My first month at ISH came and went very quickly! Between grad school and ISH events there is always so much going on that time moves fast. I really appreciate how everyone at the House, whether they are interning, looking for jobs or going to school, is interested in learning and open to sharing and teaching about their field, background or country. There have been many interesting events at the house organized by residents these past few weeks. In early November there was a celebration of Mexican Independence Day complete with authentic Mexican candy, a piñata and margaritas. A few weeks later several German residents organized a briefing on the German elections and later live-streamed it in the TV room.

Some of my favorite learning experiences at ISH this past month have happened casually around the house. For example, I had an interesting conversation about how American reality TV shows are perceived abroad with a group of residents in the TV room as I watched ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ for the first time (another example of something I never anticipated experiencing amongst such an internationally diverse group). Over brunch one Saturday I left the meal having learned that the Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands with over 170 languages spoken, something I had never even thought to wonder about before. Similarly, a conversation after the Mexican Independence Day celebration led to my learning that Kuwait celebrates both an Independence Day (from Britain in 1961) and a Liberation day (marking the end of the Gulf War in 1991) – the two holidays take place on February 25 and 26 respectively.

Another aspect that I love about living at ISH is the diversity of languages that are spoken. I’ve enjoyed keeping up my French speaking skills by talking with French residents over meals. On top of French, I recently started taking Portuguese language courses for the first time at Georgetown. As I’m studying new vocabulary or curious to know more about the cultural information my professor talks about in class, I can conveniently ask one of the three current residents from Brazil.

I contributed to the ISH spirit of cultural sharing and learning by wishing everyone a Happy Ethiopian New Year on September 11 through an informational poster. I had fun putting the poster together and ended up displaying it at the entrance of the House. I was pleased to hear that many people stopped to read the information and found it interesting.

I’ve learned so much living at ISH and pursuing my courses in Global Politics and Security already, I can only imagine how much more I will know (and be driven to learn) by the end of my graduate school experience. I am very happy to be constantly learning as well as questioning and developing my beliefs and values both inside the classroom and at home here at ISH.

International Student House has a way of turning the average Saturday night, even the average Thursday night into something extraordinary- a music fest, a culinary feast or a fun philosophy contest.

Besides our resident salon which happens at least every other week, none of our events have a set rhythm to them, and yet no month goes by without several.

Cultural nights are our kind of party

Picture 1: Oh, the stories our great hall has to tell! Of many cultural nights for sure. Here it glistens in fairy lights, ready for Bollywood!

It usually starts with a small talk conversation in the hallway, library or dining room: “Hey, next week is Mexican National Day, let’s do something”- and once the idea is out, enthusiasts take care of the logistics. Usually, those whose home country has reason to celebrate, approach house leadership about possible dates and times and organize food, drinks, music and a live act of dancing, singing, origami or a quick presentation on whatever topic they prefer/the celebration centers around. Then the invite goes out to all residents and the blackboard boasts a colorful new poster.

This month, one of those nights was Bollywood night. Someone said: “We love these movies, let’s celebrate that! “ Soon, an e-mail was sent out announcing: “Next weekend, we’re going to India- at least for a night!” And so it goes:

Bollywood Beats for Indian Night

On September 9, we had a wonderful Bollywood dance party. I had noticed last year that quite a few residents enjoyed watching Bollywood movies and we felt it was high time to all get together and learn some new moves.

Picture 2: Quick! A picture of amazing food, before it disappeared within minutes 😊 . Delicious!

Raghuveer, Meghna, Gayatri and others did a wonderful job of turning this Saturday night into a Bollywood frenzy. The Great Hall was decorated festively, and we were thrilled to find a buffet of delicious snacks next to the bar: Homemade Mango-cardamom lassi, vegetarian and meaty samosas and more!

Last but not least, many residents brought out their finest traditional outfits, bringing the color and elegance of Bollywood to life.

Picture 3: “Bring clothes you can dance in” was the advice, and so we did! Notice XY’s beautiful dress in the background.

