You may well ask why the title of this blog is sore feet. The answer: that is what I had by the end of the day.
First, of course, we got up at 4:40 a.m. so we could get to the Inauguration on time. We, amazingly, did it. Which means, of course, that the administration screwed up and the bus was two hours behind schedule. We spent a lot of time singing songs, talking about random subjects, and swearing at each other (others did this, not me). I have noticed that the more frustrating the circumstances are, the more inclined people are to swear.
When we finally got to the National Mall, it was jam-packed. I think there were a record-breaking five million people on the mall this morning. So we didn't get anywhere near the capitol. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even see the jumbo-tron that we were supposed to be able to watch. I was literally shoulder to shoulder and stomach to back with people I have never seen before in my life. And there were tall people with tall heads in my only line of vision.
So basically what ended up happening was I listened to the inauguration. Which was pretty powerful and moving anyway.
The crowd was wildly excited for Obama. Chants of "Obama! Obama!" filled the Mall. "Yes we can! Yes we have!" were the feeling of the day.
Until President Bush came on. No sooner had his face, or Laura's, or any of the rest of the Bush family appeared on the screen than the crowd began to boo him. It disappointed me. He was still our president, if only for twenty more minutes, and he still deserves our respect even though he isn't president. After all, we (and I'm saying 'we' as a collective people of the United States of America) re-elected him. He served two terms for us. And he did the best he could do under the circumstances.
And then Joe Biden got sworn in. I happened to notice that his Oath was a lot longer than the President's.
When Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in, I think he screwed up a bit. It may simply have been a problem with the acoustics and logistics, but I could've sworn that the judge had to repeat what Obama had to say. I smiled when I heard the stumble. Obama's not a god. He's a human being, and he's going to make mistakes. Don't be surprised when he makes them. Because I guarantee you he will. The slip-up in the Oath just reminded me that one of these days, Obama is going to seriously disappoint the people who voted him in. Because he's human and he'll make mistakes. It's just a matter of what the mistake was, and whether people will still have faith in him.
In a lot of ways, Barack Obama has more pressure than any other president has ever had. He has to have the fortitude and determination of FDR. He has to have the guidance and generosity of Abe Lincoln. He must have the diplomacy of Wilson, the tolerance of Jefferson, and the courage of Washington. Most importantly though, he will be representing the entire African-American population. People will look at any small weakness, in his character or his policies, and they will say, 'Oh, well, he didn't do it perfect, so no more black presidents.' As ambassador for black people, Obama must be immaculate in what he says, what he does, and what he makes policy. He will be allowed no Clinton scandals, no Bush shortsightedness, and no Grant drunkeness. This is the probation period, and Obama must succeed if the African-American people are to succeed.
Then Obama gave his Inaugural Address. It was astoundingly powerful. In this high-tech culture of instant knowledge, instant solutions, and instant gratification, Obama spoke of far-reaching goals, goals that would not be fulfilled in his first term, or even a second term, if he gets one. Obama spoke of hard work and the strength of the nation as a whole, against the overwhelming propaganda that the world caters to you. Obama extended the hand of friendship to those who had once been enemies, and summed it all up with the powerful statement, "America is ready to lead again." For the first time, I feel inspired to believe in Obama's goals, and see that they can be met. It may mean he's just a good speaker. But it may mean a whole lot more.
After the Inauguration, bad things again started happening. We walked down to Nationals Ballpark, where we discovered that the line was half a mile long and moving slower than a cat who feels he has nothing to do. I stood in line with friends for over an hour, and then we decided we weren't going to get to eat and left. Which meant I got no lunch.
So we went back to our hotels to get ready for the Gala. I had a few packets of chips, but I was still very hungry. We got on the bus and headed toward the museum where the Gala was to take place.
Where we got trapped by a bus line that extended for two miles and travelled slower than a cat who has been called to come, meaning that time went backwards. Worst yet, one of the kids led us on a sing-along of some of the most terrible songs I have ever heard in my entire life, coupled with horrible singers. A recipe for disaster, all-in-all.
We got to the Gala, and I was able to meet up with Mike and his friends. And then we got separated. And I started feeling sick. And I lost my ID card. And a hundred and one other pesky little things that made me sick and panicky. The Gala was pretty much a disaster for me, because I was feeling so sick to my stomach I couldn't enjoy it.
Then we got back home, and tomorrow at five I will be headed off to the airport with Mike and his dad. My roomate, Veronica, has already left. I hope to keep in touch with her after this.
