International Student House Washington, DC

Discover Your Global Community in DC - Apply today!

About Krystin Sinclair

Country: United States
University: George Washington University
Bio: : Krystin is a Cuban-British-American student at George Washington University's Colombian College of Arts and Sciences where she is pursuing a Master's degree in Data Science. She is originally from Wantagh, New York, but most recently lived in Connecticut where she worked as an analyst in the insurance industry. Prior to that Krystin completed a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from Bryant University with a concentration in Spanish and a quadruple minor in Business Administration, Finance, Environmental Science and Biotechnology. Krystin participated in the sophomore intentional experience at Bryant and spent Winter break traveling around Panama and Costa Rica studying ecotourism. Krystin studied abroad at Queen Mary University of London in the fall of 2014 and at Pontifica Universidad Católica de Valparíso in the summer of 2015. The Summer of 2014 Krystin spent in New York City living at I-House NYC and attended a Biostatistics program for undergraduate students at Columbia University. Currently, Krystin is a Graduate Assistant at the Milken Institute School of Public Health. Krystin hopes to attain a career in Data Science for Social Good with a focus in global environmental health.

Henna Night

by

It is a real scorcher out there. ISH residents are feeling/hating this heatwave, but we don’t let that get us down.  On Saturday, July 20, ISH held a Henna Night, which was a complete Indian themed cultural program.  Residents dressed up, then danced, ate, and drank the night away. The great hall was decorated to the nines, with disco lights, strobe lights, Bollywood posters, henna posters, fairy lights, and the Indian flag. A specially cultivated Bollywood playlist was created for the evening and the music videos were projected for all to see.

Our in-house resident Bollywood expert gave a dance demo/lesson so that everyone could feel the beat and look the part.  Even the food/drink samplings were Indian themes – residents could taste both chicken and vegetable samosas as well as aloo chaat, which is originally a street food from northern and eastern India, made of fried potatoes with spices and chutney. Of course, the night was true to its name and Henna was the real show stopper. Raghu, a resident from India, was the Henna artist and he drew some fantastic tattoos.  Each participant chose their design, and Raghu added his own artistic flare.


ISH Residents showing off their henna

This was my final event at ISH-DC. This was an epic goodbye parting. I was even able to choose the final song of the night. I choose “Zoobi Doobi” a love song from the Bollywood movie Three Idiots. I absolutely love this song and that movie and would suggest that if you have not seen it to stop reading this blog post right now and go watch it (it is a 3-hour long movie, so maybe plan wisely of when you can watch it). Three idiots will have you laughing and crying, and you will learn all about life. Every second of this movie is worth its weight in gold.

Entrance to the Great Hall decorated for the evening to welcome residents

“Happy Hour” at the Embassy of Liechtenstein

by

The first week of June marked for a few changes at the House. Many residents moved out after their spring semester ended and many new faces rolled in for summer internships. All this commotion leads to an interesting month for sure.

One of the most memorable moments of June that had residents dressed up in their business best was a “Happy Hour” invitation from His Excellency Kurt Jaeger, the Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein. This event was at the waterfront residence of the Ambassador and many current residents, as well as a handful of alumni, Board members and staff of both the Embassy and ISH attended.

Ambassador Jaeger speaking to a group of ISH-DC resident scholars

This was an excellent opportunity for students with interest in international affairs and business to have conversations with Ambassador Jaeger about both his time in Foreign Service and the private sector. He has been the Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the United States of America since 2016, and the six years prior to this he was Ambassador to the European Union and Belgium. He also has years of experience in international regulatory affairs and the airline industry, just to touch on a few points from his extensive CV.

The residency had a wonderful terrace view of the Potomac River and Georgetown,  where we were welcomed into the pristine and beautiful home of Ambassador and Mrs. Jaeger, who invited us to enjoy drinks and nibbles made for a truly unforgettable evening. All the ISH residents who attended felt personally welcomed by the Ambassador and Mrs. Jaeger, who won everyone over with their natural charisma and worldly knowledge.

It was a very nice evening and the intermingle of ISH residents and embassy team was effortlessly smooth. I for one had a wonderful conversation with Mrs. Jaeger about pilates and the best parts of DC – including the Kennedy Center and the free performances on Millennium Stage.

THANK YOU to Ambassador Jaeger, Mrs. Jaeger, and their team at the Embassy of Liechtenstein for an unforgettable night!



ISH at EU Embassy Open Houses

by

May in DC is filled with fantastic cultural opportunities. Passport DC is a month long event that highlights the international community of the city, and is hosted by Cultural Tourism DC, a non profit organization that strives to showcase the possibilities within DC. Some of the very best events that DC has to offer are part of Passport DC.

On Saturday the 11th, I along with other ISH residents attended the EU Open House. This event encompasses embassies opening their doors to the public and really putting on a show. There are giveaways, food and drinks, traditional costumes, music, dance, freebies, historical lectures, videos, and demonstrations of what it means to be from that country.   This is a must see for anyone with the opportunity to attend.

