Buildings of London, both modern and ancient

Last week, I had the opportunity to tour two of London's most impressive buildings. I was taken to both of these places on work-related assignments.  Being employed by the Embassy definitely has it's perks!

I spent all of Tuesday at a conference in the first of the buildings...Bloomberg!  It was dazzling and futuristic, from the high tech security to the posh coffee machines (completely free and unlimited use for employees, of course).  We were served breakfast, lunch, and drinks, and we heard from top executives in the business world.  The theme of the conference was innovation in techonology, the slogan being "The Future. The Finance. The Talent."  The speakers included the Chief Executive for Microsoft UK, and the Head of Marketing for Facebook in Europe!  It was an incredible shot for a college student like me to get to hear from such high-ranking professionals.  Best of all, my attendance at the conference was free since I went as an Embassy rep.  The pictures don't do it justice, but take a look!

Front desk

Auditorium where the conference took place

Reception hall...so much free food!

The very next day, I was privileged to get a tour of one of the oldest and most royal event halls in London...Guildhall.  The ancient gothic cathedral-like design was a perfect contradiction to the Bloomberg building, but it has been modernized surprisingly well.  There are metal detectors and steel and glass railings meshed right in with the thousand-year-old stone walls and elaborate tapestries.  It seems like those features could never be found in the same building, but the City of London truly did a seamless job.  It's unfortunate that I wasn't able to take pictures of the inside, but here's a grand view from the outside.

Guildhall, London

The U.S. Embassy will be holding an investment conference at this venue in October called Invest in North America.  It features representatives and speakers from different industries in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.  We've been working closely with the other countries (lots of visits to the Canadian Embassy!) to organize the conference.  Myself and the Canadian intern have been put in charge of managing the website, which I am thrilled to do!  My major at A&M is Management Information Systems (basically business technology), so this task could not be more perfect for me.

Lastly, I visited the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.  Sounds a bit boring and bureaucratic...but it was pretty legit.  Basically, countries from all over the world pool their money and invest in developing countries (mostly in Africa and Asia).  This is how economies in third-world countries begin to grow, with help from their neighbors.  We got a glimpse of the board room where all the action takes place (apparently some 10 hour board meetings! Ugh...).  Looks pretty cool, though, and had an awesome view of St. Paul's Cathedral.

EBRD Board Room

Basically, if you are a business major, or a poly sci major, or you just want to work/travel....DO THIS INTERNSHIP!!!  It has blown my mind; I have met awesome people, worked on incredible projects, and seen amazing places that I will be able to talk about for years to come (talk about a resume booster!).  Not trying to brag, just want to make sure my friends at Texas A&M know that awesome opportunities like this are literally right at our feet!  If you want more information on how to do this, let me know.  This internship isn't just for Aggies either, anyone can apply!

Anyway, that's a little glimpse at some of the exciting opportunities I have, thanks to the U.S. Embassy!    I'll give you a look at my everyday tasks as soon as I catch up on my other posts.

Next up...SCOTLAND!!!  Stay in touch :)

Much love,
Hayley