|
Debbie “Hi, my name
|
JOURNAL ENTRIES
Young_Leader: Debbie Gibson Journal_EntryWell it is finally here, my last day at work. I have to admit that I am really sad, I have really enjoyed my time here in the Office of Cabinet Affairs, the people have been ‘grand’ and very friendly. I have to say a big thank you to all the staff and interns at the office for giving me the experience of a lifetime. As my time in Washington draws to a close I have to say I am ready to go home, for a while anyway!! I need to sleep, drink ‘club’ orange, eat my mums green pepper soup, listen to CityBeat (plug for my very good cousin Ms Hunter!!) and be cold for a while. However, after a week of the above I will be ready to come back and do it all over again. Next week we will be having an evaluation day, however, I am unsure how we will fit everything into one day. I will let you know how we get on. See y’all later!!
Young_Leader: Debbie Gibson Journal_EntryI cannot believe that it has been two weeks since I last wrote in my journal pad. I am very sorry to all those who have been patiently waiting for their next installment of ‘Debbie Does Washington’. Highlights of the last two weeks have been the talk by Mary Boergers on the role of leadership in the cinema that sparked a discussion on the role of female leadership. Mary had been a state senator and was able to speak from first hand experience this was really interesting. The preparations for the conference in September seem to be well underway and the committee who are involved are really wanting to push similar intern schemes back home. From being in America, I have realised how valuable internships are both for the intern and the office. Back home our political, business and community leaders should seize the opportunities they have. There is a wealth of experience in Northern Ireland which is just waiting to be tapped into, and now that we have devolved power it would be great if young people like myself had the experience in places like Stormont, and then we could see what OUR politicians are doing. By experiencing the workings of government while still at University it would maybe encourage us to stay in Northern Ireland as we would become more aware of the opportunities avaliable at home and would not feel it was necessary to travel abroad. Socially things have been really good. I met up with Jonny (my other president), on Saturday 22 July, it was really good to see a friendly face even when I was 45 minutes late, I know ‘me late’ is a contradiction in terms but it happens. We were to meet at the reflecting pool outside the Capitol Building and when I arrived I thought he had left but then I heard him call from across the pool, disappointingly though he did not run across the pool in Mr Gump fashion!! Sunday is one of my favorite days here in Washington. I have been meeting up with Pauline who I know from home and we have been going to this great Church in the mornings and evenings, it is called McLean Bible Church and has lots of young people. The congregation is so big they have four services every Sunday morning. After Church we go to the mall, out for lunch, to the outlet stores, watch movies or go swimming. This weekend we are hoping to take a trip to go White Water tubing or rowing on a lake. However, nothing could match the excitement of last weekend, when we went to New York for the day!! We took the Greyhound and arrived in the Big Apple in time for lunch and left at tea time. It was so cool just to be there and we did have such a laugh. I also met Ian at Church on Sunday, so I have been having one big St Andrews reunion all week!! The final highlight of the past two weeks was when Katy Kennedy and Mary Boergers invited me to attend the launch of a book written by the nine female ladies in the Senate. It was so cool. The senators all made brief but very witty comments and they dedicated their book to a Girl Scout from their state. All proceeds are going to this organisation as the senators believe it is the starting block for female leadership in todays society. What was also interesting was that the idea for the book came after the senators had been asked to speak to the ladies of the Northern Irish Assembly. I was introduced to Barbara Mikulski and Kay Bailey Hutchinson who are the senior democrat and republican ladies, respectively, in the Senate. We were also given a complimentary copy of the book. It was a really inspiring evening. I have always been very sceptical of women who seem to talk too much about being a woman and how hard it was for them to get into certain male dominated professions, and then tell younger generations we too can do it. I think this not because I believe I cannot achieve such levels, but because I never thought I couldn’t and I did not realise what all the fuss was about. However, last Tuesday night I realised that I could only feel like this because women the generation before me fought hard to improve the standing of women in leadership roles today. No longer do women have to shy away from mainstream politics and policies and be content with dealing with ‘women’ issues but we now have the opportunities to make a difference across the board. We must be grateful to these ladies and I know I will be forever in their debt. I hope that my experience of equality will continue into my career. Well I shall sign off now, I have a busy week ahead, we are going to a theme park on Monday, Potomac Mills on Saturday, and tonight I am going to McLean Church to make a worship CD, yes me singing, obviously they heard my version of Butterfly Kisses, ‘there’s two things I know for sure����.
