Quebec City

The National Assembly, just a short walk away from our little auberge.



















Chateau Frontenac





















Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.

















Quebec Premier Jean Charest (in his office)

Organic Scotland

Our trip to Edinburgh was brief, but an intern-favourite, thanks to the laid back atmosphere of the Scottish Parliament.

Some English folks would later remark that our seeming unbridled passion for all things Scottish meant we drank the 'Scottish koolaid.'

Sincerely, we were all very much impressed by the inclusive approach behind the Scottish Parliamentary model - including the free daycare for visitors, tuition for Scottish university students and the general warmth of the Parliamentarians and their staff.

The Parliament itself was designed as an 'organic structure' and from an aerial view, its cluster of buildings and pathways forms the shape of a flower. The architect, a Catalan who died shortly after the plans were agreed upon, conceptualized a building where natural elements abound - wood panels, and glass windows of unique shapes and sizes representing roots, branches and twigs. Unfortunately, the lack of standardized sizes resulted in a budget which ballooned year after year, and in the Canadian political vernacular became a 'boondoggle' of billion dollar proportions. More than anything, the Scottish Parliament felt like a community centre, where locals get together and share concerns and ideas. For many who live in
Scotland, our perceptions might be idealized, but after our experiences with many other legislative bodies, we could not help but be enthusiastic.

London, Baby!

We arrived in London on a Sunday morning, the coach and our official Foreign Office guide, Priscilla, collected us at Heathrow and shuttled us off to Goodenough College.

London was a swirl of meetings on the Environment and Afghanistan. On the environmental front, we were lambasted for Canada's poor efforts to reduce emissions, up until one of the interns asked about Britain's complicity - specifically, that UK-based company's profit from mining, oil and gas exploration in Canada.

There was also much talk about Canada's seal hunt - a topic which is barely on the radar of average Canadians who do not live on the East Coast.

The highlights of my London 2008 visit were all related to family and friends - Hil and Edward, Nathan, and the Au clan cousins.

Sadly, the torrential rain and wind broke my favourite cow print umbrella - just outside Westminster Abbey.