On 3 July, after sixteen hours in the air and one night in Dubai,fellow SAISer Gabe Serrato and I arrived at Kabul International Airport.  After walking across the tarmac to the terminal, we cleared immigration, and met our point-of-contact, an Afghan contractor.  An armored Toyota Land Cruiser shuttled us to a compound not far from the American embassy, and a few days later to Camp Julien.

Situated between two pockmarked, bombed-out palaces built by King Amanullah in the 1920’s, Camp Julien is a small collection of cement and plywood buildings, guard towers, latrines, and Tesco bomb shelters.  A spartan facility by US military standards, the camp is home to about 40 military personnel and contractors tasked with operating CTC-A.  The director, Colonel John Agoglia, is energetic, enthusiastic, unbelievably hardworking, and always entertaining.  He is also very interested in creating a mutually beneficial relationship between academia and the military; Gabe and I represent an early step in that relationship building process.  We had come to Camp Julien to conduct research on the relationship between insurgent activity and road construction in eastern Afghanistan.

The first couple of weeks included counterinsurgency seminars, training courses, and visits to the Afghan National Army (ANA) training facilities.  Shortly thereafter I flew out to a Forward Operating Base (FOB) about 20 miles from the Pakistani border in Khost province.  From the FOB in Khost, I traveled by Blackhawk up to Gardez, in Paktia province, and down to Sharan, in Paktika province.  In all three provinces—Khost, Paktia, and Paktika—I was fortunate enough to be able to interview a wide range of civilian and military personnel.  DoS Foreign Service Officers, USAID reps, Human Terrain Team (HTT) members, US Army Corps of Engineers, USDA reps, DoD civilians, Afghan interpreters, contractors, military personnel, and intelligence officers were all extremely helpful, often taking an hour or more out of their busy schedules to answer my questions.  I had a great experience out in P2K, as the region is known, but the summer was not without its challenges.

There were two challenges in particular that really stand out.  First, there was the challenge of just finding people that were qualified to answer interview questions.  The main problem was that, just prior to my arrival in Afghanistan, many of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) rotated out, meaning that in some cases I had more in-country experience than the people I was interviewing.  Making matters worse, the transmittance of institutional knowledge from one unit to the next is not the PRTs’ strong suit.  Thus, in many cases PRT members could not even relay information or lessons that they had learned from their predecessors.  Fortunately, many PRT members had been in country before, and there were always those government employees, contractors, and soldiers that were not attached to the PRTs and had been in-country longer.  Furthermore, I was able to (legally) acquire a collection of government documents that have proven to be invaluable sources of information.

Second, logistical issues, especially travel, were a frustrating exercise.  I spent several days in mid-July sitting at airfield in Kabul trying to hitch a ride on choppers heading down to the southeast.  Every time an overloaded Chinook (think olive drab, flying school bus) would swoop in, I would be engulfed in a cloud of dust and pelted with marble-sized pebbles.  Inevitably, the tail-gunner would run out, we would try to communicate over the din of the idle chopper; he would shake his head, and off they’d fly.  Eventually, though, I did find a spot in a Chinook for the one-hour flight to Khost.  A few weeks later, when the time came to leave, getting out of the province was another ordeal. I spent five days waiting for the weather to improve so the choppers could get over the pass that led out of the Khost bowl.  On one occasion, I was treated to a romantic, moonlit Blackhawk tour of half a dozen Combat Outposts (COPs) along the Pakistani border, only to be deposited back at the FOB that we had flown out of two hours earlier.

For a guy that has spent a good portion of the last five years of his life studying Afghanistan and counterinsurgency, my experience this past summer really was more than I could have hoped for. Not only was I able to make some great connections, and learn about the lives and work of the folks serving in Afghanistan, but I was also able see what it’s like to be near the front lines in a counterinsurgency campaign. Based on what I saw over the summer, I think that our people in Afghanistan—civilian and military—are the most capable, qualified, and dedicated people that our country has to offer, and, given enough time, resources, and guidance, they will be able stabilize the country.

Paul Kane is a second year M.A. candidate in South Asia Studies.

