My Indian Adventure- a kinda long story.

[Guest guest]

(An unedited email from Beverly Carter, someone I've only seen once

since we both graduated from a Bronx high school in '75)

 

I wonder how many times in day we say thank you and how many times

in a day we really truly mean it and feel it from the bottom of our

heart.

 

Yesterday I attended a business workshop on 23rd Street. As a

classmate and I walked back we passed some rocking Indian music and a

large gathering next to the 23rd street Park on Madison Ave. We decided

to check it out and we first noticed only turbaned Indian males. There

was a stage with people singing and only men were gathered around. I

was unsure if she was the kind to venture on. Me, I love NY for the

culture, and I really get my interest peeked when I can get a first hand

other culture lesson. So I wanted to press on but if a male only event,

let us not.

 

As we walked on we found there was a huge crowd of men, women and

children all in very colorful Turbans and Saris. The colors were so

bright I was thinking it was like a field of flowers. I thought that

these people were Sikhs. And I said to her that the very little I know

is that they are a peaceful religion that after 9/11 fell victim to

a lot of hate crimes. She remarked how she loved Indian food and we

could see the tops of tents and people with plates of steaming

food. Indian food was being served and we both were so very

disappointed. We had just finished a meal at a pretty good burger joint

but not a cheap one. So I was envisioning how much money was left

floating in my knapsack so I could take dinner home. It was three days

before payday, needless to say, I was broke. So I surmised I should just

let it go, but it was going to bug me all day. I really love Indian

food. We both just looked at each other and made a face at each other

shrugged our shoulders as to say, "Dang, we could have eaten Indian

instead."

 

The crowd seem to be about 99.9% Indians, there being only one or two

brave NYers, like us, wondering what the day was about. No one seemed

to glare at us but I felt a tad out of place. Normally a street fair is

full of all kinds of people, but this was a different matter. And there

were no signs in English to explain a thing. Also people were speaking

in their own language.

 

On either side of the streets were food stands. There were no signs

of the restaurants name that were serving the food or prices or what the

day was about. We couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. As I

was walking behind my girlfriend in the huge crowd, a man at a food

stand got my eye and shoved a small clear plastic container of rice and

curried chickpeas and soda at me. I think I managed a small thank you,

I was so confused. I tapped my girlfriend on shoulder to turn around and

he gave her the same. I wish I could describe the stunned look on her

face, as well as mine I am sure. We stepped aside and wondered out loud

what was going on.

 

Someone heard us and enlightened us. Saturday was the Sikh Cultural

Day Parade, ending in that park. To celebrate their last Guru, who said

that their door should be open to all people of all races and

religions they serve food for free. That they feel they are blessed to

give away food. Not only do both of us love Indian food, it was all

vegetarian!

 

So we ventured on and would go up to a kiosk to be handed a plate or

container without even asking. I made it a point to look into peoples

face to say thank you. I even later realized I was bowing slightly. Now

I know the difference between Japanese and Indians, but I guess that I

need my body language to be a clear as my words. I was overwhelmed. It

was truly overwhelming. I can not use this word enough to say how I

felt, so very overwhelmed. And to make it even more so, my friend just

kept looking at me shaking her head and saying over and over, “I am

stunned, I can't get over this." It wasn’t just that people were

allowing us to take free food. They were open, friendly, making eye

contact, not harried, hassled or impersonal. There were men behind the

tables and in front of them to make sure you got a plate or two or

three. That was the other thing, the food was not being rationed, we are

talking a big portion on a plate and more plates than you wanted to walk

away with. It seemed to be their mission to fill our arms, bags and

bellies. As we walked by men were grabbing our bags and trying to put

more stuff in them when they were already at the breaking point. I

noticed it seemed only the younger men would smile and say, OK, the

older ones wouldn’t take no for an answer. The crowd was bumper to

bumper, but the most polite bunch I was ever in. All I heard was,

“Thank You, Your Welcome, Here take more."

 

So we got some food, samosas, curry chick peas and rice, vegetable

fitters, and various Indian breads, orange flavored sweets and something

I have no idea what it is but it taste good. People were also handing

out water, hot tea, juice, fresh fruit and the most important item, a

plastic bag.

 

Our bag was full and I mean full. Not only full, we were holding

containers because people were not just giving us one container. They

would hand us two as I am shaking my head no more please. Since we had

just eaten, we passed up a lot of other dishes that were not served

in carry out containers. My friend then ran into an Indian man that was

one of her clients from her 9-5. She had just spoken about him when she

said that a client’s wife had made food for her. He walked us to the

samosa table we had just passed said something in his language and two

men came over and piled containers in our arms. They ignored our

protest, till we each had a stack up under our chins.

 

We ended up going to the nearby Walgreen’s and asked the door

greeter to get us two plastic bags in exchange for some information on

how to get free Indian food. Our arms were breaking, just the samosas

alone were two big ones per container and I had 4 containers of them and

had dropped two more. But after 45 minutes my friend and I still felt

overwhelmed. Normally I would feel a sense of elation if I got a good

deal or something free. But I didn't feel that. I took the train ride

home still feeling grateful and humble. Those who know me well will

chuckle when I say I really felt something I don't feel often, humble.

With both our arms full and our bags full, people were trying, nicely,

to give us more food. No one had an attitude, not one person. Everyone

smiled at us. I got such a sense of well being.

 

I meant my “thank you†to every person I said it to. I made sure I

looked them in their face to say it. I could hear that I said it with a

tone of sincerity I seldom use. Jaded New Yorker that I am, I truly had

a great day yesterday. And I have this day marked on my 2006 calendar.

I will be prepared with foil, Tupperware and a shopping cart.

 

Bev