Bloomy's done ok for NY

HE is Bloomy in the wonderful, wicked world of tabloid headlines.

“Bloomy Blasts Immigration Critics in China Speech”: That’s New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg being referred to by the New York Post when the daily reported about his trip to Shanghai a fortnight ago.

Two months ago, a news story pointed out that Bloomberg, a green advocate, is ironically a big producer of carbon dioxide himself through his constant travel by plane as well as his ownership of several cars and houses.

The heading? “Bloomy Amasses Gas”.

(Although he reportedly takes the subway to work, a reporter who once “spied” on him for five weeks observed that he took the mass transit only about twice weekly.)

Founder of the Bloomberg LP financial news service, Bloomberg is a billionaire who took over as mayor about three months after the Sept 11 tragedy.

He has, by many accounts, done a number of things right for the city of eight million people although New York isn’t always running high on optimism.

“I don’t see much difference, actually. He has even lowered the standard of schools to make their performances look better,” said native New Yorker Elizabeth Barton, an advocate of better living standard for the public.

Neither was she happy with what she saw as neglect of the police department despite its tag as “New York’s Finest.”

“Their starting annual salary is US$25,000. They are among the lowest paid. We are losing many officers to other counties like Nassau and Suffolk,” she said.

Her efforts to contact Bloomberg’s office several times to raise the issue came to naught, she said.

To her, former mayor Rudy Giuliani made a bigger impact on New York although she personally found him arrogant.

“He was very strict on crime. He cleaned up the city,” she said.

Bloomberg’s intention to introduce a congestion pricing where motorists would be charged a fee for using bottleneck areas during peak hours was rather unpopular too.

But Barton acknowledged her approval for Bloomberg’s no-smoking law in restaurants and bars, his tough stance against illegal guns, and the ban on artificial trans fats in all eateries by July 2008.

Others applaud his plans for a Green Apple that call for the planting of one million trees within 10 years, besides adding more parks in the city.

“At the end of the day, he has done quite a good job,” said Lotus Chau who, as chief reporter of Sing Tao Daily, has covered City Hall for the past 10 years.

She described him as efficient although she felt that Giuliani was a tougher mayor.

Last week, Bloomberg held a holiday reception for the press corps at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence which is now used mostly for public functions as he doesn’t live there, opting to stay at his own townhouse.

He joked with the press, besides telling them to continue asking questions that would keep the administration going.

On Christmas Eve, he appeared at City Hall Restaurant where the homeless were served lunch. Bloomberg, a divorcee with two daughters, shared with reporters his Christmas plans with his girlfriend.

When a journalist from Univision, the biggest Spanish TV network in the United States, asked him to offer a Christmas greeting in Spanish, Bloomberg readily obliged.

“His command of the language is quite okay,” said the journalist.

The mayor, who has a weekly radio address that touches on all things New York, has apparently bought a US$45mil townhouse which would act as the headquarters of a foundation that would be part of his philanthropic works once he leaves office in 2009.

Still, talk is swirling whether the 65-year-old Bloomberg would run for president especially when he quit the Republican Party in June, giving credence to speculation that he would battle it out as an independent contender.

He steadfastly denied such talk, saying that he would complete his second term as mayor. The speculation, however, has not died down.

“I don’t think he would run for president. He’s too wealthy and too smart to do so,” political analyst Ari Fleischer told foreign journalists recently.

After all, Time magazine declared him one of America’s five best mayors last year.

An unusual open season in American politics

IT WILL be me. Those were the words from Hillary Clinton’s lips during a TV interview last month, displaying raw confidence of being the Democratic ticket to the White House.

Hillary, in her own words, has not even considered the possibility that she might not be the Democrats’ chosen one.

Will her words prove prophetic? The Iowa caucuses, the first of the nominating contests, takes place 12 days from now.

By end-February, Americans will know who the anointed ones from the Republican and Democratic parties would be. (Thirty states would have made known their choice by “Super Tuesday”, Feb 5.)

Although the red-hot names on the headlines these days are the Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee, the run-up is proving to be “a very unusual open season in American politics”.

“Hillary’s strength is that she is among the movers and shakers of the Democratic Party,” said Ari Fleischer, who was White House spokesman from 2001 to 2003. His views now, he said, were strictly personal and did not represent any party.

In the run for the Democratic nomination, his money is on Hillary. “She is far too strong.”

According to Fleischer, Americans are in a sour mood, unhappy about the economy and the country’s direction.

“A large part of the foul mood is directed against George Bush and the Republican Party,” he said. Hillary can capitalise on this as she is so anti-Bush.

