Life at ISH Archives - International Student House Washington DC

An Ode to Meeting People

July 1, 2019 by Yuan-Bing Mock

Nine am on a bright sunny Sunday morning saw a group of bleary eyed ISH residents bundle into a mini van filled with three cooler boxes full of sandwiches, drinks, and ice-cream. Minh, an alumnus of ISH, and Katie, our Director of Outreach and Strategic Initiatives, took us to the Smithsonian National Zoo, where we met up with more ISH alumni and embarked on a hike through the Park.

As we scrambled over some fairly hilly terrain and skirted along narrow riverside ledges, we discussed the best shows of Netflix, swapped ISH stories, and compared interests and occupations. The hike was followed by a picnic at the Smithsonian National Zoo, where we lounged on the grass and played some football. While talking to Minh, he said that he’d wanted to get the residents out of the House and give them an opportunity to meet ISH alumni and learn more about their fields and lives.

One of the stories to emerge was a verified story about how two roommates from different countries eventually became government representatives in their own countries, and after doing so brought their countries together in a trade agreement. “Some policy has definitely come out of ISH,” another alumnus tells me as we walk.

All this has made me reflect on what it means to meet people at ISH, and more generally, in DC. This is also partly due to the fact that it is now summer, and summer in DC means two things: One, a sudden outburst of activity – everyday there is a new event or talk or reception, and it is hard to keep track of all that is going on in this city; and two, an influx of young and bright summer interns. At ISH, this means that the resident WhatsApp chat is always buzzing with invitations to different networking receptions (on top of fun events). Watching the new interns meet people as they begin navigating DC has reminded me of my own first days, and the amount of networking outside of ISH I felt I had to engage in (but didn’t) to find my place.

Networking in DC is a fact of life, but instead of clammy dread and an awkward competition to find the most things to say about the weather, I have found that it can mean something much less utilitarian. “It is about being interested in a person, finding a genuine connection with them,” as one of the new interns in my office tells me over lunch.

I have never thought of making friends at ISH as networking. Friends at ISH often share such deep emotional connections, that to term what we have as networking seems almost demeaning. But I suppose networking, as recast above, has more in common with our friendships than I thought. Because both concepts, at their most basic, are about making that true connection with someone else, about being curious about their lives and thoughts. Thinking about it this way has made thinking about networking easier for me.

And on the subject of strong friendships at ISH: Today I moved out of ISH for the first time since I moved in. When I return in two months, most of my close friends in ISH will no longer reside at ISH. (Some, like my friend Tebogo, have already left for their home country permanently to do great things.) The past week has instead been a whirlwind of trying to make the most of our time together. This has included ping-pong matches, jam sessions, foosball and pool competitions, a lot of Pictionary, visiting an arcade-style bar, Safeway trips, kayaking outings, and staying up very, very late. Getting into the Uber for the airport and waving goodbye to a couple of them was surprisingly hard.

All this to say, I have come to the following conclusion. Whether you believe in networking or not, whether you even like meeting new people or not, life is a heck of a lot easier with good friends by your side.

“Happy Hour” at the Embassy of Liechtenstein

June 12, 2019 by Krystin Sinclair

The first week of June marked for a few changes at the House. Many residents moved out after their spring semester ended and many new faces rolled in for summer internships. All this commotion leads to an interesting month for sure.

One of the most memorable moments of June that had residents dressed up in their business best was a “Happy Hour” invitation from His Excellency Kurt Jaeger, the Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein. This event was at the waterfront residence of the Ambassador and many current residents, as well as a handful of alumni, Board members and staff of both the Embassy and ISH attended.

Ambassador Jaeger speaking to a group of ISH-DC resident scholars

This was an excellent opportunity for students with interest in international affairs and business to have conversations with Ambassador Jaeger about both his time in Foreign Service and the private sector. He has been the Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the United States of America since 2016, and the six years prior to this he was Ambassador to the European Union and Belgium. He also has years of experience in international regulatory affairs and the airline industry, just to touch on a few points from his extensive CV.

The residency had a wonderful terrace view of the Potomac River and Georgetown, where we were welcomed into the pristine and beautiful home of Ambassador and Mrs. Jaeger, who invited us to enjoy drinks and nibbles made for a truly unforgettable evening. All the ISH residents who attended felt personally welcomed by the Ambassador and Mrs. Jaeger, who won everyone over with their natural charisma and worldly knowledge.

It was a very nice evening and the intermingle of ISH residents and embassy team was effortlessly smooth. I for one had a wonderful conversation with Mrs. Jaeger about pilates and the best parts of DC – including the Kennedy Center and the free performances on Millennium Stage.

THANK YOU to Ambassador Jaeger, Mrs. Jaeger, and their team at the Embassy of Liechtenstein for an unforgettable night!

