Visitors, COP 15, LSE, Presidents, NASA, Blackhawks...

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- Well, I have been just a little busy to say the least! I find it hard to determine where to begin when so much has happened in such a short time so I suppose I will try and go chronologically...

Last weekend was a lot of fun and I got to explore more of London. Hadil and I went to Tate Modern, the largest modern art museum in the world. Personally I am not such a fan of modern art overall, but compared to MoMA in New York they had a much larger collection from Picasso and other well-knowns. After leaving the gallery we went off to Borough Market, which is the oldest, largest, and highest-ranked market in London. It was so massive that even I got lost, and if you know anything about me it is that I NEVER get lost anywhere. So yeah I wasn't really lost but still you get what I mean. There were phenomenal cheese vendors, fresh fruits, chocolates, juices, wine, beer, nuts, meats... anything edible really. I settled for some cheese and left it at that, but I can assure you that I will be heading back there and soon (they are open Thurs, Fri, and Sat).

Sunday I had my first visitor to London! Charity, who I coincidentally met in London through People to People back in 2004, is the head of their UK division (this summer they are sending something like 5,000-6,000 students to the UK), and she is in London a few times a year for meetings and such. So before those started we met up and walked around for awhile catching up, then went to dinner on the Thames. It was great to see someone that I know outside of LSE! She has been busy working all week, but we have plans tomorrow that I'll talk more about later...

Monday was a busy day of classes as we studied control over bureaucracy. Non-coincidentally I spent most of my day yesterday writing my first actual essay for LSE on that same subject. Once I finish it maybe I'll post a pdf version or quote a paragraph or something for your reading pleasure. Monday night after class we had a group meeting for the Copenhagen group that I have mentioned a few times in past blog entries. If you have been reading, you know I am on the list to attend the conference in December, but I hadn't booked anything yet just because I wanted to see who all was going, arrange the dates, find good prices, etc. Well it turns out that one of the guys who is in my Global Environmental Governance class, and who also happens to live in the next flat over from mine, is in a similar situation as I am in: we both have transatlantic flights after the term ends (he is from Vancouver), and we both can't afford to miss a full week of class. So with that we decided to look into flights and accommodations, and a few days later, last night we booked it!

December 5-9 we'll be in Copenhagen for the COP 15 as official observers. Just a few hours ago the final list was published and we are both on it to receive badges from LSE. Turns out for a round trip, non-stop flight from London to Copenhagen I found one for only $75, then, just as good, we found a hostel in downtown Copenhagen less than 1 block from the metro station for $30/night. Yeah, basically the entire trip from a transportation/accommodation standpoint will come in at $200 and honestly, you can't beat that, even by European standards. We arrive Saturday morning, have the day in Copenhagen, then Sunday we're thinking of going to Malmo, the third-largest city in Sweden (about a 25 minute train ride over the North Sea), and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we will be at the conference! I could type far more about this but I will save some for future blog entries, as this will be a recurring theme over the next few months.

Tuesday night President Rafael Correa Delgado of Ecuador spoke at LSE, and I was one of the lucky ticket-holders who made it to hear him speak. Overall his speech was rather tame... he gave it in English, which is not his strong suit (though he wasn't terrible - I was able to understand everything he said), and it was about socialism in Ecuador and his "citizens revolution." The question and answer session, by contrast, was much more lively. He answered in Spanish, and you could hear the passion and fire in his voice as it filled the theatre. They were also much more wide-ranging, covering questions on environmental conservation of the Galapagos Islands to indigenous revolts and dissolution of diplomatic relationships with Columbia. Overall I was quite impressed with his answers (even if I didn't agree with many of them), but what I found humbling was how he repeatedly extended his time with the audience. He was scheduled to speak from 7-8pm, and he didn't leave until 8:40pm after almost every question asked was answered.

Yesterday was my essay-writing day, as I previously mentioned, but beyond that NASA had a big day as well. Project Constellation, which is the overall NASA project to send man back to the Moon and off to Mars in the next 20-30 years, officially launched the first test-flight since 1981 when NASA tested the Space Shuttle. The Ares I rocket will deliver the crew to Earth-orbit, where they can dock with the International Space Station and conduct other scientific experiments that can't be done on Earth. Yesterday NASA launched a prototype Ares I, the Ares I-X, 26 miles into the air in a wildly-successful test flight of the 327-foot tall rocket, the largest in the world. Needless to say I am already excited for the next prototype, Ares I-Y, and the many flights that are sure to follow.

Today I was at the UGM and then class all afternoon, but really not much was going on beyond all of the above. On the weather front, things are still the same here - high 50s most days with clouds, but sporadic sunshine and just as sporadic rain showers. At night it still hasn't gotten cold, which is great. The sports update is a good one as well... Chelsea has been on a roll, and they are back to the top of the table in the Premier League as well as undefeated in Champions League play. Last night they beat Bolton 4-0 in the Carling Cup, last weekend they won 5-0, and last week they won another game 5-0. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, have won two in a row and find themselves in first place in the division... tonight they play in Nashville and tomorrow night against Montreal, 4 points in two days would certainly give them some breathing room.

Okay, that is all for now, I hope you enjoyed the update! Tomorrow I have one class, then am meeting up with Charity again for lunch/dinner/museum/maybe a show, then Saturday I am revising and editing my essay to hand it in, and Sunday I am off to Vienna!

Have a great weekend and Happy Halloween!

Quick update...

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- I promise to add more later when I get a chance, I have been busy writing my first actual essay for the LSE, but...

I booked my trip to Copenhagen! December 5-9 in Denmark, with a side trip to Sweden, for the COP 15 under the UNFCCC... pretty much the biggest international conference since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997.

More to come!

One month in London!

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- Well sure enough as things have gotten busier my free time has been in decline. I am just about done with my second full week of class (one seminar tomorrow afternoon), and things are going great at LSE. I am enjoying all of my classes and the professors, and so far I have been on top of all of the concepts and theories. In fact today in my statistics computer class I managed to do all of the work for the class and then the homework as well in a matter of about 15-20 minutes (in a 50 minute class).

