Author Archives: Pam Schwartz

May 23, 2008

Yesterday: Neighborhoods Day

By Pam Schwartz

So I guess D.C. is a lot like home…the internet is very unreliable.

Yesterday we traveled around D.C. to a variety of different neighborhoods. We learned a lot about the differences between the areas and also about the problem of gentrification. We started out the day by going to the National Building Museum, we arrived early and took the chance for a photo shoot with some lions..

The Museum was great, we had a docent named Seymour who was very nice. I learned a lot of cool stuff about the beginnings of Washington D.C. and why it is set up so confusingly. Didn’t get enough time there to read everything…

Next we walked through Chinatown…lots of Asian cuisine, probably gonna go back and eat some. This is the friendship arch.

From there we went to U Street which is an African-American/jazz type district. We ate at Ben’s Chili Bowl, it was DELICIOUS! Pretty much everything on the menu had chili and cheese on it, my kinda place. I had a plate of chili/cheese fries the size of my face.

Our group then split into two and my half went to an Islamic center. It was really interesting. We had to take our shoes off, cover our bodies, and wear head coverings. The place was very beautiful inside. Much of the walls were covered with painted porcelain squares.

Next we drove through Georgetown (which is very yuppie it seems) but didn’t have time to stop. We went over to the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum. It was also very interesting, it really showed the changes in a neighborhood over

time and how the people are trying to save the area from gentrification. After this we went to the Eastern Market area but not getting there until 5ish we didn’t even get a chance to walk around. Came home and enjoyed the sauna, and now I need to do my homework.

Today we did mock interviews and a writing workshop which were all very helpful. We ate at Cosi which is really tasty. This afternoon we got to go the Newseum which just opened–for free! Love free stuff, nothing else on the trip seems to be free! The museum had a lot of really interesting things to read and look at. The Pulitzer prize photograph area was really powerful. First is the wall of front pages from when 9/11 happened and at the bottom, pieces of the Berlin Wall, neat.

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May 21, 2008

Speeches and Commerce

By Pam Schwartz

 

Nice or Naughty? Waiting in the window seat at TWC for stuff to go down.

 

 

So, we’re walking down the street and somebody says, “Hey, isn’t that the Whitehouse?” Indeed it was, so for my first time I just found the Whitehouse by wandering D.C.

 

We look all professional sitting at this huge table at the Chamber of Commerce.

 

Lunch at the Cornerstone, we recruited a couple of new members for our pay-per-pound daily eating extravaganza.

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May 20, 2008

Day 2: Roomies

By Pam Schwartz
Crazy, crazy ladies. I have three roomies, two from Ohio and one from California. We get a long really well, they are hysterical. Today we got up nice and early and headed to the Metro for the 45 minute ride to the Washington Center. Today we did a lot of orientation type stuff…and name games and all that fun stuff you do for orientation. Ate lunch at the Cornerstone Buffet where you buy your food by the pound. I didn’t realize I could just up and eat one and a half pounds of random buffet food. It was tasty. We came back to the hotel which is pretty nice, our room is on the fourteenth floor.

 

Tonight we had a pool party…my roomies and I were the only ones cool enough to show up. Some people came later but they weren’t even wearing their suits so just sat and talked for a while. Everybody is really nice, it will be a fun trip.

View from The Grand's 14th floor

I have my interview with the British Museum. I believe I will be doing survey and observation work, I’m not sure just yet. We have two group sort of projects to get started on all ready and then our own personal list of goals outlined by the pillars of the Washington Center.

 

Miss you all at home, but man am I having a good time.

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May 19, 2008

Arriving in D.C.

By Pam Schwartz

Yesterday I arrived in Virginia. My aunt and uncle picked me up at the airport. We stayed at my aunt’s sister’s farm, Silverbrook Farm. It is an absolutely gorgeous place, an 18th century farm house, with a meat house and outdoor bath house too. Decorated with antiques and the gorgeous view of the mountains it was exactly like staying at a bed and breakfast, embroidered robe and all. In the gardens there is a HUGE chess set with stone pieces (when I say huge I mean the playing pieces are waist high), there is painted silhouette of a man carrying a candlestick at the bottom of the stairs that led up to my personal little living quarters, and fireplaces in every room. We had dinner at a restaurant called Magnolias in Purcellville. It is in an old mill with many of the furnishings still intact. We took the scenic drive home and I got to see a lot of historical buildings and some really large homes. I think Virginia might be a place that is after my heart.

The flights were all right, though I practically ran from one end of O’Hare to the other for my connecting flight. Today Uncle Joe and Aunt Diana brought me up to The Grand in North Bethesda, which is where I’ll be staying for the ten day duration of our Washington D.C activities.

Another girl who is living in my apartment I went to get some healthy snacks for our place here for in between meals and breakfasts at the Giant Mart down the way. We pretty much have the day to ourselves aside from our short orientation type meeting tonight. So I’ll be reading more of my assigned articles and unpacking some. It’s official I have an interview with The British Museum, can’t wait for London!

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