Of Parties and Revelations

June 12, 2019 by Yuan-Bing Mock

At 5:30 pm, one hour before the Garden Party began, I came home to a row of valet attendants standing outside the House, waiting for guests to arrive. Inside, the ISH staff had gathered, name tags had been lined up neatly, and for once there was not a student in sight (although they would soon join). The invitation said “Garden Party”, so most of us assumed that the bulk of the evening would have taken place in the Garden. But besides the garden, all of the interior common areas had been transformed. There were beautiful floral arrangements on every side table, cream colored cloths draped over most empty surfaces, and everywhere, service staff waiting for guests to arrive.

It is easy to forget, amidst the everyday hustle and bustle, the work and the worry, the kind of place that ISH is. Most days, as I rush to and from work, I barely notice the wood paneled walls, the delicate molding on the ceilings, the ornate lamps and carved furniture. But at the Garden Party, I think we all received a reminder of how grand a place it really is.

Residents were decked out in “business casual”, which really ran the gamut from tuxedos to sharp shirts, elegant cocktail gowns to flowy summer dresses. It was almost strange to see fellow residents in the selves that many of us wear to work or school everyday – serious, composed, put together. But then people would say hi, and joke, and laugh, and the spell would be broken. Because it is May, because it is a transitional period, it was also a good opportunity to get to know some of the newer residents in the House, and celebrate our many graduates!

At the beginning of the night, most residents gathered in the transformed dining hall (obviously, because the first hors d’œurves were there). This was followed by a slow dispersal of people throughout the rest of the spaces as the night wore on. Tight knit circles of students gave way to easy conversations with Board members and ISH alumni alike. Weaving through the different rooms and the many conversations, I felt like I was exploring a foreign wonderland altogether.

Amongst the distinguished guests who attended were Ambassadors, representatives from embassies, and other important people. It still feels quite amazing that such accomplished folks would take an interest in our lives, would give up time to be at ISH and get to know students, and would throw in their support to a group of young people trying to find their way in the big city. All this to say, a very big thank you to everyone who attended, who has supported us, and who have allowed us to stay in such an amazing residence for our time in DC. But also, a very big thank you to the amazing people who run ISH everyday, who oversee the logistics and accounting of the House, who cook for us, who make sure that our rooms and facilities are clean. I am fairly sure I speak for all of us when I say that we are all grateful for your efforts.

And to new residents – welcome. Your first few weeks will be a whirlwind of activity and trying to get to know people, of learning faces and forgetting names. It will be disorienting, to say the least. But don’t worry, because it will also be great. Just smile, and say hi (and ask for their name again).

ISH at EU Embassy Open Houses

May 14, 2019 by Krystin Sinclair

May in DC is filled with fantastic cultural opportunities. Passport DC is a month long event that highlights the international community of the city, and is hosted by Cultural Tourism DC, a non profit organization that strives to showcase the possibilities within DC. Some of the very best events that DC has to offer are part of Passport DC.

On Saturday the 11th, I along with other ISH residents attended the EU Open House. This event encompasses embassies opening their doors to the public and really putting on a show. There are giveaways, food and drinks, traditional costumes, music, dance, freebies, historical lectures, videos, and demonstrations of what it means to be from that country. This is a must see for anyone with the opportunity to attend.

This event is marketed as a way to tour the EU. They even hand out passports and each embassy will give you a stamp. I visited quite a few embassies and got to speak with other residents about the different embassies that they visited and of course all of the EU residents about how they want their country to be seen and to show itself.

The EU embassy that is located nearest to ISH - DC is Portugal. This embassy had a long line, which was well worth the wait. The ambassador to Portugal personally welcomed every visitor at the front door. After the warm welcome, I got a passport stamp and spoke to a Portuguese furniture company that was handing out measuring tape and watched a video that highlighted tourism in Portugal. The embassy also had many different Portuguese businesses present. We spoke to consultant firms, fitness experts, vineyard owners and fragrance companies about their start in Portugal and their experience working in the USA. They also had both food and wine to try. We also got the lovely tote bags displayed in the photo, along with the chance to take photos in front of the fun Portuguese backdrops and even a chance to enter a raffle to win a flight to Lisbon.

Another Embassy with a long wait due to its popularity was Ireland. The Irish embassy had a full band and step dancers on their front lawn, as well as a rugby team (see picture). This embassy brought in members of the DC community that knew Irish step dancing to provide information as well as members that were involved with Gaelic sports. They also had a very informative guide for the embassy tour who provided information regarding the status of the house and the ambassador as well as how to bring parts of Irish culture to our everyday lives in DC.

