So admittedly I'm pretty terribly about keeping up my blog, but I thought I thought my 3-4 month stint to NYC for a research internship warranted a post. For those who don’t know, I found myself an internship that was completely unnecessary for the purpose of my program, but one that promised to offer some exposure to people and organizations (namely the UN) relevant to my research. I am now armed with a shiny new UN grounds pass ID, so I dropped in yesterday to hi to the gang for my first Security Council debate on Civilians in Armed Conflict, and followed that by lunch in the UN cafeteria overlooking the East River surrounded by unsurprisingly multi-cultural crowd of delegates, interns, aid workers, and bureaucrats.
To the best of my knowledge so far, my internship will have three components: to prepare for and attend the upcoming UN Commission on the Status of Women conference, including a number of events that my org will host; advocacy work to the permanent UN country missions regarding Security Council Resolution 1820 on Violence against Women in Conflict to influence the operational direction via member states, and; research on ICT as a resource for women in developing and post-conflict countries to capitalize on the opportunities presented by globalization.
My office overlooks the front of UN HQ, which has proven distracting for a newbie unaccustomed to the constant flow of delegate convoys, periodic rallies (both anti and pro Israel), random NYPD emergency drills involving hundred of police cars, and countless dudes in black coats and shades strutting around sporting Secret-Service-like earpieces. My daily commute from Hoboken, where I live 2 blocks away from Eli Manning and where I’m renting a room in a 2 bdrm apt owned and normally inhabited by a gymnast who I will probably never meet because he has run away to Greece to join circus, involves a (normally) short bus ride under the Hudson (where a US Airways plane decided to go for a leisure cruise today) to Times Square and a 25-ish minute walk down 42nd St from the east side of Manhatten to the West past the The Pond (famed skating rink) and Grand Central Station (whew!). Contrary to my expectations, I have found New Yorkers to be incredibly friendly and helpful. And safe! Even Harlem seems pretty tame, though admittedly my standards are a little skewed after visiting places like after Khyalitsha and Kibera (the slums around Cape Town and Nairobi).
I have spent a ton of time just walking around Manhatten getting familiar with the neighborhoods, and although I’m not really into shopping, I have to admit that I am LOVING exploring Soho and other famed districts for things I can’t afford.
My to list includes: a live TV show, a hockey game, the met, the museum of natural history, skating (though nothing beats skating on the canal), broadway, the world trade centre, the Coyote Ugly bar, DC, the meat packing district, the Guggenheim, etc. etc. etc. (suggestions welcome) I have a couple of great friends who live two blocks form me, and a bunch of others folks planning on stopping in for a visit! Woo hoo!
Will try to do better than a blog every 8 months, at least for a little while!
That’s it for now! Please drop me your news! I’m sure I miss you! Luv Ren
