Arrival in Scotland

Well we arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland yesterday. The program set up a policy study visit for us at the Scottish Parliament. The train ride was extremely beautiful because we traveled directly north from London and got to see a lot of the English countryside. I have yet to see any towns in the North and we passed right through Newcastle (Northern-most town in England). Scotland is a much different place than London. I have only been here a day and I have already talked to some locals that are extremely nice. In London, most people are too busy getting to work or somewhere specific to talk to you. Anyway, when we arrived a bunch of us set off on a journey to see the sights. The first area we were interested in seeing was the world famous Edinburgh Castle.

When we finally found it, I could hardly breathe. The castle sits a top an enormous hill in the center of the city. It was built around 3,000 years ago. The castle was used to defend the Scottish from invading countries. On top of the hill where the castle lies, you get a 360 degree view of the city. The Atlantic ocean is in the distance and it excites because I live on the east coast in NH and I always look out and wonder what's beyond the horizon line... Well I certainly got my answer. In addition, to viewing the castle, we went out to a local pub and watched a football game (Barcelona vs. Chelsea).

Here I was able to talk to a local named Graham. I really had a great discussion with him about Scottish identity and culture. Since I have been working in the British Parliament and have talked mainly to the British about Scotland, I was shocked to hear a lot of things he had to say. The British generally see themselves as the caretakers of the Scottish because so much of their tax dollars go towards funding the welfare state there. I had also heard that since Scotland is part of the UK, they don't have much of an identity towards Scotland. This just shows you not to believe everything you hear because it couldn't have been more of a false statement. Graham told me that the Scottish take great pride in their identity (bagpipers, William Wallace, Rugby, etc...) and have a huge amount of respect for their country. I also had a chance to talk to him about how they as Europeans view the United States. He said the general opinion is that Americans are ignorant and don't care a lot about the rest of the world. Once again, I was happy to try to change his mind by being kind and engaging in conversation. He was quite surprised by the end of our talk that I knew so much about Europe and the rest of the world. He said that he was surprised that someone of 21 could have a conversation of such a political nature (but little did he know, that's my specialty!). This is one reason I am on this trip... to get more of a feel for how the rest of the world works.

Today we had a series of lectures from the Head of the Scottish Law Society, a Scottish Member of Parliament, and a right-wing Media Man. That gave me a good feel for how the Scottish Political System works. The Scottish Parliament was created out of the Scottish Act of 1998 passed in the Westminster Parliament (where I work). This is generally referred to as devolution. In this act, Great Britain created the Scottish Parliament and devolved specific powers to them in order to allow for more independence in decision making matters. However, Great Britain kept all of the important powers (taxation, defense, etc...) and left the Scottish Parliament to argue over remedial matters such as the tail docking of working dogs (what they were arguing about when we viewed the chamber). It was useful to be able to juxtapose Westminster with Holyrood. This really helped me to understand Scotland's relationship to the UK political system.

The right wing man who runs the largest paper in Scotland, The Scotsman, was hilarious. He believes the European Union is enslaving many countries and forcing them to adopt many economic measures that are largely incompatible with their economic capacity. For example, Scotland has the same tax rates as Britain; a country constantly out performing the economies of Scotland and Wales. He also believes that Scotland's economy has some serious problems and that they need to be addressed ASAP before the lifestyle of every Scot is increasingly affected.

There is much more to see in the next 4 days. I could not be more excited.
-Signing off!

Roman Baths.

Today we returned from a trip to Bath, England. Bath is a little rural town to the west of London. Friday morning we departed for Bath. On the train ride there I saw a bunch of English Countryside. It was very interesting that only about 15 minutes after we left Paddington Station in London, it was simply farmland. Sometimes when you're inside a city for so long, you forget that there is an outside world. I was listening to a mix CD that had a myriad of English bands such as The Beatles, The Who, and The Sex Pistols. The music made me feel so great as I traveled into the great beyond.

We arrived in the quaint city of Bath, England at around 12. Right when we stepped out the train station we were greeted by beautiful sights. High up on a hill, there is a church and a collage of houses that intertwine. It is hard to describe but it looked amazing. We found the hostel very easily and moved on to explore the city. It was refreshing to be in city that was small enough to find things without any trouble. From the hostel, the next stop was the Roman Baths. The Baths were built by the Romans in A.D. 43. This continuously blew my mind as I walked through the exhibits. Over the years, the structure of the building surrounding the Baths has changed as power has changed hands. However, a large portion of the Temple of Suvis Minerva has remained unexcavated. The Bath was bigger than most swimming pools and runs of the same filtering system that the Romans used. Unfortunately, over the years the water has become polluted and people are not allowed to get into the baths.

