Week 5 - Meetings and eatings

Monday

Silly Gooses

Today was an eventful CHCI day. We started the day with out GW seminar. Our professor discussed intersectionality and breaking down hierarchal structures. I learned about Kimberle Crenshaw and how she gave a definition for intersectionality. I liked our activity because it incorporated the term intersectionality. Our professor had us go to different sections of the room based on the questions and what resonated with us the most. I think it was six questions, and for each question, she would allow us to share. I got to see other people's perspectives and it felt nice to get to see their vulnerable side. I think we all were thoughtful in our answers and I realized that some of the answers overlapped with one another. Kind of like intersectionality and how one's personal characteristics overlap. After the seminar, bento boxes were waiting for us. I was excited to start eating and enjoying the food. It included miso soup, crab rangoons, and egg rolls as additional side pieces. I thought this was my favorite meal because it reminded me of the time I studied abroad in Japan. The miso soup brought me back because it was the one meal I did not like. Even though it's good for my health, I do not like it as much as other Japanese food.

At the end of CHCI programming, one of the CHCI interns invited me to get matcha. Last Monday I was supposed to go, but I forgot. This time, I remembered to go and I went with some HEP/CAMP interns. Let me tell you, I have been wanting good matcha for some time, but nobody knows how to make it correctly. I have been to four different matcha locations but none of them have been good. However, CHCI interns said this place was good so I trusted it. When I drank it, it brought me back to my matcha addiction. The flavor was exactly like matcha. It was so good! I almost cried of tears. This is definitely my go-to spot. They have a variety of matcha combos. I got the raspberry matcha. It actually tasted like raspberry and matcha. Nobody knows this place because it's not a known store. The matcha was affordable for the size. It was about $7 which is way cheaper than I paid for other matcha that tasted more like milk. I am gatekeeping this place so don't ask me the location!

After, I headed to walk at the National Mall. Since the National Monument is close to where I live, I am walking there 24/7. It is a calm environment that helps me reflect. I definitely recommend taking walks there.

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Tuesday

Favorite Day

I was able to be a lobbyist today. I was so happy to be given the task by my supervisor to go to different offices and advocate for a bill. I met a lot of fascinating individuals. I did not meet with the members of Congress directly; however, I met with their staff. Some of them said that they were from my hometown which made me happy. Another individual said that they are doing the CHCI program. It was crazy how small of a world being on the hill is. Today I had the opportunity to go to the office of one of my HEP/CAMP friends. I got to see what they were up to. After we went to go have lunch and I had to take a meeting there. My computer was about to die so I started frantically trying to find a place with charger plugs, but all of them were taken. Thankfully, my computer lasted long enough for someone to move. I had 3 office meetings today and they went really well! I am excited for tomorrow.

Later in the day, I met up with an intern at NVG to try some Ethiopian food. We headed to a restaurant that looked delicious and promising. We talked about how some of the foods that are from different cultures end up being "amercanized." She had a point in what she was saying because I was not able to find authentic Mexican food. Anyway, back to the Ethiopian food, I did not know what to expect. It was my first time trying it. The food was served on injera which is a spongy bread. I did not expect the sides to be so small considering the price was about $46. We ended up sharing the plate because of the price. We both enjoyed the food, and although there wasn't enough side, the injera was filling.

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Thursday

Time capsule

Today felt like a Thursday! I finished all my meetings with staffers from different congressional offices. After, I headed to meet with my friend, who worked for the US Foreign Services as a Cultural Attache for several US ambassadors around the world. She is a DC local and invited me to her home. I met her while I was in Washington DC. She is an amazing woman who showed me her art collection and invited me to dinner. She also took me to a concert. Where I went felt like a time capsule; it felt like how I imagined the 80s to feel! There were fireflies everywhere and it was in the woods. I enjoyed my experience there. I was grateful to be there with them. Afterward, we went to get crepes.