From a chili dog on U Street to a Gala with Bob Schieffer… I love October!!!

We are midway through the semester and in the week before my birthday temperatures dropped to the low 40’s here in DC. But later as my family visited from south Florida temperatures rose again…. I know, I sound like a weatherman.
I still went around town, with my umbrella and new gloves.
My “Taste of DC” class took me to U Street, where we ate at the legendary Ben’s Chilli Bowl before I had to do my presentation on the Duke Ellington mural. They say that if you have not been to Ben’s for a hot dog and chili, you have not been to D.C. Plain and simple. So much history at this place--it was one of the cornerstones of the golden years of the African American community of DC in the 50’s and it was the only business that remained opened during the ’68 riots in Washington. Sadly, Ben Ali the founder of the store passed away the day after we toured the placed.

With “Ben’s Chilli Bowl” historian, right across from Duke Ellington’s mural at the True Reformer Building

Another one of my class journeys took me to Washington’s National Cathedral. The longest-running construction project in Washington; started in 1907 and finished in 1990. Although work continues to be done, the National Cathedral continues to be a place of worship for those who seek a greater understanding of their faith. When you go there you want to get to the 7th floor…it’s a nice view.

That same weekend I went along with my family to Washington. Saturday wasn’t that cold so going around the mall with them was pretty enjoyable.
Finally, on Monday the 19th I joined a group of interns who were invited to “The Washington Center Gala 2009” at the National Building Museum. During the Gala and under the theme “In Service of a Nation” The Washington Center recognized the many ways in which individuals can impact nations and society through civic engagement.
In attendance were a number of alumni as well as presidents of universities. Bob Schieffer was the master of ceremonies and I had a chance to speak with him for a little while. We also got to see a design of the new TWC housing facility already under construction.

With the two interns I work with and alongside Bob Schieffer from CBS’s Face the Nation.

A group picture with some of TWC interns after the Gala

A great few last days, and we are already midway through the semester. I am ready to make the best of what’s left of the semester.
Next time I’ll give you some more insights into my internship and the programming at TWC.

“Ok, so who is going to New York this weekend?”

I don’t know who wrote it first but the question was floating around on TWC students facebook statuses early last week. Columbus Day was coming up, and I was among the interns who wanted to go away for the long holiday weekend. In order to save money, I tried to confirm who was really going to share the price for the hotel room, because I knew that several had the intention but not many had confirmed. I was able to find 3 other TWC students: one from Puerto Rico and two from Mexico. Neither one of them had visited New York City before so I knew they would really enjoy their visit.

It was my second time visiting New York, I had the chance to visit it and represent FAU as a delegate for the National Model United Nations Conference in the spring of 2008, but this time I was not going because of work but for pleasure. The price for the bus ticket was $18 each way and the bus took around 4 hours; it dropped us a few blocks from Times Square on Friday evening.

I recommend planning for a trip like far in advance; I did not. I had a good time in the city as I visited places like the top of the Empire State Building, took the Staten Island Ferry (it's free and it passes by the Statue of Liberty--a good choice since getting to the actual statue is booked until Jan 2010), walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to get a nice view of Manhattan, and of course walked through Canal Street (where Chinatown and Little Italy are located).

Eating at “Caffe Napoli” in Little Italy, from left to right: Cristina, Miralys, myself and Lucero

Another tip is to go around the city with the fewest people. Why? Because people have different paces, some might want to put more emphasis on museums others might want to spend the afternoon watching a Broadway show. I went to all the places I wanted to while knowing that the two girls I was with would appreciate all the locations I wanted to visit. The other girl chose to go on her own (she is a fast walker). I took my time to check both the city and subway maps, and you should too! Therefore I felt more comfortable to go around the city as everyone's unofficial “tour guide”. We took the red double-decker buses that go to city’s attractions, since it allowed us to stay in a location as long as we wanted and later hop on the next bus to continue our tour.

Top of Empire State Building, Manhattan in the background

I enjoyed New York very much this past weekend, but it can be pricey when you do not plan ahead. TWC interns, if you have not had the chance of visiting it you should definitely do it. Why? I think that students who are looking forward to learning through new experiences and who have an opportunity to visit New York City can learn lots from witnessing and taking part of the city’s unique culture--a truly American culture.

On the Staten Island Ferry, Lady Liberty in the background”

An excellent start to my birthday week. I’ll find something to do for the actual day on Friday, and then my family is coming up from south Florida on Saturday (although this Saturday will be one of the two Saturdays I have a “Taste of DC’ class scheduled for the weekend). It will be a little hectic but I’m sure I’ll make it work!

At Federal Hall, where in April 30, 1789 George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States

Here comes October!!!

I love October so far! Not just because my birthday is coming up, but the work at Chwat & Co. is really challenging and exciting, my class keeps providing me with more ways to enjoy DC, I have networked with dozens of people, plus I am having a great time with the new friends I have made. I’m expecting October to get even better as time goes on.

Recently, I was able to visit some monuments and memorials in the city. In just one afternoon I went to the WWII, FDR, Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam War and Korean War Memorials. Finishing the afternoon at the Lincoln Memorial was an extraordinary experience. As a student of history, you think about Lincoln’s lasting legacy in this country; then you look down and you see the place where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood as he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Images of the countless protest and demonstrations that have taken place begin to play in your head and for a moment there you try to take it all in. Quite an experience!

Lincoln Memorial and World War II Memorial

Networking in DC!

I also had a chance to network with a number of Latino leaders during the annual Latino Leaders Network Luncheon. Soledad O’Brien from CNN was the keynote speaker and she spoke about how hard it was for her to work in a business where years ago the name “Soledad” was not a name people were familiar with in television, as well as her upcoming “Latino in America” book and CNN documentary. She also made the point that because of our sometimes mixed heritage, people try define us and how important it is not to let that happen. Many national Latino leaders from business and government gathered at the Capital Hilton Hotel for this event. I was able to have a word with the president of “La Raza” about the fate of immigration reform as well as with members of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division who attended. At the end of the evening I was able to schedule some meetings with members from the Department of Education after speaking to them about my work with ENLACE Florida, an organization that works to improve education in Florida. The Washington Center mentioned networking was a big part of the whole D.C. experience and I am glad to have done my share of networking during that evening.

CNN’s Soledad O’Brien and me

Latino Festival of Washington

I’ve attended several Latino festivals in south Florida; back in Boca Raton we took students to Miami’s “Calle 8 festival” to show them a taste of the Latino culture in the U.S. On the last Sunday of September, I took the Metro's yellow line to Columbia Heights and found myself at the Fiesta DC 2009 festival. This festival really impressed me; it was well organized, with a mixture of vivid colors and music that ranged from Argentinean tango to Afro-Peruvian music...plus there was a choice of food from the Caribbean, Central and South America. Check out the pictures and video!

Bolivian dances and Argentine tango

October just started, and if September is any indication, I'm sure that this month can be an even better experience if I do my best!