BBC 1Xtra Storm NYC

My first visit to sin city, otherwise known as Greenwich Village, did nothing more than quell some of those rumours, it was far from sinful – well at least where I went.

I was taken to BBC 1Xtra’s New York tour in a cosy club/restaurant called The Grill. My new NY friend invited me along to hear their live three hour show and to eat free food, actually if I’m honest that was the main reason why we were going there.

Mista Jam was there doing his spot on the decks, and although I was taking pictures my mind was primarily on food, I hadn’t eaten for most of that day, it was about 2.30pm, so my thoughts were drifting towards the smell of it (I‘ve just noticed that a lot of my posts have included comments about food, well hey – it‘s a number one priority). 

Anyway the choice of dishes was very appealing. There was stewed Ox tail, fried chicken, mash potato, plantain and a mix salad. I nearly forgot to mention that drinks were free too! I had a rum punch and seriously there was hardly any fruit juice in that drink. Someone told me that actually 85 percent of the punch is rum. I thought to myself I’m damn lucky I ate before I drank because I’d be knocked out right at that moment!

1Xtra’s last day on air is Friday and apparently the singer Fantasia will be there, so I’m thinking I may just pop downtown for that and the good food too!

The Chopper it is!

 

Over the weekend I was treated to my first American feast at a place called The Chop House or Choppers (something like that) in Brooklyn. A dainty warm restaurant in an area called St Petersburg (I think). The tables were dressed in white, laced with napkins and cutlery that included a special knife for cutting meat. It wasn’t very crowded at all and I think in retrospect that was a good thing because the food did take a while to come.

The menu was quite varied with all types of steaks, although it only offered one single choice for chicken and Salmon – I’ve realised Americans love their meat. When I decided what to eat I thought to myself I better choose carefully because I’ve heard about America’s love for big portions on a plate. So I decided on two pieces of herb chicken, slim pommes frites (basically chips) and green beans.

When I saw my plate I thought “yep I chose right”. The portion was just the right amount and I think I was lucky actually because looking at some of the meals that were coming out to other customers I would not have been able to move a muscle.

The chicken reminded me of some I’ve tasted in Nandos restaurants in London, although the chicken at this restaurant didn’t have that kind of just grilled taste. The frites were tasty too even though a little salty.

The only downside was that it was one of those places where as soon as you put the last fork in your mouth the waiter or waitress is there right at the table ready to take your plate. I believe it’s something they do if it’s really busy so they can get you out as soon as possible so that they can get the next customer on the table or they rush you to get you straight onto the puddings, it’s was probably the latter because there were not a lot of customers inside.

But the meal was pretty good value for money. My meal amounted to $17 which is about £8.50 per head. I just realised we didn’t tip them either, unless they included that in the bill…

Are we targets of the month?

Perhaps it’s a conspiracy, I don’t know, or maybe I’m just letting my suspicions get the better of me, but it’s very coincidental that two Black individuals associated with organisations campaigning for Black equality have been riddled by allegations of fraud on both sides of the Atlantic.

Firstly, in the UK, the London Mayor’s leading race advisor Lee Jasper, the former director of the race equality organisation The 1990 Trust,  was accused of corruption. These claims have now been quashed….Read here: www.blink.org.uk

And now here in NY some of Rev Al Sharpton’s aides are being subpoenaed over allegations of fraud and over supposedly false declarations of money spent during Al Sharpton’s presidential nomination campaign in 2004. Apparently the FBI is investigating these claims. Read more here: www.nydailynews.com

As long as there are organisations campaigning for our right for equality we will always be opened to being targeted by those who wish to tear down these positive movements.

Subway tales

These past few days I’ve spent travelling on the subway, going downtown and uptown. And I’m telling you it’s an entrepreneurs sanctuary. Everyone from school kids, homeless people, sweet sellers you name it, you’ll find them on the trains selling items.

Another interesting experience I’ve had on the subway is that everyone seems to want to engage in some kind of conversation. You’ll find one person start randomly chatting with a stranger and the next thing you know two other strangers are drawn into that same conversation. I know it can happen in London but usually just small talk, here these were like full length in depth discussions.

You know what, I’ve always found that strangers like to start conversations with me and I suppose I do too. Here in NY it just happens more often and that’s before they hear my English accent.

On my way to the Bronx, a man from Ecuador, about in his early sixties, began telling me his whole tale about how he’s just come back from Florida after visiting his elder sister, an Alzheimer sufferer. He told me how the nursing home she is staying in is treating some of the patients terribly and that he’s decided not to go and see anymore because it’s too painful to see her life deteriorate. He told me a heck of a lot more and I was only on the train for about seven stops.

