Of fountains and innocence

If you ever feel the need for a little warp back in time, feel free to come to Geneva right about, oh, the first Wednesday of February when the old WWII bomb sirens are tested. Except you won't really know that it's a test, you'll just hear them begin their eery whine and your imagination will begin to run - after all, you are sitting pretty at the epicentre of all things international, many of which - at least in other parts of the world - have made many a tempting target for ill-intentioned souls.

But then you'll put and ear to the window and hear a few other things ... the other signs of spring (no complaints, but already?!), namely road construction and rambunctious protests. With the anti-Davos protests already come and gone, along with the teary-eyed evidence of the pre-preemptive use of force against banned freedom of speech and assembly, another passionate group of some sort has taken to the UN plaza and, yet again, I have no idea what they're out there for. That said, we're all giving them kudos for amassing such an impressive group and reminding us with their echoey megaphone banter that the spring protest season is on its way.

That's about when my colleague pointed out that "the police haven't even turned on the fountains yet" ... and when my innocence was shattered.

About a year ago, several dozen "fountain squirters", along with well-placed lights, were built into the ground of the plaza, making for a magical summer wonderland for all kinds of kiddies jumping over, under and through the timed fountains, never quite sure where the next one will "go off". For those of us less inclined to strip down to our skiveys, it makes for a blissful place to sit sun-side and read to the sounds of splashing fountains and yelping kiddies in the spring and summer months. It never ocurred to me that they were installed - and are subsequently turned on - to limit protest space in front of the UN.

My colleague looked at me like I was the most naive person in the world, adding only "Of course! And why do you think so many of the South East Asian cities have dozens of overpasses around the city centers? It's not for aesthetics or improved traffic flow, it's to prevent tanks from coming in too close to the capitals!"

Farewell dear innocence ...