Week 2 - Always Learning Something New Every Day

What’s up, world! Hope everyone is doing well and has had a nice week thus far. A lot has happened since the last time I wrote, and at this point the exciting, up-tempo pace of my life in Washington D.C. will not be slowing down any time soon. So with that said, here goes!

When I last wrote, I promised I’d mention to you a little bit about what the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, or NESA Center does. The NESA Center is a government-run strategic institute under the Department of Defense that was made for the purpose of facilitating dialogue with countries within the NESA region, which spans from as far west as Morocco to as far east as Bangladesh. This mission is ultimately achieved through a seminar that consists of a series of lectures put on by hired scholars and retired lieutenant colonels, with roundtable discussions following them. The geography of this region also suggests that the NESA Center helps build relationships with officials of states that have had very tense relations for decades, such as Arab states such as Syria and Lebanon with Israel, and India with Pakistan. On TV, it’s very easy to witness how difficult relations are between two countries from all of the painful war images and emotional rhetoric expressed by politicians and advocacy journalists alike. However, what does not get noticed is the willingness of officials from these countries, regardless of their rank, to establish closer relationships with others despite the political status quo, and this is what makes NESA Center more relevant in international politics than ever.

My internship at NESA does not just involve performing the typical administrative tasks of preparing folders, making coffee, and cleaning out some of the lecture rooms at the end of the day, but it’s also it’s also quite an academic experience because we get to sit in on most of the seminars that take place. For political science nerds like me, sitting in on these seminars are quite fascinating because they focus many different relevant topics, such as how the Department of Defense conducts strategy and the role of soft power and diplomacy in satisfying U.S. national interests. Of course, there are always those few seminars that require me to have an extra cup of coffee or four before entering the room, but by and large the lectures are very interesting. I also get a chance to interact with a lot of these officials that come in between seminars.

During these seminars, the NESA Center takes the participants from the NESA region to different sites around Washington D.C. and an out-of-state trip. For example, last week I had the opportunity to spend the day on Capitol Hill and walk into the same room that President Obama had given his State of the Union address the night before. It’s quite a fascinating experience to walk into the very same building that the President gave such a traditionally important speech the night before, regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with the President’s policies. However, as interesting as it was to learn about all of the symbolism from all of the artwork in the room, I was disappointed to see that the room was much smaller than it appears on TV! I guess the camera adds ten thousand square feet to rooms like the way it adds ten pounds to a person.

Well maybe the room where the President gave his speech was smaller than I thought, but the size of the rotunda is definitely as large as advertised!

On Saturday, there was a huge snowstorm in and around the DC area. For someone like me who is from the west coast, the idea of snow and wearing boots, gloves and an overcoat is a pretty foreign concept for me. It was the first time I had seen snow in five years, and because of that, it was just fun to watch the snow fall. It was also a great excuse to stay indoors and just relax all day!

I wish I could take credit for taking this great picture, but this was actually done by my roommate and friend Tim Wyatt.

The next day, I visited the Washington National Cathedral and had the opportunity to attend the Holy Eucharist in the morning. Now, I do not consider myself a very religious person by any stretch of the imagination, but I do consider myself to be very spiritual and have a very complex belief system, and I can say with some certainty that the service that I attended definitely contributed to my spiritual growth. The service proved to be more of a message of loving God and one another rather than a stereotypical message of condemnation. There is so much insight that many different religions and philosophies can provide, but unfortunately, the fanatics and their beliefs are so sensationalized that many of the positive messages get overlooked. It was a wonderful sight to see religion being applied in such a positive light.

This is probably one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve ever seen. It especially looked nice with all the snow on the rooftop!

I’m really looking forward to watching the Super Bowl this Sunday. Unfortunately, since my Oakland Raiders are not in it, it really doesn’t matter to me who wins. I’ll be happy just to see a competitive game. I’d obviously rather have my Raiders in the Super Bowl, but at this point, hell has a better chance of freezing over than the Raiders have a chance to win a Super Bowl anytime soon.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to comment on this page and I’ll do my best to address it next week. Until then, take care and hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week. Peace!