From Germany To Australia In One Day.....

Yesterday was quite an international day for me as I had lunch with Germans and after hours drinks with Australians... all without leaving Washingto D.C.

First I went for a second day to the annual Fall Festival & Tag Sale at the United Church in Foggy Bottom for some fabulous Weisswurst, German potato salad, and sauerkraut. This is the third year I have attended this great festival and the people and food are equally fantastic. It is very hard to resist the baked goods which are all home made.

Always a Foggy Bottom favorite, the food line can often stretch on for 25 minutes or more, but locals know the food is well worth it. The tag sale usually yields interesting and old finds at prices that make you feel like a thief. Through the years I have purchased everything from vintage German glass Christmas ornaments to a mint first edition hardcover copy of George Orwell's novel 1984 complete with the original dust jacket, all for less than one dollar. If you are ever in Foggy Bottom in late October, be sure to check the festival out.

Later in the evening I went to The Australian Embassy with my friends Peter and Jasmine (both from Canberra ) for an interesting author lecture / Q&A called Imagining Australia. Working in media and public affairs it was interesting to see how Australia is perceived by the rest of the world (i.e. Kangaroos and Paul Hogan) and how the country is not only working on improving the scope of thier image overseas, they are also trying to establish a stronger sense of national identity. Jasmine was telling me how few Australians actually hang the national flag in front of thier homes like so many Americans do. It is so rare, that those who do might be looked at funny. The book and author lecture lays out a plan on creating a stronger sense of identity, embracing the nation's historic past, and contributing more to the international community. This was my first visit to any embassy, and a small step closer to finally visiting a country in which I have been so fascinated with most of my life.

The event wrapped up with a nice reception in which I was able to sample some fine Australian beer, Crown Lager. Outside of Foster's, you would be hard pressed to find any Aussie beer in America, and this is flown in especially for the embassy. I certainly hope that part of the future plans for Australia include exporting much more of thier fantastic beer and wine, as America would welcome it. A very fun evening in a great embassy with some fantastic friends.

One of the great things about Washington DC is the amount of international culture you can experience with relative ease. My wife and I certainly moved to the right area.

Cheers,
Paul