Washington, D.C. - Day 4

I only took a couple of pictures today and I am WAY too lazy to upload them now, so this will be a quick, picture-free post =P

We went to Shake Shack for lunch, which you can guess - has shakes. The burgers were pretty good and the fired were nothing special... but I'll stick with Five Guys for all my fast food needs ;) But - the ice cream was amazing. We each got a shake called the "Presidential Sweet," which was vanilla custard, peanut butter, some kind of chocolate, and marshmallow. Ate it all the way home and it very easily melted in the sun. I don't think they have Shake Shacks in NJ, which makes me sad. Very, very sad.

We went to see Harry Potter DH Part 2 today! My uncle hadn't seen it yet, and this was my second time. I still cried at the same points as last time (maybe even more) but I wasn't sniffling like crazy, thank goodness. :) The theater was almost full, which is surprising considering that the movie came out two weeks ago. But lots of people came to see that showing at least. I was glad we got there twenty minutes before the movie started because it filled up so fast - the only seats for more than one person were in the first three or four rows.

We also had dinner in the same complex at a place called Clyde's. Their french onion soup (and sourdough bread) was drool-worthy, and the salad I had for dinner was tasty, too. This is starting to turn into a food blog, isn't it? Sorry everyone, I like to remember the yummy food I eat ;)

Then, we went to another theater in Washington D.C., the Arena, to see Oklahoma! It was a show I had never seen before, and it was fantastic. The music is really good (how can you go wrong with Rodgers and Hammerstein) and the acting/dancing/singing was out of this world! They had a windmill that really moved! Plus it was a theater in the round - which means you sit on all four sides of the stage. There wasn't a bad seat in the house. That's the first show I've ever experienced that with and I think seeing any show that way really makes you connect more with what's going on. How much would I love to see Wicked in the round (though they'll never make it like that)? - a lot.

I'm off to try again and see if I can get an early invitation to Pottermore...

-Jess

Washington, D.C. - Day 3

Today was pretty crazy! We went to the Capitol and the Library of Congress, and that was a lot for one day - big crowds, and the 5th hottest day ever recorded in Washington D.C. - 104 degrees. Luckily, we were in air conditioning for most of the day.

If you know me, you know I love books. As Thomas Jefferson, my favorite president and early-American-history figure, said, "I cannot live without books" (I was sorely tempted to buy one of the many t-shirts that stated this in the gift shop). I've always wanted to tour the Library of Congress, and I have decided that working there in ANY capacity is my third career option (first being, duh, a social studies teacher, and second being a professional quilter, fabric store owner, or etsy artist :) ).

It did help that the main building is called the Jefferson building (the other two are Adams and Madison). :)

Anyway - it's gorgeous, even with the huge crowds milling around. The Library holds many of the books published in the US and all copyrights - so there's a need for three buildings. The main part is called the Great Hall (just like Hogwarts - another reason I'm in awe of this place):

We got to peek into the main reading room, which was just... well, there are really are no words. You're not allowed to take pictures, but it's huge (here's a link if you want to see what it looks like, but the picture doesn't do it justice, really). The architects were trying to compete with Europe, and it does look similar to the buildings I saw over there. If I lived in Washington, D.C., I would definitely have gotten myself a reading card and my butt over to that room by now.

There was also one of the only three "true" Gutenberg Bibles in the world - which we bought for an insane amount of money in 1929 (I unfortunately can't remember the amount, but it was insane even by today's currency - and Google refuses to tell me). A "true" Gutenberg Bible is printed on vellum and complete - with no missing pages. The other two are in London and Paris, and we have one in the Library of Congress. It was really cool to see.

The other artifact that interested me, which we bought just a few years ago for 10 million dollars, is the first map EVER to show "America." The tour guide explained that it was kind of like our birth certificate, so we just HAD to buy it from Germany. It was neat to see in person, though. P.S. I can't wait to use the Library of Congress website in my future lesson plans.

The best part was the recreation of Thomas Jefferson's library. There are many ORIGINAL books from his library, plus books they have replaced with different copies when many burned in a fire in 1850(?), PLUS boxes, with the titles and authors, that the Library is still looking for (which also burned and should be in his collection). That was the closest to Jefferson I think I'll ever get - inches away from his real books!

Then, we ate lunch and went to the Capitol. We saw a short film and were greeted by MANY more crowds of people here. We saw the Rotunda, which is the main part...

^^Thomas Jefferson! Lots of President statues are here.

...plus the chamber where the House of Representatives used to meet, and the "crypt" - which is right above where Washington was going to be buried (but his will said his body was not to be moved from Mount Vernon, plus the legislative center of our nation could not bury the first head of the executive branch there). It was really a beautiful place, and I haven't been there since I was 8 or so - so, quite the different experience.

