Entries by McCarrick, Fiona

Lots of catching up to do, so I apologize for neglecting all my avid fans back home…


4th July 2008 INDEPENDENCE DAY
Well all I can say is the Americans sure know how to celebrate in style. Kathy and Tim Lynch kindly hosted a party for us in their beautiful home, so that we could all celebrate 4th July together. The day couldn’t really have gone better. The decorations got us all in the spirit and the spread of food was to die for – I think I took 3 plates of dessert! Kathy and Tim’s son is in a band, and they kept us entertained in the evening with a rendition of their latest tracks…Then the WIPPERs took over, and the songs that we all know so well could be heard throughout the house!
Before it got dark, we all headed into the city to watch the most magnificent fireworks display I have ever experienced. Washington DC, July 4th, facing the Washington Monument – doesn’t get better than this. Thousands of people were swarming around, but a surprisingly relaxed atmosphere was in the air. The fireworks were like nothing I’ve seen before. It felt like they lasted a lifetime (in a good way!). The patriotism in this country is evident. People of all races and religions, all celebrating together, proud to be American. Not so sound cheesy, but it really was heart-warming. I think we could learn a lot from these folks.


Hemlock June 28th 2008

I glossed over this high point when writing my last entry. (I think it was the excitement of the White House and seeing GWB – I let it all go to my head!)

Hemlock is an outdoor team-building educational centre in Virginia, where we spent a day challenging ourselves both physically and mentally. The day kicked off to a good start when we realized we were travelling on an American yellow school bus, yes, believe it! We arrived at Hemlock to be split into groups of 10, and set off in our respective groups to begin the fun…
Between zip-locking, doing an obstacle course blind folded, and ‘The Walk of Life’, the day was full of challenges. We were forced to work as a team, and learned a lot from the activities we took part in. The practical lessons learned were invaluable.
We learned that sometimes we can over-analyse and waste precious time devising a master plan, when in fact; sometimes the best way to get things done is through trial and error. We learned that in any team, communication is vital. Without it, the team will not be singing off the same hymn sheet, and the resulting ‘harmony’ may not be so harmonious. However, the most important lesson I learned was that a sense of humour certainly does help I can honestly say I had pains from laughing so hard – what a complaint!
Our fun didn’t end as we drove out of Hemlock... Board member Hugh O Hara kindly invited us to his beautiful house afterwards, for a barbecue. This was the perfect end to our day – great food, great company (I’m beginning to sound a little like Alan!), but best of all … a swimming pool. (No, Alan definitely wouldn’t say something as shallow as that!)
What a day.
We’ve got the best bus in the land

Sunday June 29th 08

I am really struggling to put my experiences of today into words. Not only was I privileged enough to visit the White House, but I was fortunate enough to see Mr. George W. Bush himself, only about 6 metres from where I stood. This fantastic opportunity came about because Lisa’s friend Amy Zantzinger is the, yes the, social secretary for George & Laura Bush. She organizes all events and functions that take place in the White House, from deciding which flowers and china to use, to devising a seating plan for the event. Pretty impressive alright.
Upon arriving at the White House, in true US style, we were screened and searched before being allowed to pass through. I even had a ‘special’ pass, what with me being an ‘alien’ and all 
Amy brought us to see her office, which is in the East Wing, in the First Lady’s quarters. The corridor that led to Amy’s office was lined with photographs of Laura Bush at various events throughout the world, and the photos were absolutely amazing to say the least. Amy’s office displayed her “contract’ if you could call it that – a personal message from Mr. Bush himself, signing her into her position. She also had some china lying around the office. Turns out it’s GWB’s china that has yet to be released. Each President designs their own china during their time in office, and I’m pretty sure Amy was approving this new pattern. COOL OR WHAT!?
We visited each of the coloured rooms – the red, blue, and green rooms. The State dining room was beautiful, as was the Receiving room and now that I think of it, every other room we saw! Oh hold on – I almost forgot to mention the Oval Office. Impressive? Yes! We had to wrap up our tour as GWB was expected to land in 5 minutes, so we rushed out onto the balcony overlooking the South Lawn. There were spectacular views of the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial from the balcony, and Lisa was in her element snapping away with her camera.
Each time the President travels in Marine One, two other helicopters travel with him for security reasons. So no one knew which helicopter he was in. The three tiny dots in the sky gradually grew closer, as the winds grew stronger and all the ladies grabbed on to their skirts and dresses for dear life! As the first two helicopters diverted off course at the last minute, the third one landed on the lawn, only 10 metres from where we stood. The door opened slowly, and George W. Bush himself emerged, with the First Lady, Laura Bush. They waved and began walking across the lawn to greet some people that were gathered on the path. I was amazed by Laura Bush’s grace and elegance. She smiled graciously and waved to the crowd while her husband continued his way along the line of people waiting eagerly to meet their President.
Obviously I knew that this was a big deal, and a huge privilege, but the true extent of what was happening hit me when I realized that Lisa was so overwhelmed by the experience that she shed a tear. I had just seen the most powerful man in the world, in the flesh. And whether or not you’re a fan of his, you cannot help but feel overcome by being in his presence.

