Saturday was PassportDC, officially known as a cultural event to celebrate international diplomacy. To the people that attend, it is more of an opportunity to drink/eat free food and to see the inside of the embassies around the city. And it is FUN.
We started off the day at Dupont Circle to pick up our maps and 'passport' (which was stamped at each embassy we visited) and then walked down Massachusetts Ave. Our first embassy of the day was Haiti, where we enjoyed rum punch (at 10am. yes.), coffee, traditional music, and the beauty of the building itself.
Our next stop was the Korean embassy- and that is where the cool kids were. They blasted 'Gangnam Style' on their outdoor speakers (they also had a cardboard cut out of Psy in the foyer of the embassy, proving that they have a spectacular sense of humor). They also had a DJ and traditional clothing to try on. We picked up some candy and seaweed treats and begrudgingly left.
Then we headed on to Japan, after a quick stop at the Embassy of the Republic of Coite d'Ivoire and a picture of the Venezuelan embassy. The Japanese event was much more sedate than the Korean embassy (and they had intense security) but they had robots. And serious amounts of free food. Also, the embassy itself is lovely and they handed out an abundance of free souvenirs.
The Turkish embassy was next (and possibly my favorite). Parts of the building were more modern than the others we had visited, but exceedingly handsome. We sampled Turkish hazelnuts, cheese, and apricots, and we tried on the traditional clothing (no, the picture of that WILL NOT be included..except for Jared in a fez..because it's Jared in a fez). But the BEST part was the animals; a Kangal dog named Aslan (I love him. So much. I grabbed his business card as a memento.) and also some Turkish cats who were not as giving with their love or as wanting for a belly scratch as Aslan.
I said goodbye to Aslan and we trucked over a few blocks on to Wyoming Ave to visit the Embassy of Barbados. They were HANDS DOWN the friendliest embassy of the day, with the tastiest beverage (passionfruit juice), and party taking place in the garden.
Alas, the lines were too long, so we hopped aboard the shuttle to the Australian embassy. The line to enter the building was gargantuan, but as were waiting, we were presented with trays of meat and gravy, vegemite, and cheese. It was all disgusting. But Jared enjoyed it. Once inside, we were treated to a wine tasting (serious yums) and temporary tattoos.
Down the block was the Peruvian embassy, which was the most popular (and populated) embassy of the day. The building is exquisite, especially that of the Ambassador's office. (Peru's was the only embassy we visited that allowed us to take such an extensive tour.) We tried their national drink, Pisco; it is for stronger people than we. They also offered a taste of Inca Cola, a cream soda-y beverage. Also, they had alpacas. ALPACAS, dammit. I like the embassies with animals the best.
And then we were exhausted. And there were so many embassies we didn't get to visit! Next weekend is the same kind of event for the European Union countries. Yay! More beautiful architecture and free booze and food!
And this is why we love living in this city.
Many Huzzahs,
Janice & Jared
p.s.
I'm still trying to get that damn tattoo off my hand.
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