a soiree and a morning at the white house

The African Soiree is the big closing event for the annual D.C. Francophonie Festival that The Smithsonian Associates is a contributor to. I got there early to help with set-up and got a taste of what it would be like to be a fabulous Parisian as I helped the interns from the French Embassy. Those kids have class. I also bumped into some of the tall African models. More class. The Soiree was a big party in the NMAA that had a cartoonist, food, henna, a performance by Kaissa, a fashion show of an African designer, and then dancing to music from DJ Pinstripes. Rhiannon was able to join me and we weaved our way through the crowds, got henna, and watched the fashion show. So fun!

Kaissa

interns wearing our African bead necklaces, ready to head home after a long event.

The next morning, my super cool WH intern friend hooked us up with White House Garden Tour tickets. I got SO CLOSE to the WH. #chillinwiththeObamas

Treasury

I think I asked a professional press person to take this picture for us

wut up WH?

great view from the WH lawn

West Wing/Oval Office

Michelle's garden

"...the failure of one thing repaired by the success of another, and instead of one harvest a continued one through the year." -Thomas Jefferson

cute shot snagged from Vanessa ~ Vanessa, me, Taryn, Austin

D.C. has delivered on awesome weekends.

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

Bureau of Engraving and Printing and NMAH

What I love about working at the Ripley Center is the fact that I have access to 3 museums/galleries without even leaving the building (shhh, secret tunnels...).  So during my lunch breaks, I have been venturing underground to the different sections, a bit at a time. Thursday, I went to the Freer Gallery, where they have mostly Asian art.

The Peacock Room was my favorite--click here for the interesting story behind the room

Yesterday I learned how money was made, which was probably not the smartest thing to do right now seeing as I am unemployed and in need of money. It's hard to not have income and see that they make $64,000,000 in bills a day.  Why don't they just donate some to me? Huh? Come on, I'd totally help with pumping it back into the economy (a trip to the mall, anyone?). No? Ok.

The tour was short, since it's pretty straight forward how they make money. Coding and coloring to make sure no one duplicates our bills. Special paper. Franklin on one, Jackson on the other. A guy working the last machine--that does the final cutting and packaging--held a stack of bills up and a sign that said "$100,000" (the sign was because we were behind glass). Thanks a lot, man, way to just wave it in my face!

I then walked across the mall to the National Museum of American History. I think that this is my favorite museum and it has my favorite object from the Smithsonian: The Star-Spangled Banner. I get goosebumps every time I see it! Some other highlights from this museum are: Dorothy's shoes from the yellow brick road scene in "The Wizard of Oz," Elphaba's dress from the musical "Wicked," one of the first telephones, and Kermit the Frog.  They currently have a special exhibit about the Emancipation Proclamation and black rights and they have the counter where the sit-ins happened at Greensboro. 

The Star-Spangled Banner room

Hi-hoy, Kermit the Frog here!

A copy of the Declaration of Independence and Jefferson's desk where he drafted the declaration

Counter from Greensboro sit-ins

piece of the LDS Nauvoo Temple--we love Mormons!

defying gravity

records-->tape players-->walkmans-->iPods

Last night, Taryn and I saw "The Hobbit" on IMAX at the Air and Space Museum. I've already seen it, but it was cool to see it on the HUGE screen and to be at the Air and Space after hours ("Night at the Museum"-esque). 

I'd say that the Smithsonian has been treating me well this week! :)

Museum-ing

Since I work for the Smithsonian, I figured it would be a good idea to see all of their museums while I'm here. Good idea, right?

I started last week during my lunch break. I work in the same building as one of the museums, so I skipped on over there (I didn't skip, that's weird).  They are the Freer and Sackler galleries, which consist of mostly Asian exhibits. It's a good museum for a lunch break cuz it's small and I saw most of what I wanted within a half and hour.  For more info on that museum, go here. 

Friday night, since I have no friends, yet, and I don't want to sit by myself at home, I went to the National Portrait Gallery.  This one has the portraits of all of the US presidents, which is pretty cool, along with portraits of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.  There I was, walking along the hall, when I turn the corner and think, "That looks like Joseph Smith!....It IS Joseph Smith!"  So that was a cool surprise.  The labels for the portraits were a little...weird...but cool to have those pieces in the National Portrait Gallery! I think it was a really cool museum for the pictures of famous early Americans.  

(c/o NPG)

The Great Hall in the NPG--used to be the biggest room in America.

The modern art section wasn't TOO strange, except for a piece that I really truly thought was a real woman sitting at a table, like she was just resting from walking around.  It creeped me out when I figured out she was fake. I just stood there and looked sideways at her and was frozen in fear.  Then I almost ran into the big wooden horse next to her. I like to play it cool in public places.

A really cool/artsy picture of Abe. He's my fav.
(c/o NPG)

They also had an exhibit about Amelia Earhart.  I like her because she seems like she was a woman of gumption.  

(c/o NPG)

Then this week, I ventured over to the Museum of African Art.  I was wanting to go here because of an exhibit I had been promoting from Lalla Essaydi, who has an exhibit of women with beautiful colors and writing all around them.  I thought most of the exhibit was very beautiful (there is a section for adults only that you should avoid...).

(c/o NMAA)

A supervisor of some other interns that I met my first day asks her interns every day, "And what did you learn today?"  Every day, I'm not only learning more about my job itself, but about all other things.  I learned the other day that out of the 800 species of fireflies, only 80 actually have glowing butts.  Who knew?  I also learned at the African Art Museum that Walt Disney was an avid African art collector and he donated his large collection to the Smithsonian.  It is now on display and I was able to see it.  Who knew?  I think that's what I like most about working for the Smithsonian--I love to learn and I love to help others learn.  It's a pretty nice fit, I'd say!

So if I haven't bored you with my geeking out about museums and learning, stay tuned while I try out the other museums around DC!