What I Miss About Spain

In no particular order

1. My Italian girlfriends
2. The crazy/great woman I lived with
3. Traveling and having Fridays off from school
4. Fashion in Europe
5. Bocadillos and my host woman's cooking and funny comments (soups, pastas)
6. Betti, the dog I lived with
7. Meeting international students and people with great accents
8. the cultural education
9. The weather, warm but windy in the fall
10. All the cute spanish/basque men!
11. My Spanish professors- who are brilliant
12. Being pampered in general by Conchi and the program at University of Deusto
13. The excursions we had all over Spain with the program
14. Getting a drink here or there with friends at bars and dancing
15. Calimocho and sangria and great Spanish wine
16. Listening to spanish
17. Speaking spanish
18. Learning spanish
19. watching american tv shows dubbed in spanish (I don't recommend it!)
20. Living in Europe
so much more....

Visiting my City

I was home the 19th to the 21st with my friends and family. But before I went home, on Friday I had a great interview with the Operations and Human Resources Manager of Polaris, CJ, and came out so excited to intern with them (even though I had not completely decided yet). There are many things that make me smile, but really from the heart, for a good period of time, which is so rare and I was smiling on the inside for a while like that after meeting with him and after hearing about Polaris. So I flew home at a 7am flight the next morning home and my dad and little brother picked me up. Callan always gives me those huge around the neck jumping hugs which he calls "airport hugs".
Straight from home I went into the city to see family friends I met through the Simonsons, Mary Kane. I sat for her adorable kids- Robert who is 5 and Hannah who is 7 for a couple of hours. I brought my dog, since theirs just died and the kids love Bailey and we walked him with the kids taking turns holding the leash each block then went to the famous ice cream place Mitchell's in the Mission district. From the Mission I went to the Richmond district to see all my friends who live together. Cecily and I went to the East bay to pick up some of her stuff from her fam's for moving into her new apt. near school. Then a whole group of us went to North Beach for dinner. Then Sunday I babysatt for a neighbor down the street and had dinner with my family, grandparents and aunt and uncle, so it was nice to catch up with them. Monday I went into Roots of Peace, the landmines removal organization in San Rafael, the east bay. Then I met up with my friends Sammy, Kat and Kelsey. We played apples to apples at a nice cafe on Haight Street for a couple of hours on a typical San Francisco rainy day. Then hung out for a little while longer and I then said goodbye to my other friends around the corner, Cecily, Kate, Steph, maile and Mel who live together (except Steph). So I was really happy to see my friends for the first time since I left for Spain. It is hard not hanging out with them all the time like last year and having a long distance relationship, but it is all worth it in the end.
Here are some pics of my city...





My friends Sammy on the left and Kelsey on the right.

Good Websites

Hey there,
I have some good sites to see,

http://www.gooddogcompany.com/
This is about my Mom and her company, check it out

Here is a good site to explore about the presidential candidates:
www.globalsolutions.org

Also this is the organization I am internshing at two days a week about human trafficking
www.polarisproject.org

well, write comments! I love to hear from you guys!

...until the next exciting thing happens

Letter to Bush

In my Foreign Seminar today a man from an organization called Citizens for Global Solutions spoke to us about American international involvement. I came across this in the website...take a look, here is the site: http://advocacy.globalsolutions.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pres_bush_letter

and here is my first letter to my President, and maybe yours too...

Write a letter to President Bush. Ask him to ensure that Darfur's perpetrators do not go unpunished.

Simply copy the letter below on your own sheet of paper in your own hand writing. I urge you to hand-write this letter to demonstrate the ugency of this issue and the immediate need for action. Your leaders want to hear from you, especially when they know how much energy and care you put into making your voice heard. So, grab your pen and pad and get writing!

If you'd prefer to write your own personal message and would like additional information on the ICC summons and the situation in Darfur, click here.

Your Name
Your Address
Today's Date

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush,

On February 27, 2007, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued summons for Ahmad Muhammad Harun, former Minister of State for the Interior of the Government of Sudan, and Ali Kushayb, a Janjaweed militia leader in Darfur, to appear before the ICC. Both men are accused of committing 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

As an American citizen who cares deeply about ending the atrocities in Darfur, I urge you and the administration to step up your efforts and match those of the Court to bring peace and justice to Darfur’s victims.