A special thank you to my parents and Justin for sending me a package that I got yesterday with all kinds of random goodness in it. It is always nice to receive things from home and even more when you are totally surprised. Speaking of the contents, I'm listening to the new Three Days Grace CD right now. They're a rock band that does a pseudo/alternative metal style... I saw them on tour for their first album (2003) and their second (2006), so I'm hoping maybe next year sometime I can see them tour this one too. They really improved on their musical style from the first to the second album, and now this one has much more optimistic lyrics while maintaining the same higher-quality of music.

Because things have just been too busy to really recall the exact details of everything, I'll try to keep it short. Monday in class we had a lively debate on comparing different levels of bureaucracy which was a whole lot of fun (and educational as well), Tuesday we discussed the various UNFCCC and IPCC meetings and committees that began in 1992 with the first global climate deal in Rio de Janeiro to the famous 1997 Kyoto Protocol, yesterday I had our second weekly Israel Society meeting (which was quite productive - we're talking about getting Col. Richard Kemp to come and speak), and today...

...has been by far the busiest day of my week. From 12-1 I was tabling with the Israel Society, meaning we set up a stand on Houghton Street (which is the main street that connects London with the LSE campus) and handed out flyers that consisted of various non-political facts about Israel:

1. Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in the number of trees

2. Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees per person in the world

3. Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer

I probably managed to hand out 150 flyers in under an hour. From there I went to the third UGM of the year, which was quite busy and controversial to say the least. Next week are LSE elections, and so today all of the postgraduate candidates gave their campaign speeches and answered questions from the crowd. For the second time (in four series of speeches over the first three UGM's) an American completely stole the show. This guy was clearly from the south and took a can-do-attitude approach to it and had everyone in uproar, which was brilliant. After the speeches there was one motion voted on, to deny the British National Party (BNP) a platform to speak at LSE. For those of you who don't know, the BNP is an openly-fascist, extremely right-wing party that encourages violence against minorities. Brushed aside for years as a joke, they actually won 2 seats in the European Parliament elections to the EU with 1 million votes in the UK (out of about 35 million voters). Since then, people are rightly taking them seriously, and with UK elections coming up in a hurry, party leaders are vying for time on the major networks. Nick Griffin, the leader of the BNP, was granted a panel on BBC One, and people are clashing. Just today protesters actually stormed the BBC complex trying to block the studio they were going to record his segment in. Back to the UGM, the motion pitted two large parties against one another. It's clear that LSE opposes the BNP, but the student population was split into two sides, arguing of course for free speech. The general argument is that if we restrict free speech, even if it is their fascist and racist free speech, then they have essentially won in reducing the credibility and legitimacy of the British democracy. NOW, the point made by those who proposed the anti-BNP motion is that free speech stops when your speech is inciting violence, which is essentially what the BNP does. Thus while the BBC, as a media outlet, has a responsibility to give him a platform, LSE represents a student body that is 70% international and of the 30% British, 50% of those are minority students. Ultimately it was on that logic that the motion passed, and LSE for the next three years will adopt an anti-BNP platform to ensure they are never allowed on campus.

After all of that chaos ended I had my two hour statistics lecture which was definitely more advanced than the lecture from last week, but still nothing new. That said it was a nice refresher to go over calculating standard deviation again, as that was one model I had intentionally tried to block out after years of calculus at Stevenson and so on. From there I had my statistics computer class, which I mentioned earlier went really well to say the least. We have weekly homework and I was really glad to have finished it so quickly, so I don't have to worry about it at all for the next week now. After class most of my MSc program met over at the George IV pub on campus for some social time, I came back, had dinner, did some grocery shopping, and here I am!

Tomorrow I have that one class and I need to do some readings before it, but overall it should be a relatively laid-back day (which I need after today). Saturday the plan is to head to Tate Modern (finally!), and then over to Borough Market (the best market in London). Sunday I have my first visitor! Charity, the woman who originally hired me for People to People wayyyyy back in 2004 in Paris, is the head of People to People's UK division now, and she is coming here for work. Sunday evening the plan is dinner, and then next Friday she is free as well before heading back to the States.

Important dates:

November 1-4: Vienna, Austria to visit Poppy (another People to People friend in Europe for work)

December 6-9: Copenhagen? Maybe?

December 11: End of Michaelmas Term at LSE

December 14-22: Home

December 22-28: Arizona

December 28-29-30: Multi-leg journey back to London

That's all for now - have a great Thursday/Friday/weekend and will try to keep this blog updated!

Moving to London

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- When you actually move somewhere, to me there are three things that must happen before you can truly say you have residence.

1) You must receive mail

2) You must do laundry

3) You must order a pizza

Today, I can say I have done all of those things! I got some bank things in the mail this past week, did three loads of laundry today, and got a pizza from across the river!

In other news, I also found out I got a ticket to see the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correra Delgado, in a couple of weeks. Yes, my goal is very much to see every head of state I can while I am here.

Go Badgers, and Go Blackhawks!

Goldstone Report

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- In light of the United Nations "Human Rights Council" recently passing the Goldstone Report, I found a video that you all might want to share with those who are ready to jump on the media bandwagon:

http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=7536409

Testimony at the UN

Self-Defense is not a Crime of War UN Watch Oral Statement Delivered by Colonel Richard Kemp, 16 October 2009 UN Human Rights Council: 12th Special Session

Thank you, Mr. President.

I am the former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. I served with NATO and the United Nations; commanded troops in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Macedonia; and participated in the Gulf War. I spent considerable time in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, and worked on international terrorism for the UK Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee.

Mr. President, based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defence Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.

Israel did so while facing an enemy that deliberately positioned its military capability behind the human shield of the civilian population.

Hamas, like Hizballah, are expert at driving the media agenda. Both will always have people ready to give interviews condemning Israeli forces for war crimes. They are adept at staging and distorting incidents.

