Well, it has been here for quite some time already, what with the temperatures nearing zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). I've gotten used to the temperature as well as the conversion between Celsius and Fahrenheit, making for good weather small talk. I fear, when I return to all-year-round 80 Fahrenheit Singapore, I am really going to miss this freezing winter. It's not just the temperature that I've fascinated about. It's also the snow, thanks to an ice storm. Snow in DC is not that pretty, according to the few whiny locals I've talked to thanks to my new mastery of the Fahrenheit. Driving is dangerous and streets get slippery with slush. Yet, despite the many inconveniences, this snow-virgin appreciates the experience, even if this winter was more uncomfortable than magical.
It didn't stop me from getting out and scavenging for food, although I very much prefer the dry warmth of the heated buildings.
Most of the snow melted away after a few hours.
Regardless, I had some memorable experiences over the weekend, even without the snow.
Burger 7
This is a burger franchise located out of the DC area we are familiar with. There is one in courthouse, a few stops away on the metro. Of course, it is halal, but it is also awesome. You can see the kitchen and the entire preparatory process while you wait for your order - they give you pagers that buzz to notify you it is done. We had the usual Burger 7 specials on the menu - doused with the special Burger 7 sauce. This burger chain makes for a good meal, regardless of the weather. Did I also mention it is cheap?
Exchange Prom
I really want to thank the few fellow exchange students who organized this event for the rest of us, and the Office for thinking of having this as part of the program. It has been such a long time since the exchange orientation and we've been hanging out in small pockets, but we never got to see everyone. There was good food, drinks and photo booths to take pictures. A kind soul even said, "we were really so concerned about the food being halal first, we forgot to check for vegetarians". Of course, the vegetarians were not left out, but such kind words...
My roommates and I took the above picture at one of the photobooths. We took one in the beginning of the semester at the Lincoln memorial and here we are, still friends, still without a roommate agreement. We pushed the boundaries of civilized co-existence and we made it. Just a few more weeks and I'll miss living together with them in our relatively neat apartment.
BB&T, GW versus Maryland
The few of us have really became huge fans of GW basketball who have been doing well themselves. We got the (free) tickets to their BB&T game against Maryland at the Verizon.
It was a really close match. We (yes we, because all of us were cheering along so the crowd was part of it, right?) held a lead until the very last moment when Maryland caught up. The Colonial Army kept strong and cheered the team onwards and within the last 8 seconds, the team scored 2 points to take the lead and win the game. We wanted to rush down the stands to congratulate the team on the floor but the event staff prevented us from even reaching out a hand to catch a high-5.
I'll remember this truly American scoreline for years - this was a basketball game straight out of a pro-GW movie.
We caught ourselves a Maryland fan on the metro back to talk "competitive basketball" with.
That's it for now, all the best for your finals! Yes, finals! I'm coming home soon...