Week 2

Hi hi,

Well lots happened since my last update, and I'm resorting once again to bullet points!
- Got my UN clearance pass! I look practically demonic (or at least very malevolent) somehow because he took it when I was trying not to close my eyes and you know what happens when we try that - we get pretty darn wide-eyed. Alas.
- Now however, free site-seeing! - The MOMA at least.
- We went around the UN building yesterday (and will do so more now that we all have clearance)
- In getting the passes we got to know the bureaucracy -where the receptionist blabs about her lousy ex husband to her girlfriend (Shannon smartly told her "You're right, just lose him, girlfriend!") and she got a tad (but not sufficient enough to actually hang up) bit flustered. On Entwine. We may need to buy her chocolates. Talk about feeding the system.
- It was pretty funny comparing us to the rest of the UN crowd. They were all attending the "High Level HIV/AIDS committee sessions" and alot of them were pretty colourful characters. We brainstormed ways to speak to people. "long line hey?" didn't go down so well as "I speak Spanish too!" (In Spanish of course) and we friended a mission representative from the Dominican Republic.
- Oh well. I'll have to try, because we are attending this week as well (yes interns attend too! Apparently I'm supposed to see if I can get Egypt on board our side. I'll just smile and see how it goes. The world of diplomacy is new to me. People smile and don't say what they think until you leave the room. We had lots of UN etiquette lessons, I believe rivalling the intensity of Emily Post. I hope I don't accidentally cause a crisis by like, offending some unsuspecting ambassador.)
- It is sweltering here, probably toastier than NY because it's humid and sunny and icky and then it rains and it becomes more humid and hot and eeeeeergh.
- Went to the "Catskills" on the weekend - the countryside! It was awesome - It ended up being Shannon and I and a whole gang of French people (directly from France) - did you know every French person I've met so far has ended up being either in investment banking or some other form of banking or some other form of finance? Fascinating random fact, I'm sure.
- I saw Phantom of the Opera and am officially obsessed with the music (this was only the DVD mind you, I am looking into seeing it on Broadway if it's running...)
- I almost went to the Tiffany's again. I'll have to strictly only go twice a month otherwise Whitney's gonna recognise me.
- St Patrick's Cathedral's a total tourist space,. but it is well worth the noise because it is a lovely lovely cathedral.
- Ooh we went to the old office of the World Youth Alliance - it was on the edge of Manhattan and at one point in Anna's apartment (15 people worked out of the 2 bedroom, rotating in shifts so everyone had room to move), and then they relocated to a convent basement...and then to the Pogue (military term for a newbie), a half a townhouse owned by the same convent, and it was sooo far from the UN, very humble and small. Rumour is cockroach infested too. Creepy.Once upon a time (and still today really) we were truly grassroots. Now we're just disguised in a nicer house!

Okay, I'll get back to work. and let you digest the sea of bullet points.

Peace, and more when more happens!