The First Hundred Days

As long as I haven't gone crazy and can still count, today marks one hundred days since I departed England for America. Aside from the FDR reference, its made me realize that this time abroad hasn't gone quickly like I thought it would, because the terms at Leicester would be finished before you know it. Its a long time since me, Georgia and Joe turned up on campus on a muggy hot day, having no clue where to go and shouting 'Walmart' at people walking past. 

Although the midterms are supposedly when the work piles up here, its still been constant throughout November. We've managed to do a few things, like going to the International Spy Museum in D.C. Its a pretty good place to visit as it shows you how spies did their work over history, while having some fun interactive stuff kids. Although we were all a bit too keen to crawl through the ventilation shaft! But really, the main reason I wanted to go was to see the James Bond exhibition. As well as all the costumes, props like Jaws' teeth, and of course the cars, there was an activity to see how long you could hang from a metal bar like 007. The kids lasted longer than me, but Ted and Sahrish did alright!

We also had a look at the American Art and National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian which was just across the road. Although we didn't see all of it there was some great artwork and photography and I'll return to see the rest. For me, one of the best things about being close to D.C is the number of art galleries.

About a week later we visited Great Falls National Park, which had some stunning views, and it was nice to go for a walk through the forest which looks great this time of year even without leaves. Although my fellow trekkers pull some interesting faces when posing for these pictures....

So much has it happened since 100 days ago and its been great, but just for a few days we'll be leaving the country. Thanksgiving break is here so we're heading up to Montreal, Canada for the rest of the week. Not sure if I'm really prepared for the minus temperatures and probable snow that awaits, but considering the last few British winters I should be alright. See you soon Canada,

A

7:5 to D.C.

Being in another continent its always strange to see things from home around, so it was very surreal to meet up with my friend Sophie in D.C. this weekend, who has been on exchange down in Baton Rouge. We've known each other for 9 years since being in the same form together at school (7:5 and Mr Folley, 2004!) so it was weird to meet up 3 and a half thousand miles from home! It was great to meet up and also to meet fellow Brits on exchange from Sussex. Hopefully I'll make the return trip down to Louisiana and New Orleans next semester.

It was a chance to see some of the Smithsonians I hadn't done yet, starting with the Natural History Museum. They have a good collection of animal exhibits and sealife displays, but let's be honest, the only reason anyone ever goes to a Natural History Museum?

Dinosaurs. And yes, they were great (cue Jurassic Park music).

The National Archives don't allow photography in order to preserve its contents; the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. It was really interesting to see something I've learned about so much right in front of me, 237 years old. It doesn't have quite the same impact as the memorials but are equally worth seeing.

At the American History museum we saw the Americans at War exhibit, which proudly told the story of the United States role in the Revolution, the Civil War and World War 2. It was a really good part of the museum, with artifacts, somewhere to practice your 'Rosie the Riveter' factory work, and a piece of the Berlin Wall, and it does acknowledge the controversy of conflicts like Vietnam, even if it understandably focuses more on the others. It was sad to see a tiny box of text being the only mention of Japanese-Internment, where during WW2 120,000 American citizens were imprisoned against their will, separated from families, many losing their homes and businesses and receiving no legal protection. There's no mention of it being a bad thing, just the minimum facts. I learned about this at school and further at university and I was stunned to see it glossed over so easily.
The Presidency exhibit was an interesting look around, with many of the First Ladies dresses on display and a podium to practice your Presidential speeches. I went for a classic bit of JFK, although talking to 'my fellow Americans' doesn't really work in a British accent though the people watching had a laugh. Sophie was a bit more convincing in her FDR tribute!

Visiting Arlington National Cemetery was really something special, especially on Veterans' Weekend. It is just across the Potomac and is a place for military personnel and casualties, honouring what they did for their country. It's a very peaceful place and is huge, with graves stretching as far as you can see. You can visit the graves of notable figures who served in the military and are buried here including President Kennedy and his wife, alongside his brothers as well. At the Tomb of the Unknown soldier there was a laying of the wreath ceremony taking place which was remarkable to see the respect and dedication in carrying it out. I found the Cemetery extraordinary, and I love the respect and value in which these brave men and women are given. And yet it is obviously a very sombre place, and sad to know that the graves do stretch on so far.



I'm not sure anyone can be prepared to engage with stories of the Holocaust. I've learned about it in the past, visited the Imperial War Museum exhibit and even met a survivor and heard him speak about his experiences. We knew we had to visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C. even though it was not an easy place to visit. I don't want to talk in too much detail about it because I believe it should be experienced in person, and I don't have the words to really describe what it is like. Needless to say, it is an incredibly moving museum to see, and is undoubtedly the best one in D.C.

