Hi all! I’m pretty unfamiliar with central Asian culture, some new friends (from Central Asia) gave us a very large quantity of apples (several boxes) and was wondering if it has any cultural significance? I was also wondering if it’s appropriate to give them an apple pie or something made from the apples, but is it rude to return the apples in a different form? Very happy with the gift but a bit confused on how to use all of these apples. Thanks!

Hi all, I’m a tourist in Newport for the week and I was in the Gardiner House downstairs bar where a bald (white) man in the lobby repeated screamed the n word hard r on the phone in the lobby. I won’t share more details on the conversation as to avoid identifying personal information. After his racist outburst, he bought another drink and apologized to a black bartender and said “I’m sorry you had to see that”

Is this typical for Newport? Honestly I have never seen anything like this in my life. It was on full display for his entire family and the staff of the hotel and other guests.

I see so many posts on instagram and TikTok of the “IR dream life”, wearing designers clothes in the GA hall, exclusive galas etc. Just wrapped up a position at a permanent mission, here are some things that made me GTFO

The UN itself

3-6 hours a day in windowless basements
I’m looking at you CR12- the rooms are awful and uncomfortable, the doors are ABSURDLY heavy and some rooms have such bad acoustics you can’t hear the co facilitator from 10 feet away

Filthy Bathrooms
UNHQ bathrooms are nasty, the only halfway decent one is on the second floor next to the Del lounge (for men). Other than that, expect to step in puddles of piss or feces

RUDE diplomats
SO many diplomats I have met have been incredibly rude, mostly in small ways. They will cut you in line, scoff if you don’t hold the door for them, ask you to do things that are not part of your job, the list goes on. Many UN diplomats are appointed by ruling families or are friends of the president or whatever- they are also rude! They will come to your mission (same rank as me) and ask me to clear the glasses. Horrible experiences with many diplomats.

Nothing will get done
Consensus will not be reached, you will spend 45 hours in CR7 debating a 100+ page political declaration only for consensus to fall apart on the last meeting

Bias of the secretariat
Will not elaborate on this one

Working at a permanent mission

Your PR is crazy
Your PR is immune from the law they can do quite literally whatever they want, they are over paid and can treat you however you want. Sexual harassment, verbal abuse the list goes ON

Your country
Depending on your country, you can also have a lot of bad experiences. Many people felt it was okay to go after me and my people because we are European, but being told you should not be a member state, that your language is fake, that your government is corrupt etc- not fun to listen to at a side event

Overall, it was cool. I was happy to represent my nation but it was not for me and I think some of us might have been sold a lie about the glamorous life of IR and the UN

Don’t get me wrong, if it is your thing- I greatly respect the work you do but it’s not for me

Thanks!