This past week marked the end of summer, as I moved out of temporary housing into another even more temporary housing for Fulbright orientation. The weather is now permanently chilly, which is not good news for someone who hasn't bought a proper coat yet. It starts with a single, cramped room:
My official looking folder and ribbon:
We started bright and early with introductions. Fulbright scholars, to say the least, have done some really amazing things, and make my life look quite boring in comparison. As a sample, these people have: participated in archaeological research excavations in Italy, performed ballet in New York and Zurich, qualified as a Navy and Marine Corps parachutist, worked on a taco truck for seven weeks, founded a BFA musical theater program, etc. (If any Fulbright people are reading this, yes I got this off of the bingo card).
For dinner we went down to brick lane and had fancy Indian food:
The next day, we held orientation at Two Temple Place, a mansion originally built and owned by the Astor family. It is apparently also one of the finest examples of Victorian architecture and design:
We first headed to Portcullis house, a large parliament office space beside the palace:
The people we met were:
Baroness Williams of Crosby, a former member of the house of Lords, Professor Emerita at Harvard, and Fulbright scholar in the 1950s. She was an extremely interesting, intelligent woman who gave a lot of insight into both how parliament works and how it doesn't.
Richard Ottaway MP, a current member of the House of Commons, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. He gave a lot of insight into the everyday workings of the house and how the House of Commons functions politically.
Kenneth Fox, a Clerk in the House of Commons. He didn't answer any questions, but gave a broad overview of the parliament and the government.
After our introduction to Parliament through these important people, we headed into Westminster palace to get a look at a debate on the floor of the Commons.
The first place we went into was Westminster Hall, the oldest surviving part of the palace of Westminster, built between 1097-1099. The room itself was completed in 1401 and was saved from destruction in World War II, when the palace was bombed,
In the House of Commons we were not allowed to take pictures, but I sneaked a few while climbing the stairs:
If you're really curious, here is a picture of the House of Commons. The actually place was very empty on a Thursday afternoon, as it was a debate about Employment rights:
Exiting:
The next day we had a scavenger hunt and ended with a fancy lunch overlooking the River Thames at OXO Brasserie:
In the afternoon, I moved hopefully for the final time into my long-term housing:
Indeed, our future is not in the stars but in our minds and hearts. What an eye-opening opportunity to experience the leadership, learning and empathy!
ReplyDeleteMy knowledge of the House of Commons came from the TV series "House of Cards", UK version.