Mace Anyone.

It has come that time where I blabber about my week. Three weeks left, I knew time would fly by. Why do I blog late at night every time I do a post? Hmmmm anyways........

Sunday I got to have to dinner with one of my dear friends at Matchbox, a restaurant located in the China Town area. Did I mention China Town to me just looks like a bunch of random Chinese restaurants and Chinese words translated under buildings? No. Okay. Anywho yea back to dinner, it feels real good to see familiar faces since technically I am up here alone. One of the most memorable moments about dinner was that the table where me and friend were having dinner was next to a window and for some reasons there were flies. Me no likey. I just happened to have a Chinese restaurant menu in my hand and my friend starts smacking the flies with the menu. I.was.dying. It was hilarious, I laugh to myself randomly throughout the week about that. Thanks for that memory Tat.

I did some retail therapy Saturday at The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City and I'm going to add much need retail therapy so I can feel better about my purchases. I love me a sale rack, Macy's has great sale racks, and I found a cute dress for twelve buck; you can't beat that. It was a moment I had to admit I can fit an extra small.....in some things, I try to pretend I'm not that tiny. I don't know where I get these eat-whatever-the-hell-you-want-it-won't show genes from, but THANK YOU!

Does anyone feel Forever21 is a hit or miss? I do. I can walk through that store and have absolutely nothing in my hand. In this case I had to kind of force myself to find things. I have more bottoms than I do tops so I wanted to balance out my wardrobe for work. And let me tell you, I have been repeating pieces of my wardrobe. The lack of options I gave myself during my so-called packing the day I left has been biting me in the ass. But I'm making it work.

I did the most damage to my pockets at Steve Madden--my favorite shoe brand. I pretty much love every single shoe made and want each one. I'm a shoeholic. I strongly believe that we were force to only wear shoes, I country would be much healthier. There was a buy one get one half sale....you know BOGO. I couldn't resist. Once I become financially well off, I will still have pre life of riches.

If I'm sounding a little vain or materialistic, trust me when I say I'm not. I'm simply a girl that loves her shoes and a great deal on anything really.

Well besides doing a little shopping, there was one other thing I noticed a can't bag (get it bag, okay): a guy. Yea yea I'm 21 and still fairly just starting out but I believe I'm old enough to know what a good man is. I honestly think I have the worst luck with guys lol. I don't date much and when I do it always ends.......sour. But I'm staying positive. Before my aunt passed she told me I was going to change the dry spell of weddings we have in our family. "You're going to change that, I just know it", she said. As much faith as she had in me, I hope she's right.

Work was work this week. Nothing really major that stuck out to me.

My first site briefing for the summer was at The World Bank. I strongly support and want to join their mission in ending world poverty. There is enough food in the world to end poverty it's just a mean or resources that some of the poorest low-income countries do not have.

Globe inside The World Bank.

Me at the podium after the presentation.

"Our dream is a world free of poverty"

I mentioned before that the metro is literally sucking me dry. I need metro money management asap. I brought a $36 seven day pass and it actually only lasted me six, so I put $20 on my card on the sixth day so that was $56 on metro alone within a week. Then Thursday guess how much I had on my smartrip card, no take a gander. Ninety five damn cents, $.95, so I put $10 on my card, so in just a week and some change I have spent $76 towards the metro. I caaaaaannnnooooooooot. It's just three weeks left but I need to make some changes. I know there is the bus and it's cheaper but the metro is faster and I really don't like the bus (especially after riding one for 12 hours to get here).

I had a mini journey for last week's Thursday class. From Foggy Bottom to Virginia-GMU is 4 metro stops. Why in the hell it took about 15 stops to get there? Oh yea, cause I decided to just hop on the first metro not even recognizing its the wrong color. All these damn metro colors: green, blue, yellow orange, and red. Class started at 7 p.m., I got there at 7:38 p.m. The only thing good about getting lost that day was the three sexy metro officers that almost made me fake a distress.

"Someone is following me."

"Who?"

"Never mind he stopped."

Like they were that attractive.

