrow, but stay tuned! Part 2 will commence July 19th when I will be back in DC for the symposiums. I'd like to say though before I sign off that this month has been amazing in more ways than I could have imagined. I fed myself with neither can opener nor cooking utensils, got myself from a to b to c without a car, did NOT get killed by a vehicle of any kind, exposed myself to world culture and history here in DC, and learned valuable networking skills. Because I was given the opportunity to see how working professionals and policymakers go about their everyday business I now have a better idea of how to take my afor-mentioned katana and cut a niche for myself in the professional world.

Yet, most importantly, I somehow made it on TV. In China.. In CHINA!!! I am the proud audience member of the first Congressional hearing concerning the Uyghurs of Xinjiang that was apparently broadcasted on the news in that region. Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RlIc5ZLIGU

I guess I will leave it at that. Until July!

Jennygirl out.

Uyghur Hearing, Round II

2009-06-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

This morning at Rayburn, the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight commenced their second hearing in a long series of discussions on the appropriate course of action for the 17 Gitmo Uyghurs. For those just tuning in, these individuals are members of the Turkic minority ethnic group in Xinjiang who have been falsely accused of terrorism by the Chinese government and sent to Guantanamo prison. Because the Uyghur prisoners have been found innocent by the U.S., and also because the Obama administration is seeking to close Guantanamo, the United States has a responsibility to relocate them, and therein lies the nature of the hearings. The case of the Uyghurs has apparently revealed other issues, such as the possible reliance of the U.S. on China's intelligence concerning the Uyghur community, the layers of secrecy surrounding the United States' own intelligence, and most importantly the U.S.' resolve to stand with the oppressed against the oppressor, even when the oppressor is a valued trading partner such as China. I have enjoyed listening to these discussions and can see that Congress is serious in standing by the falsely accused prisoners, despite the relative obscurity of their plight. I have also enjoyed Rep. Bill Delahunt's Massachusetts accent, and will probably never tire of hearing about the "Weegahs". :)

The Talk.

2009-06-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

At the weekly 'program associates' meeting today, Dr. Williams gave us The Talk. This was the lecture in which we were given some no-nonsense guidelines for how to become a working professional. Not exactly your average pep-talk, this lecture was brutally honest and practical about the nature of professionalism, the kind of conversation that requires a clean pair of trousers by the end of it. We discussed the first year of any job (that happy time when you fly by the seat of your pants each day), competitive co-worker dynamics, how to rise in your career, why to avoid rising too quickly, and the unintended consequences of either situation. The meeting today may have brought a fresh new wave of intimidation, but I'm here to learn what's what, dammit, so "release the hoonds"! Though, if you'd excuse me, I think I need to vomit..

Just one of those days..

2009-06-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

Had four events to choose from today, but due to a series of irritating events I only made it to one. Too pissed to blog. Until tomorrow folks! :p

North Korea, NASA and Uyghurs

2009-06-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days have been pretty wild and exciting, as I ventured out to new areas of DC for panel discussions as well as a House of Representatives hearing. Just yesterday, I visited the Center for National Policy (CNP) to hear a discussion with guest speaker David Sanger from The New York Times on the subject of North Korea's nuclear tests. With a brother in South Korea (see BrotherHaynes on the left) this was a hot topic for me. Sanger's presentation really clarified our current situation with NK, and defined it in less sensational terms than what I have heard in the media. Always a plus.

Besides being wild and exciting, the past couple of days have been wet. Very wet. Soggy, in fact. Later yesterday evening I battled a hell of a storm to tag along with fellow intern Mark to his roundtable discussion with LBJ alums and the Outreach Program Manager from NASA, Beth Beck. At first this event was rather awkward for me. I'm not an LBJ alum. I'm not even a Salem alum. And I'm certainly not a working professional like Beth Beck. Fortunately, Ms. Beck has an incredible nack for discourse and can easily engage anyone in conversation, even when that person would be perfectly happy to simply hide out in the corner and drip dry. She posed some very thought provoking questions, while also providing valuable insight into the way government bureaucracies work. I really enjoyed our roundtable discussion, and think it was certainly worth sitting in wet socks for a couple hours :)

