Learning English at MEI

On March 15, our class went to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. On that morning, we met at the bus stop which is located in front of the Stamp Student Union. We took the shuttle bus, and when we arrived at the metro station, we took the metro to go there. I sat with NaRy on the metro. We talked about similarities between Turkey and Korea. The trip took around 40 minutes. There was nothing to see except metro station names during the metro ride because we were under the ground. While we were walking to the museum, I saw the Capitol. Actually, last summer, I was in Washington, DC, and I saw this building and also some museums at that time.

Before we went there, we talked about the museum and its architecture in the class. I think the building was nice, but I couldn't see any interesting things about architecture. We entered the museum through a side door, which was not the main door, so we couldn't see the other side of the building, but our teachers suggested that we look at it later. After lunch, I went there, but I think it was nothing special.

The museum has 4 floors. Our assignment was on the 4th floor, so we started from these floor. When we were climbing the stairs, I saw some boats on the main floor. I saw a reflection of a light--like a small rainbow-- on the wall. Maybe it was because of the sunlight which was coming from a sky light in the roof. In "Our Universes", I focused on the "Q'eq'chi" tribe. They live in Guatemala. They have four cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West. Each of them has different colors and meanings. North is white, and they offer prayers toward the north. East is red, and where the sun rises, it is the region of light and blood and a source of happiness. The sun is very important for them because it gives them life and strength. Every morning, they greet the Lord Sun. South is yellow, and it represents human beings in nature and in society. It was the birthplace of water. The believe that they are composed of water, and it is part of their life. West is black, and it is related to death and darkness. They believe that they need a little light to see their way in the dark, but the dark is also as important as light. They say that the sun, water, stars, planets, and the other things in the universe were left them by their grandparents. The most interesting thing for me is that I saw a word on one of the exhibits. It was "Su", and it means water gourd. In Turkish, water means "su". It was really interesting for me.

At the Mitsitam Cafe, I sat with Eman, NaRy, Boram, Lun and my teacher Nina. The foods are very strange to me. I had difficulity choosing food, but then I ate something which is a kind of mashed patatoes with spice. It was delicious. After our field trip, I went somewhere else in DC. I had to deal with one of my Turkish friend's phone account. After I solved her problem, I went back to the University for International Coffee Hour. I really like Coffee Hours.It was fun again. After that, some friends and I stayed on campus a little bit more. Then, I came home. The day was very interesting, fun, beneficial, and tiring for me. I felt good at the end of the day.