Arrival

I arrived in the MAD on Thursday morning, flying in from Trokesjar, Ylling on my Yllingese passport.

After passing through Passport Control and Customs, I headed for the taxi rank. The main MAD taxi firm is MADCAB and it does fixed prices to the centre of the MAD (55 New Merits).

The taxi ride is comfortable and fairly quick, taking only 20 minutes. I arrived outside the Senate Building.

The Senate Building is a 25 storey tower, stretching up into the sky. It's the tallest building in the MAD and from the top you can see for miles on a clear day. The lobby is large with an ornate marble floor. There's a large desk in the middle, where Senate staff sit. There's always a long queue for Public Gallery access.

I fortunately had my press pass, which gives access to the Senate Press Gallery, the Press Room (where Senators can make public and off-record statements) and the Committee Rooms.

I waved my pass at the members of the Meritocratic Guard and started my Senate Reporting life.