Half Way Mark in the District of Columbia

Greetings from the Most-Important-Place-on-Earth (Washington D.C.)!

I am at the half-way mark, nearing 5 weeks. Comparatively insignificant to my other stays, but since my days are occupied with my 9-to-5 job, all things are accomplishmenta. Like today, I experienced another humid, rainy D.C. day. As I stepped outside on my over-air-conditioned office building, I felt the humidity building up to a rain storm, like being on the cusp of a sneeze

when you are consecutively inhaling because you are about to explode. Yes, that. But I had to grocery shop at a Safeway five blocks away, so I scurried in my after-work flip flops to Safeway. But, yes it got me. The sky finally sneezed, and I was caught in the rain in a white blouse.

Anyway, I have not done all the usual tourist/sightseeing activities of D.C. I have been to the Mall, National Zoo, one of the Smithsonian Museums, outside of Congress, metro-ed everyday, walked through Georgetown district, and got some Ray's Hell Burger (if it can bridge the former Soviet Union and a U.S. President together, then I am also willing to cross the Potomac for it). Still on the list is my private group tour of the White House in early August! Exciting. Here I come, Bo (the Obama dog)!

Take a look at this falafel (from Adams Morgan, D.C. Yumz!)

Song Playing: Freelance Whales

Book Reading: The Translator by Daoud Hari

Location: Washington D.C.

It's Been a Year!

July 1st marks a year since the day I set out for Peru!

So, I made a list of things I miss about Peru

• Crazy Cusco Nights
• Alfajores
  
• Dinner Conversation with the Host Family
• My Host Mom's Cooking
  
• Going to Work on a Combi
• Stopping into ProPeru for Internet
• Last Moments of Spanish Class, when Americo realizes how hopeless I am

Location: Washington D.C.

The Nation's Capitol

Hello Nation! (ref: Stephen Colbert)

I am a workin' gal! 9-5 Monday through Friday. Working isn't terribly exciting, but I do get an office and computer at one of my internships. Not bad...

So I am here to talk to the Interns' Rite of Passage. I think it was Thursday, when I was taking the DC Metro to work, that I overheard the tribulations that it seems most summer interns have to overcome. A college-aged guy, dressed in a suit with a leather briefcase, was chatting among his clones about how last night his water cut off, which adds to the no cable, no internet, and potentially no electricity. And then I thought to myself, having spent three nights without internet and only a ten-inch television to keep me company, not so bad, Sarena; at least you can shower... Then, the clones chimed in with their own insufficient homes: no cable, no television, no internet, no a/c, etc. It seems that the city is filled with hopeful college-aged interns, adjusting to the new life of lonely summer living, away from home and dorms and in a less than ideal homes/apartments and making due without the water, electricity, phone, internet, or television for unknown number of nights.

I always thought that growing up had a degree of excitement and thrill to me, but the prospects that you may have to live without internet, television, water, or electricity, I would argue the Pull-Ups slogan, "I'm a big kid now" and say "no thanks."

Location: Washington D.C.

Reporting from Home Base

Greetings from San Francisco!

Pineapple bun says hi too, before its imminent demise.

Ahh! The feeling to be back home with a warm pineapple bun and Vitasoy Lemon Iced Tea Juicebox in hand. Can life get any better?

As an overachiever, yes it can. I have a thai massaman curry that needs to be satisfied... Oh, the tummy has spoken.

Anyway, I've been piggin' out for the last week at home. Since I avoided most deep-fried or similar foods in England, such as fish and chips, chips and gravy, gravy-filled pies, etc, the entire five months has been somewhat of a diet from culinary goodness. So in compensation, I've dedicated my San Francisco to revisiting the world, namely Asian cuisine, that my stomach has so fondly missed. I started off with a roast duck rice, stocked up on Lemon Iced Tea Juiceboxes, devoured steamed BBQ pork buns and egg custards, and dunked my vietnamese spring rolls in pho. Still on my list, korean chicken drumsticks (to die for!), thai massaman curry with rice, a strawberry tapioca, jamba juice, SUSHI!, and more... No worries, it will come to me.

Despite my tummy's worldly adventures, at this point, I don't have any. Yup, landlocked to America. It's an odd feeling that's sinking in. That when I was binge-watching America's Next Top Model, I felt nostalgic about Nigel Barker's accent, as if it was foreign and possibly thrilling to hear. Maybe I spent too much time at Target today and all this America is coming too fast...

Washington D.C. in a week... Maybe if I re-vision George Washington as Simón Bolívar, perhaps the thrill might come back...

Location: San Francisco, CA

American Isolationism

In the wee hours of July 1st, 2009, I posted "Three continents, one year, the amazing race begins" on my facebook status, as I was heading out of the house to Cusco. So..

11 months

3 continents

8 countries

HOME!

Song Playing : Absentee by Emmy the Great (how appropriate)

Location: London, England

¡Feliz cumpleaños! 生日快樂!

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Postcards!

May 24th, 2009: Bored in my UCLA dorm on a Sunday night.

May 24th, 2010: Study for my last exam at University of East Anglia.

Law of Travelling #43

You haven't been to a country until you've stepped foot inside a McDonald's there.

-Law of Travelling #43

In that case, I've been to the McDonalds' of:

United States (of course!)

Italy

People's Republic of China

Hong Kong SAR

Peru

England

Greece

(Almost): Thailand - I stepped in, stared at the menu, and turned around. Amateur move, Chan...

Song Playing: Skinny Love by Bon Iver

Location: Norwich, England