People watching in New York

I have been to places as far away as Mongolia, Benin and Peru, and yet I had never been to New York... until now.

I'm staying with a friend on Long Island and I have to say that being in the US is not like any other travelling experience. It's so strange to arrive in a country where everyone speaks the same language, looks the same, eats the similar food and yet... everything is bigger, taller and faster than in London. I don't just mean the buildings and the cars, the people here are huge, it's like living in a land of giants!

While the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building definitely had the "Wow factor" it's been people watching that has provided the priceless experiences. Today on the beach in the Hamptons I overheard an obese man saying to his wife (who had a lovely figure) "Oh my gawd, you're going to give yourself a heart attack worrying about healthy eating." (You have to read this using a strong New York accent in your head.) He was the only one out of the couple who was at risk of a heart attack.

The thing that made me really laugh was the woman in her 60s who had brought a deck chair and a cold box and spent the day lying back and soaking up the sun. Her skin was like well worn brown leather, she had peroxide blonde hair, bright pink lipstick smeared on her lips and giant black sunglasses. This peculiar sight became distinctly amusing when she decided that some exercise was in order. What about a walk down the beach or a swim? No, this lady whips out a bright green resistance band and starts doing all manner of bizarre exercises. The funniest involved holding the band on her head while she bent and flexed one of her legs.

Only in America...

SOAS Cleaners Deported

Why isn't this front page news?

SOAS Cleaners Deported

It's a terrible day when one of the most "liberal" British universities refuses to defend the rights of immigrants.

Espoir de Demain (Tomorrow's Hope)

The fundraiser at the weekend to get Beninese orphans to school was well worth the effort and exhaustion. To date we have raised £2000 which will pay for the school fees of at least 66 children.

It was so amazing to have so many people come together for some kids on the other side of the world. It made me feel really optimistic about what's possible. It's not just about giving them an education. Going to school offers real protection from trafficking, domestic service, slavery, abuse and isolation.

What an excellent idea... an all women government

I thought this article from the the Guardian about an all women government showed the first real initiative to come out of the media for some time.

BNP adds to exam misery

How is it possible that the BNP have won seats in the cradle of democracy?

Not only do I have to sit two more exams this week but I have to look at the horrible, smug face of Nick Griffin peering out of various television screens. The idiots who pelted eggs at him during a press conference outside of Westminster have only added fuel to his fire. Don't they realise that there's no such thing as bad publicity?

This is an indicator that those who are passionate about a politics of justice and equality need to stand up and act NOW more than ever. So many people are disillusioned at this juncture by expenses, lack of leadership etc. But that doesn't mean we should hide in the shroud of apathy, it means we should act and take responsibility for the changes we want to effect.

I just thought I'd leave you with this article about women and 'having it all'. Things drastically need to change and having balanced leadership in politics would be a good start.

Exam Stress and European Elections

Well, my first exam is on Monday so my stress levels are sky high. However, political developments have kept me busy enough to avoid a complete meltdown. The European election are the first elections I have been really involved in and I loved every minute of it! I was given very menial tasks: collecting polling numbers, leafleting, ticking numbers off lists etc. However, it gives you that sense that you're contributing to something larger. Maybe one day, I'll be the person I'm trying to get people to vote for!

The other thing keeping me busy (aside from revision) is fundraising: I did an internship in a small West African country, Benin, and I'm currently trying to raise funds for an NGO called Espoir de Demain (Tomorrow's Hope) to try and get 200 orphans to school. I've read so many websites about how to deal with exam stress, but it's focussing on the bigger issues like this that helps me keep things in perspective. (I also try and avoid other stressed out people, eat lots of M&S raspberry royales -yum!, and ring my boyfriend for moral support).

I have been rather stunned by the lack of women in the new cabinet, but unfortunately the books beckon, so that rant will have to wait for another day.

Too many expenses... not enough women

Well, I'm currently revising for exams... two weeks from now and I'll never have to sit another exam in my life!!!

In the meantime I'm very much looking forward to meeting with the Downing Street Project and the WOLF network who are trying to get more women into the UK Parliament and look at more effective ways of doing politics. This is the perfect moment for organisations such as these to take the initiative given the current expenses crisis in Westminster. I'm so bored of reading about it every day. We know there's a problem, so can we please move on and work out how to solve it?

It also makes me angry that the crisis has overshadowed the hard work of Joanna Lumley to get justice for the Gurkhas. She showed the politicians how to really get things done, it was a real demonstration of what celebrities can do with their fame and fortune. Instead it was hidden on page 10 of the Telegraph behind more photos of MPs who have abused their power and privilege.

The media attention given to expenses has also served to taint the MPs who don't sponge off the taxpayer. I have been interning for Emily Thornberry who uses a substantial amount of her salary to finance her constituency office where staff work tirelessly to resolve the problems of her constituents. I was pleased this article from the Guardian got the truth out there.

Hey ho, back to revision.