Writ of Certiorari

So, today we went to Georgetown Law for Constitution Day and we heard a speaker panel which included John Bellinger and Patricia Wald, and at which an award was given to KIRK of FRONTLINE Documentaries. It was so awesome.

Panel:
John Bellinger, Partner, Arnold & Porter LLP and former Legal Adviser to the U.S. Department of State
David P. Stewart, Visiting Professor, Georgetown University Law Center and former Assistant Legal Adviser for Private International Law, U.S. Department of State
Patricia Wald, former Chief Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and former Judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
David Cole, Professor, Georgetown University Law Center (Moderator)


Link: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/news/releases/September.17.2009.html

And then we went back to have class at dunblane, and we talked about TORT LAW! It was pretty cool, but at the same time, I can walk around and point things out and say "That is a tort!!!" And be super paranoid.

Oh, there was a weird freaky part of the day during the award part of the panel where I was like "this is super crazy dejavu"

My group won the scavenger hunt! He tried to tell us that Eisenhower wasn't in the kennedy center, but we knew better. And so, we won. We get taco's and a movie.

Additionally,

I am extremely allegheny-sick. I keep hearing about recruitment, and classes, and brooks, and movie nights, and events, and what not. And I really really miss stopping to check my mail and running into a thousand people I know. I miss brooks. I miss the environment, being able to walk into the dining hall and instantly finding someone to sit with. I miss the couch in the arts house. I miss the ravine, walking in it, climbing around, playing in it. I miss security. 10-4. I miss the campus center, it's style/modern-ness. there is nothing like that on American's campus. I miss the crazy random posters in the CC. I miss being able to find bargains in the bin in the bookstore. I MISS GFC. I miss chapter. I miss the beautiful campus. I miss the bridge. I miss sitting under the bridge and watching people rush by on it. I miss being able to walk home at night and not feel afraid. I miss that a lot. I miss the quiet that is normally on campus. I miss a normal regular schedule. I miss wind symphony. I miss reading the NYT's in Quigly every morning. (yes... every morning...). I miss the plethora of events. (Not that there aren't events here, it's just a lot harder to get to them).

And yes, I love being here. I love seeing the Capital Building every morning. I love the new things I'm seeing/trying/doing. I love the fact that I will be going to NYC in two weeks. I love the fact that I will be going to Europe for a month (and am going to go back packing through Ireland over thanksgiving break), but i really, really miss Allegheny. I miss wal-mart, which we don't have here. (as much as I hate wal-mart...). I miss letter making parties. I miss chapter dinner. I miss Alpha Delta Pi. I miss my friends. I miss the people in the dining halls. They freaking know my name. They know I'm a vegetarian. Here? Not so much. I miss monday's with maggie. I miss maggie, and the new cat angel.

:( I miss my dog and cat(s).

JRR Tolkien

Well, I had a nice change of pace today at the internship. I was allowed to cease my obsessive stalking of Ted Turner, his family, his friends, and everyone he may have ever communicated with, and allowed to work on country readers. The high point was reading about Miller, and his description of his classes at Oxford. He had JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis as professors while there. He talked about how Tolkien never actually got threw all of the course material because he would get side tracked, and would talk to the class about what he was currently studying as far as mythology or Middle English or linguistics, even though he was supposed to be talking about Chaucer or Milton.

On the way back I stopped in Chinatown and got a quesidilla from California Tortilla. So, I've had mexican food four days this week. And then I walked from Chinatown home, figuring it was only two metro stops from union station. It wasn't a bad walk, and I got to see more of DC, especially the Government Accountability Office. Hmm....

Tomorrow I can call back to main State and see if I can get my badge!

I'm undecided if I want to do a DoS grant this summer and study a critical language overseas, if I want to go to a language institute and study a critical language. If I want to do an internship in DC this summer. If I want to do an internship overseas? Or, if I want to stay home all summer, get a job and work like crazy. Or, maybe get a job on campus and live on (or off) campus.

Pulled Over My Head

Weel, this weekend was really unproductive, but I went to Georgetown and saw all these amazing stores, which I could never actually afford to purchase things from, but it was cool. And then I went to trader joes and found that it has smaller selection and about the same prices as whole foods. So, still 0 for 3 on the whole grocery store thing. I also went to see the taming of the shrew again, which was nice. It was really a good show.

Today we had a speaker come in from kraft foods. he talked about the relations of europe and america, especially since europe doesn't allow any genetically modified food in. Most of American food is GMO. So, yeah. He also told us all about certain beverages in Europe, and chocolate. He also talked about the obesity problem, but it was a moot point, since he himself is rather obese. I didn't sit by myself at lunch today, which was nice. I'm making friends! haha, I miss my home friends a lot.

I also went to a march in support of health care on sunday. Mostly because I was so peeved with the racist, misogonistic, classist protesters who were PAID by insurance companies to rally against health care. Grrr. They also didn't know how to properly behave in the metro.

I went to a festival in adams morgan, lots of street vendors and music. It was really fun. I opened sony vegas again, and found some projects i really need and want to finish. I'm almost done with buffy season one. I have some books for my research paper, and I am thinking of printing some articles out after class today. I have a lot of reading to do this week, too. Got a little behind. I was finger printed on thursday, and have to call the DoS on thursday next to see if they took and if I can get my badge.

Tomorrow is day 3 of my internship. wooo!

Polar Bears Need Justice (PBnJ)

So, I started my internship. Which, frankly, is AMAZING.
I met an Allegheny student who is apparently in my year, and a polisci major. And an intern at the same place I am. Awesome.
I got to sit in on an interview of someone who was a diplomat in Austria and in Serbia. Very facinating.
In class today we talked about NGO's, talked about "Joe Wilson is your Pre-existing Condition."
We started the amazing PBnJ NGO.
Last night we watched POTUS.
Today I found the Mary Graydon center and had a panini.
I got a loan.
Meaning, I can officially book my flight to Ireland.
And, I am purchasing and downloading Dr. Horrible's Sing A long Blog so I can watch it on my zune on my way to work.
I got all of my books now that I ordered for my research paper.
I got finger printed at for the DoS.
I will (hopefully) have a DoS badge by next week.
I need to call PP and check on some things.
I got a flu shot.
It wasn't that bad.
I need to go grocery shopping.
Sometime next week I am going to the USIP.
I love using all these abrev's.

Day(s) Off.

So, I've been filling out tons and tons of forms for my internship, +1 productivity? I went to the doctor today, she seems super cool, and I'm really actually excited. Even if it's in a really sketchy part of town. Oh well, walking to the Capital South metro was really fun, in that I got to watch all the senate staff go to work. Walking around the Minnesota Ave metro station, not so much.

The weather has calmed down, meaning it's about sweater weather for me, and comfortable warm weather for everyone else. I got my new mini! I took it to class and it fit in my purse, and it was just soooo adorable. I have finally heard back from all the people I interviewed with, out of the four people I interviewed with, only one turned me down. I guess that means I am seen as a valuable person to have in the work place? Or, I'm just eye-candy.

I've been called pretty just about every time I leave my house. Usually, it's by homeless old men. Actually, it's always been by homeless old me. And their objectifying comments are usually followed by inquires for money. I get it. You call me pretty, you are doing me a favor by calling me pretty, and I should show my gratitude by repaying you monetarily. Awesome. The two times I have given money to people here so far is to the super awesome violin/bass group who plays Mozart, Haydn, and "Viva la Vida" by Cold Play. They are awesome. I will give them a dollar every time I see them if I have it.

Not sure if I mentioned this last time, but our scavenger hunt rapped up very well. We saw a lot of cool places around DC. My favorite was foggy bottom and the kennedy performing arts center.

We went to the Holocause Memorial Museum again yesterday to see a speaker talking about contemporary genocide. My class went, the other section of ILO went, and the international environment class went, too. it was just supposed to be for us. But, some old couple decided to sneak in and sit in the back. The old lady, during the question and answer section decided to ask about abortion. The speaker talks for three hours on how to prevent genocide, how to recognize genocide, and show an emotional slide show from the years he spent in Darfur, and this old lady had the audacity to bring up abortion. She stands up and holds up a pamphlet from the "Hitlers Propaganda Machine" exhibit and says roughly "It says here that propaganda is the use of lies, half truths, misinformation campaigns, ect. Would you say that the current acceptance of abortion is a "big lie"? Do you think if we lined up all the dead babies in the streets and stopped this horrible propaganda, this misinformation, do you think that people would realize that abortion is a form of genocide?" She went on to basically say that all women who have abortions are buying this "big lie" of the US government and are female Hitlers. Comparing females who take control of their bodies to the mass torture and killing of millions of Jews, Roma, Poles, ect? Sounds Legit.

I'm trying to find someway to stay in Europe over Thanksgiving break. *fingers crossed*

Maybe going to happy hour with one of my roommates later?

