with Nelia Dingcong-Bernabe

f there’s one place I would rather be next Tuesday, it is Washington, D.C. But since I was unable to score the most coveted ticket in town after the November presidential election, I will most likely be relegated to watching Barack Obama’s inauguration on TV like the rest of the country and the world.

Despite the Midwest states turning into the frozen tundra these past few days, the excitement is reaching a feverish pitch here. The heat is on and it is about to turn this frozen tundra into a city pulsating with so much anticipation and pride as she and her people are about to witness one of their very own being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America.

The much-anticipated event will be star-studded and is touted to be the most spectacular (and will most likely be the most expensive) presidential inauguration in the history of the United States. Unmindful of the freezing conditions, Chicagoans and Illinoisans in general are gearing up for the hottest party in town.

And what a party (or parties) it will be. There are galas, concerts, inaugural balls sponsored by different organizations, 10 of which are official inaugural balls sponsored by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, and luncheons that will simultaneously take place.

A few went underway Saturday starting with President-elect Barack Obama and his family riding the train from Philadelphia to Washington, stopping in Wilmington, Delaware for Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his family. The train then stopped in Baltimore for a president-elect speech and then headed south.

Illinois and especially Chicago are pulling all the stops to make this their special event as well in spite of the recent unsavory headlines brought about by the state’s beleaguered governor. Blagojevich has his few days in the spotlight and people’s attention here has now turned to the nation’s capital as the anticipation and excitement gather momentum.

Obama’s home states, Illinois and Hawaii, are sponsoring the Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center. There’s also a Midwest Inaugural Ball at the same venue later in the day of his inauguration.

Seven performance groups from Illinois will be in D.C. for the inauguration. These include the Jesse White Tumblers, three high school bands from three Chicago suburbs, the Angel Drill Team of North Chicago, the World Famous Lawn Rangers from Amazing Arcola in downstate Illinois, and the Tempel Lipizzans, performing horses of Tempel Farms from Chicago’s north suburban Wadsworth.

Expected to attend is Chicago’s biggest star and a huge Obama supporter, Oprah as well as the 19 congressional district representatives from the state and the 198 lucky ticket holders from each district. According to reports, the Joint Congressional Inaugural Committee is expected to have given out 240,000 free tickets between the 535 congressional offices in the country.

As early as a few days after the November presidential election, talks started circulating that Obama’s inauguration may go down in history as one that will break the attendance record. Not to mention the record for facing the most number of challenges for organizing an event this size.

Imagine the logistical nightmare – security, port-a-potties, traffic, accommodations, etc - when over 2 million people will descend in one place at one time. Rumor has it that Washington, D.C. residents have decided to skip town for a few days before the inauguration as the deluge of humanity takes over every square inch of their breathing space. Chances are if you are in D.C. around this time, the folks you would meet there will most likely be out-of-towners.

According to the Associated Press, gates will open at 8 a.m. the day of the inauguration. The inaugural festivities are scheduled to start a 10 a.m. at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. These will include:

-     Musical selections of The United States Marine Band, followed by the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.

-     Sen. Dianne Feinstein will provide the call to order and welcoming remarks.

-     Invocation will be given by the Rev. Rick Warren.

-     Musical selection of Aretha Franklin.

-     Biden will be sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.

-     Musical selection of John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet).

-     Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. Scheduled around noon.

-     Obama will give his inaugural address.

-     Poem by Elizabeth Alexander.

-     Benediction by Rev. Joseph E. Lowery.

-     The National Anthem by The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters.”

After Obama gives his inaugural address, he will then escort the outgoing president, George W. Bush, to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.

After Tuesday, when all the parties and festivities have piped down, Obama’s solitary journey to the White House officially begins. The challenges and obstacles that this new president will face and will be facing are enormous. America as a nation and her people are facing the toughest of times. My one wish as he settles into his new role as the leader of this great nation is to remain encouraged no matter how difficult it gets down the road.

I remember the time when I called Washington, D.C. home, as I was finishing up my last quarter of graduate school years ago. My stay although short was extremely memorable. The city from my perspective as a student back then meant exploring all the tourist attractions, museums and parks and looking at cherry blossoms. It also meant being immersed in so much history and pride as I stared at imposing statues, monuments, buildings and this one special place called the White House. Foremost, the city breathes politics and sleeps politics. It’s a city that tends to tickle your rebellious side and encourages you to stand up for something especially when activists with megaphones are fixtures of every day life.

Washington, D.C. is also a city of contrasts. There’s a good side and the not-so-good side - the part of town where people warn you to stay away from only after I unknowingly went to in search of a story. Then there were the chance encounters like the time I mistook three hookers in broad daylight as partygoers and the time I saw Mikhail Gorbachev up close and personal.

Come Tuesday, as I watch Barack Obama being sworn in, I will take comfort in the thought that 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue’s new resident is a guy whose convictions I uphold and vision I believe in. Although I won’t be there to witness this momentous event, I will take solace from my wonderful memory as an impressionable student peeking through the iron gates of the White House. The only difference this time is when I think back to that time, I can now imagine Barack Obama sitting in the Oval Office. Now that thought brings a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. It’s the closest that I can get of being there on Tuesday.

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