The IDF faces a challenge that we British do not have to face to the same extent. It is the automatic, Pavlovian presumption by many in the international media, and international human rights groups, that the IDF are in the wrong, that they are abusing human rights.

The truth is that the IDF took extraordinary measures to give Gaza civilians notice of targeted areas, dropping over 2 million leaflets, and making over 100,000 phone calls. Many missions that could have taken out Hamas military capability were aborted to prevent civilian casualties. During the conflict, the IDF allowed huge amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza. To deliver aid virtually into your enemy's hands is, to the military tactician, normally quite unthinkable. But the IDF took on those risks.

Despite all of this, of course innocent civilians were killed. War is chaos and full of mistakes. There have been mistakes by the British, American and other forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq, many of which can be put down to human error. But mistakes are not war crimes.

More than anything, the civilian casualties were a consequence of Hamas’ way of fighting. Hamas deliberately tried to sacrifice their own civilians.

Mr. President, Israel had no choice apart from defending its people, to stop Hamas from attacking them with rockets.

And I say this again: the IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Putting things in perspective

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- Class the second half of this week went well. I just finished my first full week actually, since some of my seminar courses did not begin until just today. But 2 weeks into the term I am enjoying everything... the professors are brilliant, the students are all very nice, and the city and social life are great.

In other parts of the world, however, things are not so great. I don't want to get into details here, but this week has been exceptionally rough and is a part of the reason I have updated less than I would otherwise have liked:

9/26 - 6 Bannu, 10 Peshawar

10/5 - 5 Islamabad

10/9 - 50 Peshawar

10/10-10/11 - 20 Rawalpindi

10/12 - 41 Swat

10/15 - 30 Lahore, 11 Kohat, 1 Peshawar

10/16 - 13 Peshawar

To think that those are just the people who have been killed, nevermind the hundreds more forever paralyzed, their lives destroyed. Violence seldom is the answer, but of course this begs the question by way of response: what to do?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8310117.stm

Mid-week Updates - 15th COP, Election, Vienna

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- I'm glad to see that it is a little easier to add comments now. I hope everyone is now able to do so. I have been busy busy busy to say the least! After taking it easy on Sunday, on Monday I had my two core classes - one lecture and one seminar, both for my public policy and administration class. We discussed the formulation of "bureaucracy" as an ideological entity, from the late 19th century to today. Pretty interesting stuff! Since I have three hours between the lecture and seminar, I took some time to walk to the other side of the city, something I haven't done since the first week I was here. I made it out to Trafalgar Square and exchanged my money. Good news on that front: the exchange rate is much better now than it was a couple of weeks ago. The U.S. dollar is now at a 5-month high against the G.B.P., which means that as long as I'm using my American credit cards, I'm getting a great rate and things are considerably cheaper.

Yesterday was also a busy day. First, in my one class of the day (Global Environmental Governance), I was made quite the offer. In a couple of months, the 15th Conference of Parties will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark. The first "COP" was in 1995, and set out a governmental system and framework by which climate change is targeted. Thus, it was at the third COP in 1997 in Kyoto when this framework was formally adopted, and it was decided with the signing of the Kyoto Protocol that the legal framework would be altered and changed based on negotiations and updated interests at the 15th COP, which happens to be December 7-18 in Copenhagen. Thus, this COP is essentially the most important environmental conference in the past 12 years, and will set the new framework for global environmental policy for the next 12 years. Now, all of that said, there are four actors at a COP: any official representative of an international government (all of the world's energy ministers and foreign ministers and their aids), any official representative of the United Nations (COP's are UN conferences - and this includes not just the UN, but the World Bank, IMF, WTO, IAEA, and so on), the media (this should be the single most covered event since President Obama's Inauguration), and any "mediating NGO." As it turns out, LSE is an official registered non-governmental organization with the United Nations, and is thus sending a delegation to the conference. Given that I'm taking a course titled "Global Environmental Governance," it is that professor who is responsible for assembling the delegation to Copenhagen. In class yesterday we discussed this for a considerable amount of time, and then in several email exchanges since then he approved me as a candidate to go. So now all I have to do is decide, and I have about two-three days to make my decision.

PROS:

Experience in the highest-profile of international conferences and up-close access in seeing how negotiations work

Trip to Copenhagen, a supposedly beautiful city and Denmark is a country I've never been to

I will learn a lot that can be used in future research for my dissertation and formal class papers

CONS:

I can not go for the entire time: my flight back to the US is December 14

Even if I go from the start until December 13, I have to miss a full week of class

This is not paid for: flights are cheap, and I have to pay for meals anyway, but a place to stay will be expensive

What shall I do? I obviously want to go, but it's hard to set that in stone at this point given that I simply don't know how much harder the work is going to get. It hasn't been bad at all to this point, but I'm only halfway through week 2. This is the last week of the term, week 10, for all three classes, two of which are only this term (you hate to miss the final lecture and final seminar). That said, it isn't as if I "can't" go - all of my professors recognize that this is about as justifiable of an excuse to miss class as you can possibly get, plus nobody takes attendance anyway (I could never go and just sit the exams in June and see how it works out), but clearly I have my reservations about it. Any advice?

Besides that, I am also now about 90% sure I will be going to Vienna, Austria in a few weeks to visit a friend of mine who will be there on work. :) I get to meet up with a good friend who I haven't seen in almost a year already, see a new city and new country, and flights are cheap and I have a free place to stay! Hoping to book a flight later today or tomorrow...

Last night I won another election! We had the first meeting for the LSE Israel Society last night and I stood for election as an education officer on the committee, and won! So I am now your Israel educator for LSE! :) We have a meeting today in a few hours to see exactly what that will entail.

That's all for now - have a great rest of your week everyone, and I promise I'll provide updates on any flight/train confirmations and so on. Back home two months from today already, time is flying by!

