Work Abroad

Here's the update I've been promising for weeks. I'm so sorry it's coming even later than I expected. New resolution: update more often. Even if you're all just getting a picture a day here, that will be better than me disappearing off the face of the planet for weeks at a time, yes?

So, my first week working and studying in London was hectic, as first weeks tend to be. On Monday, I arrived at Portcullis House, which is where I will actually be working. It's this cute little office space across the street from Parliament.


My MP's office faces Parliament, so if you duck the right way you can catch a closer glimpse of Big Ben. If you look to the right, you'll see Westminster Abbey. Stay tuned for a picture of that view. It amazes me every morning.

Anyway, on Monday, the MP's researcher decided to welcome me to work with a tour of Parliament. The building is absolutely amazing, despite looking smaller in person than it does on television. Unfortunately, there are no pictures to share here, because we weren't allowed to take any on the tour. (If you're really interested though, look here.)

The week has been filled with writing some stories and letters, sending some e-mails, filing e-mails, and other such duties. It's still been a whirlwind week, since waking up and putting on a suit in the morning still feels a bit like playing dress up. And answering the phone to hear people from the BBC and The Times on the other end feels a bit like a complete mistake. Or a joke. But after reflecting on it for the weekend, the second week should be a lot less like complete craziness and more like my actual life. Especially since I've realized all the people I work with are nice and helpful, even to a slightly oblivious American like myself.

The week was also filled with first days of classes, which function a lot like first days of classes in the USA: pointless. Going through the syllabi and weird introductions included. But also without any knowledge of where to buy books or find classes.

At the moment, I'm taking three classes outside of my internship: Political Change in 20th and 21st century Britain, American Foreign Policy, and Diversity in the British Workplace (our required class for all interns). There's also a quasi-class associated with our internship, during which we have to have to meet with an academic adviser three times over the course of the semester and write a 20-page research paper on a subject of our choice.

So those will be interesting. Mostly because all of our coordinators tried to warn/scare us against classes here.

Only the American Foreign Policy class though takes place in an actual British classroom, associated with City University in London. Here it is:


The other classes are associated with the university that actually runs the study abroad program: Arcadia University.

Yeah, it's weird.

Thankfully, I am not spending nearly anything on textbooks so far this semester. I found two of the books I need for one of my classes in the bookcase in my flat. They're completely usable despite some highlighting and annotations in the margins. One of my classes provides the readings in a course pack. And I think I'm going to find the textbooks for my other classes in the various libraries that we're allowed to use with our City University ID.

Anyway, after London's version of Welcome Week, I'm hoping to get more integrated to what I'll actually need to be doing this semester. So I'll give you all more details this week.

Otherwise, if you have questions, please feel free to comment. Or, you know, you could just talk to me.

My next post is going to be on our weekend excursion to Swansea, Wales. So look forward to that.