This second week here in Mexico City was a continuation of great experiences. I had the opportunity to attend more Senate Committee hearings, but this time they were held at the new Senate building. One of the committees was that of the Energy commission, this was a meeting between the PEMEX director and its board members, and a bicameral legislative board. Although getting out and seeing the government in action was exciting, things were still busy back at the office. I hope to get out and do some siteseeing this weekend!

So this was the first week at GEP and I am  learning so much already. My co-workers are great, and I was allowed to tag along to a meeting of the Senate Committee on Agriculture (chaired by Senador Alberto Cardenas Jimenez of the state of Jalisco). The meeting was in the Torre Caballito, but since the new Senate building is finished the affairs of the Senate are beginning to switch over. Traffic here is horrible, so walking to work seems to be the reliable and logical mode of transportation for me. I live just a block from the Stock Market building, so walking to work (located in Polanco) is only a 20 or 25 minutes walk. Additionaly, I arrived at the perfect time as now in Mexico City they are having the "Celebration of Cultures" festival, and all along the Paseo de la Reforma there are booths that sell food, textiles, jewelry, and literature from all the different countries ranging from Russia and Germany to Iraq and Sudan (I always stop at the Greek booth for some Gyros). However I find it odd that the North Korean booth is always closed.