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shannon_aWe wander up and down the open hallways of the third floor of the UN. The escalators we came up only go up. The stairs have all been blocked off. We can see the exit in the distance, through the big front windows that look out over Manhattan and through the open area that drops all the way down to the first floor.
We're just not sure how to get there!
19 Hours Earlier.
As I walk into the luggage claim area at JFK airport, I see a Dunkin' Donuts.
That's my first impression of New York City.
It's 11pm by the time I'm leaving the airport, thanks to the delays in the flight. On the road to Manhattan we avoid the obvious route, across the Queensboro Bridge, because it's apparently under construction and only has a single lane open.
Meanwhile, we see a gridlocked line of cars heading toward the airport.
We take the slightly longer route across the Triborough Bridge. (I can never figure out what the driver is saying when he names it for me. We just don't use the word "borough" on the west coast). Then we drive FDR Drive down along the East River. (Not a river.) Pretty soon it's bumper to bumper traffic too, because of yet more construction.
That's my second impression of New York City: rush hour at almost midnight.
The apartment Chris is renting has small bedrooms, a small bathroom, and a nice-sized living room. It's a real honest-to-goodness New York apartment.
(And so much nicer than a hotel, let alone the fact that it allows me to stay into next week to explore the city a bit while I'm here. So, yay.)
It takes me between an hour and two to get to sleep. Stupid time difference going the wrong way.
I finally manage, and I sleep pretty well from that point. The bed is surprisingly comfortable. It's rare that I sleep in a foreign bed and don't wake up sore the next morning.
In the morning we cab to the UN. We receive our access badges out front by stating our names.
This seems like very weird identity management for a conference all about identity.
The conference ("summit") is based on UN Sustainable Development Goal #16.9. The SDGs are a set of goals that were signed last September to make the world a better place by 2030. #16.9 called for getting everyone a legal identity by 2030. That's what ID2020 is all about.
No, I don't know why it's called ID2020 instead of ID2030.
I can't properly explain the sense of awe created by being at the UN to work on a global issue that's been committed to by many of the countries of the world. It's breath-taking. It's awe-inspiring. It's really, really cool.
I mean, I'm just a support player here. Come tomorrow I'm going to help Chris out at a design workshop that runs Saturday and Sunday, working with tech guys to produce white papers and specs that might make some of these ideas a reality.
But, it's pretty neat to be supporting something this big.
I'm shocked by how free a rein we have in the UN. I mean, if we wandered dramatically off course, the ubiquitous guards might have something to say about it. But we wander pretty freely.
The summit is in the Trusteeship Council room, which was once used to talk about trust territories. (There aren't any any more.) It's a beautiful room that looks exactly like a council room in the UN. It's got wooden long tables, some straight, some curved. They all have an array of buttons so you can turn on your microphone. It's pretty cool.
The Security Council room is right next door, and that's even cooler. I mean for gosh sake, matters of importance to the whole world occurred right there! I stick my head in at one point and soak in the majesty.
The summit is all about exchanging information between the bureaucrats who run the world and the techies who change the world. It's mostly panels, with a number of people each giving their opinions on various matters related to identity.
I continuously take notes of the high points, in part to sift through them for things to mention at the workshop tomorrow, in part to keep myself focused and listening to what people are saying.
It's generally pretty fascinating, and sometimes heartbreaking when we hear about the problems associated with lack of identity.
At around 4pm, the guy running the show idly mentions there's coffee available back in the snack room. (I'm sure that's the official UN name. Or maybe it's the Snacular Council.) He clearly hopes that most people won't head out, because we're running late.
He apparently doesn't know how hungry and/or tired summit-goers are by 4pm.
Fifteen minutes later he finally starts the next panel, but the room is still half-filled.
And not long after that the UN2020 Identity Summit is over.
A number of us wander the halls for a while, unable to find our way down.
Which underlines my point that we really have amazing free rein.
I decide to walk home. It's about 2 miles from the UN to the apartment.
On the way I see another 4 Dunkin' Donuts and about a half-dozen bagel stores.
I've been feeling good all day, but by the time I get home some of my chronic symptoms are flaring up.
Darn it.