The Romans believed that the God, Suvis Minerva, heated the baths for the people of higher society. Unfortunately, that is not the reason the Baths are heated. There is actually a fault line running underneath the baths that heats the water. One of the baths actually still bubbles. The whole experience of walking through a temple really got me thinking about what people in the future will be saying when they look at our artifacts and architecture in museums. It seems like such a foreign concept that the Romans believed in Dietes and the powers of sacrificing lambs and goats. However, it really makes sense that the unexplained would be chalked up to some higher being; especially for those in the higher classes that were in power.

Mike and I decided to walk up to the top of the hill to get good views of the city. The hill was literally at 45 degrees and our legs were burning. When we got to the top of the hill, it felt like we had reached the peak of a mountain. Looking out over Bath, I was ecstatic. Mike and I discussed how happy we were that we had pushed ourselves to study abroad and how it almost seemed absurd that others wouldn't take up the opportunity. There is so much to see in this world and we are paying the same amount of money in tuition to be working in Parliament, living in London, and traveling throughout Europe. Before coming to Europe, my life was very normal. I had a girlfriend for all of college, I had the same roommates for two years, and I was extremely comfortable in Boston. When I left, I was a bit apprehensive of what it would do that comfort zone. I am normally adaptable to most situations and I feel like that description still stands. However, there are many things I have realized in a very short amount of time. I can only imagine what I feel like when I return to the states.

Today I walked around Oxford Circus while listening to music. I realized that there are so many various types of people inhabiting London. This is probably one of the most diverse cities in the world and it sometimes feels surreal to be living here. On the subject of roommates, I cannot believe how lucky I am to have such a solid group of guys in this program. Normally when you put 11 guys together there will be at least 3 or 4 that I wouldn't like. However, all the guys in this program are pretty great and I am excited that I will have another group of friends after this program is over. We are already discussing plans of reunions and hangouts of the summer. This program really is all it is cracked up to be.

-Signing off.

Accents and Adventures.

Well, I am writing from my desk in Parliament. Everyday is extremely exciting when you are working in Westminster. For instance, today I went to sit down for breakfast with my researcher and who do I notice sitting next to us? Sir Mingus Campbell, the Deputy Leader for the Liberal Democrats! Anyway, on to substantive matters.

My office got a new British intern from Manchester England. Her name is Salma. It has been really nice getting to talk to someone my age that is British. When I was coming to London, I really expected people to find my accent weird and thought that I would be surrounded by a majority of British people. However, London is so diverse and has so many people coming in and out for business, that I sometimes don't feel like I am in another country. This has changed significantly since Salma came into the picture. She always laughs at different words that I say such as trash, soda, awesome, and Edinburgh (they pronounce it Edinburgh). Her, along with MP and Researcher, are constantly questioning me about the American Political system and social differences. Their questioning has really caused me to examine the system that I am a part of and create an unconscious comparative scheme that allows me to see the differences. It's hard to explain but I feel as if everyone should be forced to live outside of their country for at least a few months in their lifetime. One thing I have thought a lot about is how complacent Americans seem to be with their own country. No one questions if there is anything better out there. The US flag is always flying and most people truly believe that is the best place on earth. My experiences here have shown me that taking time to leave the place you are can actually give you more respect for the country you reside in.

I've always thought that I would like to travel but now I know I NEED to travel. Speaking of travel, this weekend a few of us are heading to Bath, England. Bath is North of London and is home to the traditional public Roman Baths and Churches. I hear it is quite beautiful and am extremely excited to get out of London and see more of England. From what I hear, London is NOTHING like the rest of the country. There is actually a joke that London is not even British anymore because it has become so international. In addition of traveling to Bath, we are going to see the world famous, Stonehenge.

We return from Bath on Saturday evening and depart for Edinburgh, Scotland on Tuesday Morning. We will be in Scotland for 6 days. The program has arranged the trip and has set up lectures inside the Scottish Parliament with a number of SMP's (Scottish Members of Parliament). On the weekend, Dan and I are going to Glasgow to see another slice of Scotland. The next few weeks should be busy but invigorating. Well I must return to work. Working in Westminster is fascinating but strenuous. Signing off.

