The Adventures of Trooper Gabi: After Spring Break

I will write more about my spring break tomorrow but I first I am going to give everyone an update on my Georgetown life ever since Spring break because it has been eventful and busy week (where I not really doing any real school work). So I came back and had to catch up with my friends (returning from short breaks are the best because you had so many adventures yet you only did not see each other for a short enough of a time period that it feels like nothing happens... its weird!). So once I get back at Georgetown on Sunday I am once again at the Tombs on Monday (I wonder how one of my posts without the Tombs would fare? I bet it would be rather short) where I would get this pin for St. Paddy's Day that said "Irish Power at the Tombs 2010" which I decided to wear everywhere (even to class... not as cool as pajamas to class but still pretty cool). Suddenly I realized I was so excited for St. Paddy's Day. I had never been excited for St. Paddy's Day. I had always gone to parties for St. Paddy's Day since my freshman year and I knew everyone loved it but this year it was different because I was pumped (I had a butterflies in my stomach feeling for two days prior to it). As a result I wore my pin everywhere and wished I was a Black Irish (cannot pull off the normal Irish because of my Spanish roots). I do not believe it was just my Dublin experience because that happened prior to my St. Paddy's Day in London (although my Dublin experience was epic with baby-sized fish and chips, Irish breakfast, Irish Coffee and Irish pubs!). On the actual day I went to the Tombs to see my Irish friend do some Irish dancing with the Georgetown Irish Dance Team and have an Irish car bomb myself (not as epic when one of my friends did not go to confession to have her first drink, an Irish car bomb, during Holy Week). At the Tombs I wore red because I had no green (I made everyone look like it was Christmas which is even better than St. Paddy's).

Then my weekend consisted of a lot of stuff. It was epic! I left campus three times within 24 hours (I sometimes do not leave campus for two whole weeks so I think I might not leave now until Easter Break just because I left so much in one day). The first night consisted of the Fish Fry (this is supposedly a Midwest thing which might explain why I have never heard of it... actually I just do not get the Midwest). I won a t-shirt in the raffle (it actually had some green... it was my luck that it was no longer needed despite my St. Paddy's day party later in the night!). There I also ate a lot of hushpuppies (I have no idea what they are but they are delicious). I had so much hushpuppies that I just needed to go back to lay in my bed for an hour just to digest the food before I could take a half-hour nap (might also be exacerbated by taking a keg by myself three blocks, including the giant 35th Street hill just because I was dared to do so... the guy at Dixie's knew I could do it because he saw I had determination). I also saw that Dixie's (the liquor store) does not accept Puerto Rican ID's and had a sign that said that they will not take your ID unless you look like you are at least 40 (First, I do not want to look like I am 40. Secondly, why? why? why?). Then after my successful nap (I actually have only a success rate of about 50% in my naps) So then I could get ready for the Knights of Columbus St. Paddy's/ St. Joseph's Day Party (St. Joseph's Day was ignored in favor of the drinking friendly St. Paddy's... it's the equivalent of the Cinco de Mayo). There I had car bombs with four of my girlfriends where I drank it faster than everyone else (one of my girlfriends is a pure Irish girl that can drinks like no other and the other one, midnight J, just spent a whole semester in Scotland also drinking a lot... I am still a lightweight but my chugging skills are unparalleled, possibly because of my constant water chugging). I would end my night at 4 because the party was just so good and there were people that needed help going home (it always happens!).

The next day I went to Tombs brunch and it vaguely reminded me of Leo's brunch on the weekend where people go to recount their shameful stories of the previous nights. Normally we eat breakfast by ourselves the night after a party so you lose that sense of community through shame (also Tombs has a much better environment that Leo's so it is definitely much better). As much as I rant against Leo's I do miss it. Let me clarify I do not miss the food (although the breakfast would be nice and I believe that if I had a block plan I would use it all in breakfast... I really do love breakfast!). What I do miss the social atmosphere of it (it is much harder to socialize when you do not have a common meeting place). Therefore, I just love brunching and I can eat breakfast for any meal (I love eggs, hash browns, and waffles... there are just so many good breakfast foods). Then later in the day I would actually study a bit (I did not really do a lot of that during the weekend... when I actually do some of my work is a question with no real answer). After that I would go to Bangkok Bistro where I decided to eat sushi (I am really trying hard to be vegetarian but sushi is my real downfall... actually I can now expand that to seafood as a whole food category). Then I would watch the final minutes of the Kansas-Northern Iowa game where I would be rooting for Kansas to lose (I do like underdogs but I never knew I would like something from Iowa so much). Then after that we would watch Beauty and the Beast (it is truly my favorite Disney movie and Belle is my favorite). I could go on and on in my romantic mode about how it really represents true love (despite one of my friends trying to say that it has bestiality and the Stockholm syndrome... stop breaking my dreams of true love!). One of my friends would point out how my night was just a Triumvirate of B2 (things those initials are BB). Then as I was returning home and stopping by Vital Vittles to get myself some sweets because it was Sunday and I needed my weekly dose of sweets when someone called my name from 20 feet. It was my friend MT with a group of her friends, including a Guatemalan visitor. She invited me to a club and like the "Trooper" that I am I would say yes immediately without having any idea where I was going. Only that everyone was going and that I knew most of them. I was nearly killed in hugs (I was dumbfounded for about 10 minutes because of what happened... I cannot say no to my friends... ever). It made it so funny because my friend, midnight J, who I had been most of the night with and had just seen her 20 minutes texted me that she was going to the Tombs with her friend from Scotland and all I could sketchily reply was: "Currently in New York Avenue." We ended up in Northeast DC in a place called Warehouse (it was a literal warehouse!). There we danced to techno (so London and I loved it). Then we left because it was already 3 and our Guatemalan visitor had to leave.

Then on Sunday morning I did Tombs brunch again (I can do brunch everyday... especially when I get to eat coffee cakes, poached eggs and brownies in one meal). Then I would go off campus to a lecture on Catholic University (second time off-campus in a day but wait for it because there is one more). Then I would return to work in the RHO and go to Lau 5 after that (I had not gone to Lau 5 in forever and I knew I needed to reconnect with it... it feels ignored). Then at 9 I would leave off-campus again for a third and final time within 24 hours with my friend B2, midnight J, and midnight J's roommate from Scotland. We would go to the Dubliner (irish pub by the Capitol). I would have Magners for the first time since leaving London and had fish and chips (British and Irish fish and chips are still better). We then saw that people were congregating around the TV to watch the health care reform vote (Joke: You know you are in Washington when people are watching the news in a pub rather than March Madness). Due to the high probability of two of us getting a heart attack we decided to leave to see people cry in front of the Capitol when te Senate voted (also what better thing is there to do than walking through the DC at midnight on Sunday?!?!). Instead of seeing proponents and opponents of the health care bill we would see the stragglers for the immigration protest (like anyone would pay attention to them during the middle of the health care debate?). I considered going to the immigration rally due to my connection with it through my spring break experience but I was too busy (also nothing has connected with me except the March for Life... which remains the only protest I have gone to while in DC despite the fact that I do in fact live in the political capital of the world). After that we would keep on walking through the monuments (and taking pictures). Finally we got to the Washington Memorial where we decided to take jumping pictures in front of it (we would take about 50 pictures until we got a perfect one of just 3 of us). Then two guys offered to take the picture of all 4 of us together. After some problems understanding each other and 10 other pictures we finally got a good picture (even though midnight J looked like a fallen angel and B2 looked demonic). Then the guys would strike up a conversation with us and when I found out they were Brazilian I could not resist speaking to them in Portugese (they said I spoke Portuguese well but I have not decided if they were being sincere or they were just hitting on me). So after that they asked to take a picture with us and we reluctantly agreed to do it. So they got a guy to take it (do not be surprised if our pictures end up in Brazil). Then we decided to go back to Georgetown. However, before we went our separate ways we decided that we needed another so we got on top of the John Carroll (stuff that we have to do before graduating... but I don't want to graduate?!?!?!?). There I would look pretty (What do you expect?). Then I needed to go to bed because even I need to sleep.

Adventures of Trooper Gabi to be continued...

Non-Conventional Spring Break Part 2

So I left off in the middle of the first day. I planned to do a two-part series but as off now this will be a trilogy (trilogy always sound cooler... LOTR or Star Wars pop into mind but especially LOTR... despite some people not being as crazy about it as I am). We drove for 10 hours the first day (some of us slept for most of it except the few brave, albeit a bit crazy, ones) until we arrived in Savannah, Georgia. There we would eat dinner at Wendy's across from the Holiday Inn Express (the first of many fries for me during the week and frosties for everyone else). Then we would explore the city and go in search of the bench in Forrest Gump. After 30 minutes of walking around the city and exploring various parks we came to the conclusion that we had just failed at finding the bench (How many Georgetown students does it take to find a bench? Clearly more than 10). After that we went to the hotel to sleep for the last time in 6 days in a bed (we would be roughing it for the week but I had a Hispanic moment and referred to what I was doing as "roughing up"... big difference!).

The following day we would drive again for 10 hours with our usual pit stops. We stopped in St. Augustine to go to the beach for an hour (our only trip to the beach during our entire week in Florida was just for an hour... we are totally non-conventional!). In one of our pit stops I found postcards (which I had to send for the Tombs for 99 Days). I was so indecisive that I got two so I decided to send one to the poor people stuck in the RHO during spring break (the postcard was off an old lady on the beach with three young shirtless men around her saying which stated "Too busy to write") and the one for the Tombs was one which had a picture of an alligator and at the top it said: "Up close and personal" (this would actually be quite relevant later in the week where we did see alligators). So I was excited about getting my Tombs postcard on the second day and pumped to send it right away (stay tuned to this story because it will last for a while). Then after more sleeping and a lot more driving we finally get to Immokalee. We get to the community center and find out it is actually a very nice place (although we still had to sleep on the floor). I was also resigned to not having a computer for a week but then I suddenly see that they have 12 computers in a nice computer room (so much from being totally disconnected from everyone at Georgetown but I still could accomplish of not texting anyone... it was hard the first two days but then I got used to it... believe it!). We went to the park to have a BBQ (this park is relevant later on). The first day we played spud and it took us about 30 minutes to light the fire. My hands ended up full of coal (we took a picture where I was supposed to look scary with my hands full of coal but it was blurry when I saw it a week later and just thought to myself: "So much wasted potential"). We also found out one of the freshman girls was married (I am a senior and nowhere near to that stage and was immensely impressed... after all you do not expect freshman to be so mature). After that revelation we would go back to the community center and some of us would play bananigrams (I suck at it... Ironically a couple of people would play scrabble with each other from different cars in their i-Phones). This would commence the not sleeping enough because we would have to wake up at 7:30 every morning when we to bed (or sleeping bag) way past midnight.

Our first full day in Immokalee was packed. First we went to meet with those that provide legal services to the poor people of Immokalee (I would slowly find out that the area surrounding Immokalee is responsible for 75% of the tomato production of the United States during the winter months). After that we went to Ave Maria University. There the tour guides would be really nice and give us free drinks at the coffee shop (aka their Uncommon Ground... those Corpies on the trip have corrupted me). They would also give us a one hour tour and free lunch despite the fact that we were just tourists and not interested in transferring (at least I am happy being a Hoya despite the loss against Ohio University... why are we cursed against all these Ohio universities?!?!). I was impressed by all their Catholic stuff but Georgetown is the place for me now. As we would leave Ave Maria University I would notice I lost my postcards (I become so disheartened but it was for the best because I believe the group became one with my 99 Days postcard search... by the final couple of days that would be one of my main concerns but this matter is to be continued). After Ave Maria we would then go to the CIW (Coalition of Immokalee Workers... they are a non-profit organization which protects the tomato growers). There we would have the misfortune of meeting Tasha (our keyword for her). Tasha is in charge of the student-CIW relations where she has worked since last November. We can also called her Tash Tash. I believe she can be the next Ke$ha with a change from Tasha to Ta$ha. Despite being a hippie who lives in Immokalee I could see her coming out in 2 years waking up like P. Diddy, with Gucci sunglasses, pedicures on her toes and trying to get a little bit tipsy (despite the fact that we gave her many nicknames they were not out of love). I also have an adaptation of Tik Tok for the situation in Immokalee but I thought it would be insensitive to write it down (it involves "tomatoes on my toes"). We would listen translate to what one of the leaders of the workers would say and I immediately disliked her because she cannot translate (I wanted to stand up and tell her that I can translate). I have still not decided whether she was just bad at Spanish or had some alternate agenda (because I realized that everyone in Immokalee has their own agenda and everyone made me doubt eveything I will go with the latter). After that we would take a tour around the area and see the trailers where they lived (I still am undecided whether they are truly treated badly in their housing situation or they decide to do this so they can actually send more money back home). Then we would go back to the community center and sleep (maybe sleep only after a couple of hours because we never slept... except those drivers because they need to sleep and not kill us with their reckless driving).

This is taken much more than expected. This might be more than a trilogy (goodbye LORT... I will miss thee).

Immokalove to be continued!

Non-Conventional Spring Break Part 1

So I will write various posts about spring break to emcompass its awesomeness. This journey started when I decided that this spring break I wanted to do something different. I had gone to Puerto Rico my two previous springs breaks at Georgetown and last year I was in London so I decided I needed an adventure. I was thinking at first going with some of my friends to some adventorous place but none of them were up to anything extremely exciting or they did not invite me so I decided to apply for Alternative Spring Break. This almost did not happen because I was so busy that week with the OCC and the March for Life that I only had 30 minutes to apply to a couple of them. I did not get accepted into any of them with a wait list in half of them but then I go accepted into one where I got rejected at first. So I decided to accept it but then the Snow Days started and I could not hand my information in so I took it as a possible sign that I should go somewhere else. However, nothing came up, except the option to stay in DC and work in the RHO, study, and visit the monuments and possibly NYC and I decided that maybe ASB is the way to go. So I handed in my forms and I accepted that I was going to go Immokalee Migrant Worker Justice (I had no idea where it was... only that it was somewhere in Florida... I also did not think to map quest it).

I had no idea what I was getting myself into because when people asked me where I was going I did not even know how to say the place I was going to so I just said Florida and then went on to explain how I was in fact not going to the beach and I was doing cultural immersion among migrant workers (in the back of my head I was saying to myself: "Maybe I should learn this name so people will not think I am actually going to the beach. If only I could tell them Kentucky they would have none of these questions"). So I did not know any of my fellow companions until a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks before ASB where we would awkwardly commence our introductions in an ICC room and I would learn no one's name (I would expect the same from them... I do remember my random fact being that I always put avocado in my Sweet Green salad). Then we would have another meeting in the house of two of our leader's who happened to be roommates the Monday before the trip. As a result during that whole week I start edto recognize faces for our ASB but I would just look down because one is in that awkward phase where it might be the wrong person or they not recognize you and look at you weirdly (we all go through the torture of greetings on a daily basis at Georgetown where we do not know if the person remembers us ). It did not help that the only person I moderately knew was someone I knew from my freshman OA group and saw frequently when she worked as a cashier when I was a Lau 5 groupie and only saw this semester in a cruise party which was in her house and I went because my friend knew her (my costume worked because I was dressed for a Jersey Shore party... in my defense I managed to look trashy and unclassy without looking skanky).

So we get to Saturday where we need to meet at 7:00 A.M. in front of Leo's in the bitter cold. I had barely slept 4 hours (this would not change throughout the trip) because I had a girl's night in my house to get rid of our excess food before spring break. After that I had to do job applications, essays and emails (my priority are straight = sisters before responsibilities) so I ended up going to bed at 2. Then I walk with my stuff to the front of Leo's and see all the ASB people whom I did not even know how they were called and we would now be forced to spend the rest of my week with (this was only the second time all 17 of us where together). It was a bleak environment not only because we did not know each other because it was 7 AM in the freezing cold... conversation was sparse. We get in the vans and begin sleeping. I get in the five person van (so it gives us a lot more space because normally they are for 6 persons so we can put our seats back and the person in the back can lay across the entire back seat) for the entire day because our driver pulled the 10 hour drive on the first day without having a replacement with the same co-pilot throughout the entire day. I proceeded to sleep immediately and would form part of the competition for biggest napper for the trip (I would get third in the competition... only to be beaten by the other two nappers on the van). Then we would drive through Virginia... through North Carolina... through South Carolina... to Savannah, Georgia... only stopping periodically on awkward pit stops (for me because I only knew some people's names at that point).