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope, eventually, to put up a blog that has all the pictures from the trip I haven't posted here yet. This is pretty much the last chapter of my experience. And as I look back across the days, I discover that I met my expectations.
I did feel a part of history, and was moved by Obama's speeches. I met knew people and got to know them, and I had fun debating about religion and politics. And this conference was much, much better than the last one I went to. I believe this is mostly because I am older, less shy around new people, and more open-minded. I also think that having a focal point helped the conference to be better.
I had two highlights for this conference. One, was being there on Inauguration day and listening to Obama give his powerful speech. But for me, what was even more wonderful was something totally unexpected and last minute, even for the organizers of the conference. Desmund Tutu's message made a huge impact on me. A person can indeed stand up in front of a crowd of thousands, a crowd of both genders, all races, every religion, and still speak a powerful truth about God and his plan for the world. It was inspiring. I think more than anything else, I will take Desmund Tutu's friendly outlook, his faith in God, and his incredible ability to laugh at himself and keep on going to heart. I may not have told you this story, but at one point during his speech, Tutu said something along the lines of "You are seeing so much bad on the Internet. It's fantastic." What he meant, of course, was that it was fantastic (as in fantasy, hard to believe) that the Internet could bash kids over and over with this kind of trash. What it ended up sounding like was, "Yeah! It's great that kids get inundated with this stuff!" At this point, Tutu realized his mistake, and did a little hopping dance around the stage while laughing at his mistake. That was a pretty big error. And he just kept right on going in his speech. That's probably the most powerful part of his speech--the fact that he didn't get flustered or mad or upset, he just kept on going and finished with a wonderful message. But for me, it was the error that made the biggest difference.
Thank you once again, folks. You have no idea how much this means to me.
God Bless,
Erienne
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
#5 January 19, 2009 Fun, Games, and Laughter
First on the agenda for today was Al Gore. He spoke (for a VERY long time) on the subject of the challenges the government faces, and (of course!) global warming. Seeing Al Gore live was very, very interesting. It meant that when we saw the political satire group Capitol Steps portray him, I laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants.
After Gore, we went on a dinner cruise on the Potomac River. The views were awesome, and there was some major dancing on the boat. There were two serious dance competitions, although I wasn't in either of them.
Then we went to the DAR building and saw Reduced Shakespeare and Capitol Steps.
I probably laughed more tonight than I have ever laughed at one single thing in my entire life.
Reduced Shakespeare did American History Abridged. There were some crude jokes, and there were some physical jokes, but the funniest part was the cynicism of the whole thing. Some of the best parts were the Bill of Rights (All men created equal? Hahahaha!) as well as the Bill of Wrongs (people you barely know are not allowed to send you "amusing" emails). Then there was WWI, complete with modern weapons of mass destruction (super-soaker squirt guns) which they then turned on the audience. Lucky for me I was seated far enough away.
Capitol Steps is a musical company! Everything they did was not only political satire, but also a parody of a song. The best were, How Do You Solve a Problem like Korea?, Obama-Mia, There's a Hole in the Middle of the Ozone, Proud to Be An American (Where at least I have an SUV), Shamlet (starring the Queen of York, Hillary), and of course, Huckabee (to the tune of Let it Be).
The lines to Al Gore's "There's a Hole in the Middle of the Ozone" go like this:
There's a hole in the middle of the ozone,
There's a hole in the middle of the ozone,
There's a hole, there's a hole,
There's a hole in the middle of the ozone.
There's a ice cap melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone,
There's an ice cap melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone,
There's a hole, there's a hole,
There's a hole in the middle of the ozone.
And so on, continuing with lines like, "There's an ocean rising because the ice cap's melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone," "There's coastal land being lost from the ocean rising because the ice cap's melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone," "There's a state called Florida that will be gone with the coastal land being lost from the ocean rising because the ice cap's melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone."
And the best line: "There's a guy named Al Gore who would've been president and really wouldn't hate to see Florida disappear with the coastal land being lost from the ocean rising because the ice cap's melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone, so heck, who cares anyway?"
If you don't get that, sorry, it may just be a "had to be there thing." Sorry you couldn't. Be here, that is.
It was the funniest night of my life. And I'm sorry I can't tell you all the jokes right now.
So, gadies and lentlemen, this is Merienne EcCray, signing off.
God Bless,
Erienne
P.S. The video below is one I took while Al Gore was speaking. Sorry about the quality, I was taking it on my cell phone.
After Gore, we went on a dinner cruise on the Potomac River. The views were awesome, and there was some major dancing on the boat. There were two serious dance competitions, although I wasn't in either of them.