Young_Leader: Debbie Gibson Journal_EntryI cannot believe that I have been here for four weeks now, time has flown by so quickly. The last week has been non stop but so much fun. Work continues to be good and I have been taught much from the experience, not least how to work the very complicated phone system, that everything I heard about American interns was true ( I am so joking!!!), and they have been so hospitable, letting me eat their peanut butter cups and sharing a watermelon, there is nothing like a watermelon to unite people from across the world. Socially things have been good if not very busy. I met up with Ian my friend from St Andrews on Tuesday night and he took me to the great falls but the highlight of the night for me was the blizzard I had at the Dairy Queen, yum. Wednesday evening was spent at the Emerald Isle Pub were we had dinner with the new board of the Young Leaders programme and then we were given a taste of life in DC behind the nice white shiny buildings. The group who were giving the presentation were from all different walks of life, there was a vietnamese high school student, three people from the Washington Inter Fatih Network, community activists, a guy who used to live on the streets, and all shared their experiences in a very open and passionate manner. The evening was very interesting with many facts proving disturbing to me in my rose tinted glasses. Did you know people in DC do not get a vote? After the evening ended we adjourned upstairs were many conversations were had over a few cold ones. Helen had managed to bring her office with her and I found a guy who was doing exactly the same course as me, I was so impressed, but I was a little spooked at his love of Ireland, it was unhealthy, and he wanted to swap lives, but he was really decent. On Friday evening there was a really bad thunder and lightening and our electricity went out, it was really scary but lots of fun as we sat on the porch and watched the show. Saturday was our listening day which was much much better than I thought it would be. The evening at Jenny and Bronaghs was the highlight though, thanks so much to the girls and the cooks, it was a great evening, for some more than others!! Sunday was spent shopping with a friend from home which was cool but not so cool for the visa, eek. Well I shall sign off now but will be back soon, I have lots of neat things planned, tubbing(!?!), theme park visit, more shopping, a football game, Newcastle United are playing, sorry Uncle Jim, but I have to go!!!
Young_Leader: Debbie Gibson Journal_EntryYou will all be pleased to know that I have finally calmed down after my very unexpected meeting with Mr Clinton. I have been having a great time still, the office are all still great and I feel like I am settling in and starting to know what is going on more and more. It is great to have such an insight into American politics at this level, after studying comparative British and American politics it is good to gain some practical experience. It is also really great just to be here as the election season starts to get more intense. From reading the local papers one thing I have learnt is just how pragmatic politics here is and that party lines are not as enforced as at home. I am also keeping a close eye on what is happening at Camp David, it is all due to kick off tomorrow so we shall wait and see. From surfing the web it seems that things at home are pretty bad, however, it is interesting to compare the CNN and Belfast Telegraph comentaries, and before long you realise just why people over here really do not seem to know anything about back home, it is blown out of proportion so much. However, I have found people, both the host family and office very keen to here at first hand what is going on, however, some are more interested in the lucky charms side of our culture. Did you know there are almost 48million Irish Americans in this country? Amazing!! Socially things have been really good, we went to the play on Friday night called ‘Fool for Love’, it was good and something different to do. The people at the theatre made us a cake (chocolate, so you can tell why I enjoyed the experience). Saturday saw the need for some serious retail therapy first at the Eastern Market and then at Pentagon City Mall, Sunday was the pool party which Deborah Woodcock, my aunty (Niamhs Mum), hosted, it was a really nice and relaxing day. This week I seem to be out every night at something, the video crew (ie.Trina et al) are coming to film me doing various things around DC for the conference presentation, this could be my big chance, my co star Mr Mackall however is sure to steal the lime light with his musical ability!! Well I shall go and will keep you updated on my bid for stardom.