Comments

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- One quick update. Many of you who are reading have noted that you can not seem to post comments. I have adjusted my settings to make it as user-friendly as possible, so that you no longer need to enter any security or verification codes. You should be able to comment and fire away. I hope this works... I'm going to test it out right now. Cheers!

The Tube, Inglorious Basterds, HMS Belfast

RIVER THAMES, LONDON, UK -- Well hello there everyone. I suppose I was having blog-overload, hence the lack of an update yesterday, but in any case all is swell in London-town. Friday night ended up being a fun adventure. Finally got myself an Oyster card and took the Tube. The closest station to here is about a 5-10 minute walk away, which isn't so bad I suppose. From there I hopped on the "Jubilee Line" to Westminister, which is right under Parliament (V for Vendetta style), and where I had to transfer onto another line. The station was incredible, and I wish I had my camera for pictures. If I need to go to that station again, I will certainly bring it. The station is about 5 stories underground, and it looks like a futuristic erecter-set with all kinds of hidden cameras and sound-proof technology and grey super-fast escalators. It was really wild. Anyway took the district line out to South Kensington, which just so happens to be the second-to-last station in zone 1 (the Tube works in zones to determine the fare you pay... I was entirely within zone 1, so I paid the cheapest rate), which was awesome. From there I got slightly lost trying to find the theater, but in doing so found a Ferrari and Lamborghini dealership and eventually found my way, about a 10-15 minute walk from the station. The Cinema (not theatre) was pretty interesting - it was multiple stories, had several bars and lounges within it, and then obviously the multiple screens. The movie itself, "Inglorious Basterds," by Quentin Terantino was brilliant. It is a fantasy story of what "should" have happened to the Nazis in WWII... a group of Jewish-American soldiers exact their incredibly cruel and bloody revenge, to say the least. Beyond the violence though the film is very well-written, and the cinematography is stunning. But yes, the violence is of the kind where if blood and guts make you squirm, you simply will not be able to make it through - if you think you handle it, then by all means enjoy.

The movie was also quite long, so by the time it ended Hadil (yes, my Jordanian friend suggested we go see the Jews-killing-Nazis movie) and I walked back to the Tube station and headed home. Honestly I was excited just to have to transfer again at the Westminister station. Oh and I got some good news - it is the district line that goes out to Wimbledon, so come June/July that knowledge will come in handy.

Yesterday the weather turned out to be much nicer than it was during my series of adventures on Friday. I ran across the River and grabbed my Saturday Dominos (since it was so delicious last time), and then headed down the Thames Riverwalk past the Globe, Southwark Cathedral, and London Bridge to the HMS Belfast, a British destroyer used throughout WWII and the Korean War. The ship is truly massive - it is impossible to see the whole thing without spending well over an hour, and that's assuming you spend all of 5 seconds looking into any given room. The anchor for the ship is about 5 times the size of me, and weighs several tons. The ship is now moored on the river and open for public admission. I wasn't a fan of the 8 pound student discount rate, but sometimes you need to pay to get in, especially since this is one of the few "main" London cultural attractions that I haven't been to. It was a little strange feeling like a tourist again carrying around my camera after not doing that in a couple of weeks, but so be it - part of the benefit of living here is that it is so easy to do that at will. Then, crazily, as I was leaving the deck of the HMS Belfast, the Tower Bridge opened up, and a joint UK-Brazilian military ship came through into central London and docked right next to the Belfast. Why, I'm not entirely sure, but it was a sight to see, with all of the sailors standing at attention along the rails of the entire ship. People gathered along the river and were cheering them, it was quite a scene! On my way back from the ship, I topped up my O2 mobile phone, and then realized they didn't give me my bonus minutes, so I'm quite sad about that. Ohhh well I guess. More minutes coming October 29th, I just need to remember to top up another 15 pounds before then to get the maximum rate.

Today I am just trying to take it easy and catch up on sleep. Maybe cleaning up the room a bit, but that's about all. The weather isn't so nice anyway, and back to class tomorrow! Sports update: really disappointed at the Badgers for blowing their golden opportunity yesterday. You have twice the yards, three times the first downs, and hold the ball for 42 minutes and find a way to lose 31-13. Well done boys. At least the Hawks exacted some revenge last night and won 4-3 in the shootout, even if it did take NINE ROUNDS! Crazy! But hey, two points are two points, and I'll gladly take them. What is the sports news over here? The United States clinching the World Cup after their 3-2 win over Honduras. I get the feeling more people will read about that here than at home. England lost to Ukraine 1-0 yesterday after the Ukrainian fans threw a bunch of flares onto the field and whatnot, but it doesn't really matter, since they've already clinched anyway. That's all for now - have a great Sunday!

The Queen

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, LONDON, UK -- Today, I had the exciting chance to see the Queen of England, Elizabeth II at St. Paul's Cathedral. There was a national memorial service at the Cathedral in memory of the UK servicemen and women who have died in Iraq, for more information you can read the BBC article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8295868.stm.

As I walk past the Cathedral every day on my way to and from LSE, when I saw the start of the ceremony on the news, I figured I would walk a different way. Then, all of a sudden I had some more time on my hands, so I intentionally decided to fight the crowd in the off chance that I might get to see the Queen. I was considering bringing my camera anyway, given that I was off to LSE to see the Prime Minister of Hungary, and this sealed the deal. So, I set off, and as soon as I crossed the Millennium Bridge it was clear that this was going to be crazy. There were thousands of people in the crowds lining the street, which was all closed off to traffic, and there were hundreds of policemen and soldiers there for security, with guys on the roof and sniffing dogs, the whole thing. I later found out that in addition to the Queen's security detail, Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was also there, so the entire UK secret service was there too. I calculated my time and saw I had about 20 minutes to spare, so I found a nice spot and waited.

Now, almost all massive cathedrals around the world have sets of two or three-story doors that the general public uses every day to go in and out, but there is usually the one or two 20-story door(s) that is never opened. Well, for the Queen, turns out they do. All of a sudden, the redcoats come out the side doors, the massive center door opens, "G-d Save the Queen" plays over loudspeakers, and she came outside and waved to the crowd! She then walked down the steps and into her car, and was off as the crowds waved back.

