hanging out with spies

Did you also gain a little more respect for Ben Affleck during his best picture acceptance speech at the Oscars? Bless his heart, he was so excited.



Today, I went to a talk at the International Spy Museum for a TSA (The Smithsonian Associates) program. One of the perks of working at the Smithsonian are getting into cool things for freeee. The speakers were Tony and Jonna Mendez--Tony was Ben Affleck's character on "Argo." So, basically, I heard "Argo" in real life. Jonna and Tony both used to be CIA Chiefs of Disguise, so I bet Jonna has some pretty sick stories, too. They corrected any Hollywood-ization of the story in the movie, but, I mean, without those parts in the movie, it'd still be a crazy story. Here are some interesting things they said:

• At the end of the credits, they say "To Ian, in memoriam." Mendez's son in the movie was originally named Michael. Apparently, Tony and his first wife had a boy named Ian who passed away a couple of years ago. So they called the studio and asked if the name be changed to Ian in his honor. Production not only said yes, but they asked for photos from when Ian was young so they could include them in the film. How sweet (and not typical) of them!
• There were two men who went to Iran, Tony (who went by "Kevin") and a man who went by "Julio." No one knows where Julio has been. Not even Tony the old CIA agent can find him. Also, those who were extracted, the "house guests," never knew Tony's real name until about 17 years later. They always called him "Kevin." 
• Tony got the job at the CIA because of his artistic talent. He thought he was applying to be a graphic designer for an unknown company, but they met in a shady hotel in Denver and the interviewee told him to tell no one about the interview. That's how he's so good at forging documents.

It was such a cool event!
I tried to get a picture afterwards, so I asked him if it was OK. He said "sure," but when I walked over to take the picture, he went on to signing books and ignored me. Ha! I was a bit put off at first, but the more I thought about it, I realized that he has had a crazy life and he probably doesn't give a hoot about getting a picture with an intern. ESPECIALLY a cheap one who didn't buy his book. Duh.

cia master of disguise>unpaid intern

public transportation: a story in pictures

Since I do not have a car here, I have to rock the public transportation system. It can be exhausting planning how to get everywhere and it's annoying whenever I need to be somewhere and there isn't a metro stop nearby. But, overall, it's been nice being able to have a train take me directly to work and skip the car traffic. I also have been having some...noteworthy...experiences on public transportation.
I want to take a moment and document such an experience with pictures.
On day, I was coming home on the bus from Target after stocking up on warm things since I have been so dang cold here.

I was sitting there, minding my own business, when a couple of 30- to 40-something year old men get on the bus.

One of them sat in the back, which was what I was expecting, but one of them sat right behind me.

He started to talk to me.

"Hey. What's your name?"

"Emily."

"Emilyyy. Where do you live?"

"Around."

"Heh heh heh. Where are you living? Did you go shopping?"

"Uhhh yeah."

I was thinking this whole time about whether or not I should get off at my stop, and if he would follow me. I kept looking out the window and ignoring him, hoping he would get the hint and go back to his friend. I mentioned my "boyfriend" and he asked me how my Spanish was.

Then he drops: "Heh heh sooo Emily, can I have your number?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think my boyfriend would like that."

"Well why not? Can I have your number?"

"No."

I sat and looked out the window, ignoring his "Emilys" and "Can I have your numbers." A sitting in front of me turned around and gave him him a look that was akin to "whatchyou doin' boy?"

I got to my stop and got off, thinking it was far enough from my house where he wouldn't figure out where I live. I was thinking, "Please don't get off at my stop. Please don't get off. Please don't follow me. PLEASE don't get off here." He didn't, but as I stood up, he chuckled, "Oh, so THIS is where you leeve." 

I ignored him and stepped off the bus. He opened the window as I walked away from the bus: "BYEE EMILEEE!"

And that was my first experience of awkwardness on the metro. Yesterday, I had a guy just stare at me on the way to work. We'd make eye contact, he's look away for a second, then I could tell he was just staring again. A full metro, during rush hour, and he's just staring at me. Ew.

Oh public transportation.

just some shots from saturday night

For your viewing pleasure.

(Belated) Ward Valentine's Party.

