Earlier today I was listening to "Lantz i P1", a Swedish radio show, over the internet. (Even if I refer to Swedish media a lot here I actually don’t watch or listen to shows that much, only my friend Daniel’s literature show Babel now and then and now recently Annika Lantz’s radio show.) On the show, they discussed the fact that Facebook apparently has forbidden pictures of women breastfeeding their children while they allow pictures of people with black masks and guns. The only comment was: “Facebook is American –right?! There people die at the sight of a nipple!” Annika Lantz also questioned if a breastfeeding woman could wear a black mask and a gun, and in that way kind of out weight the visible breast?

Anyway I would not bring this up here if it wasn’t because I just received and invitation on Facebook (from my male second cousin D.) to join the FB Protest Event Mothers International Lactation Campaign M.I.L.C. – "Because breastfeeding is NOT obscene". So despite seemingly more important issues like armed conflicts, undernourishment among children, and the financial crisis, this seem to have generated quite a movement. And now I am writing about it here. But though I think that weapons have far worse consequences than uncovered female breasts and thus should be banned from public spaces including Facebook, and though I don’t understand this prude, almost phobic view on nudity (there are basically only two versions of the human body), I am not sure why you would ever want to post a picture of you breastfeeding your baby – you are not exactly unique around the world so who else is interested in seeing photos of it?

Two guys had a very nice view and made the most of it!

Today is inauguration if anyone has missed it. Being here in DC this weekend is really amazing! It is not often politics is causing such excitement. Washington has been packed with people these past days but everyone is in a good mood and there are small celebrations in every corner.

Sunday was the big concert and I and my colleague Anna headed down to the Mall. Unfortunately we got there too late and despite standing in line for over an hour, we did not get in to the actual concert area (the Mall is a big park and we weren’t aware that they would actually close it down and restrict entrances). Instead we saw the concert from the other side of the Reflecting Pool and the WWII Memorial. Actually, with my bad eyes I did not see very much at all of course, but at least I could hear Obama speak and U2, Bruce Springsteen, and the other artists perform. And be out in there in the middle of the crowd. It was an amazing feeling to see the masses of Americans out there, listening to them joining him in his call for change! And despite immensely badly organized logistics (in addition to badly arranged sounds and visuals, there could have been a real disaster if they would have had to evacuate the place due to some kind of emergency), everyone was calm and happy. When Obama spoke, there was a complete silence among the millions of people that had gathered. Truly amazing!

In line to the enterance

The crowds trying to watch the event on a big screen

Obama holding his speach

The US Army made sure we did not sneak in

But they were nice and even helped taking puictures of people

Me and Anna

Got an inauguration t-shirt before the event to be dressed

approperatevy for the event!

Now I am heading down to the Parade. Don’t really expect to see anything though but will be fun just to be there.

Yesterday I was invited for brunch at my friend I’s new apartment up by Columbia. After the brunch we were supposed to go shopping because there is still a bunch of things that I need for my apartment and I normally give up when I am out by myself, so I offered to help me. However, when she heard of the Gaza demonstration organized outside the White House she, wanted to go there instead, just as an observer to write a piece about it. I was of course not forsaking a chance to swap shopping for something more interesting so we went down to the White House instead after our brunch.

The small park outside the White House was filled with people but I have to say that it was still quite a small crowed compared to the numbered of peopled gathered around in Europe. Across the street was a small group of Israel supporters.

All of you who know me know where I stand in this issue but I can’t really write about it here. So I leave you with some pictures instead and look forward to telling you more about the U.S. media coverage and how the debate is here over a cup of coffee instead.

Another what Almost Moldovan Lars refers to as misery report has yet been published in one of the major Swedish newspapers. Organhandelns offer – an article on organ trade originating from Moldova. It is normally the evening press that likes to write these one-sided misery stories from Moldova, without neither nuances nor any analysis of the reasons behind admittedly sometimes rather depressing statistics, but this time it was actually one of the more serious newspapers. Anyway, I am too tired of this to even write about it. For those of you who read Swedish, please read what Lars writes on his blog! There is also a comment there from a Moldovan living in Sweden since a few years who expresses his disappointment over how Moldova is portrayed so negatively in the Swedish media. And for all of your Swedes who have ever visited this nice and impressive country, please help spread a somewhat more accurate picture!

Yesterday it was exactly one month since I arrived here in Washington DC. Time has passed quickly at the same time as a lot has happened. Well no surprise there. As I wrote earlier I have worked a lot these past weeks. But I have also gotten a bit organized in my new apartment, gotten to know new people, found a Romanian conversation group, and joined a small choir. I guess you can say that I have gotten my new life started. And yet I miss Moldova so much! I am sure it will get better with time, but right now it is almost painful.

DC is nice though. At least where my life takes place. During my way to the office in the morning, I walk through my very nice neighbourhood with Georgian houses and small streets lined with trees that are now shifting colours, and with small local stores and restaurants. Like a small town almost. But then as I pass Dupont circle, the city starts changing and as I walk, the buildings around me gets bigger and bigger. And when I reach the Word Bank and the IMF buildings close to the White House area, I am all of a sudden in the middle of a big American city where people in suits, with their brief case in one hand and their Starbucks coffee mug in the other, are rushing between the metro and their work while discussing politics with the person next to them. It is a lovely mix and it fits me perfectly.

At the same time, Washington is one of the most unequal cities in the US. There are homeless people everywhere and I find it difficult to see. Yesterday everyone at my job received an e-mail reminding us that Washington DC has the highest chid poverty rate in the U.S. and that less than half of all the 9th graders here will graduate high school. That there are 14,000 homeless men, women, and children in the area and that as many as 663,000 residents are at risk of experiencing hunger. And in DC, one in 20 people is HIV positive.

I don’t think I have to add anything – the numbers speak for themselves. It is just very difficult to comprehend why it has to be like this and how people can think that it is ok. To me, it is just completely unacceptable! And while I am determined to give DC a chance, I hope I will not get used to sight of the homeless, that there are kids who for whatever reason do not get a chance in life, and that so many people in one of the richest countries in the world are food insecure. That would be truly horrifying!

Unintentional Change of Evening Plans

These past days have been immensely busy for me. So busy that I have not had time to even talk to people. You know, when every second counts. And due to the time difference between DC and Europe, everything that I have sent off late in the evening, has been reviewed and commented on when I have gotten back into the office again early next morning. So no room to even breathe. At times, I have felt like I have been in a TV series, where the junior is seemingly left alone as a test to see if he or she manages to solve the problems and fly on their own, while in reality a senior is watching him or her. But it is probably not the case. And right now, I am terrified that I have made a really big mistake. But that, I will not find out until tomorrow.

This evening, I again sent something off that was really urgent. After that, I met up with Patrick, an acquaintance from Rome who lives here since many years (except for when he was in Rome of course). It was really nice to see him again and to catch up. He is basically the only person I know here outside of work, which is a bit of a nice change. He also took me to a really cosy tea place just a few blocks from where I live, where I am sure I will spend a lot of time in the future. Tea, because I needed to go back home and work. But now that I got home, I realized that I forgot my papers in my office and thus cannot finish this thing. Not very good of course, but quite relieving to not have to work…

OK, wish me luck for tomorrow!