Washington

I'm taking a brief break from a mountain of homework to write this post. Last night I got back from Washington, D.C. Wow. That's about all I can say... the whole experience seemed surreal, from the places I went to the people I met. I loved D.C., what a beautiful city! It was also wonderful to meet the other scholars.

Thursday we had a lecture at the Canadian Embassy (beautiful), followed by a reception, at which the Canadian Ambassador introduced himself to me! I was so amazed that real-life important people wanted to talk to us, and were incredibly friendly as well.

On Friday, after a day of lectures, four of us went walking down Embassy Row. We got lost, and stumbled upon this:

The National Cathedral (Woodrow Wilson is buried inside!). It was absolutely stunning, and incredibly large.

Saturday we did the tourist thing. Unfortunately, my pictures didn't turn out well because it was pouring rain.

The Capitol

The White House

Run, Forrest, Run!

So that's my trip in a nutshell, I would love to write more, but for the sake of school I'll refrain. I loved D.C. so much that I'll be going back for another visit in two weeks' time, as a part my program's mobility initiative. My blog will be on holiday until classes are finished, so until May 6, goodbye!

Lady in Pink

It has been a while... the past week consisted of exams, papers, assingments, and a few random things like dinner out for a friend's birthday and a squash tournament (be still my heart). At one point I had a lot to say, but since various blogging attempts were thwarted by technical difficulties, I've forgotten most of it by now. It must be that time in the semester when brain parts stop functioning normally...

Last Sunday on my way to the lab I spotted this, and had to go back to take a photo:

In memory of a beautiful life is one of my favorite statues on campus, and I think someone found her corset to be a bit outdated.

This is the boathouse, where last week's kayaking took place:

Ingrid's 21st birthday was on Monday, and we went out for Thai food.

In this photo: Ludmila (Moldova), myself, Ingrid (Norway) and Becca (MA)

In this photo: Xi "Doris" (China), Katie (CT), Anastasia (Ukraine), Ludmila, and Veselina (Bulgaria - she was my roomate during international orientation).

Ludmila is my closest friend at Smith. I sat down beside her to have dinner one night during orientation, because I didn't know anyone in the room and she was wearing our group's T-shirt. After dinner we went for a walk, discovered that we were going to live in the same residence, and the rest was history. She is an incredibly strong woman - sarcastic, generous, smart, and sensitive. She has worked hard to get here, and I've learned a lot from her (sadly, I had never heard of Moldova before I met her). Getting to spend time with international students has been a great experience that I'll definitely miss next year!

String Theory

I've decided to separate knitting content from other stuff, so that non-knitters can just skip over it. The Opal fish socks are finished just in time for Easter:


I started on Nancy Bush's cable and rib socks for mom, but the colors of the Ultramerino 4 aren't quite as subtle knit up, and seem to be pooling. They also seem a little small. They will likely be ripped out when I find a replacement yarn or pattern. Since my real sister won't wear handknits, a special pseudo-sister will be getting socks (Opal ladybug) for Christmas instead. She is the owner of the first pair of socks I ever knit, and told me that she's wearing holes in them. And I haven't completely forgotten the Vogue sweater... it looks the same as last time, only a bit longer.