Then we went to the DAR building and saw Reduced Shakespeare and Capitol Steps.
I probably laughed more tonight than I have ever laughed at one single thing in my entire life.
Reduced Shakespeare did American History Abridged. There were some crude jokes, and there were some physical jokes, but the funniest part was the cynicism of the whole thing. Some of the best parts were the Bill of Rights (All men created equal? Hahahaha!) as well as the Bill of Wrongs (people you barely know are not allowed to send you "amusing" emails). Then there was WWI, complete with modern weapons of mass destruction (super-soaker squirt guns) which they then turned on the audience. Lucky for me I was seated far enough away.
Capitol Steps is a musical company! Everything they did was not only political satire, but also a parody of a song. The best were, How Do You Solve a Problem like Korea?, Obama-Mia, There's a Hole in the Middle of the Ozone, Proud to Be An American (Where at least I have an SUV), Shamlet (starring the Queen of York, Hillary), and of course, Huckabee (to the tune of Let it Be).
The lines to Al Gore's "There's a Hole in the Middle of the Ozone" go like this:
There's a hole in the middle of the ozone,
There's a hole in the middle of the ozone,
There's a hole, there's a hole,
There's a hole in the middle of the ozone.
There's a ice cap melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone,
There's an ice cap melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone,
There's a hole, there's a hole,
There's a hole in the middle of the ozone.
And so on, continuing with lines like, "There's an ocean rising because the ice cap's melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone," "There's coastal land being lost from the ocean rising because the ice cap's melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone," "There's a state called Florida that will be gone with the coastal land being lost from the ocean rising because the ice cap's melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone."
And the best line: "There's a guy named Al Gore who would've been president and really wouldn't hate to see Florida disappear with the coastal land being lost from the ocean rising because the ice cap's melting from the hole in the middle of the ozone, so heck, who cares anyway?"
If you don't get that, sorry, it may just be a "had to be there thing." Sorry you couldn't. Be here, that is.
It was the funniest night of my life. And I'm sorry I can't tell you all the jokes right now.
So, gadies and lentlemen, this is Merienne EcCray, signing off.
God Bless,
Erienne
P.S. The video below is one I took while Al Gore was speaking. Sorry about the quality, I was taking it on my cell phone.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
#4 January 18, 2009, Inspiration
Well, the title just about sums it up. I can't think of any better compliment I could give today. It was truly inspirational.
We started the morning out with a few icebreaker games, and then we started a discussion about prejudice and discrimination. It really opened my eyes to the kinds of people who are discriminated against and the ways people discriminate. People are quick to judge others and put them down.
Then we got on the bus. "Darth Scott" gave us a 'tour' of the city. For example, did you know that elevators were invented by Sir Thomas Elevator? Or that the seat was invented by "By Golly Molly" Seat? Or, my favorite, that white water rafting was invented by Sir Thomas White, his wife Molly Water, and their son, Tommy Rafting?
Anyways, when we got to the stadium, that's when the real inspiration began. We had two keynote speakers talk to us; General Colin Powell and Archbishop Desmund Tutu.
Colin Powell gave us a moving story about his life and how we are getting ready to change. The best part was at the end of the speech, when Powell was asked about his endorsement of
Barack Obama and his comment about the accusation that Obama was Muslim. He said the truthful answer is "No, he's been Christian all his life," but the right answer is, "So what?"
Then Archbishop Tutu spoke to us. Basically, he started with "God has chosen you from eternity" and he went on from there. :) Tutu truly inspired me. His message was both funny and motivating, and he used biblical examples of young people in the Bible standing up and doing great things, Joseph, David, Jeremiah, Mary the mother of Jesus...etc. He told us all that we are 'VSPs' -- very special persons. I liked that. He was incredible.
After that, we had lunch on the buses, and travelled down to the National Mall to watch the Opening Ceremonies for Inauguration Week, with performances from such people as Beyonce, Shakira, and Youtwo (and yes, I probably spelled that wrong). Well, we didn't actually get to see it, we watched it live on a big LED screen. Which meant it was almost exactly the same as watching it on TV, except we were a lot colder. We saw Obama make his speech, which was also very inspiring. For those of you who didn't get to see it, President-elect Obama told us that he saw hope and the future in every single person out on the National Mall. It was very moving.
Then we scurried back to the University of Maryland to have dinner, and then listen to blind mountain-climber Erik Weihenmayer speak to us. It was incredible. I am telling you, this guy was amazing. He not only got to the top of Mount Everest, he walked in places where one wrong footstep would mean his death. And he couldn't see a single thing. The clips and pictures he showed were spectacular, moving, and frightening. Erik had to walk across a crevice on a bridge made of rickety ladders strapped together. It was amazing. (BTW, Erik has his wife put the pictures together for his slideshow.)
