I'm Not a Spy (Or Am I?)

So I think I'd make a pretty decent spy. I'm not the best at remembering things and I'm not very sneaky, but there may be other aspects of spy-dom that would highlight my strengths. I learned at the Spy Museum today that spies must live in isolation (I definitely have that down right now), and they must be able to keep secrets (I can also do that very well). In the event of an interrogation, however, I may be more willing to offer up secrets. 

Watching "The Imitation Game" last month introduced me to the WWII story of Alan Turing and the German enigma. Because I watched the film, I was able to appreciate the Spy Museum's WWII spy exhibit. There was an actual enigma machine on display! They also had a room set up to resemble the cabins at Bletchley Park, which is where the movie takes place (and where all the enigma decoding happened during WWII.)  

Enigma Machine

Bletchley Park room

lipstick pistol

cyber war exhibit

The most interesting artifacts displayed, in my opinion, were the spy weapons. You could follow the development of spy weapons over the decades, but they were so advanced even in the early 1900s. Many of the weapons seemed fictional, and I couldn't believe that they were actually used. For example, a lipstick pistol was on display. A pistol. Lipstick. A pistol that looked like a tube of lipstick. I mean, how clever is that? Many of the weapons seemed small and harmless. But I guess any poisonous bullet would kill you, no matter its size. You could get shot/stabbed/poked/shocked by any of those hidden spy weapons, and you'd have no idea what hit you. That stuff in the movies… yeah, that's inspired by real life-- not the other way around. The museum highlighted how writers in American history have been used as spies. Edgar Allan Poe was apparently very talented at deciphering codes, and Ian Flemming used his experiences as a naval intelligence officer for a series of spy novels. You may have heard of them-- They're about an agent named James Bond.

hidden spy weapons

There was one spy story that captivated me (maybe because it involved an immigrant). A German man immigrated to the the US and obtained citizenship in the 1940s. Germany found out about his citizenship and threatened him into becoming a German spy. The German man told the US government about his situation, and he became a double agent. The information he leaked allowed the US to find and remove multiple German agents who were spying behind our lines. How cool is that? Just a regular Joe, or Josef (He was German), working as a double agent by chance.

Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

St. Matthew's

Whelp, this week was the start of the Lenten season! I decided to attend an Ash Wednesday mass (since cathedrals are everywhere in DC). Mass services were happening all day long so I wandered into the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. Actually, I didn't wander. I followed the directions on my horrible google maps until I spotted the cathedral. At that point, I rushed in to find a seat, which was not easy. The cathedral was obviously beautiful. I couldn't see any of the speakers or singers, but I tried to experience grace in a new way. I'm excited about this new journey with Jesus through Lent! I didn't know any of the rituals during the service, but I never felt out of place. I tried to contemplate and reflect, but I need more discipline in that area.

This week also marked the start of the Chinese New Year! I was really really craving some steamed rolls (baozi) and some milk tea (very Chinese). Noor also loves boba tea so she and I headed to China Town Thursday night in search of these treats. I got THE LAST red bean baozi in some obscure sandwich place. It was so good! And the boba milk tea really made me miss my friends in China. I may have a regular "Baozi and Boba Thursday" or something-- like my own "Margarita Tuesday." Wow, that makes me sound really lame. 

Chinese baozi and boba tea

I also kind of learned how to shovel snow this week! That's what everyone does up here when work gets cancelled-- they shovel snow. And it was a splendid time. My landlady asked if I wanted to shovel on Friday morning, and I said, "Sure! I do take payments in coffee." She brewed me some Jamaican Me Crazy in the Keurig, and I was a happy girl. And thanks to the melting and the re-freezing, I'll be slipping around everywhere outside until it warms up. Yay!