Family: the sunshine of my week

Following a wonderful weekend, I was excited to begin the week! 


Monday
Good day at work followed by....

                                 Dinner at Queen's Arms with my family!                           

Sitting at the table with Mom, Dad, Aunt Nan and Grandmom felt surreal and yet so natural. There was so much that we all wanted to talk about.  How amazing being able to tell them about my London experiences (so far) with them actually in London with me? And enjoying  Strongbows with one another! Following dinner I brought them to our Kilburn flat, a minute walk from Queen's to show them the place. Introducing them, Grandmom and Nan especially, to the London family was adorable - I was sharing my family with my other family. Then I packed up my clothes for Tuesday and went to the Hilton Green Park to stay with them for the night. Mom, Dad and I enjoyed glasses of wine in the Berry Bar before going to bed. (P.S. Being able to physically hug my Mom was something I certainly missed and really appreciate). 

Tuesday 

Early wake up call: 5:30. Went to bed at 1 and didn't sleep because someone was operating a motor engine during the night. Left the Hilton at 6:30 and took a cab to St.Pancras International. The station is spectacular - skillful combination of modern and traditional design. Eurostar was at 8:15. Being able to travel direct to the heart of Paris from London by train was so cool! Slept on the train after chatting with the girls for a little bit. Then we reached Paris and saw Michael! Seeing him was a very emotional experience, most notably for Grandmom. 

Michael being a professional tour guide, we were in good hands venturing Paris for the day. About 80% of the places we went, Michael and Scott were known very well, making all of us feel very special. There is obviously so much I can tell you about what we did, so I will show you pictures and explain. 

3 Generations of Tuscano women 
Le dejeuner at Lutetia

Royal Opera House

Inside the Royal Opera House

Galleries Lafayette 

Notre Dame

Eiffel Tower
Boat ride and tour along the River Siene.

Le Louvre

French Parliament

Back at the first restaurant I came to in Paris 9 years ago. Delicious baguette!

I love Paris every moment

Every moment of the year

I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris

Because my love is here

Wednesday

Beginning of my workday was normal. However, come lunchtime Paul took me on my Parliament tour Part 1. There is so much to see in Parliament. The House the Lords was the primary focus for this part. I was in awe over the halls, the sitting room, the grand hall, the Queen’s robing room…her throne! Paul knows an incredible amount of history behind Parliament; I was fascinated by everything that he was saying. He told me things that I do not think I would have learned otherwise.

After the tour and getting lunch, I continued with casework. Around 15:00 David took Natalie and myself along with him to receptions and drop-ins in Parliament. At last! I was so thrilled to join David and watch him engage with others as well as have his picture taken with them. The receptions in Parliament are really stellar – great foods and great drinks. The events that I attended were the Knowing Your Pulse Awareness Week, Crossrail Ltd, Money Advice Service and Food Standards Agency Receptions. Following the events I stuffed a few envelopes and then jet off to meet the family for dinner in Green Park.

Dinner was at Le Boudin Blanc. Dad had been there before and always wanted the little table in the corner of the upper dining area. And we got that spot! When Dad had mentioned we were going to a French restaurant two things crossed my mind. First, French…I don’t know how this is going to go over for everyone. Second, didn’t we go to Paris yesterday? All of my hesitations went out the window once we sipped our delightful glasses of white wine. And the food? Fantastique! Staff was friendly and the atmosphere was relaxing. As my entrée I ordered the Steak de thon grillé, aubergines épicées, coriandre et salade de fenouil au sesame. My meal here will without doubt be considered one of my best during my time here in London.

Thursday

The family went to Stonehenge, Windsor and Bath for the day. For a majority of the workday, things were normal. We celebrated Natalie with a wonderful champagne toast, as it was her last day working in the office. The end of the workday was really funny, David wanted Gareth and Paul to find jokes for his speech, but Parliament is currently blocking everything. There are so many hackings happening by the media so there is extra security and denied access happening on the intranet. However when the two did find websites, all you would hear was laughing and someone asking, “What?” It was hilarious!

