International Embassy and Cultural Events in Washington DC (March 20th - March 26th)

↞ Rewinding the Week (March 13th - March 19th) ↞

This week was marked by two embassy events in one week that I chose to do. Unfortunately, last week, I could not go to any of the embassy events as I had already planned out my week in advance. So, for the week of March 13th - March 19th, I decided to go to both the embassies of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia!

Here is a fun fact that you can use at your trivia nights that DC seems to have a lot of: the embassy properties are treated as foreign soil. That means that technically, you are entering another country’s borders when you go to all of the embassy events which is awesome.

Event Highlight: The Embassy of Indonesia (March 14th)

On March 14th, I entered the world of Indonesia along with a crowd of enthusiastic embassy individuals. This was easily my favorite embassy to visit so far with the interior being comparable to the Library of Congress. It is hard to describe the majesty of the European-Renaissance art on the ceilings to the beautiful type of wood that overlaid the stairs on multiple floors. We had a grand treat of watching Indonesian dancers who were in Washington DC for that night before flying back home. The performances were different forms of expressive dance that were tied to stories that reflected the cultural tapestry of Indonesia.

The Ambassador of Indonesia give a riveting speech about the country as a whole. I was stunned to realize that 86.7% of the Indonesian population are adherents to the Muslim faith (which is an approximate 231 million people). The best part of the night was easily the interactive concert that the audience including myself was involved in. Staff members at the embassy handed out these Indonesian instruments that resembled a cross between a xylophone and piano made out of bamboo. If you shook the contraption, the weight at the bottom of the instrument made a loud, rattling noise in response.

There was a concert master who separated the crowd into six groups with each person having one of those instruments that played a noise at a different key note. Standing on top of a box, the master formed symbols with his hands symbolizing a group that played their respective note. The night was full of an impromptu orchestral symphony of laughter, key notes, and cheering.

Event Highlight: The Embassy of Saudi Arabia (March 16th)

This embassy night could be joked about as being somewhat “secretive”. It was interesting because technically we could not bring our phones into the actual embassy itself due to security reasons. Instead, the founder of Things To Do DC known as Greg took the photos below for us. The night proved fascinating nonetheless with a documentary about the 2030 Vision of Saudi Arabia which has a lot of investment in reducing the country’s dependence on oil, diversifying its economy, and boosting other areas including tourism. The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to DC spoke at great length about the country answering rapid-fire questions from the crowd.

Several volunteers from the crowd were able to have the unique opportunity of wearing traditional Saudi garments for both men and women. The designs of said clothing incorporated class standards in Saudi society, colors to reflect the harsh sun of the desert, and material that allowed good ventilation given such warm temperatures. The night ended with a fabulous array of Saudi food which I eagerly wolfed down as well as periodic conversation with other embassy enthusiasts.

Event Forecast: Cherry Blossom Festival (March 18th - April 16th)

With the winter now in full retreat, the time of spring is now upon us with the arrival of the Cherry Blossom Festival! For those of you who do not know, the Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event celebrating the nation’s greatest springtime celebration from March 18th to April 16th with a dazzling display of events, workshops, performances, and more. For history buffs, in 1912, the city of Tokyo in Japan had gifted 3,000 cherry blossom trees which was the culmination of a dream from private and public citizens who wanted to create a blossom arbor in Washington DC. The first Cherry Blossom Festival was in 1927 and continues to this very day.

To say there are a lot of events is an understatement, so one can find info about the festival itself and related events here at this link through their website: https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/. In addition, we will be covering weekly Cherry Blossom events as well since it is truly a special time.

International Events (March 20th - March 26th)

Check out the following international embassy and cultural events happening from March 20th - March 26th 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 = Red Highlight

• Cherry Blossom Festival = Pink Highlight

Monday, March 20th, 2023

1. Cherry Blossom Wine & Beer Festival at National Union Building ($29 - $80)

   • Time: 2:00PM - 4:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cherry-blossom-wine-beer-festival-at-national-union-building-tickets-426652628497?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

2. Mexico in a Bottle Washington, DC ($50 - $70)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 9:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mexico-in-a-bottle-washington-dc-tickets-512096242647?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

3. Miss-en-Place Cherry Blossom Dinner ($125)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 9:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/miss-en-place-cherry-blossom-dinner-tickets-558311604037?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

4. Cherry Blossom Wine & Beer Festival at National Union Building ($29 - $80)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 8:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cherry-blossom-wine-beer-festival-at-national-union-building-tickets-426652628497?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

5. Film Screening : Francophone Luxembourgish movie "Sawah" (FREE!)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-screening-francophone-luxembourgish-movie-sawah-tickets-553477464997?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

Tuesday, March 21th, 2023

1. Myanmar: Resistance and Inclusion (FREE!)

   • Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/myanmar-resistance-and-inclusion-tickets-576335313437?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

2. Students to Ambassadors: A Celebration of the US-Mexico Relationship at 200 (FREE!)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/students-to-ambassadors-a-celebration-of-the-us-mexico-relationship-at-200-tickets-574718818457?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

3. Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan TURAN Concert (FREE!)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/turan--tickets-586237250397?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

4. Film screening : Francophone Senegalese movie "Xalé" (FREE!)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-screening-francophone-senegalese-movie-xale-tickets-537761558297?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Wednesday, March 22th, 2023

1. Cherry Blossom Festival at the Museum of Illusions! ($37.95)

   • Time: 5:30PM - 10:30PM

   • Link: https://moiwashington.com/current-event/experience-the-ultimate-cherry-blossom-date-night/

2. Ensemble MidtVest ($125)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ensemble-midtvest-tickets-558080693377?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

3. Tintin avec l’ambassadeur de Belgique, Jean-Arthur Régibeau (FREE!)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tintin-avec-lambassadeur-de-belgique-jean-arthur-regibeau-tickets-558237763177?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

Thursday, March 23th, 2023

1. Tango Classes at the Embassy of Uruguay ($75)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tango-classes-tickets-532641885217?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

2. In-Person at JICC | Message in a Vase with David Komeiji (FREE!)

   • Time: 6:30PM - 8:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-person-at-jicc-message-in-a-vase-with-david-komeiji-tickets-574607585757?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

3. Evening at the Embassy of Kazakhstan (with Native Visiting Performers) ($55)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 9:30PM

   • Link:https://thingstododc.com/event/embassyofkazakhstan2023/

4. Bennewitz Quartet at the Embassy of France ($15 - $25)

   • Time: 7:30PM - 9:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bennewitz-quartet-at-the-embassy-of-france-tickets-507701568057?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

Friday, March 24th, 2023

1. Seoul-Tokyo Relations After the Summit: Old Plateau or New Heights? (FREE!) 

   • Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seoul-tokyo-relations-after-the-summit-old-plateau-or-new-heights-tickets-591842445687?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

2. An Intimate Evening with Tango Historian and Performer Luis Angel ($25)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-intimate-evening-with-tango-historian-and-performer-luis-angel-tickets-557321663097?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

3. Concert by a Kazakhstani ethno-folk ensemble TURAN (FREE!)

   • Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/concert-by-a-kazakhstani-ethno-folk-ensemble-turan-tickets-588268124797?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

4. Spring Fling Dance Soiree with Live Band: Dance the Night Away After Swing Dance Lessons ($35 - $60)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM

   • Link:https://www.internationalclubdc.com/Events/EventDetails.aspx?EventID=E91E04EE-A35C-4DB5-BC8E-E1F16F76F7C7 

5. National Cherry Blossom Festival Concert: Anna Sato x Toshiyuki Sasaki (FREE!) (SOLD OUT)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-cherry-blossom-festival-concert-anna-sato-x-toshiyuki-sasaki-tickets-523822125077?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

6. Evening at the Embassy of Slovenia ($68)

   • Time: 7:00PM - 9:30PM

   • Link:https://thingstododc.com/event/sloveniamarch2023/

Saturday, March 25th, 2023

1.  Cherry Blossom Kite Festival (FREE!)

   • Time: 10:00AM - 4:30PM

   • Link:https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/blossom-kite-festival/ 

2. Lideresas: Join the Revolution Art Gallery (FREE!)

   • Time: 10:30AM - 2:30PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lideresas-join-the-revolution-tickets-568289056867?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

3. Nowruz Bazaar 2023 (FREE!)

   • Time: 11:00AM - 3:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nowruz-bazaar-2023-tickets-588395385437?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

4. In-Person Cherry Blossom Family Celebration (FREE!)

   • Time: 11:30AM - 3:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-person-cherry-blossom-family-celebration-registration-566506946527?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

5. Sakura Taiko Fest 2023 (FREE!)

   • Time: 12:00PM - 5:30PM

   • Link: https://www.markhtaiko.com/event/sakura-taiko-fest-2023/

Sunday, March 26th, 2023

1. Walking Tour: Monuments and Memory ($18) 

   • Time: 10:00AM - 12:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-monuments-and-memory-registration-525901885697?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

2. International Chocolate Tour of Embassy Row ($40)

   • Time: 12:00PM - 2:00PM

   • Link: https://thingstododc.com/event/international-chocolate-tour-of-embassy-row-7/ 

3. Spy Tour of Embassy Row ($35)

   • Time: 12:30PM - 2:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spy-tour-of-embassy-row-tickets-427666480957?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

4. Master Weaver Nilda Callañaupa: Artist Talk + Market (FREE!)

   • Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM

   • Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/master-weaver-nilda-callanaupa-artist-talk-market-tickets-577815671227?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

Final Notes

The Cherry Blossom Festival is now in full drive and we are heading into April 2023 fairly soon! Keep an eye out for future rooftop bars as they start to hold more events in the twilight zone.

Please follow us on Instagram (@embassylifeindc) if you don’t already and subscribe to the newsletter as well!

As always, have a great time! Here is the link to the Google Calendar (https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=ZW1iYXNzeWxpZmVpbmRjQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ)

Sincerely,

Embassy Life in DC Team