The pace of the negotiations was exhausting, with back to back meetings from 8am till the early mornings of the next day. Weekends or rest days were as real as fairies. Sleep was a precious commodity. Proper meals were a privilege few of us knew. In their place were apples, biscuits, chocolates, and other snacks that we manage to pack in our heavy overflowing bags.
It was my first time chairing some of the negotiations and that took everything a further notch up the crazy scale.
It has been almost a week since I got back from climate change land. I have spent that time trying to recover from the madness, getting back into the rhythms of work back in Singapore and trying to settle my new home stuff which took a back seat while I was in climate change land.
Yes, these trips are disruptive to my life, they are both physically and mentally draining, and they take up way too many weekends. But I recognise that to be able to do what I do is also a privilege. Despite my frequent whingeings, I believe that in the long run, what we are able to negotiate will make a difference to the world we leave behind. I thank God for these opportunities.
I also thank God for the people He has surrounded me with at the negotiations.
Fellow co-workers who are sounding boards, sources of help and the occasional food deliveries.
Fellow co-Chairs and the secretariat who guided and supported me through my first co-Chairing stint.
Negotiators from other countries that I have worked closely with in the course of negotiations, who I can now call friends :)
Above all, I thank God for His grace and strength that sustains me through every rough time.
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