All in all, an incredible day. I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring, considering we'll be hearing from Vice President Al Gore!
God Bless,
Erienne
P.S. My leader says Vice President is a title you get to keep for life, whether you actually are currently one or not.
We started the morning out with a few icebreaker games, and then we started a discussion about prejudice and discrimination. It really opened my eyes to the kinds of people who are discriminated against and the ways people discriminate. People are quick to judge others and put them down.
Then we got on the bus. "Darth Scott" gave us a 'tour' of the city. For example, did you know that elevators were invented by Sir Thomas Elevator? Or that the seat was invented by "By Golly Molly" Seat? Or, my favorite, that white water rafting was invented by Sir Thomas White, his wife Molly Water, and their son, Tommy Rafting?
Anyways, when we got to the stadium, that's when the real inspiration began. We had two keynote speakers talk to us; General Colin Powell and Archbishop Desmund Tutu.
Colin Powell gave us a moving story about his life and how we are getting ready to change. The best part was at the end of the speech, when Powell was asked about his endorsement of
Barack Obama and his comment about the accusation that Obama was Muslim. He said the truthful answer is "No, he's been Christian all his life," but the right answer is, "So what?"
Then Archbishop Tutu spoke to us. Basically, he started with "God has chosen you from eternity" and he went on from there. :) Tutu truly inspired me. His message was both funny and motivating, and he used biblical examples of young people in the Bible standing up and doing great things, Joseph, David, Jeremiah, Mary the mother of Jesus...etc. He told us all that we are 'VSPs' -- very special persons. I liked that. He was incredible.
After that, we had lunch on the buses, and travelled down to the National Mall to watch the Opening Ceremonies for Inauguration Week, with performances from such people as Beyonce, Shakira, and Youtwo (and yes, I probably spelled that wrong). Well, we didn't actually get to see it, we watched it live on a big LED screen. Which meant it was almost exactly the same as watching it on TV, except we were a lot colder. We saw Obama make his speech, which was also very inspiring. For those of you who didn't get to see it, President-elect Obama told us that he saw hope and the future in every single person out on the National Mall. It was very moving.
Then we scurried back to the University of Maryland to have dinner, and then listen to blind mountain-climber Erik Weihenmayer speak to us. It was incredible. I am telling you, this guy was amazing. He not only got to the top of Mount Everest, he walked in places where one wrong footstep would mean his death. And he couldn't see a single thing. The clips and pictures he showed were spectacular, moving, and frightening. Erik had to walk across a crevice on a bridge made of rickety ladders strapped together. It was amazing. (BTW, Erik has his wife put the pictures together for his slideshow.)
All in all, an incredible day. I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring, considering we'll be hearing from Vice President Al Gore!
God Bless,
Erienne
P.S. My leader says Vice President is a title you get to keep for life, whether you actually are currently one or not.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
#3 January 17, The First Conference Events
Above: My Roomates, Phillippa (top) and Veronica (bottom).
Hi again, everyone! Boy, is it late out here. The conference is already off to a behind schedule start, but it's ok, because it's not my fault. :)
Tonight we heard from two incredible speakers. The first was Doris Goodwin, who writes history books, mostly about presidents. Her special interest is Abraham Lincoln, and she talked to us about him for a while. We also heard from journalist Lisa Ling, who shared with us some of her incredible experiences on her trips for reports. Some of the most interesting stories were the Lost Girls of China and the North Korea trip. In North Korea, Ling had to give up her cell phone. North Koreans are so utterly disconnected from the world, they have no concept of any other way of life.
I am in Best Western Tyson's Westpark hotel, and my "presidential group" is Taft #21. Our bus is Turbo-Awesome-Fun-Bus #138. My faculty adviser, Darth Scott, should be a fun and interesting person to be with.
My two roomates are Veronica, from Cali, and Phillipa, from Indiana. Phillipa is currently rereading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and I'm pretty sure Veronica is on my bus. They seem very nice (a lot nicer than the roomate I had last time). I'm much more excited for this trip.
God Bless,
Erienne
#2 January 17, 2009 Travel and Rest
The above pictures are of (left to right) Muhammed, Mike Sr., Rita, Little Mike.
Hello, again, people! I'm here at Mike's Aunt Rita and Uncle Muhammed's house. Yesterday we spent a long time flying here (7 hours!!) and now we're hanging around.