Around 19:00 we made our way down to Sports. Knowing tonight was Karaoke Night we anticipated a large crowd. And we were right! It was packed, but so fun! It was so lovely spending time with my office and floor. These people are so nice, funny, and great to be around. Playing games, singing songs, chatting about whatever; just an awesome time together!

Friday

Grandmom, Nan and Mom made their way to Covent Garden in the morning. Dad had to stop into the office for a bit, so he and I scheduled lunch at PRET together once he was finished. I woke up to rain, which then followed a greater downpour. As I was in the shower, I saw a flash of light and then BANG!  The huge clash of thunder set off an alarm in the flat downstairs. All I could think was, “Great. The flat is going to burn down and I am going to be naked.” Thank goodness the cleaning lady was here because she turned off the alarm and made sure all was okay. Hopped out of the shower, got dressed and met Dad in Green Park for lunch at PRET. Talking business logistics and relationships with Dad in an eatery in London? So cool!

Following lunch, we all gathered at the Hilton and took the tube to South Kensington. Our destination was Kensington Gardens, but it started to rain again so we ducked into the Victoria and Albert Museum. The V&A is a fantastic museum! With the exception of special exhibits, entrance is free. The rich collections are varied and well displayed. We planned for a meeting time back at the “boobs and butts” section that Grandmom and Aunt designated near the entrance, making us all able to explore on our own. V&A is a great place to wander around. I found the descriptions informative but not boring. And the rooms were inviting and engaging. Spending our own individual time in the V&A, we all found areas that interested us. For me, from just a handful of what I covered, it was the Sacred Stained Glass.  The panels on display in the gallery show the technical changes that have occurred in stained glass over centuries and also the shifting role of stained glass. An important fact I learned: since glass is by nature a transparent or translucent medium, the designer or artist needs to consider the play of light as it passes through the window. V&A is another amazing London museum with, again, one problem. To see everything would quite literally take a few days! I plan on going after work one day soon.

Luckily the rain had passed when we left V&A. We did a quick stroll through one side of Kensington Gardens and then walked down South Kensington Street to Harrods. Mom and I did some gazing and admiring all around Harrods, trying on scarves and bags. Tried on a beautiful Burberry Brit jacket; I’m in love! You can totally get lost in Harrods, I discovered more and more this time than I did the last time I was there. Grandmom and Nan went back to the hotel after Harrods. I took Mom and Dad into Leicester Square for a nice dinner at Bella Italia and some pints at The Porcupine.  

Can I just move here now?

This weekend in the UK has been incredible and very enlightening as a matter of fact.

I decided during the week that I wanted to take a day trip to somewhere outside of London. A girl that I met from the first BUNAC Orientation and I had been talking about doing one together in order to satisfy our outside London touristy eagerness. We chose Stonehenge and Bath. So yesterday morning I got up at 6:50 am in order to give myself a good amount of time to get ready and over to the Baker Street for the pick up. Of course, stopped into the Starbucks that was right next to where the bus was to stop.

Alexandra, the Anderson tour guide, was so sweet. Whenever she spoke about history or anything, you just loved listening to her, she was so consoling. When Sarah and I checked in, she giggled over us two friends going together and both having the same name. Power in (name) numbers. What can we say?

Stonehenge was our primary destination. The surrounding area of Stonehenge is incredibly and obviously green. It was very windy around the Stonehenge exhibit, more so probably because of the wide-open area. Interesting facts I learned with the help of our audio guides and tour guide: Built between 3100-1100 BCE/ 2 types of stone used in its construction: bluestone and the Sarsen stones/ Estimated that the construction required more than 30 million hours of labor/ It was used simultaneously for both astronomical observation and ritual function.

Next was the Gregorian City of Bath. Here, the beautiful Cotswold stone and the classical elegance of the 18^th century fashion have conspired to create one the world’s most astounding cityscapes. The golden light of the summer sun on the city of Bath was astonishing and breathtaking when we first caught sight of the city. We toured around Bath on the Anderson tour bus, exploring all parts of the spectacular city. The Circus was my favorite part of this bus tour. Next, we returned to the central square of Bath, departed the bus and waited for our tour of the Roman Baths.