For more pictures, click on this public link here (or if you are actually on Facebook, you can just see my album, but they're exactly the same): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2629213&id=8623973&l=be1918923e.

After that I went to the lecture by Gordon Rajnai, Prime Minister of Hungary, who gave a highly-technical talk about central European GDP rates and the recession and how Hungary has one of the lowest deficits in Europe (3.9% of GDP this year). Pictures from that are in the link above as well. The Prime Minister is in the blue tie (and most of the photos), the other man is Howard Davies, Chair of the LSE.

The only other item of note from this afternoon was that I made it back into HSBC, got my UK debit card, and successfully made a 100 pound deposit!

Tonight, I'm off on the Tube to Chelsea to go see a movie - here's hoping this rain stops and goes away already!

SSLC Election

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- The results are in, and I have won my first election at LSE! I, along with one other student, was elected to represent our MSc program to the LSE Department of Government faculty and staff throughout the year in the "Staff-Student Liaison Committee." The committee meets a couple of times each term where we discuss any issues students might have regarding office hours of professors, assignments technicalities, library times, lectures by the department (regular and special), and really anything that has to do with the administrative functions of the department. In past committees, students have successfully been able to better allocate library space for group study, allow cell phones for non-talking use (texting, emails, internet), and more. To say the least, I'm honored that I was elected by the program (if any of you are actually reading this, thanks for voting), and I'm excited to get to work!

In a partially related note, today is the first UGM - LSE general assembly meeting. Every Thursday from 1-2pm the LSE student government meets, and unlike most student governments, it is always in an open forum, which means it is open to all students and all students can vote on any issue presented. This is VERY different from UW-Madison, where only in exceptional circumstances did the entire student population have the right to vote on anything (and usually just to elect candidates to vote on their behalf). Today is the first UGM of the term, and so I'm making it a point to go. Since I was just elected to the SSLC, I might seek an appointment at the UGM to some type of office if the opportunity presents itself, but we'll see.

Besides the UGM, I have a two hour lecture this afternoon in my quantitative statistical analysis class that should be interesting. Usually I have an hour-long class immediately following, but this week we don't have the seminar so I'm done right after the lecture.

Weather update: the sun is finally shining again in London, four days later! It's a beautiful day today, not a cloud in the sky, and I'm excited to get outside and put on the sunglasses.

That's all for now! Tonight: LETS GO HAWKS!!!

Acai

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- Acai, pronounced "ah-sigh-EE," is a berry that is grown in the Amazon in Brazil. I was first introduced to acai in March in Rio de Janeiro, with my Uncle J, and I've been hooked ever since (see picture above). Acai is a berry, about the size of a grape and a dark purple color, and per berry has the highest concentration of antioxidants known to exist on the planet. After falling in love with acai (and drinking it almost every day in Rio for over a week), I have constantly kept my eyes and ears open to see where else I might stumble across it. At home, in the Chicago area, the only way to access acai is through a mixed smoothie at Jamba Juice (that is not very good) or as a dietary supplement (also not very good).

Then, just under a month ago, my luck changed in the small town of Kailua on Oahu, in Hawaii. This place had THE best acai since Rio, it was fresh, mixed with honey and granola and berries on top, and you can see my excitement in the other picture above. After sharing this delicious treat with zama jaan, I returned to the acai-less world of Illinois, but lucky for me, this lasted only one week! Since I've been in London, I have now had acai twice! The first time was at a cafe in one of the LSE academic buildings a few days ago, and the second time is right this moment as I type this blog entry. Mmmmmmm aca-iiiiiiiii! I asked them to make it like they did in Kailua, with honey and berries mixed in, and they happily complied. The best news? This fruit place is literally a 60 second walk from my front door! It is rather expensive, but combined with a pastry it works as a meal and it's not all that bad.

That's all for now - for those of you who have experienced the wonderful world of acai, be jealous (unless you're in Rio or Hawaii, in which case I'm jealous of you). For those of you who have not, keep an eye out and try it the first chance you get!

Long day in London-town

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- I'm going to sleep well tonight. You know how sometimes you just have such a busy and productive day that you know the second you hit that bed you'll pass out and sleep all night? That's me, right now.

It started off like any other day. Woke up, caught up on the end of yesterday's news cycle from the US, emails. Decided to get an early start on my trek to campus since it was raining pretty hard and it is quite the walk when dry. Pavement in Europe gets considerably more slick than your average American sidewalk in the rain, so what is normally a 20-25 minute hike is instead a 40 minute hike (imagine snow instead of dry). Anyway I made good timing regardless and started getting things done. Since today was a new class for me, I stopped in the supply store and picked up a new notebook, then stopped by the lotto store and cashed in that 2 pound note. Since I was still early, I stopped at the Garrick, which is a food place at LSE, and grabbed a banana and some juice for a snack.

DV415 is the code for "Global Environmental Governance," and I am excited for this course to say the least. My professor, it turns out, brings quite the developmental experience and ideology to the plate. When looking at climate change, for example, the solutions presented by environmentalists all address the causes of climate change (burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, etc). BUT, my professor argues, why don't we also assimilate to a pseudo-reality that frankly speaking, there will never be a carbon footprint on the planet like there was in 1800 ever again. Population and technology forbid it. Instead of focusing 100% on the causes, why not invest in technology to build better sea walls in the US Gulf Coast, diversify crops in Bangladeshi rice fields, and harness medical technology to circumvent the loss of biodiversity? NOW, I personally disagree with pretty much everything I just said; however, I'm fascinated to learn more about the ideas and reasoning behind the ideology. True, no matter what we do, we can't control sun flares or a magnetic pole reversal, however, there are other benefits besides curbing global warming to environmentalism (cancer-free air and water, for starters). Furthermore, my professor is among the scholars who will govern the December 2009 Copenhagen Summit that will develop the new framework and governing body that will replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol (which we have all no-doubt heard of in some context). The idea that Copenhagen will address these "realities" in addition to targeting the causes is what gives belief to the possibility that Brazil, India, and China (and the United States, for that matter) will also sign on. Yeah, 90 minutes of lecture were interesting to say the least.

