A Great Week

This week, I had such a great time. I went to a showing of a political talkshow, Crossfire, at GWU with State co-workers. I also attended a Press Conference at State and watched Adam, the spokesman, defend US foreign policy tactfully. I really need to learn those skills for my oral assessment, the final step in the foreign service officer test. That's what got me the first time.

I had a special tour of the Operations Room at State, where task force teams deal with international crises. I saw the highly secure command center, with people at work. On the way to the Ops Room, security let me pass through the diplomatic sitting rooms and right by Colin Powell's office. That area of State is so beautiful, while the rest can look institutional.

On Friday, my supervisor, the Chief of the Regional Security Office, brought me to a Deputies meeting. It was very intimidating to be the only young person in a small meeting room with the Assistant Secretary and the chiefs of all the departments. When it was my supervisor's turn to speak, right off first introduced me as "David, the one handling the East Asian Affairs calendar, National Security calendar, and the Assistant Secretary's weekly updates," while all eyes were one me. The acting Assistant Secretary, who answers directly to Colin Powell, then personally welcomed me to the group. I was so excited to be there! I hope I will be back as a more permanent member of that group someday.

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Preliminaries complete

A quick recap of my second week in DC, I finished the preliminary study of my first major research project here for the Regional Security Office, Bureau of East Asian Affairs, at State. It turned out to be a 20 page project, which is good for spending only 4 days on it. One word is centered on both the header and footer: Classified. So it's not something I can discuss, period.

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Today's plans

My roommate is in CA now, so I have the whole place to myself, which isn't that great because I don't like being by myself. Today, during this quiet time to myself, I finally have a chance to rest and regroup. I'm reading a writer's style manual along with a Women's Study Bible (since I can't find my own), all while I wait for my laundry.

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Fellowship at CCC

I'm starting to be more involved with CCC, which is great because they are such an inclusive and encouraging group. I'm used to co-workers who are quite the opposite, who plan exclusive parties where only a few people are invited. I'm attending church tomorrow by myself, and they also invited me to another going-away party later that night. The church crowd, juxtaposed with the outside world, is so much more sensitive, caring, real, and loving. My other friends just party superficially, drink, and act like friends when they really care a lot more about themselves than for you.

Chinese Christian Church

Nancy from CFC Berkeley brought me to her church in the area. It was pretty cool and I met a lot of great people. We just make fun of each other the whole time, which is strange because they see her as this nice, quiet girl. I'm dispelling that myth. Haha!

I ran into a guy, Rob, at CCC that went to China and did missions. It turns out the we both volunteered at the same orphanage. What's crazier is that he was there hanging out at that orphanage with Steven Curtis Chapman! Cool! He's also friends with the youth pastor of my church in SD. Random.

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Shopping in DC

It is so incredibly hard to buy stuff in DC without a car. I need to take the metro to Pentagon Square or walk 8 blocks to M St. For the past 2 days I went everywhere looking for shirts and dress socks. The exciting thing is that I bought my first "Club Monaco" button down shirt! I was so excited because it was $65 marked down to $19! It is so cool, bec the front has cool lavender stitching on a white and gray background. You'll have to have a queer eye to appreciate it, which I do.

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Apparently I'm "gorgeous"

I stood outside of Cafe Asia (trendy restaurant / bar) on Friday night near Dupont Circle (gay area) trying to talk on the phone with my mom. As was on the phone, some small, thin, homeless man tried to talk to me. He sounded really affeminate, but I gave him some change. Then he looks at me and says in a girly voice, "You're gorgeous," as he looked me up and down. I felt like a piece of meat on display for him, which was funny.

My response, "Too bad girls don't think so!" Haha.

Then he says, "What are you? Korean? Japanese? I like Korean." Imagine this all spoken with the most sexy voice a homeless man can muster up.

"No, I'm Chinese," I responded.

"Oh, well, you don't have to tell people that! You can just say that you're Korean. I like Korean." He asserted.

Okay, that was interesting. But I actually wasn't uncomfortable at all. I thought he was really nice, so I said my goodbyes and joined my friends for dinner. It was the dinner after the Martini happy hour, before Adams Morgan, and much before my friends disowned me later that night. Sad. :(