India Day Parade

Alright, I promise this is the last parade I shall write about on this blog- this year atleast! Unless ofcourse, some other eye-catching, merry pageant crosses my path:)

I arrived late at the India Day Parade in Manhattan unfortunately, and missed out on the `Masala cruise' t-shirts et. al. but did manage to catch performances by local artistes, Johnny Lever's jokes and Priyanka Chopra's rather uninspired lines(: There's nothing quite like snacking on chaat and listening to the latest Bollywood hits on the streets on New York while a light, constant drizzle makes a birds nest of your hair(:

Here are some pics from my friend's camera- thanks Neena!






I'm glad the MC remembered to thank the sanitation department- the after-show was messy and embarassing- I lost count of the number of chicken bones strewed on the street, vestiges of tandoori masala glowing brightly. Ewww! And I'm vegetarian.

Immigrant Parade

Seems to me like there's a parade of some kind in NY every weekend. Some are expected, and draw huge crowds- like during Bastille Day, St. Patrick's Day even the Indian independence day. And then there are some which receive little publicity but march to their own beat, ready to be discovered around streetcorners. Here are some pics from an immigrant parade we passed a couple of weekends ago...

The View

I've had three dreams- nay nightmares- about leaving my apartment this past week(: I have a studio on the 21st floor in one of the earliest high-rises in Jersey City and for the past year and half have enjoyed a terrific view of New York City...right in front of me is the Hudson river and the downtown NYC's skyline as well as the Empire State building and if you peek your head out of the window, there's a clear view of Lady Liberty herself.

Most of all, I think its the security of having my own place that is so heady. Here's a rapidly-being-devoured-view from my apartment..

Day at the Park

Can't wait for the weather to thaw! Some nice things about Spring in NY: roadside cafes and martinis, walks on either side of the Hudson, live music in almost every street corner, colors, and more colors in flowers, clothes, smiles, raspberry iced tea and outdoor flea markets, and ofcourse, Central Park where you can row, roller-blade, watch Shakespeare, jive to a local band or read. For hours...

Here are some pics of the Park on a rare spring-like day this winter: