International Embassy and Cultural Events in Washington DC (May 15th - May 21st)

Rewinding the Week (May 8th - May 14th )

Time passes by and so does the fabulous month of May when it comes to Passport DC! We had the awesome EU Open House on Saturday, May 13th in addition to seeing a live performance of South Asian music as well as dance routines!

Work definitely kept us busy and on a side note we even joined an intermural kickball team through Volo! We had our first match on Tuesday which was a combination of lightning, fast sprints coupled with the punting of a lightweight ball across the fields of the Washington National Monument. The after event was a friendly game of flip cup to either win more or recuperate any lost points against the opposing team if you lost the kickball match.

Reorganization and Reordering!

Notice anything different about Issue No.13 of the newsletter? We are upgrading the format as we learn more about how to utilize the beehiiv platform to look more professional and user-friendly with our weekly issues. We are going through tutorials to understand the platform better and implementing them as a test to ensure that our readers are more satisfied with every issue.

Look at our CALL TO ACTION with BUTTONS! 😄 So adorable!

Event Highlight: EU Open House Embassy Event (Saturday, May 13th)

Amidst a torrent of rain and overcast weather, crowds came out for the EU Open House event on Saturday, May 13th. With fewer embassies and more land to cover, one had to be strategic with which embassies to visit. Personally, we chose the ones in Van Ness to start off with working our way through Slovakia and Austria since they were right to next each other. One of the most peculiar things that we saw was the Red Bull mascot car in front of the Embassy of Austria. Apparently, the Red Bull HQ is in Austria as they were handing out samples of red bull (both the sugarfree and sugarful versions as a marketing tactic no doubt).

The day went on with no signs of rain in the early to mid morning, however, the crowds were growing much to our dismay. We hiked towards the Czech Republic and Hungary embassies which had longer lines but proceeded quickly. One observation that mystified us was the fact that one had to pay for the food at all of these embassies. This was in stark contrast to last week’s Around the World Embassy Tour where a lot of the embassies we visited ended up handing out free food and drinks. We were on a budget and could not afford to buy food at every single embassy unfortunately. A $7 strudel at the Embassy of Austria was enough for us as we had a filling breakfast when we woke up fueled by lots of coffee.

Our not-so-final destination was the Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg embassy in the Van Ness region. That line was absolutely insane considering it was three embassies at once. We had never seen anything like that with the line stretching back miles metaphorically. One individual mentioned that they had been waiting for two hours but there was a lot of free stuff once you got in. Deciding it was not worth it, we went over to the Columbia Heights area via metro to stop by the Former Ambassador’s Residence of Spain. Regrettably, that line was ridiculously long as well requiring an investment of an hour and a half just to go in. We did do a surprise visit to the Mexican Cultural Institute though since it was just next door with some disgruntled folks filtering in as well.

All in all, it was a fun event but we felt as if the Around the World Embassy Tour was superior in a way due to a combination of more choices, fewer lines, more free food and drinks, and better weather. We visited 6 in total (Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Spain, and Mexico). Big thanks to the embassies, their diplomatic staff, and volunteers for making the EU Open House a fun event!

International Events List (May 15th - May 21st)

Check out the following international embassy and cultural events happening from May 15th - May 21st below! As a reminder, here is the color scheme for this week’s issue:

• International Club of DC = Orange Highlight

• Things To Do DC = Green Highlight

• Eventbrite/Other Sources = Red Highlight

• Passport DC = Blue Highlight 

Monday, May 15th, 2023

1. The Shadow of the Day (Italian Cultural Society Film) ($15)

   • Time: 8:00PM - 9:30PM

   • Link: https://www.jxjdc.org/events/shadow-of-the-day/ 

Tuesday, May 16th, 2023

1. The Strategic Implications of Kazakhstan’s Political Economic Reforms (FREE!)

   • Time: 9:30AM - 11:00AM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-strategic-implications-of-kazakhstans-political-economic-reforms-tickets-632940320537?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

2. "The Art of Woman and Nature" Art Exhibition (FREE!)