This summer in Moscow I shared a two-bedroom apartment with a 45-ish year old writer and professor of history and political science and her 20-year-old daughter. We lived in an old Soviet-style apartment building with 18 floors and closet-sized elevators made to hold approximately two people and one tiny dog. The apartment itself was nice, though not by American standards. The flooring throughout most of the house was trashed wooden parquet, pulling up from the ground in spots. The walls were lined with stained plywood cabinets and peeling wallpaper and had been covered up with lots of pictures of my host when she was young, or pictures of her daughter, or her friend’s children. There were pictures of places visited, outdated maps of various countries, random scribbles and childhood graffiti, and other things that made my host family smile. There were piles of newspapers and books everywhere. Technically, the toilet worked, but the lid to the tank was long gone, and you had to both pull and then push this pin inside the tank to get it to flush. The adjacent bathroom was tiled – bright blue with a matching sink and tub, although the sink hadn’t worked in years. It also doubled as a laundry room.

One Friday night, I was in the bathroom, mid- first-Russian-washing-my-clothes-by-hand-experience and trying to figure out how to get the last of the soap out of my jeans when there was a knock on the door. I was startled and opened the door cautiously to find a tallish man, about my age, with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and with the beginnings of a moustache. He had absolutely no qualms about beckoning me from the bathroom with a knock followed by a sullen expression. I had never seen him before. He introduced himself as Valode and then said something to me in Russian that I gathered was some sort of invitation. From the kitchen, I heard the professor calling and inviting me in.

In the kitchen on the table there was this beautiful, white, pink, and yellow cake, three cups of tea, and three plates. Valode, a man who looked well versed in the dark arts, was inviting me to join them for his birthday.

We sat and ate this very strange, but very good cake that was layered with a sweet peanut- flavored frosting and this really yummy Styrofoam-like pastry. And we talked about… politics. I absolutely enjoy the Russian practice of skipping the niceties and delving right into an American’s worst nightmare of a conversation. I believe that in the Russian mind, the best way to get to know someone is through a series of the following questions. 1) What is your name? 2) Where do you (and every generation of your family) come from? 3) Where do you stand on politics?

This was a new kind of political conversation though. Valode said he had met many American men, but never an American girl, and he wanted to know my opinion of everything. I stumbled over where to begin in explaining my views on such a broad topic, and was quickly prompted to answer the forefront question in every Russian mind upon meeting an American – how do I feel about Obama? We promptly exhausted my Russian vocabulary on the topic, allowing me to turn the tables, asking them their views on American politics. Valode really wasn’t sure how to answer, but my host, as a professor of history and political science, was apt and happy to catalog everything wrong with this great free nation of ours.

She listed, without hesitation, the following:

Number One. Americans are not smart about the decisions they make and, as a young nation we have no sense of real history.

Number Two. Americans have global control.

Number Three. Americans don’t have any real strategy when it comes to international relations.
I was then asked my thoughts on what might be the fourth thing wrong with American politics. I love being put on the spot when people know that you are in graduate school, studying international relations. Not only do they want to know your opinion, but have also stacked every question to set you up for failure. It’s a game really. “Well, this person is supposed to know everything about everything in the history of international relations, so I’m going to stump them and show I know more than they do.” Try playing this game in Russian. It’s even better. I mumbled something about U.S. politics of the last 8 years as my easy-out fourth choice. You can’t imagine how hard it is to explain these things with the vocabulary of a fourth grader.

Back to Americans not having a sense of strategy globally. According to Valode, this is because we do not study chess when we are children. He asked me if I know how to play chess. I do understand the basics of the game, but not wanting to invite another challenge to my intelligence and the intelligence of all Americans, I said no. And then it was settled. We were going to play chess and he was going to teach me. So on this unassuming Friday night, instead of going out to weave my way through another bizarre and colorful night in the infamous debauchery of riotous Moscow, I learned the “classic” strategy of chess… po – Russki! There was very little help from a dictionary. We played out all kinds of strategies and spoke literally maybe five English words all night. Two of these were something that he learned somewhere else – “cool move.” Every time I would make a strategically respectable move he would say, “cool move,” slowly and in a very heavy Russian accent. And every time I was getting myself into trouble he would say ehhhh… His helpful grunts were clearly designed to give me just enough confidence and direction to make the game interesting while preserving victory for himself. About seven-eighths of the way through the game I started thinking the full five moves ahead and saw a bright little glimmering spot of hope on the board. Innocently enough, I declined his advice and ignored his protests and played those five moves through. In the end, much to Valode’s dismay, I won.

