Over the last several months, residents have organized an ongoing series of in-house talks every Monday evening.  Relaxing on couches in the Great Hall, residents gather to benefit from one another’s expertise and experience.  The following provides brief summaries of the topics discussed:

The first talk featured a Uruguayan resident who provided a brief overview of his country. He specifically discussed President José Mujica, famously known as “the humblest president in the world,” for his modest lifestyle and donation of 90% of his salary. He described the significant social changes and progressive policies the president implemented and how they are clashing with a relatively conservative society. During another session, a Lebanese resident provided a similar overview of his country and its political history.

Another talk featured a resident working at Twitter’s Washington D.C. office.  She first provided a practical guide on how to utilize the website and what it can offer. She then explored some of the intersections between social media and policy/diplomacy. The following week, an Italian resident explained the historical and cultural roots of the Greek fiscal crisis—the subject of her economics thesis. She urged her fellow residents to consider the crisis as more than a monetary issue. She said that it is vital to remember the culture, thoughts and struggles of the Greek people while working towards viable economic solutions. Another resident spoke about the history of Native Americans and U.S. policies, highlighting historical treaties up to modern day issues facing their populations.

A Lebanese-American resident, who formerly led her university’s “toastmasters club,” provided advice on how to give a successful talk and not completely bore your audience. She emphasized that no matter what, one must always be prepared for the worst; if your slides don’t work, if your video doesn’t play, if you lose your written remarks, you must always be prepared to speak anyway. Afterward, she had residents participate in several fun improvisation activities where residents had to make a speech about a given topic without any preparation. The group discussed the general rule of improv of staying calm, remaining optimistic and working positively with your performance partners, which holds lessons for team activities of all kinds.

Most recently, a student working at the Federal Reserve spoke about big data. Big data is currently a source of much hype and concern, presenting many exciting technological innovations, especially for her work at the Reserve. However, as she pointed out, there are also tremendous risks and concerns, especially related to privacy. She described how big data presents a major policy challenge for the U.S. government because it must find a balance between regulation and not inhibiting innovation.

Current residents should regularly check the ISH facebook page for information on future sessions, which are held every Monday evening at 7:30pm.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Everything good must come to an end!!!  No, wait, that’s too sad a statement. Let me rephrase it. Everything good should end to make room for something better. So, after an amazing semester, it’s time for some of us to say goodbye. After a whole semester (or more in some cases) of togetherness, we are not going to live under one roof again. What makes this bonding so special? It is not only the fact that we are living a majority of our limited stay in ISH together, but also the sharing of experiences. Experiences of food, music, conversations – joyful or painful.

Food

I think our ISH experience would not be half as good without our amazing food. The wide variety of cuisine breaks the monotony of a dinner and each night gives us a celebration of tastes. I am sorry late dinner people – but I am sure you will agree too. I take pride in the fact that our food is not typical messy food. In fact, it comes from one of the finest French catering companies in the world (No, I am not plugging in their advertisement, but I am Indian, and I take my food very seriously.  My body takes it too – but that’s clearly for another post).  I once heard that our head Chef Vincent fought with his superiors to alter our dinner menu. If it was not for him, we would be still having the same menu every day, similar to a school cafeteria. He promised his bosses that he will fit different cuisines in the menu within the budget they specified. Thats how we have Mexican Thursdays, Steak tuesdays, Italian Wednesdays, those amazing tender Lambs on Sunday, and if “I” wish hard enough – Indian Butterchicken masala sometimes.

Don’t even get me started on those desserts!  Tiramisu, Canolis, Danish pies, chocolate cakes, carrot cakes, banana puddings…Slurp!! When Hurricane Sandy hit few years back, Hassent (our fabulous lady chef) volunteered to stay over for several days so that we didn’t go hungry. She was not required to, out of the grace of her heart.  Her job is not as easy as it looks. Hassent has to wake up at 3.30 am everyday!!! Try putting up a happy face after that. She puts a great breakfast in our plates (those quiches, blueberry pancakes and french toast are to die for, not to mention her awesome Omelets from fresh eggs).

These people know each one of us – they silently observe us and even know our food patterns. In a mystical way, they can even tell if we are sad or happy. They don’t seem to care a lot, but the truth is they do. I have stayed in ISH for about 1.5 years, and not one day has gone by since any of us has gotten sick from the food. This is done by ensuring strictest hygiene. So, next time they ask us not to bring a used plate inside, its probably for our best. If they say “no, we cant pack a special dinner for just you just this once”, it is because they want to be fair to the remaining 97 of us. Let us be grateful to these amazing people. I feel sorry for those residents who complain to chefs about a policy change on using paper plates or so. One thing I learned in my Organizational Communication class is that if you need to change policies don’t talk to employees, but to the policy makers. There is no point complaining to kitchen staff about it.

