lunch paid for by the Department of State. Nothing like a free meal sponsored by the government :) I have no idea what the restaurant will be like. All I know is that it is a 'typical D.C. restaurant,' so the program associate tells me. I expect it will be at least relatively nice - we want the international visitors to think good things about the U.S. As promised I have some pictures of my office and I'll tell you a bit more about what we do (hopefully I won't be to redundant as I'm not sure what I've told you already...and I don't care to go back and reread my posts...). To your right is the office building --> It is found at 1400 K St., NW Washington D.C. IIE occupies the 6th and 7th floor. I do not have a room with a view, so those windows and I are not well acquainted. Every morning I walk past the security desk and pass my faub (I have no idea how to spell that) in front of a little panel where it registers my specific device. I use the same kind of device to enter the Barlow Center and get around inside.
Once inside the office I go to my desk which is found inside this large cubicle, which is shared with 4 or 5 other desks...it seems like there should be 5 others, yet I only recall 4.
I spend most of the day there. I go to the copier, to the cubicles and offices of other staff on the IVLP and to the various conference rooms. I frequently prepare the conference rooms for the visitor groups - filling the hot water pitchers, making the coffee (yes, I have), setting out the creamers, tea bags, straws, napkins, cups etc. This week I helped prepare some of the last minute details for the incoming groups, making emergency contact cards, preparing the welcome packets, printing labels and tent cards...I can't remember all what else. On the left side of my desk are the welcome packets and the envelopes that we put them into - usually my desk isn't so crowded.
I spend most of the day there. I go to the copier, to the cubicles and offices of other staff on the IVLP and to the various conference rooms. I frequently prepare the conference rooms for the visitor groups - filling the hot water pitchers, making the coffee (yes, I have), setting out the creamers, tea bags, straws, napkins, cups etc. This week I helped prepare some of the last minute details for the incoming groups, making emergency contact cards, preparing the welcome packets, printing labels and tent cards...I can't remember all what else. On the left side of my desk are the welcome packets and the envelopes that we put them into - usually my desk isn't so crowded.This past weekend we went to Valley Forge and Philadelphia. It was a fun weekend. We spent about six hours on the bus, total, over the weekend. Friday we left early and arrived at a lodge where we spent the night. We went on a tour of Valley Forge and then had a meeting with 'Benjamin Franklin'. We played lots of ultimate frisbee, volleyball and "Apples to Apples". It was a lot of fun.
We headed out early Saturday morning to Philadelphia where we went to the Constitution Convention, Independence Hall and to see the Liberty Bell. I really liked the presentation at the Constitution Convention, "We the People". They talked about what makes us "the People". It 
reminded me of how valuable our country's diverse heritage is. It was inspiring. After the presentation we walked through the museum. They had a display that made up of hundreds of photoframes forming a cone shape up towards the ceiling. At the base there were a half dozen computer screens with those portraits from above scrolling across the screen. You could touch any of them and they would tell you how that person was influential in American history. One I remember was Margaret Murry O'Hair. Apparently she was the founder of an American Aethist organization. One quote said she was the most hated woman in America. I read maybe seven, but she stuck in my mind.
reminded me of how valuable our country's diverse heritage is. It was inspiring. After the presentation we walked through the museum. They had a display that made up of hundreds of photoframes forming a cone shape up towards the ceiling. At the base there were a half dozen computer screens with those portraits from above scrolling across the screen. You could touch any of them and they would tell you how that person was influential in American history. One I remember was Margaret Murry O'Hair. Apparently she was the founder of an American Aethist organization. One quote said she was the most hated woman in America. I read maybe seven, but she stuck in my mind. After the group activities I met up with Nguyen Doan, a friend from BYU, who is interning in Philadelphia. She's from Vietnam. We had our first Philly Cheesesteaks. They
were...mmmm...just like anyother meat? I've been a quasi-vegetarian since I've been here, and it really did nothing for me :P but anyway, I had the experience. We tried to go to the U.S. Mint but its closed Saturdays, until the summer months, that is. We really just ended up walking around a lot back and forth across the city. The city hall was beautiful and we saw the LOVE sculpture (?) and took pictures there. They have a huge masonic temple there too, it's quite beautiful, though not nearly as much as the city hall. I hope to go back to Philly, and it only costs $1 to take the bus to Philly (yes, $1, amazing, huh?). I want to go to the art museum there and go on a tour of the U.S. Mint, once its open on Saturdays.
were...mmmm...just like anyother meat? I've been a quasi-vegetarian since I've been here, and it really did nothing for me :P but anyway, I had the experience. We tried to go to the U.S. Mint but its closed Saturdays, until the summer months, that is. We really just ended up walking around a lot back and forth across the city. The city hall was beautiful and we saw the LOVE sculpture (?) and took pictures there. They have a huge masonic temple there too, it's quite beautiful, though not nearly as much as the city hall. I hope to go back to Philly, and it only costs $1 to take the bus to Philly (yes, $1, amazing, huh?). I want to go to the art museum there and go on a tour of the U.S. Mint, once its open on Saturdays.That's all for this week. Ciao.
Hey, Randal! Sounds like you are having a great time so far this summer! I do enjoy the pictures you add to your blogs, it adds a little pizzazz! Hope your week is great and we miss you!
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