First and foremost, I was advised not to put my hands, feet, or body into the water. I was a bit confused at first about the “Ah!” factor of the Roman Baths. I did not quite understand the significance, but learned a bit of it as I listened to the guide.  I loved the ancient stone pathways that we walked on around the Roman Baths. After maybe fifteen minutes in the Roman Baths exhibit we scooted out to explore the quaint city of Bath.

Exiting the Baths, we saw observed the Bath Abbey, a Norman church. Sarah and I walked down a few streets, stopping a few times to wonder over what the venders offered. As we were walking along one sidewalk, I spotted Jamie’s Italian. Once the words below, “A Jamie Oliver Restaurant”, confirmed it was in fact a Jamie Oliver restaurant, I knew this was our lunch spot.

Sarah was so funny when we walked up to the host counter. He said, “15 minutes wait” and she responded, “Really, that long?” He followed, “That’s short for us. You’re welcome to enjoy a drink while you wait.” We agreed, went to the bar and ordered two Florence Fizz drinks. Delicious and refreshing. The restaurant is housed in a beautiful Georgian building, right in the heart of the city, creating an inviting environment.

I’m not certain how we did it, must be our charm, but we were placed at a great spot in the restaurant. Upstairs. Out on the rooftop with an impressive views and the sun.  Sitting at the table, I had to remind myself that I was in a little city of England versus at a villa in Italy. I loved the neighborhood feel of the restaurant. The environment was a relaxing one, where people were enjoying one another’s company. Another great aspect of the restaurant: it was affordable and accessible. It was a place where anyone is welcome and everyone felt comfortable.

Bath is such a beautiful setting for this restaurant. Not only did I not know it was here, but I wouldn’t have expected it either. Well, what a wonderful and yummy surprise! The food was exceptional. Simple, rustic, fresh and colorful. Sarah ordered the Prosciutto, Pear and Pecorino Salad and I ordered the Gigli Primavera (young spring vegetables with plump tomatoes served with grated ricotta). I have always just liked Jamie Oliver as a chef, and activist with his “Food Revolution”. Yet after a wonderful experience at his restaurant, in a country I come to love more and more each day, I admire him now and wish him all the best! Jamie’s Italian is sensible, enjoyable, natural and driven towards quality.

After lunch, we walked and walked the city of Bath. No particular destination in mind. Just exploring this unique gem of a city. Most buildings in Bath are made from the local, golden-colored stone. Georgian is the dominant style of architecture in Bath. It was such a captivating area. I felt as if I had escaped to a little paradise of the UK for a short time.  Walking and gazing made us thirsty so we stopped in at The Huntsman for a pint. Then we boarded to Anderson tour bus and headed back to London.  

Sunday. Funday.

Started the day with a commute to Googe Street for the quickest walk to Odge Steet. There at 8 Odge Street we attended mass at St. Charles B. Cute church and we observed the post-Vatican II changes made. The woman we asked to take our picture outside the church (a Sunday ritual) was so sweet! She asked us what the significance of our picture and therefore visit was. Bouncing comments off each other we came up we a decent response. Note: You will meet people in London who are inviting, warm and helpful and others you meet, or don’t really, are stubborn and standoffish.  

We had lunch at Argyll Arms.! The location of the Argyll Arms makes the pub a sure thing with the lunchtime crowd. The décor of the restaurant appeals to history fanatics, especially with pictures of Kings and Queens. Evaluation of the service? Great. Waiter? Cute! He was friendly and served us with a smile! Justine ordered the Chicken and Chorizo Skewers and I the Fishcakes (made with salmon and broccoli). Following a quick stop in at Top Shop (and wishing I owned everything in there) we proceeded to Liverpool Street, in search of the Spitalfields Market.

