This week has been so fantastic in so many ways, it has been difficult to decide how to begin this week's blog. The truth is, one event superseded all others this week. Watching Barack Obama win the presidential election was one of the most incredible moments of my life.
Obama's election was the not the first historic moment I've experienced from overseas. On September 11, 2001, I was sitting in a classroom in London when the director of our study abroad program rushed in to tell us that the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane. A year and a half later, on March 30, 2003, I was in Costa Rica watching television with my host family, when I heard the announcement that the United States had invaded Iraq. On Tuesday, November 4, 2008, over five years later, I sat in a pizza shop where an enormous Honduran flag served as the backdrop for epic words that flashed across the television screen "Barack Obama Elected President!" The crowd that had gathered erupted in cheers and I felt a glimmer of hope that maybe this man could start to heal the wounds caused on 9/11 and 3/30.
By about 1pm on election day, I found myself unable to do anything productive work-wise (perhaps due to my need to check cnn.com every two minutes for any potential clues on the direction the election was going in) so I decided to begin preparations for an election night extravaganza. I know that some of you in the more developed world probably hosted fancy election return parties, but I had to work with what I had available. After a little brainstorming I decided to make the following contributions to election night festivities:
1. Cupcakes with Obama flags.
2. Sugar cookies with blue frosting and Obama pictures on top (no photo available).
3. Blank maps of the U.S.A. and blue and red markers (to keep track of electoral wins!)
4. A big poster that read YES WE CAN! YES WE DID!
I received a fair amount of teasing from Graham for my Obama baking spree, but he graciously helped me carry trays of sugary treats across town. We both looked pretty silly traipsing through Copan with Obama cupcakes, but the end result was well worth the walk of shame. The Obama heavy crowd loved the baked goods and other election fare and we all celebrated together when the West Coast returns were announced and tipped the scales undeniably in Obama's favor. It was a great moment and, though I missed being with my loved ones in the States, our election night festivities turned out to be a great bonding experience for everyone involved.
2. Sugar cookies with blue frosting and Obama pictures on top (no photo available).
3. Blank maps of the U.S.A. and blue and red markers (to keep track of electoral wins!)
4. A big poster that read YES WE CAN! YES WE DID!
I received a fair amount of teasing from Graham for my Obama baking spree, but he graciously helped me carry trays of sugary treats across town. We both looked pretty silly traipsing through Copan with Obama cupcakes, but the end result was well worth the walk of shame. The Obama heavy crowd loved the baked goods and other election fare and we all celebrated together when the West Coast returns were announced and tipped the scales undeniably in Obama's favor. It was a great moment and, though I missed being with my loved ones in the States, our election night festivities turned out to be a great bonding experience for everyone involved.
No comments:
Post a Comment