The Office

A few words about my office:

I'm working for the defense team, which is currently composed of seven people: a woman from France and I are the "stagieres" (interns); there are two "assistants" from Québec; a case manager from Belgium; and finally two "counsels" (lead attorneys) from France. Plus, they may hire one more person from the DRC and of course the client is also from the DRC. Thus, French is spoken in four unique accents; five if you count Paris.

The ICC is located 2km south of the center of The Hague, in an area called Voorburg. It's in a large, retrofitted building that once housed the headquarters of the national phone company. It's nice to be in the ICC's building because I have had the opportunity to meet people -- especially interns -- from all of the different units, such as those working in the Office of the Prosecutor, in judges' chambers, for the registry (a civil law thing - like trial administration), plus those working for the ICC as an institution (HR, IT, facilities, etc.).


There's a lovely cafeteria which is a good place to bump into everybody. The defense team eats together each day. They (we) linger for a while after lunch and then have an espresso. As you know, I'm pretty talkative (an understatement), but the French is all a bit intimidating, so I'm mostly silent. I listen; I people watch.

Prison

Met the client this morning.

The first photo was taken to the side of the prison's main (and very modern) entrance. I'm not sure if it was retained ornamentally or if it is simply a gate to the (very nice) neighborhood abutting the prison.

Links

Man Stuck in Chimney:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/242/popup/index.php?cl=4154069


The Brian Lehrer Show: U.N. Roundup
The world's leaders are in New York this week at the United Nations. Blake Hounshell, Web Editor for ForeignPolicy.com, has been blogging on the UN, GA, and the Clinton Global Initiative.
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/2007/09/26/segments/86147

Apartment Hunt -- In Dutch

I've been searching for an apartment by word of mouth and by using websites. I responded to an notice on a website and received this is response:

Beste Adam,

Beste aankomend kamergenoot,

De kamer is, door de vele aanmeldingen, van kamernet gehaald.
Wij gaan nu een selectie maken van wie we uitnodigen voor de hospiteeravond voor a.s. woensdag 3 oktober! (hou deze datum dus zowiezo vrij een andere datum is niet mogelijk) maar heb wel nog even geduld en je zult een mailtje onvangen over hoe en het bij ons in huis reilt en zeilt en hoe de avond er uit komt te zien.

Als je niet door de selectie bent gekomen wensen wij je veel succes met het zoeken naar een leuke en geschikte kamer voor tijdens de studie of afstuderen.

Met vriendelijke groeten,

Huize Php

And that's fine, because I have Babelfish to "translate" it for me:

Dear Adam, Dear prospective kamergenoot, The chamber has been obtained, by the vele applications, of kamernet. We will make now a selection of which we invite 3 October for the hospiteeravond for next Wednesday! (hou this date therefore zowiezo rather another date not possible) but still have been just as tolerated and you mailtje onvangen concerning how and it sails at us in house reilt and and how the evening comes see there from. If you have not come by the selection wish we you much success with zoeken to leuke and suitable chamber during the study or graduate. With pleasant groeten, Huize Php

Well, now that that's clear, "and it sails at us in house," as they say, we'll just be proceeding along with the apartment search.

status update

Bought a bike. Found a grocery store. Got health insurance. Still need: apartment; mobile phone; Dutch national ID card.

I'm making progress.

NGO cocktail party

After work today, I attended a cocktail party of some NGO that is affiliated with the ICC. I went with three people from work: a Uzbeki guy, a Georgian girl, and an Azerbaijani girl. I enjoyed watching the lingua franca(s) of this trio from the former Soviet republics, which was a bit of Russian mixed into their mostly French conversations.

Upon arrival, I fell into a group of Africans representing various NGOs at a conference that is apparently being held this week at the ICC. Mudather, from Khartoum, Sudan, does work for women in Darfur. Roger, from South Kiva province, Congo (DRC), is doing human rights law there. And there was a guy from Rwanda and another from the Central African Republic. Naturally, we were all scavenging for free drinks and appetizers.

Luckily last night I had read up on the fighting in North Kiva province, so Roger and I had a good discussion. Roger and I also spoke about President Kabila; Roger told me that the east of the DRC supported Kabila during the elections -- he said that his (Roger's) province tallied 98% of their vote for Kabila. The west does not support him, which makes it hard for him to govern in Kinshasa. He said that although Kinshasa, as the capital, attracts people from all over the country, even people from the east who live there do not support Kabila. He said that Kabila's support is waning, which Roger believes is the reason that Kabila has been actively courting Chinese "investment."

Roger also said that he had worked as a lawyer in the case of the murder of the former president, Kabila's father. He didn't say, or wouldn't say, exactly his involvement in the case, but he did seem to believe that Kabila had killed his father in order to assume the presidency.

As a novice anthropologist or geographtician or something, I also asked Roger about comparing Brazzaville to Kinshasa. Roger said that Brazzaville is much more relaxed than Kinshasa and more like the east of the DRC, where he is from, than Kinshasa, which he finds to be stressful and crowded. He said that you cross the river by boat; there is no bridge; and there are lots of complications and bribes to pay in order to cross.

1st day at the ICC

Today was my first day at work. Totally euro. At lunch, the team was talking (in French) about Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, the Sopranos, a movie called "Team America," and some Quebecois comedy show. After lunch, we had an espresso from the espresso bar and I felt très Euro.

Amsterdam

On Sunday I took the train up to Amsterdam. The train made a stop in Gouda, which I expected to smell cheesier than it actually did. In fact, they seem to pronounce it ho-da, with that h being guttural and what not. The train also stopped in Breukelen, the eponym of the finest borough, and from which the name was anglicized.

Spent the afternoon with my dear friend Katharina from Vienna, who is doing her doctorate in Amsterdam, and her boyfriend Paul, also from Vienna, who is a professor of finance in The Netherlands. They have a very beautiful apartment and Katharina prepared a terrific couscous dish.

As for The Hague, as a summary, I'd say that it certainly is quaint and what not and I am certainly enjoying the cheap Camembert cheese, yogurt, and other milky products.

Vowels

The cool thing about the Netherlands is that they took all the
vowels from Eastern Europe. I guess that's why there are so many
consonants there and so many vowels here.

Yom Kippur

I went to a local synagogue for Yom Kippur, which is physically located, conveniently enough for an aging Jewish community, in a Jewish senior citizens' home. People were very welcoming, kind, and nice. Among others, on Friday night I met an American couple, Pam and Jeff. Pam lived a block from me in Brooklyn and worked in the same courthouse downtown at the same time as me. She's now at the ICJ; she works in Peter's office -- the guy whose apartment I'm at.

Also, I met a very warm and friendly guy Alex. Saturday night we were invited to the Rabbi's house for break-the-fast dinner. The rabbis is also from Brooklyn, naturally. After dinner, Alex took me for a little walking tour of the neighborhood and we also met an American kid he knows, Mark, who has basically lived his whole life here in The Hague. Mark said he tried to go back to Long Island once, but gave up and returned to Europe.

Park at your own risk

I think this sign means, "If you park here, your window *will* be smashed and your stuff stolen."

Arrival

I have successfully arrived to my friend Peter's (very European) apartment. For the next two weeks, I'll be living in serious luxury. Meanwhile, Peter is at my pad in Brooklyn. Very convenient.

Missions: find grocery store; find apartment of my own; start work (Monday).