Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, evokes myriad memories of spectacular fireworks on a moonless autumnal night, homes illuminated by dozens of bright lamps, and family and friends visiting each other and sharing traditional sweets and other delicacies. Its religious significance aside, the festival brings together communities by symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, hope over despair, knowledge over ignorance, and light over darkness.

On November 7, 2018, for the first time in its history, ISH-DC was bathed in the spirit of Diwali – fairy lights adorned the walls and beautifully-painted earthen lamps lined the corridors. In fact, the word “Diwali” is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “a series of lights”. Residents, some of them dressed in colorful traditional costumes (Sarees, sherwanis, kurtas, – you name it), thronged the venue in enthusiasm for an unforgettable soiree. A few residents let their artistic juices flow, helping the others apply henna tattoos (also called Mehndi in several Indian languages) – and we witnessed some very impressive designs! We also had different South Asian snacks and sweets that residents gorged on.

Diwali holds a special place in my heart because it coincides with my birthday in accordance to the Hindu lunar calendar. However, this Diwali will always remain the most inspiring one, because I was given an opportunity to put up a special Bollywood singing performance for the residents – and it was the first time I sang with all my heart and soul before such a large, encouraging audience! Residents Sunny Dharod, Bob Zeng, Krista Heinonen and I also performed before the rest a Bollywood dance sequence (complete with facial expressions and synchronized movements), in the midst of jubilant cheering and applause by our equally energized fellow residents.

Needless to say, the revelries had just begun!  A mélange of colors and cultural backgrounds merged into a pixelated unity when all the residents came together to groove to Bollywood chartbusters and festive beats on the dance floor that the ISH-DC lobby had transformed into. Finally, keeping with the traditional spirit of Diwali, we gathered to light mini-sparklers. What stood out was the beaming smiles and unrestrained laughter. Such a blissful way to bring to a close a festival that triggers nostalgia and ties me, just like many other residents, to our roots. The ISH-DC community is a close-knit family after all!

This past month of July had many celebrations: our country’s independence on the fourth, Colombia’s independence on the 20^th, and Manuela finishing up her internship at World Bank on the 27^th. These last few weeks have flown by, and I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I first entered the front lobby at the International House. It has been such an amazing journey: the great people I’ve met, the friendships I’ve kept up with, the events I’ve attended, and even the ones I hosted myself! I hope you remember my last post about the coffee tasting because I have some updates…

The first ever coffee tasting event in the Great Hall was a success. Residents learned about the history of coffee, how the coffee bean transforms into a coffee cup, and the different coffee varieties in the coffee belt region. Afterwards we all woke up by sampling four different types of coffee from: Ethiopia, Hawaii, Jamaica and Colombia. We all enjoyed pairing our coffee with yummy pastries and chocolates provided by the kitchen and we talked about our favorite coffee varieties. I learned so much when preparing for the event, and I’m so happy we had such a great turnout.

ISH residents at the Coffee tasting in the Great Hall

I took a weekend trip to New York City in July to visit an old ISH friend from Paris. She is interning in Manhattan until the end of December, and it was great to meet up after staying in touch for months. We had great weather in Brooklyn, so we decided to check out the open-air market festival called Smorgasburg. We were able to try different types of street food, listen to live music, and get some ice cream—all while enjoying a beautiful view of the city.

ISH resident Sixtine and myself in Brooklyn

The last week of my internship I invited one of the ISH residents to come visit the World Bank and check out our amazing cafeteria for lunch. I gave her a tour of our main building, and she offered to show me around the Organization of American States (OAS) before I left. I took her up on the offer and was pleasantly surprised when I went to visit the historic building.  We walked around the statue hall, the main ballroom, and had lunch in the entrance garden. Thank you, Sofi, for being a great tour guide, I learned a lot about the OAS! The best part about ISH has been the people and the great opportunities that come along with it!

ISH resident Sofia and myself in the OAS

The OAS statue hall

The OAS Ballroom

 

The past month at the House has been full of World Cup mania! Everyone has been watching the games in the main T.V. room, and the rivalries on-screen appear off-screen as well. We have so many nationalities represented at the House, and it’s been super fun to see everyone argue, scream, cry and even jump during the games. And then you have the Italians that are sometimes ignoring the fact that we have a World Cup going on… I’ve been following the Colombia games very closely and the whole World Bank as well. I catch people watching the games on their computers during meetings, at the coffee shops, and in the cafeteria all the time.

My aunt, little cousins, and I watching the Colombia game

This past month we had some really cool events at ISH. I attended the Spanish Embassy Wine Tasting event at the House—and Juan from the Agriculture section at the Embassy led the two-day event. He started out by explaining the different wine regions in Spain, going over the process of making wine, and then teaching us the three key points for wine tasting: color, smell, and taste. We tried six different types of wine, and by the end of the lesson I think we could all pretend to know at least a little bit about wine! ISH residents were also invited to the Liechtenstein Ambassador’s residency. The residency is right by the Georgetown waterfront. It was really cool to meet the team and talk to Ambassador Jaeger about his experience in D.C. and to learn about the history of the country. We got to try some of their specialty wine that they only sell in the country, and I got to brush up on my German.

Wine tasting event at ISH

Ambassador Jaeger’s residency

ISH residents on the rooftop of Liechtenstein Ambassador’s Residency

Speaking of rooftops, I recently discovered that you can eat your lunch in the IMF HQ1 building rooftop anytime as a World Bank employee. A few of my friends from the International Student House and I planned a lunch date last Wednesday. The views were incredible, but it was a bit windy. I look forward to my last month at ISH, and next weekend I am planning to lead a coffee tasting event at the House! Stay tuned…

ISH residents having lunch on IMF Rooftop