Ok I am still trying to work out the best way in which to approach this…
I think I will just pick a few highlights from the past week, and keep things easy…

Ok so I finally feel like everything is settling at this stage. We’re almost finished our third week here (which is scary to say the least), but I think I’ve found my feet – not that they were lost or anything, but you know how the saying goes..!
I had felt bad that I hadn’t had much time to spend with my host family since I arrived. I think that this is particularly a problem when there are small children in your house. It’s difficult to expect them to ‘bond’ with you when the only time they see you is when you’re stuffing your face with cereal before running out the door.
So I think this weekend has been a bit of a breakthrough for me in that regard. Lisa and Derek are members of Bethesda Country Club, where the kids are members of a swim team, and they go regularly. On Sunday, Lisa brought me with herself, Will & Laine, to the pool for a while. Getting to spend time with them was so nice, just being able to mess around with them in the pool, let them show me their tricks and stunts, let Laine beat me again (well that’s my story and I’m sticking to it)!
I’ve heard people say it before, but I always doubted them; that the Program isn’t just about the internships, it’s about all the other things you don’t even think about until you arrive. Take the Host Families, for example. It’s not until you live with a family and see all they do for you, that the true extent of their generosity and kindness hits you. The little things are the memories that stay with you. On Sunday morning, there was a little knock on my bedroom door. Laine arrived in with a blueberry muffin for me, having been to the grocery store with Lisa. These small gestures that may seem insignificant make us realize how lucky we are, and how good we have it.
Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to Will and Laine’s swim competitions this week, but I want to congratulate them both for doing so well, in particular Will, for coming FIRST PLACE!! I’m so proud, and cannot wait until I can go see them both in action!
So I want to take this opportunity to thank Lisa and Derek for opening up their home to me, and taking me under their wing. They've been so good to me, and want them to know how grateful I am to them [sometimes my hard front makes it difficult to see my true emotions ]

Tuesday June 17th 2008
I began working at the Justice Project this week, which is an organisation that works to reform the US criminal justice system. They work to improve prisoners' rights, with regard to obtaining a fair trial among other issues. My first few days have been fantastic, and I can safely say this was the internship for me, even if I didn't know it! Everyone here has made me feel so welcome, and I have been given work to do that has taught me more about exactly the kind of work The Justice Project do. Today I had the opportunity to see John Tarzano, the founder of the organisation, and Kirk Bloodsworth, the first man in the US to be exonerated by DNA evidence, speak at an event. I feel I have learned so much in my few days since starting, and I am looking forward to the rest of my time here.

Wednesday June 11th 2008
We began our leadership training today, which was exciting. In the afternoon we got a tour of the Library of Congress from Lauren's host mom Elizabeth. It was fascinating, and we got to see original documents by Jefferson, Lincoln and JFK. After another busy day, a few of us went to Starbucks for coffee and chats, to round off yet another successful day!

