Crimson Courage

In support of our incredibly brave friends in Burma, may all people around the world wear a red shirt on Friday, 28 September 2007...

NYC: Close Encounter of the Second Kind

Like thousands other people from around the world at this time of the year, I was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. As usual, world leaders flocked to the city to share their views on everything and nothing at the same time. The security was omnipresent, roadblocks were set up around the UN complex, and helicopters were hovering above the East River.


Although my interactions in the UN complex were for the most part confined to the basement, I was thrilled by being in an indeed multi-cultural environment; mingled in a crowd buzzing with numerous languages I did not decipher but found fascinating nonetheless. In the middle of that Babel-basement cacophony, I recalled that the seventeenth century New York was inhabited by a population below one thousand speaking eighteen separate languages.


As the city where the UN Headquarter sits, New York had its abundant share of quagmires when it came down to welcoming leaders who were not particularly liked by the US Government (or People). This year’s firebrand was not a fresh contender, as the Iranian President continued his 3-year ritual on visiting New York for the UNGA. This time, however, he had a new agenda: delivering a speech at the prestigious Columbia University.

New Yorkers soon found themselves in a new dilemma: whether or not they should let Ahmadinejad say what he had to say in the name of free speech. As it turned out, the President was personally invited by the university president, and eventually delivered his speech in front of a full-packed crowd. From what I read about the event, there were two quotes which were of great interest to me:

“Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator.”
(President of Columbia University, on introducing the controversial guest speaker to the audience)

“In Iran, we don't have homosexuals like in your country.”
(President of Iran, on responding to allegations that homosexuals are being persecuted in Iran)

The President (the latter, mind you) surely knew how to pull strings, even in a hostile environment. He stirred the water further when he reportedly asked NYC administration for a permission to visit Ground Zero. The request was flatly denied by NY Administration, and solidly backed up by the Secretary of State who claimed, “It would have been a travesty for Ahmadinejad to visit Ground Zero."

Travesty or not, it was a great shame that he missed the 50% sale on Century 21 nearby.

NYC: Close Encounter of the First Kind

Yeah! I’m in New York, baby!!

I once read that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the places and moments that take our breath away. Such was the feeling when I had my first glimpse of the Big Apple.

As my plane descended steadily from one of the world's longest non-stop flight routes, I peered through my window and indulged my 19-hour-flight-weary eyes on the vast expanse of lights that is New York at night. The glittering sea was glorious, albeit devoid of its arresting close-ups which heretofore was unbeknownst to me.

This was my first time in NYC, and the city looked pretty much as it has been depicted, thus immortalized, by countless Hollywood blockbusters. I could feel the vibrant energy hanging in the air the moment I stepped out of the airport, and at once reminisced of something my colleague had said about being a single in New York [grinned].

I was arriving on a weekend, but the streets in Manhattan were literally bustling with life and horns were blaring everywhere, the numerous “Don’t Honk” signs on the curb notwithstanding. Sirens howling, and judging by the frequency of encountering NY famous firefighters zooming with their beacons on, you would think that fire accidents were common to New York as ignorance to Jakarta.

All in all, I’m absolutely positively sans doute sure that I’m gonna have one helluva time here…