Fitting In

Before I get into what I really want to talk about, the strangest thing happened to me today. We went to the World Bank to hear a speaker Joseph Stiglitz who won the Nobel Prize for Economics. Nothing about the words bank, economics, or stiglitz appealed to me, but today I was PLEASANTLY surprised. First, I knew what he was talking about! Globalization, bad investments, deregulation. These are very important people and I blend into the crowd!? This was very cool. Second, and more importantly, I agreed with him! Yes, someone from the World Bank! Shocking! He made the brilliant argument that it is not a matter of having the money but rather directing the money into the right kind of investments. And for him, the best global investment was in development and the alleviation of poverty. He argued that building other countries up actually helps us out. "Externalities" is the fancy term for it. That's your education lesson for today and I STRONGLY encourage you to look him up.


But anywho, what I have really been meaning to write about is something that has become essential to my DC experience so far- the METRO! There are so many things I love about the Metro in that weird way where you love going to someplace that is just so ordinary it makes it extraordinary.

People Watching: Depending on the time of day, very different vibes are given off by the people around you. My least favorite would obviously be rush hour. This isn't ideal for any 5'3 claustrophobic ladies. But when you can see farther than the person's jacket in front of you, there is always an interesting crowd. I know I'm starting to fit in hear when I prefer riding with many business, single people on the week days than the chatty, clueless tourists on the weekend.

"The Metro Shuffle": This is that special skill I am starting to master where you do a little balance dance as the train comes to a stop. This is how you really tell the tourists from the locals. It's an art and I would probably be better at it if I could reach the ceiling bars, but I'm getting better.

The Escalators!: You have not seen an escalator until you've gone into a Metro tunnel in DC. Think of the steepness of a black diamond ski slope only made of metal and moving at a speed out of your control. The AU/Tenley stop has an extra steep/ long one which you can barely see the sky from. Oh yea, these are super long stairs UNDERGROUND with arches of CEMENT surrounding you. Also awesome for my claustrophobia. But we have come to the conclusion the red line must be farthest underground so they can torture the college students the most. They also squeak with a sound that can only be compared to dying elephants. it's great.


The Red Line: Of course we are on the line with the reputation of having the most mechanical problems, and they have earned that title already. This weekend there were 15 minute delays which doesn't seem much but at 1:30 am for this girl that likes her sleep, it does! We've also had a few freaky moments and had to transfer in the middle of two stations because our train was "Undergoing mechanical difficulties. Everyone must exit the train immediately." It's always an adventure and it keeps you on your toes. I am not quite at ease enough to read a book or magazine yet. But I've started with headphones and am taking baby steps.


The thesis of this post is essentially that I am definitely feeling that transition mode from stranger to regular in the city. I'm fitting in at the World Bank and have yet to be squished by the Metro doors. Overall, I'd call that a great success!