Colin Powell, Tuesday

The second day I was at work, there was this huge commotion in the C St lobby when I heard over the radio: "He is arriving now." Doors were propped open wide, and security become extra tight for those few moments. I stood near the doors waiting for my security badge when suddenly a stretch limo pulled up and Colin Powell walked in! I tried to act non-chalant, as if I didn't notice or care while all other eyes were fixed on his entry. Should I shake his hand? Try to meet him? Yeah right, not with the crazy security detail and special forces outside.

He walks by me, passing within 5 feet of me in a relatively empty lobby. A woman civil servant crossing his path stops out of respect for him to pass first. He freezes before getting to her, motions her across his path, and says, "Come on now, we all have work to do," in a gentle manner. By now the whole room is smiling, especially her, as he reaches her hand out and embraces hers. Then he disappears behind security gates, leaving a room full of smiling security and staff. Colin Powell is definitely my favorite American public figure of all time!

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Friday Night Out

My friends here in DC have been here for 2 months, so the novelty of going out has already worn off. That's unfortunate, because now it's hard to find people to hang out with on weekends.

Last night directly after work, I went to an going away party at a martini bar in Georgetown. Then after that, the group of 8 people went to Cafe Asia for dinner. Then my friend Jon from State (who I just met that day) and I met up with some UCDC girls for a night of dancing at Adams Morgan. We finished at 3AM and walked home.

I don't have a key to the place I'm staying and I didn't want to wake my roommate when it was so late. I asked my guy friend if I could just crash on his floor for the rest of the night, but he was so mean about it. He said cheesy stuff like, "Listen, I only met you today," or, "that's not the way I roll," or "don't make me be an a**hole." I was so offended that he was being like that.

When I went home early this morning, my roommate was so worried. My roommate stayed up until 4AM waiting and worrying, and even watched the news all morning to make sure I didn't get hurt. That was so nice and loving.

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Pictures

I really want to take pictures of my office and my daily life at the State Dept to show you. However, diplomatic security warns that "imint" (image intelligence) is just was dangerous as "humint" (human intel, spies). Plus, I don't take any chances with security in my office.

I get a daily reading folder full of cable transmissions in a folder marked "secret." It is lined in red, and there are government warnings everywhere. The cover itself is UNCLASSIFIED (in case DS is reading this), and I wanted to take a picture of the cover for my blog, but that may still be risky. So I decided not to. :(

Free internet at the Library of Congress

The main reading room in the Library of Congress is so beautiful! I'm sitting under the rotunda now, writing this email.

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First day at the State Dept

I am so blessed! My boss is the nicest and most compassionate woman. She took me out to lunch, paid for me, and she is so supportive of my work in her office. She's also the chief of the entire regional security program office.

Needless to say, I'm having the best time at work. I sit and read "secret" documents about East Asian security for hours at a time, and I love it. I'm like a kid in a candy shop! They already gave me my first project, which I can't talk about but it's really cool. On Wednesday, I need to go to a press conference on new visa policy to take notes on behalf of all of the Asia desks (Bureaus overseeing Embassy policy). The work may be intimidating to an outsider, but it's so exciting to me!

The best thing is that I work in the main State Dept compound, in the same building as Colin Powell, but 4 floors below him!