I'm sorry it's taken so long to write. The last two weeks have been really hectic, and I fell ill with a stomach bug that took the wind out of my sails for a few days. I'll try to keep this short, and save some for the post that will follow in two days.
Brunch at Petite Abeille
As I mentioned in my last post, we did end up going for Brunch to Petite Abeille on Monday, which was a holiday for President's Day. We walked to the restaurant, which is at the intersection of East 20th Street and First Avenue. It turned out to be (another) delightful little place. Very Belgian in ambiance, right down to the little boy on the table next to us who was reading Tintin in French (Herge, the creator, was Belgian, by the way). They had an extensive collection of interesting beers, but because of the lack of company (Sandhya doesn't drink beer), I abstained.
We ordered omelets for ourselves - Sandhya had a Tomato, Goat Cheese and Asparagus Omelet, and I had a Mushroom, Spinach and Onion Omelet. We've learned that to get them the way we like them, you have to ask for them to be "well done", and they were therefore superb.
Another visit to the Natural History Museum
Thus fortified, we walked further South to catch a Subway to the Natural History Museum, for our second visit (at Dhruv's request). I had initially thought that the prospect of seeing stationary animals in a diorama would have bored him to death, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how much he's enjoying them.
The Dioramas are obviously exquisitely done, and so it takes little imagination to picture the scene as actually being in say, Africa, or India. There's this one of two Cheetahs eyeing a herd of Wildebeest in the distance -- the first one concentrates intently on the herd, while the other one has turned his head slightly to the right so that he looks right at you. The look on his face is one of astonishment -- "Where did these humans come from?" he seems to be thinking. It's like you've surprised the pair while they're on a hunt.
Dhruv continues to surprise me with what grabs his attention. For example, on both our visits, he’s also enjoyed the Native American sections, something I never thought he’d be fascinated by. This section is full of miniature sets describing Native American life. He’s full of questions about each little figurine – “Who is he?”, “Why is he carrying that?”, “Where is he coming from?”.
When we last visited the museum, we weren’t allowed to see the dioramas at the Hall of Underwater Mammals because there was a lecture in progress (which we attended). We therefore made it a point to visit that section, and enjoyed many breathtaking sights, including one of mighty Walrus resting after hauling himself onto the ice using his tusks (something I didn’t know they did). While we spent just a few hours there, it was as rewarding as the first trip, for all of us.
Going to JFK for the trip to California
On Tuesday, I found out that I had to travel to California that very evening on some urgent work. I booked myself on JetBlue that afternoon, printed my boarding card, and set out for the airport.
I went downstairs intending to take a cab to JFK, but the sight of a bus made the skinflint in me get goose pimples. I also didn’t want to get stuck in traffic on the Van Wyck Expressway. It was amazing – I boarded the M16 at 3:55 pm for a 6 pm flight, changed from the 6 to E line at 51st St, and then a fast run later (the E train was an express, with very few stops), was at Archer Boulevard (which is near the airport) at 4:40 pm. I can't imagine doing it in that time by taxi. That whole leg of the journey cost me just $2; I was surprised to find there was a $5 fare for the short journey from Archer Blvd to JFK on the AirTrain - I guess someone has to pay for the investment someone’s made in that new line. I've traveled to NYC many times, and have always been stuck in traffic; I am surprised how easily I made the mental shift to using public transit after moving here. Bottom line, it took me 1:07 hours from Waterside Plaza to the entrance to Terminal 5 at JFK. And it cost me just $7. My CFO will be a happy man.
One thing I’m surprised and disappointed by is the lost opportunity -- unlike Hong Kong (which is one of the best) or London (maybe not as posh as HK, but the advantage is that you ride the regular Underground right from the airport), they should’ve linked the same Subway system to the terminal directly, and run a direct train from Manhattan to the airport.
Visiting friends in California
I spent two days in the Bay Area, and one of those evenings some friends called me home for a meal. Some of our other friends were also invited, and I was looking forward to catching up with them again. It was a rather odd experience to drive to Fremont, past our old house, and to these friends’ place, in someone else’s car. As I drove through our old neighborhood, it felt really odd to be seeing it through a visitor’s eyes. I can’t put my finger on why it is so, but it just didn’t feel the same. And it had just been three weeks since we had moved. Since I hadn’t given our tenants advance notice, I didn’t stop by our house.
At dinner they asked me about life in New York, and I wondered – what can I tell them that I haven’t already mentioned in this blog? The blog has helped me step in a quiet zone every weekend, and reflect on the week gone by. By writing in such detail, I know I am recording memories with a vividness that will hopefully bring them back easily when I read it many years later. But it also means that everything’s out there for everyone to read. I don’t know who’s read it and who’s not – and being inclined to avoid repetition, I say less rather than more. I hope you understand if you meet me and I am not as chatty as you’d like me to be.
Red-eye back
I knew that had a middle seat on the Red-eye back, and I hoped I would have someone small-made sitting next to me. No such luck. The window seat was occupied by a squat muscular man with a long braided beard, his tree-trunk sized arms covered with Tattoos all over. The arm rest between his seat and mine was ‘up’ and when I gingerly tried to bring it down, he had to take a deep breath before I could complete the maneuver. Thankfully I was too tired to stay awake, but when I reached New York Braided Beard apologized for squishing me too much. The tattoos were just for show after all.
