Since I have not been working for a few weeks, I have become increasingly aware of this phenomenon plaguing our cities around the world. Normally, I guess I was oblivious to this natural, but somewhat unnatural wonder because I was trapped in an office I didn’t want to be in or I possibly just turned a blind eye. At first, I thought this might be an occurrence specific to the Upper East Side since that’s where I live, but it turns out it is not neighborhood or city specific. 

The Stroller Mom…

While standing on line to get a cup of coffee the other day, Stroller Mom # 1 kept bumping the back of my leg with her pram. I understand she was trying to rock her little bundle of joy (hell) to keep them calm and happy, but when I asked her to knock that shit off, she accused me of being in the way and said a few other colorful words of choice. Since I wasn’t pissed, just annoyed, I would have let her slide with “OMG, I didn’t realize, I’m so sorry.” That would be manners.

While walking into a shop to go buy things I don’t need, but want, I saw a lady approaching the door with a double-wide stroller. Ah, how cute. Twins. Huh-Huh. I held the door for said lady and she went through the door as was my intent to let her. Did I get a Thank You? NO. Nothing. Even though I am almost 40 years old, my mama would pop me on the side of the head if I didn’t say thank you in a scenario like this. Great, now there will be two more rude ass kids running wild in New York, thanks to their mother. She did have great boots though.

While walking up 2^nd Avenue in the 70s, a gaggle of four Stroller Moms were leaving the gym. I guess they attend the same yoga class. I had a little giggle to myself when I realized they all had matching prams. But I almost wanted to put a stick in their spokes when they all decided to walk four abreast and take up the entire sidewalk. Then they managed to become even more unaware of the world around them because one was sending a text, one on the phone. Meanwhile, the entire pedestrian population around them had to put themselves in potential danger by stepping into the street to get around them. Just plain rude.

I could go on and on with my observations of Stroller Moms. I have noticed that Stroller Dads tend not to have these bouts of rudeness and maintain full awareness of their environment.

I guess, what I am just trying to figure out is…why does pushing around a stroller give one the entitlement to be a total douche? It’s simple and basic politeness people.

Starting yesterday the city got scared about the impending Snowpocalypse. Schools were preemptively closed. Many businesses decided to not open. The Trader Joes on 14th st. had a line wrapping around its aisles twice instead of the normal once. You’d think they had predicted the biggest winter storm in the last 50 years or something. What was the real forecast? 12″-18″. Really? I was expecting at least 4 feet everyday for a week with all the hubbub associated with the storm. If I am not mistaken we don’t live in Texas, right? I mean c’mon, my bank closed at Noon today, America’s most convenient bank my ass. One day of snow should not render the whole city shut down. Snow sucks for a lot of reasons but to shut down business in a North Eastern city that has 4 seasons and a historically cold and wet winter? I am ashamed of you NYC. I would have expected a big finger to the sky, but instead we got snowmen on the sidewalk.

I left NYC on August 25th. I don’t intend to come back. 18 years of my life were spent here. The 18 that counted the most in forming who I am today. The decision came not because of the economy (I was employed) or anything else but my decision to follow my heart and the one I truly LOVE to India.

My journey is not the first of its kind. I’ve found that New York City provides an excellent ground for seekers of the spiritual variety. It is the only place on the planet where acceptance is not just a concept but a daily practice. I’m sure a lot of shady things happen in the underground, but that’s just the nature of humans. I’ve found that NYC has heart, love, genuine kindness. . . whereas most of other portions of America serve up a plastic flight-attendant smile.

Anyhow folks, I’m here in Mumbai, I tweet regularly and blog as well. I’m sure I’ll see a lot, experience a lot and definitely will be back to NYC, but for now, I’m gone. So long.

Ana writes fresh poems

Just as I was enjoying the reduced foot traffic due to the July 4th weekend, I bumped into Anayvelyse. She was set up with a typewriter and a bench, ready to create poetry for a suggested donation of $2.

Situated around the Union Square area (University Pl. between 13th and 14th streets), Ana writes off the top of her mind to busy New Yorkers who need a little refreshing kick that only poetry can provide.

After reading yesterday’s NYTimes piece about how street vendors fight off each other in NYC, I was wondering how Ana avoids that situation, I did not have a chance to ask her when we met. But she did tell me that police does not bother her since she’s not actually selling poems, but requesting a suggested donation. After hearing some of the worst singers known to man performing in Union Square and invading the subways with their horrific tones; the poetry is a welcome, soothing change.

Here’s a sampling of what she’s capable of:

My friend Carolyn is a dedicated journalist/blogger.When she turns vegan and does a post on all the non-nasty tasting vegan cheeses, she means business. So what does she do? Goes to Whole Foods to take a bunch of photos.

After a few minutes of snapping away at the non-dairy/dairy aisle, she’s yelled at for taking pickchas.

