This Fall

RE DrDr
John Howard is the man who scuttled the republican referandum(b) in Oz. A staunch monarchist he obviously identifies more with his brit cousins. Had 9/11 and the Tampa (refugee) crises not happened last year there was a chance of him losing the election. The canny politico that he is, both incidents were used by him to play upon people`s fears and get their votes.

DrDr

John Howard is not known as ``Little Johnny`` for nothing.

Zafar Saheb:
From todays paper:
Alas, he (Howard) chose instead, in his remarks before the Australian Chamber of Commerce, to becloud, if not befoul, his position when he added that, whatever the pros and cons of an Iraqi attack, Australia needed to support the Americans and British because of their similar values and ``similar view of life.``

One wonders why the exalted man identifies not with the ppl of US & UK but with the rulers. The majority in UK opposes attack on Iraq. If Aussies identify with the mother country theyd oppose war too. The intrstng thng is what smlr valus & view of life? Whiteness? Language? Anglosaxon valus, what?

Reply Dost-mittar #61

``When you shoot Baywatch in Australia, remember that Pamela Andersen is Canadian.``

Aane do. Yahan hi brain transplant karvaa denge...

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DrDr

You are too intelligent to be a part of the 12-head family.Apologies for my wrong impression about you which was created because of the use of the12-head trade mark by you ....viz:
HaramiU for harimau and there for their, amongst others.

Carry on mate ;)

Reply dost-mittar #53

“Australia is following in the Canadian footsteps. Whatever happens here - immigration selection criteria, multiculturalism, backlash followed by acceptance - seems to follow there after some time.”

It seems like a logical progression of logical ideas, no? Why doesn’t the rest of the world get it?

“Just as what`s-her-name tried to rouse anti-immigrant feelings in Australia about five years ago”

Pauline Hanson of the One Nation Party (currently embroiled in some court dispute about improper use of donations….)

Actually, the funniest response to Pauline Hanson was a drag queen who dressed to look like her and called herself Pauline Pantsdown – followed her around when Hanson went canvassing for votes, released a couple of singles using Hanson’s public statements in playback, etc. V amusing, and perhaps says more about Australian public life and culture, and how things are dealt with here, than is immediately apparent. (Can you imagine an equivalent phenomenon in Canada? Dame Edna Everidge is also one of Australia’s gifts to the world…)

“…we had our own Reform party which grew out of an extreme rightwing agenda tinged with racism. But Canada being Canada, the party soon moderated itself and now, both in absolute and percentage terms, the same party has more Indo-Canadian members of Parliament than either of the mainsteam parties.”

Now that’s something that is unlikely to happen in Australia. The Greens, however, are going great guns, praise God and pass the ammunition.

“But there is one area where you are always leading us - sports (except hockey - thank God you don`t have much snow down under!).”

What about Prisoner and Neighbours, hey? And have I mentioned that Baywatch might be shot in Australia? Beat that Spiderman! When it comes to crass tele-vulgarity WE RULE! (Next stop Bollywood…)

Regards

Reply DrDr #58

“Thnx for the tutorial.”

Well, since you enjoyed it…

“My uncle was there in the early 90s. His views were colored also by what he saw were injustices against the aborigines.”

Which continue, I’m afraid, though things are getting better.

“The Aussies Ive known complain bitterly about how the Yanks dont respect them despite the cultural closeness, military alliances, etc. The NZ`ers stand up to Uncle Sam and both R viewed the same here.”

Our Govt’s poodle like attitude to the US is, frankly, embarrassing. Australia IS a client state of the US (sort of like Canada), but the Govt’s complete lack of dignity is just too crass to be palatable.

(Also – keep in mind that if anybody wants to get to NZ they have to go through Australia first – NZ’s “buzz off Uncle Sam” attitude comes without a price, due to their location.)

“My uncle also sez that the Aussies cudnt make up their minds about whether they R closer to the greater white world or East Asia. Is he right?”

Under Keating (our former Labour PM) there was this tremendous push for “engagement” (whatever that means) with Asia – because Australia is (surprise! Surprise!) located where it is. This was supported by growing economic ties with SE Asia, with Japan (for quite some time), and (growing importance) China and South Korea. We got a LOT of tourists from these areas (even had a few street signs in Japanese in tourist areas) – and tourism is one of Australia’s biggest industries. These are also regions which import a lot of commodities (minerals and food – another big chunk of our economy). Basically there was a lot of movement of people and money back and forth between Australia and SE and E Asia (and there still is), and it seemed that our political paradigm had not properly adjusted to this, being still overwhelming focused on Britain (and marginally the EC) and to an even greater extent the US.

(To some extent this was a reaction to Australia’s British Empire past, the White Australia Policy, and depending on the US during WWII against Japan.)

It was at this time that Keating tried to get Australia into ASEAN – only to find that ASEAN really didn’t want us! (what a come down for the poor man – Mr Mahathir of Malaysia, and Mr Lee of Singapore, were particularly scathing.) Wow! That was sobering – and the backlash to it fed on the realisation (with greater familiarity with the region, due to greater press coverage) that Australia actually DID belong squarely with the Western democracies when it came to things like Governmental institutions and a free press – things which do shape popular expectations and culture. (For eg Mahathir complained about Australian papers writing unpleasant things about him – the Australian Govt could do diddly about that, while papers in Malaysia would have run a good chance of being shut down. That sort of thing made an impression in Australia.)

Then came economic and political troubles in SE Asia – especially Indonesia which is perhaps THE most important foreign country for Australia when it comes to peace and security - and Australia realised that perhaps this was not the promised land, after all. The fact that Australia is an island cannot be overemphasised in terms of how people perceive their physical isolation from the rest of the world’s troubles – the feeling was “it’s a good thing it’s over there, and let’s not let it get here”. The benefits of being far away were realised again, plus the feeling that in focusing entirely on Asia Australia had almost put all its eggs in one basket – hence the current push for an FTA with the US.

Our current PM, John Howard (Liberal) pretty much rode this emotion to office (exemplified most appallingly in the perception/treatment of asylum seekers) and it’s still around. My feeling is that in the end the country will get some sort of a balance about the whole thing – we are in many ways a lot like the US and UK, but we remain deeply linked to the SE and E Asian economies, and these links are reflected in the movement of people, and hence the evolution of Australian culture and identity. There will never be a White Australia policy (stated or unstated) again, not just because of the demographic changes immigration has brought, but because the way people think has changed. I don’t think that Australia will ever be part of Asia – but then it won’t pretend to be part of Europe or N America either. Does that answer your question? Oh dear, perhaps not…perhaps Subroto can correct my mistakes?

Regards

Zafar saheb, Subroto saheb,
Thnx for the tutorial. My uncle was there in the early 90s. His views were colored also by what he saw were injustices against the aborigines.
The Aussies Ive known complain bitterly about how the Yanks dont respect them despite the cultural closeness, military alliances, etc. The NZ`ers stand up to Uncle Sam and both R viewed the same here. Kinda like Pak & Ind receiving the same treatment even though Pak sucks up more.
My uncle also sez that the Aussies cudnt make up their minds about whether they R closer to the greater white world or East Asia. Is he right?

super piece.

Rehan,

You should teach an Indian film course at CUNY/or The Grad Center....so many lovely South Asians....there`d be absolutely no problem there...

``The American democracy will automatically self-correct Bush and his administrations` excess.````(ferozk)

I know, I know feroz miaN -- it always has -- and it WILL in 2004 -- but at what cost --

500,000 Iraqis killed and buried alive by his hyperthyroid dad --

2 million Iraqi infants, children already dead and dying -- of malnutrition and lack of medicines -- before dad was thrown out

now how many hundred thousands -- this hypothyroid cretin will kill.. before he IS thrown out of office --

ah my dear -- my beloved democracy -- kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sur hone tuk -- khaak ho jai geN hum tujh ko khabar hone tuk....

re: nasah # 48

Nasah, please consider this point of view. Bush was elected by the Electoral College, and not the popular vote, to be the President of the United States. Right?

Next, being elected, he should be given free rein to do what he wants and if his policies are disagreed with, he can always be voted out of office, when November 2004 arrives. Correct?

If Bush wants a war with Iraq, let him have the war with Iraq. If he wants to kill; let him kill. If he wants a ``clash of civilizations``, let there be a clash of civilizations.

What is happening in the United States is a democracy at work and which is, the right to make the wrong choice and live with it - something the generals in Pakistan will do well to heed!

The American democracy will automatically self-correct Bush and his administrations` excess.

Ciao

#45
So which 1 R U now - khamk or banjaraa?
Pickin` on typos is lame, even for a mean-spirited moron such as U.

Reply Rehan #42

“zafar tumhari kiya baat hai, i mean you are encouraging me y`know..”

Rehan, I am second to none in my appreciation of segues. Did you know that Patsy says that you can never have too many shoes, hats and gloves? I think she’s right, and I’m glad that I’m encouraging you, mashallah…

Reply DrDr #43

“Aussies seem so enamored of the Yankees which is fine & dandy but Ur govt is second only to UK in asking which cheek first.”

Our convict heritage. (Don’t pick up the soap.)

Also, just ask yourself, who is more representative of the US: Dubya, Bart Simpson or Annie Sprinkle? Australia (any country) is similarly diverse.

“An uncle who was assigned to Brisbane from LA cudnt wait to return. He says the whites there r racists.”

I lived in the US for ten years, and am now about nine years in Oz. IMO White Australians are not more racist than White People in the US, what they ARE is blunter. What you see is pretty much what you get.

Also – as Subroto mentioned, the whole multiculturalism thing really took off here. There was a bit of a backlash among a few older Anglo-Celtic types (which was also more strongly expressed in rural and regional centres – where there are very very few immigrants – rather than in the capital cities, where about 80% of the population lives.), but it is overwhelmingly accepted and appreciated despite some hiccups (Lebanese gangs, Chinese triads, type news stories, etc.) and is now part of popular culture.

(That said, things have changed for the better quite rapidly since the 1970s, with some parts of the country ahead of the others. When was your uncle here?)

One of the things that worked for people from the subcontinent when they arrived in the US was that there was already a group of non-white people who had been pretty much totally demonised in popular conception (yes, I’m talking about African Americans). Indians and Pakistanis were not automatically slotted into the “other” category because the position was already filled. That wasn’t the case in Australia (the Aboriginal population being about the same proportion as the Native American one is in the US), so very possibly Indian/Pakistani immigrants face more initial suspician in Oz than in the US (where being Indian actually works FOR you, in my experience).

“All U need is a little paranoia before nonwhites are shown there place again. How does it look from there?”

Paranoid :-) The rest of the herd really isn`t out to get us.

Regards

despite -- that stupid ``Stewart Little`` from Texas -- that roared tonight at 8PM -- from the stupidly selected pulpit of a – CHURCH -- (of all places, my gad) !! -- hurling his imbecile threats of annihilation repeatedly against –

not a Sadist Saddam but -- a Hussein - Hussein and a Hussein – (did the moron have to utter the evocative name of Hussein, Hussein so many times instead of using the iraqi`s baastards’s first name only??)

as if this was a Christian Crusade against the Evil Islam -- being broadcast -- on a Christian Channel -- to the entire World -- hear thee -- hear thee --

(btw, who are this dumbo`s moronic handlers? -- they are definitely not his friends!!) --

sooo -- despite -- this high strung, disoriented, stuttering, bumbling, war mongering, buffoon -- who in a most bizarre way became -- our President -- by LOSING to his opponent -- by 500,000 votes! -- (a piece for Ripley`s Believe It Or Not museum of democracy)

-- and despite those two felled towers that are no more there -- leaving a gaping wound on the chest of New York and the country..

this will be -- NOT the FALL -- but a Rejuvenating RISE -- of a Towering New York -- to new Towering Heights of -- RISE & SHINE --

simply because --

``40 percent of New York IS foreign born`` -- ``40 percent of New York IS foreign born`` -- ``40 percent of New York IS foreign born`` -- Period.

hasan

because -- ``40 percent of New York IS foreign born`` -- thank God.

RE #43
Brisbane? That’s where I am.
All whites racist? Well maybe not, sometimes it’s their ignorance of other cultures and mores, which leads to such an assumption. And its not one sided too - the amount of desis I know who make statements like ``In Goron ko kuch nahi aata, basically stupid hote hain...`` blah blah.
By and large it is a fairly tolerant place where multiculturism is not just a word anymore. There is a greater acceptance and pride in their aboriginal people and their culture. John Howard may not be willing to say `sorry` for the past injustices to the indigenous people but others are. As far as jingoism is concerned, well that’s no different from any other country, whether that’s good or bad I really can`t say.
Civil liberties? Hmm, yes this country has some way to go but then there is no racial discrimination there - I think on the whole it lags behind. A noted case was when the entire male population of a town was `voluntarily` DNA tested in order to collect evidence for a rape case.

This govt`s handling of the refugees is under attack from a large segment of the society.
Its is true that 9/11 played a crucial role in the last election. That and the Tampa refugee crisis which the wily John Howard used to play upon people`s fears. USA`s regional policeman? Thats a role that Johnny Howard is too eager to play. But remember this - a very vocal opposition to an attack on Iraq - has led him to modify his statements, the people here are concerned about the one sided American view of the war. Not everyone wants to be a part of it and I think that is an encouraging trend.
But apart from that remember we are a large isolated island continent away from big bad world - the most important thing on peoples mind till last Sunday was whether the Roosters would beat the Warriors, would the good old Aussie triumph over its trans-tasman cousins from New Zealand. And I am glad to report that God is in the heaven and all is right with the world.
Subroto

subroto-41

[All U need is a little paranoia before nonwhites are shown there place again. ] - DrDr-43

There,there,there,there,there,there............................
zor kis par hua... there.................................................
Hey 12-head your SLIP is showing.Repeat after me it is THEIR,now run along and play with Lajo.

Rehan #42

I am glad you took that as a compliment. What I wrote in that post was my subjective view of your writings. On your part you may take it as an honest criticism, and may be do something about, or discard as total nonsense, and go on your merry way. You have the right.

In the meantime happy writings...

Subr,
Got U. Someone else thot the same thing too. Is there some unstated assumption that only a small, constant number of people hang out here and a newcomer must be an oldtimer with a new nick? Who do I resemble most?
I asked a serious question about Oz. Aussies seem so enamored of the Yankees which is fine & dandy but Ur govt is second only to UK in asking which cheek first. An uncle who was assigned to Brisbane from LA cudnt wait to return. He says the whites there r racists. All U need is a little paranoia before nonwhites are shown there place again. How does it look from there?

#4ajeet, what you say in the second para of your response I take as compliment.

thankyou azad munna, as for the class it is scheduled for the spring semester, too few signed up for it on time, there were several people who wanted to at the last minute and that would have done it but classes get cancelled a week before the semester begins..

well said scout, and thanks

thank you aicha, ladyana,

ras, yes, you can expect me to be around, and thanks

sammerjb, very good that tracking of fall,

zafar tumhari kiya baat hai, i mean you are encouraging me y`know..

subroto too...

sac you sound sub-urban

whew its hard work acknowledging people...

#40 ``6pack like U r``
6 pack on my beer belly?
The hydra ref. was cos I thought u might be one of the nicks used by Chowk`s 12-head (24 head?). Reading ur past posts looks like I might be wrong.....

hydra hydra everywhere...

Subr,
Must be some Aussie joke that`d start makin` sense once I were ``hydrated`` with a 6pack like U r.

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RE #25
``rnt U worried what mite `appen to Ur civil liberties``
Should`nt you be worried about getting de-hydra-ted

Warm regards
Subroto

i liked the article.

Banjaara #34
Thanks for the translation.

sadna # 31

The central idea of the verse is:
Inspite of shortcomings in the compositions
people naively assume it to be profound

Instead of petulance,one does observe the `love-hate` phenomenon,which is present in all those who have been victims of the partition.
Regards.

Three Romes have fallen; a forth stands and a fifth there shall not be.

Ciao

Banjaara #26
A translation please..

I do believe I am not mistaken. A khichDi term to apply to this passive-aggression could be `unconsummated petulance`. If you read all his pieces, you can verify it for yourself.

And Ghalib himself ran into something similar in another context :)
`Hai bas ki har ik unke ishaare mei`n nisha`n aur
Karthey hai`n muhabbat tho guzartha hai guma`n aur`

From the Republic of Conscience

1

When I landed in the republic of conscience
it was so noiseless when the engine stopped
I could hear a curlew high above the runway.

At immigration, the clerk was an old man
who produced a wallet from his homespun coat
and showed me a photograph of my grandfather.

The woman in customs asked me to declare
the words of our traditional cures and charms
to heal dumbness and avert the evil eye.

No porters. No interpreter. No taxi.
You carried your own burden and very soon
your symptoms of creeping privilege disappeared....

-Paul Muldoon

correction: that poem excerpt was from Seamus Heaney.

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Rehan, seems like your thoughts are in the right place, especially the allusion to Rome`s Fall, hopefully that doesn`t come true! Best Luck for the Citizens of Manhattan.

sadna # 22

[Its like passive-aggression which you cannot get a grip on.]

You can`t, because you wish to see what isn`t really there ;)

Ghaltihaay mazameeN mut pooch
log nalay ko rasa baandhtay haiN ( Ghalib)
Regards.

Sameer,
So zenlike.

The aussies on this board. Considering Ur govt is another buttkisser of the USA, rnt U worried what mite `appen to Ur civil liberties? U shdnt b chitchattin here bros. U shd b hunkerin down in Ur bunkers.

Re 19 Zafar

Fair dinkum maate. Thats beaut, as long as no one asks me to ``go bite your bum`` :-)
A bludger like me just likes to sit here beyond the Black Stump putting the Billy on. You know listening to the bush telegraph, watching the Sheilas in cossies, keeping clear of the bush pig. Steering clear of the Drongos (these Ockers I tell ya). The way I am rambling I hope no one thinks that I am a stubbie short of a sixpack. But I must say that I am a happy little Vegemite who now needs to get some hard yakka done.

Isthytle-whyle tho theek hai but my guess is Mr Ansari`s readers tend to be badtempered for 2 reasons. Firstly (just a guess) janata whose pieces chowk has not yet decided to publish wonder why, when THEY obviously took so much more trouble.. :). Secondly, and I`m speaking for myself, he almost always has going this undercurrent of some directed and specific negative sentiment about which he leads readers on and then thumbs his nose at them by ending his piece without being upfront about it, whether he is talking of Pico Iyer or uneven treatment of immigrants or TNT. Its like passive-aggression which you cannot get a grip on. Its OK to encounter this is a newspaper which you put down and forget about but on an interactive forum its a tease:).

Immigration and even visitation is difficult for those coming from Muslim countries. I`ve been reading several Newsday accounts of some very questionable behavior on the parts of the State Dept. and Immigration. These two branches were never meant to work together-now what is happening can only happen to the most demonized population in NYC.

Rehan, being in NY is a lot like what you`ve described; no huge emotional trajectory, a war that no one besides the Bush administration supports and the local war on undocumented workers; its kind of a quiet tortuous calm...

#16 by sameerJB

:)

Ajeet, sounds like you are saying that it all boils down to whether the King looks good without any clothes on or not. Eye of the beholder etc. Ciao.


Subroto - flasher than a rat with a gold tooth (but also shadier than a galah with a parasol). That`s bonza (I think). You have got to start giving lessons :-) Regards

reading this, as well as other reports heightens my apprehension about the days to come...so much for power to the people...i feel rather powerless in the face of the anti-immigration wallahs, and the war-mongerers...have been attending forums, which are eye-opening, but a lot of good that does when the powers-that-be are so incredibly blind to humanitarian issues, to the lives of anyone other than themselves...the war drums are getting louder and louder...

Zafar,

Thanks for the explaination, but it reminds me of the story of the king, who was fooled into walking down the street, in his birthday suit, by a group of con men, who cinvinced him that they had tailored such fine clothes for him, that only people enlightened vision could see them.

Regards

DrDr: This Fall means ``Fall nikalna``. You put your hand in the pandora box and take out a twice folded slip. What you do with the slip is your business. You may read the future from it, roll it into a cigarette and smoke it or send it to chowk for quick publishing.
You must have blind faith in the slip before you open it, otherwise it loses its magical quality. Usually the writing on the slip has a deeper meaning and only good interpretors can unfold the mystery. Once you get to the deeper meaning, you will find that it still has even further deeper meaning. You keep digging for deeper and deeper meaning until you finally get to the bottom of it. There you have it. It`s deepest meaning is pitched black - total darkness. Are you ready for this fall?
New York maiN do hee fall
aik pat jhar, aik Niagra fall
mitthu miaN ab nikaalo fall
kab Amreeka ka ho ga fall

Re Ajeet #4

“You [Rehan] start with an idea and all of sudden you branch off to an entirely different subject. After meandering through sundry observations you may or may not return to the original idea.”


& Zafar #14 ``Ajeet, it’s called a segue...``

Remember Ajeet segue is actually a recent addition to the language, it also means remix, e.g. to do a bally sague

And the best example of this is -actually something I posted a while back but as with my posts probably never got read - so here goes the bally segue

A ruler has twelve inches
Queen Elizabeth was a ruler
She ruled the seven seas
In the seas there are sharks
The sharks have finns
The Finns fought the Russian
The Russians are red
and thats why the red sea is red

But I did like this piece by Rehan as I always do.

“i think the psyche of NY these days is of a city going through the motions of life while hiding and trying to heal a wound inside.....sort of like someone losing a loved one but trying to live normally.”

Scene: a table at a cafe.

NYC:”I’m just going through the motions of life, while hiding and trying to heal a wound inside.”
Beirut:”Call me in twenty-five years, we’ll have lunch.”

NYC continues to sit at the table, morosely drinking coffee. Beirut picks up rhinestone encrusted crutches and heads off to YSL`s annual prosthetic limbs sale...

(With apologies to NYC, Beirut, Scout & Rabih Alameddine.)

Reply Ajeet #4

“You [Rehan] start with an idea and all of sudden you branch off to an entirely different subject. After meandering through sundry observations you may or may not return to the original idea.”

Ajeet, it’s called a segue (pron. “seg-way”) and he does it a lot. The point being that while the plot changes, the theme remains the same - explored and illustrated in new ways by the juxtaposition of contexts. (But pleeeeeeeeeeeease don’t ask me what the theme is, Rehan Saheb bahaut deep haiN while I am famous for my vapid frivolity – meaning, I am unable to answer this question in the manner which it deserves. On the other hand, look, maybe you’re right and these pieces are just things he types up after his notorious 36 hour clubbing and bingo benders…which are, of course, not merely vulgar hedonism and self indulgence but a profound and powerful comment on decadence and the transient nature of physical pleasure and temporal power in the kafir West…) Best regards.

It refers to both, i would think...going back and remembering a Fall season in which there was possibility and a future...and facing a Fall season right now, where the title `The Empire Strikes Back` takes new meaning, where possibility for more of the negative outweighs the positive...a Fall in which it will most probably be decided (hell, it already has been) that there is going to be a war...a war which is not just, nor is it about justice...and while plans to crush and pulverize the Iraqis, and lies to liberate Iraqi women are being made...the cracks within the Empire are widening. Many places, besides New York look splendiferous in the Fall...the fact that New York has survived its fall of 2001, but this Fall, it sees a part of it falling into xenophobia....it refers to both the season and the act of falling.