Number four? Americans do not know how to play chess.

For more bizarre anecdotes of politics and people from my first time in Moscow visit: www.nadineinrussia.blogspot.com.

Nadine Szablya is a 2nd year MA candidate in Russian and Eurasian Studies.

I had the opportunity to interview new SGA representatives Larina Helm, the Bologna Representative, and Sean Healey, one of two first year representatives.  What follows is the personal interviews of these two new SAIS figures in the SGA.

Jinny:  Tell us a bit about your background.
Larina: I’m from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I studied international relations and economics at Boston University and I’m studying Energy, Resources and Environment Policy here at SAIS. I plan to work in the U.S. Foreign Service after SAIS. I enjoy traveling, cooking, eating, watching great movies, being outdoors, rooting for the Boston Red Sox, and spending time with friends and family.
Sean: I grew up in Long Beach, California. I come from a working class background, I was the first from either side of my family to attend college. After graduating from high school, I moved to New York to do my undergraduate studies at NYU. I double-majored in Film and Politics, with my home college being the Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating in 2004, I started working at the Council on Foreign Relations. After working at CFR for about 7 months, I joined the Benenson Strategy Group, when it was still small. It was a great place to get my feet wet as I instantly had much more responsibility there than I would have had at a bigger firm. We did a lot of great work, culminating with Joel Benenson, the founder, leading the polling team for Obama’s Presidential campaign. I left BSG in Sept 2008 to move to China. I received a scholarship from the Chinese government to study Chinese at a university in Beijing. By that point, I had already been thinking about applying to programs like SAIS or Georgetown for nearly a year, so I thought it would be a great experience before my graduate studies. I studied for one year in Beijing and returned to the US right before Pre-Term. I am concentrating in China Studies and will also complete a specialization in international finance. I’m interested in working in China and Hong Kong, ideally in the areas of private equity, consulting and banking.
Jinny:  What went into your decision to become representative?
Larina: I love my Bologna family, and I loved helping out with events and making student life enjoyable last year in Bologna. For this year, I wanted to help the Bolognese integrate into the greater SAIS community, as well as continue facilitating a fun student environment at SAIS. This is something I really hope to achieve.
Sean: SAIS is a dynamic community with people from all backgrounds. Being the representative seemed like a great way to get to meet everyone, especially those who are not MA1’s. I also enjoy planning events (talk to anyone who went to my elaborate birthday party two weeks ago!) and seeing my friends having a good time.   Additionally, this is my education and I want my voice and views to be considered. What better way to do that than getting involved in the SGA?
Jinny:  What the best thing abut getting elected as a representative
Larina: More emails!
Sean: I received a lot of congratulatory emails, Facebook posts and kind words from people about the election. It’s always inspiring to hear people express their thanks. Since the speeches last Friday, I’ve also had a number of people come up to me with suggestions for the school. I like being the sounding board for their ideas and constructive criticism.
Jinny: What are the major things that you would like to change, improve, or work on at SAIS?
Sean: I think the 2nd year officers have a better grasp of what needs to be fixed or improved. They also know where to go to get things done and what’s been attempted in the past. I’m still learning! I do want to ensure that we have a lot of fun, inclusive events that brings our school together. But my biggest priority is to gather feedback from the students and ensure that their ideas are implemented, or at the very least, seriously debated and considered by the senior officers and administration. Compared to the monstrosity that is NYU, the bureaucracy at SAIS seems minimal. Hopefully that will means we can affect change easily.
Larina: I’d really like to organize some events that help bring the whole SAIS community together, and to better integrate Bologna and DC 2nd year students with current first-year students. These events will hopefully bring a little slice of Bolognese life to DC, as well as bring Washington to life for those who are here for the first time (or the first time in a long time) so that we can all share some of the best that Italy and Washington have to offer.
Jinny: Has Washington DC served you well so far?
Larina: Yes. Quite.
Sean: DC is actually a lot cooler than I originally thought it would be. The Dupont area reminds me a lot of the West Village and Chelsea in NYC, where I lived for a number of years. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to enjoy the DC cultural sights. The library seems to monopolize too much of my weekends!
Jinny:  Choose one word in each category and explain why. Beer or Wine.
Sean: Beer. Because the French would never call Moet “the beer of champagnes.”
Larina:  If I had to choose I’d say beer in DC, wine in Bologna.
Jinny:  Nitze or Rome
Sean: Nitze for the win. It has a much more vibrant energy than Rome. It has group study rooms, the library, events in Kenney, the ping pong table and my locker. And all my favorite ladies working in the cafe making me pizza and sandwiches.
Larina: Rome. Duh, it has the Colosseum!
Jinny: What is your dream honeymoon spot?
Larina: Well I suppose I’d have to examine the opportunity cost of some place tropical and exotic versus some place more traditional…
Sean: I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve already done quite a bit of traveling. I would probably either choose India or motorcycling through Eastern Europe. Patagonia would also be incredible.
Jinny:  Anything you want to say to your fellow SAISers
Larina: Enjoy the year, and please let me and any of the other SGA members know if there is anything we can do to make this year a great year at SAIS!
Sean: Get involved in school, whether it be the SGA, a club or just throwing parties at your house. We have a few different committees with the SGA and we’d love to get more 1st year and MIPP students involved. The Career Services people were right when they said that fellow SAISers will be your best resource once you’ve left the school, so you do yourself a disservice if you don’t meet as many people as possible. So don’t live in the library, it probably won’t help you get that first (or sixth) job. Additionally, if you’re unhappy with something, get involved and let your voice be heard. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, right?  I like hearing your complaints, but also let us know what is going right at the school. When we know what you like, we will make sure those things happen again.  Also, I’ve found that a “thank you” goes a long way with administrators, school staff, professors and TA’s. Remember to say it and they’ll be happy to help you out the next time you need a favor.

