In the eye of the storm

Just when i come to the entrance i realise i forgot my UN-badge. I call my lunch date and say that i simply will have to cancel. He says god no - lets meet at the visitors entrance and i will eskort you in.

So for the very first time i enter the UN through the visitors entrance. It feels quite odd and i laugh about myself being such a tourist. After a lovely lunch with the view of East River we say goodbye and i leave my eskort pass. When i walk out through the doors i realise i walk straight into yellow embarring tape. Two police officers ask me to turn.

I have a talk with one of them explaining i actually have a diplomatic pass and know the UN - so maybe i could use another exit. Kindly he answers me all exits are closed for now. Suddenly another officer comes up - notably more tense. Discretely i stay and hear him say there is a suspicious package - get the people out of here - now.

Slowly i walk back to the tourists. Without my diplomatic UN-badge i feel naked. After all the bombings when i lived in Moscow i by instinct put my drivers license in my pocket. It is all about identification.

Back in the lobby I ask if the diplomats exits are still closed. Well as you are not a diplomat - you stay here. Well if i am. The guards wait to answer. I ask if i could have a pass without the eskort. The guard directs me to the man behind the counter. Absolutely. If i am in the blue book. But i am not. Because i am not here permanently.

Ah. Even though it most likely is a forgotten bag i do not want to stay. Kindly i ask the man to check my ID to the list of passes. A phone call later i finally receive my card.

Slowly i walk through the corridor from the General Assembly to the Sekretariat. It is absolutely quiet. I think about what the officer just said about Algeria. Slowly i think i should call the mission. That i should call mom and dad.

Finally reaching the pouring rain and dark clouds i hear the cacaphonia of sirens. Realise that the whole first avenue is filled with police cars black vans ambulances fire trucks. Yellow embarring tape.

So calm at the same time. I can not do anything but leave. So i left.