By baharmahzari
It is half-time. Two months from my four months stay in DC have officially come to an end. And time just flew by. Besides my occasional panicking about course work, which still has to be done until mid-December, I am also realizing that there are so many things I still want to do and see here. Museums like the ‘Air and Space Museum’ still need to be paid a visit, my culinary list has to be extended (I have not had a proper Taco here yet!) and some places still need to be seen. All of this seems to be impossible in just two months full of assignments and academic events. I am also leaving for Canada and North Carolina soon, which even leads to less of my precious time. But regardless of the downsides, the two months anniversary of being here in DC was celebrated during Halloween. Since the US is the 5th-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, it seemed appropriate to dress up as they do during the Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). It was the easiest costume ever: you only wear black clothes, apply the makeup and finalize your outfit with a flower crown.
Trick or Treating on Embassy Row started off our day. Most of 1959 E Street gathered to have the Halloween experience of DC. So around. So 40 exchange students made their way to Embassy Row and successfully filled their bags with American candy including Twizzlers, M&Ms and Hershey chocolate. Only the South Korean embassy gave out national Korean candy. So a big shout-out to all security guards and housemaids, who opened the doors of the various embassies for us and made our lives sweeter with some delicious candy. The night was followed by proper Party hopping leading to me spending almost $30 dollars on several Ubers. Safe and sound Halloween ended in the shadiest Kebab House ever located in one of the back alleys of Dupont.
I also had my first experience with the notorious American healthcare system after waking up with one of the worst eye infections ever. I do not want to make a rant out of this, so let me just say that it is no fun. The bureaucratic process concerning international healthcare providers and their requirements for treatments happening within the US is basically bureaucratic suicide. I am sorry mom, but you will have to deal with this one. Instead of dressing up for Dia de los Muertos, I could also just have gone out as Captain Hook. My eye patch was on point.