a saga

So if you haven't heard, you probably have your head in the sand...but there was a huge crash on the DC metro system on Monday.

It was on the red line, which is the line I take to and from my internship. Apparently one train rear ended another and the force knocked the train on top of the first. In total there were 9 fatalities and many many injuries. Luckily I was not on either of those trains, I was however about 30 minutes behind the crash.

The following is a play by play:

I entered the metro, and people were casually saying that there was some sort of delay at fort totten.

I wait forever to board the red line. It was probably 30 minutes, and the trains usually come every 5 so people just kept piling in without any way to leave.

A red line train arrives, and everyone freaks out. Seriously it was like a concert, or when wiis are on sale the day after thanksgiving or something. People were pushing forward and there was nothing to do but go with it, no way to not get on this train.

The train sits at the station for about 15 minutes with the doors closed and no air conditioning (or at least I couldn't feel any). The conductor comes on the over com and says we are experiencing a slight delay due to mechanical difficulties at fort totten.

The train finally moves, we go one stop and the conductor says the train is out of service and everyone should exit the train and wait for the next one.

Then I repeated that process 2 more times.

I finally got on a train that was going some where (3 more stops) packed in like sardines, people were standing everywhere they could. I was probably touching 8-10 people at that point.

We arrived at the rhode island ave. stop and were told the metro would not be going any further, but reassured that a complimentary shuttle service was provided. I finally get above ground and have a million voicemails and texts. Look out to see where the shuttles are and there was a sea of people, probably 400-500. Pandemonium breaks out as people begin to realize what has happened. Everyone is on there phones, people crying worried about loved ones, people screaming irrate about the delay and chaos.

Then I boarded a shuttle to silver springs, but we went to every metro stop in between, and the traffic was horrible. Ambulances and cop cars kept flying by as we inched along, and I was still not entirely sure of the story - I knew a crash, but not that anyone had died. And I liked being a sardine so much the first 3 times, I did it again.

After a long time on the bus we arrived at the silver spring metro station where we were instructed to get back on if we wanted to go further north (I did because I am living off the last stop.)

I boarded the metro like normal and arrived at the metro station, where Nina graciously picked me up, almost 4 hours after I began my trip.

music makes my heart happy

So, I have totally been ignoring my poor blog...

These past few weeks have been pretty heavy. There was a shooting at the Holocaust Museum which is really close to where I am. I was outside cleaning the sculptures and heard the ambulances, and saw the helicopters circling. A man was shot and killed. I don't know, that just chills my bones. People here don't seem to think twice about it, maybe they are just desensitized from the sniper thing, maybe they are just acting strong, I have no idea.

I have gotten a really bad case of the home sick bug. I missed my friend's wedding, and my sisters graduation. I feel like I am out here in an alternate reality or something. Things that I should be a part of I am not. I didn't really feel this way when I was in Spain because it was so new and so captivating.

However this will not be a completely depressing entry lol. I have prayed a lot, and have been reading my bible. God has answered my prayers in so many ways. I've started sketching again (I think I am inspired by all of the artists I work with) and listening to up lifting music. I think the type of music I listen to directly correlates to my mood. I honestly listened to that bad day song a few days ago, while I was throwing myself a pity party - pathetic I know.

I guess what I am trying to say through all this rambling is that this experience is going to be exactly what I make of it, and I am going to make it an awesome one!

~Sarah

sneakers = appropriate business attire?

Ah, I am really loving my internship! With each day I learn more, and feel a little more comfortable with the tasks at hand.

This week I watched one of the trucks being loaded from the Bourgeois show. Each crate was numbered and coordinated to a specific position on the loading plan. The loading plan is something the registrar needs to see what order the crates go in, how much each crate weighs, what's inside, and if they can be stacked. It was truly incredible to see how much work and planing goes into the moving of at from one location to another. Plus it was also fun to see Larry operate the fork lift.

This week I also cleaned Monument to Balzac 1891-1898 by Auguste Rodin! Wow, who gets to say they have treated a Rodin sculpture? It was actually really fun too. First we washed all of the dirt, grim, and bird poop off with water and a non-ionic detergent. Then we patted it dry and left it for a few hours to dry completely. When we returned, we brushed on a thin wax coating. The sculpture was so dry that it soaked up the majority of the wax. They were going to add another layer of wax the next day, but its been raining non-stop so we might do that Monday. After the wax is on you leave it over night to cool and then buff it in the morning. And again the rain has been a bit of an obstacle.

When riding the metro to work a funny thing occured to me: everyone in business clothes was wearing sneakers. Men in suits, and women in dresses. I don't know if this is some accepted form of business wear here, or if they have a change of dress shoes in a bag or at their office. Its very odd though, and I wonder if they look at me and wonder where my sneakers are.

Off to write on the Lunar Bird...

Sarah