Passport DC 2013
May. 6th, 2013 03:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vamysteryfanI had a fun weekend. Sister 9 and I went to the open house day for embassies in the District. We went to Australia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and Japan. I always enjoy the day. There's usually dancing, food, and artworks to admire. Everyone pushes visitor information.
Australia was fun. They kept bringing snacks of cheese, lamb and beef, and Vegemite around. As you walked in, they had a Maori playing the didgeridoo. They had a number of Australian military representatives there and some photos from Afghanistan. On the way out they were offering lamingtons (sp?), little sponge cakes dipped in chocolate and coconut. Yummy!
I'd seen the outside of the Kazakhstan embassy during last year's 16th Street walking tour so I was keen to see the inside. Beautiful wood moldings and the ceilings had a raised plaster decoration of leaves. Very pretty. Many of the walls sported various edged weapons. There was also a display of jewelry and artworks.
On the way to the next place we passed the Peruvian flutists having a battle of the bands with Trinidad and Tobago drummers. Interesting combo. A little farther down the street the Chilean Embassy was piping music outside.
I also wanted to see the Indonesia Embassy as it had been owned by one of the richest families around when it was first built. Evelyn McLean owned the Hope Diamond for a while. The building was modeled after an Italian palazzo and has gorgeous woodwork. The inner courtyard rose four stories and was topped with lovely stained glass.
Sister 9 was keen to see the Japanese embassy. It was an interesting mix of tradition and techno. They had the best food - chicken, vanilla ice cream encased in a thin cake shell and freshly roasted edamame. They also had the creepiest exhibit, a room with two robots in it. One lifesized robot was extremely realistic. It blinked and changed expressions. The other was a robot baby. Not realistic but it could talk and move a little. It responded to your voice. It asked for a hug and when I did it hugged me back. Wild!
Across the street we spotted this rather odd sculpture on a house. It looked like someone was climbing the wall.
Next weekend the European Union embassies open their doors. We'll probably try that.
Australia was fun. They kept bringing snacks of cheese, lamb and beef, and Vegemite around. As you walked in, they had a Maori playing the didgeridoo. They had a number of Australian military representatives there and some photos from Afghanistan. On the way out they were offering lamingtons (sp?), little sponge cakes dipped in chocolate and coconut. Yummy!
I'd seen the outside of the Kazakhstan embassy during last year's 16th Street walking tour so I was keen to see the inside. Beautiful wood moldings and the ceilings had a raised plaster decoration of leaves. Very pretty. Many of the walls sported various edged weapons. There was also a display of jewelry and artworks.
On the way to the next place we passed the Peruvian flutists having a battle of the bands with Trinidad and Tobago drummers. Interesting combo. A little farther down the street the Chilean Embassy was piping music outside.
I also wanted to see the Indonesia Embassy as it had been owned by one of the richest families around when it was first built. Evelyn McLean owned the Hope Diamond for a while. The building was modeled after an Italian palazzo and has gorgeous woodwork. The inner courtyard rose four stories and was topped with lovely stained glass.
Sister 9 was keen to see the Japanese embassy. It was an interesting mix of tradition and techno. They had the best food - chicken, vanilla ice cream encased in a thin cake shell and freshly roasted edamame. They also had the creepiest exhibit, a room with two robots in it. One lifesized robot was extremely realistic. It blinked and changed expressions. The other was a robot baby. Not realistic but it could talk and move a little. It responded to your voice. It asked for a hug and when I did it hugged me back. Wild!
Across the street we spotted this rather odd sculpture on a house. It looked like someone was climbing the wall.
Next weekend the European Union embassies open their doors. We'll probably try that.
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Date: 2013-05-07 07:48 pm (UTC)next year you must visit the New Zealand embassy :) i have to say your stories of all the amazing cultural things you can do in DC (and for free!) make me very envious.