#1 Last Thursday our host mum Karen wangled the Bamford and I tickets to see Al Gore speak. His speech emphasized the need to move away from reliance on oil and towards renewable energy within the next ten years. It was a great experience as he’s quite a powerful orator and we were very amused to see people clap after nearly every sentence he spoke which made the whole experience much longer and atmospheric. This is possibly something that could be incorporated into our WIP leadership moments.
Anyway, later that day I was on the BBC News website and saw Gore’s speech was one of the lead America stories. It was really weird to think that things that are going on in Washington are applicable at home because sometimes they seem like two completely different worlds. The story on the BBC website really crystallized the fact that the WIP team, by being in Washington, are at a centre of world power. We should savor as much of the experience as possible because its only when we get home that our ordinary life in Washington, especially those speakers who have taken time out to talk to the Group, will seem as extraordinary as it truly is.
#2 On Saturday night, after much deliberation about how to book cinema tickets, Mary, Catherine, Judi, Sarah and I helped to make movie history and became part of the biggest opening weekend ever when we went to see the new Batman film: The Dark Knight. According to my sources at home it’s only coming out in Ireland now and I have to say I’d really liked it. This is high recommendation indeed as I DETESTED the first Batman film. I do have to warn however that it is definitely not a film for the faint-hearted. Bamford, McKegney and I came out with shell-shocked expressions when it finally finished. This may have been because we were sitting in the front row which was so close to the screen we were practically extras.
Talking of extras, at one particularly tense moment when the Joker gatecrashed a party (and not in a fun looking-for-somewhere-to-go-after-Laverys kind of way) this man says: “We’re not afraid of you.” I, who was very afraid, was literally biting my knuckles when Judi turned round to me and say, “That’s Senator Leahy.” We go way back with Senator Leahy to Week 1 when he was kind enough to meet the WIP team and tell us about his involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process. I’m very impressed at his ability to combine legislating with acting and grateful for him for offering us a moment of relief when we needed it most. Anyway make sure to look out for him! Until next time Batlovers!