Music

You walk home from a stressful day of work and soothing music welcomes you. You look up and you realize it’s one of our ISH maestros doing their magic in the piano room. We stand outside ISH door gazing at the window above. Soon we are joined by other random passersbyers who stop to wonder whats happening upstairs. Sometimes, we proudly brag to them that this is a usual thing in this place. The magic of music takes over.

After dinner, you join the piano room, which by now has more music enthusiasts in it. In the spur of a moment, a band evolves and we see people from five different countries come together to sing What a wonderful world (in five different accents). But, music has no language and what evolves is pure celebration in the middle of the week.

I have a confession to make about that music room. I am sure many people in the house have that confession about the piano hall (Ok, its probably not what you are thinking). My best sleep in the duration of my stay in this house has happened in that hall. I went there one summer afternoon to read. One of my dear friends was playing the piano. As her fingers brought out the best music I slowly escaped into this calm place of solitude filled with peaceful dreams. I think the walls of the great hall have ears. They absorb this amazing music and give out radiations of peace to its visitors in return.

Conversations

For me, this is the best part. If food and music are the icing on the cake, the real deal comes when we sit around chatting. All sorts of topics are included – political, religion, life, childhood, youth, sometimes past experiences – love, hatred, traumas… I have found that ISH residents find it easier to connect to absolute strangers than their own family or people from their countries. It’s probably because strangers judge you less. They can give you a third party perspective. Strangely enough there is more kindness in ISH friendships than you would generally expect. After sharing something like that, your friendships grow into a heart to heart bond. We also know each other better. We know why this particular girl is resentful to men – her dad abandoned her when she was a child. Why this guy is a hardcore cynic about relationships – the girl he loved so much, mercilessly broke his heart. Another guy hates God. It would seem that God was not there when he needed him the most. This girl publicly despises marriages. She has not seen her parents happy together one day of her life. One girl is always craving for male attention. Her dad wanted a boy and all her life she tried to live up to his expectations, but in vain. Now she is secretly craving for that approval from others. We know why this guy is always attacking people verbally. Not because he is arrogant as he comes across, but he has gone through some unimaginable things in his childhood. His way of talking is only his defense mechanisms to avoid any further attacks – before someone attacks him (or he fears so) he attacks them. We know why this guy is socially awkward – he was bullied in his childhood and spent so much time in his cocoon that he is now used to that way only. A social setting scares the bejesus out of him. But, we are empathetic to each other. We care for each other in a very special way. Because in the limited stay we are here for, we are all we have got. No room for judgments. Only room for kindness, love and affection. And sometimes, it liberates each one of us from our past baggage.

We know that its going to be OK. We know that sometimes, kindness and love can still come from most unexpected places. It fills us with hope for future. A topic about conversations is incomplete without the mention of “sharing human experiences in ISH” (some people mistake it for gossip). I dare not contaminate this with a word like that. As long as it doesn’t malice someone’s honor and reputation, I think, this becomes an amazing bonding experience. We know what that person is happy about. It’s about seeing someone chasing a dream and getting it. More people deserve to know about it. We know this person likes this other person and that person likes this other person. We have a relationship food chain going on in ISH. We know this person dated a celebrity once. Next time you see that person, you suddenly have an elevated respect (?). It becomes an internal branding, where everyone looks good. Everyone has a story and each one is the hero of their story or will be by the time the story is circulated within the house. So, to all my dear friends who are biding good bye. We will miss you. Each one of you with your unique personality added to the ISH experience. It is not the end of something beautiful, but the beginning of something more beautiful for you. ISH experience has enriched your psyche. You have amazing friends from all over the world now. Some of them know some of your deepest secrets, but they are OK with it. You are ready for the real world – well almost. Be happy about it. You have all those memories with you. Some of them will last a long time. When you reach your home and start unpacking and settling back, you will wonder “Did ISH really happen or was it just a beautiful dream?” Season’s greetings to all of you!! A great year awaits us!!

#3 – The first couple of days

September 13, 2014
It has almost been  a week since I started to live in DC.  It’s time for a new blog now.  I must say that it feels like I’ve been here for months. Isn’t that crazy?  Also I feel like I felt very much at home  really fast.  My housemates at the International Student House are all very social.  Meeting each other for every meal in the dining room has become a tradition of ours where we get to know people from all over the world.  Everybody shares both funny and interesting conversations.

My first day at my internship was hilarious.   When I had free time the day before, I went to investigate the location of the Dutch embassy, so that  I would not be late the next day.  Once I saw the building with the Dutch flag, I felt relieved knowing that I found  the embassy … Well guess what.  The next day I came to that exact spot cheerfully ringing the doorbell, only to be greeted by an employee of the building opening the door  and saying  “this is the residence of the ambassador and NOT the embassy.”  Nice.  Good way to start the internship I told myself.  Eventually I called a taxi and I arrived half an hour late, but I did not panic, because interns at their first days at the embassy were   characterized as being late or getting lost since it was  in the middle of nowhere.

