Best places cited to snooze at UN
Best places cited to snooze at UN
UNITED NATIONS (AP): The United Nations is known for its marathon talkfests that can put even the most seasoned diplomats to sleep. Now there's hope for an antidote.
Former French Ambassador Alain Dejammet has done a service to all his colleagues by writing a 14-page, tongue-in-cheek guide to the best places at UN headquarters to escape the boredom and catch a catnap.
"Sleeping at the United Nations," a pocket-sized guide in French with a kitty on the cover, was one of Dejammet's parting gifts before leaving the post in March after four years for a new assignment.
The dry-witted ambassador ranks 12 lounges, consultation rooms and sitting areas around the UN complex on a scale of 1-20 for their comfort, light, calmness and frequency of use.
In fine Michelin fashion, with his own personal touches thrown in, Dejammet then gives an overall ranking, ranging from "ill- advised," (known by its symbol of !!!) to "exceptional" (which gets a **** ranking).
"Impression of being in an abandoned monastery, in spite of the snores," Dejammet wrote of the periodical room at the UN library, which got three stars: very agreeable.
The conference room of the European Union liaison office got high marks for comfort: "Abundance of coffee and delicious little cakes."
But it lost points for calmness. "Even without meetings, a nap can be interrupted at any moment by the sudden arrival of a Eurocrat demanding details of the French position concerning the promotion of rights of young girls in crises affecting land- locked countries," he explained.
The UN Meditation Room, which sits across the street from UN headquarters, earned the worst score. Its blue Chagall windows evoke a "draculesque crypt," while the squeaking sneakers of tourists allow for little meditation, he wrote.
Only the French office at the United Nations, which France uses for private consultations, earned four stars and the unflinching praise of Dejammet who evoked a Matisse masterpiece in saying it was where everything was "luxe, calme et volupte" - luxurious and calm.