Hong Kong hosts the largest number of skyscapers in one city. When I arrived at the airport, I almost couldn't believe my eyes, and also couldn't see the sky.
The document has to be handed in for midday. Everybody gathers early in the morning to reach a consensus. As a last attempt to divide the coalition, I highlight that most of the rights mentioned (right to education, food, shelter) can not be put into practice by poor countries, and will finally end up in a isolation of them from the wealthy countries. At last, every country has to propose some any change in the declaration. Me and the Saudi Arabian delegate have fun proposing funky amendments.
Taipei 101 at midday
The Afternoon, we go to the ceremony to close the MUN. Big Moments of emotion.
At night: we go at an Irish bar with members of the committee. Some great time once again.
Irish pub
Crowd seen from the stage
Me and the EBS team
I gotta feeling, that today is gonna be a good day! This is the first day at the Harvard World Modelisation of United Nations.
First I have to clarify what my job at the MUN is. As well as the entire german EBS team, I represent the Republic of South Africa. Knowing that last year, it was Sri Lanka, and that almost all the countries from the Falkland Islands to Swaziland are represented, we have a chance to play an important role.
Moreover, I am in the UNHRC: Human Rights Council.
This is a historical council, meant to happen in 1948. Therefore, we don’t represent our countries as they are now, but as there were in 1948. As a consequence, I don’t represent Nelson Mandela’s rainbow nations, but rather the Apartheid racist regime which was precisely established in 1948. This means I have very funny ideas about human rights. To conclude, I not the most enthusiastic about the UDHR.
After four days of debate, we will be voting for the document and reach a concensus. You can just vote for or abstain. From the beginning, I know I have good chances to abstain and that my objective is either to gather a big abstention or to have a limited document that would not put into danger my country.
Just before the beginning of the debates, I meet my 2 neighbours Lorenzo, an italian guy representing Poland, and Alex, a german representing Iran.
The MUN starts. I am the third to talk for 1 minute and unveil what I plan to do in the next 4 days. I say something that sounds like:
-“The Union of South Africa has shown great commitment to a declaration of Human rights in the past (the pre-apartheid president was one of the pioneers). Also, recent changes in the interior policy may change some of our positions. Now, South Africa is favorable to a UDHR, at the condition that it respects every countries personal choices and doesn’t jeopardize national stability. “
Until the next break I will be talking a lot, almost at every caucus. A caucus is a debate centered about a special topic, for example a caucus of 5 minutes on the definition of Human Rights.
It is interesting to notice from the starts the differences in ideas between the communists and western countries. The third-world countries also try to be heard.
During the afternoon session, we work on a definition of human rights. We spend the whole session on it, but we understand quickly that it is impossible to reach a consensus with 40 countries. Another point is whether the declaration should be binding or not. Some poor countries think the document won’t have any utility if it is not binding. Other like me think that we cannot apply this law on every country, and that it is the best way not to reach a consensus.
After the committee session, we go to eat in a taiwanese restaurant with the whole team. It is so great to debate during the day, to call people by a country name, to have formal debate and simply go party together at night as friends. This is called the MUN spirit.
PS: It is interesting to notice how chinese people eat at a restaurant. Different dishes are brought by the waitress as one goes on. Then every dish is brought at the middle of the table, and everybody is free to pick any food he wants, simply sharing it.
I did not expect that the MUN was so important, talking about the people present at the ceremony.
Whereas I have been enjoying moving my flag during all the ceremony, the speaker announces at the end that all the participant who have a taiwanese flag should come in front for a picture for business week. So I should probably find myself in the next weeks on a picture with 15 taiwanese people holding the local flag. I am so lucky now, haha.
After, the picture has been taken, me, my team and the taiwanese team go to eat in a local restaurant. I always spend a very good time meeting foreigners, and these Taiwannese are really cool people. One of the things I remember from the dinner is when one of them says:
We leave the hotel; it’s now time for the traditional “Global village”. On the road back to the restaurant, a taiwannese girl comes with us. I realize that she speaks a perfect German. Since I arrived in Taipei, I spent my time switching from German to English. She explains to me later that she has lived seven years in Berlin. Moreover, she is the chair assistant of my committe, the council of Human rights.
