The organization held the party, which ran from 5 pm to 7 pm, in one of the conference rooms in the city's Intercontinental Hotel. I showed up to the hotel around 4 and got a place in line; the other Fulbrighters showed up over the next hour along with other people - mostly Americans; I did not hear many of them speaking Spanish - who formed a long line that snaked around the reception area. Once the organizers opened the doors, the crowd walked into the room and found a place to sit in the hall. The accommodations were quite nice; a large room with snacks, crystal chandeliers, and three large projection screens that were showing the live feed from CNN.
Over the course of the next hour, the organizers presented three musicians of various ages for renditions of classical and popular music. The head of the organization subsequently presented the former head of the Ministry of Justice, who gave a speech on the significance of Obama's victory in Spain. Given that the relationships between the two countries have been tense since Jose Luis Zapatero, the socialist president of Spain, pulled out Spanish troops from Iraq after his victory in March 2004, many Spaniards believe that the Obama era will mark the start of new era of renewed friendship between the United States and Spain.
After the former minister stepped off of the stage, the focus immediately went to the live feed as the celebration went underway. Although the mood in the room was more subdued than election night, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers whenever Joe Biden and Barack Obama appeared on the screen; one could also hear people marvelling at the number of people waiting in 11 degree Fahrenheit weather to watch the event and claim their own personal bit of history. The crowd was also keen on keeping each other full; different individuals would grab plates of nuts and chips that were sitting on tables throughout the hall and pass them around to their friends and temporary neighbors.
As the speakers at the event finished their remarks, the mood became more electric as the oaths were drawing near. (My favorite moments: hearing someone remark 'who is this hack' when Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church in Orange County and a critic of gay marriage, took the stage. Second: seeing live feeds of audience reactions from an auditorium in Pasadena, California)
And then, finally, the main event began as the Supreme Court justices took Vice-President Elect Biden and President-Elect Obama to the center stage for the administration of the oaths. The mood was jubilant when Joe Biden took his oath; it only grew as Obama took the stage and recited - correctly, I might add - the oath for the office of the presidency of the United States. The moment Obama finished taking the Oath, the room exploded in cheers as people hugged and high fived each other. The audience quickly quieted down as Obama delivered his speech, occasionally applauding certain lines that reflected the myriad of issues that were important to Americans and non Americans alike.
Upon the completion of his speech, the crowd returned to its jubilant state and cheered as the head of the organization declared that we had witnessed a new era in American politics and, more generally, in the history of the nation. As the crowd began to dissipate and leave the room, my friends and I decided to retreat to a Mexican restaurant near the hotel for a few glasses of Sangria and plates of nachos.
And that was the evening.
Although nothing could match the sheer excitement and nervous energy that marked my election night, Tuesday night was full of joy, albeit, one that is more reflective of the challenges that face the Obama administration. As I noted earlier, the desire for a new era in foreign relations between Spain and the United States is a major issue in Spain. After the fallout between Bush and Zapatero, the Spanish are hoping that the new administration will make efforts to repair Spanish-American ties and give the country a new opportunity to play a larger role in the Obama administration's foreign policy goals. Given the warm conversation between Zapatero and Obama after the elections in November - Obama noted that they share the same birthday, love basketball, and have two young daughters - it seems that this hope will become reality. Still, Spaniards are waiting for the Obama administration to make good on its promises, a reservation that certainly subdued the mood in the room this past Tuesday.
Among the Americans, the same reservations around the challenges that face the administration as well as our own future when we return to the country certainly prompted many of the individuals in the room to reflect on the future during the quiet moments that peppered CNN's coverage of the day's events. That said, the historical nature of the inauguration simultaneously contributed to this mood while helping the audience feel absolutely astonished over the mile stone that was occurring an ocean away.
My personal feelings reflected the dual sensibilities of the day's events. Although I felt somewhat saddened that I could not participate in the festivities in DC, this 'historical dimension' of the event allowed me to remain connected to the wider outpouring of joy and strong resolve that marked January 20th, 2009. I can only feel grateful for the opportunity to have experienced an event that evoked a strong sense of solidarity with so many people across the world. It was truly a momentous occasion.
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