DAY 32: Blisters, Exploration, and Racism - oh my!

Shit has been cray. Seriously. LOVE to Sabaa and Kara for handling things in my absence. And LOVE to Alice for letting me vent, monopolize, and obsess about my life for the past week. AND LOVE to my wonderful parents and sister for holding it down like always! Kara & Sabaa, when I get back to Oakland – I’m going to tap into my inner Wiz Khalifa. This means that DRINKS are on me, HOES are on me, WEED is on me. *Wait, we don’t really need hoes OR weed (I just finished listening to this song on Pandora so I’m feelin myself a bit here. Is it just me or does everyone when listening to rap music start appropriating all the language. It’s probably just me. And this is probably just awkward to read. Especially as a woman, why would I write about hoes in the first place? Ok I’m just to stop overthinking now.) The main point is that everything is on me for one night. And Alice, when I’m in Santa Cruz – it’s all me (absence hoes, weed, and alcohol. Damn you Wiz Khalifa). And mom & dad & Ness, it's all on me. And obviously that means dinner, drinks for dad & Ness, and perhaps a movie afterwards?? :)

Sidebar: I had my midterm assessment on Tuesday and my boss offered me a job at the DOT headquarters in Washington, D.C. Wow! I’m super speechless right now. And I’m lightweight considering it. I mean coming to D.C. for the summer changed my life for the better in so many ways. I’m so grateful to be here and to have the opportunity to change and grow and return to California in a better and stronger headspace. But part of me thinks … maybe I should stay in D.C. and keep the change going.

With the gratitude and awkwardness out of the way (I must blame my own display of awkward on this AH-MAZING show, “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl”. I swear on the old gods and the new (Game of Thrones reference anyone?) it is HILARIOUS. Ok I’ll stop with all the sidebars, I now continue with my original post.

First off, I’m beginning to think that long-distance internship program is code for hooking up. I spent Saturday with a couple of guys who felt completely comfortable telling me which girls they were interested in and/or considering pursuing in the program. (And if you’re wondering, I’m not one of them. Considering that I’m a little on the older end for most of these guys, I’m totally okay with that. I’m waiting for the perfect man. And I mean the current contenders for my heart are: Childish Gambino, Pharrell Williams, Edward Norton, and Joseph Gordon Levitt. At this point, I’m aiming for the stars). Anyways, I met an awkward young woman who is already planning out her long-distance relationship with a young man she met here. And I know another guy who’s already met and wooed at least four different girls in the program. And one of my suitemates was cuddling in bed with a guy a couple of nights ago. And I think they actually slept together in my bed last night. I can’t know for sure since I was knocked out on the couch … but I definitely have evidence to suspect it. To be honest, I’m extremely to be the happy observer of all this hooking up. I don’t want superficial moments in time; I want something real that will last forever. And I’m willing to wait for whatever that looks like, I don’t want any more distractions to waste my time.

On a completely different note, last weekend I did everything I wanted to do. The first couple of weeks I was worried about meeting people and connections. But then I realized, I only have five more weeks in D.C and my weekdays are wrapped with work and school projects. That means I have five weekends to do everything I want to do in D.C. YIIIIIKES! So I made up a list of everything I want to experience while I’m here and set out to accomplish it. Here’s a taste of what I did:

Wednesday: NoMa Summerscreen = free movies in the park! The theme is, “Is 2012: The End of the World?” So I went a block from my apartment to a nearby field to watch ‘Ghostbusters’ with neighborhood folks. Added bonus: food trucks and adorable babies. Last Wednesday, I met the cutest two year old and I played with him. He was so friendly and open. He even offered me his mama’s water. I hope he goes to watch Jurassic Park so I can play with him again.

Saturday: I was craving some Shakespeare in my life so I went to a free performance of “All’s Well that Ends Well” by the Shakespeare Theatre Company. The play was incredibly well acted (to the point where I realized how much Helen annoyed me!) And it was lovely to walk home after the play ended – the weather was warm and balmy with a light breeze. Simply beautiful after the 100+ temperatures (with humidity!)

