USA - I'll see you again!

This is gonna be my last entry from the States - today is my last day at work, I'm having my last lunch with my workmates and afterwards I'm going to Maryland to celebrate Brandon's birthday with his friends. I cannot believe that today in a week I am already working in Munich - I could stay here forever ;o) So this entry is also a promise - to myself and my friends here: I'm not saying goodbye on Saturday, but "see you again" - no one gets rid of Laura that easily :o)
And to my folks at home: THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading my blog, posting entries and not forgetting me - I haven't forgotten about you too - that is why my suitcases (3!!!) are sooo heavy... cu soon, lots of love, die diplomaten-lauri

The "Saints" were marching in...

Yesterday the first football game in the Superdome - New Orleans' Football Stadium - took place after hurricane Katrina hit the area about a year ago. And luckily the New Orleans Saints won against the Atlanta Falcons. 70.003 people cheered in the stadium as the Saints won - me too, but just in front of the TV :o) Before the game several bands gave concerts in front of the stadium - including U2 and Green Day. Read the Washingtonpost article and see the slide show: Click

Eggenberger beer

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Originally uploaded by laura_rossi_graz.

Aaaaaaaand I surprised my American friends with proper Austrian beer - you may not see the label very well but I found some Eggenberger beer in a liquor store close to my Embassy. It tasted soooo good...

beer pong

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Originally uploaded by laura_rossi_graz.

Friday night I cooked for 10 Americans traditional Austrian food - and of course they loved it :o) Afterwards I played a real funny American drinking game called "beer pong": The goal is to throw a ping pong ball into 6 cups full of beer of the other team. Whenever you score a goal they have to chugg the cup. Although you know me and my "ball game anxiety" I won two out of three times *wohoo* and you can also imagine how drunk I got...

College football game

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Originally uploaded by laura_rossi_graz.

Saturday we went to a huge American College football game: Maryland versus Florida (I couldn't see the guys well because of their helmets ;o). Great fun!!! What I did not know - before the game nearly everyone gathers in the parking lots about three hours earlier and has a barbeque or just a couple of beers. It was CROWDED! And because drinking alcohol is prohibited during College games everyone gets wasted before - so the first two quarters I was really drunk :o)

The first goodbye has already been said...

to my internship supervisor Joey who went on vacation to Austria yesterday. Slowly, but finally I realise that my time in Washington is nearly over - and I sooooo do not want to leave the States. Free refills in the restaurants as often as you want to, shopping 24/7 if you want to, sooo much good food (wohoo, two days ago I baked my first American Cherry pie, @ miri: I LOVE the oreo cookies as well) and an awesome multicultural society which I totally love!!! to cut it short: what is Austria compared to the exciting rest of the world? Tonight I am gonna cook with an American friend of mine AUSTRIAN FOOD (wiener schnitzel mit kartoffelsalat und danach kaiserschmarrn) for a bunch of his people. I am sooo looking forward to that - wish me luck in the kitchen!

news conference on capitol hill

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Originally uploaded by laura_rossi_graz.

A couple of days ago I attended a news conference on Capitol Hill (you can see the top of the Capitol behind the standing crowd :o): The topic: A private public partnership project, developed by the American Tourist Associations all over the country, to promote America as tourist destination. Among the speakers was Jay Rasulo, chairman of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts ;o) and many many others. Nevertheless the news conference was badly organised: Too many people (who would have guessed while looking at the picture *g*) AND it was outside although it was cold and raining...

election rumours

The general election on October 1st is even highly debated in far, far, far away Washington. Today me and my colleagues were VERY amused by the Peter Westenthaler song (at first I thought that I was listening to Radio Steiermark *g*). And - as far as rumours say - our Ambassador is among the candidates for a ministry in case the SPÖ gets the cultural or foreign ministry. In an APA-interview in March this year she stated that she would be "delighted to take new challenges after a change of government". I guess she has a really good attitude towards work - considering the fact that she is already in her 60ies.

works outing to baltimore

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Originally uploaded by laura_rossi_graz.

Recently our Ambassador Eva Nowotny invited the Embassy staff to a works outing to Baltimore. The schedule: Visit in the museum and then sea food dining at the Baltimore harbour. I have never eaten such delicious crab meat cake before *mmmmh* By the way, the woman on the right is our Ambassador...

on capitol hill...

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Originally uploaded by laura_rossi_graz.

where all the senate staff works you can even find street signs like this one *g* damn it that I am not (yet) a diplomat :o)