Spitalfields Market was amazing, amusing, and overwhelming at the same time. The market provides fashion, antiques and food; offering vividly colored creations and the talents of such creative individuals. The restaurants surrounding the markets are so intriguing and alluring. I wanted to go into each one and explore the wonders of it. The afternoon of exploring the Spitalfields Market was incredible. We were just in awe over the multitude of designers and sellers. Its hard to illustrate the complexity of what we saw. Guess you will just have to come to London to see it! =P

A long day of market shopping in London called for a pint. Following a detour through Petticoat Market (which was sketch x 1000) we ended up on the main road. Eyeing the first normal pub we stopped in at Woodin’s Shades. There were two guys next to us that said “Ladies first” when we got to the bar. We ordered a delicious cider on tap. I will say it here because I said it to myself in mass this morning: I am so grateful for the amazing experiences that I am having in London. Furthermore, Justine is a true blessing. Part of the reason why I became so comfortable in London so quickly was definitely because of her; she is a one of kind gal and my London adventure bestie!

That’s all from the London for now. Back to interning tomorrow. And tomorrow night, drum roll please…

I see my family! Mom, Dad, Grandmom and Nan are in London!

Incredibly knackered. Update you all as the week goes on!

Cheers!

Warming up in London

The past few days have been so busy and exciting! It’s amazing how quickly the week went and the end of the week crept up. The days are getting longer in London, making the beautiful nights here so special and everlasting! Except for the other day when I wanted to pass out at 9pm and it was still kind of light outside.

Starting with Wednesday:

After work Justine and I went to a service at Westminster Abbey. Even though it was a Church of England service, we couldn’t really feel the separation or difference. Being in the presence of the Lord and giving thanks to Him in the Abbey was a wonderful offering after such a hectic workday.

It was off to explore the inside and outside of Victoria station next. Took the tube over there and walked around the surrounding streets of Victoria station. The Victoria Palace Theatre is here which is showing Billy Elliot. The theatre showing the London Broadway production of Wicked is also in this area. We then walked back to the massive Victoria station and explored the noshing options there. We resorted to the cafeteria upstairs that offered lots of different options. Filled our tummies and then headed off to Embankment.

Embankment is much closer to Westminster than I originally thought. We walked out the station, down a little street, through an alleyway with two cute pubs across from one another (love seeing all the people congregating outside pubs laughing and drinking) and then out onto the street right in front of Trafalgar Square. Trafalgar Square is the square in front of the National Gallery, the focus being Nelson’s Column. We walked down the Strand for a while took a right turn and then walked down Victoria Embankment, back to around the Embankment tube station. Tattershall Castle was the location of the every-other-week BUNAC Pub Meet. The pub is on a very attractive old paddle steam that is now moored to the Victoria Embankment along the River Thames.

It boasts spectacular views; overlooking the Festival Halls, the London Eye, and of course, the Houses of Parliament. There are 4 bars on the pub; 2 of them being on deck. When we first got on the boat, we were a little confused as to where to go to find the BUNAC students and coordinators. So we decided to walk around the deck, then grab a drink and wait a little bit. Eventually we found Caroline from BUNAC and other students. Talking with other students who are interning abroad was so enjoyable. The warm welcoming environment of the location and the people was relaxing.

Moving onto Thursday.

Fairly normal “day”. The best part of course was going to Sports & Social after work. All six of us were there which made it special and so work-chic. I talked with the friends from my office before paroosing the area and talking to some new people. Met a few people who were visiting Parliament as reporters and journalists. Also met friends of my flat mates. There was a man at the bar working on a brief. Secretly m-uploaded him.

Then it was Friday...Friday!

My day started out great! For real! I finally got my Parliament Pass! Little uniqueness about mine is it is Red, because my sponsor is of the House of Lords. Woot woot! I feel so official now! I cannot wait to go on a tour with Paul this week!

My PAs and I had a great day of work and laughs in the office on Friday. Evaluated some interesting casework responses. Furthermore, we received an interesting phone call in the morning. All I will say is that the other side’s use of explicables is not necessarily if they are aiming for having an intelligent discussion. Productive workday overall. Learned a lot about the Conservative view of certain policies, which was really helpful.