This event is marketed as a way to tour the EU. They even hand out passports and each embassy will give you a stamp. I visited quite a few embassies and got to speak with other residents about the different embassies that they visited and of course all of the EU residents about how they want their country to be seen and to show itself.

The EU embassy that is located nearest to ISH – DC is Portugal. This embassy had a long line, which was well worth the wait. The ambassador to Portugal personally welcomed every visitor at the front door. After the warm welcome, I got a passport stamp and spoke to a Portuguese furniture company that was handing out measuring tape and watched a video that highlighted tourism in Portugal. The embassy also had many different Portuguese businesses present. We spoke to consultant firms, fitness experts, vineyard owners and fragrance companies about their start in Portugal and their experience working in the USA. They also had both food and wine to try. We also got the lovely tote bags displayed in the photo, along with the chance to take photos in front of the fun Portuguese backdrops and even a chance to enter a raffle to win a flight to Lisbon.

Another Embassy with a long wait due to its popularity was Ireland. The Irish embassy had a full band and step dancers on their front lawn, as well as a rugby team (see picture). This embassy brought in members of the DC community that knew Irish step dancing to provide information as well as members that were involved with Gaelic sports. They also had a very informative guide for the embassy tour who provided information regarding the status of the house and the ambassador as well as how to bring parts of Irish culture to our everyday lives in DC.

The Greek Embassy had a line that went down the block and wrapped around the corner. This embassy really showcased its culture and even had full crew outside the embassy to provide question & answers, information and photo opportunities. They had very colorful traditional dress. This really drew the eye of all who passed by. The food and drink that they had looked especially appetizing. Greece wasn’t the only country to have members in full dress awaiting visitors in front of their doors. Croatia also had this and a full band. All of the guests leaving the Croatian embassy had smiles on their faces. Croatian wasn’t the only embassy that accomplished this. Denmark really stood out from the crowd. They sent vikings to stand on the corner, hand out cookies and direct people to their open house.  Denmark wasn’t the only embassy to grab visitors attention as they were walking down the block. Latvia had a huge sign so that nobody could miss them. You could tell from the outside that Latvia would explain its culture through literature and art.

The Italian embassy also provided quite a bit to write home about. They had tons of booths. There was gelato, pizza, coffee, quizzes, scavenger hunts, soccer, ducattis, a military history exhibit and even a cut out of the coliseum.

All of these embassies were very exciting to visit. My favorite memories of this day was from visiting embassies of countries that I have been to. As the embassy visit brought back the memories of the trip, I found myself reminiscing fondly of my previous experience in that country. The custard tart at the Portuguese Embassy reminded me of my trip to Lisbon and viewing the beautiful mosaic tile sidewalks, and climbing the Belem Tower. Catching a Rugby ball at the Irish embassy reminded me of walking along the cliffs of Moher and enjoying the amazing natural landscape that the Irish coast has.  I hope to visit the countries from the other embassies that I had the chance to see. Maybe, when I do I will be reminded of the EU open house and the amazing friends that I have made at ISH.

For more information and to see the other opportunities from Cultural Tourism DC that showcase what DC has to offer. Please visit https://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/passport-dc1.

Cherry Blossoms in the Spring

by

Spring has sprung in DC and ISH residents have enjoyed the sun, the warmth and the Cherry Blossoms.

The National Cherry Blossom festival is an annual event in DC that drives many tourists to visit the city. This year the festival was from March 20th until April 14th, with different events happening all over the city. If you are ever DC during the festival, you have to check out the Cherry Blossoms, as it should be on the top of every DC tourist bucket list. I have had the great fortune of attending two events this year -I went to the Kite Festival on Saturday March 30th and PetalPalooza on Saturday April 6th. 

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event put on each year by a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the beauty of nature and international friendship. This organization’s programs and events are educational, environmentally friendly, showcase art and culture, and build community spirit. There is no wonder why over a million people come to this festival. This festival is primarily a commemoration of the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington DC. Another fun fact about the history of this festival is that on March 27th 1912 First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife to the Japanese Ambassador, planted the first two trees in the Tidal Basin. Since then, many first ladies have continued this tradition and have been involved in the planning and activities of the festival.

The Kite festival was amazing, with professional kite flyers doing demonstrations, and they had choreographed routines to music. They also had stands selling kites, booths where you could make your own kite, and the entire national mall surrounding the monument was filled with locals and tourists flying their kites. Anything and everything that you want to know about kite flying, you can find out at this event.  There were also national cherry blossom festival booths at the tidal basin. The tidal basin includes the Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr, George Mason, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials. This space looks beautiful when the Cherry Blossom are in full bloom.

Photo: Jefferson Memorial surrounded by Blooming Cherry Blossoms and festival goers in pedal boats.

