Brazil Baby!

I left for Brazil on monday and Im having an amazing time, i love it here. its really the time of my life. i climbed a huge mountain today, went to the botancial gardens and then heard a lecture from a professor down here, i just ate (all the restaurants are buffet style and you pay by the weight of your plate) tomorrow i go to the city of god, and im soooo excited. but my friends down here are great, we all hang out together, and its just amazing.

hmmm

Well the Brazilian Embassy was really good. I got to ask questions about my research paper, which I can use as one of my interviews. Wednesday I had my internship. In the morning we dropped off a bunch of constituent stuff to senator offices. I was lucky and went into Feingold's office, and Barack Obama. One of the guys I was doing it with, Michael, said the last time he dropped off something at Obama's office, he was there and got to meet him. I was really hoping to get the opportunity, but I didn't even see anyone interesting. Thursday I had an exam, it was very very easy but the questions were very confusing because thats just how my professor is. We also had a speaker from conservation international. The guy was sooo interesting, he's been all over Africa helping to save rhinos, monkeys, goriallas. It was amazing, he's lived so much and I want to be able to say that i've done things like that too. Last night I hung out with some friends at an apartment in Maryland. It was on the 16th floor and they had a balcony. The view was amazing, you could see the Washington Monument way out in the distance. Tonight I think I'm going out for Halloween but I'm not one hundred percent sure.

Fashion Show!

Last week the main lobbyist at my internship asked me if I wante to help out at her sister in law's fashion show. I of course, said yes. It was last night, and it was a lot different than i expected. I though it would be hectic, stressful, and really crazy. Instead it was actually kind of boring. Myself and 2 friends were told it started at 6, so be there at 5. Well we stood about until 7, when it finally started. Once it did start, we just helped dress our designated model. It would have been pretty busy but all of the models that we weren't helping didn't have anyone to dress, so we were dressing our own models and then also helping out the others. I was really afraid that I was going to get yelled at by the models and everyon else for going too slow or messing something up, but it was actually really fun. All of the models were really appreciative and nice. Some even gave us hugged before they left. It was a great expensive, and I was very lucky; it was truly a 'wno you know' opportunity. And then of course we got paid, which was nice considering we stood around for most of the time.

Today, I'm going to the Brazilian Embassy, I'm so excited!

Reggae

Last night I went to a reggae club with a couple of friends. It was an hour away on the metro, we got there 20 minutes before it opened, and one of kept extra money in our socks in case we were all robbed, but it was one of the best nights here. We went over to McDonalds, which was across the street, to hang out until it opened, and then once we got inside, we found out that girls were free which was really nice. We, were of course the first ones there so we all started dancing on the dance floor to the music and it was really fun. We were all just goofing around because no one was there to watch us. Then, of course, people started coming in, so we sat down. After a little while (we'd been there for an hour) we decided just to go because it didn't look like more people were going to be showing up. But it was still really fun.

Congressional Hearing and Bowling

Thursday morning I skipped class (class is usually boring and pointless) to go to a congressional hearing about global warming's future affects on poor communities. It was so amazing. The room was very grand and and just the atmosphere was very affecting. I was a little disappointed because in the beginning there were only 5 congress members of the Select Committee on Global Warming were present, but by the time I left (I left in the middle of questions because I had a group presentation for class) there were 8. The people that testified were Martin Luther King III, an environmental law professor from the University of New Mexico, a Alaska Native tribeman, and the assistent attorney general of the Maldives. Hearing their testimony on how global warming is already affecting their impoverished communities was very angering, because scientists have been warning the public and government about global warming for over 20 years and just now they want to do something about it. A lot of the time was spent urging congress to take global warning seriously and to heed the urgency of doing something that will be affective. It was a little scary also because a lot of people also voiced their anger against the current administration and although it was a step closer to solving problem with having this hearing, I don't think anything will be really accomplished by it until someone new is elected president.

Yesterday I had my internship. It was going pretty good, but then my boss and 2 other guys from the office asked me to go bowling. At first I turned them down but then later said yes. It was so fun, one of the best nights I've had here. Of course, they paid for my games and drinks, which was verry nice, but also, right away on my first ball I bowled a strike. It stunned them, and it was cool to see their faces because I don't think they were expecting me to be so good. Of course I didn't keep that up, but I almost beat my boss and did beat one of the guys. The scariest part of the experience was when they were asking me what kind of drinks I like. I told them my favorite drink was whiskey old fashions because I grew up sneaking sips from my Dad and eventually ordering them when I went out with my parents. They had no idea what the were. I was stunned, I knew that they weren't popular anywhere besides WI but I thought people knew what they were. It made me scared to move out of WI, I know that cheese isn't as good anywhere else, but cheese and mixed drinks. People from other states are really missing out.

Nothing new

Nothing really new here. I went to go get some hiking boots at REI, which was cool. And then also went to Betheda and visitid some thrift shops and a little artist market. It was nice and relaxing. It finally got colder here so now I can finally wear jeans and a jacket. Before it was too humid to wear jeans, it got really old after awhile.

But here's a picture of Sean, AWL lobbyist, a couple other Wisconsites, and myself with Russ Feingold.

Green Festival

Today I went to a green festival. I was there for about 2 and a half hours. There were so many booths: many with great samples of soup, lotion, and food and then many with great things for sale. I ended up going on a little shopping spree at all of the things that were handmade by indigenous people. I ending up buying a wrap skirt, purse, earrings, bracelet, and then 2 finger puppets. I figured it was all going to a good cause and that it was made very well. So after that shopping spree I'm going to go easy now, although it was my first shopping spree since summer.

Shots and Elizabeth Edwards

Today I got my shots, yellow fever and Hep A, for Brazil. They weren't that bad, except my arm is still pretty tender, considering they may save my life. Now all I need is malaria medicine and maybe a typhoid shot. I never knew vaccines were so expensive.

Tonight I listened to Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Senator John Edwards, speak at American University's main campus. I was looking forward to hearing this stance on many issues and start supporting or not supporting him, but he talk was all about her fight with breast cancer. Although it was very interesting and I like her very much, I wish she would have spoke a little about her husband's campaign.

Pictures #1

Eh, some of them are sideways but that's okay. I can only think of one way to fix it, and that would be going back and starting all over again, so you can jsut tilt you head to get the gist.

Library of Congress Book Festival

On Saturday I didn't have have much to do and wanted to relax so I planned on going down to the National Archives and the Holocaust Museum. Both I have already been to but I missed parts or exhibits so I wanted to go back. The National Archives had a big line just to get into the door so I didn't go there and headed instead to the Holocaust Museum. On my way I went through The Mall where the Library of Congress was having a huge Book Festival. There were a bunch of authors giving talks all day and a lot of books for sale. I didn't buy any books but got 2 free bags and a free book. It was pretty cool to just find something to do that I wasn't planning on doing. After I went to the museum; it was pretty empty in the exhibits (Because it wasn't the main one) I went to which was nice because then I could take my time and read everything. After the museum I just came back here. Overall it was a great day, just nice and relaxing. And it's great to get some me time, which is hard to get when you have 2 roommates.