Typical Day at TeleSUR

Today we had a crazy busy day!

It all started when we had to be there at 9:15...this is a major setback for our office. Hahah. No one likes to be in before 10:30.
We went to see Obama's speech at American University. While Nitza was allowed access, the interns were not because we were not on the list (although we tried). There was crazy security--snipers on the roof, and bomb-sniffing dogs everywhere. Tons of press people were there too.
We 3 interns waited with Willy for about an hour while Nitza was inside listening to the speech then we filmed a press conference after with prominent leaders of the immigration reform debate. It was pretty interesting. These included the Rev Al Sharpton and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of NY.

Then, we rushed home after getting some interviews, ate lunch really quick, then went to a protest at the White House where religious leaders (even conservatives!!! MIND YOU!) were begging Obama to pass immigration reform and not keep talking about it. We filmed the stand-up and left.

Got back to the office, uploaded all the footage from the day, edited it, and sent it in as a Nota (story) to Caracas, Venezuela. And got to go home early, by 4:00. I stopped by the Farmer's Market on the way home and bought 3 most delicious tomatoes. For $4.29.

All in a DC day's work.

It's not really letting me post pictures, so I need to figure out why its not working and then I'll upload them in another post.

Observation Walk

Sometimes, I really like to go for what I call an "Observation Walk." DC is a great city, actually maybe the best city, to do this in. Basically I just walk with my iPod for as long as I can go until I get bored then try and remember some funny or interesting things I saw. Here's a list of some great things I saw today on my dusk walk all around the monuments.

-about 34 planes take off from Reagan and almost take out the Lincoln Memorial
-about 100 flags flying at half-mast in honor of the death of Sen. Robert Byrd
-at the Washington Monument, I saw the sun set over the Lincoln Memorial, reflecting pool, and WWII memorial
-from the Washington Mon, I realized you can see the Jefferson Memorial, Potomac River, Lincoln Memorial, WWII memorial, Vietnam Vets memorial, Korean War Memorial, White House, and Capitol all depending on where you stand at the monument
-a set of identical twin guys wearing yellow shirts and jeans (reminded me of Ravi)
-about 500 flags being set up for the 4th of July
-about 9340823759784 tourists
-a family of a dad and 3 little kids all dressed in their complete Sunday best entering through White House security and being allowed into the building (if only I knew who they were!)
-for some reason they had all the closest lookout points closed to the WH
-a Caterpillar construction machine in the WH lawn
-about 30 games of softball being played all over any green lawn, anywhere
-and finally, a building I have never noticed-the federation of American States building that has all the names of all the countries in the Americas on it-US, Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, you get the picture
-this was complete with a statue of Simon Bolivar


I don't feel like a tourist anymore! StL landscape doesn't look anything like here, but I still miss it. :(



SO WHO'S COMING TO VISIT?!!!?

Little Things I Like About DC

1. The thunder sound the Metro makes when its in the tunnel about to arrive
2. All the different types of people
3. Georgetown
4. Starbucks on every corner
5. Not being able to walk anywhere without passing the White House, monuments, or government buildings
6. How low it looks like the planes are always flying really low and close (Reagan is really close, a few metro stops away)
7. The morning GW Athletes gym...I'm usually the only one there

Today I went to the Zoo, which was disappointing compared to the St Louis Zoo which is so much better. BUT. I did see a panda which was pretty cool. I also went to the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Vets Memorial Both are very nicely set-up, with the architecture and the way of presenting them. The Korean War Mem is really neat, its a bunch of soldier statues as though walking through a field. I'm also going to add a picture of it in the winter, it looks gorgeous.

Watching the US-Ghana game now!!

Today at work

Today at work they put me in charge of finishing a whole news story about BP and Tony Hayward to send to Caracas to be approved! YAYYYYYYY!!! Hopefully we will put it on youtube, so i can put the link up here!
I'm so excited to be able to do what I love, and work with Willy the awesome cameraman!

NYC

Right now I find myself on the Megabus from New York to Washington..thank you, Megabus for the free wifi even if it doesn't allow you to get on youtube. And darn you, Bryn, for deciding to sit in front of the 33 year old grandmother smacking her gum, screaming on her walkie-talkie cell phone, and her 3 year old grandson, chomping grapes and getting yelled at because he wouldn't tell the 33 year old grandmother he loved her the whole 5 hour long drive. Oh, and she said the f word about every other word. To her 3 year old grandson. If she yells any louder I don't know what I'll do. Shameless, in a bad way.

New York was fun. Seeing Leigh and Mom was a blast. The city is crazy busy, people running around everywhere at all times of the day. Truly tiring for someone like me who is not accustomed to big city living and who doesn't particularly enjoy big cities. However, we survived, even though my mom's feet were bothering her the entire time we walked all over. It was very exciting seeing all the things from the movies and the sights you have to see at least once in your life. I am truly grateful to my mom for bringing us and for the welcome break from work. But, it'll hopefully be many years before I make it back to NY. Once every ten-twenty years.

Anyway we hit all the touristy sites and spent a lot of money on taxis and were able to go to a Broadway show, Memphis, which was really fun and upbeat concerning racial separation and civil rights mixed in with the music industry in Memphis in the early 1960's. Leigh went to Promises, Promises the night before by herself and saw Kristen Chenowith (from Wicked and now Glee) and she got Sean Hayes (Jack from Will & Grace)'s autograph when she stood outside the stage door waiting for him.
My favorite attractions were the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Ellis Island. Its amazing that a nation founded on immigrants now decided they have too many. MoMA gave me some great ideas for my next wood project (another table, where am I going to put it???) OH. Any by the way, we met Al Roker and Ann Curry at the Today Show. And Valerie Bertinelli. I shook all their hands! Ann even held onto my hand for a while. I thought it was a little weird, too. But she's so sweet.


NY makes DC seem like a small town. And I still haven't decided if I like living there. It was really weird getting back on the bus by myself to go back to DC while Mom and Leigh got on a plane for St. Louis. Gosh! I miss that place.


Pics in another post. It is easier to put them up alone.



-----It's not about where you're going. What really matters is where you came from.----

This is the video we filmed while at the hearing on the Arizona law. As you can see at the end of the video, I'm famous and on South American TV! Look for me on the left in the wide shot of the audience in the blue dress at time 1:35.

Click here

click for more info on the protest:
and the hearing:
and finally, the correspondent i was working with, nitza: