Passport DC 2013: Chronicling Four Embassies and Three Different Continents

            I walked to DuPont Circle to pick up my media badge. When I received it, I thought ‘I could automatically skip the lane because I have credentials.’ I sashayed my way to the Embassy of Argentina with my pass swinging around my neck.  I arrived at the entrance only to be told by the lady that I must get in line because the embassy was filled to capacity. So much for the media pass. The Argentine embassy was fun and informative. I learned a lot of the country’s history, culture, and embassy’s infrastructure. I was disappointed that it did have a pope exhibit since he hailed from Argentina. That was the main reason why I went. Upon leaving, the embassy had a sports exhibit highlighting the 1986 World Cup and 2004 Olympic men’s basketball gold medal wins.

Argentine Embassy

Argentina-US Bilateral Relations Placard

Argentine Ambassador to the US

Tango Lessons

Argentina Sports Superpower Placard

            Next I walked to Chilean embassy where the line snaked to the Trinidad embassy’s driveway. The line moved fast and in less than 10 minutes I was inside. The first stop was the arts gallery showcasing the country’s best photographs. Afterward, there was the food gallery where the crowd sampled the desserts.  Upstairs was the fruit and wine.  The staff let people eat the grapes, blueberries and blackberries but not the pears. (Rats! I thought free grocery shopping!). Anyhoo I enjoyed it. Now onto the Australian embassy!

Me in the Chilean Miner Suit Cut-Out

Outside the Chilean Embassy

The Ambassador's Residence Sign

Chancery of the Embassy of Chile

Office of the Ambassador

Ambassador's Office

Living off of Scott Circle, for years I would dread seeing the long line. Some years it stretched beyond P Street! I gulped walking all the way past the church intent on seeing the inside. A volunteer told everyone that we’d receive bags. Put everything in it because we were going through the metal detectors. Whoa! That was new because I didn’t have to do that with Chile and Argentina. At least they fed up while waiting. Once I passed security, the Aboriginal man blew the horn. There were four lines. The left-most was the nation’s top universities. The next one was to the auditorium. The third line was the wine line. The right-most one had the souvenirs. I went right for the souvenirs. The volunteers gave me two kangaroo pens. Next I went to the Armed Forces area picking up stickers and pamphlets then proceeded to the wine line. Afterward, I stood in the auditorium line to see the amphibians. That was a first! I was giddy because there live animals. Seeing zoologist, I secretly thought ‘That was I would had been if I cut dead frog I got for my science kit during one past Christmas.’ Well, I ended up as an economist so I was okay. Upon leaving the embassy, I snapped photos of the tank. I admitted that the Australian embassy was the most impressive (thus far). Onto the Kazakhstan embassy!

Aboriginal Man

Australian Flag

Embassy of Australia Sign

Australian and American flags

Australian napkin

Zoologist with bearded dragon

Tank

            While in line at the Australian embassy. I saw some people in native costumes across the street. Secretly I thought I would go there after visiting the Australian embassy. Fast forward to walking past the tank, I headed down 16^th street. There was no line because all of the people were inside. I loved it because the Eurasian country’s culture differed from the other three. I took photos of all the hunter-gatherer artifacts. It was great to have someone on staff (I didn’t know if she was an anthropologist) explaining all of this to us. The intimacy was noted because unlike Chile, Argentina, and Australia, Kazakhstan was small.  The other three countries’ staffs expected crowds to know something about them. Here the Kazakhstan embassy projected genuine appreciation that we showed up! I was pretty happy that covered four embassies on three continents. That was major progress!

Kazakhstan people welcoming us outside the embassy

Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Hunter-Gatherer Artifact

Kazakhstan President with President Obama at the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit

Passport DC

            Passport DC is the annual open house for all embassies.  Though I come out late for the festivities, I still manage to get my Cultural DC pamphlet stamp with four countries’ passports.  Even though I live right across the circle from the Australian embassy, that round-the-corner line deters me annually.  I opt for Mozambique Embassy off of New Hampshire avenue.  Later I cross DuPont Circle continuing down Massachusetts Avenue to the Bahamas Embassy where I take a photo of a man in carnival costume. Walking up Florida Avenue to Connecticut Avenue, I cut back to New Hampshire for Rwanda Embassy scoring a pamphlet.  I return back to Massachusetts Avenue. Seeing that the Trinidad and Tobago Embassy’s line has dwindled, I enter the building. After getting the stamp, I take a photo of the steel band and fellow Trinidadians. Then I bypass a man in a carnival insect costume crosses 17^th street. Taking his photo, I go withdraw money to purchase Peruvian food.  Ordering pollo and causa rellena for $10, I return home satisfied that I have a ball at Passport DC!