Look Ma, I’m famous!

My apologies for the delay in postings, things have been a little crazy the past couple of weeks. First off, a few weeks back, The Washington Center had us attend a taping of “Close-Up,” a sweet little news show taped at the Newseum and aired on C-SPAN.

They needed a “student journalist” to participate, and while I would certainly not qualify myself as such, mentioning that I work on my school newspaper got me roped into answering questions…on television…that people are going to watch. You know that gulping sound that cartoon characters make when they think they’re gonna die? Yeah, I made that noise.

As fun as being on TV sounds, getting through the taping can be a little tricky. For several reasons.

1: I am not a fan of public speaking…at all. A live audience and viewers at home and online? Well now I’m just trying not to wet myself.

2: I’m really, really clumsy. Like, known for engaging in epic battles with gravity-type clumsy. And we all know gravity always wins.

3: I listen to my music really, really loudly, meaning my hearing is shot. Seriously, I think my 91 year old grandmother’s got an advantage over me there, so I was justified in my nervousness about not being able to hear the host.

So add all those things up, and you get me being a wee bit nervous. Thankfully, everything turned out okay. I didn’t freeze up, or have to ask the host to repeat his question 8 times, or even tragically trip over a light stand and careen into the back of the set. I was shaking like crazy when I did it, but you can’t tell on camera.

So there’s that, and I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. Within hours of it airing, my family had managed to dig up online copies and send out mass e-mails with the link. Embarrassing, but expected.

But wait, it gets better! Not even two weeks after my television debut, I found out through my internship that I had been selected to participate in an interview with NPR. After I collected my jaw from the floor, I agreed, and a couple of weeks later, some folks from NPR showed up at my office, interviewed me, and observed my fellow interns and I hard at work. I haven’t heard yet when it’s going to air, but I’m pretty excited about it.

For sure, I’ve gotten to do a lot of amazing things as part of this internship, and I can say, confidently, that this has been one of the best summers I’ve ever had. I’ll update soon. Until next time…

Safety First

Now, I won’t lie to you and tell you that D.C. is the safest city in the world, cause, well, you read the news. However, this city is nowhere near as dangerous or scary as people make it sound. It’s just hype. The news tends to exaggerate things, and the worst thing you can do when you come to D.C. is to cower under a blanket in your apartment for fear of getting shanked…Besides, everyone should get their first stabbing over with. (Compleeetely kidding!)

So what should you do to ensure your safety? It requires the fine art of not being stupid. This is, unfortunately, harder for some than others. For instance, DO NOT go jogging at 11:30 at night with your iPod strapped to your arm. That makes you a target (and an easy one at that), and you are likely to be robbed. Now, I’ve only been robbed once in all of my 21 years here, and you know why it happened? Because I was twelve, and stupid. I thought riding my bike around the city with a brand new CD player, cell phone and twenty dollars in plain sight was a fantastic idea. Learned my lesson on that one.

Another tip: If you do feel unsafe, travel in groups, and if you’re by yourself, stay where the people are. When things do happen in this city, it is rarely to people who travel in groups. So, make sure you are don’t travel alone on your way to the club. Stay in well-lit, well populated areas. There are few people stupid enough to rob someone with 100 witnesses around.

Most importantly, know your areas! Crime in this city is relatively concentrated. This means that if you avoid certain parts of the city (that you would probably have no business in anyway), then you will be just fine. Pay attention to the news, and crime statistics. Keep hearing the words Anacostia and double homicide in the same sentence? Hmmm…you should probably limit your time in Anacostia. (Again, I can’t think of one reason that you would need to go there. All of The Washington Center’s housing, programming, etc. are in safe areas of the city.) You can also go to the Metropolitan Police Department’s website and check out the statistics online.

This last one may not be backed by statistics, and is more of a personal thing, but I feel the need to share. The National Mall is beautiful, especially at night. I know that plenty of visitors to D.C. journey to the Lincoln memorial at night to sit on the steps. But know this: The Mall, and the surrounding area downtown, has very few residential sections. Which means that while it is one of the most populated areas of the city during the day, if you got there at night, it is likely to be completed deserted. Seriously…it’s gonna be you and a couple of hobos for about seven blocks…and those hobos don’t want you wandering around their living room at odd hours of the night.

