Hello from 10,000 feet!!
Gogo, an in-flight wifi provider, gave out free passes to everyone on my plane before boarding. As a result of that freebie, which I didn't even have to ask for,
1) I'm-a disclosin', per FCC rules.
2) I'm admitting my bias: Let the record state that given the choice between a flight without free wifi thanks to Gogo, and one with it, I would opt for the latter. Now you know.
and
3) I'm happy!! Because I have some askings to report.
In chronological order:
At the conference, I met a guy who gives tours of the U.N. He shared a few funny stories about the sheltered people taking his tours -- like people who think African is a language. At the end of our chat, when he told me to let him know if I ever want a tour, I took down his contact info. I didn't plan on following up so soon, but today I found myself with a few hours to kill -- in New York.
So I dropped him this email:
SUBJECT: UN Tour?He replied in a matter of minutes, saying that I should give him my number and if he can make it happen, he'll let me know. I shot back my number.
BODY: Hi Name,
We met briefly at Yale this weekend, when you kindly invited me to get in touch if I'd ever like a tour of the UN.
I'm actually in NY today with some free time before I head back to California. I have no idea how it works -- if one needs advance tickets or a reservation -- but if you have room in any of your tours today, I'd love to come and at last see the UN in person!
Thanks, best wishes,
La Roxy
Alas, I write to you from the flight after no phone call. I had an awesome afternoon (including one retail asking, detailed in the next post), so no regrets. Even though it didn't work out, I appreciate whatever efforts he made on my behalf.
Now I really want to take that tour! Can't believe I've been to NY so many times and never visited the UN. Am I not, like, the cliche of the sheltered, dumb American? Ohmigod, time to, like, recitify that, and improve my cross-cultural understandings. I'll stop for tacos or pho when I get back to Cali.
UPDATE: The guide just wrote back to say he was swamped all day with school groups, but to try again next time I'm in NY. I shall look forward to it. Thanks again for the invitation!
By the way, here are a few pics of the self-guided tour I took instead:
Sunset reflecting off of some building near JFK.
Trash, East Village. I'd love to ask that shoe where its other half went.
Preschoolers in Morningside Park.