I get myself Burger King for dinner as comfort. Truly a quintessential New York meal.
But it's still been an amazing, good, interesting, enlightening, awe-inspiring day.
We're just not sure how to get there!
19 Hours Earlier.
As I walk into the luggage claim area at JFK airport, I see a Dunkin' Donuts.
That's my first impression of New York City.
It's 11pm by the time I'm leaving the airport, thanks to the delays in the flight. On the road to Manhattan we avoid the obvious route, across the Queensboro Bridge, because it's apparently under construction and only has a single lane open.
Meanwhile, we see a gridlocked line of cars heading toward the airport.
We take the slightly longer route across the Triborough Bridge. (I can never figure out what the driver is saying when he names it for me. We just don't use the word "borough" on the west coast). Then we drive FDR Drive down along the East River. (Not a river.) Pretty soon it's bumper to bumper traffic too, because of yet more construction.
That's my second impression of New York City: rush hour at almost midnight.
The apartment Chris is renting has small bedrooms, a small bathroom, and a nice-sized living room. It's a real honest-to-goodness New York apartment.
(And so much nicer than a hotel, let alone the fact that it allows me to stay into next week to explore the city a bit while I'm here. So, yay.)
It takes me between an hour and two to get to sleep. Stupid time difference going the wrong way.
I finally manage, and I sleep pretty well from that point. The bed is surprisingly comfortable. It's rare that I sleep in a foreign bed and don't wake up sore the next morning.
In the morning we cab to the UN. We receive our access badges out front by stating our names.
This seems like very weird identity management for a conference all about identity.
The conference ("summit") is based on UN Sustainable Development Goal #16.9. The SDGs are a set of goals that were signed last September to make the world a better place by 2030. #16.9 called for getting everyone a legal identity by 2030. That's what ID2020 is all about.
No, I don't know why it's called ID2020 instead of ID2030.
I can't properly explain the sense of awe created by being at the UN to work on a global issue that's been committed to by many of the countries of the world. It's breath-taking. It's awe-inspiring. It's really, really cool.
I mean, I'm just a support player here. Come tomorrow I'm going to help Chris out at a design workshop that runs Saturday and Sunday, working with tech guys to produce white papers and specs that might make some of these ideas a reality.
But, it's pretty neat to be supporting something this big.
I'm shocked by how free a rein we have in the UN. I mean, if we wandered dramatically off course, the ubiquitous guards might have something to say about it. But we wander pretty freely.
The summit is in the Trusteeship Council room, which was once used to talk about trust territories. (There aren't any any more.) It's a beautiful room that looks exactly like a council room in the UN. It's got wooden long tables, some straight, some curved. They all have an array of buttons so you can turn on your microphone. It's pretty cool.
The Security Council room is right next door, and that's even cooler. I mean for gosh sake, matters of importance to the whole world occurred right there! I stick my head in at one point and soak in the majesty.
The summit is all about exchanging information between the bureaucrats who run the world and the techies who change the world. It's mostly panels, with a number of people each giving their opinions on various matters related to identity.
I continuously take notes of the high points, in part to sift through them for things to mention at the workshop tomorrow, in part to keep myself focused and listening to what people are saying.
It's generally pretty fascinating, and sometimes heartbreaking when we hear about the problems associated with lack of identity.
At around 4pm, the guy running the show idly mentions there's coffee available back in the snack room. (I'm sure that's the official UN name. Or maybe it's the Snacular Council.) He clearly hopes that most people won't head out, because we're running late.
He apparently doesn't know how hungry and/or tired summit-goers are by 4pm.
Fifteen minutes later he finally starts the next panel, but the room is still half-filled.
And not long after that the UN2020 Identity Summit is over.
A number of us wander the halls for a while, unable to find our way down.
Which underlines my point that we really have amazing free rein.
I decide to walk home. It's about 2 miles from the UN to the apartment.
On the way I see another 4 Dunkin' Donuts and about a half-dozen bagel stores.
I've been feeling good all day, but by the time I get home some of my chronic symptoms are flaring up.
Darn it.
I get myself Burger King for dinner as comfort. Truly a quintessential New York meal.
But it's still been an amazing, good, interesting, enlightening, awe-inspiring day.