Week Three

Greetings everyone,

So week three is in the books and it was family visit week. My parents and persevering grandma made it to D.C. to see me in action. We had a great time just hanging out, eating dinner, and of course I had to give them a tour of the Capitol.

Work was also really invigorating. I decided to up the ante and start brainstorming possible things I could do to test my influence in Congress. Suddenly I had a light bulb turn on. I was going to draft a piece of legislation to introduce to Congress. Unfortunately, attempt numero uno was unsuccessful as I proposed to the legislative director in the office a bill that would send American forces into Somalia and do something very similar to what we have found ourselves doing in the Middle East. So my controversial side was thwarted, but my ambition was still at an all time high. I got right back to the drawing board and, with the help of the Congressman's executive assistant, I tailored my efforts more towards a dual-partisanship bill. This time I kept my efforts in the vicinity of Somalia, but geared the focus of the bill on a less controversial topic: condemning the child conscription of Somalia soldiers/children in the South. This was an opportunity to put my research on Somalia for my IB extended essay, what at first seemed to be extraneous, to good use. Because I have really explored the last two decades of the region in nearly every major facet, being able to use my knowledge and research to influence our country's foreign policy seemed too surreal. But, as I wait for the legislative director to return back to the office on Monday, I have a good feeling that this proposed bill will be approved and I will be one step closer to making a real life impact in United States international relations.

On Thursday, I had an opportunity to get to know my Congressman at the intern going away ice cream party we had during after hours in the office. One of our interns is on the out, and the Congressman was a nice enough guy to give her the time of day. For an hour, I tuned in to hear him tell us some of his most cherished moments in politics and some of the most gut wrenching hilarious anecdotes. I certainly learned that the Congressman was a Renaissance-Esq politique. He was a man of integrity, humor, resilience, and leadership that has done him and those he surrounds himself with, well.

This week was an attempt to step up to the plate, take a swing, and hope for the best. And going into the weekend, I feel really upbeat. I am trying my best to make this internship count.

Thanks everyone for following me on this unforgettable journey!

1st week

Hey everyone,
So today I was able to push through and wrap up the week. It was pretty difficult just adapting to the time change here on the East Coast. As far as the week went in general, I had a solid experience. I was able to attend a briefing on Iran and the Green Movement as it continues to receive U.N. Security Council Sanctions and yet manages to receive backing from Turkey and Brazil for its highly coveted oil prospects. I aslo had an opportunity to tour the U.S. Capitol Builiding and soak in all of the details of anything ranging from Freedom to Father Serra's statue in Statuary Hall. I made my way to the House Gallery and got a good look at the entire lawmakers' perspective on the floor. On Wednesday, I had the great honor of listening to an hour long speech and question/answer period from Associate Supreme Court Madame Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She had an awesome take on finding new opportunities and bettering oneslf. I took copious notes. In the office, other than completing the typical intern filing tasks, computer work, mail sorting, and telephone calls, I got to write a case report on the Human Rights debate in Colombia where the Center Left Uribe/Santos Party has been accused of carrying out what many others believe to be paramilitary influenced killings of hundreds of innocent civilians. That was the first time when I got to put my IX research to work in the real world to influence national foreign policy objectives. On Friday, I attended a briefing on Israel and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Although it was informative, I must admit it was a bit slow. But, being able to hear from Israelis in person concerning their views of Prime Minister Netanyahu's proimises for change (similar to those made by our own President), was eye opening at the very least. So I would have to say that I am already making great strides in the office and hopefully in our nation's capital. I have kept myself busy every second of the work day whether that means asking around the office for additional work, or reading the Congressional Quarterly eagerly scouring the House hearings for something good, relevant to my international political intrigue. And I guess I can sum up the week with a note about my IB extended essay that I will be completing while I am here in D.C. My topic of interest is the Al-Qaeda network taking advantage of the transitional government in Mogadishu, Somalia. And knowing the Council on Foreign Relations is just around the corner and the House Committee for Foreign Affairs is literally on the same floor as my Congressman's office, I will have ample opportunities to get quality resources for my paper. As if that isn't enough, I was also able to run into a taxi driver who was born and raised in Ehtiopia. I asked him if he knew much about his neighboring country, Somalia, and, lone behold, he ended up knowing quite a bit. So, I asked for his contact information and I plan to give him and his family a ring to interview them about the Islamic unity that has led ot much of Al-Qaeda's power grab in Somalia.

This week certainly opened more doors for me. This is truly an adventure that I have just begun. Not only does my plate seem to be full, I am using my schooling and my passion for international relations to get a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the movers and shakers of American foreign policy.

Week Two

Hey Everyone,

So week two is in the books! I would have to say that I am feeling comfortable with D.C. by now and my office has been an enjoyable atmosphere. On Monday, I helped lead a tour through the Capitol Building. And soon enough, it got interesting. About twenty minutes into the tour, two older women decided to make an entrance into our group on a whim. They told me that they had no tour guide and figured they would just jump in on my group. So, being the polite and slightly inexperienced tour guide I am, I let them tag along. It paid off. By the end of the tour, I had practically gotten to know the two women as if they were family. Before we departed, one of the women proceeded to tell me that she was from Romania and had recently moved to the U.S. and married the former undersecretary to the Navy under the Reagan and H.W. Bush administrations. She then wrote down her contact information and told me that she wanted me to come over to her D.C. home and have a barbecue with her and her husband (who has a wikipedia page). This is an awesome opportunity to talk to this guy about my IB essay on Somalia. He likely will have a wealth of information concerning the piracy problem in the Gulf of Aden. This week I also began summarizing testimonials of experts that were to be cross-examined by my Congressman during a House Judiciary Committee hearing. I focused on cyber security and global airline consolidation and competition. So, I managed to, once again, maintain an international focus on my office work. As far as events that I attended, I made my way on Wednesday to a hearing on "Press Freedoms in the Americas," where I learned about the one-party dominated television in Nicaragua and Honduras alongside the twenty journalists being held in Cuba for violating press laws. On Thursday, I sat in on another hearing entitled "The Horn of Africa," where all my wishes came true. In fact, not only was I able to compile endless notes and expert analysis on the epidemic in Somalia, I got to sit among residents of Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia which made the experience all the more real. I felt like I was part of the U.N. trying to shape foreign policy. It was powerful to say the least. On Friday, I attended an intern lecture where my Congressman was speaking. And for an hour, my brain was stuffed full of court cases that my Congressman had argued on the Supreme Court when he was Attorney General for California. More importantly, I was dazzled by my representative's youthfulness that he carried into Congress. I spent the rest of the day researching links between Somali local Islamic warring factions and al-Qaeda. But to top off the week, I met three former Federal Bureau of Investigation agents who filled our office in on the type of life an FBI agent lives. Of course this wasn't the reason they made a trip to our office. They had a meeting with the Congressman.

This week was productive. I really enjoy the D.C. environment. I could definitely see myself living here. Well, thanks for keeping up with me and I hope next week has more fun-filled surprises.