Well, his time has finally come!
No need to tell you, DC’s been hijacked by out of towners. Out of town licenses everywhere, people don’t know how to use the DC Metro (major slow downs…) but the atmosphere is jovial and happy all around filled with sea of faces from all around the world. Iwent to the Inaugural concert on Sunday and today’s inauguration as well. Estimates talk of nearly 2 mil people, but in 9 years that i’ve been in DC, I’ve never seen such crowds, such excitement and such pride. There’s a feeling out there that America is beautiful again.

At The National Mall
Political leader and cultural icon…
So now the weight of the world is on his shoulders, litterally, and what a weight! I don’t really envy him. As the saying goes: to whom much is given, much is required. He’s been given a whole lot, and a lot of optimism is going around. Today’s a day for celebration, but tomorrow is time for work. He is in trouble. He’s the most powerful man in the world, but he’s in big trouble.
There’s loads of optimism and confidence in his ability to lead. A lot of hope, inspiration and joy. And that might help him damper people’s high expectations. Also, he’s such a rock star and popular right now that no one dares oppose him. In times of hardship, no one likes to see catfights, all they want is action and going against the Pdt’s will is seen as being catty.

Going down Constitution avenue...
Extraordinary party for an extraordinary man…
I cheered when he said his full name… So so proud!Many raised the question as to whether it was appropriate to have such a grandiose party in such harsh economic times. The answer from one CNN reader on Cafferty: “America has been going through 8 years of mental recession, spare us one day to celebrate and then we’ll all get back to work.” The Inauguration Committee spent $160 million for the day. This will be the campaign, the inauguration, the era that will break all the records.
Ushering in a new era…
More than just a party with random people crying, hugging and kissing in the streets of DC, his speech rang true on every note. Given how interested I am in American Foreign Policy, the most important moment, was this part of the speech:
To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
If that is the guiding principle of his American foreign policy, then the world can only be a better place. The message is clear and direct. I guess all these African leaders that are in town, UNinvited, throwing their own “unofficial” inaugural ball (pittyful!) must, or at least, should feel a bit ashamed. If anybody wants to claim the dream he was able to achieve, then they clearly now know who can cling to it, and who cannot. So to african leaders, please refrain in your celebration because he sure was talking to you about clinging to power.
His speech is all that it should’ve been. Concise, direct and with a clear message and purpose. He touched on every single issue that is important to America and the world to a certain extent. Magnificent speech overall, not that we expected any less of him. There was also an underlined criticism and backhanded compliments to Mr. Bush… i actually felt sorry for the guy because where I was standing, people booed everytime his name came up… Both him and Cheney were booed: “Nah nah nah nah; nah nah nah nah; hey hey hey Goodbye!”
Did you guys notice Cheney on his wheelchair?… talk about hurting his back the day before officially leaving office. People saying it’s too bad this is the last image we get of him… To all those, I say, you have seen nothing yet as to what happens to this man. Just watch…
And what’s with Justice Roberts messing up Obama’s oath…
The town’s going back to normal tomorrow. Roads will be open again and all out of towners will go home. It’ll be business as usual and back to work for me. The first daughters are going back to school (how cute are those 2 with their cute outfits, beautiful!)… to a remarkable day…
The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us have been, into every corner of our minds. ~John Maynard Keynes
…To another great left-handed personna! You know how US lefties do…
M.
January 20, 2009 at 9:24 pm
lmao @ africans holding ‘unofficial’ inaugural balls…too funny but absolutely true and he sure was talking about them them he mentioned those clinging to power. Hope they were smart enough to take the hint….the girls looked sooo cute in their custom made J.Crew outfits and to whom much is give, much is expected…I think he’ll do pretty good tho, everyone or at least most(myself included) will be praying for him. As for Cheney, he cld’ve hired movers, I mean seriously…
I think his adminstration will definitely usher in a new era of renewed alliances…Best of luck to the Obamas! I kinda felt bad for Bush, there was a part in his speech where he said something about America stepping back into the role to lead…meaning of course that it hadn’t been done all along…well he did have 8 years and he managed to mess up pretty bad…oh well…
Hope u’re doing good lady…
January 21, 2009 at 2:10 pm
hello dearest Avartsy!
Im sure they werent smart enough to pick that hint up…or if they did, they’ll do as usual, just ignore it and come beg for money and weapons.
Im so certain he’ll do good. It’s just the calm, poise and common sens he has.. doesn’t mean he won’t mess up a couple of times… but overall, he’ll do great Im confident.
