Living the West Wing... Kind Of

A new country, a new apartment.. that also means a new job. And though sadly the job I am currently doing is unpaid, I have to say it certainly is a great one. Having returned now from my second day at work, I am confident I am really going to enjoy my time here in Madison, even if I do have to scrounge around for money.

I jumped right in on day one, practising my American accent with tech support, as I set up my computer access via the phone. The guy on the phone did the crazy big brother thing, taking over control of my computer, which though I am sure is actually quite simple, still really amazes me. As an intern, I thought I'd get ordered around left right and centre, told to fetch this, grab that, restock this, bring coffee here etc. etc. But they have a whole paid staff to do that at the Capitol, the Sargent-At-Arms and the page staff. So instead I find myself with a lot of freedom to do meaningful stuff. And the time to research things I don't know, and get clued up; getting up-to-date on politics being a necessity, as the primaries (elections to establish candidates for the general election) take place next week, September 14th.

I haven't really had many jobs, but I am sure everyone shares the same nervous feeling as they enter a new work place for the first time. There are established rules and ethics that you just don't know about. "Should I sit there, or is that someone's place," "Do I just grab this, or should I ask." I even think about things like "Do I need to ask to go to the toilet!" Then of course, you get told everyone's name once, and are expected to remember it.

Anyhow, my first day went well, after learning the ropes of the office. I met the Representative I was working for briefly as he rushed past to get to a hearing, and then after helping the staff bring his belongings in, I slipped into the hearing and watched Wisconsin politics at work. I was in there for almost 2 hours, and though it sounds boring, it was actually really interesting, learning about the emergency management system in Wisconsin, and what needs to be done to improve it. It was great to see Senators, Lawyers and Representatives in action too, almost exactly like I imagined it, except that it was a little more relaxed, with people coming and going as they please.

I did learn a great fact about Wisconsin... this summer they have had 40 tornados... the annual average is 21! Roll on the winter weather :)

After the hearing, I made a quick stop at a fundraiser to meet some more people. It was in an upstairs room of a bar, and it was exactly like something out of a West-Wing campaign... I swear there were Toby and Josh lookalikes everywhere.

Day two consisted of me largely observing the office workings, while watching the guy I am working for run around everywhere, hopping from meeting to phone call to meeting. No wonder it is hard to get him standing still in one place for 5 minutes. While I observed everything, I also worked on my Wisconsin geography, as I found addresses for various people Peter wanted to send comments to, usually about an article he had seen about them in news. Today I also took a tour of my workplace, which is truly incredible. Walking up to the building everyday, it really is beautiful, and I cannot believe I am actually working in there. I will post pictures of it soon. Its huge inside, and actually has the largest (in terms of volume) dome in the United States... bigger even than the Capitol in Washington D.C.

Perhaps I will get to work as a tour guide as part of my internship here, in which case, I am sure more random facts will follow.

Tomorrow, we're out on the campagin trail, something entirely different once again!