This is the truth! Union Square Whole Foods – 2 days ago.

Now while I understand that Whole Foods doesn’t want its competitors having photographic evidence of what they do right or wrong, the same can be done via a hidden camera or sharp catlike photographic memory.

So, come on Whole Foods, let a lotus bloom in full! The photos in question are included in her detailed study of vegan cheeses.

The only time I got yelled at while taking a photo was in Paris, France where a bookstore owner literally took me by my arms and threw me onto the sidewalk. She was a mean one.

When I was at a tradeshow in Long Island recently, our booth exhibitor neighbors expressed interest in visiting the city. They were from Canada and this was their first ever trip to the U.S. and to NYC. As soon as any native New Yorker found out about this, they started drawing up maps, recommending places to eat, visit, setting up a timeline and even handing out their cell phone numbers, in case Canadians get lost.

This is what NYC is about. Offering that extra hand, being super friendly and reminding these Canadians of “the Ottawa hospitality” that they are used to at home. None of the stereotypes that they had about NYC came true when they actually visited it.

Sure, someone attacked the Westbury LIRR station yesterday apparently screaming “give me all your f**ing money” and then running away after the mugging – and the Canadians witnessed it – but besides that, their experience in NYC had been a really awesome one.

Nice.

We’re all familiar with the Fung Wah bus service. And if not, we should be. They are the buses that run for really cheap between Boston, Washington D.C. and New York City. The buses are often called “Chinatown” buses as their primary stops are in the China town section of each city they travel in.

But in addition to being cheap, Fung Wah buses also have a tendency of being shady. What do I mean by that?

Well, the list of offenses is shocking and pretty ridiculous, discrimination (blind couple denied access to bus),fatal Accident and the latest addition, bullying by the bus driver.

My friend shared this story with me of last weekend (May 2-3). She took the Fung Wah to Boston on Saturday. AT the bus’ pitstop, someone noticed that a passenger was missing. The driver turned around and picked up the girl who was sobbing on the sidewalk as she had missed the bus.

The bus driver got off the bus. She apologized profusely while still in tears saying her food had taken too long to be made. The bus driver forced her to throw the meal out. She pleaded as she had not eaten anything and was starving. But he made her throw the meal out and she was admitted onto the bus. Hungry, teary-eyed and probably a little psychologically devastated.

If you’re out there reading this and you’re the girl I’m writing about, please contact me and I will gladly work with you to ensure that what happened to you does not happen to hundreds of people every weekend.

Definitely never riding a Fung Wah bus again. We have enough trouble in the world without worrying about being bullied by a bus driver.

Dear Air Force,

When you decide that it would be neat to take photos of the “backup” to Air Force One flying close to the Statue of Liberty and taking almost exactly the same flight path as the planes that took out the WTC towers in 2001, it would be nice to, I don’t know, let the people of NYC know about it ahead of time. Might be nice to at least let the freakin’ mayor know about it, for starters. You scared the hell out of a lot of people and pissed a lot more off today. But, at least you got your photo op!

Tell us ahead of time next time or we’ll break your kneecaps.

Love,
NYC

New York Magazine has a brilliant cover story this week about famous and semi-famous people sharing the experience of their move to the big city.

As many people are moving out of NYC now and planning on shifting their entire lives, it’s nice to see those that have been here for decades and noticing the changes from their eyes.

I remember an Indian uncle telling me once that Jamaica Estates was the absolute best place to live – and while it still is – something went amiss. We all know how the East Village has been seriously transformed into a hub of creatives, yuppies and a mixture of rich money coexisting with projects. But there are even more stories to be read.

Superbly intriguing. Read it all here.

And sister and brother, oh friend of mine reading this post, I’d be delighted to hear of your story as well. Tell us how you got here.

Stewart Parnell; the peanut contaminating CEO

Trying to eat healthier and with a more holistic approach, I was advised by my counselor yesterday to find some whole wheat toast and peanut butter. Done (is what I thought). But I was not aware that the salmonella spread has affected nearly every Guy & Gallard, corner generic deli of New York and major stores.

I went downstairs and failed to find peanut butter at two large locations. If they don’t have peanut butter, what is the hope for the future?

The reason the scarcity of the peanut butter was shocking to me, in particular, was because I had purchased the “grind it yourself” fresh peanut butter from Whole Foods prior to, during and after the salmonella scare at Whole Foods. Their stock clearly stated that the batch of peanuts they have was not affected by the salmonella stained ones.

I did not check Duane Reade, but I wonder if even they have stopped selling anything containing peanuts to avoid a lawsuit. All I know is that I hope peanuts make a come back in NYC because I miss them dearly.

But it seems that as soon as yesterday that even MORE PEANUT RECALLS are hitting the street.

Sigh.