It took me more than expected... I am barely halfway through the first day!

Immokalove to be continued!

Craziness!!!

It's been interesting waking up early every morning (trying to at least get 6-7 hours of sleep and have been successful at it despite the Craziness!) to see the people who are writing on FB that they had an all-nighter. It almost feels as if everyone is a vampire because there is as much FB activity during the night as during the day (watch out, Edward Cullen!). Also interesting how much time we spend on FB (not comdemning it because a healthy dose is good but sometimes I go over that dose but I am not really that bad... as least I don't do Farmville). At least I have come to to the conclusion that I like Hell's Week better than Hell's Month (Hell's Week is the week before spring break during spring semester when everyone has all their stuff due; Hell's Month is the entire month of October when everyone suffers different jolts of torture at different times of the month). Anyway maybe everything is not that bad because I have still managed to go to the Tombs every day and even had a b-day that was not at the Tombs. However, yesterday at the Tombs I would have managed to finish my Tombs outing in 6 minutes if when I was leaving I would not have heard "Gabi" and stopped because it turned out to be my friends the former grand squire and B2. Therefore I stayed for 20 more minutes with them but I technically could have gone to the Tombs for 6 minutes yesterday (you get to know the bartenders and then they offer you fast service... score!).
Despite the consistent torture of Hell's Week I am glad I am not at Cornell (otherwise someone might have jumped off a bridge). Makes me glad that though there are people like Provost O'Donnell who only believe in studying there is a balance here at Georgetown. Despite, the work people are happy (maybe because we have spring break immediately afterwards to recover our ravaged souls, innefective minds and unfit bodies). Anyway, people are happy are Georgetown because we are the Bomb (despite our b-ball end of year bombing). I can still say that despite my great heaps of work I still manage to go out a lot (even I have no idea when I actually work because despite an instance when I handed handing in a 3-page paper by mistake instead of a 10-page paper... I thought it was meant to be 3 pages.... I do in fact finish the work that I have to hand in... I also think my housemates cannot tell me when I work either so it is ok).
Lastly, spring break is coming up. I am going to Florida but it is not as it sounds because I will not be going to the beaches (I do not really like the beaches that much... I call it the Puerto Rico syndrome because I have been in close proximity to the beaches for too long). They did ask if we had a swimsuit but that might be just one day. In reality it is a cultural immersion among migrant workers to explore the injestices they suffer. So I will be speaking to migrant workers about their experiences, tutoring kids at a high school, helping at soup kitchens, and going to their employment point at 5:00 A.M. (its not as Fegie says: G.L.A.M.O.R.O.U.S.). Also I will be sleeping on the floor with a small mat (literaty the guy who gave it to me at Outdoor Education told me it does not even make a difference) and a sleeping bag.
I do not have one warning because we will be drivig down there and I am one of the drivers: do not go anywhere between Florida and DC during the duration of spring break. I have had 7 crashes against stationary objects (they have all been at about 10 MPH... I clearly cannot measures distances). Even though it sounds like a lot they were all within a year of me getting my drivers licence (yes I was given a licence despite my imcompetence) and I have not had one in the last 3 years so it is not really that bad (my worst crash with the damage estimated at $10,000 was not even my fault... the guy hit me at 50 MPH while we were in a traffic jam and I hit the car in front of me as a result and both the front and rear of the car were severely damaged). I sign off now because I have work but I will be incommunicada for the next week so I beg for your patience and hold those snow balls for some time (once the weather turns better we can throw dirt balls!) but be comforted in the knowlegde that I still have texting (I will make sure not to have my cellphone on me when we kayak).