Jinny Lee is a second year M.A. candidate in International Policy-Environment.

Sebastian Muehlbauer is from Vienna, Austria and naturally grew up with a passion for classical music. He sang in a choir since he was 12 and was the singer for a rock band for 2 years.  As he grew older, Sebastian also began to explore a wide variety of other interests and initially chose to study German, French, politics, and communications in university. A pivotal moment in Sebastian’s life came when he studied as an exchange student in France through the Erasmus (European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) Program and fell in love with the city of Paris. He finished his degree at Paris III: Sorbonne University with a degree in Business, French, and Italian. He continued to pursue his master’s degree there and spent one year at NYU studying politics.

Last year Sebastian studied at the SAIS Bologna campus where he was in charge of organizing the annual Bologna Austrian Ball, a tradition that has been ongoing for 30 years. Sebastian and other Austrian students brought over 200 students to Vienna and the event was an astounding success. His experience organizing the Austrian Ball inspired him to take a leadership position at SAIS. Says Sebastian, “I felt I had gained the trust of my fellow students.  I genuinely cared for their opinions and needs. I hope to continue to build my leadership skills and serve the students at SAIS.” Sebastian feels that the relationships he built in Bologna were extremely personal rather than political. He is especially concerned with helping former Bologna students transition to life in D.C., and clear up any misconceptions students from different campuses may have of each other.

Sebastian himself is still trying to figure out D.C. He loves the rush of living in big cities such as Vienna, Paris, and New York. However, D.C. is an odd mix of both; a provincial-looking city that has both a metropolitan and suburban feel. He says, “I know that D.C. is a city with motivated and busy people, but I hope we can take the time out to get to know each other. We are not a big school and the SAIS experience is special but fleeting.”