Today I went to my very first House of Representatives Hearing! The Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight convened to address the oppression of the Uyghurs, an ethnic minority group in western China. Dr. Williams knows I've been chomping at the bit to begin a research project on China's ethnic minorities, so kudos to him for finding this meeting! There were four panelists, two of which were Uyghurs themselves. And though I was very excited to be at Rayburn, their testimony of the discrimination against, and even detainment of the Uyghurs of Xinjiang province was very sobering. Fortunately the representatives who were present seemed to echo my own sentiment that labeling Uyghurs as terrorists is unfounded and unacceptable, and some real fighting words made their way onto the record. It seems that the yak poop may really hit the fan once China is actually confronted with the issue of human rights abuse in Xinjiang, and I am very interested to see how the U.S. will address this.

Martin Kramer Smackdown

2009-06-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

Quite the exciting panel discussion today! At the Woodrow Wilson Center, a panel was held to discuss Obama's Cairo speech and the necessity and implications of two-state talks with Israel and Palestine. This is a fresh topic to be sure, but what set this particular event apart for me was the 'rousing' debate that followed. Rousing is another one of those polite understatement-type terms that seem to litter the air here in Washington, though 'Martin Kramer Smackdown' might be more suitable to this particular occasion. Martin Kramer, one of the four panelists presenting, found himself in the awkward position of rallying behind the opposite platform from everyone else with a microphone. Once the floor opened for Q and A he was soon locked under the sweaty armpit of scholarly 'discourse', as panelists tag-teamed the man with slamming rhetoric, tapping in with the words "I would just like to comment on..". At times the speakers even postponed answering questions from the audience just to get in one more whack with the chair. Of course I'm speaking figuratively. We did not "smell what the Samer Shehata is cooking". The event did not end with high-fives and butt slaps among the victorious panelists. But I have to say this event was at times almost as painful to watch as a professional match, and absolutely more fun :D

Lazy Sunday II

2009-06-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today I ventured out to the Museum of American History for a bit, but only toured a few of the exhibits. Call me unpatriotic, but there is such a wealth of material in that building that it's a little nauseating. Let's throw an entire locomotive, fifteen antique generators (each one about the size of my desk), another fifteen colossol factory machines, and a gazillion showcased lightbulbs in a room and call it an exhibit of American enginuity. Oof. I did enjoy the Scurlock Studio exhibit, however, and found the photographs of 'black Washington' to be enlightening and very well done. But the COOLEST exhibit I ran across was the Jazz exhibit, featuring the work of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Original transcriptions of Caravan and "A" Train !!! Made my day :)

Apart from seeing President Obama putter home in a helicopter, not much else went down today...BUT, stay tuned, this week promises to be a wild one!

Senate hearing

2009-06-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

Because I've been doing more sightseeing than paneling, I've been a little lax with the blog this week. Here's what's been happening:

I went to my first Senate hearing on Thursday, woo! The Committee on Foreign Relations convened that morning to discuss how to form a partnership with China in addressing the issue of climate change. Pretty exciting stuff, I thought, though the majority of the Senate must have found even more exciting things to do since only three Senators made it to the hearing (two of them the chairman and the ranking minority member). It was extremely surreal to see John Kerry (chairman) sitting a couple yards in front of me, as I haven't seen much of him in the news since I was in high school. It was also strange to see politicians in the position of asking questions to the three experts at the front table, instead of talking at the room. The fact that the hearings are open to the public was also refreshing to me (go democracy!) , though it was a little discouraging to see the honorable senator from Maryland run in on two wheels with his hair on fire about an hour and fifteen minutes into the hearing. Let's get it together gentlemen..

Since then I have been paintin the town red with my trusty roommate Carly, and trying to see as many monuments and museums as possible. Exhausting stuff, but lots of fun! I hope I can get out there tomorrow, though I've been a little under the weather as of late. Time to snuggle up with a bottle of ibuprofen, a carton of Haagen Dazs and some Master and Commander!