The crisis in Darfur has been raging on for 4 years now. I was encouraged when you called the situation in Darfur “genocide” in June 2005, but I am appalled that you have failed to live up to your promise of “Not on My Watch” for the people of Darfur. By calling the atrocities in Darfur “genocide,” you made yourself accountable to both the people of Darfur and the American people. In a region of Sudan where over 400,000 people have died, 2.4 million are displaced, and 3.5 million left hungry and without water, the United States can and must do better. We cannot let “Never Again” become an empty promise.

The United States must work with the international community to ensure that both Ahmad Muhammad Harun and Ali Kushayb appear before the ICC at The Hague. But our efforts cannot end there. The ICC has expressed its ongoing commitment to provide justice and accountability to the people of Darfur. I believe the United States government can play an essential role in that process by I believe the United States government can play an essential role in that process by providing concrete, consistent, and effective cooperation with the ICC on Darfur.

Additional actions for the U.S. must include:

* Turning over satellite imagery and other evidence to the ICC as a member of the U.N. Security Council;
* Building an energized and effective peace process, including strengthening rebel unity;
* Working with the U.N. and the international community to ensure deployment of international peacekeeping forces and implement the three-phase Addis Ababa agreement;
* Taking more forceful punitive measures against the Government of Sudan, including implementing a no-fly zone, a full range of targeted sanctions, and targeted freeze of assets and Sudanese
* off-shore accounts;Paying our full share of U.N. peacekeeping dues and contributing fully to humanitarian aid; and
* Engaging Sudan’s closest allies, especially China, to play a positive and public role in Darfur.

President Bush, I appreciate you being vocal on ending the atrocities in Darfur. But, what we need now is action. Please ensure that our efforts match the Court's in our commitment to the people of Darfur. The future of Darfur depends on it.

Sincerely,

[your signature]

Thursday and Friday 1/18-1/19

I woke up at 7:30 to go to breakfast with some friends who had class, then raced to the metro because I was enjoying my waffle, I made myself on the iron, for a little too long. I got off at Dupont circle and headed to N street for my first real interview. I was not nervous but all that night before I was a little restless. I interviewed with a non profit organization called Caribbean Central America Action. They work with Business and trade development in those two regions. I met the person I was corresponding with, an assistant program director, very nice, from Jamaica. Everything was great so far, then she tells me the President will be right in. WHAT? Ya, well that actually went really well, for not knowing I was going to meet with him. We spoke a little Spanish and he is from San Fransisco, so by the end I was confident in being memorable.

I got a little pick me up coffee then met my class at the Holocaust museum for a lecture about US foreign policy during that time period. After this man talked very slowly, but about interesting points, for two hours, we spent about three hours walking around the museum. It was amazing. They give such a realistic view of how a day in the life during the Holocaust was- from tapes of survivors to actual preserved daily items used int he concentration camps. The museum has an exhibit about Darfur as well, which underscores and reminds people about the phrase "NEVER AGAIN".

I was pretty drained when I came back for dinner. My roommate surprised me with free tickets to see 27 Dresses, since she interns at ABC. We ate quickly and went to the theater in Friendship Heights...it was very fun and she is so cute with her ideas of romance from the French perspective. Another great day... I always feel good after a productive day.

My first official day of classes!

WOW what a long day! I definitely learned more than one thing today though...you know how they say "you learn something new everyday." I had class this morning at 10:30, my Foreign Policy seminar, then almost ran to the metro at Tenleytown (the AU metro stop) to get off at Farragut North where I was meeting a friend of this woman and neighbor who I babysit for at home, Lynne. This woman treated me to lunch at the Mayflower Hotel on Connecticut ave NW in downtown DC. She gave me tips on internships and life in DC, and we talked about how we lived in Spain. She interned at the American Embassy in Madrid, very cool. Then I rushed back to the same classroom by my dorm from 2:30 to 5 class. Since we have a Whole Foods near campus I thought I would go and get a yummy salad and do some shopping for the room. Did that and ate a little then went off to my 6-8:30 class called International Children's Issues. My professor talks very fast, but she is very clear and we have a three week break in the middle of the semester since she and some other students, separately, are going to other countries with their seminars. It looks like it will be a great class, but the Peace Building and Conflict Management looks great too...hmmm what to do? Any suggestions? Then I came back to my roommates hanging out and to my nice litter dorm room! It was freesing today, literally maybe in the high 20's low thirties! It is definitely a change...oh my adventures