At SAIS, Sebastian is an IPE and Finance concentrator.  He hopes that he can learn to think more professionally this year at SAIS. Sebastian has interned for 2 months at the United Nations in the Economic and Social Council and enjoyed the experience tremendously.  However, Sebastian will probably not be interning this year at SAIS.  “I generally don’t support students interning while studying because it takes from the experience of school.” This semester he will be taking Multi Corporate Finance, Financial Derivatives and Risk Management, Russian & the New Eurasia, and Global Business Strategy. Also he is learning Russian.

As for the SGA experience, Sebastian is extremely excited to be working with the current team. “Paul was a 1st year representative last year so he is very organized and knows everything that is going on. Anayo is great with numbers, May is so active and helpful and Larina does a great job of caring about issues concerning former Bologna students.”  Sebastian has a special interest in academic affairs and has already held a meeting. He was very happy with the large turnout and believes the student committees will greatly increase academic quality. He says, “I love to complain about what is wrong. I am not afraid to express my opinions and I believe that this will help stimulate improvement.”

The SAIS school year looks to be an exciting one and Sebastian will surely try to participate fully in student life.  As a final message to students, Sebastian hopes that we can all come together and get to know each other more closely, “Our experience here at SAIS is truly special. I hope all of us can step back from their professional focus and be more of a student.”

Chris Liu is a first year M.A. candidate in Korea and Southeast Asia Studies.

Jessica: Why did you decide to go to SAIS in the first place?
Anayo: SAIS is an outstanding community. Just meeting and chatting with a fellow classmate is often just as educational and fascinating as a full lecture in an academic course. The challenging curriculum and rigorous competitiveness of SAIS also attracted me to the school.
Jessica: Tell me a little bit about your background, and what you hope to bring to the Treasurer position.
Anayo: My parents immigrated to the United States from Nigeria. After moving around a bit in Texas they settled in Houston, where I grew up. I picked up an interest in community development while studying at Morehouse College. From there, I traveled, volunteered, and sought adventure. In spite of myself, I survived. Along the way I refined my interest in development and community involvement. As the treasurer, I hope that my hard work ethic and approachable style both personalize the position and increase the general openness of the SGA.
Jessica: What made you decide to run for SGA?
Anayo: SAIS has an amazing student body. SGA’s role in helping to improve the student’s experience of SAIS sparked my decision to run.
Jessica: What made you interested in this position specifically?
Anayo: The technical aspects of accounting and succinctly communicating information attracted me to the position of Treasurer.
Jessica: What do you hope to do as a member of SGA?
Anayo: I hope to build on the successes of the previous SGA to improve the transparency and responsiveness of the SGA to the student body.
Jessica: Is there any issue you want to tackle right away?
Anayo: I’d like to improve the feedback mechanism between the SGA and the student body.
Jessica: What are your main responsibilities as a part of SGA?
Anayo: My main responsibility is to account for the budget of both SGA and the respective student organizations.

Jessica Lambertson is a second year M.A. candidate in Latin America Studies.

Paul Alois is a second year M.A. student concentrating in International Law and is the president of the Student Government Association (SGA). He sat down with the Observer to talk about SGA, SAIS, and even some things that do not start with ’s’ and are abbreviated.