Poor bush, if he was a bit smart, he would’ve been the most miserable man ever yesterday seeing the embrace for Obama is actually a rejection of him… but noo, mr ex pdt got to Texas all excited and happy it was over… Or maybe pretended…
As to Cheney, anyone who’d block Mandela from getting out of unfair imprisonment will end his life miserably (he was on the committee that was to decide whether Mandela should be released from jail, and he voted to keep him in there every single time)… just watch him…
Hope you’re doing well… everything is back to normal here…oh, so I get to work this morning right (a little late too…oops!) and so everyone is talking about inauguration and how proud they were and I come to find out the whole office was at the inauguration yesterday too at the National Mall… So I take the elevator with our CEO. He knows i’m the biggest Obama fan and and asked if I went. I say of course and ask him “so where did you watch it from?”.. I actually expected him to say on TV or form the Natl mall just like everyone else. That’s when he dropped it on me that he watched it from the Blair House (the Obama’s residence in DC before they officially moved into the White house). He winked and got out, while my jaw dropped and I still can’t pick it up from the floor…Must’ve been nice…
Muaaah
January 22, 2009 at 9:03 am
Congratulations to President Obama and to all Americans.The peaceful and orderly transition of power is something you can rightly be proud of. Your ability to self-correct through the various stages of your nation’s history augur well for your future.
As a foreigner who wants good things to happen in any and all parts of the world, I wish Americans will work more in harmony with their president. How successful Obama can be as American president will depend on how well his fellow-Americans can rein in their demands for their expectations to be satisfied.
http://novice101.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/inauguration-and-high-hopes/
Keep the hopes alive
January 22, 2009 at 11:28 am
“all these African leaders that are in town, UNinvited, throwing their own “unofficial” inaugural ball (pittyful!)”
You must be kidding????!!!! Sadly, I’m pretty sure you are’nt.
Thanks fort blogging the event!
January 22, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Yeah, must’ve been awfully nice to watch from the Blair House…omigosh!
January 22, 2009 at 7:41 pm
On savait que tu allais t’affairer la bas dans le froid toi la. La fete est finie… Vous avez fété plus que Michelle et Barack. Faut retourner vaquer a vos occupations
Et puis gaucher la c’est quoi? lefty, lefty
January 23, 2009 at 4:49 am
Amalyel Notes,
Sorry to post something unrelated to your subject.
Seeking your prayer for someone in real need of it.
http://novice101.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/life-prayers-hope-recovery-happiness/
January 26, 2009 at 1:24 am
Salut M. merci pour ton message, c’est vraiment gentil.
January 26, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Hi there,
I would like you to email me, there is something I would like to get you interested in. Sorry for being so brief but it is kinda on the hush for now.
Thanks,
FD
January 27, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Lol. I guess we were @ the same place @ the same time! Cool perspectives!
January 27, 2009 at 4:02 pm
@ Hady: I swear, ils sont venus sans invitations. Evidement notre cher Pdt du senegal a essayer de trouver des tickets en vain. So, ils n’ont rien trouve de mieux que d’organiser leur propre bal. Et tout ca, aux frais de la princesse.
@ Serendipity: thx for your comments. I think right now Americans are willing to rally behind Obama even if they didn’t vote for him. 70,000 jobs cut just in one day, it’s a scary thought. Now, i’m not sure the republican party will do so, but if their constituency insist they don’t approve of any fights, that’s enough leverage because god knows they can’t afford to loose anymore of wthe little they have left.
@ Avartsy: I’m telling you. He must’ve wondered why I made that face.. i was so jealous…
@ Da: Si tu savais, pourquoi tu parles encore! (c’est qui ON d’ailleurs?). La fete ne finit qu’en 2016 inshallah…Les jaloux vont maigrir! Si tu demandes gaucher c’est quoi, just wait… Tous les grands hommes de ce monde etaient/sont gauchers… Va Maigrir!
@ Y.S: you’re welcome. Hope you fee lbetter my dear!
@ F.D: Sent you the email yesterday… and I like hush!
@ Hijabee: I’m so jealous of the nice pictures you have on your blog. You were very close. Here’s the link for anyone who wants to see them: http://projecthijab.blogspot.com/2009/01/inauguration-day-01-20-09.html (hope you don’t mind). I was freezing so eventhough I took more pictures than what Ive posted, my hands stayed in my pockets the whole time rather than trying to take pictures because I forgot my gloves that day…
I recognize the place and the time… How exciting this all was… WE WERE THERE!