Adventure 3: Half and Half

Good morning day 3! We kicked off the day with a brief orientation in the morning. Technically it was the “academic orientation” of the program, but our coordinator gave us a lot of additional information about DC as a city, fun places to visit, and basic tips on how to get by. Apparently, New York is just 4 hour bus ride away! Not to mention, super affordable (she said she was able to purchase a round trip ticket for $37). We’ll have to take an apartment trip to NY one of these weekends.

After our brief orientation, we tried to take care of logistical matters, like checking out Ethernet cables. A few months ago, the UC Center experienced a terrible fire that caused a lot of damage, which has made our wi-fi connection rather sporadic and unreliable. Unfortunately, the IT guy didn’t seem too keen about helping us out, as his door was closed and locked while we waited and knocked for quite some time.

Although that proved to be rather unsuccessful, we were able to take some left-overs from a “continental breakfast,” held earlier this morning. Agent 024 and I (as well as another apartment-mate) brought back a ton of pastries, stacks of butter, jam, and a brand new carton of half and half. We couldn’t help but giggle as we took our loot back to the apartment, feeling a little devious and proud of our scavenging. Technically, the continental breakfast was for us and if no one else wanted the goods, it shouldn’t go to waste, right? Of course, right (as Yenta would say).

Our treasure! *Note the half and half in the back.

Even though bringing home the half and half felt victorious, the highlight of our day was definitely visiting the Library of Congress (for the second time). Agent 024 did some excellent research and told us about a free public tour in the afternoon. The four of us and a new friend decided, “Why not? Sounds fun!”

On the way to the LOC, we saw the American Bar Association! :D I was star-struck yet again.

Entering the Library was both refreshing and awe-inspiring. As Agent 024 wrote, all of us thought it would be a bright idea to wear jeans. Well, I guess that was very Californian, because we quickly discovered it wasn’t such a great idea. Given the DC humidity, we were all sweating immensely and sticking to our clothes as if they were band-aids. It was not a pleasant feeling and also a little embarrassing. So when we walked into the Library, I could hear angels sing as the air conditioning cooled down our drenched faces. It was as though we finally made it to Mecca, though I refrained from collapsing onto the cold, marble floor.

Inside, the Library of Congress really was magnificent. The walls, floors, and stairs were all made of shining marble. Special light bulbs, which were created by Edison for the building, adorned the walls, though there was also plenty of natural lighting from the windows. The Library had many beautiful paintings and sculptures celebrating knowledge, wisdom, and learning. Our tour guide explained the significance of each painting, describing how each depicted an important facet of civic society throughout history. In the Great Hall, we were able to see a first edition printed Gutenberg Bible on display, one of three remaining copies in the world. Of course, I was trying to read the text and I could recognize a few words in medieval German (I guess that Medieval German Lit class I took helped).

Entering the Great Hall

Stained glass windows on the ceiling

Paintings on the ceiling as well. 

Unfortunately, we could not enter the Main Reading Room, except for a small viewing area from above. Apparently, “special permission” is necessary for acquiring clearance to the room. Also, none of the books from the LOC may be checked out, so any researchers using LOC materials must stay inside. Nevertheless, the Room was gorgeous and it reminded me of the library in Beauty and the Beast. I could just imagine Belle singing with her arms wide open, celebrating books and knowledge. I would definitely love to conduct research in the Main Reading Room, though. Maybe someday.

No photography of the Main Reading Room was allowed, but this was the entrance to the viewing area. The painting is of Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom. Below in Latin, "The pen is mightier than the sword."

So we finally headed back to the Center, as the tour ended around closing time for the LOC. Agent 024 and I made our first meal together! She's a great cook, by the way. It was delicious and very satisfying, especially considering we had pretty much eaten pizza and McDonald’s up until that point.

Spaghetti and salad. Yay real food!

All of us were fairly tired by the end of the day, so we just relaxed, ate dinner, and watched tv. Oh, I did stay up rather late trying to iron my clothes. I was getting nervous about my first day! With that, I’ll leave you until next time: “I cannot live without books.” ~Thomas Jefferson

<3 Upshire Girl (Jess)