The weekend is normally when I take my adventures because that is when I have a whole day for free time on my hand. I decided to go to the Corcoran Gallery of Art and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The gallery was beautiful man, my first art gallery experience. I have such an appreciation for the arts. Also since I went alone I didn't have to feel rushed. I was able to soak in every piece of art and capture that moment the flash went off or the last stroke of paint hit the canvas. You really never know what you are interested in until you do something that you may find uninteresting. That was not my last gallery visit. Oh and it was a free admission weekend #SCORE

 

Beautiful.

 

Full figured mhm.

Can you believe those last 7 pictures are action figures? Amazing.

Since I had window of time until I had to be to The Kennedy Center, I decided to just grab something quick to eat. I ended wandering around the downtown area just looking for a place to eat. Anything could have satisfied me, I passed by a McDonalds for crying out loud but noooooo I wanted *spirit fingers* Panera Bread.

Oh no no searching for a place to eat was not nearly as annoying as a creeper I came across. A creeper is a over 30 year old man that is........creepy; a scrub is 29 and below.

I am just walking, minding my own business and this man starts to bother me. I have become a pro at ignoring people, so good I don't recognize when I do it. So yea he's bothering me, but I do give a dry hello, matter of fact it was a hey. This fool cups his arm and tells me "put your arm right here". I look at toward his direction and he says it again. He wants me to latch my arm in his and "come walk with me for a minute." I couldn't help but shiver in disgust and badly wish I had I can a mace to sauté that ass up! It was daylight by the way and as soon as the crosswalk had that little white person and said "walk", I was already across the street.

I just do not understand why men feel that any woman they talk to is obligated to speak to them. If makes no sense how I cannot even walk down the street with someone hollering at me, I hate for myself and women to be looked at some human sex toy. It does not matter what you have going on in your life or what type of person you are, if you look good that is all that matters. I cannot tell you how many times I have men just feel that since they spoke to me I have no choice to speak back, especially, especially old ass men. This is not the 1970s. A lot of times it just disrespectful how men approach women, stare or yell something at them. I don't consider that a compliment or cute. Some women like attention that way but that's not the right way to get it. I don't even know what made that guy say to me to walk with him. It doesn't matter if I'm 21 or 11, STRANGER DANGER! It also made me realize that even though I go out solo during the day, it's creepers and scrubs 24/7.

The Kennedy Center has free performances every Saturday at 6 o clock, my next stop for the day. It is literally down the street from where I stay, seriously my dorm is in a great location.

Tumbao Band y Raul Morel (lead vocalist), a Cuban-Salsa flavored band was a great and relaxing way to end my Saturday. I'm just a lover of music in general, I really don't have a favorite genre, whatever sounds good to my ears. Oh how bad I wanted to dance, but I don't know how to salsa, oh and I was alone hehe. Overall I still very much enjoyed the performance.

Sculpture outside The J.F.K center.

Performance at Millennium Stage.

Lots of the crowd dancing up front.

A river view from The J.F.K. center.

J.F.K. sculpture.

Overall week six, I cannot complain. I enjoy all my weeks so far and the little adventures I have.

Before I close out I just want to say something, get this off my chest.

I absolutely hate when I have to filter myself for the people I am around. I'm at a point in my life where I feel I can actually be myself and I don't like to be restricted other people, especially when it is not in a business setting. To have to give up my level of comfort to make someone else comfortable does not make sense to me and I'm talking about in the environment of adults, people who are no longer teenagers. At some point in your life, one must realize not everyone is like them or thinks like them. I understand that, but people I come across do not. Do people even believe in being oneself anymore?

Adore

That's No Way to Sightsee!

Ladies and gents you're in for a treat, I have so many pictures to share with you from this week but as you know pictures come at the end!

My second week in D.C. has once again been filled with memories that I can hopefully remember for years to come, but then again what's this blog for right. My schedule is pretty much: I intern by day and take classes by night; except for Fridays, no work just class. This is my first time experiencing a real 9-5 and I can tell you: It's really what you make of it and based your profession. One would say sitting in front of a computer all day is no fun, even boring; but when that's a requirement and detrimental for research with your job, it's really not all that bad.