The first day was quite interesting.  A year ago, a Dutch man  drove under the influence and killed someone.  The American judge sentenced the man to 25 years without bail.  However, according to Dutch Standards, the sentence was too grave,  so the embassy tried to mediate the decision of the court.  Since I am analyzing the logistic process of visas and passports, it is funny to see the other side of the Immigration office  where I used to work for two years.

Meanwhile, I have  met about 10 to 12 other trainees following the internship at the Dutch embassy.  We went to the Capitol and the Library of Congress yesterday. It’s normal in DC to see squirrels and deer, like in India where you see monkeys running around.  There’s plenty to do with free museums, swimming pools, and a zoo nearby.  The buildings are beautiful, and I will be sure to post some pictures!

I feel very comfortable at the International Student House, where I sit for a cozy chat or make plans for the weekend after dinner with all the housemates. I  have listened to my heart and have taken this step, because this is an experience I will never forget.

#4 – Feeling like home

September 16, 2014
The first week is over, but it already feels like I’ve lived here for four months or longer. The roads to work and the surrounding environment are now well-known. The new family created at home with my friends  from the International Student House, and my friendly work colleagues, have made my experience truly fulfilling in Washington D.C.  I am so luckily that everything is going well so far.

Last Saturday I went to the Newseum with a few friends.  I definitely recommend the Newseum  for those who want to come to Washington DC.  This is one of the few museums where you have to pay.  The museum has all the important news reports that have been printed from 1800 that are exhibited to the public including old newspapers to  9/11.

On Sunday, we went to a town near Washington DC – Annapolis – also known for its NAVY academy, which is almost comparable to the army in the Netherlands. Before I participated in the tour, we watched a short introduction movie for 15 minutes. For me, it was actually more of a commercial for the NAVY than an introduction. I think it’s something special to see how proud Americans are, but also something else entirely.  Before I left  the Netherlands, I was complaining about the media and the fact that some of these communities  have been brought in a bad light because of the media.  While I was complaining, I realized how I was doing exactly the same.  Because I had preconceptions about Americans before I came here, and  because of the media in which they often emerge as soldiers in war came across as fake for the public, especially on shows like Oprah or Ellen Degeneres.  But there was one thing I forgot.  You have media, and you have reality.  Americans in my experience have been very helpful, friendly and easy going.  Obviously I cannot group all of them into that box, but I think the contrary has been proven, and I’m really surprised. The tour at the NAVY was very nice.  They have a great location in the academy with several rooms including a pool, sports court, a boxing hall, a ballroom, etc.  The pictures I have posted really can’t say enough.

The town itself reminded me of Scheveningen (in Holland) with its sea and small boats on the port.  I hope next time will feel like now!

I have entered a stage that I do not rely  on using  Dutch as I translate English.  Sometimes, this makes me come up with very strange sentences.  Besides English, I am also improving my German language skills by speaking German with Carla, who wants to learn Dutch.  We talk in Dutch together!.  I also would like to learn French as I follow with the housemates from France or knowing French.

From Washington DC, I want to thank everyone for all your good wishes, for indeed, today is my birthday. September, 17 2014 – A day I will never forget. Becoming 24 abroad, away from home, but everyone in my heart.

This post is dedicated to all the hopeless romantics of International Student House Fall semester. Those who are interested in that special someone and are feeling the pangs of that attraction – the happy and the unhappy kinds. It is also dedicated to opposite end of the spectrum; hardcore cynics.

It is that time of the year…

Chillier weather outside, lots of work inside, intermittent chat breaks in the dining hall. More people are spending time together. You see the same people day and night. You dine with them, you have breakfast with them. You see them at their best and worst. It’s only natural that the “forces of nature” come into play. You know what I am talking about – the forces that show you there is a special someone for you in the house.

I would guess, 75% of the residents in our house have had a crush on another resident in the duration of their stay. Some of these crushes led to long term relationships, for some it was just a trend of the season, but for the remaining, it was a hopeless infatuation.

Til yesterday, that person was just one among the many dear “inmates”. But suddenly, you realize something has changed inside you. You wish to see that person more often. This is how it begins. You feel your heart weighs a ton when he/she walks in. Your tongue freezes and you are your awkward self when you are talking to that person. You drop things. You stutter when you talk. You feel sick (in a good way). You palpitate. You can hear your heart beat like the bass at the discotheque.

You feel alive and it seems like every cell in your body is smiling…You are walking on clouds…You try to reason it…Why are you attracted to this person? What makes him/her unique from the remaining crowd? Is it the Italian accent? Or the crisp English manners? Or the conventional belief systems they have? Or the similarities that connect you? Or the fact that she is distinguishably different from the rest of the crowd in the house (at-least to you)? Or his lonely and awkward disposition? Or her Jacky Kennedy like elegant looks? Or her German demeanor? The way that person cracks you up? Or is it a friendship slowly blossoming into romance without one of you realizing it?

