Af-riikka

Kysymys, joka iskee aina ensimmäisen viikon aikana ulkomaille muuttaessa, on "mitä minä oikeastaan täällä teen?". Vastaus siihen löytyy ennemmin tai myöhemmin, tai viimeistään siinä vaiheessa kun on palannut takaisin kotiin. Koetan tässä postauksessa vastata tuon yleisluontoisen kysymyksen yhteen osa-alueeseen. Kysymys, jota useimmin kuulen - niin YK-harjoittelijoilta kuin ulkopuolisiltakin - on "mitä sinä tarkalleen ottaen teet töissä?". Tiedän, että monet harjoittelijat tekevät jotakin projektia: raportteja, selvityksiä, nettisivuja, tiedotteita tai julkaisuja. Omat työpäiväni kuluvat harvoin vain yhden asian parissa. Viime viikolla esimerkiksi kommentoin ja kirjoitin juuri julkaistulle erikoissivulle ihmisoikeusjulistuksen 60. juhlavuodesta . Aloitin myös etsimään artikkeleita ja mielipiteitä seuraavaan Civil Society Observer -uutiskirjeeseen, joka ilmestyy parin kuukauden välein ja jota tehdään yhteistyössä useamman ihmisen kanssa. Edelliseen elo-syyskuun numero...

The next post is written by my dear boyfriend who visited New York for six full days and nights this week. Text is his, photos and captions mine. Enjoy! I Feel Safe In New York City The following is a collection of notes and tidbits from my brief stay at NYC, New York as requested by my gracious hostess. Since I am a pretentious ponce, I think I shall call them Vignettes of America. 1. I Have Nothing To Declare Except That I Am Awesome Are you tired of waiting for an eternal damnation in Hell? Fear not, you can simulate your future in the Netherworld at the John F. Kennedy Airport immigration queue. A cramped cattle drive of tourists carrying their screaming offspring, the line that moves approximately a yard in minute, just long enough that you want to put your bags down, but just short enough that you must pick them right up to drag along a step or two. The room is heated but not air-conditioned and naturally the people standing before me at the queue have filled their Visa Waivers w...

I actually didn't believe this was possible. But it is. America will have a half-black, African/American (because I refuse to say that he would be black or African-American, just a matter of principle...) president next year. Tonight I went to two different places to follow the elections results: first to a huge Democrat party in midtown Manhattan, where there were just too many people and I had to escape to a smaller bar in Lower East Side. The fist photo is from the big party, and the other one is from Stanton Street in LES (Lower East Side) where somebody (maybe a Republican?) apparently lit a motorcycle on fire, causing two fire trucks to rush on the street. In the subway a couple was reading a fresh copy of the Daily News with a cover of a smiling Obama - very quick action for the press if they really released it at 1 a.m. already! I just returned to my home in Harlem and I can still hear people shouting "Obama!!!" outside on the street six floors below me. Overall, ...

I enjoy observing people. One of the best places in the world for people-watching must be New York City, with its 8 million inhabitants, hundreds of languages and cultures, crowded subways and bright-lit streets. But since I tend to spend a lot of time in the subway - around two hours per day - most of my people-watching is focused on that area. Based on my perceptions during these hundreds of travel-miles so far, I listed ten possible things to do in a New York subway, depending on your skills, interests and energy level. 1. Watching people is obviously the number one thing. After that, I like to spend my time just for thinking. 2. Reading the free newspapers in the morning: my commute seems to be perfect for reading both Metro and AM, to catch up the latest gossips about presidential elections or the financial crisis. 3. Sleeping, especially during the late-night traveling. Just don't miss your stop. 4. Knitting seems to be in fashion now when the days are getting chillier. 5. Si...