We spent the evening seeing the memorials at sunset and at night, including the long walk round the Tidal Basin to see Martin Luther King and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorials. Both were very impressive and fitting tributes to two important figures in American history. MLK towers over you while you are surrounded by his quotes, a truly monumental sight, while FDR's legacy is spread out through stone and water fountains with the President right next to you. They're very different but both fantastic, much more personal than the grand tributes to Jefferson and Lincoln. The FDR memorial is also great for dedicating a section to his wife Eleanor Roosevelt, who could have had a memorial in her own right for her work for human rights.

Thank you for visiting Sophie, see you in 2014! Go and read her much more fun blog about life in Louisiana here http://sophiestudiesthings.blogspot.com/

A

Autumn or Fall?

In England, there's not really a full Autumn season like Winter, which lasts forever. It's basically the few weeks between the end of summer, which was never that hot to begin with, and the freezing cold that lasts until about March. Of all the things I miss about home, the climate isn't one of them- although I do appreciate it when it rains every now and then instead of virtually every other day! In America however the season seems much longer and everyone calls it Fall, as in the falling of the leaves. It's an accurate description, as the colour the leaves change into are so much more vivid and warm then at home, so it's fair enough to name the season after the leaves falling. I use it, although I'm beginning to slip into using the wrong words in conversation with Americans, saying "sidewalk" and "elevator". It's a bit worrying to be honest!

The midterms are out of the way. but there's no break in the workload. Fortunately choosing your own

classes means you can study a variety of topics so it never gets to familiar. At the moment I'm working on Roy Lichtenstein's series of Landscapes in the Chinese Style, Muhammad Ali's early career (when he was known as Cassius Clay) and his bouts with Sonny Liston, and the effects of mass media like television and radio through the perspectives of political science and philosophy. It's all really interesting, which makes it unbelievably boring when you turn up to class on U.S Presidents and listen to a man talk for 2 and a half hours about trivia and anecdotes he knows about them. Memorizing 100 years of these facts for each test is tougher still. Thankfully there was at least one day we changed it up a bit, by visiting the Woodrow Wilson house in D.C where he lived the last few years of his life. I found it really interesting, as Wilson had been such an important figure in learning history since year 9, as he was the President during the Progressive era, World War One, and the failed attempt to create and join a strong League of Nations. Learning about such massive events came seem a bit abstract until you find yourself in the rooms where he lived, and where he died. The room pictured here was where we had our opening talk, and it was surreal almost 90 years ago his funeral was in the same spot. to think Although I don't know how useful the experience will be in an exam, it's one I enjoyed and I'm glad I got from this class.

America gets pretty excited about their seasonal holidays, and Fall means only one thing- Halloween! And they take it a lot more seriously over here. People wore their costumes to class, there were Christmas-scale decorations outside the houses and pumpkin patches on lawns on the side of the road. It seems to be much more important than at home, where children will go trick or treating and students use it as an excuse for a night out. It did give us some laughs though, especially surrounding Marwan and the mystery of the missing pumpkin. "Billy" was stolen from the common room, prompting panic, wanted posters, announcements in class, ransom notes from cut-out letters from magazines, and payment of toblerone before his eventual safe return. All I can say is, well played to the thieves! (Sorry Marwan). We also dressed up, although most of us figured it out the night before so we're not on the American-level of Halloween dedication yet. But it was a pretty fun night, although it's a sad walk home at half-4 in the morning and there are no food places open on campus or in Fairfax... then I was really missing Leicester and it's Dominos that delivers until 5!

Although we had a week where the temperature suddenly dropped, it's been quite nice since so I've done a bit more sightseeing in D.C. I loved the hustle and bustle of New York but it can't really compete with D.C in the beauty side, especially at this time of the year. It's nice to start discovering new places that I didn't see the first few times I went in as well. So a quick run-through...

• Washington National Cathedral- I had to visit here, if only to see where that scene from the 'Two Cathedrals' episode of The West Wing. It's an impressive place, huge and grand, with some incredible stained-glass windows. But to be honest it feels a bit too new. It was built in 1900 and doesn't feel like it has the history of Westminster Abbey or St Paul's for obvious reasons. It was worth a visit though and is a stunning building.
• Embassy Row- A long stretch from the Cathedral to Dupont Circle, where most of the international embassies in the U.S are located. You can tell the difference between the status of each nation and their relationship with the U.S quite well from how grand or small each one is.I enjoyed spotting a red telephone box outside the British Embassy, and there were plenty of statues along the route for famous figures like Churchill, Mandela and Gandhi.
  
   

• Jefferson Memorial- Missed this first time round as it is a bit out of the way from the Mall, on the other side of the tidal basin. It's an impressive structure dedicated to the writer of the Declaration of Independence and third President, and there's an area underneath with a mini-exhibit and gift shop. I was surprised that he was eulogized quite so much- in the overall scheme of American History Thomas Jefferson probably deserves a memorial, but the complete lack of any significant mention of being a slave owner was disappointing. I understand its not what you'd like to remember but you have to teach all aspects of the history, and it's a missed opportunity. Still, it is well worth seeing.

In fact, it's worth visiting just to get this view along the way!

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