Suddenly, you start seeing that person everywhere (or you think you are). Sometimes, you wish for your crush to walk by so badly when he/she does walks in, it feels like it’s magic (especially when you put in that extra effort to look good and it would be a waste if they didn’t see). This happens several times and you feel like you have supernatural powers to make them appear out of nowhere. You forgot the fact that it’s a small house with just one coffee machine (its just odds, nothing magical). It feels like you won a lottery of some kind.

You steal glances. Sometimes that lingering eye contact (that you may have imagined) makes you feel like time froze over…Your day is made from that one glance…

All in all it is an amazing feeling!!!

Love is love no matter where you are and which culture you come from…ISH is a perfect setting to witness that…

But I think, unless you practice caution, this is a very risky state to be in…It gets to be the exact opposite of Euphoria!!

The next thing you know, your friends are trying to block you from entering the dining hall as if it is some crime scene (they know it better; you wont be able to take this sight). But, despite the warnings, you still walk in and see it. There it is – your crush is interested in someone else. You haven’t seen her/him so lit up when talking to anybody else in the house. It is almost like your crush swallowed a hanger before sitting down with the other person – can’t stop smiling. And all you want to do is disappear from the face of the planet. This happens again and again and you suffer a slow death from inside. Your beautiful dream just turned into a nightmare. If you are lucky, your romance will also end after witnessing your crush with someone else and you might just snap out of your “crush-hood”.

Remember that statistic I mentioned earlier about 75% of residents having a crush on other residents. Well, 80% of those don’t end up in a relationship or anywhere.

But then, that is the good thing about ISH. As much as it is easy to fall for that someone, it is also easy to move on to the next person. As the famous saying goes, “there is other fish in the pond”. Do I hear a French accent from the new resident? It is music to the ears and a sight to sore eyes. Added bonus – This one can actually maintain a witty and engaging conversation too. It is probably a sign from the universe to move on.

On a serious note, you would be very selfish if you are frustrated and angry to see the person you claim to love so much so happy and lit up with someone else. Remember, the true sense of love is not about you, it’s more about making the other person happy. If you are not happy to see your crush’s happiness, it’s a litmus test to tell that you never loved that person in the first place. You were looking for validation for yourself in him/her. You were just measuring yourself against that person to make yourself feel good.

Feel happy for him/her and move on to better goals in life. It’s just not meant to be and the right person is yet to come. Measure you against yourself. Set some difficult goals and try to achieve it – trust me it will feel a lot better than measuring yourself against someone else.

What gives me the right to talk about all this stuff? I agree, I am no expert…But, I am married for 12 years which gives me a slight (stress on the word “slight”) authoritative edge to talk about love and relationships. Who can figure it out completely anyways? And it is/was so different from how I experienced it, but I don’t need to experience it firsthand to know about it.
Years later when we think about our awesome stay in ISH, an unrequited love story, if it happened, would only add more flavor to our memories.

So let’s take the euphoria from the experience and leave the pain behind. Let us keep the romance in the air and not let it get under our skin. Let us make the most of this beautiful fall semester with productive enthusiasm and aspirations for our better future.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

A group of us from the International Student House decided to go on a camping trip. We spent three days camping, hiking and canoeing in West Virginia. But the best part of the trip (thanks to the company’s mistake!) was the rental car we got. Even though it was shortly lived I had my very own Camaro for the weekend.

I was a girl scout for most of my childhood so I grew up fishing and camping but this time it was much different. To begin with we stayed in a beautiful cabin with glass windows all around. We would wake up in the morning to see a family of deers walking outside in the back yard. Something you would only pictured could happen in movies. We had great nights eating dinner as a family, playing board games, telling scary stories and most importantly really got to know one another in a different environment.

On our first day we went hiking and mountain climbing in Shenandoah National Park. We climbed so high that we all believed we had reached the clouds, even thought in reality it was just fog. It was amazing to be able to become one with nature and escape all of our day to day lives and the stress that follows.

On the second day we went cannoning at Blackwater Outdoor Adventures located on the Cheat River near Blackwater Falls and the Canaan Valley, WV. The view of the mountains and trees along side of the sunset was absolutely breath taking and empowering all at the same time. We were soaking wet by the end of the journey as we had stopped to swim in river. Being able to act like a kid again was something we were all longing for.

It is an incredible opportunity to go on an adventure with friends you’ve known for awhile and those that you have just meet. “Have new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold.”, this is an oath all Girl Scouts are taught, and only now do I understand the real meaning behind this saying. It is the friendships I have made and continue to make at the International Student House that teach me every day about respect, cooperation and compassion for one another.