We also ate amazing Neopolitan pizza tonight, plus fantastic gelato (I had chocolate with strawberry sorbet) - and watched the movie "Pleasantville." We looked at some of my Europe pictures too :)

Now, I need to go to bed - big day tomorrow!

-Jess

Washington, D.C. - Day 1 and 2

I haven't blogged in a while, but here I am in Washington, D.C., visiting my uncle! I'll be here for a few days and we have quite a bit planned.

Yesterday, after catching a train that was 40 minutes late (don't get me started) and riding for three hours, I made it to Union Station and met Uncle Scott. We went back to his condo and started watching the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables, which was filmed in front of 20,000 people (and two nights of that) in London in October. I'm so jealous of those 40,000 people who got to see the show live because it was AMAZING. Les Mis is one of those shows that has almost no dialogue without music, and there are so many fantastic songs. I went to see it with Mike for the first time in November, but I've loved the original cast soundtrack for years. It's also the world's longest running show - since 1985, it's been playing in London. Anyway - we started watching the DVD yesterday and finished it today, and I am just in awe. I can't wait to watch it again sometime. P.S. Mike, you and I are going to the 50th anniversary concert in 2035 in London =D! We have too :)

After relaxing and some Les Mis, we headed to dinner at Pasta Mia. There are some things you need to know about Pasta Mia before I continue.

1. An online reviewer who lived in Italy said it was the best Italian food she had outside of Italy.

2. It's not a touristy place - the locals know about it.

3. It's a tiny place run by a wife and her husband - and he does all the cooking.

4. It opens at 6:30 pm, which means people line up there anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes beforehand. If you aren't in the first 20 people, you won't be making the first sit down. Around 7:45 or so, people start lining up outside the place for the second sit down.

5. No substitutions, cash only.

We went on a weeknight, so it wasn't crazy. But we had an AMAZING dinner. Bread, (garlicky but still awesome) caesar salad, and pasta (mine was egg noodles with mozzarella, Parmesan, and meat sauce - YUM). I was so full afterwards but we carried our leftovers home and actually ate them tonight for dinner. Uncle Scott said that, basically, you could draw a line down your plate at Pasta Mia and know that you are only going to eat one of those halves =P it's true. It was a lot of food, but a very pleasant meal. We went to bed fairly early (11) in order to get up at 6.

Yes, 6 am. Why? - you ask? Well, as my uncle said, "blame the White House" (which my dad would agree with) - we requested a tour of the White House about 4 months ago, and after security clearances, we were told that our time was 7:30 am, and that you have to be at the gate at 7:15 am. Bleh. However - there are not too many things I would get up for at 6 am - but touring the White House is one of them.

We stood in a really long line full of people who had no purses, cameras, or bags on them (the emails were very clear - basically you can't bring anything in - you can bring your cell phone but you have to turn it off [we did not know this last part so we left ours at home - the website was not clear]). Then, we "marched around Sherman" - or the statue commemorating Sherman's March to the Sea - in order for security to check our IDs twice and then walk through a scanner. Then, we were actually IN THE WHITE HOUSE! It was kind of bizarre.

We saw the presidential garden and all the little rooms on the bottom floor where press interviews take place. They also displayed the table settings various Presidents had used, portraits, and statues. Then we went up some stairs and we were on the "main" first level. The second and third levels of the WH are private to the President and his family and guests, but it was WEIRD thinking that the Obamas were right above us! We saw the various rooms that are open to the public (well, after those security clearances and to a limited amount of people per hour :) ) - the East Room, which is huge, serves as a press conference/ballroom and features that original portrait of George Washington that Dolley Madison saved from the WH during the War of 1812, the hallway where Presidents give their speeches on TV, the Green Room, where President Jefferson (! love !) dined - of course the White House has been rebuilt/redone since then, but that's okay, the Blue Room, where the President officially receives guests, the Red Room, which for some reason first ladies love, the official dining room, and the presidential seal above the Blue Room. The chandeliers were so pretty. The Presidents have definitely welcomed guests in style.

The portraits of all the Presidents were featured over this entire area. We saw the famous portrait of JFK (I somehow missed spotting Jefferson though :( ). There were also original furniture pieces and candlesticks/knick knacks/etc. from certain Presidents/periods of time. The cool part was that when tours are done for the day, all the ropes are moved and the carpets are rolled back down, and the Obamas use it (especially the dining room, from what I overheard)! It's just weird to think about.

