Starting with part one, the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference 2008 (IAEA GC 2008). This was actually from September 29 to October 4. Basically, delegates from the Member States of the IAEA come to this conference to talk about important stuff dealing with new science technologies and important issues, such as should North Korea be allowed to have nuclear weapons. As part of the Public Information, I more or less had to live in the Vienna International Center (VIC). They even moved my computer to a sectioned off place in the VIC. I was working pretty much side by side with journalists from all over the world and rubbing elbows with delegates from all over the world. I had multiple jobs during the GC. I would get statements, replenish the Bulletin racks, get information from the document people, etc. It was cool going through the security in the G building of UNO city by just flashing my badge. Of course, the staff I worked with made it so much fun! We all would get snacks for each other, had mini-staff parties toward the end of the day and joke about so many random things. I remember when the web editor Rodolfo was having a charity raffle for his charity 50-50, which helps students in the Philippines with school supplies, our photographer Dean sent out an email saying that all the tickets have been sold and there were consolation prizes. One was a date with the web designer Kresimir and another date with me. I was laughing so hard when I read that that tears were streaming down my face.
I'll break down the major events that I got to participate in:
1) Mass for the start of the IAEA GC 2008: So Tita is a part of the Vienna International Center choir and they were asked to perform in the mass that is held every year before the GC starts. The church was so beautiful and they did a good job in singing the major parts in Mass. Yes, I had to dress up in a dress. Afterwards, there was a dinner sponsored by the Vatican in Rome and the food was pretty good. Everything was in hor d'oeuvre style so we just stood around and pick off the food we wanted. There were free drinks and I got myself a mimosa (champagne and orange juice). Oh, funny thing. Tita and I literally chased after the dessert trays because they would go by so fast! But, they were oh so good! So sweet and yummy! :)
2) Reception with the Director General: We all got a fancy invitation and everything to the reception. The staff even had a game plan so we could get a good place. Since my friend Al and I were pretty small, we can get through the crowds easier, which we did and secured a table for the entire staff. Food and drinks came by and also the cameras came out. Candid shots are so fun. Dean and Kresimir also had their cameras and took so many random photos of everyone eating. Another intern, Silin totally cracked Al and me up because he got so star struck with meeting the Director General Mohammad Elbaradei. Silin even got a picture of himself shaking the DG's hand, courtesy of Dean. Apparently the staff knew a lot of the servers, so we got to have extra food for ourselves.
3) Tour of the Hydroisotope Lab in the VIC: Giovanni suggested that I go on a tour with the delegates to this lab to see something that the IAEA does. I agreed and went with my friend Al and his supervisor Kirstie. If you don't like science like I do, then this tour is not for the easily bored. I found the equipment to be interesting and the types of tests that they do to help make healthy water more readily available for developing countries. The head director took us around and explained in detail what each of the experiments do. The fun part was when we went down, literally, into the bunker. A ton of the equipment were made in the 1960s so it felt like I was in the movie 'Blast from the Past' where everything was so . . . retro.
4) Tour of Seibersdorf Lab: Another tour that Giovanni suggested I go on. We left really early in the morning because it takes almost an hour to get to and from Seibersdorf. It is waaaaay out there in the boonies. Hm I wonder why? :P
So again, I was with delegates from all over the world. I hid my badge to blend in as one of the delegates. Slick huh? The tour guide wasn't bad to look at. His name was Axel. Yes, really. Like Axel Rose except it was some long Austrian last name. :P Anway, we even got those comfy tour buses where I felt like I could sleep. I actually did take a nap because it was so comfy. We passed by a lot of cute small towns and places where you felt like that was really old Austria. Finally getting there, we got breakfast with breakfast pastries and drinks. The ladies called me Madam and asked what I would like. I guess hiding my badge worked. The director (who was a woman and she rocks) gave a presentation, which i tried so hard not to fall asleep in, about what basically goes on in Seibersdorf. Then we split into groups and got into the one with Axel. Hee hee. So we got to see a lot of cool places around the lab, which is humongous! They are doing cool experiments with plants so that they can grow in most areas where water cannot always reach and feed the people there. They were doing experiments with insects that destroy crops like fruit flies. A current experiment is to sterilize male fruit flies and so when they mate with female they can't reproduce and thus lessening the population. Boy, did it stink in that area. I think the stench stuck to my clothes for awhile. I was asked by a delegate where I was from and I said the U.S. She was from Angola. I think I should have said Canada. Hmm . . . after all of that walking, which took about 2 hours or so, we got back on the comfy bus to the VIC. Thank goodness for my iPod because I would've gone insane sitting in the bus for so long. :)
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