China wins first prize in Open Embassies Day

The flag outside the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

/By Patricia Leslie

Of the embassies I visited on Saturday, here are my winners:


Best Overall Presentation:        China (for size and scope)
Friendliest Staff:                      Saudi Arabia

Most Earth Friendly:                 Saudi Arabia
Best Spread:                           Tanzania
Loudest Music:                        Ethiopia
Best View of Reno Road:          Bangladesh

(I was going to be tacky and claim Pakistan as a "no-show," but given its tension with India, I shall refrain. Please read on.)

It was "open embassies" day for non-EU countries and first up on my visitor's card was the Saudi Arabian embassy where the security (above) quickly checked and approved guests for entry in their showplace. A horse, cultural displays, and food were offered outside (below).

This handsome fellow served us delicious tea outside at the Saudi embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Friendly greeters stood in the hallway to welcome visitors/By Patricia Leslie

This woman was proud to point to the painting commemorating the meeting in 1945 of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Saudi King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud which initiated a long-term relationship, this year celebrating its octogintennial anniversary, the longest U.S. has had with any Arab state. The painting hangs in the entrance hallway at the Saudi embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Entertainment at the Saudi embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Inside the Saudi embassy/By Patricia Leslie
Inside the Saudi embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Thirty minutes later and the fellow was still serving tea at the Saudi embassy/By Patricia Leslie

  
Food to go at the Saudi embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Compostable food boxes at the Saudi embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Saudi video promotions ran while we dined underneath tents at the embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Next stop, Qatar...whoops! The 20-minute wait was too long for this 
mama in a hurry/By Patricia Leslie

  

On to Tanzania which had the biggest spread of any embassy I visited and had no wait! Thank you, Tanzania!/By Patricia Leslie

The spread at Tanzania, "a fusion influenced by many cultures," Middle Eastern and Indian, including this "tasty reflection of the country's diverse influences...a mouthwatering mix of Spices from the Island of Zanzibar." Tasty and delicious, I'll say!/By Patricia Leslie
Visitors fill plates at Tanzania/By Patricia Leslie
Inside the Tanzania embassy/By Patricia Leslie
Dancing outside the Tanzania embassy/By Patricia Leslie

I interrupt this embassy tour to bring you the "Democracy Tree" which I stumbled across on New Hampshire Avenue while on my embassies' trek.  The tree was planted by the Foundry United Methodist Church (when? ND) to recognize the lack of a D.C. voting member in the U.S. Congress: "Taxation Without Representation is Tyranny," the plaque states/By Patricia Leslie
 

The "Democracy Tree"/By Patricia Leslie

Arriving at the Chinese embassy I passed a sign stating "30 minutes wait from here," but, happily, I had no wait!/By Patricia Leslie

Inside the Chinese embassy with a panda, of course!/By Patricia Leslie

Inside the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Inside the Chinese embassy. Note sculptures outside the glass which may be seen from the back of the embassy on Van Ness Street in a photo below/By Patricia Leslie

Inside the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Inside the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie
 

A table set for fine dining at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Ceiling fixtures in the fine dining room at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

A large auditorium featuring entertainment Saturday at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Dancers at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Dancers at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Dancers at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie
More entertainment in the auditorium at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

On the walls at the embassy were photographs of scenes visitors may see when visiting China/By Patricia Leslie
More scenes for tourists at the Chinese embassy, here, camel riders/By Patricia Leslie
Inside the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Down the stairs to the auditorium and the "bamboo room" at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

At the bottom of the stairs, visitors waited for their names to be written in Chinese, souvenirs from the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

This must be the ambassador's office at the Chinese embassy, but I failed to ask! The window looks out on Van Ness Street/By Patricia Leslie

More of the fancy office at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

The "bamboo room" where special guests are invited when visiting the Chinese embassy, a guide told me.  Rather than a photograph, this is embroidery of a bamboo scene, a skill practiced for more than 2,000 years, the guide said/By Patricia Leslie
Guests view the "bamboo room" at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie
The film room at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Down the up staircase at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Outside the Chinese embassy, guests wait in line for food and eat/By Patricia Leslie

Delicious vegetarian spring rolls, a dumpling, and an almond cookie were on the menu and served outside a tent at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Loud (very loud) anti-China demonstrators made their presence known at the entrance of the Chinese embassy with a bullhorn and drums. They never stopped shouting the time I was there. They shouted they were not holding the Chinese people in contempt, only the Chinese government/By Patricia Leslie

The anti-China protesters at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

The anti-China protesters at the Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

The Chinese embassy/By Patricia Leslie

On to the Ethiopian embassy where (sorry, Ethiopia) but the 45 minutes wait was not worth it. You didn't show us much inside!/By Patricia Leslie

Ethiopian products for sale in the only room where we were permitted at the embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Dancing at the Ethiopian embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Ethiopian food served to guests, including injera, "the classic Ethiopian bread used to scoop wot"/By Patricia Leslie

 The only room we saw at the Ethiopian embassy/By Patricia Leslie

 Moving down the street to the Bangladesh embassy/By Patricia Leslie

The hallway leading to the entrance and exit at the Bangladesh embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Entertainment at the Bangladesh embassy/By Patricia Leslie

Looking out on Reno Road from the balcony of the Bangladesh embassy where food was for sale/By Patricia Leslie

Remember the outdoor sculptures seen from the window inside the Chinese embassy?  Here they are seen from Van Ness Street/By Patricia Leslie

The back of the Chinese embassy as it stands on Van Ness Street, close to half a million square feet (!) and designed by I.M. Pei/By Patricia Leslie

Where o where was Pakistan?  Although its facility was on the map of open embassies, the gates were locked and it looked like no one was at home at 3:45 p.m. (Closing time was announced at 5 p.m.) No cars in the drive, no humans, no life save us weary who had climbed the International Court hill to visit Pakistan. Alas! Given the tension between Pakistan and India, Pakistan's "no-show" was excused and, at least, calories expended climbing the hill.

Next Saturday, May 10, the EU nations will hold "open embassies," but if this year is anything like the open EU embassies in 2023 when the waits were an hour plus and all you saw was a room or two, plus, maybe got half a biscuit, no thanks! Are the non-EU nations always better to visit?  For sure!

patricialesli@gmail.com