Her downside? “She is seen as too calculated; she will take whatever position that is popular today to win tomorrow.”

Fleischer acknowledged that Hillary had her own unique set of difficulties not because she was a woman, but because she was a polarising figure. “Many Americans have firmed their opinion about her already.”

That, he said, was why Republicans would much prefer her as the rival contender.

“The atmosphere and the country’s mood favour the Democrats in a general election. But if Hillary is the Democratic nominee, it puts the race back to 50-50,” he said.

“So the trick now is how Obama and John Edwards can turn this to their advantage,” he said. They would have to convince the Democrats that they stand a better chance than Hillary to capture the Oval Office.

Dick Morris, a former political adviser to Bill Clinton, wrote: “A lot of voters are backing Hillary because they see her as a winner and they are hungry to throw the Republicans out of the White House.”

But he cautioned in an article titled For Hillary, Electability Now Equals Vulnerability Later that “those who live by their reputation for winning also can die from losing”.

“Already, Hillary is flirting with disaster by maintaining so heavy a reliance on her husband. The more a wife needs her husband to boost her to victory or to handle her opponents, the more voters will impute weakness in her and wonder if she can stand alone as president,” he said.

Based on poll numbers, Fleischer believes that Iowa will be a tight three-way race.

“Anybody can take Iowa. So do not forget John Edwards there. All his eggs are in the Iowa basket. If he doesn’t win there, it will be hard for him to take other states.”

He did not think that endorsements from celebrities would work for the contenders, referring to talk show diva Oprah Winfrey campaigning for Obama.

“It just makes good headlines,” he said.

As pointed out by a commentary in Washington Post, “much of the coverage of Oprah stumping for Obama bordered on gushing.”

“Some reporters confess that they are enjoying Hilary's slippage, if only because it enlivens what had become a predictable narrative of her cruising to victory. The prospect of a newcomer knocking off a former first lady is one heck of a story.”

On the Republican side, Fleischer said that Huckabee’s surge was partly because of a lack of satisfaction among party members over other Republican candidates.

Mitt Romney has to deal with questions about his Mormon faith while “American mayor” Rudy Giuliani has conceded that he isn’t doing well in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina polls (where the selection process takes place first). He is thus turning his attention to other states, starting with the Jan 29 Florida primary.

Fleischer said the two main issues confronting American voters were the economy and security.

“It’s a question of who will keep us safe. Sept 11 has changed the United States dramatically. It brought home vividly how important it is to be tough so that we are not attacked again. This is where foreign policy comes in. Sept 11 reminded us how vulnerable we are.”

Americans, he said, were fed up and tired of both parties. “That is why this election is so volatile.”

Hey, Malaysia is also Asia

GOOD morning Baltimore; every day’s like an open door. So goes the lyrics of a song from the musical Hairspray which was set here, known also as Charm City.

Well, a trade and investment delegation from Malaysia had knocked on those doors, led by Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Ng Lip Yong.

He came to this city in Maryland on a mission to sell Malaysia to businessmen here, presenting all the facts and figures about the ties that bind the two countries.

The United States, he told them, was Malaysia’s largest trading partner.

“US statistics on Malaysia’s trade through Baltimore port in 2006 showed that total trade amounted to US$67mil (RM222mil), an increase of almost 17% compared with the previous year,” he said.

Exports from Malaysia to Baltimore totalled US$56mil (RM185.5mil), mostly furniture, wood and rubber products.

Ng noted also that US companies in the surrounding states of Maryland have operations in Malaysia, including Johnson & Johnson, Crest Group, GlaxoSmith Kline, The Boeing Company and W.R. Grace & Co, a chemical and materials company.

Even the weather was a topic.

“Now that it is winter, let me tell you that Malaysia is a sunny place,” he quipped to chuckles from the 130 participants at the Malaysia-US Business Opportunitier seminar on Tuesday.

Ng, however, sure took his job seriously. He arrived in Baltimore on Monday evening and worked on his power point presentation till 3am, he said in an interview later.

“Since it is my first time leading such a mission to the United States, I thought I had better get it right,” he said, and tapping his forehead, added: “My minister would have everything up here.”

That, of course, was in reference to Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz who couldn’t make this trip. The Iron Lady is a figure who looms large in such missions.

US-Asean Business Council senior director Marc P. Mealy, who is well acquainted with Malaysian affairs, assured the Americans that they would find the country a pleasant place to live and work in.

“There are malls for your teenage kids. Designer labels are there, so are Starbucks and golf courses,” he said.