The Greek Embassy had a line that went down the block and wrapped around the corner. This embassy really showcased its culture and even had full crew outside the embassy to provide question & answers, information and photo opportunities. They had very colorful traditional dress. This really drew the eye of all who passed by. The food and drink that they had looked especially appetizing. Greece wasn’t the only country to have members in full dress awaiting visitors in front of their doors. Croatia also had this and a full band. All of the guests leaving the Croatian embassy had smiles on their faces. Croatian wasn’t the only embassy that accomplished this. Denmark really stood out from the crowd. They sent vikings to stand on the corner, hand out cookies and direct people to their open house. Denmark wasn’t the only embassy to grab visitors attention as they were walking down the block. Latvia had a huge sign so that nobody could miss them. You could tell from the outside that Latvia would explain its culture through literature and art.

The Italian embassy also provided quite a bit to write home about. They had tons of booths. There was gelato, pizza, coffee, quizzes, scavenger hunts, soccer, ducattis, a military history exhibit and even a cut out of the coliseum.

All of these embassies were very exciting to visit. My favorite memories of this day was from visiting embassies of countries that I have been to. As the embassy visit brought back the memories of the trip, I found myself reminiscing fondly of my previous experience in that country. The custard tart at the Portuguese Embassy reminded me of my trip to Lisbon and viewing the beautiful mosaic tile sidewalks, and climbing the Belem Tower. Catching a Rugby ball at the Irish embassy reminded me of walking along the cliffs of Moher and enjoying the amazing natural landscape that the Irish coast has. I hope to visit the countries from the other embassies that I had the chance to see. Maybe, when I do I will be reminded of the EU open house and the amazing friends that I have made at ISH.

For more information and to see the other opportunities from Cultural Tourism DC that showcase what DC has to offer. Please visit https://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/passport-dc1.

The Life of an Introvert at ISH

May 6, 2019 by Yuan-Bing Mock

Today, April 27, is Freedom Day in South Africa, marking the first time free and fair elections were held. I know this, because one of my closest friends in the house has just shared this over our breakfast of waffles and omelets. To mark the day, she has proposed that we watch a movie called “Sarafina!” this evening. Elsewhere in the house, a resident is apparently leading a morning yoga session in the Great Hall. Learning how to live in a house with 90 other people was one of my biggest concerns. Over time though, I’ve found that it isn’t so difficult to adapt. ISH has permeated so much of my life that I’ve actually been meeting ISH residents even at work. During the World Bank’s annual Spring Meetings, I got to bring around some of my friends from the house who were attending. As an introvert, I think one of the best methods to cope is to be adopted by an extrovert. You get a new forever-friend and you get to meet all of your forever-friend’s friends. They can also run interference when you don’t know what to say. But to be adopted, they kind of have to know that you’re up for adoption first. The most straightforward and effective way to do so is to just be present. I’ve enjoyed lounging around under the sun in the ISH gardens, and it’s where I’ve had some of the most interesting conversations with other residents. Like me, most of them come out on sunny weekday afternoons, seeking respite from life. Sometimes, being present can also mean attending ISH activities. For example, we're lucky enough to get group tickets to the African American History Museum from a kind sponsor. There is something remarkably unifying about learning about such a significant part of history together. The exhibition itself was stuffed to the brim with information. It was a remarkably emotional experience as well; it gave me the impression of many years of repressed feelings, carefully curated and waiting to be discovered. Another tip for socializing that someone has given me is to always ask open-ended questions. Or, if you ask yes or no questions, to follow up with an open-ended question. For example, thanks to weekly Game of Thrones (GOT) screenings in the Great Hall, I’ve had the following conversation about ten times: “Hey, are you going to the GOT thing?” “No.” “Oh, why not?” “I don’t watch the show. I’ve read the books though.” “Why not the show?” “Um, because while I’m fine with reading about violence, watching it is a bit too much for me.” “Wait…what?” See? Open-ended questions build conversation (I’ll leave you to guess which one I am in that conversation.) For the people who did actually watch GOT though, the Hall was set up wonderfully with a large projection screen, free soda and popcorn. Residents have also started a game involving predicting which characters will die and which characters will survive. But relatedly, I’ve found that finding common interests is another way to connect across cultures. For me, this involves anything to do with dancing. At the recent Africa Night, for instance, I loved learning about the different dances from each country from our own residents. (Dancing is just not traditional in my culture.) I’ve also found music to be very therapeutic; Friday night saw some of us jamming in the Great Hall. Making music in the Hall has been something of a staple of my life in ISH. These sessions are seldom planned, their participants constantly changing, but the fun remains.

Figure 1: Africa Night in full swing

Figure 2: Africa Night table display Today is another sunny day. When I finish writing this, I’ll probably head in from the gardens to the dining hall to do some work. Later, some residents are planning to drop by a French Market event in Georgetown. Even later, I suppose I’ll watch the movie with the others. Just another day at ISH.