   • Time: 10:00AM - 4:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-art-of-woman-and-nature-art-exhibition-tickets-629261978517?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

3. Maoist Revolutionary War Outside China (FREE!)

   • Time: 5:00PM - 6:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maoist-revolutionary-war-outside-china-tickets-558159368697?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

4. Man in A Suitcase - World Premiere dance performance at the House of Sweden (FREE!)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/man-in-a-suitcase-world-premiere-dance-performance-at-the-house-of-sweden-tickets-630985433417?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

5. Chartres: La lumière Retrouvée! Chartres: Light reborn! ($8 - $10)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chartres-la-lumiere-retrouvee-chartres-light-reborn-tickets-607581662107?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

6. Where Life Begins (Italian Cultural Society Film) ($15)

   • Time: 7:30PM - 9:00PM

   • Link: https://www.jxjdc.org/events/where-life-begins/

Wednesday, May 17th, 2023

1. Man in A Suitcase - World Premiere dance performance at the House of Sweden (FREE!)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/man-in-a-suitcase-world-premiere-dance-performance-at-the-house-of-sweden-tickets-630985463507?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

2. EYAS Dance Project: Contemporary Dance from Spain (FREE!)

   • Time: 6:30PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eyas-dance-project-contemporary-dance-from-spain-tickets-623801546217?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Thursday, May 18th, 2023

1. Capital Book Fest (FREE!)

   • Time: 10:00AM - 5:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/capital-book-fest-tickets-557792441207?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

2. German Art and Culture in the Age of the Thirty Years' War (FREE!)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/german-art-and-culture-in-the-age-of-the-thirty-years-war-tickets-533904070447?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

3. Tango Classes at the Embassy of Uruguay ($75) (FOUR CLASSES!)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 7:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tango-classes-tickets-620859115327?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Friday, May 19th, 2023

1. Taiko Drummers of Japan (FREE!)

   • Time: 5:00PM - 6:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taiko-drummers-of-japan-tickets-611352861867?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

2. Machik x Eaton House Tibetan Film Series: Valley of the Heroes (FREE!)

   • Time: 6:30PM - 9:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/machik-x-eaton-house-tibetan-film-series-valley-of-the-heroes-tickets-617185146387?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

3. Mexican Folk DANCE CLASS -- Young Adults and Adults Class ($13.50)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mexican-folk-dance-class-young-adults-and-adults-class-tickets-598001377217?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

4. Evening at the Embassy of Sri Lanka ($64)

   • Time: 6:45PM - 9:30PM

   • Link:https://thingstododc.com/event/srilankaembassy2023/ 

Saturday, May 20th, 2023

1. Celebration of Life for John Joseph Korbel (FREE!)

   • Time: 9:30AM - 2:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebration-of-life-for-john-joseph-korbel-tickets-628167314347?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

2. 2023 Fiesta Asia Street Fair (FREE!)

   • Time: 11:00AM - 7:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-fiesta-asia-street-fair-tickets-595276356607

3. World Culture Festival - Popup at Meridian Hill Park (FREE!)

   • Time: 11:00AM - 5:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-culture-festival-popup-at-meridian-hill-park-tickets-628061227037?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

4. The Dreams That Remain ($25 - $30)

   • Time: 5:00PM - 7:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-dreams-that-remain-tickets-441637949997?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

5. Live! on the Hill Presents South Asian music and dance performance by SAPAN (FREE!)

   • Time: 2:00PM - 3:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-on-the-hill-presents-south-asian-music-and-dance-performance-by-sapan-tickets-625742000167?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

6. Austrian-style Heurigen (Wine and Food) with Live Music ($40 - $80)

   • Time: 4:00PM - 6:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/austrian-style-heurigen-wine-and-food-with-live-music-tickets-628061447697?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

7. International Fashion Show Steps From Congress ($40)

   • Time: 6:30PM - 9:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-fashion-show-steps-from-congress-tickets-632468659787?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Sunday, May 21st, 2023

1. The Washington Tattoo Fife & Drum Workshop ($15 - $25)

   • Time: 10:00AM - 12:00PM

   • Link: https://cbo.io/bidapp/index.php?slug=workshop

2. Tennis Lessons with Practice Time: All Skill Levels Welcome ($60)

   • Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM

   • Link:https://www.internationalclubdc.com/Events/EventDetails.aspx?EventID=66CEDC26-D394-411F-B799-F12CBBA54F95

3. NatPhil Chamber Series: Cello Choir (Pay what you can!)

   • Time: 3:00PM - 5:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/natphil-chamber-series-cello-choir-tickets-591705265377?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Final Notes

We hope you enjoy the new format of the newsletter, it may change from time to time as we learn more about the platform and take more tutorials! Just as a reminder that the 2023 Fiesta Asia Street Fair is on Saturday, May 20th!

1. Questions? Send us an email at [email protected] 

2. Comment down below if you enjoyed the issue or you have suggestions!

Sincerely,

Embassy Life in DC Team