"Climate change is destroying our path to sustainability. Ours is a world of looming challenges and increasingly limited resources. Sustainable development offers the best chance to adjust our course." Ban Ki-moon

Breyer's Ice Cream party

Today was another slow day. I tried to put around and find some work to do (without any luck) and around lunch time, I headed out, borrowed my friend's monthly MTA pass (since she wasn't using it) and hopped on a train to Madison Square Park , where they were celebrating the 150th anniversary of Breyer's ice cream.

When I got there, the line up stretched for eons and ages. The line was actually too long for me to bear with so I left and headed back to work. 

Dropped into the
Global Compact
summitt

When I got back to work, it turned out I had just missed the deputy crown prince of Saudi Arabia's
arrival. The UN, so exciting right?

I did a little bit of work, entered in some data and other stuff and then headed down to the General Assembly room (my first time visiting there and I got to be at a conference meeting where Ban Ki-Moon was the Keynote speaker!) for the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit! If you think that sounds fancy - let me just tell you. It is.

I ended up getting there a bit late (but before they started) and the place was PACKED. Like, I mean packed. People were even sitting behind people (in the places where interns usually sit, behind the delegate) and I ended up having to go all the way to the very top and very last row and sat down beside this very

The reception afterwards

cool guy who was talking to me the whole time.

We talked a bit about his business and how he is trying to educate girls through online technology. It was pretty interesting hearing about it.

When the Compact started, I was pretty surprised, it was not what I expected. I didn't realise it, but the Global Compact stuff was all about businesses running their businesses along the lines of the Sustainable Development Goals. It was amazing to see how innovation these companies and businesses went through to follow the SDGs. I heard some really great speakers tonight and really enjoyed the passion and combination of both making money and making the world a better place. I was quite impressed with the fact that everyone was not just driven by money, but driven by making the world a better place as well. Great way to try to run a business. 

I was impressed by the speakers, the clarity and for some of the speakers, it was the youthfulness. It was quite impressive to see. 

They had fashionable
sustainable trees 

One thing that makes me so happy about today's event was that businesses are shifting from this short-term greed to make money all the way to an environment where there is this long-term need to be sustainable and take care of the world. It is absolutely wonderful to see this happening, for the future of both my generation and the generations afterwards. 

It is very promising and gives me hope. I just *hope* that by the time I am in the same age range as these people, massive corporations like Shell and Enron will also embrace this idea of sustainability and making sure everyone is okay.

The Global Leaders compact went very overtime and by the time they were finished up in the GA conference, it was time for me to go up to the Global Combat Reception in the dining room.

Man was it packed with people there! It was super cool (also I totally slipped in without people noticing, it was great, since they wouldn't give me a name badge because I'm a "student"). The food was delicious and all of it was vegan made and sustainable. We had cookies, cupcakes, pasta with avocado sauce, guac sandwiches, salads - and I gotta say, I didn't even notice that there was no meat. It was just good. The chef who made this stuff owns a few

Presentations, such as
one on susintability
and fashion 

restaurants called "By Chloe" and has won competitions worldwide for her cupcakes (which were so bomb). She's actually quite cute (she's tiny and her voice is very high pitched) and seems like a really nice person (though I'm sure in the kitchen, most nice people turn into nightmares...). 

We then were welcomed into the session, listened to people network and talk about their businesses and then even got a fashion show all about sustainable
fashion! It was quite cool to see all the articles of clothing on people, knowing that it was made with sustainable clothing that won't harm the earth.

At around 7 (which is when the event was supposed to end), I ran off to go to Brooklyn to meet up with a friend who was hanging out by the park and we rushed to Brooklyn.

We had no idea what to expect and what was going to happen.

Literally. 

My friend had messaged me earlier in the day asking if I wanted to go to a concert she had won tickets to. She was also told that people have no idea who is playing and they also don't know where the venue is until 24 hours beforehand. 

Vegan food by Chole!

#Liveinthemoment

When we got there, it was in a venue called "VanMoof," which is actually a really cool Dutch bike store, selling roadbikes, locks et al. to bikers. It was actually quite a nice venue. It had a very hipster vibe to it.

All around the floors were people sitting down with blankets (we had a yoga mat), chips, snacks and drinks (alcoholic ones too). We sat down and the place was small enough that we weren't too far back, sat around and waited for the show to start.

And what a show it was.

SofarSounds Venue

The emcee started off by explaining the story of SoFar Sounds, stating that it is is a musical movement, hosting intimate concerts in living rooms around the world. 

It all started off with this person who was tired of going to concert venues where people were just drinking, smashing their bottles around and not even listening to the music. So with a few friends, sitting in their living room, they invited local artists to come play. The rules were to turn off your phone and not to talk. Just to be there in that moment. 

And Sofar sounds was born (Sofar stands for "songs from a room"). And it's reached over 200 different cities! Including Toronto :) 

I had an amazing time there, sitting and listening to the music without people all around me being obnoxious or annoying. I could hear the music clearly.

Our first act was a beat-boxer who had been beatboxing and making "human noises" since he was a kid to make music. The second act was this duo called "Sleeping Lion" and they're quite powerful and our third and last act was this jazz/blues/funk kind of band. 

"+ Gentrification"

They were all amazing and just having them sing and perform was just such an honour and a pleasure to experience - especially in such an intimate setting. Usually, with Sofar Sounds, they only take about 125 people (MAX, my venue probably had 30 at most), but there are sometimes over 1000 applicants (you can also buy tickets). It's hard to get tickets and it's hard to be one of the few. They usually only have people who are new or haven't been there in a while go into the crowd.

As for the performers and the artists, they aren't usually famous, rarely so, they're usually indie bands or artists who are trying to play and make it on up in the world.

It's a pretty damn cool idea and I'll have to try to find more of this stuff in Toronto.

Afterwards, we both headed home in our respective directions and I went home to sleep.