eecaac

that stands for eastern european and central asian AIDS conference. it is sponsored by nih and russian department for consumer goods and safety (our BBB, i think). there were something like 2700 people registered to come adn this is the third time they're holding the conference. it's amazing just how many people are here. they represent all sorts of organizations involved in fighting the epidemic--scientists, ngo's, governmental policy agencies, doctors, PLHIV networks--from youth working with youth to old and established doctors adn politicians. people are here from all over the world, not just the US and russia, not just the eastern european and central asian countries of CIS, but western europe adn africa. the conference opening had so many important speakers addressing the crowd. the ambassador of the US spoke great english adn russian, dr. jay levi, one of the scientists who isolated HIV in 83, the head of UNAIDS of eastern europe, minister of health of Russia. there are concurrent sessions and presentations going on, there is a youth village and a poster presentation room. there are pharmaceutical booths and meeting for UNAIDS and RUssian and AMerican government discussing policy and new agreements. it is overwhelming, i feel like i'm lost misplaced. i'm afraid people will ask me questions and realize that i sort of dont belong.
part of being a stipend recipient requires me to attend a young scientist workshop where american and russian researchers present their project. interesting, but it's all science, adn i am dying having to sit through diagrams of enzyme transcription and polymerase inhibition. everyone, of course, has a powerpoint, and american kids are actually decent in presenting their work--they are good public speakers. russian kids are not. they stumble, they mumble, their talks feel practiced and recited many times before their adult mentors. it's boring :(. but the worst was this one kid who presented a new computer program that allows you to program a plasmid dna so that you can sequence it however you want and incorporate your RNA of interest wherever you'd like. it was terrible, he read off his slides, he misread off his slides. he paused, he paused so more. i wanted to leave, really. it was so bad, the head moderator--former minister of health of the US, established scientist from uflorida, an older disitnguished gentleman in a bow tie--fell asleep, on the podium, in front of everyone. yep.
i've noticed russians have no cell phone etiquette. everyone, of course, owns a cell phone, but people fail to turn them on vibrate. so during so super important UNAIDS address or an interesting epidemiology presentations, cell phones are going off adn you see these russian dudes in suits and overweight ladies in high heels answering them and frantically running out of the room. that's rude. what's ruder is that they let them ring. the phone starts ringing instead of canceling the call right away so that it doesn't make noise, the owner will sit there for 3 minutes trying to figure out if it's his phone, then search through pockets looking for it, then stare at the screen for another 3 minutes figuring out who the caller is...just answer it!! someone is actually speaking right now!!
the hotel is great (have i mentioned that already?) it's not russian, which is what i feared and my sheets are actually clean. the lobby is spacious and full of 24 hours cafes and bars and in order to access the elevator you need your room key. couldn't figure out why, until steve tells me how he was approached by a sex worker in house one night. this red headed lady came up to him adn asked if he wanted to spend some time with her. he declined but told her tehre is someone who wants to interview her (that would be me). it's obvious that she is paying someone at the door to have access to guests adn the next day we were looking for her because i wanted steve to show her to me. at some point a red-headed lady gets into the elevator. i'm excited i'm convinced it's her. it's early morning so it's possible she is leaving the room of someone....that is until she gets off the elevator with me adn addresses some guy in british english asking him about today's presentations--i just confused a british scientist with a sex worker :(