Scott: (in Chinese) So, I hear you speak Chinese.
Paul: (in Chinese) Yes, I took the proficiency test last semester.
S: (not in Chinese) Did you live in China? Where besides DC have you lived before? 
P: I never actually lived in China. My dad was in the U.S. Foreign Service, so I grew up in Latin America and Italy and Germany. And Florida was my one place in the U.S.
S: Can you speak Spanish?
P: It’s been a while, so my speaking is rusty, but I can mostly understand what people are saying.
S: In addition to being a first year representative last year, you also founded the Amnesty International Club at SAIS.
P: I worked at Amnesty International before I came here. Every university in DC had a chapter but SAIS. We didn’t have any clubs related to human rights, which was something I thought we should rectify.
S: Why did you decide to get involved in student government?
P: SAIS was my top choice program. I was not at all into my high school or college, but was really excited to be at my top choice. I wanted to get as immersed in the program as possible. Also, I worked in DC for two years before that, doing research at a think tank. That work was very academic, and although that is great, I realized that being effective also requires some of the more mundane stuff, like meetings and budgets. I thought that SGA was a good way to enhance that skill set, and it has.
S: Do you have a title you prefer? For example, there was Alexander the Great, Hagar the Horrible…?
P: I like El Jefe. In my Chinese class, I told my teacher to call me Chairman For Life.
S: Do you have a leadership role model?
P: I do. In War and Peace, Tolstoy writes about General Kutuzov. I like his management style. He accepts that 90% of what goes on he can’t control. He accepts that and focuses on the 10% he can.
S: What’s the 10% of SGA you can control?
P: It’s different every time. 
S: What are the perks of being president?
P: The main perk is that you get to really be completely immersed in the school, the culture, the people, and learning about the administration. For me it’s a challenge, not in the academic sense, but more of a challenge organizing things and people.
S: What’s an example of a challenge you’ve faced?
P: I’ve spent a lot of time working on this, which I hadn’t anticipated: the number of clubs this year is bigger than ever. I think that five years ago there weren’t any student clubs at all, and now there are over 35, and coordinating all of that is pretty challenging. This is the first year that non career clubs have to share happy hours. Also, funding for clubs comes out of the SGA budget, so our budget this year is lower than before.
S: What have you had to cut back on as a result?
P: We haven’t had to cut back on anything planned, but a lot of spending in the past has been on an ad hoc basis, which we won’t really be able to do now.
S: How do you balance your SGA work with your academic workload?
P: I put academics first, so if I had to decide between SGA work or class work, that’s the way I would go, but it hasn’t ever gotten to that point.
S: What has been your favorite SGA memory so far?
P: Last year, the presidential inauguration was the day before the first day of classes in spring semester. We had an inaugural ball here in Kenney that was a great time. People went down to the mall during the day, got nicely dressed up, then came back here for good food, good drinks and good times.
S: How about this year? What’s an event that you’re really excited about?
P: On September 25, we’re having a joint happy hour with the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. The money from that will be used to fund another joint event in the spring. I’m really hoping that this can become an annual thing to build a better relationship between the schools.
S: You’ve lived in Latin America and Europe, and worked for a think tank, Amnesty International, and the World Bank, and are now at SAIS. Where do you go from there?
P: I’m hoping to move to New York next year. There are a couple of PhD programs in political science I’m interested in. I’m married, and my wife really wants to go do her residency in New York.
S: Are you thinking of going into academia?
P: I haven’t decided yet. I’d like to go into teaching, but I’m not sure about a tenure track position at a university. The thought of teaching 200 18 year-olds in a lecture hall is not appealing. You may as well just put that up on YouTube. I really liked working at the World Bank, and I wouldn’t mind going back to work there and teaching some classes at night.
S: You could be a professor at SAIS.
P: Exactly.
S: Finish this sentence: “Thanks to the SGA, SAIS students…”
P: Get cheap beer every Friday.
S: What’s a fun fact about you that you’d like to share with the student body?
P: I love, no, I’m addicted to ping pong. So, if anyone wants a game, just come find me and I’ll be up for it.
S: Do you want to play?
P: Now? Sure.

Scott Abrahams is a first year M.A. candidate in China Studies.

I’m mired in my first semester at SAIS and I can’t find time to cook. Any ideas?
- Ravenous in Rome

Dear Ravenous in Rome:
They didn’t tell you in the SAIS calendar, but a serious (and common) side-effect of starting graduate school is cooking regress-itis. This is the technical term for regression to the state of a college junior who lives on cafeteria pizza slices and anything they can scrounge from events in the Kenney Auditorium. Those of us who can’t kick the problem by second term discover that empanada store on Connecticut and argue that a different filling constitutes an entirely different meal.

I’ve heard all the arguments. It’s the evening classes on Mondays and Tuesdays; I live way out in Bethesda; I only have a hot plate; the macro mid-term is coming up. The bottom line is that sophisticated, urban SAIS students preparing for future leadership should not be eating yogurt past 8pm, nor should we eat the same thing four days a week.