After that mind tease, I had a delicious toasted goat cheese, tomato, and pesto panini for only 2 pounds which I thought was a fabulous deal for lunch, and then I ran back up into LSE - H (building code) to meet with my MSc advisor. Turns out all of the courses I registered for satisfy my graduation requirements, and in addition to my MSc in Public Policy and Administration, I'll also receive a stream focus certificate in Comparative Politics and Administration. Graduation is December 2010 - save the date (or month, at this point)!

I rushed home after my meeting with my advisor, dropped off some of my coursework, and then headed to the nearest medical clinic which is about a 10 minute walk away. After a wonderful 35 minute delay in the waiting room, the nurse saw me, and I'm perfectly healthy. Interestingly it also turns out I'm in the best shape I've been in for years. I weigh a solid 10 pounds less than the last time I weighed myself (which I'll admit was almost 2 months ago, but still). I'm going to chalk it up to the insane amount of walking I'm doing as opposed to eating less - in fact it's probably because there are free water fill-up stations everywhere, so I keep using those instead of buying Sprite (they call it "lemonade" here, which begs the question, if I want actual lemonade, how do I find that?) or Ginger Ale or something with a ton of sugar in it. And actually even if I do get one of those once in awhile, it's made with actual cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, so my body can actually handle it and flush it out right away (since I am doing all this walking). Okay enough of this massive tangent, the point is I'm now registered with the UK National Health Service, so if I need to see a doctor, I just go there and unless any crazy tests are needed, it's freeeeeeeeee!!!!! :)

After heading home I changed quickly and then walked all the way back to LSE for a volunteer fair, where I registered with four different groups - two environmental groups, one educational group, and then the UK Red Cross emergency response team. If things get bad in Britain, they're calling this guy to help! It's good to get involved though obviously, so if I actually only ever volunteer for two groups, that means I'm volunteering for those two groups, involved with two different LSE societies (ultimate frisbee and Israel), and standing for election for this campaign (which, the ballot went out today by the way, so we'll see what happens tomorrow or the next day). I'd say between all of that and my academic program I have a pretty good all-around plate for the year! When the fair finished I returned home, had some dinner downstairs (just some pasta with a big bowl of fresh cut up fruit for dessert), and here I am!

Weather report: like said, disgusting. Sadly the outlook does not seem to improve from here. More rain tomorrow, Friday, and Monday with temperatures not set to get out of the 50s. Hopefully they're wrong!

Sports report: no updates for now. Chelsea plays tomorrow night I believe, so I'll check that out, and then the Blackhawks play Thursday night, but they're way too late for me to stay up.

Tomorrow: my second actual "free day" since I got here. I have a ton to do as far as registering for these volunteer agencies online and whatnot, but no classes on Wednesdays and no official social events to speak of. Expect another blog entry! For now, I'm off to a wonderful world of sleep!

Three for three and my first day of class

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- Well it ended up being quite the finish for a weekend in sports. Not only did Chelsea win 2-0 to stay on top of the table in the UK Premier League (which I happen to have a nice chunk of change on in Vegas at favorable odds), but the Bears stomped all over the Lions in their second half Sunday afternoon for a nice 48-24 win to go into their bye week at 3-1! Then, after I was long asleep, my pick in the pool, San Francisco, destroyed St. Louis 35-0, so I'm still in the pool, with insurance, and get to pick some ridiculous team this week and actually try to lose.

Yesterday was my first day of class, which went great, and it's officially in the books! I had a lecture and then later in the afternoon a seminar for the same class, GV4E9, which is code for "Issues and Approaches in Public Policy and Administration." It is the mandatory class for my MSc program, so everyone I met last week is in the lecture, plus it's open to other students, so we probably had around 30 students in the lecture (our program is 26), and then the seminars are half of the group, so 15 and 15. We basically had an introductory lecture on what the study of public policy and administration is, and then in the seminar compared it to bureaucracy and how bureaucracy is the administrative means by which policies are formed and then implemented.

Besides class yesterday I got another free SIM card with a couple of pounds on it, so after my cell phone pay-and-go money runs out I'll use this one just to see if it works. I also activated my landline in my room, so if it's cheaper for you to call a UK landline than a UK cell phone try this:

0044 844 550 6666 and then extension 22671

I also stopped by the HSBC bank and they gave my my account numbers and pass codes, so I can do online banking with them now. Still waiting for the Debit card however which should come in the mail later this week, that way I can make deposits without stopping in.

Lastly I went to the National Health Service registry, they copied my passport and I filled out some paperwork, and now later today I have an appointment with them for a quick physical and then I'll actually be registered in case I ever need to see a doctor or whatnot.

Other than that, today I have a few other things going on. I have another lecture at 12:30pm on Global Environmental Governance, which is a topic that fascinates me and should be really interesting. Immediately after that I am meeting my supervisor for the first time, to go over course choices and make sure I have actually registered for all of the requirements to get my MSc in on time, and then also to start talking about possible dissertation options.

After that is my physical with NHS, then a quick break for either a late lunch or early dinner before going to a Volunteering Fair at LSE where I can meet companies looking for volunteers and get active in that way.

Weather notes: yesterday was the first true garbage day in the two weeks I've been in London now (yup, two weeks from today already!), and go figure it was the first day of class. 50s, wind, and nasty rain. Bad news: today is more of the same. I can hardly see past St. Paul's, which means there is a whole lot of fog and rain and all kinds of gross. It's not so much of an issue right now, during the day, but at night to and then especially from that volunteer fair I'll have to keep an eye out for the slick spots.