In Sickness and In Health.

I have one thing to say at this point, being sick in another country is awful. On Friday, I woke up and felt awful. I had a temperature and felt weak throughout my entire body. It was one of the sicknesses where your body just tells you that you have to stay in bed all day and that there is no option but to drink orange juice, watch TV, and take advil. I would have no arguments against these demands except that I had NONE of the previous things. Friday was one of those days where you wish your mom could just wait on you hand and foot. Unfortunately, she is miles and miles away.

On a better note, because I gave in to my body's demands and slept all day Friday.. I awoke Saturday feeling fantastic. I left the flat and toured the Victoria and Albert Museum. The museum is filled with just about everything from all around the world. The first floor is Korean, Japanese, and Chinese art and artifacts such as Kimonos and traditional Buddhist statues. While walking throughout this floor, I listened to Japanese sounding music and I felt as if I was sent back in time. On the second floor, there was a hallway of gold and silver artifacts such as Celtic Crosses, Chalices, and Jewelry. The museum also housed a series of class British paintings. The most impressive rooms were the rooms that contained statues such as the models of "David" and "Moses" by Michelangelo. In addition, there was Trajan's Column, which was constructed in A.D. 113 in Rome. The Column was so enormous that it practically touched the ceiling. The museum also contained an extensive tapestry collection from the Roman empire and traditional Protestant church.

Later on in the day, my flatmates and I attended an authentic British Premier League Football Game. The match was Fulham vs. West Bromwich at Fulham Football Stadium. This was an essential part of the British cultural experience. The sports culture in Britain dominates the media and culture far more than in the states. At the game, both teams fans had designated chants that they would belt out when their team gained control of the ball or scored goals. It was truly an incredible feeling to be among these people and get involved in their culture. The game was very similar to a Red Sox vs. Yankees game because the fans were extremely hostile towards each other because of the rivalry between the teams.

Today (Sunday), my roommate Dan and I went to the LSE library, printed our papers after extensive revision and decided to visit the Tate Britain Art Museum. Although we only got to see around half of it before it closed, I was very impressed. This past semester in British literature class, I read a poem entitled "The Lady of Shallott" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It was one of my favorite poems in the class. At the museum, there was a painting by John William Waterhouse that depicts The Lady of shallot on her journey down the river while she freezes to death. The painting really struck a chord in me and really tied in many of themes the poet represented and demonstrated a strong tie between the visual and written arts. I don't think I will ever be so lucky as to have so much culture in one period of my life again. London embodies so much of British culture.

There are a myriad of exciting events to come in the next few weeks. This Friday, two friends and I are going to visit the beautiful English town of Bath. This city hosts traditional Roman Baths and is about 20 minutes from Stonehenge. We return on Sunday and then leave for a 6 day trip to Edinburgh and Glasgow Scotland. The fun never stops on this trip but I am learning so much about myself and the British culture in the process that it seems like a perfect mixture of education and travel.

Culture and Fame

Today I had some very interesting experiences while at work in Parliament. I will start with the cultural differences I encountered while speaking to my researcher Peter and our PA, Philippa. Philippa always asks me if I would care for some coffee or tea and I never care for any because I generally don't drink a lot. So, she says to me "you never really like to drink anything!" So I replied "I just don't need drinks every hour on the hour." In response, she says "so what do you drink at lunch if you don't drink coffee or tea" and I replied "Soda." She got this confused look on her face and said "what's soda?" After about 5 minutes of my jaw laying on the floor I explained to her what it was. Turns out they just call it simply "Coke or Sprite" or "Fizzy Drinks." This made me laugh and really realize how different it can be in another country.

While in conversation today, I noted a few words that people in Great Britain pronounce differently. The first is patent. They say it like pay-tent. Another word is Caribbean. They say carra-bee-in. Where would pronounce it more like carri-be-an. People here say rubbish... Not trash, These are a few of the interesting cultural and linguistic differences I have noticed since I have been here.