Sunday: I went to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: one of my favorite museums hands down! The museum has a team of curators from the different tribes throughout the Americas so when you walk through the exhibits, you read about a people’s history and not a conglomerate of Native Americans. I especially loved the seven teachings of the Anishinaabe – they spoke to heart. In this museum, I felt a strong sense of peace and balance (and as cliché as that sounds), I really appreciated and valued the history and teachings of these various cultures. Favorite picture below - it's a shot of the American Indian Building. So creative and distinctive of native cultures. Winner! 

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: OMG. This museum was so overwhelming. First off, it was packed. There were so many kids, teenagers, and adults in every exhibit. Any sense of peace I had from the National Museum of the American Indian was stripped in the chaos that is the Air and Space Museum. Second, I realized that I’m not that into aviation. I mean, I checked out all the exhibits – but I definitely wasn’t as engaged as I was with the American Indian Museum. And by the end, I actually felt sad. From the history, we started out as dreamers who wanted to fly above the stars. We wanted to explore the feeling, the sensations, and of course the world. And then once we achieved it, planes quickly became a tool of war. It was sad to watch the dreamers become the planners of war machines. Favorite picture below - it's an actual piece from the Apollo 11 space mission to the moon. 

Smithsonian Castle: There’s not too much to say about this spot – it gave me a good overview of the Smithsonian museum (because they’re 19 of them) AND I did get to see Joseph Smithsonian’s crypt (lightweight creepy that he’s buried at the Smithsonian Castle), but since it’s an information spot, it wasn’t amazing or anything. Favorite picture - obviously, the crypt!

Washington Monument: I made it here when I first arrived in the program and I was taken by the monument’s massive grandiose presence. And I felt exactly the same when I saw it again. Too bad the tours don’t start until 2014. Lame! 

WWII Memorial: I love this memorial. While I’m not the biggest history buff of WWII, I appreciate the idealism that’s evident in this memorial. Quotes are all around it, thanking men & women for their sacrifice and upholding the ideals of freedom & democracy for all. I mean, we know this isn’t true. Many other places were under the weight of imperialism while America’s fighting this war of “freedom” (not to mention that we’re interning Japanese in the midst of our fight for freedom) – so it’s hypocritical. But I think that made me love it all the more. I think I loved it because it was so human. We fail, we fall, we fight – and yet sometimes, we actually do fight and win against evil. (And I could dip my feet in the water – aaaaahhhh relief from the 100 degree temperature!). Ok this doesn't encompass the entire memorial but it does display the best coast! 

Korean War Memorial: After the brightness and open-air quality of the WWII memorial, the Korean War Memorial seems smaller in scale and darker. It’s covered in shade and there are fighting men in rows staring at the enemy. While the WWII memorial conveyed a sense of victory, triumph, and memory – the Korean War Memorial felt much more foreboding. No inspirational quotes – just these men in rows watching you. I quickly lost the idealism I felt at the WWII memorial and felt as if this memorial was telling me: war is not going to end. It continues to manifest and morph throughout history. Picture of the fighting men below: 

Lincoln Memorial: As weird as this is, this was probably my least favorite memorial. I know, it’s iconic (and in all the films) but I just wasn’t feeling it. It could have be the crowds of people on the steps, in the small museum space, or near his feet so you can’t really read and peruse at your leisure. It could have been the fact that the bathrooms are right next to the museum space so when you’re reading his speeches, you smell urine. Or it could be the fact that it felt so cold and dimly light. I suppose in addition, reading his speeches and hearing how reluctant he was to do anything put a damper on things for me. I mean, his end goal was to keep the Union together (which he successfully accomplished) but it bummed me out that there wasn’t any motivation for the human good, the public good to end slavery. #wompwomp --> classic picture below. I want to go at night and sit in his lap. I wonder how late security is there til? 