German Marching Bands and Internships

I got the internship I so badly wanted. I am super excited, but at the same time I wish I could do the internships for the other organizations I interviewed with. They all sounded so amazing. I think I'm going to volunteer if possible with one of the other ones.

Additionally, just putting this out there, I don't care if you tell me I am pretty, you are not getting money from me. Informing me of my pleasing outer appearance is not enough to warrant money. Yet some people think that paying me a compliment should get them something in return. I am sorry, my funding is stretched thin enough already.

Furthermore, I got my phone taken care of, and my doctors taken care of, and my books taken care of, and soon my computer will be taken care of.

Finally, I had a lot of fun at the local eating/drinking facility with a german student. I discovered that competitive marching bands are a foreign concept, as are college counselling centers. Very fascinating conversation.

2 weeks

So, I've been here two weeks. I've been in DC for two weeks.
Classes have started, the professor is pretty cool.
I'm super excited to be going to NYC.
I've had just about four interviews.
I interviewed at this larger PIRG.
I interviewed for this really small two person org that is just starting out
I interviewed for a more intimate laid back place that I really wasn't interested in at first, but seems super amazing now
I will be interviewing at my "first" choice, very international like.
Meaning i have a "memo" that will get me into the "compound."
I'm not sure which now i want to work for. the intimate amazing one, or the "first" choice now.
We're doing a scavenger hunt. it's interesting. one of the members in my group is from norway.
We're also going to see Taming of the Shrew tomorrow.
It's friday, and I am exhausted.

I've met so many diverse people.
I've met so many strange people.
Well, not so much "met" the strange people
as seen them on the streets.

I went to a "happy hour" sponsered
by one of the orgs i wanted to interview with.
They haven't gotten back to me.
But the one girl was super cool
and introduced me to some law students
and I'm now dead set on going to this
one law school. It sounds amazing.
They have the joint degree I want.

I'm learning the metro now.
And I rode the bus.
And I found my way to all
of my interviews.
Only got lost once.
Seriously lost once.

it's really hot here.
our AC broke.
But i love our house.
For all that there is more
people here than i am used to living with
Everyone is awesome.
And I love it.

Just wishing I could find
a paying job.

It's almost been a year

but I finally made it to DC!

I'm so excited to be here, but it's so different! I was expecting that, but seeing tons of homeless people everyday, asking for money, it's weird. And being stopped and looked at, I'm afraid to take out my camera sometimes because I don't want to give away the fact that I'm not from around here, because I've laerned that if I do, I get targeted for being someone likely to give money to homeless people.

And, it sounds horrible, but really, they are everywhere, and I've learned to just keep walking. My housemates are super cool, and we're all very impressed with where we are living. There is ten of us, and the town house is three stories, and is very cute. For all that the rooms are small and awkward, the common areas are very spacious and make up for it. There's fireplaces and chandelliers and a huge kitchen. We even have a "backyard" of sorts. We can see the capitol building from our front yard, and are within walking distance of the library of congress, the senate and house office buildings, the white house, and so much more! Being downtown, and in the thick of things, is very overwhelming at times.

The metro is interesting, it's definitely a new experience. It's soooo far underground. You have to go down a one story set of escalators, and then go down another set of escalators that we estimate is 3 stories. That's four stories underground. We secretly wonder why it's so far underground, if it's because there are secret underground tunnels linking all the big important buildings.

Internship hunting is going nowhere, and it makes me sad. I've sent out dozens of applications and resumes and cover letters, and i've aquired my nessesary references. There is a bazaar on Monday, and I'm hoping to get one then if nothing comes through. I would love to work with ADST or with the CFR or with the Taskforce or FMF.

I can't wait to go to NYC and Europe! Europe is going to take up almost all of November, and I haven't decided if I am going to come home for thanksgiving or not, yet. But NYC is October 4-7, meaning, yes. I will be celebrating the best way possible.

The Professors seem really awesome, really funny, and really smart. I like the mix. And I was able to get the huge thick book with teeeny tiny print and thin pages all on International Law that was 100+ dollars for 16. So amazing.

Hopefully my new credit card will get here soon, and I can start establishing a credit history while here, so I can get more student loans in the future. Woot.

Oh, and the one night, we went to this "Classy Joint" called The Ugly Mug and met two people who work in the Department of Labor, it was soooo cool! And when we have class and we have guests speakers, we aren't allowed to tell anyone what these speakers say, cause it's all top secret confidential information!

I am so excited, and I haven't really had time to think about how fast this is going to go by, and how amazing it is that I am here, and I definitely haven't been thinking about the fact that i have a roughly 50 page research project due November 6th.