Simple Gossip from the UES

Gossip Girl is a show about a group of teenagers growing up in the Upper East Side. I have never watched that show and I am not interested in watching it when season 3 is supposed to return in the fall. As a midwestern-indian girl living in the Upper East Side, I am fascinated by the stereotypes floating around about people living around me.

The UES is a neighborhood enclave perfectly set-up in-between Central Park and the East River. Historically known to be a haven for New York establishment, walking in the quaint streets along the prized addresses closer to central park, one can easily spot little proud old ladies in fur coats or perfectly uniformed expressionless children accompanied by similar looking mothers taking them to private school. Museums and cultural attractions are in abundance; diverse restaurants dot the street; luxury boutique stores and cozy cafes can be found everywhere. A sub-culture has formed in this neighborhood. Little by little, the sub-culture that is the Upper East Side is shifting away. Many ‘outsiders’ have moved in and are gradually changing the establishment. In addition, many wealthy New Yorkers, including celebrities and young people are dumping the neighborhood and moving to more trendy neighborhoods such as Tribeca or Soho.

Yesterday, a group of confused tourists with backpacks asked me for directions, while I was standing on 79th and Lex. For a second, I thought - Do I look like an Upper East Sider, let alone a New Yorker? I don't think so, but maybe a neighborhood has some effect on its residents, whether they are part of the establishment or whether they are ‘outsiders’. Maybe, one day, you could find me in the Upper West Side or in Soho living among another sub-culture and tourists asking me for directions then. In any case, I do know that you won’t find me among the proud little old ladies or the expressionless faces that can so often be spotted around here. I grew up learning that a friendly smile won’t hurt anyone and a little humility can go a long way.

Bon Apetit!!

Another blog devoted to food? How can I not write about the wonderful assortment of food in one of the most ethnic friendly cities in the world? This weekend, I was having my regular saturday morning omelette when the craving for a kati roll set in. I didn't get a kati roll that day, but that night I had the opportunity to sample an ethiopian restuarant in hell's kitchen. It is called Meskerem and it had much larger space than Queen of Sheba nearby. After tasting the dinner entree, I give more points to Queen of Sheba. In terms of ambiance and space, Meskerem is better. However, they insisted that each person order a separate entree even though the group was large. Anyways, it probably explains why it is hard to find a spot in Queen of Sheba.

Now, back to kati rolls. I had never tasted a kati roll before I came to NYC. For those of you who have never tasted this delicious ensemble of a wrap, it is basically a paratha stuffed with spices, potatoes, chicken tikka, or lamb. I had two kati rolls on sunday - a chicken roll and a shami kabob. As if that wasn't enough, my friend and I ended up going to Max Brenners Chocolate Factory after that. I didn't know Max Brenners had good smoothies. The fruit smoothie that consisted of strawberry, mango, passion fruit, banana and orange with ice was heavenly.

So, now that I made my readers hungry here are links to the restaurants mentioned in this blog:

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/meskerem-ethiopian-restaurant01/

http://www.shebanyc.com/

http://www.thekatirollcompany.com/

http://www.maxbrenner.com/

Spring in the City

Spring in NY. The tourists start coming, but have not fully occupied the streets. Leaves start growing in different shades of green. Tulips start blooming and I see more smiles than frowns. Central park is swarming with fluttering birds, young leaves, growing flowers, shimmering water, and happy children. There is a beautiful optimism that grows out of the cold bitterness of late winter. Smiley outdoor vendors are starting to sell an assortment of ice-cream and chilled juices. The grey snow and black ice that covered the corners of sidewalks have turned into yellow and red flower beds. Seasons are a reminder to us that change occurs and that life is a continuous cycle of birth, glory, sadness, happiness, death, and remembrance.

NY is a continous flow of personalities from every corner of the world - speaking different languages, eating different foods, and continuously adding to its aura. Among the yellow lines that dot the street and the concrete walls that tower a bold and powerful city, I still manage to spot a bright spring flower, a playful baby, or an unexpected smile.