However, there is a rare breed of students out there who have found a path out of this quagmire. I’ve searched them out asked them their suggestions on meal ideas and strategies that can cure your problem. This ain’t your mama’s cooking, but it should be a step up from what you’ve been having.

Use that slow-cooker: These contraptions aren’t just for Sunday lunches with your family, they are actually a very simple way to cook healthily. You can mix the ingredients before going to sleep and turn it on before you leave for school. When you arrive home the next evening, supper will be ready to go.

Pre-cut your vegetables: Set aside a bit of time on the weekend to prepare vegetables for the upcoming week. That way you can do the clean up only once and have fresh food at-hand. These are also perfect as a substitute for those Doritos if you need a snack.

Cook larger batches and then store them for later: Just don’t use this as an excuse to eat the same thing Monday through Friday.

George Forman Grill: While they may be a bit of a pain to clean, the Forman Grill was invented with the student in mind. Why? Because the big man himself says so.

Canned Tuna from Trader Joe’s: Great tuna at a good price can be used to create salads, dips, and grilled patties (assuming you like tuna).

Curing your cooking regress-itis will take several weeks, and may only happen after midterms. In the meantime, my advice would be to stay away from Five Guys (food coma anyone?) and embrace the $2 discount at Baja Fresh (just remember to fill out that survey online and bring the receipt back!). If worse comes to worse look for the Southeast Asia studies lunch on Wednesdays, it’s by far the best. Strategy and Policy only has brownies.

Jamie Huckabay is a second year M.A. candidate in Canadian Studies

Dear SAIS Gal:

My first semester is going pretty well, but from what the second-years tell me, my workload is going to be like the cafeteria during cookie hour: caffeinated and jam-packed. During undergrad people at my college usually hibernated in the library to get all their work done. I will go crazy if I spend my whole week reading Arroyo’s Monetary notes alone in the newspaper room and talking to myself about intertemporal trade. What’s a girl to do? 
- Fearing Waking Up Drooling in the Library

“Being a graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning you’re Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you Doc, and then you’re Happy.”
- Ronald T. Azuma

Granted, most of us aren’t getting doctorates, but these stages definitely still apply. I myself am already into the Sleepy and Grumpy stage, and it’s only three weeks into the semester. According to the deluge of official Hopkins emails, my likely infection with swine flu–thus the Sneezy stage–is also right around the corner. I’m not going to discuss how you too can prevent swine flu. However, avoiding sleeping and grumpiness, as much as possible, is key to success in your academic work and your relationships with your classmates. No one wants to be shunned from their Corporate Finance group for snarling or falling asleep during your collaborations.

How to keep a little bit of joy in your life?

Many SAIS students enjoy kicking back with a beer (or several) at happy hour on Friday, which is definitely one of the best deals in the neighborhood. Where else can you go to get cheap drinks and eats? Wing Night on Tuesdays at the Big Hunt is a well-known classic for imbibing on a grad student budget. Cafe Citron, also on Connecticut, has cheap drink specials every night of the week.

Get a Zipcar, or a friend with a car, and get out of town for a while. Last year, I went to a Haunted Farm out in Maryland, and it was great to hang out with friends (and scream in the woods).

Set aside some time to exercise. Your body and mind will thank you, especially if you’ve been sitting at one of the eighth floor carrels all day long. Contact Richard Kaufman if you want to join the SAIS running club. 

This semester, I took the time to make a master reading list for all my classes, and a calendar plotting out all my work for the semester. Nerdy, I know. However, I’m much more on top of my game than I have been in previous semesters. Now that I’m starting to apply for jobs for next year, each extra moment counts. This method also allows me to schedule time when I don’t have to think about school.

Hulu.com. This free service allows you to watch tv programs on your computer. I personally like Arrested Development as a good distraction from reality.

Erin Kelley is a second year M.A. candidate in Middle East Studies and Development Economics.

The first week of November is to SAIS what the inter-war period was to Europe. It’s the eye of the storm between midterms and the onslaught of final papers and exams.