On the subject of famous people, I had an interesting experience today. Every Wednesday at 12 noon, the Prime Minister goes to the House of Commons chamber for Prime Minister Question Time (PMQ's). Since I arrived in Britain, it has been my dream to see Tony Blair up close. So, in a desperate attempt to see him, I attempted to get tickets for PMQ's. Too my great disappointment, there was a queue out of the door. I decided to return to my parliamentary office to watch PMQ's on the television. On my way up the escalator into Port Cullis House (the main building for MP's and staff), a security guard yelled for me to come back down. So... I run backwards down the escalator. When I got to the bottom, he thanked me and told me to hang on for a moment. As I am standing there, Tony Blair and his Cabinet come riding down the opposite escalator. I practically crapped my pants. When they reached the bottom, the Prime Minister looked over and raised his eyes in a kind of "hello" kind of gesture. When he was gone, I was given the OK to proceed up the escalator. I will never forget that experience. I was so excited and I am so happy that I am working inside of the British Parliament.

I feel like I am getting sick. I hope this does not materialize into a major sickness!

Bits and Bobs

At this point in my stay here in Great Britain I have had two weeks at my internship in the British Parliament. I would like to discuss many of the tasks I have at the Parliament and the myriad of differences there are between the US system. I work for Nadine Dorries, a Conservative member of Parliament for the district of Mid Bedfordshire. The office is myself, a research assistant (Peter Hand), a personal assistant (Pippa Rowen), and Nadine. Some of the main tasks I have been assigned are as follows:

- Drafting Press Releases whenever my MP participates in a crucial vote or is in the press
- Drafting, Editing, and Submitting questions to Ministers and Cabinet Members of Parliament
- Updating the website
- Researching issues that interest my MP such as Education, projects in the constituency, and law and order
- Keeping track of a constituency database that contains information on those that voice concerns
- Writing letters to constituents in response to their concerns and informing them of the Conservative Party Position
- Attending select committee meetings to take detailed notes to report back to my MP so she can be up to date on hot
button issues.

Overall, I am very happy with the real work I have received and the tasks I am required to complete. Parliament is such an exciting atmosphere to work in. Everyday I see famous politicians such as Sir Mingus Campbell- the leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, Tony Benn- Cabinet member of 4 administrations and the first member to switch from Lord to MP, Simon Hughes- candidate for Liberal Democrat leadership recently involved in scandal, and many other influential ministers, secretaries, and lobbyists.

The British Parliamentary system of government is extremely different than the US Presidential system. First of all, dissent is not tolerated. Members of Parliament (MP's) are elected as a representative of the party. They are supposed to tow the party line when voting and when speaking to the press/constituents. If a member speaks out against the party... they are either replaced or placed on the back bench. This has been shocking to me. In the US, members of the Senate and House of Representatives are often portrayed as heroes if they are brave enough to speak their own opinions and go against the Bush White House or political party. I personally believe this is the way it should be but I fully respect the British system.

One area where I believe the British system is far superior is debating. I have sat in on two sessions of the House of Commons where various MP's and Cabinet members have been forced to answer detailed questions in front of a large body of vocal politicians. Every Wednesday Tony Blair has Prime Ministers Question Time. This is where members of parliament ask him questions on hot button issues and he is required to answer them. This is very difficult and requires various skills; theatrical, linguistic, and political. If George W. Bush were ever forced to address open questions from the Senate, he would certainly make a fool of himself. I really respect this system of accountability that has been set up by the British system of Government.

I look forward to seeing who else I meet and what other aspects of British governance I get to experience.

Now, moving to the subject of school and the differences between the education system in Britain vs. that of the United States. I am studying at the world famous London School of Economics and Political Science. It is truly an honour to study amongst some of the most intelligent minds in the world. As I have embarked on this new journey, I have noticed a plethora of differences when juxtaposing the US to Britain. The US professors definitely spoon feed students more. For example: we have a paper due next week that the professor has never mentioned. It is just assumed that everyone will know by reading the syllabus. Office hours are a must in the UK. In addition, in class, professors often ask students to apply information that was just learned in various models and questions. I enjoy this because it forces me to grasp the material more. However, I do like the US style of making sure all is clear before students complete an assignment and realize they did it wrong. Everyone in my program is worried about the lack of information given on the criteria for the paper and what the professor prefers in terms of writing style, paper and citation format, etc...

Overall, I believe the combination of political and educational experience provided by this program is unprecedented. I don't believe that any individual could ever possibly understand the British system unless they came and lived here for an extended amount of time. Singing off.