Chinese Mirch
On Friday afternoon, I had lunch with an old business-school classmate, and we met at Chinese Mirch, a restaurant that Madhav Mohan had recommended strongly. It turned out to be quite a find – the food was really excellent – probably the best Indian Chinese I’ve had in the US. And it is (you guessed it) just 4 blocks from home.
Saturday Haircut
On Saturday morning, Dhruv and I went for a haircut to a Barber on 2nd and 34th. Despite being in the heart of the big city, the shop was remarkably personal and old-fashioned. The barbers had a strong East-European accent, and were warm and affectionate. This was the first time I was taking Dhruv for a haircut, and he sat quietly through the whole procedure, earning the admiration of all the people in the shop. “Quite a handsome young man he is” someone remarked, and I felt like bursting with pride. Dhruv got two lollipops for “being good” and they all waved us a “see you in a month” goodbye when we left. I’m sure I’ll go back.
Hosting family on the weekend
Sandhya had invited her cousin’s husband – who was visiting from Bangalore, but is normally a resident of Upstate New York, and Neetu and Ganesh, home for a meal on Saturday. Neetu and Ganesh hosted us when we came looking for apartments, and have been very helpful throughout the process with good suggestions and solid advice.
Ganesh kept remarking (and he should know) that we weren’t living a real “New York Experience” – our flat was too nice, too quiet, too big… I don’t know if he was just trying to make us feel good, but he sure succeeded.
We convinced Neetu and Ganesh to stay for dinner, and decided it was time to honor Saravana Bhavan with our first visit. They had driven up from New Jersey, so we all bundled up into their van and drove over. Ganesh’s surprise continued when he paid on his way out of our Parking Garage – apparently $18 for a day’s parking is a steal in New York. His second surprise came when we went to find parking, after dropping Sandhya, Neetu and the kids off at Saravana Bhavan. We made a left turn, and Lo! Behold! A parking spot two cars away from the restaurant corner! It seemed a little small, but a tight parallel parking challenge has always gotten my juices flowing, so I jumped out to help Ganesh tuck it in. Another surprise! The drive in the car just ahead of us had just got out of her car, and she asked me “Would you like me to move my car?”. “Of course!” She moved it ahead a bit, and we parked easily. As we were about to pay, she said “Oh no – it’s free after 7 PM and on weekends!”. At that point Ganesh would’ve just fainted – nice people, easy parking, and free? Now that’s not New York.
The dinner wasn’t anything to write about, so I won’t. We must try Pongal and Tamil Nadu Bhavan (which are nearby) to find a really good South India food joint in the area.
Late night movie
Dhruv wanted to go to New Jersey for a sleep-over with Nandini (Neetu and Ganesh’s daughter), so after we finished dinner, they all took off. Sandhya and I walked to the AMC Loews on 2nd Avenue. They were showing “Gran Torino” and “The Reader” but since “The Reader” was first, we ended up seeing that. Our first movie in New York – and a good one at that – we had seen Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” a day earlier, and both of us felt Kate Winslet’s performance in Reader was much more deserving of an Oscar. Turned out we were right.
We walked home at around 1:30 AM and I must confess to being prepared to be mugged, but thankfully no such thing happened.
Liberty Science Center
Sonia had asked us whether we were interested in taking the kids to the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. Neetu and Ganesh had also expressed an interest in going there, and since Dhruv was already in New Jersey, it worked out perfectly. Sonia and her kids, Sandhya and I, drove to the center directly. Neetu and Ganesh joined us there with Nandini, Dhruv and little Mythili.
The Museum has a very new look, and I’m told it re-opened recently after an extensive refurbishment. For Dhruv, the high point of the visit was the fact that there were several dogs (puppies and adult dogs) roaming all over the Museum as part of the seeing-eye dog program. He could pet Golden and Black Labs and German Shepherds, to his heart’s content.
For me, it was the 3D movie on “Going to the Moon” which was part animation, part movie – but which really came to life because of the 3D.
However, on balance, I found the museum quite expensive and the other exhibits quite ordinary. Having visited the Exploratorium in San Francisco a few times, I wasn’t terribly impressed. No membership here!
Oscar Night and Eating “Out”
Neil Lamba was in town again, and I went to his room in the Hilton on 6th Avenue to have a drink and dinner with him. Dhruv and Sandhya were tired and stayed home – it was also a school day for him the next day. We are still getting used to the time-zone difference for live events between California and New York. Oscar night in California meant getting together with friends for a Chaat party that started at 5:00 pm and went till around 9:00. Here the Oscar celebrations started at 8:00 pm with a school / work day the next morning – a whole different (and less fun) experience!!
Neil had a couple of his pilot colleagues in his room, and we had a good time watching the Oscars. As we began to feel hungry, we caught a gap between the major awards to hop outside for a bite to eat, intending to eat at one of the many Falafel carts that dot the streets of New York.
Quite an amazing site greeted my eyes – if you’ve seen the Hilton on 6th Avenue, it is a really impressive building located in the middle of one of the nicest parts of midtown Manhattan. On the street right beside it, are a few Falafel carts – and one of them had at least 30 people (I’m not kidding, I counted) standing in line, waiting to order. It was cold, late, and yet there they were, waiting to get their dinner from the little cart, in the middle of all that glass, steel and concrete. People from all walks of life – nicely dressed and in jeans. Neil remarked that that guy must surely be mixing something in his food to make people want to do that.
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