The United Nations - And the Lonely Briefcase

One early morning while Rachel was still asleep I decided to go for a walk and have a look at the United Nations. We were staying at the Roosevelt hotel at 45th and Madison - so close walking distance. The first thing I noticed was a bus load of Japanese tourists taking pictures through the fence.......and next a sign saying it wasn't open for tours until 10 am........and it was 8 am......so....

Normally 179 flags of UN Member States stand in a row in front of Headquarters in New York City. (my pic is the one on the bottom left) All the flags are of equal size, except for the 180th - the blue and white flag of the UN - that is slightly larger and stands apart as if to keep a protective watch over the others.

Each day - except on Saturday and Sunday (and unfortunately I was there on a Sunday) or when the weather is inclement - at approximately 8 a.m., a team of 8 to 11 security officers hoist these colorful national banners. It takes about half an hour to raise all 179 flags. At 4 p.m., the flags are lowered and stored in boxes at the foot of each flag pole. On weekends, unless a meeting takes place, only the UN flag is raised.

*the Knotted Gun Disarmament Sculpture given to the UN by the government of Luxemburg - top Right

* the Sphere Within a Sphere was a gift fro the Italian government - top left

* top right is the Good Defeats Evil Statue - a gift from the then Soviet Union

And in the background is the Raoul Wallenberg Monument adjacent to the United Nations. The Raoul Wallenberg Monument lies on Raoul Wallenberg Walk at First Avenue and 47th Street. Commissioned by the Swedish consulate, Swedish sculptor Gustav Graitz is the designer of the monument. Kraitz's piece, titled Hope, is comprised of a replica of Wallenberg's briefcase, a sphere, five pillars of hewn black granite, and stones which once paved the streets of the Jewish ghetto in Budapest. The stones were a gift from the city of Budapest.

When I first walked by and saw the briefcase from a distance..........and then a bevy of police cars surrounding the area I thought I was onto some bomb scare situation, but as it turns out it was Wallenberg's briefcase....and the police were doing practice runs getting ready for the UN's General Assembly!

Quick Facts:

Membership: 192 Member States

Established: 24 October 1945

Secretariat staffing as of 30 June 2009 (Secretary-General's report "Composition of the Secretariat" [A/64/352] ): about 40,000

Current UN peacekeeping operations: 16

Budget for 2008-2009: USD 4.171 billion (peacekeeping operations not included)

Official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish.
Information about the UN in other languages

Want to follow my journey?

Trip of a Lifetime - My Bucket List Vacation!

Speechless Sunday - Leaving on a Jet Plane

Evening in New York

Speechless Sunday - The Grandest of the Grands

New York City's - Top of the Rock

New York's Coney Island - and the Wonder Wheel!

Coal Fire Oven Baked Pizza at Grimaldi's of New York

A Walk Across Brooklyn Bridge - New York

New York's Iconic Times Square and Theatre District

Speechless Sunday - Wall $ Paper

Name That Photo - Reveal - Times Square New Years Eve Ball

Thoughtful Thursday - Sidewalk Catwalk - New York City

Wordless Wednesday - New York Sunrise

Ground Zero - 911 - Lest We Forget

St. Patrick's Cathedral - New York City

New York's Financial District and Ground Zero

A New Beginning - Ellis Island - New York City

Lady Liberty - How Sweet She is!

If you or someone you know is thinking buying or selling a home - or if you would like more information on Chilliwack Real Estate please give Chilliwack Realtor Liz Moras of Landmark Realty Chilliwack a call at- 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@gmail.com. Selling property in Cultus Lake, Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Langley or anywhere in the Fraser Valley Area of B.C.

Copyright © 2010 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. Please do not use without permission. Information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive. It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of Landmark Realty Chwk. Ltd.