three other interns, white collegiate males, sit side by side at computers. i sit perpendicular to them at one end. the guys smiled at me as i came in, bobbed their heads as i was introduced, and later guy #2 came to my table to move my monitor over because it was blocking my face from view. attempting studiousness and with unaffected shyness, because it's been a long time since i've been in a majority-male atmosphere, i largely kept my face turned down towards a 25 page brief my immediate boss handed me to get me started. a woman from the office came over and chatted with the guys. she, she said, had gone to catholic school but had since renounced it. everyone does, said guy #1, closest to me: in fact, we should encourage vouchers for catholic schools, they're so reliable at producing liberals. the woman opened her mouth and laughed but no sound came out. a few minutes later, she started describing escorting last saturday at a clinic in silver spring. one man, 6 feet tall, she recounted, stood there in a fetus costume, flailing with his umbilical cord and shouting, You're killing my brothers and sisters!
i had to laugh at that. she turned to me briefly and smiled, then turned back to the guys. i should get back to my office, she said. i'm procrastinating. the supreme court's ruling is on my desk and i'm trying to avoid losing my breakfast on o'connor's opinion. you should go over to the court and lose your breakfast on o'connor, suggested guy #1.

later i passed by guy #3 on my way to learn how to use a search program, and a brief talk established that he lives next door to becca at penn. we share a deck, he said. small world. this is a terrific office, he added, one of the best i've ever been in. you'll love it.
i had to leave before too long, to see a gastroenterologist who concluded i probably picked up giardia from mother russia and perscribed another round of antibiotics, so i think it's too early to pass judgement on the office myself. but it seems promising.