One of the many things that I enjoy about my current job is its location in the heart of Washington, DC. The very minute I get out from my metro stop, I sense the potent political vibe of the city. There are the anti-war demonstrators, the presidential entourages, and of course the lobbying center of the world: K Street.
For the past week or so, I have been taking my lunch breaks in Lafayette Park, which is located right in front of the White House. I usually bring my lunch and some reading material and sit on one of the benches or the small picnic tables scattered all over the park and watch the demonstrators buzz around while the lobbyists are taking a breather over Chinese noodles and Subway sandwiches.
The other day while savoring my Mujaddara, I paused for a minute after being hit by the surrealism of the moment. Here I was, a Jordanian, working in Washington DC, eating my Mujaddara, flipping through the Economist, right in front of the White House, as anti-war demonstrators roamed about. At that moment, I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was not in a trance. I ♥ DC.
Uncle Al,
Thank you for your kind words:) Blush, blush.
Ayman,
I make my own mujaddara;-) I made it the night before and then brought the leftovers for lunch:)
What a great image you gave us with just those few words. Believe me, young lady, you have a marvelous gift for writing…even when it’s not in your native tongue. It shames me that I have no facility with any other tongue than Deep South, but that doesn’t keep me from recognizing quality when I read it. Keep up the good work!
Uncle Al
I’ve never been to DC, though I’ll finally make it there in January for the AHA meeting. However, I’m experiencing something similar here in Jerusalem. I see the Dome of the Rock from some angle on almost every day, and as the weather warms I’m starting to get out more and sense all the political currents running through the place.
Over 7 years after my last visit I can still vividly recall all the places we visited over those two days…ouch my feet are starting to hurt as they too remember all the walking. What a great city indeed!
DC is one of my absolute favorites as well and I am fortunate to visit frequently. My wife tells me it reminds her of Amman some how (but with more character).
Anyway, where the heck do you get Mujaddara in DC???? Please share 🙂
I just loved DC!
ANA BIDDI! 🙁
Washington D.C., love it or hate it, is one of those magical and beautiful cities. It’s hard to explain it until you’ve actually been there.