The rest of D.C.’s residents migrate to other parts of the city after work and happy hour, so, if you do decide to venture to the Mall at night, go earlier rather than later. Dusk is better than 3 a.m. And be careful. Tourists are targets too, and if you’re wandering around the Washington monument at 1:30 in the morning, you’re easy to spot as a tourist.

And, worth repeating, don’t believe the hype! We are a friendly city with a few bad neighborhoods, just like every other major American city. The worst thing in the world that you could do would be to avoid an experience like this one because you’re nervous about living here.

Glad I could help, until next time…

Mind Your Manners

As a native Washingtonian, I feel a sense of civic obligation to those who may be venturing to D.C. for an internship, or really, for anything, in the future. I’ve got the inside info, which makes me feel all cool and special.

So, for the next few weeks, in addition to giving you the titillating details of my own life, I will deliver insider tips on how to make the most out of the nation’s capital.

Even as a life-long resident, I never really get tired of this city, and it has so much to offer if you know your way around. Looking like a tourist is okay the first few days you’re here is okay, but after a while, you want to start to settle into the groove of things, and hopefully I can help you.

So, without further delay, I present to you: Ten ways not to get bored, cursed out, cheated, hit by a car in Washington, D.C.

First off? The complex lesson of Washingtonian Etiquette:

When you arrive here in the district, you will undoubtedly hear the phrase “stand right, walk left.” Now, before you go tripping over yourself trying to walk with one leg and stand with the other, know that this is the unwritten rule for the dizzying number of escalators you will encounter here in the District.

This is a town full of busy people, who want to get things done, and may, from time to time, be inclined to violently shove anybody out of their way in that effort. So to avoid contention, keep in mind: If you are going to leisurely enjoy your ride up to street level, please stand on the right to allow the quick tempered, caffeine addled Hill staffers to run past you. Follow this rule, and you can almost halve the number of expletive laced rants you will encounter.

Now, contrary to what the above statements would have you believe, D.C. is not New York, or Boston, or L.A. We are actually an exceptionally pleasant city. (In my opinion) People smile at you when you see them, hold doors, help you with directions, etc.

But you will, unfortunately, encounter your rare a-hole. But I’ve got a secret. Lean in close now…They’re not really from D.C.

That guy elbowing you out of the way to catch the next Red line train to Glenmont? Betcha he’s from Kansas. The woman who stepped on your foot and then had the nerve to give you the stank face? Carpetbagger from Connecticut. Even that evil barista at Starbucks who looks like he would rather throw your Chai in your face than hand it you, is probably originally from Alabama. The point is, these people ain’t natives.

The myth is that in order to survive in a city, you have to be aggressive, cold, and ruthless to get ahead. You have to look out for numero uno, step on other people’s heads, walk the walk, talk the talk. None of that is true.

And I think the same goes for a lot of cities. Us city folk are laid back. We don’t like to rush things, and usually aren’t too high strung. It’s those transplants that give us the bad name…damn transplants. So the next time you encounter an exceedingly rude person in D.C., you can comfort yourself knowing that it’s all an act to appear tough.

But it gets even more complicated. Because, although D.C. is nice for a big city, it isn’t some tiny town in Middle America either. The culture here is a little different, and some things you may have taken for rudeness were just cultural variations. Like, for instance, smiles here aren’t quite what they are everywhere else. You’re more likely to find what I call “the lip curl”, which is that kinda awkward half-smile that straddles the line between “nice to meet you” and “you’re in my way.”

The lip curl is usually given with the best of intentions, and should be taken as a polite greeting. Do not, however, mistake it as an invitation for an extended discussion of the weather.

Someone didn’t say thank you after you held the door for them? Pay attention. If they widened their eyes and gave you a lip curl, that means thanks. Strange, I know, but that’s just the way we roll in the D dot C…

Until Next Time…