Winter landscape in New York

Could so not resist Raoul Wallenbergs brown fifties briefcase with the colorful hawaii flowers against the crispy white snow.

First Avenue outside the UN

Always as difficult to describe the feeling of security threats. But a snap shot just as i went out the diplomats entrance to the UN shows all the police cars. Do note how many lights that are blinking even though there are only police cars. A tad tense.

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.

Moments at the UN

Friday evening maybe eightish. Passing by the deserted General Assembly when my eye catches some one sitting across the hall. All alone in the sofa where no one ever sits. With the UN emblem just above. The street lighting outside the window. The silence so tangible i can hear it. The loneliness.