After finishing a good pile of response and copying them, I left work and headed to Leichester Square to meet Justine. Making a decision to live wildly and do something we didn’t intend to in the morning, we purchased half-price theatre tickets for Chicago.

Before going to show, we had a fair amount of time to cruise around town. Stopped in for dinner at a little Mediterranean place in an alleyway we spotted while walking. In all honesty, it was not that good. At least he didn’t charge us for water (wink wink Justine).

Both of us were craving a sweet treat of frozen yogurt. Being so close to Covent Garden and knowing a great place next the Round House we made a bee line for there. SNOG, no not saliva swapping, but a tiny frozen yogurt franchise is fun and funky. The frozen yogurt is made with organic dairy ingredients coming in three different flavors: Natural, Chocolate and Green Tea. Of coure to make your snog more exciting, there are a variety of toppings ranging from fresh fruit and to chocolate brownies, cookies, and granola. Come here and you will be hooked.

We continued to walk around the Covent Garden, Leicester Square, and West End theatre district areas. What always amazes me when I return to these places is how much there is! There is always more and more to see. Especially if you walk down little alleyways, a whole square can open up before you with restaurants, pubs and shops. Did a little window shopping; just peeking in and browsing around. Across from the Urban Outfitters and down the street from the theatre there is a pub called Crown and Anchor. The pub caught our attention earlier when we passed it because there was a mass amount of people outside, just drinking and mingling.  Wanting to see and be a part of the fun, we spent the last time before the show enjoying a pint of cider outside with the crowd. Nearly 8:00, it was still so light outside and the temperature was so comfortable.

The Cambridge Theatre, a West End theatre, is where we saw Chicago. I learned that it is actually one of the youngest theatres in the WE theatre district, having opened in 1930. The theatre is a comfortable size for both plays and musicals. The show was wonderful and as with any great musical you come out singing its tunes!

I decided I am going to wait until tomorrow to update you on what the happenings of my day today were. Thought I would spread out the updates and enthusiasm. Hope everyone is having a wonderful start of summer so far! Yours truly, certainly welcomes the warm weather!

Cheers!

Recess: Parliament's out

Parliament has gone into recess. What does that mean for the staff? Casual dress. Did I know this? No. I came in dressed as spiffy as I always do but now it really stands out. But I am not entirely sure if the “standing out” in this case is good or bad? Either way I am going to continue to keep it business casual. You never know when an opportunity might arise and a more refined look is necessary. 

While I know what the Parliamentary term for recess means, I have to admit from time to time I think of this when I hear the word.

Literally demolished a stack of casework today, all of which were response letters to the constituents. It felt good looking at a constituents surname and recognizing it (after only a week or so of working in the office). Again, the subjects of the cases were wide ranging. Some cases a short history of correspondence. Others have a massive record of letters from and between David, the constituent, and various departments and institutions. When I start reading a response letter, I always think, “Is the constituent going to satisfied with this?” The indications that they will or will not are obvious when you read a letter. For obvious reasons, I cannot tell you specifics, but some cases are rather difficult. Some constituents are dealing with large loopholes and just trying to get answers. Regarding a different form of communication, one of my office managers was on the phone with a handful of constituents today that rang about their pressing issue. You could tell that these issues were pressing because he then rang the associated third parties in order to get clarity on what was happening and how to move forward.

Working with this database/software, CMITS that I mentioned before has taught me some new MP office terms. If the review date for the department, employer, police, council, etc. is overdue and we are still waiting for a reply, we do a chase up letter or call. This means that we write to them again or call their office asking them if they have received the letter and if so why they have not responded yet.

What is useful for our office to receive is a holding letter from the corresponding centers. This type of letter is an acknowledgement that the letter has been received, investigation has commenced and they will respond with x amount of days. Usually it is 14 days. This helps in the evaluation of how to handle the chase up. Good case management is vital to an effective MP’s office. I know part of this post has seemed a bit humdrum but I thought I would give some more details to what I am working on with casework.  

