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“Happy Hour” at the Embassy of Liechtenstein

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Cherry Blossoms in the Spring

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Spring has sprung in DC and ISH residents have enjoyed the sun, the warmth and the Cherry Blossoms.

The National Cherry Blossom festival is an annual event in DC that drives many tourists to visit the city. This year the festival was from March 20th until April 14th, with different events happening all over the city. If you are ever DC during the festival, you have to check out the Cherry Blossoms, as it should be on the top of every DC tourist bucket list. I have had the great fortune of attending two events this year -I went to the Kite Festival on Saturday March 30th and PetalPalooza on Saturday April 6th. 

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event put on each year by a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the beauty of nature and international friendship. This organization’s programs and events are educational, environmentally friendly, showcase art and culture, and build community spirit. There is no wonder why over a million people come to this festival. This festival is primarily a commemoration of the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington DC. Another fun fact about the history of this festival is that on March 27th 1912 First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife to the Japanese Ambassador, planted the first two trees in the Tidal Basin. Since then, many first ladies have continued this tradition and have been involved in the planning and activities of the festival.

The Kite festival was amazing, with professional kite flyers doing demonstrations, and they had choreographed routines to music. They also had stands selling kites, booths where you could make your own kite, and the entire national mall surrounding the monument was filled with locals and tourists flying their kites. Anything and everything that you want to know about kite flying, you can find out at this event.  There were also national cherry blossom festival booths at the tidal basin. The tidal basin includes the Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr, George Mason, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials. This space looks beautiful when the Cherry Blossom are in full bloom.

Photo: Jefferson Memorial surrounded by Blooming Cherry Blossoms and festival goers in pedal boats.

PetalPalooza was an equally spectacular event, which took place at the Wharf. This event had live music, giveaways, swings, and everything else to make it a real palooza. This was a day filled with food and drink, as well as activities for the whole family, including the pets -there were specific areas for pet care and comfort. There were also art installations and boat cruises. The weather was perfect for these activities. In addition, the cherry blossoms were in peak bloom during the event making the day that much better. The day ended with a fireworks display.

Photo: Art Installation at PetalPalooza

Photo: Main Stage at PetalPalooza

Photo: View from the Wharf of the docks and the boat display

There a few tips and tricks to making sure you have the best time at these events.

  1. The sun is strong, so make sure you have a hat, sunglasses, and plenty of sunscreen to keep your skin from being damaged. I hope you take my word for it, because I learned this the hard way.
  2. It will be crowded. Take the metro instead of car. The traffic is crazy.
  3. Plan ahead. Many of the activities are only at specific times. If there is something you want to see, make sure you get there early. It will take a while to make your way through the crowds.

For more information about the National Cherry Blossom Festival and complete schedule of events, please visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

Spring has sprung in DC and ISH residents have enjoyed the sun, the warmth and the Cherry Blossoms.

The National Cherry Blossom festival is an annual event in DC that drives many tourists to visit the city. This year the festival was from March 20th until April 14th, with different events happening all over the city. If you are ever DC during the festival, you have to check out the Cherry Blossoms, as it should be on the top of every DC tourist bucket list. I have had the great fortune of attending two events this year -I went to the Kite Festival on Saturday March 30th and PetalPalooza on Saturday April 6th.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event put on each year by a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the beauty of nature and international friendship. This organization’s programs and events are educational, environmentally friendly, showcase art and culture, and build community spirit. There is no wonder why over a million people come to this festival. This festival is primarily a commemoration of the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington DC. Another fun fact about the history of this festival is that on March 27th 1912 First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife to the Japanese Ambassador, planted the first two trees in the Tidal Basin. Since then, many first ladies have continued this tradition and have been involved in the planning and activities of the festival.

The Kite festival was amazing, with professional kite flyers doing demonstrations, and they had choreographed routines to music. They also had stands selling kites, booths where you could make your own kite, and the entire national mall surrounding the monument was filled with locals and tourists flying their kites. Anything and everything that you want to know about kite flying, you can find out at this event.  There were also national cherry blossom festival booths at the tidal basin. The tidal basin includes the Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr, George Mason, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials. This space looks beautiful when the Cherry Blossom are in full bloom.

Photo: Jefferson Memorial surrounded by Blooming Cherry Blossoms and festival goers in pedal boats.

PetalPalooza was an equally spectacular event, which took place at the Wharf. This event had live music, giveaways, swings, and everything else to make it a real palooza. This was a day filled with food and drink, as well as activities for the whole family, including the pets -there were specific areas for pet care and comfort. There were also art installations and boat cruises. The weather was perfect for these activities. In addition, the cherry blossoms were in peak bloom during the event making the day that much better. The day ended with a fireworks display.

International Student House of Washington, DC | 1825 R Street, NW | Washington, DC 20009

International Student House of Washington, DC is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization located near Dupont Circle in the heart of Washington, DC. Donations will help support our mission to provide an exceptional residential experience to a highly diverse international community of graduate students, interns and visiting scholars. The House promotes inter-cultural dialogue, encourages life-long connections, and fosters global citizenship.