Saturday, July 1, 2017
By:
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”-Aristotle
I always wondered what I wanted to be as a grown up. The look for that answer can turn into a burden if you set a deadline to answer it. Or, if you start to think that there is a right answer for it. After all, we always respond with an assumption on how we fell and how we do at the time. Maybe is something to be known as we turn into that “grown up”.
This week I maintained progress on the cards. It is tricky to structure the clues for them to be easier as they are read. By the time I composed this blog entry, I am still missing 15 cards to reach the 108 cards goal that we thought at first. If everything moves as planned, we should be able to print a “house made” edition for next week and have a practice game to introduce feedback for the first time.
Another thing that happened this week is that we found a good name candidate for the game. After a short brainstorming session, and revision with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) we settled with Quizics. I think is something relatively easy to remember and relatable to the fact that the game is like a physics quiz. It is starting to take shape and if everything goes well, we will print a hard copy soon.
One of the things that I enjoy the most back in Juarez is roller skating (Not that I am good at it). I was lucky to find about Anacostia park in Washington D.C. They provide free rentals during the summer and some of us took advantage of the good weather during last Saturday morning. Besides, they have disco music on the weekends. It was the whole roller skating experience. We surely enjoyed and I am happy to say that nobody got hurt.
Yesterday we stopped by the capitol as part of the visit to the other interns working stations. This time, Eleanor Hook and Riley Troyer guided us trough the senate and the house buildings next to the capitol. Included in the tour, we where able to attend a hearing in space propulsion. I found it interesting how one of the points mentioned was the importance of remaining as a leader country on the matter. It looks like the race to mars is going to be the next chapter in space and aeronautics history.
After the hearing we visited the capitol and had an historical tour. I must say that it is one of the most beautiful buildings I have seen so far. Besides, it is one of the most important political offices in the world. I was admiring the architecture and in the blink of an eye, Vice President Michael R. Pence walks trough the room followed by at least a dozen of security guards. Also, Paul Ryan walked by when we were walking trough a hall. It is impressive how fast things can escalate in a place like this.
Afterwards, I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of the American Indian. Walking trough the expositions, I could find an exposition about one of my favorite cultures. And what a better way to start the exposition than the Tzolk’in, Calendar of the Mayan culture. A signature from an ancient civilization back in Mexico. I was more than amazed to learn about the cultures that became the roots of civilization nowadays. Places like this museum are a good way to discover more about our past as a species.
Overall, I had many opportunities to learn this week. Learning about the political process in depth is very helpful to keep up with changes. Getting to know our past is always a good tool to define where we are standing. But the real value is in getting to know ourselves, that way we can easily steer the wheel of our life trough uncharted and promising horizons.
Francisco Ayala Rodriguez