Exploring DC

So Saturday I went out with friends to the Eastern Market, actually it was a school organized trip therefore they paid for the metro which was fabulous, but we broke off from the group when we got there. It is on this long street with art, pictures, a flea market sections, unique jewelery and even fresh organic fruit. It reminded me of San Francisco- all artsy and down to earth.
Then today, we all went to China town- and right when we got out of the metro I noticed it was snowing! Just little flakes here and there that disappeared. We were around H street and 7th. Sarah and I went to the Smithsonian- the Art and Portrait one. There was a whole room on Katherine Hepburn, I was really excited. Then we made it on to meet some other people coming from class at the Library of Congress. They had a tour as their class for the morning, then the seminar later in the day. So we had Chinese food, and I had good California rolls and vegetarian egg rolls. I scouted out the gym on the main campus today and took a trial class...so I am feeling good!
My official classes start tomorrow with Christian Maisch, this funny man from Peru. We shall see...until next time.

Washington Monuments and all my favorite men...just the beginning

Friday morning we had the internship Bazaar put on my our program at the gym on the main campus at AU. Very exciting- dressing up in panty hose, meeting terrifying potential employers, smiling an uncommon amount, talking about yourself to impress other yet be somewhat modest, all with new people and for two hours. So it was great if you wouldn't tell. No, it was not that bad, they gave us coffee and bagels and we walked around the booths (before we ate, no worries, we were not eating and trying to get internships at the same time!). I dropped off four resumes at some non profit organizations I thought seemed interesting. Since then I have done hours of work on my resume and feel pretty good about it. So I am just trying to search for more internships I like and that aren't in the boonies far from Campus since I have to go every Monday and Tuesday. My friend Sarah, who is in the Foreign Policy seminar with me, so we stuck together. It was pretty exhausting and weird having eager people behind tables watching us walk by if we were not interested and knowing we are all competing against each other for internships.
During the day,I just did errands, got my AU ID and napped and then at night around 8 I went on a school led excursion to the monuments of DC. About 50 or so of us students took the metro to Fairagutt North and walked to the white House. Everyone was saying how small it was and we were in the back so it was even littler than we had imagined. We walked to the front and it was very pretty at nighttime, but still not really any bigger. Then we walked to the Washington Monument and saw the fifty flags around it. My friends and I took funny pictures around it then headed to the World War II Memorial with all the states names on tall concrete slabs around the center fountain. It was huge and very beautiful. I am glad I got to see this all during the night because then I can go back and compare during the day. Then we walked down along the water to my good friend Abe. He is huge! My friend Laura, from Germany, and I raced up the stairs and out of breath halfway through, we finally made it to the top to be yelled at by a security guard. I guess it is a sanctuary and you are not allowed to run or really even talk. But it was very white with great columns everywhere and did I mention there are a lot of stairs. We just sat on the steps and stared at the view of the Washington Monument and the water.
From there, we walked through the Vietnam Memorial Garden, where there are larger than life iron statues of the men in uniform as if there where there in Vietnam. Then there was this amazing lighted wall slab with faces imprinted onto it of the soldiers. They where all so young and handsome, with helmets on. There bodies were not shown. We then walked around a lake with bare trees hanging over it and a great reflection in the water of the moon and far off monuments headed towards the Roosevelt and Jefferson monuments. At this point, one of my friends had really really sore feet, so we all switched up shoes to help her out. We met a san francisco couple who gave us directions.

Pictures!!
Here is the view form my window at night!





Me and some friends in the back of the White House...it is a lot smaller than I thought!