This older woman who works at the station and probably goes through each and every "insert bleep here" word in a day is that personality added to your workspace that makes you say, "I love working here". Does her use of profanity make me cringe? Not at all, especially when you use it yourself. She's a pro at using at least one in every sentence. Not only does she give me compliments and good mornings, but I got a "What's that broad's name? Tayla?" I would be lying if I said I even got slightly offended, if anything I responded with, " It's Kayla." Then I got the run-down that where's she's from "broad" in her book isn't bad, she uses it for everything. To each it's own. Some people may not understand why it didn't bother me but I just didn't care to get my panties in a bunch. She's a cute older woman who has much higher ranking in office than I and I would not work in an environment where I felt condescended nor disrespected.

I had my first Man On the Street assignment Tuesday and man was it nerve wrecking. First time using the portable recording equipment for interviews and first time actually having to tell someone "it'll only take a minute of your time." Thank God I've never been rude when I was on the receiving end, cause now I'm in their shoes. My assignment was to ask people to describe D.C.'s heat that day in one word. I actually got a ratchet and trifling (which didn't make it one air), muggy, delectable, and lovely are just a few. But if you had to ask me--it felt like home. I mean I can compare a hot D.C. day to a Savannah day and wish I could just jump in a pool until I look like a California raisin. Some people were very receptive, some weren't but it didn't matter--I was a Woman On the Street. I decided to try my first food truck once me and the other intern was finished. The choice: a taco truck. I saw shrimp tacos and thought hmmm, I like shrimp tacos, but I was clouded by the idea they'll be similar to Fuzzy's Taco Shop in Athens (Oh how I love those tacos). After waiting for ten minutes (in the heat) this lady comes back and makes a fairly friendly complaint on how naked the tacos were and how the shrimps are in comparison to fruit loops in size. I'm thinking she's probably overreacting with the frosted cereal comment but she was not. I mean these were the flimsiest little shrimps I EVER seen, not even worthy enough to be called shrimps--shrimp are my favorite food. The shrimps could sit on a dime, no lie. Paid for it so I ate it, lesson learned.

Had my first low of my time here in DC--my midterm in my Ethics course. I didn't even get to finish. A midterm and the next week a final examination. I just think it's dumb to have a month of school with only three full weeks and have a midterm and final. By time you take the midterm the final is right around the corner. Yea it sucked to know you didn't do well on something automatically but that sucky feeling is so bad you never want to feel it again. I could have let that affected my week, but what would get done? Time won't go back. However, I do have a professor that is flexible and is one of those professors that actually cares and sees the potential in students. So cross your fingers for me. But there's redemption in the final.

I randomly had a I want a Jeepers Creepers 3 moment this week. I love those movies and how all the black people survived in Jeepers Creepers 2, only horror film I can think of where all the black people survived.

Thursday I was assigned to Mayor Vince Gray of the District of Columbia press release for his next steps on education reform in the district. I went with an experienced reporter and was her personal assistant/photographer for the day. First time ever seeing cheerleader protestors, I honestly thought they were apart of the mayor's speech. "Shame on Mayor Grace, don't take publics schools away!", chanted the young protestors. See Mayor Grace is planning to combine the District of Columbia Public School System with it's charters school. The restraint it takes for politicians, presidents, or anyone to give a speech whether for three minutes or 25 and speak through hecklers, boos, disrespect, lobbyists is quite amazing. I don't think I could do it. As the protestors shouted Grace raised his voice but to what extent could I still focus on concentrating. It was definitely an eye-opener in the world of journalism. Not only did I clap for the protesting cheerleading (big no-no, reporters/journalists are objective) but I lost track in where the mayor was in his speech. I did takes tons of pic (God I need a camera, an iPhone can only do so much). I lucked up with that assignment, I got to meet the Chancellor of the D.C. Public Schools, Kaya Henderson, President of Washington Teachers Union, Nathan Saunders (Savannah State University alumnus), and D.C. councilmember, David Catania. All three of prominence in the D.C. region and I got to shake their hand. Councilmember Catania complimented my blazer three times! A blazer I got for a buck at Plato's Closet back home (get compliments on that blazer every time I wear it actually), even the reporter I was with couldn't believe how many powerful D.C. people I got to met.

