Burtonsville BBQ

I am currently sitting in my family room looking at people petting my cat, listening to people speak Japanese out on my backporch, and thinking about how good Grass is at basketball. I am in Burtonsville, Maryland with all the AGU participants.

We arrived in our monster truck vans around 6 o'clock. We had a very traditional summer meal including burgers, hotdogs, corn on the cob, and potato salad. For dessert Heather melted chocolate and cut up some delicious fruit.

After everybody was stuffed full of American goodies, everybody split up around the house and entertained themselves. Some people tried "American lemonade" (jalapeno juice and water). Mike actually liked it and drank half the bottle. Some people also had a chance to practice their pinball and billiard skills. I'm not sure who the champions were, so you all will have to tell me.

Out front, we worked up a sweat playing basketball. I was surprised how good Ice and Grass were. Also, Emily is a great defender and is really tough! Then we played knockout with everybody. Dad joined but got knocked out right away every time. I think he needs to practice more before playing the Japanese students again!

The students also had a chance to meet my two cats, Yogi and Tori. Tori was in heaven because everybody was giving her attention and petting her. I think that some of the students want to put her in their luggage and take her home!

All in all, we had a great time at my house. Now I'm off to go join in another activity. I am always so impressed how much energy you all have. = )

Your friend,
Nikki

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Crabcakes & Hot Dogs

Nikki described how we were all charmed by Baltimore on Friday in her post!! I have lived here for 8 years, and I must confess that I am under its charming spell. It was my pleasure to plan this trip for them to experience a bit more of Maryland during their stay. My favorite part of the day was watching the students at the American Visionary Art Museum--not your ordinary museum as they soon discovered. However, to truly experience culture, one must experience the food!! Check out the photos of crabcakes and the Orioles' ballpark hotdogs that the students gladly devoured!! (Don't be scared of Masahiro's two-headed creature!!)

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Inter-American Development Bank

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After enjoying cuisine from around the world in the cafeteria, the AGU students heard from 3 employees at the Inter-American Development Bank. After their briefing, they all took a turn at the gavel in the Director's Boardroom!!

Washington, D.C. Mall & More Volleyball

Today we headed out to the Washington Mall to visit the National Museum of the American Indian. I'd been there before and I feel like I never spend enough time looking around. We ate lunch at the cafeteria where they served authentic Native American dishes from regions around the country. Ayumi got some kind of unusual drink and it was fun watching Nozomu's reaction to its unusual taste. The exhibits were interesting because they served as a testament to the ethnic and cultural diversity of this land even before it was established as a country.
After NMAI, I took a group to the National Air and Space Museum, which is a place you can't help but like. We saw the Wright Brothers exhibit that displayed the first plane ever. For some reason my favorite part was the original patent for "Flying Machines". It's amazing how that little piece of paper has affected our modern world. To finish off the day on a mall we watched a movie about black holes in the Einstein Planetarium. I thought it was kind of cool but a lot of my group ended up dozing off because of the dark lighting and reclined seats.
Afterward we went to what some might call a playground (for lack of a better word) and Masatoshi, Nobuya, and Ryohei performed some acrobatics. Joe and I weren't able to swing around a 7 foot tall pull up bar, but the other guys did it with ease. In the end they helped push me up to the top and we all took a picture. So much for showing off! I'll have to practice more tomorrow when we go to Voice of America.
Back at College Park we played more volleyball with Nikki and her friend, Chris. I did not have a good day and ended up costing my team a few games. Sorry guys. I will compliment Tomoko on her awesome plays though: the experience really shows. Later, Masahiro tried to teach me how to spin a basket/soccer ball on my finger like the Harlem Globetrotters. I made a wager with him that I'd be able to do it by Friday and if I can do it for five seconds, I'll get a Japanese souvenir. Wish me luck!
We finished off the night with a dinner at Potbelly and a game of "Keep Away" with me, Nozomu, and Yuya. Nozomu was often the "monkey in the middle" but he was a good sport and made some good steals from Yuya, Nobuya, and me. By the way, I don't recommend having an Oreo milkshake and then taking part in an hour of intense physical activity. That's all I'm going to say.

Good night!

Mike

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Charmed

Yesterday, Friday, we spent a beautiful day in the city of Baltimore. We boarded a University of Maryland bus around 10 and headed of to Charm City. Our first stop was the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). The sculptures, paintings, postcards, and other art work were all very interesting and beautiful. Most of the subject matter had to do with each individual person expressing their faith. In addition to looking at American modern art, the AGU students also spent a lot of time in the unique gift shop! In fact, some people spent more time looking around there than in the actual museum!

After AVAM we walked over to the Inner Harbor for lunch. A lot of the students had crabcakes, which are very famous in Maryland. Then we boarded the Water Taxi and headed over to Fells Point. At Fells Point a majority of us got Maggie Moo's ice cream. People got some very interesting flavours, including a bright blue ice cream that tasted just like cotton candy! After we all enjoyed our ice cream we jumped back on the Water Taxi to go pedal boating. It was very inexpensive and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. I was very proud that nobody fell into the water!

Next, we spent an hour or two sitting on the steps in the Inner Harbor. Some people went shopping, some played cards, and some (cough, cough Pig cough, cough) scared little children with a two headed baby.

Finally, we headed over to Camden Yards to watch the Orioles play baseball! I had such an amazing time sitting next to Smiles and A-love-yumi. We all chanted (CHARGE!), cheered, and clapped. We watched a very exciting game that included two Oriole homeruns, a triple, and a victory! After the big win we watched a great fireworks display!

After the game we walked to meet our bus. The bus finally came around 11:30 and we all headed back to College Park.

Thank you, everybody, for another fun day.
Your friend,
Nikki

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Washington Weather

As I was walking to my car yesterday afternoon, I saw these storm clouds gathering over campus and I wondered if you would get wet on your field trip. Did you remember to take your umbrellas?

We have been extremely lucky with the weather so far this year. The first two weeks in August are usually very hot and humid, but it has been really nice, and rain has not spoiled our days--except for yesterday, briefly.

Today the weather is drop-dead beautiful for your trip to Baltimore. I hope you all have a fabulous day! My daughter Vicki and I are headed to Maryland's Eastern Shore to spend a few days with my sister. It is her birthday Sunday and there will be a party to celebrate. I am sure I will have a great time, but I will miss seeing your smiling faces! I'll see you on Monday.

IDB

Today was an interesting day for me! We went to a bank - the Inter-American Development Bank. Although I could not open an account there we were able to enter the massive building, eat a delicious meal, have a wonderful lecture in Japanese - that I understood so much of - about IDB and then tour the National Smithsonian Zoo. After returning to the Quality Inn a large group went to play volleyball and another group went eat Chipotle!

I enjoyed the Chipotle burrito! I then returned home to get lots of sleep!

-
Joseph P.