On the move

Even though a new week of studying has already started, I should first tell about how I ended the last one. After handing in a homework assignment for econometrics and doing a test for Arabic on Friday, I was happy to go to Jazz in the Garden, a free open-air jazz-concert in the sculpture garden of the National Gallery of Art. Starting around 5pm, this event attracted all kinds of people, many of whom brought some snacks and drinks to enjoy the music, the weather, the nice athmosphere and of course the beginning of the weekend. It was great to hang around there while friends and friends of friends who brought more friends (and food and drinks) came along to start off the evening. When the concert was over and most people were gone - around 8pm, we decided to go to some party at the rooftop of an appartment building right next to the Capitol. While the DJ was playing hip-hop tracks we had a great view of the capital and the rest of DC. However, DC doesn't really have an impressive skyline like NY or Tokyo, because the buildings can't be higher than the Capitol.
The next day I had to get up early to go to Vienna, Virginia again to campaign for Obama! This time it wasn't as hot and it seemed more people were at home (or answered the door), so I had some interesting conversations. The most remarkable was a man who first indicated that he was still undecided and mostly voted republican, but after talking to him for a while he said he'd probably vote for Obama! He even showed admiration for my efforts and encouraged me to 'go knock on some more doors', which of course I did. In the end I had visited some 50 houses and talked to some 20 people. And Obama is leading the polls again, so let's hope it's going to work out!
On Sunday I had the strange experience of packing my bags again in less then a month, because I moved to a new place. After putting up with taking the metro to university every day, having police cars and helicopters inspecting the neighborhood frequently and all kinds of insects invading the kitchen, I decided I should move to a cleaner house in a nicer neighborhood closer to unversity. So now I live more downtown, on the first floor of a house with 8 appartments sharing an appartment with one other guy (my room is right above the door). It's also in a 'mixed' neighborhood, but here you can find all kinds of shops, bars, restaurants and street vendors. So instead of a boring residential area I'm now surrounded by some of the best venues in DC, including Black Cat, where all kind of concerts take place, Utopia, where jazz-concerts accompany the food, Whole Foods, a big supermarket with only organic products and numerous other places along the famous U street. Maybe you can compare it to moving from the Bijlmer to Leidse Square in Amsterdam, so I'm very happy with my new home. And what makes it all the better is that my new housemate, an Italian employee of NASA working on a sattelite monitor climate change, can make the best pasta, fresh pesto, limoncello and probably a host of other Italian delicacies! So I won't starve here.