So there you have it! Today is a full day, but tomorrow interestingly enough, nothing on the calendar! I suppose if there is something I can't get to - buying that Britta, cashing that 2 pound lotto ticket, etc - I can do it tomorrow.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Success! Go for three!

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- Two games, two teams, two victories, two points! First up I got to listening to the Blackhawks play their second game of the season, still in Helsinki against the Florida Panthers, and this time they dominated. Each goal scorer from Friday night scored again last night, and so did one more, except this time, we didn't give anything up on defense. So instead of a 4-3 SO loss, we had a 4-0 shutout victory! And get this - our backup goalie, Antti Niemi, started the game and he's from Finland! They gave the number one star to the Hawks player who literally grew up 6 miles from the rink, what a story. So the Hawks are back in Chicago already with 3/4 points in the book, they get two days off, then start practicing for Detroit on Thursday. Detroit, by the way, is 0-2 to start the year, so a victory there would really be a great way for us to start off and an ugly way for them.

In the other big game from yesterday, the UW Badgers beat archrival Minnesota 31-28 in a game that never seemed to settle down one way or the other. The game was in the new Minnesota stadium that is actually on the UM campus (as opposed to a few mile hike to the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis), and UM took a 13-10 lead at halftime. In the second half, however, the "Clay display" and "Tolzein train" took over and brought the Badgers back for the 31-28 victory! Wisconsin is now 5-0 (2-0 Big Ten) to start the season, and next week travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State. If we win that game, we're for real and this might be a special year.

Today I actually met someone else from our hall, Jacob, from Maine, who is a PhD student in international relations. We met up with a couple of guys from Germany and had brunch downstairs, and we're going to all meet up at 4pm for the Chelsea v. Liverpool game. Apparently there are 2 pound pints for the game and they'll have it on all the TVs, so it should be fun! After the game the Bears play Detroit, and much later I have San Francisco taking down St. Louis in the office pool. Here's hoping for a trio of victories on super Sunday in London round 1! Well actually round 2 (and last Sunday the Bears won, so that was a good precedent).

Also found a place that sells Brita's, so I'm going to grab one of those tomorrow.

That's all for now!

Schedule! Having another productive day

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- No, those pictures are not from London. They're from Rio! Just wanted to add a couple to give you an idea of how picturesque the city is. The top picture is of me on Ipanema Beach, the bottom one is from the top of Sugar Loaf looking back at the city.

I am getting things done! It's probably the first true lousy day weather-wise since I've been here. No, not raining, but London lousy (my new form of "Glenwood Gray") - cloudy, windy, 50s. So as much as I can get done inside I am.

I managed to file a maintenance report (light bulb burnt out in one of the lamps), checked my snail-mail (nothing yet, but at least I know how to do it now), took out the trash. Online, I registered for two of my three seminars (the window for the third one opens on Monday), and so I now have an actual schedule for Oct 5-Dec 11:

Mondays:

12:00pm-1:00pm - Public Policy and Administration Lecture

2:00pm-3:30pm OR 4:00pm-5:30pm - Public Policy and Administration Seminar

Tuesdays:

12:30pm-2:00pm - Global Environmental Governance Lecture

Wednesdays:

Zilch zip nada nothing zero

Thursdays:

2:00pm-4:00pm - Quantitative Analysis Lecture

4:00pm-5:00pm - Quantitative Analysis Computer Seminar

Fridays:

1:00pm-2:00pm - Global Environmental Governance Seminar

There you have it! Two classes on Mondays and Thursdays, one on Tuesdays and Fridays, and nothing on Wednesdays. I would say that it sounds "easy" except that I know all three of these classes are going to completely kick my ass, so I'll let you know a month from now. I found out that in general, Wednesdays are usually left as "public days" at UK universities, meaning that there are many lectures, career services meetings, and things of that nature. Some people have class on Wednesday, but most do not. There was an option to take that Global Environmental Governance Seminar on Thursday evening, but I figured three in one day might be a little too much and at least for this first term, I would rather spread it around. I'm very excited for the Public Policy and Administration class as well as the Global Environmental Governance class... both of them are exactly what I'm interested in and part of my program. Quantitative Analysis, on the other hand, is a mandatory LSE thing (you aren't allowed to get an LSE degree without being able to understand numbers, since with an LSE degree you're pretty much expected around the world to be able to do just that), and I'm approaching it much more cautiously.

I also found a doctor to go register with for the National Health Service (mandatory for all non-UK citizens), they're open Monday afternoon after my lecture. I was expecting a phone call from HSBC yesterday, but never received one, so I'll also be stopping at a branch on Monday (there is one right by campus on my way to/from).

Get this - I also scored a ticket to a lecture by the Prime Minister of Hungary, Gordon Bajnai, about how in Hungary his approach to exit the economic recession is by turning to sustainable environmental production. The ticket requests are made online and are granted based on status at LSE. The lecture is on Friday next week, I will be sure to post about it.

That's all for now - hoping for a Blackhawks win and a Badgers win, both games start in about an hour. Bears and Blues (Chelsea) tomorrow.

Rio 2016, Finally found an electronics/appliances place

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- Well after my long impassioned plea on behalf of Chicago 2016, we ended up losing out in the first round of voting. Then Tokyo. Then Madrid. Thus leaving Rio de Janeiro as host city for the 2016 games. Having just been to Rio in March, I can say with certainty that they are going to put on a hell of a show. I would love to try and get there, and if not, will be watching for sure. Funny, within three days in March I was in both Rio and London, the two cities hosting the next two Olympics.

Then after that disappointment the Blackhawks decided to dominate their hockey game only for our crappy excuse for a goalie Cristobal Hueeeeeeeeeeet to blow it repeatedly during the game and then yet again in the shootout. At least we got 1 point from that one, and can exact revenge as soon as tomorrow.

Hopefully tomorrow on the sports-related front things go better. The Badgers battle the Golden Gophers for Paul Bunyan's Axe in Minneapolis at 11:00AM CT. At the same time the Hawks drop the puck in Finland for part two of the NHL premier, except this time we want 2 points!

