APEC Notes: Getting a coffee

APEC 2012 International Media Centre
The tall building to the right of the frame is the International Media Center for the APEC 2012 summit

The summit site for this weekend’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders summit is at a newly built university campus in Vladivostok, Russia. Once world leaders clear out, the students will take over.

The International Media Centre is in a building that looks like it will be campus’ main hub once it becomes Far Eastern Federal University. I’m in that centre now as I write this.

Upon our arrival here late Friday night local time, it was easy to smell the fresh plaster and paint. This morning at dawn, however, the the place reeked of mould — from the 11th floor “press restaurant” to the Canadian media filing room on the facility’s second level. Hopefully, the place will get dried out before the students arrive.

And while the place looks impressive from the street — all concrete and lots of glass — the design is bit difficult if you want to get around inside. For example: all broadcast reporters from all countries are on the facility’s second level and here’s what one must do to get a coffee which you will find at the “snack area” on the 7th level or in the restaurant on the 11th level.

One would assume that you would get on an elevator that goes from the 2nd level to either the 7th level or the 11th level.Wrong. Though there are 8 elevator shafts in facility only one goes from floor 2 to floor 11 and it is not functioning. So:

1. Get on an escalator to go from floor 2 to floor 3.

2. That escalator empties you beside another escalator which takes you from floor 3 to floor 4.

3. Cross to the other side of the building to take another escalator from floor 4 to floor 5.

4. Cross again back to the other side of the building to the nearest elevator shaft.  Wait for the elevator and proceed to floor 7. (This elevator, it should be noted only goes between floors 5 and 10 so if you want the restaurant on floor 11 you must walk even further to the far corner of the building for that elevator shaft. )

5. Now, with your hot coffee, retrace your steps to return to the second floor.

15 thoughts on “APEC Notes: Getting a coffee”

  1. 2 maks “Why can’t you reach 1nd floor first? And after this take one of 8 escalators to 11?))”
    Ты слишком многого хочешь от тупого журналюги.

  2. Congrats, you’ve just made top daily story on Russian leading satirical website. The logistics inside the building is very typically Russian, no doubt of it.

  3. Точно! Так у нас все и есть. Сразу же вспоминается фраза из фильма:”Кто так строит?”

  4. Напомнило рассказ про русского в Америке, который не стал дожидаться лифта и направился к лестнице. Один америкос сказал своим американским коллегам: “Русские не умеют пользоваться лифтами”. На что наш ответил: “Русские умеют НЕ пользоваться лифтами”. 🙂

  5. Continuing russian mentality (“Why can’t you reach 1nd floor first?”)
    Why nobody didn’t put boiler at 2-nd floor and didn’t sell hot drinks in two times more expensive?

  6. 2dj Обиделся видать дурачок за родную страну. Иди лифты лучше ремонтируй

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