Young_Leader: Debbie Gibson Journal_EntryWell I cannot believe the day I had yesterday, it was the best day so far!! Being July 4, DC was buzzing with lots of old navy t-shirt clad families all heading into the city to catch the fireworks, the metro for the first time was not an enjoyable experience, can you believe it? After a great BBQ with the interns in my office, the cookies/biscuits and ‘strawberrry’ cake where a highlight, I headed off with Ciara to the White House to start my ‘volunteer’ duties (Brian and I had to hand Dove bars to the people on the lawn). Before the crowds started arriving we decided to sit down for a few minutes beside the putting green on the South lawn when next thing, who should appear in T shirt and Quicksilver shorts but the President, he was just practicing his golf and we were so close to him and nobody else was around. After playing for a while he came over to shake our hands and we told him we were from Ireland and he told us about swearing in two new Irish citizens. We then asked him for a photo, it was so cool, I cannot believe I met him, I took about ten photographs which was very unprofessional and unsophisticated but hey, it was the PRESIDENT!! The fireworks were great but the music was even better, I want to become American just so I can sing ‘and I’m proud to be an american’. I also feel I need to revise my history because it occurred to me that I did not really know what the whole independence day was really about, but that is another task to add to my growing list of ‘to do’. I think a trip to the movies to see old Mel should sort that out though. Well I better go and do someting constructive, hope everyone is well.
Young_Leader: Debbie Gibson Journal_EntryWell hello eveyone. I am sure you are anxious to hear about me latest exploits in DC. Well it has been quite a week, I can tell you. I feel like I haven’t stopped since I touched down last week, everyone here seems to be rushing from some place or too some place, it is exhausting trying to keep up, but fun non the less. On Sunday morning we went for a cultural visit to an inner city baptist church which was so good, the people where really friendly and very sincere in their worship, I would definitely consider a return visit. My host ‘mom’ Ginny is great and the house is beautiful. We went out to a steak house last night for her son Fred’s birthday, very nice meal, ribs with apple and cinnamon sauce, weird but nice!!! The weather has not been great these past few days but I am glad about that because the lobster look just ain’t in this season. I love riding the metro in the mornings and going home at night, it is a real expereince all on its own, it is so interesting watching all these different types of people, there is no other form of entertainment like it, except maybe an ER double bill with just GC starring!! Well now for the important part what is the office like? Well I can honestly say it is great, it is very busy and I think it may take me a while to catch on what is going on but I see that as all part of the challenge. I have had an especially exciting day today as I was in the Cabinet Room at the White House which was very impressive, I couldn’t believe I was actually in the WHITE HOUSE, how great is that. A further highlight was posing for the photographers to adjust the flash light for the real cabinet photo, very cool stting on the lawn of the White House. However, the ultimate treat was when I caugt a glimpse of Buddy (the President’s dog) and also ‘the first squirrel’, well so one of the other interns tried to convince me!! The people are really good fun and I don’t know why I was so nervous. I have been introduced to some irish americanisms such as lucky charm cereal, (it is with marshmallows, what on earth??) and also they keep talking about ‘irish spring’ soap, which we are all supposed to be using, ten points to the advertising company!! They have also been very amused (a little too amused at times!!!) at my accent and of course the word ‘craic’. It is fun though I just hope I can improve my American accent in return.
Young_Leader: Debbie Gibson Journal_EntryWell hello everyone and I hope you are all well. I am having a ball!! I started work at the office yesterday and everyone was really nice and friendly which is always a help. I hope to give you all a real taste of life here in DC which is much faster and much more humid than life at home. I just hope I can keep up. We had a great orientation week last week and went to see most of the sites here, very impressive, I also went to an open air concert on Saturday which was really cool.
Young_Leader: Debbie Gibson Journal_EntryDebbie, welcome to Young Leaders 2000 from the Webmaster. We all look forward to following your summer adventure here in Washington, DC through your Journal. If you have any questions or problems with your Journal, please email webmaster@storywise.com. Good luck!
|