Rehan bhaijan:

Lousy idea(s) and even worse execution. New York is like a giant airport. People are always coming and going. That is why its the city that never sleeps. The assholes that brought the towers down have simply caused some flight delays. Romans and decline? Pass me the mozarella. You can keep the eggplant.

Stock exchanges now largely exist in bits and bytes. What is important is who has the key to the vault. Would you rather trust the Chinese or the Singaporeans?

And you could find fresher(and much cheaper) produce in Chinatown. Use the 7 train.

later
-sac

This Fall.
What does this refer to? The season or the act of falling as U suggest the empire will do ultimately?

Hmmm. Pilgrimages, farmers market, Gandhi. Tears falling on a dry-cleaned suit. An on-duty officer eyeing a page of propoganda. People allowing construction to go on everywhere.

New York certainly has changed. :( .

# 8 Aza Munna

Nice verse.

the last sentence is a gem...simple yet multi faceted.

so far, i have not had the slightest desire to go to ground zero.
the view of the skyline from my window is a constant reminder of sept. 11th. the people that i have met since sept. 11th who lost their loved ones, jobs, and livelihoods are a constant reminder as well.

i think the psyche of NY these days is of a city going through the motions of life while hiding and trying to heal a wound inside.....sort of like someone losing a loved one but trying to live normally.

CHOWK may change but Rehan Ansari is still at it.
Very interesting points of view presented here through the lens
of a unique writer.
The empire is not in its fall, but has been awakened.

Ras

Not one to complain but that area was pretty difficult to navigate pre but now it is impossible because of tourists. But that is understandable - paying respect, cusiosity whatever! But I wish they were confined to that area only. Somehow they stray down Bway and then Wall with abs no ettiquete/concern whatsoever. They think they are out for a stroll stopping dead in their tracks for no reason and looking around to see where they are. The worst is when they walk 4-5 abreast taking up the entire sidewalk and if there is an entire pack headed by a red umbrella it is best to run 10 blocks around - much faster than behind them.
There was a viewing post - i think the walkway that used to connect to the Winter Gardens was converted to one. But dont think it is there now.
YOu missed another pilgrimage spot - Battery Park - the globe (battered now) that used to be right in the middle of the WTC complex. That is a very very very real and sad reminder !
ok with that said I am calling it a day - good article and good night!!

Rehan,

The problem that I have, with your writings is that they lack a coherent thought thread. You start with an idea and all of sudden you branch off to an entirely different subject. After meandering through sundry observations you may or may not return to the original idea.

The way you started the current essay, it seemed to me, that you were going to write about some signs that were common between Roman civilization at its zenith and the present day American culture, which led to the decline of the Roman empire and perhaps draw some conclusion as to how that kind of fate could be avoided. However what you wrote about was about the fall weather, your call to your uncle in Pakistan and then to destruction of WTC, jumping to buying sabzi in farmers market, and Gandhi’s statue reappearing and finally concluding with a wish for the city of New York to keep it magnificence.

Also, I sense a split personality here. A little envy of the USA’s dominant culture, with a sneaking hope for its decline, and then, on the other side a wish that nothing bad would happen to New York city which is the epitome of United states of America.

but after having made my previous inane remark, allow me to make a few more (am in the mood--for inanity, that is), and announce the arrival of the Rehan bashers...the ones who will tell you once again that your style is disjointed, that you write well, but don`t say much (no, wait, that was what one of my profs. said to me), and those of us who know that you are capable of much more, and better.
Fall was and still is possibility...for those of us who don`t fall.
And I hope (and pray) that Dubya doesn`t ruin Iraq any more than it has already been ruined. Best he pay more attention to the ruination in his propre nation.

If things were very good in Rome...the decline, let alone it`s beginning would not have happened......