Indigenous Taiwannese dance at the Opening ceremony
Minutes before the beginning Opening Ceremony at the Sun Ya Tsen Memorial
The biggest tower in the world until 2007: Taipei 101 (510 meters high)
Me, Connie, Daniela, Kai, and Christian in front of Taipei 101
Stairway to Heaven
Hiiii all, I am still alive! The MUN is soooo great!!! Unfortunaly, I have been so busy the last days that I don’t have one hour to write for you on my blog. Please be patient, I ‘ll write as soon as I will be able to.
Here are some pictures of Sunday.
I am in Taipei. Here is what happened since I took the plane in HK.
The flight to Taiwan happened happend quite normaly. However, when we entered the airport in Taiwan, the first thing that I saw was a board telling something like: « The use of Drugs in Taiwan can be punished by Death » And next to the board, there was a police officer with a dog smellig all of our luggages. Hopefully, the dog didn’t find any suspect baggages. Taiwan isn’t recognized by the UN as a country and is constantly ready for a conflict with China. This may explain the presence of soldiers at the Tao Yuan Airport and the odd atmosphere at the customs.
Actually, I had a bit of fright at these customs, when I arrived to the immigration service. The police officer apparently had find something he didn’t like in my passport. He called his superior, and 10 minutes later, he let me go.
Next, after changing my Euros against New Taiwan Dollars, it was time to take a bus to taipei. During this one hour transport, I had the opportunity for the first time to get an inside view of an Asian territory. The first minutes I took looking around me were quite a shock. I had imagined Taiwan as a very technological country, where there were new and impressive buidings. The only thing I was witnessing was a landscape made of pieces of ricefields here, and almost abandonned houses there, whereas the road was protected by barbed wire. I even saw a broken bridge (I hope this wasn’t due to last week’s earthquake in Taiwan).
As I moved from the rural place to the suburbs of Taipei, the landscape was changing. Now there were very high and large old brown buildings. This architecture reminded me of the HLMs in France. Everything looked dirty. I asked a guy in the bus to know if everything was so messy everywhere in Taiwan and he said that it was classical. I think my studies in Germany brought to me the need of order, lol. And he added, « But you’ll see that Hong Kong is better ». I finally got off the Bus and found my hotel quite easily. The hotel is situated in the center and touristic area of Taipei. Taipei’s center is really great ! There is a lot going on in the street, the people are friendly and speak english.
I guess it can be said that, for many big cities in the world, once you are in the touristic area of the city, everything looks good and welcoming, but when you move to the places which a tourist isn’t supposed to visit, you have another view of the country.
The weather is very humid, about 20 degrees, and rainy, caracteristic of the subtropical climate of Northern Taiwan.
It is now time to visit my living area of the week and eat before a long long sleep.
I am in Hong Kong! Here it is 8am and I am waiting for my flight at 12.25 to Taiwan. The temperature is 18 degrees and there is a lot of fog. Everything is fine. Here are some notes I gathered about my day.
Friday morning:
Long long day to come. Due to time zones, I won’t sleep in the next 2 days. The plan is to take off at 13.50 at Frankfurt to arrive at about 7.30 at Hong Kong and then take a plane at 12.25 to Taipei. I should arrive there at 14.00 on Saturday.
6.30. Wake up at Oestrich. I don’t want to hurry and have time to check everything before leaving
7.48 Take the train at Oestrich.
9.00 I am at the Frankfurt Aiport. Still very early for the flight at 13.50. It ‘s time to keep goods habits: go to mac donald to kill time and drink a nice coffee.
10.15 Check in.
13.40 I am heading to the plane. Before entering the plane, I step back and look at the steward. This is time to ask the most stupid question for ages:
“- hmm, that flight is to Hong Kong, right?
The black guy laughs and answers in an american accent:
- That’s to Hong Kong.”
I feel ridiculous but I had to be sure of myself, HAHA.