Bedford: the Town They Left Behind

2009-06-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

I didn't get back from Capitol Hill until late last night (lol, listen to me!) so I've got some catching up to do here. Yesterday evening Mark, Robert and I, along with Dr. Williams and Gaya, all went to the screening of the documentary "Bedford: The Town They Left Behind" in the Congressional Auditorium at the Capitol Visitor's Center. So much fun!! Aside from having to throw away a new bottle of body spray at security (there went that plan for world domination), I really had a great time. There was a reception about an hour before the show, a chance to meet and greet the director, producer, actors, representatives, and military personnelle. LOTS of military personnelle. I once dated a lieutenant briefly, but I knew that wouldn't give me very many shmoozing points. Luckily Dr. Williams, who spent half the evening zipping around seeing just how many business cards he could get in fifteen minutes, taught me how to mingle. I gave it a whack, and it's not as hard as I thought it would be. Just stick to the subject they know best--themselves :)

I found the documentary to be very moving, and could sense that there wasn't a dry eye in the house by the end of it. I think the fact that there were participants from the film in the audience made the story even more real for everyone. Hearing of the many sacrifices Bedford made during World War II was very sobering, though I also enjoyed the stories of the 'Bedford boys' ' stay in Britain. The woman who worked in the pub during their stay was just adorable. She had seen so much of the war, yet there was a cheerful pluckyness about her that obviously did not disappear during those tough times. As she said, "life goes on...pour another gin and tonic". I like her philosophy.

Today, I did some more sightseeing and visited the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. I was surprised to find that that area is my favorite in Washington so far. It's so quiet! Really, until a group of snot-nosed middle schoolers comes along, the loudest thing you can hear in that open space is your feet on the pavement. I'll have to revisit before the summer is over. Though hopefully when it's not so maddeningly hot outside!

Event: War of Necessity, War of Choice

2009-06-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

Oi, it's incredible how a black mini-skirt can transform your walk to work...A cute valet from the Peruvian Embassy said hello, and a construction crew sang "Oh baby, you got what I neeed". Touche, black mini-skirt, touche.

I had a big event today, Richard Haass presented his book War of Necessity, War of Choice at Brookings. Haass is a very big deal in Washington, and his extensive experience with government was evident in his presentation as he discussed the successes of Bush I and the failings of Bush II in Iraq. I found his speaking style to be both witty and sharp, which I love to see in any Bush bashing, and his focus to be very clean. Not sure that I'm with him point for point, but I think the concept of classifying and prioritizing the use of force is valuable. Policy makers, as well as the public, should understand that there are wars of necessity and wars of choice, that not all conflicts are the former.

The BBC Reith Lectures Series is visiting GW tonight, but the nice lady at the fold-up table told me very Britishly that I have been bumped from the list (:p). I guess I'll watch one of my movies that came in the mail today instead (thank you Sarah, you are a life saver!!).

Lazy Sunday

2009-05-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

I have roommates! All week I've been alone here at the quad, and this afternoon they all kind of showed up at once, lol. Aly, Jess and Carlie are all very nice, I think this is going to work out swimmingly :)

All is pretty quiet on the blog front, I'm trying to figure out how to use the slideshow gadget so it will play my new pics, but so far no dice. Grrrr! Oh well. Expect a shutterfly link, everybody!

Lazy Saturday

2009-05-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from being a savvy Washingtonian today. Didn't leave the dorm except to discover the amazing sandwiches at Potbelly's.

CUSE 2009

2009-05-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

The Center on the United States and Europe (CUSE) had its annual conference at the Brookings Institution today to discuss 'Strategies for Engagement'. For six-and-a-half hours ambassadors, authors and Brookings fellows held panels to discuss what in the world to do about Iran, Russia, Hezbollah and Hamas. Though everyone had valuable insight into these issues, the strategy for engagement turned out to be "it depends"....couldn't we have just printed that in the program and called it a day?

