CIES = AWESOME!

Hello, all! Sorry for not writing last night, but updates may get sparse anyway. Basically we went to more orientation yesterday morning. A sergeant with the DC Metro police talked to us, gave us his work email, personal email, and phone number with instructions to call him at ANY time. This is an awesome example of community policing. I can't imagine the B'ham police doing anything like that. I found it very impressive and inspiring. We also listened to the best speaker I've ever heard--Josh Sundquist. He was so hilarious, and also had moments where he was very inspiring. The auditorium was roaring with laughter and then completely quiet. He really has a gift.

After that, we ate lunch at this little diner. It was freaky weather yesterday, too, because it got up into the 60s. So we sat outside (there was NO room in the diner) and ate. The diner had tons of different foods. I got a pizza. I was starving, so it was good. Not sure if it would have been otherwise. The others seemed to like their food okay, though. I don't know.

After lunch, we were all terribly uncomfortable from having to dress in business dress for the meetings, so we came back to Rockville and changed. We decided to go shopping because Annie needed some dress shirts for work. We went to White Flint Mall, which is a couple stops down on the metro. They have several stores in there, but it's not nearly as big as the Galleria. I'm spoiled. Anyway, I bought a few things. At H&M, I got a black scarf and crocheted beret. At Nine West, they were having a huge sale/clearance, and I found some flat boots for $40. Couldn't pass those up! There was also a Cheesecake Factory in there, so we ate there for dinner and trudged back to the apartments being dead-tired and fat and happy.

This morning, there was a fatal crash on the red line at Rockville Station. This is the station that I use. I had no idea about it, so I went down there and they said that there were shuttles to the next station. This added on 30 minutes to my morning, so I'm glad that I left early. I feel bad, though, because I just wanted to know when the metro would be back up. I got a text from Annie that said a fatal crash was the reason the station was closed. They have everything back up and running now, but people at the office were saying that it's happening all the time now. I hope they get to the bottom of whatever's going on.

Anyway, I got to the Intelsat Building, where the CIES offices are located, at maybe 9:04am. No big deal. But security in that place is tight! I had to wait in the tiny lobby for someone to come get me and escort me to the conference room. They had heard about the crash, so they were all really understanding and didn't hold my tardiness against me.

To the conference room we went, where we were able to pick off of a small breakfast buffet they had set up for us, which included fruits and pastries and different things to drink. Sweet. We had meetings with the two people who hired us, Tanya and Jeff, telling us all about CIES and giving us info and different things like that. Apparently, we get a travel stipend for traveling to the office. $10/day, given to us at the end of the semester. Cool beans! Oh, we also have 5 personal days. Double cool beans!

We took a tour of the office. Interestingly, the Asia region people mostly speak Spanish. Huh? I know, I was like that, too. I asked if anyone spoke Japanese, and an older guy looked at me and said, "Nihongo o dekimasu" (I can do Japanese). I was so excited! I shrieked and we had a little conversation in Japanese while everyone around us kind of stared. It was awesome. Also on this tour, we met Taeko, my supervisor, who is Japanese. So I greeted her with "Ohayoo gozaimasu!" (Good morning!) And she greeted me back. I love working with people who can speak Japanese! (Note: I later found out that the older guy was married to a Japanese woman, hence his fluency.)

I met with Taeko and we went over my schedule and goals and whatnot. I didn't really know how to put my goals into words. I'm basically just trying to find my career path right now. I'm not sure what TWC is looking for, in terms of that. Anyway, I explained to her that we have TWC programming on Monday and the times vary. She said that she was told I would be working Monday-Thursday, so we just switched my days to Tuesday-Friday. Sweet! Three day weekends rock! Well, it won't exactly be a three-day weekend. Monday is still packed for me, it just starts a little later.

After this, she handed me off to the guy I'm working with to lighten his load. His name is Kareem and he's so awesome and funny. Basically, CIES is moving to an online application process where the info is directly put into the databases. Previously, they had to type all of it in by hand. There are 800 chosen applicants. This is a lot. So they're still tweaking some stuff, and this is what I'm helping Kareem with. There's an Iraq program which has a deadline in a couple of weeks, so that's on our agenda first, then to the regular applicants. But I think what we're doing is printing out the applications and making files for them. That's what I was doing this afternoon, anyway.

The interns all met for lunch in the cafeteria. I am so glad that they have a cafeteria, because I didn't really see many places to eat around the office. And the cafeteria is really impressive. They had potato and leek soup today! Wow! So I got a bowl of that and some vanilla pudding and water. All of that was over $5. Pricey! I'll have to pay attention to that next time.

After lunch, we got our ID badges so we no longer have to be escorted around. We also had more training time or whatever to do, so I worked on the stuff Kareem gave me. I sent him an email that I would be by his desk at 3pm for him to give me whatever work, and I was over there exactly at 3pm. He goes, "Oh...you're...here?" And I was like, "...Yes?" And he goes, "That's...so weird. I mean, you're actually here when your email said you would be." It was so funny. So basically, I just printed out applications the rest of the afternoon and put them into folders. I should be getting my own printer tomorrow and then I'm going to print out labels for them. Kareem checked up on me at 4:30pm and was impressed with how much I was getting done. He also said, "I'm tired of being here, so I'm leaving. I hope you will, too." And I said, "Oh, far be it from me to dash your hopes." And he goes, "Well, I can't tell you to leave. But I encourage you to do so." I ended up staying so that another intern and I could walk to the metro together, but still. It's nice that I'll get to leave early.

So I get along with everyone fabulously. They're so fun-loving and relaxed about everything. It's a great office.

It did take me an hour to get home. That was a bummer. And it got super-cold outside. Friday it's supposed to snow. It's going to be cold for this little Alabamian.

I have other stuff to catch up on, so...until next time!