March 2015
Ewert & The Two Dragons at Mercury Lounge! Quite a weird to start my week in New York with an Estonian band, but hey, they are by far the best Estonian band in my opinion, plus they never perform in Estonia (except tomorrow!!!) and it was awesome to introduce them to my american and german friends! Amazing gig, they suit so well into this indie/alternative bar venue.
meanwhile in Paris..
A chilly saturday morning, after a night of around -14 C. My jet lag kicked in and after bar-hopping in our favourite locations at West Village until 5 am, I had to wake up at 7 am. So, a walk in sunny downtown area was a must. (by saturday evening I'd been up for 50-something-hours and reached a delirium kind of uncontrollably laughing state, craft beer at Hell's Kitchen had never tasted better tho)
The elegant Freedom Tower aka One World Trade Centre (tallest skyscraper in the western hemisphere and 4th tallest in the world)
Ground zero. Where the Twin Towers stood.
And this is how much snow there was. If I would've decided to go on Thursday instead of Friday, I would've just been stuck in Helsinki's airport until Friday. It was a serious snowstorm and after an accident at LaGuardia airport all the air traffic was stopped.
I love brunches in New York!
And their cheesecake. The best in the world I'd dare to say. It is not called New York Cheesecake for nothing
On sunday I met with my awesome ELSA (European Law Students Association) delegation people and we moved to our narrow yet cosy apartment at 14th street.
And it was time to set my foot into The United Nations Headquarters for the very first time (hopefully not the last).
Sunday, March 8th, was also International Women's Day. Appropriate to our subject there was a parade. And well New York loves it's parades. This one was very powerful and for an important reason.
I love how men were holding all these statement posters and I am happy they find it necessary and important. Altho there is some controversy, do men really need to be the spokespersons for women's quest?
Tha parade concluded in Times Square. Never gets old!
For sunday evening my incredible friends surprised me with the tickets to Maroon 5 concert. A band I've been dying to see live. I didn't even know they were playing in NY or anywhere close. They did play at Izod Center in New Jersey. The last concert before the concert hall/sports complex shut down.
I was checking my e-mail sunday early afternoon, when found some suspicious activity in my e-mails. A confirmation letter of a ticket purchase for three quite expensive tickets. Immediately logged into my bank account, so shocked I didn't even check what the tickets were for. Discovering nobody had hacked my account and all my money was still there, checked my e-mail again, when I got a phone call, an amused voice asking "what are you doing in the evening?" I am so thankful and what a great concert it was. Thanks C! I'm not especially into pop music, but Maroon 5 is the most rocking pop/rock band and Adam Levine's voice and energy amazing.
Warming up: Rozzi Crane and Magic!
I like how lot of the bands and musicians ask everybody to put away their phones, tablets and all other technology for at least one song to fully listen, enjoy and feel the music and the performance. It is so sad to look at these people, who are literally filming the whole concert, maybe taking pictures with another hand and therefore missing the magic going on on the stage and in the room. Adam was by far the most demanding of what I've seen. He refused to sing before the blinking little lights were all or at least mostly gone and the ones who still couldn't live without their mobiles, he called "Slaves to technology, crackheads!" I very much agree.
Izod Centre was sold out, all 20 000 spots in it. What amazed me is how well it was all organised, easy to move in the halls, so many doors to smoothly get in and out and the traffic after seemed almost non-existent, well at least of what there is after concerts at Saku Suurhall in Estonia and our biggest venue hall fits up to 10 000 people, mostly there is less.
On Monday it was the start of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. CSW 59, 20 years from Beijing. An amazing five days of different sessions and seminars, side events by NGO's and more state-operated parallel events. Lots of incredible speakers and inspirational attention-needing topics. It is sad and depressing to realise what a terrible place this world we live in, is. But, it is heart-warming to see and meet these powerful, motivating amazing people who care and want to make it a better place. Not just talk about it, but actually are doing everything in their power to do something. We can't stop all wars, abolish poverty or make the world safe for everyone to live in, but everyone can make a difference.
There is this amazing idea for one example, so simple, so random as it sounds, but so brilliant and life-changing for many. Pigs for Peace.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon starting a panel.
Melinda Gates speaking about the work of Bill & Melinda Gates foundation and the belief that every life has a value.
The legendary Security Counsil. (The one that you've probably seen in many movies)
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women
Ban Ki-Moon : “Now it is clear that achieving gender equality will require the concerted efforts of all actors. The Women’s Empowerment Principles provide a roadmap for businesses to play their role in respecting and supporting women’s rights,” he said. “Removing the barriers that keep women and girls on the margins of economic, social, cultural and political life must be a top priority for us all – businesses, Governments, the United Nations and civil society.”
Hillary Clinton : “Women and men who understand that gender equality is not just morally right, but is the smart thing to do are growing in number,” said Hillary Clinton at today’s event. “What we are doing here today is smart for companies and countries. That is the wisdom behind the Women’s Empowerment Principles.”
“The progress of the past 20 years was not an accident. It took commitment, it took accountability, it took unity, it took a lot of hard work.” She later added, "I’m excited where we are and particularly that we have brought in so many businesses that understand the role that they can play…let’s keep working until we can finally say that the unfinished business of the 21st century is done.”
Early morning sessions ..
.. that require coffee, thankfully there's a Starbuck's in the UN
We often wandered around and found ourselves in places, that we probably should not have been. Once we encountered a room that said "UN Masterplan Office", or something similar.
A beautiful Argentinian movie "Refugiado" by Diego Lerman
The coolest library possible: Dag Hammarskjöld Library.
A play by World Bank Group: "Neda Wants to Die". Original work by Luigi Laraia. "How thin is the line between perpetrators and victims?"
I know Pitbulls are expensive and all but I still love how this dog is worth 5000$ to it's owners. Hope he/she finds the way home. I would do just about everything to get my puppy back if something ever happened.
Our landlord was a law-student from New York University and also a social chair of the law department so he invited us to NYU Law School Spring Fling. What a fun college party, brings back the memories!
Until next time NY!
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