There were FANTASTIC views of the Washington and Jefferson memorials from the Blue Room, which is the very center of the White House - it was planned that way. I wish we were allowed to take pictures. Unless I go back for another tour one day, I'll never be past the gates of the WH again! I highly recommend it if you can go - you have to apply through your representative in as much advance as possible - because it was so worth it!

(pictures from the Kennedy Center)

We got back to the condo around 8:30 and I fell asleep for two hours. I was so beat, even after going to bed early! We played Scrabble and watched the rest of Les Mis during the day - we didn't venture out again until it was time to go to the Kennedy Center to see Wicked.

We spent some time seeing the views from the terrace - of the city and monuments - and walking around the huge building. It was really very pretty.

Wicked was playing in the opera theatre - every seat seemed to be a good seat. This was the second time seeing the play and it did NOT disappoint :) I think I liked it better the first time because everything was new and surprising, but I still loved it! "Defying Gravity," "The Wizard and I," and "For Good" give me chills every time.

Overall a wonderful day! Amazing music from two of my favorite musicals, and a White House tour. :) I'll try to blog again tomorrow!

-Jess

What a night

Going to a midnight premiere has always been exciting, but I think it's safe to say I've never seen anything like this - the Harry Potter 7, Part 2 movie premiere. The slogan of the night was "it's all over" and you could really tell that people were upset (here's talking the one who cried from the halfway point and on).

Anyway, no spoilers here, I promise, in case you haven't seen it yet. I do want to talk about the night though because it was pretty interesting. We got to the theater at 10 pm and were stunned to find out that people had been waiting there since 7 pm! Not only that, but I spotted this in the lobby:

Craaaaziness. So, we were there at 10 pm, and about half the seats in our theater were filled. And that was just one of 7 - although ours was on the small side. Then, it was time to wait.

But in that time, we encountered the following: A few sing-a-longs to A Very Potter Musical songs, a rousing performance of "The Mysterious Ticking Noise," an employee who entered with a concession cart and asked "Anything from the trolley, dears?", a legitimate dementor chase, and applause for each person who had dressed up as a certain character. Most of the people in our theater were high school students, which was kind of annoying at times, but it was Harry Potter, so I was pretty excited also. I saw a George Weasley costume (complete with the fork sticking out of his ear from Deathly Hallows Part 1) and Dobby - those were the most unique. A lot of people were just wearing house t-shirts or black robes and house ties. This is what WE wore :)

Marisa also made a Deathly Hallows necklace, and she drew a Dark Mark on her arm. Sean and Ris had scars, while I put the DH symbol on my cheek. I also wore lightning bolt earrings (hard to see here) and my AVPM Snape shirt. Oh, and Sean's shirt - I made! The front has a lightning bolt on it.

Anyway, no spoilers again, but the movie was pretty fantastic. A good portion was true to the book, so that was good - except - well, maybe I'll save that rant for another post. ;) The point is, it was SO worth seeing at 12:01 am.

Oh, and I forgot to mention - as streams of people flooded (haha I just realized what I said) out of the theater at 2:30 am, a line of people had formed in the lobby. I leaned over and asked a girl, in an incredulous fashion, "are you guys here to see the movie?"

Yes. They were. They had a 3 am show! Isn't that nuts? I guess if I hadn't been able to get midnight tickets (a lot of places sold out fast), I would have gone for the next available show too. Those people looked REALLY excited to be there, and they eyed us warily, because I know I looked like a mess, from crying, and so did other people. I can't wait to go see it again with my uncle in 2 weeks!

Harry Potter = awesome. The end of an era. The end of my childhood. But I guess it's time for that, right?

-Jess

Why I do what I do

As a historian, you're expected to gravitate towards a certain time period/event/person etc. to really delve into during your college career. If it was a true free-for-all, I don't think I would hesitate to become a Tolkien scholar (though I'm horrible at learning languages and would have a lot of trouble learning Elvish). :o)

Anyway, point is, as soon as I got to college, I took a course called "Music and the Holocaust" - and that's how I really got interested in studying the Holocaust and other genocides. I like the way Adam Jones, a visiting scholar to my school, put it: "we study genocide because we want it to stop." Plus, I feel connected through my Jewish heritage, and as horrifying and as dreadful it can be to study sometimes, it is what interests me most. That is what my mom asked me today after we watched "The Pianist" for the first time - why do I study the Holocaust?

There was one point last semester where I had just about had it. I had just started my internship at the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in NYC (teaching and giving tours to students grades 6-12), I was starting work on my senior honors thesis (more in a minute about that), and I was taking a class called "The Holocaust in Art and Literature." I remember I was reading a speech that Hitler made (after watching the propaganda film "Triumph of the Will") and I was just like - that's it. I had to put it all down for a weekend. And I realized that it's okay to do that... as long as we never forget about it and we keep coming back. It has become a true privilege to listen to a Holocaust survivor speak, which I have lucky enough to experience at least 6 times in my life. This is just one way to keep it alive, but there aren't many left. I feel like I am doing my part by bringing my experiences and pictures from Eastern Europe, as well as my research, to my future students, as a social studies teacher.