As always in London the weather was in and out, at least for part of the day today. In the morning on the way to Parliament: beautiful. At noon: pouring; in fact hailing at one point. After 13:00: gorgeous! At 17:00 Justine and I both got out of the office. We took the tube to Covent Garden to stroll around for bit before she went off to LSE for a lecture. Both of us made great purchases at Tea Palace where it was 25% off everything! I am excited to bring my tea to work. Laura told me I need to get into English Breakfast, but I'm still getting used to drinking more tea. When Justine left for LSE I, of course, looked at shoes in the cute little shops. I plan on going back these shoes shops and buying, I mean trying on, a few pairs (wink wink). Also took a little peek inside the internationally loved Laduree before returning home. The baked goods look heavenly and the decor is sublime. Covent Garden was certainly bustling today. So many people were out and about when we got there. I am excited for when the weather warms up a tad more and we will be sitting outside the pubs and restaurants in the late afternoon and night after work.

Cheers!

Sarah

Marbles, Mummies, and the Mausoleum

A Bank Holiday weekend here in London, meaning today many people had off from work and a handful of places were closed. Regardless of the day off, Justine, Beriah and myself demonstrated the CUA motto: “Not a day off, but a day on."

The three of us explored Covent Garden, and Holbourn. Covent Garden will always be one of my favorite boroughs of London. It’s just so darn cute. There are many fantastic restaurants, shops, and a wide variety of pubs as well. There is a little open market underneath the Apple Market of people selling vintage jewelry, paintings, dolls, and other antique items. 

Piazza of Covent Square

Apple Market

Stumbled upon this ad :)

Holbourn was another interesting area of Central London. From time to time you will recognize a more dated building wedged in between more modern day buildings. Stumbling upon the Maughan Library was fascinating. I would have never guessed that this incredible building was smack in the middle of Holbourn. Very intriguing.

Maughan Library

Chicago playing at the Cambridge Theatre

After exploring these parts of London for a while, we ventured to an important (instructive) attraction of London, the British Museum. The British Museum houses a world collection of art and relics from ancient and living cultures, spanning two million years of history. The artifacts in the museum represent every history period with examples of pottery, jewelry, paintings, sculptures, tableware, military gear, and many more.

As we all know, museums, and huge ones like these especially, can be quite overwhelming. If you wanted to thoroughly explore the BM, I think it would take months. Looking at the schedule of London Walks offered today I spotted that there was a British Museum walk offered that serves as a great guide for the highlights of the museum. Entry into the BM is free so it was a great use of our notes.

Approaching the British Museum is in itself a fascinating site. From there, the architecture of the galleries and portals inside is captivating. The first are we walked into is called the Great Court. From seeing all the people walking around this interior space of the museum, it is evident that the Great Court transformed the inner courtyard into one of Europe’s largest covered public squares. It is a two-acre space enclosed by a spectacular glass roof. The center of the Great Court is used for special exhibitions, providing more space for permanent displays throughout the museum. I was in complete amazement walking into the Great Court; I felt like I was in a little city inside a glass ball.

From the start of our tour we learned about the foundation of the BM. A notable Ulster-Scot physician collector, Sir Hans Sloane, bequeathed his entire collection to King George II for the British nation, of course in return for payment of £20,000 to his heirs. Parliament accepted the gift and on 7 June 1753 an Act of Parliament establishing the British Museum received the royal asset. Therefore, Sloane’s collection became the foundation of the British Museum.

Some of the highlights that we covered on our British Museum venture: Rosetta Stone, Enlightenment Gallery, Parthenon Sculptures ('Elgin Marbles'), Ancient Greece: Athens, Egyptian Mummies, Mausoleum of Hallkarnassos, Sutton Hoo and Mildenhall treasures.

The gems one can find at this museum are astounding. I enjoyed having a tour led by a London Walks guide. It was useful having someone narrow down the vast amount of collections to specific ones, teach us about their significance and have us focus in on them. I never used to be a big museum buff. However since I have come to London, on what is such a unique experience, I have become increasingly willing to spend more at the museums here. Other ones I want to check out are the Natural History Museum, Imperial War Museum, and the Museum of London. 