Seriously though, I did enjoy the panel discussions, as they had a generally warm and fuzzy feeling about them that only Europeans could create. The US and Europe could find some common interest with Iran, Russia could cooperate with its neighbors, and (certain) terrorist groups could be negotiated with. Everyone in the room knew that none of this would happen easily or with anything close to haste, but I'm glad people with more influence than me are thinking along those lines.

As fascinating as all of this was, the people at the conference really made it worthwhile. It looked like France (all of it) was in attendance today, and if a thick French accent doesn't brighten your day I'm not sure what would. I also sat down to lunch with a State Department official, a scholar from Portugal, another from Spain, as well as a marine. Quite the motley crew. And as if we hadn't heard enough politics, the table began to chew over Russia, the EU, and any bit of relevant history (I think I've been in a continuous lecture since I got here).

There were also some strange birds at this conference, and one decided to sit at our table midway through conversation. He was hawkish and awkward, and seemed to have come over simply to rant about NATO. It was a little funny, however, to hear him plug on about NATO's ineffectiveness and evident decline to the State Department official, as if expecting him to fall out of his chair in shock. He was disappointed.

Because this conference was from 9-3:30, that's all I really have to report, unless you care to know that it rained today. Again. So until tomorrow, Lki, a tout a l'heure, cheers, bye!

Week One

2009-05-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

Finals week is over, musicianship juries have been passed, essays have been completed, and the mass exodus from Clewell dorm has been survived. Yet the Salem graduation confetti has not even biodegraded, and I am hitting the books once again in the toughest classroom environment I've ever encountered: Washington DC. This has only been my first week in the city, but I have already learned so much in both practical and scholarly fields. Much of my new 'education' has been spurred by necessity (people here can spot naivete from across the room, and I've already had my share of being picked on), but the fertile atmosphere of DC has inspired my curiosity, and I feel more like a Washingtonian every day. And yes, Dr. Williams, I even stay on the right side of the escalator.

So much has happened these past few days that it is difficult to report, but here goes:

I have mastered the art of walking, I think for once in my life I can set out with nothing but an address scrawled on paper and can feel confident that I will find it. And the crazy thing is I actually do! I may also have put my right foot out of commission, but I've now got a smashing pair of legs.

I've been to three events this week, one of them featuring former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger and Eric Edelman. 'Larry' turned out to be the most captivating speaker so far, though I thought his 'misrecollection' of President Obama's name was a bit colorful...as a new savvy Washingtonian, I can assure you there are no President Osamas here. But maybe Mr. Eagleburger was just a little grumpy that morning. Maybe he wouldn't have been quite so grumpy that morning if he could still breath properly (?)

The event I went to today featured William Overholt and his presentation, China, Asia and the Global Crisis. At the Q and A a member of the Chinese Embassy asked a question, and then a member of a Japanese organization asked a rival question, which I thought was hilarious. The man from the Chinese Embassy didn't think it was that funny.

One major benefit of going to these events, besides the broadening of my mind and the amazing networking opportunities, is the free food. Probably the wildest free lunch I ever recieved occurred after the event with Larry, when Dr. Williams kindly extended me an invitation to a Rotary Club luncheon. Quite the no-shit-there-I-was moment. We whisked away to the University Club, a huge symbol of 'Old Washington' as Dr. Williams mentioned. Shining chandeliers, beautiful mahogany staircases--think Titanic. At the luncheon, Dr. Williams introduced me to an International Trade Commissioner, a judge and a columnist, while pointing out the Inspector General of the IRS and Dr. Sam, one of the leading environmentalist in the country. Once I managed to pick my jaw off the floor, I think I managed decent small talk. But it was back on the floor once I realized the speaker was the Dutch ambassador, also the first woman to ever hold the position. A day in Washington, what can I say?

I've had a few scary moments here and there, but I think DC is my kind of city. The people aren't bad, the hats are fabulous, and you can't spit without hitting some sort of symbol of democracy. I will try to post daily, as apparently a weekly post can easily turn into a novel, so stay tuned! I hope you find this gossip at least somewhat as interesting as I do :)