Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Long Walk To Freedom: Just A Third World Guy Dazzled By The City


मेरो अाइसी (IC) कम्पनी ज्योितकनेक्ट

This past Friday evening, I proceeded to walk from Little Bangladesh, where I live, all the way to Jackson Heights. Little Bangladesh is south of Prospect Park. Now that park itself is quite walkey, you can walk around it, you can walk inside it. I love to walk. It is my favorite form of exercise. With other forms of exercise, it is like you have to suspend the process of thinking. Walking is thinking on steroids. No need to warm up or warm down. And the scenery changes.

Little Bangladesh is mini Jackson Heights. You can do all the Desi grocery shopping you want here.

New York City is the most diverse place on earth. Queens is the most diverse borough and where almost all my fellow Nepalis live, my comrades from the April Revolution. Jackson Heights in the most diverse locality in Queens.

I am thinking I am going to have my company's global headquarters in Jackson Heights. J for JyotiConnect, J for Jackson Heights. (Entrepreneurs: Spikes)

I have walked literally all over southern Brooklyn. I have been south to the water many times. I have been east to the water many times. Walking over to Coney Island is no big deal. Recently I formed a little walk rectangle. You go south and follow the D, M line and then you follow back up along the F line. I have walked west and the north to downtown Brooklyn.

But this was going to be much longer. And I was going to use my mind compass. Half way there I found myself in front of the big two buildings that house hundreds of Nepalis in Ridgewood. I asked a Hispanic guy there if he knew Jackson Heights.

"Yeah. But you nowhere near Jackson Heights."

A little later, I ordered a large pizza for eight bucks. Heck, that beats even the dollar pizza near Times Square, I think 42nd and 9th.

The walk was Friday evening. I took the F train back home from Jackson Heights.

Saturday evening was a huge Nepali New Year celebration. A legendary Nepali musician was on stage. He had been invited all the way from Nepal. I mentioned my walk to a few friends. I was getting calls about it the following day.

Another long walk like that I took was from up in the Bronx down to Little India in Manhattan. I had been to this Bill Clinton event (Bill Clinton Had Icecream For Lunch). A few days later I went back to the spot where I had shaken his hand ("Mr. President, you are Elvis!") and then decided to walk back. I was going to walk all the way to Little Bangladesh. But then I proceeded to eat at the Curry In A Hurry place in Little India, and I no longer felt like walking, so I took the train. Little India is Lex and 26th, I believe.

I have walked all over Manhattan. I walked all over Harlem on election day. (On November 7: In Harlem: For Obama)

I am in total love with New York City.

I own this city. It is just not official yet.

News: Thieves Steal New York Mayor Bloomberg's Car

Overheard

Audio Clip
My Back Against The Wall
Madonna: I Love New York
If You Want To
Amitabh In Town
Me, Ethiopian
KY, IN
Not Going Anywhere Outside The City
Moved
Police Brutality




Deuba In Jackson Heights 9
Deuba In Jackson Heights 7
Deuba In Jackson Heights 10

In The News

Police Search For Suspect In Fatal Jackson Heights Shooting NY1, NY
Police raid on Pakistani restaurant causes panic Daily Times, Pakistan
Jackson Heights woman, 18, dies in shooting Times Ledger, NY
Jackson Heights Making the Cut: A Matter of Interpretation New York Times, NY During Semana Santa, the Holy Week before Easter, it is customary among Latin American Catholics to refrain from eating red meat in favor of fish. Even so, the carnicerías, or butcher shops, of Jackson Heights, Queens, were bustling last week with Hispanic customers tempted by glossy lobes of liver

New York City passes ban on metal bats Inside Bay Area, CA
Metal Bats Banned in New York City High School Games AOL SPORTS
New York City's ban on metal bats not a hit with area players, coaches The Journal News.com
New York City bans use of metal batsIn-Forum (subscription)
New York City radio hosts suspended indefinitely over racially ...
San Diego Union Tribune, CA
New York CBS radio hosts suspended for racially charged segment Canada.com
US high court weighs whether New York City can sue foreign ... International Herald Tribune, France
Court weighs whether New York City can sue foreign countries over ... San Diego Union Tribune
New York Mayor Unveils Multi-Billion Dollar Green City Plan
Environment News Service
New York Pledges 1 Million New Trees by 2017 myfoxny.com
ATA sees problems with New York pricing plan eTrucker
New York City congestion charge gets mixed reaction Raw Story
New York City leaders put the brakes on unregulated pedicab industry San Diego Union Tribune, CA
Overriding Veto, Council Limits Pedicabs to 325 in New York New York Times
Pedicab Smackdown: City Council Defies Bloomberg, Reins in 'Green ... Village Voice
Cities Have Trouble Keeping Up With Cyclists Wired News
New York City Ballet Opens Spring Season With Tribute to Lincoln ... PlaybillArts, NY
A New Take on Young Love New York Sun
Lord of the dance Newsday
From Bowser to New York City
Parksville Qualicum News, Canada
UN Welcomes New York City's 'Green Initiative'
NewsBlaze, CA
Famed Horse Stable In New York City To Close
myfoxny.com, NY

Voters Head To Polls In Brooklyn Special Election NY1, NY
Ghostface And Others To Raid Brooklyn HipHopDX, CA
Brooklyn Tech Won’t Move, Dept. of Ed Assures Alumni
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY
Separate Drive-By Shootings in Brooklyn
Gothamist, NY
A Madrasa Grows In Brooklyn
Evening Bulletin, PA
Brooklyn Residents Vow To Name Park For Controversial Activist
NY1, NY



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We all have to wonder what Bloomberg is really thinking of with this congestion pricing tax scheme. Maybe he mostly just wants a new tax. Just wrap it up in 'concern for the environment', and people can just demonize those who oppose it.

If he cares so much about traffic jams, congestion and air pollution, why does he let Park Avenue be blocked off? Why doesn't he do anything about that?

Pershing Square Restaurant blocks Park Avenue going South at 42nd St. for 12 hours a day/6 months of the year! This Causes Massive Congestion & Air Pollution!

But apparently it does not bother NYC's Nanny-in-Chief Mike "Congestion Pricing Tax" Bloomberg? Check out the map!

http://whataplanet.blogspot.com
http://preview.tinyurl.com/38obfd

Check it out!

Thanks,

Little Blue PD

:)