On the way there actually the reporter shared some knowledge with me that I honestly didn't think off: She said upfront that broadcast journalism is hard and a lot of interns don't make it. Its relentless and I told her I believe the journalism students, in my generation, we're blinded by dream jobs we read about, see on TV and here on the radio. It's only honestly how I got sucked in. She revealed to me how she started off in television and much of the interns she started out with dropped out because they want a social life. That honestly scared me. To hear that the platform I hopefully want to work on one day can chew me up and spit me out alive. Yes times have changed since she was an undergraduate but not by much. You're not going to be shipped off to some big city where you'll have a daytime or evening show and become a household name for news overnight. Small cities are where you need to start and how interning back home where you'll familiar with the city and people are so much more convenient is what she revealed. In television you'll work crazy hours, practically everyday and being tossed in a big unfamiliar city and trying to work and maintain a personal life, you can't do both. But home you'll have support (friends/family), you'll already have connections and won't be tossed in the middle of nowhere. Overall her message was balanced. Now I don't have to start in Savannah but I do have to realize I probably won't start in New York or California either, but I'll get there. What I want to say as well is: If you haven't tried the opportunities and doorways in your hometown, how can you assume you'll be better or know what to do somewhere else?

D.C. is full of life even though I saw only one gas station today, bad weaves are leading to good, and after I ride the metro I no longer smell my perfume. But still I love this place. There is always something to do here: museums, restaurants, parks, tours, events, just so much to do in Obama's hood. Recently I went to Jazz in the Garden (National Gallery) and I never wanted a pitcher of sangria so bad in my life: 1) I was hot. 2) I'm 21. 3) Everyone else had one, wanted one too. Every place you can think of to put a blanket or chair was occupied with garden-goers. It was like a class reunion, but in the thousands and no yearbooks. PERFECT place for coworkers to let loose after the end of a work week, friends to discuss their week, a couple to enjoy each other's company or a family outing. I wasn't paying attention to the jazz much, don't get me wrong love me some jazz but I'm a people watcher so I was watching people. A beautiful moment: this man proposing to his girlfriend in front of the crowd, I can only assume the unison of "aaaawww" came from the women attendees (me included, so cute).

First pitch ever got approved by my supervisor this week, pretty exciting. I'm not going to reveal it because I rather just make it a surprise so once it's published on air, I will link it ASAP. Got an interview for 1/2 the portion of the Door to Door segment I will be producing on the show, so I'm happy to get started with that next week. I can only assume after this week, the days will go by even faster and it'll be mid July before I know it.

I got to visit the Thomas Jefferson Library of Congress today where me and Taryn, me and her love touring the city, got reader cards. I will be back to use it in the genealogy room, maybe I can trace my roots.

Ah before I forget I had a soft shell crab sandwich for the first time today at the restaurant in Eastern Market. The bread was delicious, the coleslaw ( one of many foods on my What I Don't Eat list), tomatoes (I despise tomatoes), and deep fried crab (deep + fried just sound so artery clogging) ended up with a 9 out 10 (thank the coleslaw and tomatoes for that). See that sandwich made someone as picky as me a believer. Each and every layer of that sandwich was fresh. The sweet hint of the coleslaw balanced out the ocean of the crab. I'm telling you even if you have foods you won't eat, put that aside and dine in fine cuisine! Oh and the sweet tea..........YEEESSSS to a place up north that 1) sells sweet tea & 2) had tea that was sweet. Thank you!

Took me a hour and a half to write my week! Please enjoy the photos!

 The food trunk I where I got those JUMBO shrimp tacos.

I got to go to a lecture where Kentucky Senator Rand Paul spoke.

Some chicken place around the corner from my job with good fried plantains.

Mayor Grace (center) speaking with attendees at his press release.

 Nathan Saunders

Councilmember David Catania

The BLAZER!!



 A sculpture at The National Gallery of Art, Jazz in the Garden.

That's just a view from across the fountain, doesn't do it justice.

National Press Building where TFAS held Journalism Awards ceremony.

On way to Eastern Flea Market.

 Bakery in Eastern Market

 Eastern Market

 African street drummers.

 Soft shell crab sandwich. YUM

After!



 Flea Market where I brought some cute $5 shades.

 First gas station seen since I've been in D.C.

Me in front of the Capitol building. Beautiful.

 $5 shades.

 Liddle ole me in front of the Supreme Court Justice (which was under renovation, that's a backdrop).

 Side show of the Library of Congress.

 Library of Congress front shot.

 Gorgeous mosaic ceilings.