On Saturday May 3, more than 50 non-European Union embassies representing six continents opened their doors to DC visitors and residents. The All Around the World Embassy Tour offered a fun day full of culture, politics, and delicious food. I took advantage of the event and headed across the DC border to get a literal taste of nine other cultures. Nepal With a convenient map I printed from the event’s website, I started by the National Cathedral and headed to the Embassy of Nepal. Immediately, the Tibetan prayer flags and traditional Nepali dress in the yard caught my eye and I was warmly welcomed by a few embassy families. The Nepali embassy offered free plates of traditional Nepali food such as vegetable fritters with a special green sauce and puffed rice. Posters of the Himalayas and other Nepali landmarks were distributed for free, along with nice bags in which to carry your belongings. The embassy also provided handouts about Nepali politics and the people there were very happy to share their personal experiences with visitors.

South Africa Next, I followed the sound of drumming and headed to the South African Embassy down the road. The South African embassy allowed me to learn about a country with an incredible blend of cultures. There were many delicious treats like Boerewors, which are popular South African sausages served on top of polenta in this case. I left the embassy with maps of the country and many other giveaways including a free peri-peri sauce from Nando’s, which is a South African chain. Japan Because the lines got longer the further down Massachusetts Avenue you went, I had to start choosing my embassies carefully to avoid waiting. Although the Japanese Embassy line was long, it was completely worth the wait. After being greeted by women in kimonos, the inside of the embassy had giveaways like All Nippon Airways care bags and information about science and technology in Japan. Outside, the free samples of Japanese chicken covered in soy sauce, green tea mochi ice cream, and ice cold green tea hit the spot. I highly recommend the Japanese embassy and you shouldn’t let the long line intimidate you.

Argentina The Argentinian Embassy, located near Dupont Circle, also had a long wait, but again, it was definitely worth it. Argentines dressed in Lionel Messi Argentina soccer jerseys and national rugby jerseys greeted outsiders in a more than friendly manner. The Argentine embassy is a beautiful building and nobody walked out without a sample of Argentine culture. The free empanadas and cookies smothered in dulce de leche (a traditional Argentine delight) were phenomenal. There were also red and white wine samples for those of age. The employees were extremely friendly and I even had the opportunity to talk about the Argentine national soccer team with one of them. Also, it was a great opportunity to practice my Spanish by communicating with a few nice people who were more than happy to talk about the country and its history. As you walked out the door, more volunteers and employees handed out Argentina visors as a generous goodbye gift. In Conclusion I had an amazing experience at the All Around the World Embassy Tour. It was the perfect opportunity for anybody interested in other cultures and languages, like myself. The embassy employees couldn’t have been friendlier and the food, dancing, and political lessons were great. Here is my final piece of advice that I will leave you with: don’t be afraid to explore the smaller embassies. The smaller embassies like Azerbaijan, Nepal, and Mozambique were very interesting and many people made the mistake of walking past them with their heads down. The native people at all of the embassies allowed me to take photos without protest. If this event sounds interesting to you, this Saturday is the European Union Open House from 10 AM-4 PM. All of the European Union Countries will have their embassies open and you can visit www.euopenhouse.org for more information about the event. We are very fortunate to live in such a culturally diverse area and I look forward to returning to the All Around the World Embassy Tour next year, hungry for more.