Bettina Juszak

Staff Writer

Musings on American culture by a German exchange student.

April break saw me driving all over the country, and that also took me through the nation’s capital. If anyone asked what I noticed most about Washington DC, I would promptly answer that it was the fact that the whole city is monument crazy.

From Jefferson, to Washington, to Lincoln, there seems to be no president not represented, if not as a monument then with a building named after him. Also there seems to be a monument for every crisis or war the US has been in to date, and even some unrelated ones for civil rights or similar things.

How much money and time went into the many stone, marble, steel, etc. buildings I don’t even want to imagine. I do have to say though, that 1) Roosevelt got the best deal with an entire island dedicated to him, and 2) Washington got the bad end of the deal with a questionable (but unquestionably boring) pinnacle.

Apart from the monuments, Washington DC also sports an astounding number of museums both the free Smithsonian, and expensive private variety. Whichever one you choose to go to, however, expect to have to wait in line. For a long time.

The Air and Space Museum? Great, really interesting exhibitions, a great planetarium which creates a deceivingly real sky and space around you, done with quite a big budget if I’m any judge…but it was packed. One had to wait to get in, one had to wait to get to some exhibitions, one had to wait to see the planetarium show, and one had to wait to go the bathroom (at least when you are female).

The Spy Museum? Again, great museum, really interesting, interactive…and even more packed. We waited more than an hour to get in – it certainly is a good way of getting to know new people; standing in line with someone for that long you are bound to start talking. A city tour by bus at night? You guessed it; we had to wait (our tickets claimed leaving time at seven – we finally got started at 8:30 instead).

Even leaving the city we were stuck in a traffic jam. Not exactly the best circumstances to remember a city fondly.