Although Ng explained at length about Malaysia being a moderate Muslim country, (“Look at me, I’m not a Muslim yet I am appointed a deputy minister,” he pointed out) no one brought up the issue during the question-and-answer session.

Perhaps the only “controversial” topic was the National Economic Policy, which Ng acknowledged was frequently raised.

“You have to look at the bigger picture. Some of you may not be agreeable 100% with it. But it has been a stability factor to make sure everyone gets a piece of the pie,” Ng explained.

As Mealy put it, the NEP was affirmative action for the majority.

Other questions touched on a free trade agreement, oil and gas development, the legal system, Islamic financing, the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, and the flow of US goods to Malaysia.

Ieasha Prime, owner of a clothing business, was concerned about labour regulations, to which Ng replied: “I can assure you that there are no sweatshops in Malaysia.”

Almost half of the participants were from the manufacturing sector.

This was Malaysia’s second mission to the United States this year. Rafidah led one to Miami, Florida, earlier.

Malaysian Industrial Development Authority director (New York) Wan Hashim Wan Jusoh said that Baltimore was selected this time because it fitted the profile that Malaysia wanted.

“It has good potential in trade. Also, it is an entry point to the mid-Atlantic region. Its proximity to Washington DC is another plus,” he said.

Besides, there had never been a Malaysian trade mission to Baltimore.

“We try not to repeat the cities that we have covered in the past three years,” he said.

Ng’s task, which ends on Dec 20, has two other stops – Dallas and Portland.

But as pointed out by Mealy, the big boys in the business know about Malaysia already.

“It’s the medium-sized businesses where the focus should be on, as they tend to think of China and India when you mention Asia to them.”

“Malaysia is still not sufficiently known to the average American businessman,” he said.

Seeking blessings from the stars

IT'S the place where stars are born and legends are made. Since 1914, it had been the platform for African-American artistes, who include such superstars as James Brown, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.

That’s the Apollo Theatre, located in the heart of what has been described as the “the capital of black America”, Harlem.

“This is the cornerstone of African-American history and culture,” said Leslie Talbot, an educational consultant, referring to the historic landmark.

When Brown, the Godfather of Soul, died last Christmas, a public memorial took place at the Apollo, bringing together countless admirers who wanted to pay their last respects.

Former president Bill Clinton, a big hit among African-Americans, has kept an office near the Apollo since 2001.

So when Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama made an appearance at the theatre last week, it was a political sales pitch that spoke a thousand words.

Although the 46-year-old Illinois senator has the endorsement of talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, polls so far show that more African-Americans back Hillary Clinton.

His fund-raising event, A Night at the Apollo, was also a peek into the Harlem tradition, where gospel music is the hallmark.

The 10-member Harlem Gospel Choir, which has travelled the world to share its music and faith, gave a rousing performance, delivering such numbers as Amazing Grace and I Believe I Can Fly among others amid shouts of “hallelujah”.

The choir members sure knew how to tease the 1,500 people at the Apollo that night to donate to the Obama campaign.

“It gives me great honour to introduce,” one singer announced, “... the next song,” drawing laughter from those who had expected Obama to come on stage then.

Later, a local pastor walked up to the pulpit and prayed for Obama, invoking God’s blessing on him (Harlem, by Wikipedia’s estimate, has about 400 churches).

And as reminded by the emcee that night, Harlem was also a top entertainment centre. So, even as the Obama crowd was working up a frenzy waiting for their political star, performers of all ilk also took to the stage.

Kersten Stevens, a professional violinist, proved what a talent she was in jazz and classical music. She appeared twice to enthral the crowd. Still, the night has not even begun. Apparently, the organiser had a mystery guest, and he brought down the hall when he emerged from behind the curtain.

Comedian Chris Rock cracked everybody up when he asked them to be on the right side of history, because they would be “real embarrassed” if they had backed Hillary ... and Obama won instead.

“You’d say, ‘I had that white lady! What was I thinking?’,” Rock hollered.

He also poked fun at president George W. Bush, saying that his presidency had not let Americans down, because he was “everything that people thought ... and worse.”

“It was like a horror movie,” he continued.

The audience roared.

It was not just the African-Americans who turned up that night. A large number of non-blacks were there too.

Finally, at 9.22pm, the man whose face will grace the Dec 10 cover of Time magazine made his appearance, and was introduced by Rock as “the next president of the United States”.

Obama, who is sometimes said to be “not black enough”, started off by noting that it was a good thing Bush’s name would not be on the ballot paper when Americans go to the polls next year.

“And, the name of my cousin Dick Cheney won’t be on the ballot either,” he said. “We have been trying hard to hide this for a long time; everybody has a black sheep in the family.”

Oh, how the crowd loved that. Cheney and Obama are distant cousins.

Obama was plainly seeking endorsement from the Apollo crowd. Explaining why he wanted to be a part of the amazing race to the White House, he said: “I don’t want to wake up in four years and see that we still have more black men in prison than in college.”

Studies show that in the United States, more black men are behind bars than have been enrolled in colleges and universities.

Obama said he was tired of seeing young black men languishing on the streets without employment.

“I am in this race also because I am tired of reading about Jena,” he said, referring to a racially-charged case where six black teenagers were accused of beating up a white student in Jena, Louisiana, last year.

Pouring on more rhetoric, Obama declared that he no longer wanted to see a blue state or a red state. “I want a United States.”

Outside the Apollo, traders sold T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Black House” depicting the official residence of the US president.

Harlem-born artist R. Harper said: “I came tonight to hear his message. People want real change now.”

She believes he could grasp issues confronting the country now “as he is a person of mixed race himself”.

That night at the Apollo belonged to Obama, seeking to write history as America’s first black president.

Kedah boy earns his stripes in Big Apple

HE is from the little town of Sungai Petani. But there is nothing small about the accomplishments of 33-year-old contemporary artist Tan Tatt Foo in New York City.

His latest artistic endeavours are seen in Lower Manhattan now after he was selected by two local organisations which started “Re: Construction” in an effort to beautify unsightly construction sites there.

The outcome? Those boring concrete traffic barriers that surround an ongoing subway expansion project have been given a dash of colour. Orange zebra stripes have been painted on 14 of them, which Tan has named “Concrete Jungle.”

“I could have decided on leopard prints but I preferred something more subtle, more whimsical,” Tan said.

Public art like Concrete Jungle, he said, was meant for people to discover if they had sharp senses in their daily life.

Indeed, those zebra stripes struggle to be noticed amidst the chaos, especially if the passer-by is in too much of a hurry to take note of his surroundings.

But the creativity of the project has caught the attention of the local press.

The New York Times noted that the two organisations – Alliance for Downtown New York and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council – “have transformed commonplace street impediments into objects that are meant to be more aesthetically appealing.”

It briefly mentioned that Tan was the man behind the idea of painting zebra stripes on the barricades, which are also known as Jersey barriers. (There was, however, no mention of Tan being Malaysian.)

Besides Tan’s artwork, the two organisations also adopted other ideas from two other participants for the Re: Construction project.

New Yorkers were divided over the beautification effort; some loved the refreshing change, others saw it as an exercise in futility, while the rest could not be bothered.

As for Tan, it was another project he has undertaken with enthusiasm.

“I found out about it through the website of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). So I sent in my proposal, which was later accepted,” he said.

Artists like him often refer to the NYFA site. “Whether you are a dancer, poet or painter, NYFA is a good resource that offers grants, support and information on all sorts of subjects such as studio sub-letting, workshops and exhibiting opportunities,” he said. “I check the site several times a week.”

Malaysia, he noted, had something quite similar in kakiseni.com, but it was not as extensive.

Trained in graphic design at The One Academy in Selangor, Tan prefers to describe himself as a contemporary artist.

“This means that I have ideas and concepts that I want to convey. I do not sell you the tangible product as I may not necessarily have the know-how to carry out the agenda,” he said.

Tan undertakes commercial work as well, such as designing business cards, posters and menus. His next art show, titled “Cuisine du Jour”, will focus on the food of immigrants from Latin America, Eastern Europe and North Africa.

New York City, he said, was truly a melting pot made even more diverse by immigrants who introduced their cuisine here.

He worked with 10 immigrant students on this project, asking each of them to bring a personal memento and photographing them holding it.

“Each picture will be placed inside a jar. It would be like making pickles. We are preserving memories in that jar,” he explained.

“Cuisine du Jour” will go on show for six months beginning next month at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, a national historic site that was once the home of working class immigrants arriving in the United States in the 19th century.

Tan, who came to New York seven years ago upon being offered a job as a senior designer with an advertising agency, worked for several companies before branching out on his own.

“I use multiple mediums and platforms to engage the audience, to explore ideas about individualism and communities, thus continuously blurring the boundary between art and life.”

He feels that he is still young in the art world and that he has much to learn. “Hopefully, I can go back to Malaysia one day to contribute my knowledge and resources to build a more vibrant art scene back home.”

Tan, whose Malaysian wife is also an artist, said his parents were pleased with the achievements of their only child.

“Like most parents, they are proud of me, but they don’t understand what I’m doing,” he quipped.