Back to interning tomorrow. I'm really excited to see what this week brings!

Cheers!

Oh you fancy and modern huh?

It’s hard to believe that I have already been here for 2 weeks now. Time certainly does fly!

Thursday I got to have a nice one-on-one teatime with my David during work. When Elliot said that “David wants to have a chat with you”, I didn’t believe it since we had just been joking around with one another in the staff office. His office is connected to the staff’s so it’s easy for him to stop in and such. We had a great conversation! He stressed again that once I get my Member's Pass he has plans for having people take me around Parliament, have me sit in on committee hearings, etc. We're also working out my trip to his constituency too which I am really eager to do. He represents Southend-West, which is an area of constituency for Essex.

If there is anything you can certainly count in London, its rain. The rain here on Thursday was bad! A total down pour. I had to go to the Security Verification Office in the Abbey Gardens. Fortunately I was focused on how beautiful the little pathways were down there that I wasn’t wallowing in how wet I was. To work in Parliament there are so many checks you need to have done, its understandable but so annoying. It was a little bit of a challenge to completely understand what the man I had my SV appointment with was saying. I had to ask for clarification a few times. But the bonus: really cute guy. The walk there was about 7 minutes from 1 Parliament Street. I was there for maybe 15 minutes and then walked back. My poor little Harrods umbrella and me had a rough walk back. I was drenched from my calves down. Luckily I had black pants on. I also wore my sneakers for my traveling during the day since my black heels would be killer to be in all day, especially for the commute. The puddles around the streets of Parliament Square were little puddle tsunamis.

Before work was over, my two office managers invited me to join them for drinks at the Sports and Social Bar in Parliament. Their other younger friends, who were working as interns or permanent staff, joined us and we met up with a few others when we were there. I bought my first drink, which was a cider: my favorite type of drink here. They had this specialty "Lilley's Apple and Pears Cider" on tap, delicious! A good thing about eating and drinking in Parliament is that the food and drinks are cheaper! Once I began to reach the end of my drink, one of the guys that we had all gone with insisted upon buying me all of my other drinks. It was really generous of him and made me feel really special. 

When I got to the office Friday morning it felt really cool knowing that I am in as "one of the team" now. It was such a nice simple thing they did and they told me they are all excited to do it again. I loved meeting the people we went with and those we met there. I came into the building reading my London Metro newspaper and was greeted by Hamed (one of the guys originally went there with) with a big smile and a "Hey Sarah!" Hamed is such a cool guy; he plays for the House of Commons-House of Lords cricket team in Parliament. I told him I want to go to games! He stopped by our office later in the day and we all recollected about the night. It was really nice all chatting and laughing with one another.

Today was Saturday and that means, time for some touristy stuff. Justine, Beriah and myself went to Tate Britain, the national gallery of British art. The gallery shows work from the last five centuries, including contemporary British art, in a series of free changing displays. Tate’s collection includes masterpieces by British artists such as Hogarth, Gainsborough, Constable, Millais, Burne-Jones, Whistler, Sargent, Sickert, Hepworth and Bacon. The Clore Gallery is where we admired the extraordinary work of JMW Turner. Tate Britain has an entire wing dedicated to the Turner Collection, which includes countless pencil drawings and watercolors.

One of my favorite paintings in the JMW Turner collection is Regulus. It’s a landscape painting, dealing with a subject from history. Regulus, a Roman general, was reportedly tortured by being forced to stare at the sun after having his eyelids cut off. The painting invests nature (the sun in this case) with awe-inspiring mystic qualities. Turner’s intense portrayal of the sunlight is really dazzling and the colors of the sun are really bright. A critic from “The Spectator” wrote in 1837 “instead of the repose of beauty – the soft serenity and mellow light of an Italian scene – here all is glare, turbulence and uneasiness”.

