prospero è il vento

End of week 1

Most of this entry has been written while we were locked in the Bella Centre. Protestors marching outside were apparently blocking the exit.

This blog doesn't seem such a good idea when you realize you don't even have the time to check at what time SSC Napoli's next match is. But it's Sunday and I'm taking a day off - with apologies to the third edition of the Forest Day. This place is exhausting.

Highlights of the last days:

- 3 treemen, polar bears, 2 meter tall chickens, dogs standing on two legs.

- Indios, North-American natives, Samis, Fulanis, other non identified indigenous peoples.

- outside the Bella Centre Greenpeace activists serve free coffee every morning.

- outside the Bella Centre right behind the Greenpeace activists a man serves "wind-powered coffee".

- outside the Bella Centre, adepts of the Supreme Master distribute "my life with the animals", describing (i guess) the role of animals in the Supreme Master's life. Also available (for experts only): "my life with the birds" and "my life with the dogs".

- the queue to get in the centre at 9:20 was 25 minutes long, including airport-like metal detectors, "please take a sip of this liquid" and a quick computer check to make sure your face is really yours.

- flash mobs everywhere. red people for "pay the climate debt", green for "seal the deal", blue for "350 ppm", orange I'm not sure.

- next week ministers and heads of State will be here - for security reasons every organization will only be allowed to attend with a part of its delegates. The system will be enforced distributing a second type of badge. Now we have the normal one, the one we have to show on the train to get the ride for free, the extra one, plus the card to get in the hotel. I always have the impression I'm losing something.

- speaking of badges, yesterday evening the traditional NGO party. I sweated so much my badge got corroded while dancing balkan music. Unfortunately, almost no IUCN people came - seeing your boss getting wasted is a significant experience.

Plans for today:

Lucia celebration in Malmo. Basically a procession of virgins dressed in white with candles on their head singing "Santa Lucia" (venite all'agile barchetta mia etc) in a slightly revisited version. The idea is that Lucia brings back the light after the darkest period of the year - which is not too dark here, by the way. A pagan feast with neapolitan sailor songs to celebrate a sicilian saint. The Lord's ways are not our ways, for sure.