Today I went with a colleague to the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to learn about how a Demarche (a fancy word for instructions from Washington) is delivered. It’s a list of talking points that are usually summarized and paraphrased in a conversation. It was fun! I learned that the Necesidades palace (the pink one near the park with all the cacti in it) is, in fact, the Ministry, which is why the palace isn’t publicly open to tourists. But it was an educational time!

Then, after work, the interns went out for a dinner at a syrian restaurant run by resettled refugees. It was incredible food, and incredibly touching to hear how much our–the interns’–work meant to our supervisors. I’d never had Syrian food before, but Stephanie said it was her favorite kind of middle eastern food, and honestly, I can see why. From the appetizers to the dessert–it was amazing. I am going to have to learn.

Anyway, it’s late! Much love!