After admiring the work at Tate Britain, we went over to Tate Modern. Beriah left to go to a baseball gathering. Justine and I took the Tate-to-Tate boat. It costed $4 and was nice ride along the River Thames. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is right next to Tate Modern so we caught a glimpse of it when we were walking there. Dying to go on a tour of the Globe Theatre! Tate Modern is the national gallery of international modern art and also houses a collection of British art from the 1500s. The Gallery was created in 2000 from a disused power station in the heart of London. The vast size of the building becomes so real once you see the dramatic turbine hall. The collection of modern and contemporary represents all the major movement from Fauvism. Included are some important masterpieces by both Picasso and Matisse. Tate has significant collections of Pop Art, Minimal Art, and Conceptual Art as well.

My three favorite works from Tate Modern were Do Hu Suh’s Staircase-III, Arshille Gorky’s Waterfall, and Robet Delauney Study for ‘The City’.

Staircase III, located on Tate’s 5^th floor’s Energy and Process, was absolutely incredible to look at. As I took each step upon entering the room, my gaze was focused on stairs. I recognized little aspects that I wouldn’t have if I had just walked by. It is reasonable that the entire room of the display is white with a tall ceiling and there are no other works in the room. Doing some research on the artist, Suh commented, “The space I’m interested in is not only a physical one, but an intangible, metaphorical and psychological one.”

Arshille Gorky’s Waterfall I simply just found interesting. Gorky was one of the most powerful American painters of the twentieth century. The Tate Modern highlights him as a figure in the formation of Abstract Expressionism. Waterfall is a work that is evocative, layered, and translucent with a liquid glowing quality.

Study for “The City” by Robert Delauney was a part of an early series of works by Delaunay on the subject of the city. The inspiration was a postcard photograph of the rooftops of Paris taken from the top of the Arc de Triomphe and looking towards the Eiffel Tower. I bet the reason why I liked this was because it involves a city and that city is Paris. I love cities that captivate you and make you never want to leave. Those that immerse you in its own individual culture as well as present you to its combination of all its others are invigorating. Paris is incredibly inspiring to me and I fell in love with it the moment I arrived on our family trip nine years ago.  

The bellies were grumbling, so we needed a good nosh up. We have been wanting to go to Gourmet Burger Kitchen for a while after reading it in multiple “London Eats” related articles. Justine knew there was one near St. Paul’s so we ventured over there. We walked across the Millienium Bridge that links the Bankside to the City, crossing the River Thames. Fun fact: in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Lord (dare I say his name) Voldemort’s Death Eaters destroy the bridge, causing its collapse. 

Approaching St. Paul’s Cathedral is an amazing site and the many little squares of shops and alleys around it are alluring. (One con: there are literally four Starbucks within a few blocks, #gobacktotheUSA).

Gourmet Burger Kitchen is an all about the burger chain restaurant here in London. Fresh ingredients, classic and innovative taste combinations are what make their burgers delectable. You can choose from the already ‘designed’ burger, dally with rarefied delights (chorizo, pineapple, blue cheese, beetroot), or if you’re really mental you can order a custom burger made from any of their ingredients. The burgers themselves are spectacular, towering magnificently over the plates and held together with like 7 inch toothpicks. Dining at GBK is definitely not exercise that you can carry out with a high degree of dignity. Eating such a contrivance is rapidly reduced to lifting the thing up and trying to topple it into your mouth before something falls out.

I ordered the Falafel Burger: handmade falafels with hummus (houmous here), cucumber raita, sweet chili sauce, salad and relish. Justine ordered the Cheese Burger: aged Cheddar, salad, mayo and relish. For £7-£8, you definitely get your money’s worth in terms of fullness: I am still full and its midnight.  GBK is an admirable attempt to restore a little pomp to the humble burger. It’s leagues apart from the usual burger suspects and definitely worth your custom.

It’s a stay-in night for Justine and I. The combination of the long (but great!) first week of interning, the museums today and the food coma that resulted after GBK resulted in tiredness. As I am finishing the blog, she is doing a wonderful montage for Caleb. Had a wonderful phone conversation with Mom, Dad and the rest of the family that’s at the shore this weekend. It was so good hearing all of their voices and telling them about my stay here in London. Also, it is really heart-warming to know that they are all thinking about me and miss me lots.

Till later mates! Cheers!