A taste of my life

Not my pic as cameras are not allowed in the House galleries, but her speech was really good, about the almost improbable story of growing up in East Germany and becoming Chancellor of Germany.

Christer Fuglesang, first Swedish astronaut, came to visit me...or the Congressman, but was pleasantly suprised when he heard a friendly voice in Swedish.

Secretary Clinton after her testimony on US policy (and the new surge) in Afghanistan to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Life in DC

I have now been in DC for almost two months and I have started to settle in. I have a nice house near downtown DC, a 15 min walk from the White House.

3 weeks ago the Congressman I work for invited me on a tour of the White House gardens, this picture is taken just outside the Oval Office.

The Office
I actually work in one of the Cannon House Office Building, most people except the Speaker, Majority, Minority leaders, and a few very powerful Chairmen have their offices in one of the three House Office Buildings.

We had a Halloween-Housewarming party at our house, it got a bit wild:)

My flatmate (on the right) and a friend. You wouldnt think so when you see this pic but my flatmate just passed the Connecticut and New York bar.

Sort of how it works...but not really

W.D.C.

Little more than two weeks ago I started working/interning on the Hill. I work for the Congressman from northern New Mexico. The work is fun at times and boring sometimes. I get to do a lot. At first it was mainly opening constituent mail, taking phone calls, other small tasks around the office. More recently Ive been allowed to go to hearings, write reports on these hearings, and letters to constituents on various issues (as Im the only economist in the office I do a lot of finance related issues, say budget 09 and 10 or go to hearings on derivatives which has been interesting and definitively useful to whatever Im going to do in the future).

Life in DC at the moment is dominated by health care, health care this health care that. While it is interesting to follow, working on the Hill it gets very tiring. Ive received several phone calls with constituents worried about what might happen if everyone has access to quality affordable health care. Some call shouting down the phone at us, that we are turning the US into a communist state (Im guessing they dont actually know what communism is), that we are the devil taking down the US from the inside etc etc.
The most fun call Ive gotten so far was one today from a lady in New Mexico, she whispers on the phone to me "I have a confession...Im a Republican...but Im in favor of government run health care...and I voted for Obama...what do I do?" I go "Thats perfectly ok, why are you whispering?"

There are times when it hits you that you where you are working. The other day I was allowed to go on the floor of the House (which is rather rare if you arent an elected member). I got to sit in the chairs where the Representatives sit (very comfortable chairs), and see everything from up close. Today I went to a hearing with where there Treasury Secretary (Tim Geithner) was outlining the G20 and administrations plan to overhaul the financial system. I was sitting no more than 2 meters away. All in all quite an impressive internship I think.

My first Saturday in DC there was a huge protest outside the Capitol building (against everything the Democratic party is doing). I found this somewhat comical video of it.



Thats all for now, and Shana Tova!

Just a small update

Soon two weeks ago I was offered a position in the House of Representatives. I have now moved to DC and am starting tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Graduation

The Chancellor, Steph, and I

Library crew, without these people I would not have passed my exams


My 92 year old grandmother came, all the way from New York


With one of our favorite teachers, who later gave me the department prize for best dressed guy:)

The Royal Brighton Pavilion

So today, after three years of living in Brighton, me and my flatmates decide to visit the Royal Pavilion of Brighton. It was built as a summer house for Prince George/George IV.
George liked to entertain and had this house/palace mainly to entertain guests over the summer. The exterior is built in Indian/Islamic style while the inside is designed in a European take on Chinese architecture. The most impressive room is probably the Banquet hall which has 5 chandeliers, the middle one is held up by a silver dragon and weighs over 1 ton (the other 4 were only held up by golden phoenixes). The middle chandelier which has many other dragons sticking out of it was light by oil lamps (coming out of the dragons) so it would look like the dragons were breathing fire.


Quite impressive.

However, Vicky, more commonly referred to as Queen Victoria didn't like the palace, and stated that "The Pavilion is a strange, odd, Chinese looking place, both outside and inside. Most of the rooms are low, and I can only see a morsel of the sea, from one of my sitting room windows" And went on to say that Brighton was very vain and full of dandies.

How very Victorian of her.

So she sold it to the City of Brighton, however before she sold it she stripped the palace of all the luxuries items in it.

Her mother obviously never taught her good manners.

Anyway, the palace is worth a visit if you are in Brighton. There is a lovely terrace on the top that has Afternoon teas and other things of goodness.