Anna's Weekend Trip

Anna and I became friends soon after we put a project together for Personal Progress senior year (I cut it reallll close haha). Now that I think about it, we bonded over cupcakes. And this last weekend, we went on a mission to get Georgetown Cupcakes. How poetic! ...anyways...Anna and I ended up going to BYU and we both ended up living in Wyview, which I think was divine intervention in a way, because Anna and I continued to get closer. Freshman year, we freaked out her roommates with scary movie nights in her living room. We went to the Cannon Center with Annie every Monday morning for breakfast bright and early where those two would always get a scone and I would always get chocolate milk (one of the main things I miss about BYU=the Creamery chocolate milk. holy crap). Sophomore year, we accidentally lived across the street from each other, again, and so we continued scary movies and experiencing the BYU experience to experience. Junior year, we lived more than two blocks away from each other, but distance made the friendship stronger and we spent so much time together that year. Senior year, she was partially in Sandy, which meant dinner on Sunday nights at the Peterson's. I love the Petersons! Ok ok this is mushy memories, but I wanted to prove how much I have loved being Anna's friend!! We constantly are saying: "Annnd that's why we are friends." We are also constantly saying, "Why did we wait until senior year to become friends?" The world may never know. But at least we are friends, now, because we can do fun things like visit each other in our respective, cool cities (we would still visit each other even if we lived in lame cities, but living in cool cities never hurt anyone).

Anna came to visit me this last, long weekend. Friday night, we went to Nandos for dinner and drove around Old Town Alexandria. 

Saturday, we went into the District and had a museum-ing day: American History, Holocaust, and National Portrait Gallery. We had dinner in China Town at a yummy Thai place on H and 6th.

view down Pennsylvania to the Capitol

It's Abe, honest.

my dinner was in a pineapple!

Sunday, we went to the Archives, National Art Gallery, and Natural History Museum. The Archives are releasing lots of cool stuff that was confidential about the Cold War and things from the 60s on. The Art Gallery is currently borrowing Michelangelo's David-Apollo and they have a new Pre-Raphaelite section. They also have a cool exhibit right now at the Natural History about forensics. They found a burial site from early colonists in Virginia and they are using forensic science to date and even possibly name some of the people from that site. You don't get that on the west coast.

NatGal

David-Apollo

That night, we went to the Kennedy Center for the free concert at 6. The University of Michigan School of Music brought some of their talent and I loved the saxophone sextet the most. Afterwards, we ate at Circa in Foggy Bottom. We were all dressed up from it being Sunday and from going to the concert, so it was our fancy dinner night.

Monday's agenda:

• the reading room of the Library of Congress is open on President's Day, so we got to see that. That was SO COOL. I was geekin out, you guys. I was especially excited when they told me it is technically a public library, so I could get a pass to go there if I wanted to look at the books. I thought it was special people only! Uh, duh, count me in!

shhh secret passage

my favorite building

the card cataloging room was open, too!

millions of books!

some of the many stacks

• Arlington Cemetery

I wouldn't mind being a Kennedy if it meant being buried in a place with a view like this! So beautiful!

• tour of the Capitol

• walked around the White House

Eisenhower Executive Building

Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery

• walked around George Washington U (I'm trying to convince Anna to move here and go to school around here)
• walked down Georgetown/M Street, then waited in line for Georgetown Cupcakes (mostly for Libby--we were afraid of certain death if Anna didn't get one in Libby's honor)

• walked around the Monuments on the Mall
• ordered Chinese food and watched "Remember the Titans," since I live down the street from TC Williams HS

So, I think this prank would be so hilarious because I just don't understand Nicholas Cage. I don't understand the appeal and I just don't understand him. But I thought of the picture above when I took this picture at the LOC:

Nicholas Cage is everywhereeee

So, basically, Anna and I walked and dined our way through the District, which means it was one heckuva weekend, if you ask me.

Lonely Hearts Day

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. After years of awful V-Days, in recent years I have made an extra effort to make Valentine's Day awesome.  Three years ago, I was in Dublin for the weekend before V-Day and I got to see St. Valentine's ashes. Last year, the 224 had a fun night and got to do some service. This year, I attended the Lonely Hearts Film Festival, a night put on by a girl from one of the singles wards here. She likes to make short films, so she decided to make a night of it and give others a shot at making a short film. They made it all fancy, with a red carpet, a photographer, sparkling cider, and an award ceremony after the viewings. It was very classy and fun!

That morning, I put together some pins for the sake of the many women I work with. It was my super's idea.
Oh, Ryan.

"Happy Valentine's Day!! Marry me!" -Ryan Gosling