The motto “Snacks and Drinks and crazy moves” really did set the tone as we learned dancing moves together. Joyful rhythms and group dance at its best let everyone shine. Even working at the front desk right below our great hall, one could feel the vibes! I think the pictures give you some idea- there was bliss in these beats and moves; as one resident put it: Boy, I have not danced like this in years. Needless to say: We all eagerly await the next Indian Night.

Picture 4: So, you think you can dance? Absolutely! And this was a small group compared to later songs … Fun!

Note: A big thank you to our resident Tran Thi Thuc Huyen for the pictures!

I have been living at ISH for less than two weeks, yet I feel very at home here already. The experience of getting to know more about the House and meeting other residents happened simultaneously with full days of orientation for my graduate school program at Georgetown. Though I met many residents in the dining hall and common areas in the early days, what stands out in my memory as my official welcome into the ISH community was my first Sunday dinner.

Every Sunday at 1pm sharp, everyone in the house comes together for a family style meal. When I came downstairs and found a seat at a table with food, plates and silverware it made me think back to meals I would have with my family growing up. As someone who has been a student, living away from home for over six years now, it is not often that I share a meal with people sitting around a table at a specified time. And it was very cool to see so many members of the ISH community together at once. While I appreciate the flexibility of eating dinner during the week at whatever time works best for us, there is something special about Sunday dinners. At my first one each of the (many) new residents stood up and introduced themselves and outgoing residents stood up and said something about their time at the House. After a moment of silence (per ISH tradition) we all sat down and began the meal, passing around dishes of delicious food.

Meal times have really been a key way for me to get to know people at ISH. I have really enjoyed sitting down amongst people I have not talked to much yet and learning about their story – where they’re from, what they’re doing here in D.C., how long they’ve been at ISH. I have found that my interest in international diplomacy and foreign service is commonly shared by many residents of the House. Though I have learned a lot about U.S. foreign service through the Rangel Fellowship program, it has been interesting to learn about public service careers in other countries. Every time I catch up with friends and family from home I tell them about the most recent interesting fact I learned at ISH, like that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is the largest embassy in the world or that Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

I have had the opportunity to get to know more residents outside of meal times as well. Last weekend I went with a group of ISH residents to see a Redskins (American) football game. I would have never guessed that my first time going to a NFL football game would be with a such an internationally diverse group. Though I am not a big football fan, the time to chat with residents during the journey to the stadium and the experience of watching the game together was a great time. Another memorable event was a discussion hosted at ISH featuring Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, about the constitutional issues at stake in the investigation of the U.S. President. There is always so much going on at ISH, I look forward to meeting more people and the many fun events to come.

After having a great experience at ISH from 2015-2016 as I studied at Johns Hopkins SAIS, I choose ISH again as my home in DC. Even as a returning resident, I still feel excited about my life at ISH, nervous about my new roommate, and happy that I am back.

When I arrived at the door, I met with old friends that I made while I lived at ISH. At that moment, the only way to convey our feelings of surprise and joy was through ISH style hugs, which went beyond words, beyond languages and beyond culture. I said to myself “yes, I am back home.”

There is no foreign language at ISH!

At international student house DC, there are residents from all over the world, for example, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, India, the US, and how do people communicate with each other? It is true that everyone can speak fluent English as most of the residents are studying, interning or working in DC. However, at the same time, people enjoy speaking, hearing and practicing another language, such as French, Chinese, Spanish, German, etc. At ISH, there is no foreign language, no foreign culture. Every one of us is a member of the unique family and every one of us contributes to the unique culture at ISH. At dinner time, in addition to inspiring talks on international relations, we can also hear different perspectives on food culture, clothing culture and living culture. It is so much fun to hear about different customs in different countries.

For a returning resident, what more to gain from the experience?

Many people might be curious and ask me “Jiawei, you have lived here for a year and you know everything about ISH, what else can you gain from the experience?” My answer is that there is always something new at ISH. Maybe the menu of the food stays the same, but there are always new residents or returning residents coming from everywhere, new events and activities at ISH DC and new ideas about life. Hence, even for a returning resident, I find it fascinating to meet new people, get to know their stories and make new friends. If you have any question about the life at ISH DC, feel free to contact me at [email protected] and I will post the answers here on the blog.

Sunday family style supper