Today was BYOM (Bring Your Own Mat) on the National Mall. In conjunction with the 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival, Lululemon led a yoga class on the National Mall. Of course, with the cherry blossoms at their peak this weekend, the nearly 1000 yogi of all levels which participated provided additional photo op for the hoards of tourists around. ...
Washingtonienne
Affordable solutions for better living riding
Don't get me wrong, I love living in D.C. and in the United States in general. But every once in a while, like when I think about the health care system or the six weeks of paid vacation time, I can't help reminiscing about life in France. There are just some things that the French do better. Apparently even minute things like Ikea ads ;-) So back in January of 2009, my metro station, Gallery Place, was taken over by Ikea. As D.C. prepared for inauguration of Barrack Obama, Ikea released a yellow and blue "change begins at home" poster style campaign. Not bad. Now in Paris, Ikea is actually inviting metro riders to test two of their popular couches: “Ektorp” and “Kalstad”, in its Paris ...
Save the date: Arts of Foot
You had me at "Sponsored by the Wines of Argentina"! Centered around 7th and F St. NW, Arts on Foot is a celebration of everything that I love about living in Penn Quarter and in D.C. in general. Performances, creative cuisine, music, theater, dance... there's a little something for everyone at the street festival which will span over 3 days from Thursday September 10 to Saturday September 12, with most of the activities taking place on Saturday. The Washington Examiner won't publish the official program the 10th, but here are a few things that I am looking forward to: - tasting the innovative cuisine of local restaurants, with samples ranging from $2 to $5 at the restaurant sampling court - ...
Better Know The District: Islamic Way
With the first day of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, just around the corner, I decided to explore a little bit of Islam's cultural heritage in Washington as a way to Better Know The District. The Washington, D.C. area has among the highest percentage of Muslim-origin residents in the country. After Los Angeles, New York and Detroit, it ranks 4th, though the majority of them reside in the suburbs. Nonetheless, an estimated 16,000 muslims reside in downtown D.C. with 6 mosques or masjids providing prayer and other services for the community. Far away from the grand mosque of the Islamic Center with its tall minaret lies the smaller yet historically important Masjid Muhammad. Located ...
Jazz on the Green
If you're tired of the scene at Jazz in the Sculpture Garden (been there done that) there are a few alternative for you for free jazz this weekend. The first one is actually indoors, which given the temperatures that we have been treated to these past few days, might actually be a welcome break from the heat. This Thursday being the third Thursday of the month, The Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum is hosting Take Five at the Smithsonian from 5 to 8. There will be live jazz as well as a cash bar, and you’ll be able to check out the art while you’re at it. Otherwise on Friday, The Friends of Bundy Park are throwing the 1st Jazz on the Green at Bundy. The event, slated to ...
We win trophies!
When was the last time the Redskins won a trophy? Yeah, I can't remember either... Unlike that other football team in town, D.C. United has won an impressive 12 trophies, the last one in 2004. They've won more trophies than any other team in the MLS and they want to make sure you know about it! Which is why, starting August 12th, D.C. United is taking its trophies on a month-long pub crawl of soccer friendly bars during the We Win Trophies tour. The We Win Trophies Tour will make the following stops: Wed, Aug. 12 3-6PM Union Jacks, Summers, Molly Malone's, Pour House & Lucky Bar. Mon, Aug. 17 7-9PM The Pug Tues, Aug. 18 5-7PM Fado Wed, Aug. 19 6:30-8:30PM Ventnor's Sports Cafe (2008 ...
Whose Rickey Reigns Supreme
There isn't a lot that is considered native of Washington D.C. though perhaps one can consider lobbying as a profession that. If it wasn't invented in Washington D.C., lobbying was at least perfected here and is strongly associated with the District. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that D.C.'s "native" drink, the Rickey, can trace its roots to a lobbyist. Lobbying was said to have truly started in the United States during the administration of Ulysses S. Grant. A smoker, he found himself banned from the White House by his wife and was said to have enjoyed his cigars in the lobby of nearby Hotel Willard where politicans and others started to approach him for favours while he was ...
The Spy Who Cooked for Me
While she was more famous for her time spent in France, Julia Child also had many ties to the Washington, D.C area. During the war, she lived in the District while working at the OSS headquarters (the future CIA) before being posted to Sri Lanka where she met her husband. They were married in D.C. then moved across the Atlantic to Paris. The International Spy Museum features pictures of Julia as part of their Spies Among Us permanent exhibit which includes other celebrity spies like singer Josephine Baker and actress Marlene Dietrich. Her work as a secret operative also earned Julia a spot in an exhibit at The National Women's History Museum: Clandestine Women, The Untold Stories of Women in ...
Bientot: Kushi
CityVista in Mount Vernon Triangle, already home to Safeway and Busboys and Poets, will soon welcome an exciting new resident... D.C.'s very first Japanese Izakaya-style restaurant called Kushi. Izakayas get their names from the word Sakaya which means Sake Shop... they're basically Japanese drinking establishments which also serve food to accompany the drinks. If Kushi sticks to the traditional definition of a Izakaya, popular, casual and relatively cheap places for after-work drinking, then I am going to become a regular! In the case of Kushi, it sounds like more emphasis will be placed on food. The restaurant’s focal points will be its kushiyaki counter with an open fire pit, its sushi ...
Happy Canada Day, eh!
I never really got to celebrate Canada's national holiday when I lived there. Canada Day commemorates the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 enactment of the British North America Act, which united Canada as a single country. But in Montreal, and Quebec overall, July 1st coincides, perhaps not unintentionally, with Quebec's traditional Moving Day. In Montreal, all rentals run from July 1 to June 30 of the following year, so instead of attending Canada Day festivities, Montrealers are usually driving u-haul, carrying heavy furniture up spiral staircases or (my personal fave thing to do on Moving Day) wondering the alleys behind residences for free and up-for-grabs furniture. Hey, don't judge me, ...