My first day in DC

I arrived early Wednesday morning...early meaning 6am and got my huge suitcases and dragged them over to the shuttle...wow is that airport huge...then took the shuttle with conveniently, American university students, to my dorm. I am on Tenley campus which is separate from the main campus. There are about 400 students, including international, so I am told. I was the second to move into my room, so I was not left the "bad bed" as generically the last one to move in is left. I have a really cute and sweet French roommate named Noemie and a nice red headed girl form Oregon named Ashley. I think we will get along great. Then unpacked and got my orientation info and all that jazz.
Then there was DRAMA with my bedding and package situation! crazy....but i have my sheets

I met Laura, a girl who goes to USF and was in the Erasmus program with me last year and we went to Cambodia together, for lunch and caught up.

My friend Tim who lives in Maryland maybe 45 minutes away came to visit....

Around the World in 2007

Ridiculous I know but I have to keep track somehow...

Hawaii- Jan 07
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Utah
Antigua, Guatemala- march
London, England- May
Milan, Italy
Tuscany, Italy
Florene, Italy
Rome, Italy
Munich, Germany
Bangkok, Thailand
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Phnomn Phenn, Cambodia
Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Bankok to Phuket, Thailand
Phi Phi Don islands, Thailand
Tokyo, Japan to SF
summer
Utah to visit my brother
Kansas
Germany, Munich- Sept. 1
Spain
France
Italy
Ireland
England
Portugal
and now the new year!
Washington DC

I don't want to think about how many hours I have spent on an airplane.

Dublin and Madrid

John, my brother and I, my friends Jesse, Steve, and Holly from University of Deusto in Bilbao came to Dublin after our program ended. John, Jesse and I got on our delayed flight from Bilbao and were supposed to connect in Madrid, but we missed the next flight. After waiting in some long lines for the airline Iberia, we were told we were comped three meals and a hotels stay in downtown Madrid. So we got on the shuttle to the airport that night and arrived at a great hotel with our own hotel rooms. When we went down for dinner there was an amazing buffet with three courses and fruit for dessert and a bottle of wine waiting for us. Talk about being pampered, we had free wireless internet and phone minutes and a beautiful bathroom. That was very exciting especially after staying on couches and in hostels and traveling for the last four months. John and I were saying that we don't really remember the last time we spent a night in a hotel. The next morning we woke up early and took the metro into Madrid. John had never seen the city, though Jesse and I had. We went to the Reina Sofia museum of modern art and for the second time I saw all of Picasso's great works and Guernica again (although last time I went to the museum it was only for a very short amount of time). Since it was a sunday, we got in free, something else to add to the complimentary pile! Then we walked to Plaza del sol and down to Gran Via. There were lights and music in the streets and a very christmasy spirit.

After 24 hours in Madrid all paid for, we flew to Dublin and arrived around 7pm or so. Dublin is beautiful at night.

We met our friends in the hostel lobby and grabbed dinner at this great all Irish Pub. Of course, we had Guinness and some stew and curry and macaroni and yummy food.
The next day we went to the Dublin castle and got a tour. Today it is where they inaugurate members of the government, maybe even the head honcho, I don't remember. We also go to see underground ruins of the castle form centuries and centuries ago.
Then we went to the St. Patricks Cathedral. It was pretty big, but by no measure as big as the Notre Dam in Paris. From there we got lunch at this really fantastic Indian place. John had convinced us all to go, even though Jesse, Steve and I were a little hesitant and Holly is very picky. We had the best dishes and Naan and rice ever!! I found my new favorite food!

After that we went to the Guinness storehouse and toured it all. We learned how they make the beer and got samples of different types then went to the top (it has a lot of stories) and saw a great night view of the whole city and enjoyed another beer. Don't worry all the Guinness we had were at different times. We went out that night to a bug pub for dinner and all ate huge plates of food. From there we went upstairs to the bar and enjoyed a man singing and a woman playing the violin. I love Irish accents I must say! Then we kind of bar hopped and danced a little at this one bar where the one guy on stage played his guitar and played cover songs. After walking home, Jesse, John and I enjoyed our private room with comfy bed and slept well. The next morning we got up very early for our flight to London. From there a nice flight to Los Angeles in business class! 11 hours later we were home....and three weeks later I will be in DC