Thursday June 12th 2008
Today was probably the best day of the week for me. We visitied J.O. Wilson Elementary School in the morning, which is in a run down part of DC. The kids were fantastic, the were so well behaved and participated in everything we did with them. We broke into groups to teach them some Irish words, dancing, music and drama. I think everyone will agree the morning was a great success, both for us and the children,
In the afternoon we met with Sen. Patrick Leahy on the Senate steps, which was both a privilege, and an honour. We had our photo taken with him, and he answered questions we had for him, along with telling us of his experiences in Ireland. We then got a tour of the Capitol buildings, which was really impressive. Whilst we were in the Senate gallery, Sen. Dodd was speaking..! It's all a little surreal. After our busy day, we dined in Dupont Circle to celebrate Neal's 21st... another one bites the dust!



Friday June 13th 2008
Although the day had potential to be unlucky, it couldn't have gone better, particularly for our fantastic speakers.
The day began with a presentation from a lady working for the legal firm Holland and Knight, on networking. It was interesting to say the least, but I'm not so sure if can say that I like networking.
In the afternoon, the Northern Ireland Bureau hosted a luncheon for us at the National Press Club, at which 4 of our team members spoke. Gary, Sarah, Andy & Elaine were unbelievable! They certainly set the bar high enough for the rest of us. I was also lucky enough to meet my work supervisor, Lauren, who attended the event. After the success of the afternoon, the realisation that I had no costume to wear for our 90's themed party that night hit me. Myself and Heather did a blitz of one of the numerous department stores, and within 20 minutes, I was Superman. The party that night was a hit, and everyone had a ball. The costumes were truly outstanding, we had a wide array of 'heroes'! Lenore's food was to die for, and I'd like to thank her for having us all over, and for throwing such a great party!

I have come to the conclusion that the best way to do this is to just give a little account of what we got up to during our first manic, and incredible, week!

Sunday June 8th 2008
First morning to wake up in the delightful presence of the wonderful Koenig family! I was surprisingly fresh considering time differences etc, and was awake a 8am (usually unheard of without a valid reason. I got in touch with my family back home to let them know I was alive and well, and then had the infamous Lucky Charms for breakfast! My host mom Lisa brought myself and my adorable 6 year old host sister Laine to downtown Bethesda, to have a wander around and become acquainted with my new surroundings. Later that day, myself, Lisa, Laine and my wonderful host brother Will attended the Host Family BBQ at Lauren's house...the one with the pool! Was great to catch up with everyone and meet all the lovely families. Pretty sure Laine and Will had fun too... they didn't get out of the pool until it was time to go home!

Monday June 9th 2008
First proper day at the WIP office today. Everyone met at the White House, which I thought was a great idea, to excite all us enthusiastic Wippers! During our break, Phil and Chris produced monkey bread their host mom made, which I had never heard of before, but believe me, it is delicious! In the afternoon we visited the Newseum which was pretty spectacular - a museum on the media. Went for dinner as a group in Union Station which was lovely too. Another exhausting day, in this heat!

Tuesday June 10th 2008
This morning we went to the Association of Cathoic Colleges, where Michael Galligan Stierle gave us a presentation on personality types, and how each reacts with the other. Was very interesting, and I was, unsurprisingly, a green (love lists, organisation, love knowing what the plan is...!) Lunch was ordered in for us, and then we all lashed on the suncream in preparation for the unbelievable heat! We went on Oakley's Death Tour, which was amazing. We got to visit the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, witness the famous changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier ceremony. We also saw the Roosevelt Memorial, the grave of JFK, and the Vietnam Memorial. My only complaint was the 100 degree heat!! But the good overshone the bad, so I just dealt with it! Went to see SATC movie with Lisa & her girlfriends that night, just as enjoyable the second time round!