MLK Memorial: Fantastic (and I’m not just writing that because I’m black) – absolutely loved this memorial. It’s definitely one of my favorites. It really embodies who MLK was and the concept – out of the mountains of despair, hope – really rung true with what he represented. Quotes from his speeches decorate the walls and you have the chance to really read and learn more about who he was at his visitor center (which is NOT located near the bathrooms)! And he’s one of the few activists who has a memorial – I felt such respect for his life and inspiration for what I could do. Definitely a must-go! Below you can see MLK - he stands as a beacon of hope against the mountain of despair (I really should have gotten the mountains of despair but stupid tourists kept taking pictures of themselves between the mountains!)

FDR Memorial: Ok, I’mma keep it real. This memorial is really good, and I’d highly recommend you take the time to go check it out. BUT you don’t need to do a tour by the rangers (which I unfortunately did). If you know presidential history, you’re good to go. And if you don’t, a skim of FDR’s Wikipedia page will give you all the info you needed to know. I mean this ranger took us on a 15 minute tour of FDR’s memorial and I was baking in the 100+ degree weather. Worse, I knew the entire history on FDR already so the tour didn’t reveal much (other than having me stand in the heat for 15 minutes). UGH! So then after he gave us the ‘tour’ I had to go back through the memorial and take pictures of what stood out in my mind. The memorial is set up in landscape format where you can walk through FDR’s four terms and see how he evolved. I loved the layout! Picture below shows the Great Depression - the poor farmers on the left and the breadline on the right. 

Jefferson Memorial: Hands down this was my favorite memorial. And as a black woman, I understand if you’re like, “that shit cray Chanell.” But when I went into his museum space and read his writings, I was struck by his humanity. All the other memorials talked about the presidents and MLK in this mythical fashion, it was hard to believe that Abraham Lincoln actually existed. But Jefferson, he was different. At his museum, the tensions and hypocrisy that he struggled with betrayed how human he was. And when I walked up into his memorial, it was very open and spacious – and then you see this huge statue of Thomas Jefferson. I just felt like his memorial captured him very well. Picture of Jefferson standing among his well-known sayings below: 

And that’s how I spent Sunday – a six mile trek through American history. I’m so happy that I did it because I wanted to tackle all of this BUT my feet were killing me. Note to self: do not wear flip flops on a six mile expedition. I have a huge blister on my second toe and I literally couldn’t walk the rest of the night. But it was most definitely worth it. Google map below if you want to see how much I did in 100+ degree heat. Yeah, I know. I'm awesome. 

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Now, I can move onward, feeling that I hit up a good part of D.C. history (although I still have to go to Arlington Cemetery). Friday night I’m having drinks with a D.C. native on U Street. And on Saturday or Sunday, I plan to hit up the Natural History Museum, the American History Museum, and the African-American History Museum. I’m realizing that I only have five weeks in D.C. before I come home. I’m definitely in a hurry to see EVERYHING before I go!


Post Script on Racism:  I’m amazed at the blatant racism and ignorance I encounter here. When I was on the FDR tour, our tour guide said ‘Jap’ and then quickly corrected himself to say ‘Japanese’ when he was talking about the Japanese internment camps that FDR issued. And his philosophy on the internment camps boggled my mind. He said FDR issued internment camps for the Japanese because the Japanese attacked us whereas the Germans, Italians, and Russians did not. Really? Apparently racism did not play a role in the internment camp decision *sarcasm is literally dripping from my pores as I write this* Also, when I was at the Lincoln Memorial, a grandmother was telling her grandchildren about her father’s father who fought in the Confederacy but when the war was over, all the ‘masters’ gave their slaves 40 acres and a mule. Really? What alternative universe am I in? I met a young woman from Boston who hates Californians and tall people. And I’m not even sure why she hates Californians?! I met another woman last night who said, “Chanell, I don’t know how I feel about you talking to Canadians as if they’re human.” Both the Canadian and I looked at her in shock. I guess this was a joke but neither one of us got the punch line. One of my roommates (the one from Alabama) said, “I love the children who are mixed with Asian and White – as long as they don’t get the squinty eyes.” OMG. Where am I? Like seriously, people still think its ok to say ‘squinty eyes’??

OMG in moments like this, I can’t wait to get back to California. Only 38 more days til I fly back to Oakland --> holy shit, it's that soon? Wheeeeee! And, I really need to step up my D.C. game!!