D.C. Friends & Intuition

I had my date with the scientist guy. He was from Iran and is a really nice guy but definitely just a friend, I decided. What was funny, was that I guessed something about him, out of the blue, which shook him up a little. His majors were math and science and he is now studying engineering of a particular form of technology to get his PhD. He never told me what his undergrad work was in. So he's talking about probabilities all the time, and then how he likes to spend time brainstorming, and the thought came to my mind, "gametheory". So I asked, "Are you a game theorist?" and he looked at me, with an almost scared look in his eye, and said quickly, "How did you know that?" I said, "I don't know, are you?" and he said yes, and looking at me warily said his master's work had been in game theory and its application to satellite technology.

He believes everything about what happened to me with electromagnetic or radio waves, and said the technology is out there and he knows it's fully possible. He's too afraid to testify on my behalf for my hearing, to talk about it, because he's worried he would get kicked out of the country because he's Iranian and only has his visa. He said it was already difficult to get back in, as a student, from Europe, and that his family in Iran is worried about getting bombed and being attacked every day, and he feels if he made someone mad, they'd just find an excuse to boot him out. They're all really worried the U.S. is going to invade and that Iraq was a stepping stone to get to Iran or something. He believes the U.S. thinks Iran is the #1 enemy right now. So I told him I wouldn't mention his name to anyone.

The other good guess I made happened today. My roommate came home totally drunk from a night out on the town and checked his email and turned off the computer by mistake and went to bed. He usually leaves it on and I don't know the password. He lets me use his computer. So this morning, I was staring at the "enter password" box and thinking, "GREAT" because he'll be in bed until afternoon. So, within 3 minutes a word came to my mind. It's a combination word and isn't something generic. I just thought about things he's interested in and likes, and nicknames he has for different things and one came to mind. I typed it in, and I was RIGHT! First time! I'm through!

Yesterday I met more people from Iran. I like the group in general. Just random meetings, and one offered me a job but has to see if he really can afford to hire, on Monday. So I'm waiting. I have an interview for an internship in D.C. set up as well. AND, on my way back to the Metro station (the train/subway), I ran into a very articulate man who is Latino and who offered me a free place to stay while he's out of the country for a couple of weeks. The conversation began with my asking him how to get to the subway from where I was. I asked him in Spanish. I think he thought it was funny, because I realized later, when he asked what I was doing in town and what my plans were, and I told him I was looking for un apartmento nuevo, I was trying to say, "in exchange for housekeeping, or something". I said something like, apartmento por mi limpia or something and I think the translation was "I want an apartment because I'm clean." Anyway, he laughed out loud. His Spanish was different. I could tell it wasn't Mexican-Spanish and it wasn't. I guessed before he told me. He's in communications. AND I got my first card from a woman. All these contacts from men! But this other woman works for a non-profit. I had someone encourage me to finish my degree out here, online or something.

It's very international here, which I love and then someone said it's bc there are a lot of embassies here. I'd like to visit all of the embassies, but I don't think that's something you can just "do" as a tourist. I am definitely a people-person though.

It's pretty much impossible to get a job in D.C. unless you live here. People want to see you face-to-face and it's about who you know, even if you've only known them for 15 minutes. I didn't realize I've been networking until recently as I wasn't sure what the definition was. It's a lot of fun.

I haven't find housing and friends in the places I've been recently, by being offered money in exchange for sexual services or anything else. It's been all on the up & up.

Recently, I had a man who seems to be interested in me, ask if I was a shoes, clothes, or purse girl. How do I tell him, "Neither. I'm a private attorney girl"? So I'm thinking about the 3 options. Shoes. Hmm. I could use a good pair of running shoes but that's not romantic. He'd want to buy peep-toes. I love clothes and want to go shopping, but without the right shoes, it won't make the outfit. Purses I don't use too much. I could use a laptop carrier. But, since I don't have a purse, maybe I should say purse.

Of course I'm being really careful out here. I use my intuition to the best of my ability.