My Job
I work in the Ombudsman and Mediation office. We are part of the informal dispute resolution process for UN employees. A lot of what we do is confidential, so I can't give much detail, but I will say my colleagues are great. One of the best parts of being at the UN is the amount of diversity...it's awesome! As an international governmental organization with its world headquarters in NY, I have the chance to meet people from literally every country in the world. In my immediate department my colleagues are from France, Germany, Trinidad, Spain, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Mexico - and those are just the ones I can remember. Everyone speaks English, but French and Spanish are two other main languages at the UN. Its not uncommon for colleagues to have conversations in any number of languages. It's incredible. On my first day I went about 5 hours before I met someone who was born in the US. I absolutely love the diversity.
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| My office building |
Ashley Judd
I was happy to have the opportunity to help out with Ashley Judd's appearance at the UN on Weds. afternoon. You probably know her from the movies, but you may not know what a passionate human rights advocate she is. Or that she took a year off from acting in 2009 to get a Master's degree from Harvard. I was very impressed by her involvement and expertise regarding human trafficking, among other things. After her talk at the UN, I walked with her over to the UN bookstore where she hosted a signing of her new book. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!
The Ride
The other thing I feel compelled to write about is this social experiment called the New York subway system. I'm originally from LA, so the big city part I'm used to. What we don't have out west is an incredible maze of tunnels that take you on a journey across the whole of the city in a matter of minutes - including high in the air and under the water. A thing of beauty. The sights from the train are sometimes magnificent. But the thing I like most about my daily commute from Queens is all the people. I've never been to another place in the world where such cultural and socio-economic diversity exists in such close proximity on a daily basis. A feast for the budding social psychologist's eyes! And here's the big surprise - people are New York subways are actually...nice to each other! This isn't to say they're the friendliest bunch I've come across, but they care about each other in a way they almost try to hide. Its strange. It seems to me like New Yorkers feel like they have to keep up the pretense of the angry, rude person portrayed in movies. But this week I witnessed more acts of kindness than I did meanness (I actually didn't witness anything outwardly mean) and heard more politeness than I did harshness. Hmm. New Yorkers are really people too!
After one week in New York, I'm happy to report with renewed enthusiasm...
YES! WORLD PEACE IS POSSIBLE! :)
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| My commute via Grand Central |
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| Looking from my home stop in Queens toward the city |
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| Favorite view from the train |