PetalPalooza was an equally spectacular event, which took place at the Wharf. This event had live music, giveaways, swings, and everything else to make it a real palooza. This was a day filled with food and drink, as well as activities for the whole family, including the pets -there were specific areas for pet care and comfort. There were also art installations and boat cruises. The weather was perfect for these activities. In addition, the cherry blossoms were in peak bloom during the event making the day that much better. The day ended with a fireworks display.

Photo: Art Installation at PetalPalooza

Photo: Main Stage at PetalPalooza

Photo: View from the Wharf of the docks and the boat display

There a few tips and tricks to making sure you have the best time at these events.

  1. The sun is strong, so make sure you have a hat, sunglasses, and plenty of sunscreen to keep your skin from being damaged. I hope you take my word for it, because I learned this the hard way.
  2. It will be crowded. Take the metro instead of car. The traffic is crazy.
  3. Plan ahead. Many of the activities are only at specific times. If there is something you want to see, make sure you get there early. It will take a while to make your way through the crowds.

For more information about the National Cherry Blossom Festival and complete schedule of events, please visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

Spring has sprung in DC and ISH residents have enjoyed the sun, the warmth and the Cherry Blossoms.

The National Cherry Blossom festival is an annual event in DC that drives many tourists to visit the city. This year the festival was from March 20th until April 14th, with different events happening all over the city. If you are ever DC during the festival, you have to check out the Cherry Blossoms, as it should be on the top of every DC tourist bucket list. I have had the great fortune of attending two events this year -I went to the Kite Festival on Saturday March 30th and PetalPalooza on Saturday April 6th.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event put on each year by a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the beauty of nature and international friendship. This organization’s programs and events are educational, environmentally friendly, showcase art and culture, and build community spirit. There is no wonder why over a million people come to this festival. This festival is primarily a commemoration of the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington DC. Another fun fact about the history of this festival is that on March 27th 1912 First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife to the Japanese Ambassador, planted the first two trees in the Tidal Basin. Since then, many first ladies have continued this tradition and have been involved in the planning and activities of the festival.

The Kite festival was amazing, with professional kite flyers doing demonstrations, and they had choreographed routines to music. They also had stands selling kites, booths where you could make your own kite, and the entire national mall surrounding the monument was filled with locals and tourists flying their kites. Anything and everything that you want to know about kite flying, you can find out at this event.  There were also national cherry blossom festival booths at the tidal basin. The tidal basin includes the Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr, George Mason, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials. This space looks beautiful when the Cherry Blossom are in full bloom.

Photo: Jefferson Memorial surrounded by Blooming Cherry Blossoms and festival goers in pedal boats.

PetalPalooza was an equally spectacular event, which took place at the Wharf. This event had live music, giveaways, swings, and everything else to make it a real palooza. This was a day filled with food and drink, as well as activities for the whole family, including the pets -there were specific areas for pet care and comfort. There were also art installations and boat cruises. The weather was perfect for these activities. In addition, the cherry blossoms were in peak bloom during the event making the day that much better. The day ended with a fireworks display.

Bollywood at the House

by

ISH-DC knows how to give a good start to a month by throwing a bash. Friday, March 1, was Bollywood Night. The evening started off with a dinner to give everyone a little taste of India. The menu was lentil soup, mughlai chicken, bhindi masala okra, basmati rice, cauliflower and potato, and naan. The festivities didn’t stop there and neither did the touch of India, as many residents came dressed for the celebration.

The party continued in the Great Hall and lasted all night.  The hall was supremely decorated with four disco lights and tons of white sparkling lights lining the walls and crisscrossing the ceiling. The walls were adorned with Bollywood movie posters, and images of the most famous Bollywood actors and actresses in their iconic roles.  A projector had been set up to display Bollywood movie clip music videos and extra speakers were brought up to pump up the volume.

There was a singing performance by ISH-DC Alumna Adyasha.  This was followed by a showing of the FRIENDS video shot by residents over winter break.  Then the ISH Bollywood Dance Crew took center stage for a three song performance covering decades of music styles (Ask a current resident if you want to see the video recording).

Photo: Bollywood Dance Crew at Photo Booth after performance

The rest of night all residents were able to use the Bollywood photo booth, have some drinks (mango lassi as a special treat), eat some snacks, samosas and aloo chat (just to name the hot foods, which isn’t even mentioning an entire snack table), use henna to make themselves temporary tattoo artists and dance the night away.  All residents got to learn a few new dance moves to get into the Bollywood style of dancing.

Bollywood night was not just a party – it was a destination.

 

International Student House of Washington, DC | 1825 R Street, NW | Washington, DC 20009

International Student House of Washington, DC is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization located near Dupont Circle in the heart of Washington, DC. Donations will help support our mission to provide an exceptional residential experience to a highly diverse international community of graduate students, interns and visiting scholars. The House promotes inter-cultural dialogue, encourages life-long connections, and fosters global citizenship.