In D.C. Dream Day, we ask our favorite people in the area to tell us how they would spend a perfect day in the District.
One way or another, Sofia Javed likes working to make the world a better place.
As a State Department employee for the better part of a decade, including a posting in Islamabad from 2013 to 2016, Javed helped funnel aid to human rights programs in South and Central Asia. When the weight of that role took its toll, she pivoted from humanitarian work to the joy-spreading business by trying her hand at stand-up comedy — the very art form that helped her keep her sanity in Pakistan.
“I was constantly hearing stories of terrible things people do to other people all over the world,” says Javed, who left the State Department in 2018 and now works as a software engineer. “The activists that I was helping to support on the ground in different countries, all of that was inspiring — but it gets heavy. So I ended up just coming home every night when I was living overseas and all I could watch was stand-up.”
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Over the past several years, Javed has circled the D.C. comedy circuit with a brand of comedy that she aspires to be “loud and influential.” You can also hear her comic voice on “Dance of Joy,” a re-watch podcast for the sitcom “Perfect Strangers” that she co-hosts with her brother, Imran. On Jan. 16, audiences can see Javed compete against seven other local stand-ups in the 32nd edition of the DC Improv’s Comedy Kumite competition (7 p.m., $18-$23).
On her ideal day in the D.C. area, the Logan Circle resident indulges in some good meals, plenty of caffeine and a night full of karaoke.
My 100 percent, perfect dream day would be to sleep and dream all day, so let’s go to the next level of dream day, where I get an appropriate amount of sleep and wake up ready to conquer the day. Also, everything would be open all of the time and transportation would not be an issue because I’d have a magical teleporter.
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The first thing I’d do is get some really good coffee at Swing’s Coffee. You know that their coffee is the real deal because their cups are eight ounces, like you’d get in Italy. Or I might go to Seylou Bakery and get the canele — it’s a French pastry, so I’m sure it’ll make me skinny eventually. On my dream day, it would actually be negative calories.
Share this articleShareNext, I would do some yoga at Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Library. In the Before Times, there was this free community yoga class on the weekends and it was awesome — you saw a great variety of people from all walks of life, and the class was very inclusive and very positive. After that, I’d grab lunch at Alero Restaurant on Connecticut Avenue NW. The decor is very festive and colorful, and it feels like you’re kind of eating inside a piñata. I particularly enjoy the seafood salad and the seafood soup there.
Then I’d get back in the teleporter and head over to Calabash Tea and Tonic. I love this place because it feels like you’re in a cozy living room at your cool aunt’s house, with lots of art and books and music and history all around you. When you walk in, the people behind the counter say, “Hello, beautiful. How are you feeling today?” And you tell them, “I’m a little tired” or “I’m feeling good,” and they make you a brew according to what they think you need. It’s a pricey cup of tea, but it might be worth it to feel that special.
From there, I’d meet up with some friends and head over to the U.S. National Arboretum. I love the bonsai and the columns. Who doesn’t love bonsai and columns? After that, it would probably be time for a little more caffeine, so I would go to Slipstream on 14th Street NW for a black coffee or, if I’m feeling adventurous, maybe a cappuccino.
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Then I’d stop at the Municipal Fish Market on my way to Artechouse, which is one of my favorite places in D.C. — I really enjoy seeing the mix of technology and art and creativity there. For dinner, I’d go to a place in my neighborhood that doesn’t exist anymore called Ghana Cafe and get the goat stew with plantains and rice.
A dream day has to include laughter, but I wouldn’t perform comedy because, even though it’s very enjoyable, it comes with a side of anxiety and stress. So I’d eliminate that and go watch a show at the DC Improv, the Comedy Loft of D.C. or one of the many local theaters that host comedy. If [there are] enough hours in the day, I’d also head by the Kennedy Center to see what’s happening on the Millennium Stage.
To end the night, I’d get back into the teleporter with my friends and go to Haydee’s Restaurant in Mount Pleasant for karaoke. The night always opens with some regulars, who I like to call the crooners because they belt out these romantic Spanish-language ballads. As the night goes on, you can go from Spanish ballads to ‘90s grunge to hip-hop because everyone is supportive of everything. It’s super-duper fun, and it’s just so joyful.
More D.C. dream days from:
Survivor contestant Shantel Smith
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