The next thing you know I’m on another connecting train and a lady begins including me in her conversation about life, family etc. There’s about four of us, strangers, talking about all sorts. I just find it refreshing that people can just engage like that, it makes the day a lot more interesting and insightful about other peoples lives.

Republicans vie for Latino voters

The fastest growing electorate group in the US are Latinos, although they are the biggest minority population in America apparently there will only be a 6.5% turnout of voters.

But their importance comes in many of the key states like Florida, New York and California where their votes count and because their poplations are so big in those states it’s no wonder why Republicans are vying for their attention.

A televised debate for the Spanish speaking community was held by the Republicans in Florida, home to one of the largest Latino communities in the nation, decidedly fitting for the Republicans.

One of the key concerns in Lation communities is immigration and I know back in April 2006, thousands of people marched in America to protest against the tightening of immigration laws. And as a result about 57% of Latinos today now call themselves Democrats.

Illegal immigration, like in England, continues to be one of the main issues debated in the US and it is one of the keys subjects being addressed in this US presidential election campaign.

From what I can see all of the Republican candidates like Rudy Giulliani, Mitt Romney and others want to tighten the grip on illegal immigration and instead want to see more privilleges given to legal immigration. The only asset on their side during that debate was their thoughts on Fidel Castro. The anti-Fidel Castro comments made by the candidates were given applauses by many Cuban Americans.

I’m not sure whether the debate actually made Latinos want to change their allegiance from Democrat to Republican but I know for one sure thing that the Cuban communist leader is not a favourite among them both.

Oprah mania on Obama trail

I’ve seen Oprah Winfrey’s influence over Barack Obama’s presidential campaign trail gain more steam over the weekend. Nearly 20,000 people gathered to Iowa’s Des Moines’ HyVee Hall to see Winfrey again pledge her support to the candidate.

Of course she gave a passionate speech about why she felt Obama should be the next US president, she said, “For the very first time in my life, I feel compelled to stand up and to speak out for the man who I believe has a new vision for America.”

Considering that Iowa will be the first state to hold the national caucus on January 3, it is an added bonus for Obama who is presently ahead of Hillary Clinton in Iowa polls. And as I’ve said before whoever wins this state will be in a good position.

I was looking at a recent poll by the Pew Research Centre and it found that 60 percent of Americans believe Winfrey’s support for Obama will help his candidacy. I believe this too, although I’m not sure if it will help him win but it will certainly add weight to his campaign.

In the US right now there’s this feeling among people that America is ready for change whether it be along the lines of the first Black president or first female president, even at the event people were waveing placards which read “America is ready for change”. And from listening to Winfrey’s speech she certainly makes that point clear. I’m sure even people not under the Winfrey spell will consider all she said.

Whether they came to see Obama or not, there is no denying that having one of the most influential women in media backing Obama’s corner is one of the best things you could have in a political campaign. Her influence is undeniable; I can remember back in 1996 the outbursts from farmers when she condemned eating British beef on her television show following the mad cow disease outbreak and I think beef sales dropped dramatically because of it.

Okay, so Obama has Winfrey and Hillary has her husband Bill, it’ll be interesting to look at who the other candidates have as their celebrity aides.

Call me metro lady

 

It’s only nearly a week since I got here but already I’m beginning to settle comfortably into NY life. One thing that particularly stands out to me is how polite people are. These past few days I’ve been out and I’ve had people say to me “morning” or “hi miss”, as they pass me in the street, both young and old. Although, when I open my mouth I do get the odd stare which is not particularly surprising. 

The traffic system is going to take me some time to get used to and will continue to do so. There are so many one way streets which go in zigzag like forms – cars go through one street to go down then have to go through another street to go back up again. And on the main road when the traffic sign lights up to tell you it’s safe to cross, cars who want to turn into that road still can despite the crossing telling pedestrians it’s safe.

NY also has its own version of the Oyster Card called the Metro Card which as with Oyster you can use on trains and buses. The good thing about the system is bus journeys only cost $2 which is about £1, and it’s a throwaway card meaning that all of your movements in NY can not be tracked like in London. With the Oyster Card the first time you use it, the time and where you went,  one year on, is still recorded on the card. I haven’t tackled New York’s subway network yet, it’s a large network and looks pretty confusing but I’m sure I’ll figure it out.

I’ve also noticed that the streets aren’t as gentrified as London. There are so many unique shops making each street individual. But this is still questionable as this is my first week and I’ve only been in Manhattan and parts of Harlem. There’s still a lot for me to take in and knowing me it’ll take me a while to decipher what is gentrified and what is not.

