I'll admit, I got caught up in Obama-mania. I was not a strong supporter of President-Elect Barack Obama, but I did end up voting for him. Politics aside, everyone should be ecstatic about such a historical event, the first minority president elected in the history of the United States.I considered going out to some of the "public" events, like the concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, or fight the crowds on the National Mall or Pennsylvania Avenue to see the swearing-in ceremony or the parade. Those however prove to be logistical nightmares and time-consuming endeavors. So I decided to attend the Asia Society's Presidential Inauguration Reception.
Their event was held this past Saturday at the St. Regis Hotel in the District, only a few blocks from the White House. I did not know what to expect as this was the first inauguration event I have ever attended. I was not interested in George W Bush's events and was a very poor college student when Bill Clinton was elected. Nowadays, I am gainfully employed, but not considered well-off by any stretch of the imagination.
This event started off making me feel that I had overpaid. I was guided to the salon of the St. Regis, which is a pretty small room, holding I think a maximum of 100 people if we were all standing next to each other. It had no furniture except for the hors devours and open bar tables. I got there early on, so there were only about 30 of us there when I walked in. After getting some food and a glass of wine, it quickly packed in with at least 100 people. There were many recognizable faces, but no one I personally knew. Slowly I was pushed toward a wall. I was thinking, this is worth $150?
Luckily a few minutes later, another door opened leading to the Astor Ballroom, which can hold 400 people. After we filed in and joined the VIP's, the program started relatively quickly. Mistress of Ceremonies Eun Yang of NBC4, made some opening remarks. She introduced Dan Nainan, a half Indian, half Japanese, American comedian who was pretty funny. I ended up buying his DVD and CD at the end of the evening. He told some great jokes, including some that only Asian-Americans can.
I could go through more about what the speakers and guests said, but that would take some time. However, in attendance were Ambassador Richard C Holbrooke, Secretary of Energy Designate Steven Chu, Former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, several Asian-American congressmen, and the ambassadors of many Asian countries. Featured guests and speakers were Obama's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her husband, Konrad Ng. Ms. Soetoro-Ng spoke briefly about her background and commitment to education.
I was quite impressed and proud how a group of such varying backgrounds came together this evening to celebrate the election of an American President who is not Asian by birth, but historical nonetheless. My paycheck is definitely smaller than most of the persons here, but they did not exclude me. Everyone genuinely had a great time. By the end of the two hour event, I felt that the $150 I paid was a bargain. While I'm writing this on the Monday before inauguration, I encourage those of you who have the chance to attend any inaugural event to do so. While all presidential inaugurations are historic, this one will be the first to bring in a minority as the Commander-in-Chief.
Glad you had a great time. Though I feel people have gone a bit insane, it really is a moment to drink in.
Insane is what is seen right now (about 11:30AM). Amazing how many people are out there.
Hey Tony, thank you so much for the kind comments and thanks so much for buying the CD and DVD!
I had an absolute blast performing at this event!
Dan
www.nainan.com
Dan, I apparently forgot to link to your site and will do so later today.