In non-sports related news, I had a productive afternoon on my way back from LSE after the library induction. I came across a place that has alarm clocks for sale! And get this: they sold mini-refrigerators too! The alarm clock looks nice - we'll see how I feel about it when it's waking me up. I just had a drink from a water bottle that has been in the fridge for a couple of hours and it's nice and chilled. All for 40 GBP, not too bad. Oh and the fridge is technically a "cooler," so I should be able to get away with not paying the 30 GBP fridge fee.

That's all for now - have a good night everyone.

Video of the Chicago 2016 Bid

Update: Here is a video from the BBC that was part of Chicago's final presentation:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8286505.stm

Chicago 2016, Blackhawks, and the food downstairs

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- So as most of you are aware today the International Olympic Committee is meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, just a ways across the North Sea from here, to decide which city will host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. For a long time now, I have supported Chicago's bid, and it is for several reasons. First, I love the city, and to showcase it to the world as the great city I know it is on this level can only be done by hosting the Olympics. In the developed world, Chicago is one of the largest cities in the world that has not ever hosted the Olympics (though we did have the World Fair). The architecture is unparalleled. The sight lines along Lake Michigan and in Millennium Park and Grant Park during the summer are the best. What better way to bring the world to Chicago, and Chicago to the world, than through the Olympics? Simply from a historical perspective it would forever transform the legacy of our city. From an economic standpoint, it would bring thousands of jobs and billions of dollars into the local economy, all very much needed right now.

Chicago is also a sports town, perhaps the best. The Olympics are the epitome of sport. Could there be a better fit? The Chicago 2016 plan is solid. Most of the infrastructure already exists. O'Hare is already being modernized to handle the capacity. There are 78,000 hotel rooms downtown ready for the influx. CTA and Metra lines are already being upgraded. McCormick Place is the largest convention center in the world, and has the capacity to handle the international media as well as an array of the indoor events. The stadium to be built in Washington Park will be brought down, materials recycled instead of erecting another mammoth building to sit empty for 300 days a year. The Olympic Village along the lake will be LEED certified for environmental efficiency. The athletes will be within an 8 mile radius of their venues to cut on transportation headaches, cost, and waste.

Finally, the city has a plan that will cost $4.8 billion. This number is backed in unprecedented insurance guarantees, and the full support of the Chicago city council, and the U.S. Federal Government. The last three American Olympics have all made profits. All in all, Chicago 2016 has a robust plan. I want Chicago to be the best city it can be, and this is the pinnacle of a test that can push the city to that point. I want to see the city be challenged and make it through, and give a games to the world that will never be forgotten.


Earlier this morning Chicago 2016 gave their final presentation to the IOC. If you want to watch the rest of the proceedings, go to:
http://www.olympic.org/en/content/Olympic-Games/Candidate-Cities/Elections-for-the-2016-Games/

The order of presentations was: Chicago, Tokyo, Rio, Madrid. The first round of voting is scheduled for 3PM BST (9AM CT), and we'll see how long it takes!

In other news, tonight is the NHL opening faceoff live from Helsinki, Finland (also just a short hop over the North Sea from here). The Blackhawks drop the puck against the Florida Panthers to start a year that probably has the highest expectations for them in a couple of decades. If they don't make it back to the Conference Finals, it will surely be seen as a bust. This team is certainly capable of winning the Stanley Cup, but a lot of things have to go right and at the right times for that to happen, so we'll see. For the next 82 games however, the goal is to make the playoffs and win the division, and that means that starting tonight, 2 points are 2 points, and we want them both! The game is on Versus in the United States starting at 11AM CT.

In LSE news, my evening induction last night was nice. I met about half of the people in my program. Asaf, the Israeli, is from Ra'annana (on the Mediterranean Coast between Tel Aviv and Haifa) and lives in the same apartment complex as another person I know here. It still amazes me that we can stand around in a circle and talk about life and travel in Mexico, Brazil, the UK, Israel, Korea, and Armenia as if it is really no big deal. This afternoon I have my library induction at LSE, but that is it for on-campus things today. Also I set my academic schedule, and I have lectures on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday each week from now until December. Each lecture also has a seminar that is yet to be assigned, and I have meeting times for my dissertation as well that I have not been assigned yet.

Living in London is great as well. The weather continues to be great. High temperatures are right around 60 degrees every day, lows right around 50 at night. In the morning at dawn it is quite cloudy and dreary, but by 9-10AM it's all blue skies! I'm sure that will change in a hurry, but for now I'm loving it! The cell phone is also working great which is good news. Now all I need is my HSBC bank account information (which should be coming today or early next week) and I'll really be good to go! I'm also doing a pretty good job of keeping the food costs down. There is a "Pret" or an "Eat" just about every block between Bankside and LSE, and they have fresh sandwiches for around 2-3 pounds that are delicious. Also last night I had my first meal in the dining hall here at Bankside, and it was quite tasty and for the full meal with a drink, only 3.70 pounds.

Thank you for reading everyone and for the comments! Keep it up! Crossing my fingers for Chicago 2016!

Did someone say diverse?

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- So I just returned from my departmental induction and then my specific program induction... allow me to list where everyone is from:

5 people from China
3 people from the US (one from Arizona, another from New Jersey, and then myself)
3 people from Canada (all Toronto)
2 people from the UK (one from England, the other Scotland)
2 people from Pakistan
1 from Korea
1 from Greece
1 from Peru
1 from Mexico
1 from Israel (yes, Israel! He's went to Hebrew U in J'lem, not sure where originally though)
1 from Japan
1 from Singapore
1 from Brazil
1 from Croatia
1 from India

There were 2 others from Eastern Europe, but I didn't catch where specifically. Isn't that just amazing though? London is THE most international city in the world, LSE is THE most international School in the world, and I'm now convinced I am in THE most international MSc program in the world.

Just had to put that out there!