So, About that Blog

No, I haven't died or anything terrible like that. I haven't forgotten about the blog either, just haven't gotten around to updating it in a ridiculously long amount of time. Things are always so busy that when I finally sit down I can't make a dent in my to do list regarding writing & keeping in touch with people. I'm terrible, I know! I do miss you all & think about you.

Things I owe you: an update on all my sightseeing around London; recap of Jared's visit and the crazy amount of things we packed in; thoughts on my class/school in general; & the story about my trip to Ireland, complete with pictures. Eventually it will all be up! I make no promises on when though.

For this entry I'll just concentrate on work, which is actually one of my favourite things about this whole experience. It'll probably be the thing I miss the most, despite the fact that I love London & I'm going to miss the city a bunch. Considering the only job I've had is working at the gym at Clark, it's such a different experience. I love the office setting, even though it's taken me a while to get used to sitting at a desk all day & I wish I could move around more. I know that if I were actually working there, I wouldn't always be in the office. Everyone else has meetings & goes to conferences a lot. For example, my supervisor isn't going to be in the office much for the next month because he has so many external things going on.

I finished my research on the destitution of asylum seekers & wrote my document. I'm waiting for feedback from my supervisor before sending the document out for consultations from other UK organisations. After that I'll be using their comments to revise the document, which will be used to inform the work that the National AIDS Trust does on asylum seekers. Eventually there will be a publication as well. My last week there I'll be presenting to the policy team on my findings and recommendations.

I've moved on to writing web copy. My first bit is on prescription charges in the four nations (England, Scotland, Wales, & Northern Ireland), but that's been pushed back. When Joe (my supervisor) came into the office today he told me that something urgent came up & El asked if I could write some web copy on the changes made to the Disability Living Allowance that will go up by the end of the week. So I spend the day reading up on the DLA & the changes that have been made to it. Tomorrow I'll be writing up a bit on it and then it should be going up Friday. I'll try to put up a link to it this weekend.

On Friday I'm going to a conference and then next week I'm going to a debate in the House of Lords. I'm taking notes at both events & then reporting back to NAT about them. In a few weeks Joe & I are going to a trial at the Royal Courts of Justice to support a solicitor who is trying the case of an asylum seeker who was denied medical support.

Other than that I'm just enjoying being around coworkers & being part of a team. A few weeks ago Leah came -- she goes to Clark & interned at NAT this time last year. One day she came in & some of us went out to lunch & then after work a few of us went out to a pub. It was just a few of us from the office, but it was really nice to hang out with people outside of work. We're going to try to plan a night where more people can go out. It was a Friday & it's hard to get people because either they're so tired from the work week (I usually am) or they're so ready to go out they already have plans. We'll have to do it quick though, because I unfortunately only have another month. We already have my leaving lunch planned. :(

Two options that we mentioned to me were staying on for the summer -- which isn't possible because we're going to Florida in May ... & I don't think my mom would be too keen on not seeing me for another couple months! -- or coming back after I graduate. These options were mentioned by my study abroad programme. I talked to El about the possibility of coming back after I graduate. Since the organisation is so small & doesn't have the money to take on new employees, we'll just have to see if there's anything available around that time. El said that she & Joe will keep in touch & let me know if there is anything. Joe also said that he'll keep a look out at other organisations he thinks I would be interested in. So we'll see if anything comes of that, it's nice to know that potentially there will be an option there after I graduate.

Alright, enough gushing about work. People at the office joke that they don't believe I love it so much there. Then when I bring work home with my my flatmates think I'm doing schoolwork & think I'm crazy when they find out it's from the office.

I've thrown in some pictures. Random one of me at Tower Bridge (which is way better than London Bridge). There are a couple from the night at the pub: in the first one it's (left to right) El, me, & Sheonaidh; in the secon one it's Leah, El, me, & Sheonaidh. More pictures to come in later entries.