“Je suis comme ça. Ou j'oublie tout de suite ou je n'oublie jamais." Samuel Beckett

Yesterday was a bad night and this morning was a bad morning. The heat was too much for me and I couldn't fall asleep. In the morning it was so bad I woke up sweating. At 6am.

I lied in bed, read some news and did nothing for a bit. Then I was so bored I got up and started getting ready for work (in this original post I actually wrote school - this is how tired my mind is).

I mean - aside from the burns on my fingers.

I actually burned some of my fingers pretty bad on a pot at home so when I got to work, I asked around for a first aid kit.

Turns out none of the floors have one. If I want a simple band-aid, I'd have to go down to the fifth floor medical floor. I just wanted some burn cream so they sent me down to the Medical unit.

It was my first time there. In fact, I think it was one of the first times an intern or anyone I have actually ever known working at the UN had to go to the medical unit. It was interesting. It was super early, around 8:40 so when I went in, the guy told me I could either wait 20 minutes for the nurse to come back or I stay until 9, so I left.

Cheese and fruit and champagne :D 

At around 9, I went back downstairs and had to wait to see a doctor (yes they sent me to a doctor even though I literally just asked for burn cream like polysporin) who pulled out a chart and started asking me what was wrong.

I explained to her what was wrong. She just looked at me, put away all her charts and just gave me the burn cream. I think she was a bit disappointed (I wonder how many people actually know about the medical clinic, let alone go there?)

She actually applied it on me so I was quite grateful.

Afterwards, I did a little bit of work and then headed over to a nearby coffee place to meet with my professor.

When I got there, he was having a meeting with a delegate from a large state. And he had already had meetings with several other Member States.

I feel like I was the only person he met up with that wasn't a country or member state...

We had a very good, short talk and then afterwards I had to run off to a meeting (busy, busy in the life of a UN intern).

Drinks at the DL

I went back to the office and worked on some research for one of the big projects I was doing until about lunch. Didn't actually end up taking lunch since it was so busy in the office...

Afterwards, we put out surprise cheese, fruits and prosecco for Bastille day for our French colleagues in the office. It was pretty jolly.

We cleaned up and worked a bit more. Afterwards, a colleague and I headed over to the Delegate's lounge where we enjoyed some French special drinks and sat around and talked for a bit. 

Afterwards, I headed over to meet up with some friends at the bar where we sat around and enjoyed each other's company.

I headed home but had to wait to be let in, since I had a visitor who had my keys, and it was the first time I had ever been so harassed on the streets, I had three people tell me to "smile more" and make unnecessary comments as well as try to touch my things. 

I cannot believe how disgusting it was. Do people really think that is justifiable at all? Like that's okay? It's not. 

Kind of a bad end to a good day.

"Culture drives great results." - Jack Welch

Today I woke up kind of late and cleaned up around the house. I was a bit tired so I wanted to rest a bit, but there was stuff going on!

I made myself some breakfast, watched some more Scrubs (I just love cheesy stuff like this) and then headed out.

It was a dark and busy Bastille day celebration...

Today, right beside the park, was the Bastille day celebration! I walked up the street, enjoying the view and the weather and met up with a friend. We walked through the crowded streets, tasted some delicious samples and kept walking.

It was packed with so much French spirit! Especially because the Euro cup was on and France was playing against Portugal. There was a huge TV set up on the other side of the festival, where people were all sitting down enjoying the show. It was quite cute but I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was less packed with people... But it was still nice to walk around, listen to the legit french accents and all the people selling french food.

How did I know that it was real french food? They took a huge piece of butter and smeared it between the pan and the crepe while they were making it. Too hardcore for me man. Too hardcore.

And I still wonder how they're so fit!

Afterwards, I took the bus down and walked around for a bit before hopping onto the Subway to Williamsburg where I met up with a few of my friends (again, Canadians, I guess we all just miss home?) and we headed over to the GiglioFeast held every July. In case you are wondering, this is what the site says about the Festival:

"The story, which is passed on through the generations on both sides of the Atlantic, is that around 410 AD, North African pirates overran the town of Nola. In the chaos, Bishop Paolino was able to flee into the countryside with some of the children. Upon his return, Paolino learned, from a sobbing widow that many of the young men, her son included, had been abducted into slavery. Moved to compassion, Paolino offered himself in exchange for the boy and was ferried off, a prisoner of the brigands. While in North Africa, word of the courage and self-sacrifice of Paolino spread and became known to a certain Turkish sultan. Taken with the tale of altruism, the sultan intervened, negotiating for the freedom of this holy man. Through the sultan 's efforts, Paolino and his paesani, were freed.

FRIENDS :D Behind us there is the tower

Overjoyed by his safe return, the entire town greeted him carrying lilies, symbolic of love and purity. That joyous homecoming jubilee is considered the very first observance of what would develop into an annual sacred event. Through the years, various trade guilds farmer (ortolano), butcher (beccaio), tailor (sarto), breadmaker (panettiere), blacksmith (fabbra), cobblers (calzolaio), deli merchants (salumiere), and wine makers (bettoliere) ) began to compete to produce the most sensational display of lilies. Over time, these displays became more flamboyant.

Today, although still called lilies (gigli), they have evolved into huge flower-laden steeples of wood, 82 feet in height. In Nola, these gigli structures and a boat (la barca) are carried through the streets on the shoulders of hundreds of men, in remembrance of the return of Paolino to Nola. The atmosphere is quite competitive and each guild hires the best lifters they can secure, because the carrying of the gigli is judged. Creativity of construction and musical accompaniment is also scrutinized even after the formal competition ends, and the men of Nola carry and dance the gigli throughout the night."

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We went over and saw a tower up top with people singing on it... but also a fake boat where people were singing and playing guitar! It was pretty cool. Unfortunately, the festival itself was super small, with mostly like touristy food carts and carnival games (that are totally a rip off, my friend shot a whole star except for ONE small corner and he didn't get a prize).

We decided to head out after that and grab some food to eat. We headed to a place called Pop's which has a lot of comfort food so of course, I ordered some cheesy fries (with 'American' cheese) and some BBQ wings.

We grabbed some drinks and headed up to a friend's Rooftop where there was another party going on.

We played some card games and then the other party came over to hang out with us and talk. It was a pretty good time sitting around, talking and just enjoying the atmosphere.

Great way to end a week with the relaxation.