13.45 I take my place on the plane.
13.47 I go to the toilets, but I don’t think anybody cares about that :)
13.50 I found new friends: my neighbors. They are a german 60-years-old couple flying to Vietnam through HK for a 2 weeks vacation.
14.00 The waitresses have presents for us!!! Each of the passengers receives earphones (Great, mine are broken!) and … a pair of socks. WHAAAATTTT? I ask my neighbors, and they say I have to wear it on my head to play the terrorist. This answer doesn’t satisfy me that much, so I ask to the crew. They say that while flying, we need to take away our shoes and wear these socks. Around me, nobody seems surprised. At least, I found free socks !
14.10 Take off. Goodbye Germany!!!
14.40 Time to check the electronic package of the flight. Waooh!! One of the first time I see so many digital data on one plane. I have a choice between more than 300 movies and most of them are quite recent, 888 CDs 350 television shows, 70 video games. I would like to download it all. I choose Twilight - New moon, but almost get asleep after 5 minutes. Back to the good old shit: Inglorious Basterds.
16.25. The moving map says I am on top of Moscow. Am I taking the right plane? I hope the pilots didn’t abuse on alcohool. Come on, go south!!
16.30. Looking for some music on the plane. I choose the section “European”. And here is what I find: Christophe Maé, Christophe Willem, Eisblume, Silbermond, Polarkreis 18 and Johnny Halliday. I 'd rather listen to the last Bollywood’s Soundtrack.
17.00 Trying to get some sleep but it doesn't work out. Instead I focus on taking advantage of all the movies available on the plane. Now my problem is not anymore what I can do during 10 hours, but how I can watch all that movies in "only" 10 hours. Until the end of the Flight, I am going to watch some parts of Tropic Thunder, American Beauty, Up in the air, Le Prophète.
at about 00.30 (Europe) or 7.30 (Hong Kong): I land in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong airport is made so that our plane lands in 50 meter from the sea. First time I sea the Pacific ocean.
7.50. I am queueing at the immigration service when I see someone with ... an IESEG shirt. I ask the Filipino guy why he has the shirt and he answers that her daughter was at the IESEG. This is really not a normal day!!!
In a hurry to pack my luggages this morning, I found that brilliant idea of writing a blog. So that people I care about will be able to read it and have some news of my crazy next week on the Asian continent.
Lying on my bed, it 's quite a weird feeling to think that I'll find myself on the other side of the planet the day after. Actually, I don't really realize what is going to happen. I don't have a clue of what my next week will be made of, except that everybody who took part in the MUN told me it's awesome (or even better). My mission, I accepted it, for the next week is to take part at the MUN in Taipei and then visit my friends in HK.
What is hiding behind the letters MUN is "Modelisation of United Nations". It means that students from all over the world gather in one special place to (get dunk) and especially make a simulation of the UN. The entire process is organized by Harvard students. Each team, constitued of students of one University, have the task of representing one country. For my part, I 'll be representing South Africa, along with the EBS people. Then, delegates are separated into several commitees or Assemblies such as the International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, and debate about classical UN topics. I'll be representing the South African committee of UNHRC, aka Human Rights Council. Then comes the social and fun part: parties, touring in taipei, discovering the country.
When the job will be done, I'll fly to HK from Friday to Sunday to visit my old exchange students buddies. It is such an exitement for me to see you all back one year later in your country. Grace, Rita, Jackson, I hope you are gonna live 3 crazy days with me on the Asian continent, as we used to do in Germany.
Now I'm feeling quite mixed. On the one hand, I am stressed, afraid that the logistic part, for which I am responsible for the whole team, doesn't work. One train missed, one broken alarm will keep my 20th birthday's within the vineyards of Oestrich-Winkel. Also, the MUN part is worrying. For once, I have to go beyond my shyness, in order to take the best out of this amazing experience. On the other hand, I like so much traveling, taking the plane and discovering new things that I know I am going to have one of the best times of my life.
Next stop: Taipei. If there is no problem, I'll be there on Saturday afternoon.
I'll try to write on that blog as soon as I'll be able to.