That’s why my motto is to push off work on term papers for a little mid-semester break. Washington is a great city, but we just need to crawl out from our over-stress cages to see the light. After all, final papers aren’t due for another few weeks and we have a little blessing called Thanksgiving vacation approaching. What good is a vacation if it’s not spent frantically working to catch up, right?

For my part, I’ve already had two mini breaks this month. You may think that’s negligent, but they were actually selfless acts of sacrifice to do research for this column. You can thank me later.

The Rock and Roll Hotel

My first discovery was the Rock and Roll Hotel (rockandrollhoteldc.com) on 14th & H Street NW. This is perhaps the best spot to see indie rock bands coming through DC on their tours. The first floor is an intimate concert hall set up for the live acts making their appearance. Just up the stairs is perhaps the funkiest bar in DC, semi-private rooms with vintage furniture, etc.

I successfully dragged a few friends to a show by two bands from Canada, including my new favorite band – The Rural Alberta Advantage. Canadian indie might not be your thing, but there are plenty of other shows to check out.

What is more, H Street has tons of cool pubs and restaurants to check out. They’re definitely worth the effort of getting out to NE.

Church Street Playhouse

Tucked away on Church St. between 17th and 18th Street is this intimate playhouse put together by local artists. With only about fifty seats, this is a great way to break the library rut. The playhouse event caters to students with a donation-only night every Thursday. Just give a few bucks and get cultured again!

Lunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill

Your education in DC is more than classes. Take this opportunity to don your best jacket and head to the Old Ebbitt for a power lunch. Gourmet lunch for $10-12, which is only a few more than Chop’t. Besides, you can plot your strategy for getting an interview at the Treasury Dept. just across the street.

Washington Capitals

It’s a bit cliché for the Canadian to be telling friends to attend hockey games. But, I really think this is worth a second look. The Capitals have one of the best players in the game right now, who seems to score at will – The Russian Machine, Alexander Ovechkin. Tickets start at $35, but I bought cheaper tickets from the scalpers outside (keep that between you and me).

Jim Huckabay is a second year M.A. candidate in Canadian Studies.

Dear SAIS Gal,

I came back from a summer abroad where the food was terrible and I lost 20 pounds. Now I’ve returned and am looking for jobs, and none of my clothes fit. I look like one of those Oleson twins during their hobo stage. How can I replenish my wardrobe to look more put-together during interviews? I know every little bit counts.

Signed,

Mary-Kate and Ashley’s Triplet

Dear M-KAT,

You’ve hit the nail on the head: the cliche “dress for the job you want and not the job you have” is still applicable and relevant. And unless the job you want is as a permanent grad student–and I know some of you are out there–having a polished look on the outside projects that you are organized on the inside and helps to make a great first impression. The District may not be known for its cutting edge fashion, but you don’t have entirely outfit yourself from the clearance rack at Ann Taylor Loft to restore your closet. So how to achieve that look on the cheap?

A good suit. You really only need one suit; mixing and matching what’s underneath will provide enough variety. The key to a good suit is the fit. You can get a decent suit from a discount store, such as Filene’s Basement (in Dupont Circle or Metro Center) or Loehmann’s (in Friendship Heights) and then have it tailored to make sure that it fits well. Bringing a friend along will not only make shopping more fun but that other perspective can help you decide if that particular suit is the right one for you or if it at least has potential.

Tailoring may also save some of the clothes that no longer fit you. A tailor can reasonably take in an item by one size; anything more than that and it is not cost-effective. This is a great option for quality pieces to continue their life. Most dry cleaners have tailoring, or it might be worth asking a friend with a sewing machine.

Naked Lady Party (although this works for guys too). One of the best ways to cast off your rejects and find new treasures is to organize a Naked Lady Party. Get a group of friends together and trade all your unwanted clothes over snacks and wine. Privacy is also key, as everyone ends up in various states of undress when they try on their new finds. There are actually East Coast and West Coast rules for these parties. On the West Coast, everyone dumps their clothes in a big pile and has a free-for-all. On the East Coast, guests “auction” off their items. If more than one guest wants the item, the group decides after the item is modeled.

Erin Kelley is a second year M.A. candidate in Middle East Studies.