All of this suddenly came flooding back to me tonight after the movie finished. Since I got back from Europe (a Holocaust study tour, no less) in early May, I've been putting off my thesis work on gender in Holocaust memorials. I've been sewing constantly (my [almost always] relaxing obsession), and reading FICTION again (gasp) - but now it's time to get to work. I feel a lot better now after a two month break from thinking. I think I'm ready to go back to it.

This is probably a good thing because I met with my professor a couple of days ago, took out more than ten library books, and have a reading assignment on postmodernism to finish for her in two weeks.

-Jess

Resisting good food is a battle

I've always found it hard to resist good food, and I think this is one of the first times in my memory that I successfully resisted BBQ food - all the leftovers from Fourth of July.

My freshman year of college, I was at my heaviest, and I ate pretty badly. It was definitely a combination of being stressed out and trying to figure out what I liked from the all-you-can-eat dining hall. Sophomore year, I found my go-to dinner - salad with veggies, mushrooms, grilled chicken, and olive oil or house dressing - and sometimes a piece of fruit or something else, or more veggies - and I started eating that several times a week. Plus, I would eat Cheerios with skim milk, oatmeal, or a banana for breakfast every day. And lunch was usually a sandwich of some sort.

Even though I still snack rather scarily, my eating habits have improved - and I started going to the gym several times a week in January of that year. Junior year proceeded the same way, and I'm proud to say that in the last two years I've lost about 20 pounds. And I wasn't even working as hard as I could have to lose it. I could have exercised more, but school got insane. And when it's between working for one more hour on that research paper or getting your butt to the gym, I often went for the former - because school is the most important thing to work on in my life right now.

But every time I'm home, it all goes to hell. We have really yummy dinners that I can't resist, and I have done better with eating less than I used to, but I still feel guilty. Plus, I realized I hate using the treadmill and want an elliptical, but we don't have one (and I don't really have the funds or patience to join a gym around here because I would be seeing half of the kids from my high school), so I either walk, play basketball, or don't exercise at all. I need to improve with that. Either way, I'm healthier at school.

Yesterday, we had burgers, chicken, baked potatoes, and corn. Yum, yum, yum. I had two burgers without even thinking about it, and I feel like such a pig! It's not a big deal or anything and I'm not upset, but I knew that yesterday was my *really* bad eating day for the week. The point is, today, I successfully avoided eating another burger for dinner (even though I really wanted to eat it), and all the other leftovers in the fridge. My mom made salads for the two of us. I feel better now that I've eaten and that I made the right choice (and damn, that salad was good), but it's so hard! I only realized two years ago what eating the burger diet could do to me. I wish it had been sooner.

One thing I couldn't resist today... and I don't regret it at all, because how often do I get to have it? You only live once!

Flag cake from yesterday - strawberries, blueberries (the good stuff), cool whip (lite), and pound cake (the bad but delicious stuff).

Now I'm going to try to take a "work out walk" - as long as it's cooled down out there!

-Jess

Blog Book!

Last Christmas, Julie, my best friend since high school and soon-to-be maid of honor, said she had a present for me, but that she couldn't give it to me yet. Hmmm... interesting. 6 months passed and she appeared for our breakfast at Perkins with a "have a Merry Christmas bag!" Then, she said, "this is your present, but it's not."

After all the mystery, I thought, this better be good. ;)

She bought me a book of my blog - 365 Days of Unexpected Delights, which finished in May. It is pretty much the best gift I've ever received. It got here last week. Here's some pictures:

Picture of me in Prague at the end of the blog (second favorite city ever)

My nighttime picture of Berlin, my favorite city ever

(Sorry, I have the unfortunate habit of getting my finger in the picture on my Blackberry)

It's a BIG BOOK. I've barely read any of it, and it's hard to remember what I wrote an entire YEAR ago. My dad has actually been reading the book in order, and he'll laugh at things or comment, and I have to remind him that I don't remember sometimes. Or, he'll start reading it out loud. Maybe I'll get to read it someday... haha.

Anyway, Julie, I'm thrilled and I love having it all in a hard copy! My grandparents won't bug me anymore to print the entire thing out. Plus, I put in my Europe pictures, and they came out stunning.

Presents like these are so unique. THANK YOU! I can only hope that my upcoming present for you, Julie, is unique as well... stay tuned... :o)

Happy Fourth of July!