Next week I’ll be heading into Brooklyn, Harlem again and the renowned Greenwich Village. My relative calls GV sin city, but then again anything not related to the church could be considered sinful to her, but I’ll find out what it’s like for myself…

Dirty politricks

The battle for the state of Iowa between Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama is heating up. With voting set to take place on January 3, Obama has already shot passed Clinton in Iowa polls, and New Hampshire maybe under threat with the same fate. From what I gather Iowa is seen as one of the key stakes in this democratic race and could upset either candidate’s bid for presidency.

The general impression I’m getting over here is that Clinton is still pretty much unpopular among circles, especially women. One of the reasons is obviously the backing she gave to the war in Iraq but she still defends her stance on the matter. At a recent press conference she argued that she gave her support for the war to encourage diplomacy, and she believes that following the war progress has been made. If daily killings, bombings and mercenaries are progress I’d hate to find out what lack of progress offers.

Obama, a fierce critic against the Iraq war, is relishing his place in the polls at the moment despite facing a few lashings from Clinton’s dirty politricks (That’s my new word). He recently said that he didn’t plan his whole life to be president but Clinton’s team found an essay he wrote as a child saying “I want to be president”. Little petty jibes like this serve no purpose and the same idle tactics are claimed to being done to Clinton from Obama’s team.

Anyway, one of the lucky charms presently on his side is Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey is staging a road show with Obama in Iowa, Columbia and a couple other places. Now with Winfrey’s name alongside him and the media power base that Winfrey is, Barack could not want for better publicity.

Just side tracking from that, in the Republican sect, Rudy Giuliani is also using dirty politricks. During a debate he revealed how his opponent Mitt Romney had illegal immigrants landscaping on his grounds. At the moment Romney leads Giuliani in New Hampshire but is tied to him in South Carolina. So any jibe Giuliani can throw he seems he will but he is no sweet angel; he’s had three marriages and an open affair, the only thing is that everyone knows about it.

Dirty politricks is woven into politics and the UK is no different. I’ll be looking forward to the impending General Election in 2009 (predicted date), especially the impending banter between David Cameron and Gordon Brown which we are increasingly seeing.

Racist slur jock returns

These past couple of days news stations and newspapers were engulfed with reports regarding the return of radio presenter Don Imus. I’m sure I remember hearing of this presenter earlier in the year, anyway, basically in April “obnoxious” Imus was fired from CBS Radio for making racial and sexually derogatory remarks about a women’s basketball team.

Read more….www.washingtonpost.com

It reminds me of the time in the UK when football commentator Ron Atkinson used the ‘N’ word to describe a football player on live radio. The same thing happened to him, he was fired from his television and radio commitments, but the only difference with his outcome is that he hasn’t had the same profile he once had in his heyday. He’s actually non existent on television to my knowledge.

So while England rejected Atkinson return, the US at the moment have reopened their arms to Imus. To top it off his new radio home WABC-AM have hired two Black presenters, both comedians, to join him on his show, to what he says will provide “an ongoing discussion about race relations in this country”. Of course there should be ongoing debates on this subject but it doesn’t mean that Imus’ thoughts and views will change.

I hear that civil rights veteran Rev Al Sharpton of National Action Network plans to monitor his return. My thoughts – the type of person Imus appears to be it won’t be long before he is in the news again. It will be interesting to see the response the US will give him then.

Absorbing NY life

I’ve finally got my internet access and I’m now absorbing myself in New York culture, although not too fully because my relatives are filling me up on Bajan cuisines. I’ve already indulged in salt fish and dumplings, and the day before that I ate banana cuckoo (basically green banana mashed) with fish.

I’m currently staying in what I think is called Mid Town Manhattan, between Broadway and Amsterdam. The apartment block I live in looks far pleasing to the eye in terms of the colours (red bricks with strips of black), the cleanliness and the natural brightness, a complete change to London’s typical flats which are usually infested with the smell of piss and rubbish. I’m comparing the area to East London because it looks similar in terms of the string of shops lined down the streets, the busy traffic and everyday working class people going about their usual chores. Much of the local shops are owned by Hispanics which is actually reflective of the area because the majority who live around here are Hispanic followed by Black, Chinese and Asian.

Right now I’m getting myself out and about, learning what is Up Town, Down Town – still working out which is which. So far I’m finding people to be quite approachable, not that I’m approaching random people but generally when I’m going to the supermarket ‘C-Town’ or just walking in general stores.

I’m not within the political circle yet, should be by next week, but what I’ve seen from the news at the moment there’s been a particular concern regarding the lack of young voters between the ages of 18 to 29. One reporter claimed that there were more youth voter engagement initiatives than there were young voters.

Oh and the only annoying thing at the moment is my new mobile (the cell as they call it), either I’m making too many calls or T-mobile are ripping me off, my credit goes down in a flash – I definitely need to sort that out!