Lafayette Park One of the many things that I enjoy about my current job is its location in the heart of Washington, DC. The very minute I get out from my metro stop, I sense the potent political vibe of the city. There are the anti-war demonstrators, the presidential entourages, and of course the lobbying center of the world: K Street.

For the past week or so, I have been taking my lunch breaks in Lafayette Park, which is located right in front of the White House. I usually bring my lunch and some reading material and sit on one of the benches or the small picnic tables scattered all over the park and watch the demonstrators buzz around while the lobbyists are taking a breather over Chinese noodles and Subway sandwiches.

The other day while savoring my Mujaddara, I paused for a minute after being hit by the surrealism of the moment. Here I was, a Jordanian, working in Washington DC, eating my Mujaddara, flipping through the Economist, right in front of the White House, as anti-war demonstrators roamed about. At that moment, I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was not in a trance. I ♥ DC.