Rita and Muhammed are a lot of fun to be around. They love to talk and are a lot of fun to hang around. So, I'm kind of redundant.
Last night (11-12 here, 8-9 there), we were driving around FOREVER trying to find Bowie. Mike Sr. kept getting out of the car and asking for directions. Unfortunately, most of the people he spoke to had only a limited knowledge of the area. Or English.
We did, however, finally get here. Just a hint, don't go to the Taco Bell/KFC joint here. It took us twenty minutes to get through the line. And they ran out of the yummy chicken. And they gave us drumsticks that wouldn't satisfy a mouse. This is not quality service we're talking about here.
We slept a while. Like, seven hours. Luckily for me I was able to wake up at 8:15 and still feel nice and rested. Which, for the information of people at home, would be like waking up at 5:15. I fell asleep at about one, the Mikes at two. So we slept, but tomorrow is going to feel like torture, when we have to get up at, like, six. Which is like, three, at home.
Mike Sr. didn't get up until way late. But soon we'll be heading off to the conference. I'll tell you all about my roomate(s) when I meet her/them.
Write again soon,
God Bless,
Erienne
Rita and Muhammed are a lot of fun to be around. They love to talk and are a lot of fun to hang around. So, I'm kind of redundant.
Last night (11-12 here, 8-9 there), we were driving around FOREVER trying to find Bowie. Mike Sr. kept getting out of the car and asking for directions. Unfortunately, most of the people he spoke to had only a limited knowledge of the area. Or English.
We did, however, finally get here. Just a hint, don't go to the Taco Bell/KFC joint here. It took us twenty minutes to get through the line. And they ran out of the yummy chicken. And they gave us drumsticks that wouldn't satisfy a mouse. This is not quality service we're talking about here.
We slept a while. Like, seven hours. Luckily for me I was able to wake up at 8:15 and still feel nice and rested. Which, for the information of people at home, would be like waking up at 5:15. I fell asleep at about one, the Mikes at two. So we slept, but tomorrow is going to feel like torture, when we have to get up at, like, six. Which is like, three, at home.
Mike Sr. didn't get up until way late. But soon we'll be heading off to the conference. I'll tell you all about my roomate(s) when I meet her/them.
Write again soon,
God Bless,
Erienne
Friday, January 16, 2009
#1 January 16, 2009. Getting The Blog Up and Running
Hello, Trinity, and all those other people out there!!
It's me, Erienne, and I'm really excited for this new blog. I'm going to be using this site to post pictures, reviews, and a short rundown of my day. Thanks for reading this. I hope to keep you updated about the events of the inauguration.
In about three or so hours, I will be getting on the plane to go to Washington, D.C. So right now I'm going to talk about my expectations for the Inaugural Conference.
Those of you who saw my interview on KOHD know that I'm excited about going to this because this is going to be history in the making. That's the coolest part. I am living in a period of incredible history. I remember 9/11. I have seen the effects of the War on Terror. And now I get to witness, live and in person, the Inauguration of the first black president. This is history. And I get to be there.
I'm also hoping to learn a lot about what it's like to be president. Many of the activities that the conference will be doing with us are geared toward presidency and presidential campaigning. I hope to gain many insights into the president's life and use my new knowledge of leadership to lead others when I get back to Trinity.
I also hope to have a lot of fun!!!
As I keep you guys updated, I also remind myself about what has happened and what will be happening. Once again, thanks for reading, and I hoped to keep you posted.
God Bless,
Erienne
It's me, Erienne, and I'm really excited for this new blog. I'm going to be using this site to post pictures, reviews, and a short rundown of my day. Thanks for reading this. I hope to keep you updated about the events of the inauguration.
In about three or so hours, I will be getting on the plane to go to Washington, D.C. So right now I'm going to talk about my expectations for the Inaugural Conference.
Those of you who saw my interview on KOHD know that I'm excited about going to this because this is going to be history in the making. That's the coolest part. I am living in a period of incredible history. I remember 9/11. I have seen the effects of the War on Terror. And now I get to witness, live and in person, the Inauguration of the first black president. This is history. And I get to be there.
I'm also hoping to learn a lot about what it's like to be president. Many of the activities that the conference will be doing with us are geared toward presidency and presidential campaigning. I hope to gain many insights into the president's life and use my new knowledge of leadership to lead others when I get back to Trinity.
I also hope to have a lot of fun!!!
As I keep you guys updated, I also remind myself about what has happened and what will be happening. Once again, thanks for reading, and I hoped to keep you posted.
God Bless,
Erienne
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