Travel

As the weekend is coming to a close and the week is starting, I am reflecting on where I would like to travel. I haven't traveled much in the past year, because there were several things I needed to take care of such as moving to NY for my new job, apartment hunting, etc. I always admire my adventerous friends who have traveled far and wide to exotic destinations - the ones people don't normally go to. I have been to cities in 3 continents in my lifetime and have yet to explore others. Here is a list of places and trips I would love to go on (quite possibly my dream list):
Italy (Florence, Venice, Rome, Tuscany region)
Loire Valley in France
Aegean Islands in Greece
Loch Ness in Scotland
Vienna
Pyramids in Egypt (very obvious one)
Turkey (too many to list)
Brazil (Amazon cruise, major cities, etc)
China (Beijing, Great Wall)
Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket)
Maldives
Safari in Tanzania
Inca Ruins in Peru
Great Barrier Reef in Australia
Alaskan Cruise

I am sure this list will get bigger as time goes by.

The Economy, Technology, Environment: Challenge to Hope

The new year began on a somber yet hopeful note - our economy was falling, but we were hopeful for a new beginning and renewal in America. Distress could be seen everywhere. All of a sudden, the issues we watched on television or read about in the news started having a direct impact on our lives.

Americans now have a chance to reflect upon their lives: is this what I always wanted to do with my life? have I pursued my passion? am I truly happy with my career? did I do what was important to me or my family? For many people, their job was their identity. They held on to it like a prize. The issues we are facing is a wake up call to people who thought that they created a safety net out of their careers that sheilded them from facing the realities of life. This era of uncertainty is also a lesson for young people in high school and college who will be entering the work-force soon. They know what uncertainty means and are armed to deal with challenges more than the generation that preceded them.

We are entering a period of rapid transformation in the political, environmental, and technological areas. Social media is transforming the way we live from micro-blogging to networking, from online collaboration to video sharing. There is a wealth of information we can draw from. My generation (Generation Y) has faced challenges growing up: from an era of comfort to an era of uncertainty. We are transforming the web and social media. We are transforming society. Despite the new challenges we are facing about the economy or the environment, we are creative enough to invent new ideas or amend existing ones. New ideas or a combination of ideas from various fields are waiting to be created: technology, green energy, economic theories, medical discoveries. Our brainpower is faced with a challenging new era and its up to us to make the best use of it.

Edison said: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up".

The Story of Success

I recently read the book "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. It is about the story of success and looks into the lives of a few exceptionally successful people. After showing some statistical evidence such as date of birth, going over the '10,000 hour rule', and other 'advantages', it points out that success is not just a matter of hard work and dedication, but a combination of many factors and luck.

The book made a lot of sense to me, since I have seen how small opportunities combined with hard work can bring success. However, if someone does not get these opportunites, they may not be able to take advantage of them. Good opportunities may start of as a small beginning to a long chain of successful occurings. People born at the right time to take advantage of opportunities, people who go to the right school that enables them to build a good network, people who stumble upon the right job at the right time, people who are born into wealth. These people had luck on their side. Some parents motivate their children to do well in school and many of their children succeed. Other parents, may not give the same kind of motivation to their children and many of their children may not succeed. Success breeds success.

For a person to be a success, the right opportunities have to come at the right time. Otherwise, those opportunities will be missed or overlooked. At the same time, it takes a certain level of drive and determination to bring about luck. People who constantly strive for the best are better prepared for opportunities when they arrive. People who complain and don't work as hard are least prepared when opportunities come. There is always a certain amount of luck involved in life, but it is up to us to forsee and take advantage of little opportunities thrown our way. There are some common elements that I have noticed in all successful people: they dont complain much, they seize the day, take time to enjoy their lives, work very hard, exercise, eat right, and the most important of all - they maintain a good attitude.

Sunshine after Rain

Today was a sunny day in New York. I stepped out of my apartment building in the morning to be surrounded by the generous morning sun reflecting from the windows of the apartments. A fruit vendor was setting up his small cart with a variety of colorful fruits. A maltese puppy was happily walking with its owner. As I stood at the intersection, the thought came to me that yesterday was a cloudy, windy, and gloomy day. The weather can change in one day and so can people's lives. The lucky chances in our lives are similar to cloudy days transforming into sunny days. Spring is a time of renewed optimism. In these difficult times, the new verdant leaves and fragrant flowers continue to bloom; the cycle of life continues.