More than meets the eye at this salon in Chinatown

IT is a nondescript hair salon on a forsaken corner of Chinatown in New York City. Open daily from 9.30am to 8pm, it offers services like haircut for US$8 (RM26), colouring for US$25 (RM84) and, according to its signage, “shave only US$8”.

A flight of stairs leads one to the smallish salon. With its TV set, a stand fan and Mandarin numbers cooing from a karaoke player, the shop is a reminder of the ubiquitous “kedai dandan rambut” in any Malaysian town.

There are exceptions, though. This one has a TV camera to monitor people coming up the staircase.

“And have you ever been to a hair salon that has not a single strand of hair on the floor?” whispered “Mr X”, a businessman who patronises the shop quite regularly.

There are just three seats meant for customers. But walk further inside the shop and there are 10 cubicles to service clients seeking a massage or a facial for US$50 to US$60 (RM168 to RM201) an hour. Sauna rooms are available, too.

On a recent visit, the three chairs were empty. But there was the occasional glimpse of a male customer wrapped in a bath towel, having just completed a massage session.

Mr X feels there's more than meets the eye. Once, he saw about a dozen girls at the salon. They were mostly from Fuzhou, China, and Malaysia, he said.

Nevertheless, he asserted that he patronised the saloon “strictly for a facial or a massage”.

“There is no hanky-panky at the shop itself because it would be shut down by the authorities if there were,” Mr X said.

Any arrangement, he believed, was strictly between the client and the girl.

One of the shop co-owners made it clear there were no shady dealings going on at the salon. The shop has a business licence to operate as a hair salon.

“Nobody fools around here,” said the 39-year-old woman, who is known by her moniker “Fei Mooi” (Cantonese for fat girl). She is by no means plump, but can be described as voluptuous.

Fei Mooi, who hails from Pusing, Perak, is an unmarried mother of two teenagers. Her children are in Malaysia, being cared for by their grandmother.

Her life has been a series of struggles. “I started working when I was 13, as a shampoo girl.”

She came to the United States 18 years ago, barely speaking or reading English.

Gradually, she picked up the spoken language. For the past eight years, she has been working at the hair salon, which employs about 10 women from Malaysia.

“We get many regular customers here. It is a place so familiar to them that they treat it like home.

“And yes, women do come here to get their hair done,” she added, as though to dispel the notion that only male customers frequent the hair salon.

The last time Fei Mooi went home was in 1993. Her parents dissuaded her from returning for good, believing that life in America was inherently better.

Fei Mooi has an American boyfriend, but she expressed no interest in marrying although they had been dating for seven years.

“Why get married? I am happy with my life. There is no one to control me,” she added.

She declined to tell more about her boyfriend, whom she met at a karaoke joint, merely saying that he works for the government and that he is 12 years older than her.

She works seven days a week, seldom going out for leisure.

“You need money to jalan-jalan,” she pointed out.

Besides, she is too tired by the time she gets home from work.

“Sometimes, I can’t sleep because my hands hurt from all the work that I do during the day,” said Fei Mooi, who wants nothing else in life than to be left in peace to earn a living.

Like her, the other women in the salon were friendly, bidding you a warm goodbye as you leave.

“Going off now? Come and have tea with us next time,” one of them chirped.

“Generally, Malaysians here are law-abiding people,” consul-general Mohamad Sadik Gany said, when contacted.

He has not received any reports from US authorities about Malaysians being involved in illegal activities or vice, he said, but acknowledged, however, that no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.

Getting up close with the candidates

HILLARY Clinton is getting less awkward about hugging people. Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are big on hugging, but not Rudy Giuliani.

Bill can be very defensive when it comes to his wife. Mitt Romney (a Republican presidential contender) is “more head than heart” on the campaign trail.

These were the observations made by senior journalists of The New York Times (NYT) during a public forum organised by the newspaper last week on “Inside the 2008 Presidential Campaign” where they shared their insights into the race to the White House.

The pressmen remarked that Hillary, as a New York senator, viewed the NYT as her hometown paper and would relay her comments about stories on her through her aides.

“She cares a lot about what’s on page one and the blogs,” said Patrick Healy, who covers Hillary’s campaign. “She would needle me sometimes, saying if Adam (another reporter) were to write the story it would be on the front page.”

Her aides seem to know newspaper deadlines very well. Once, they called Healy at 11pm, asking if there was any way for him to insert certain words on paragraph nine in his story, which they had read online.

“I try to hear them out but you would want to keep the relationship on an even keel,” said Healy, who recently wrote that Bill sometimes could upstage his wife “simply by breathing”.

He acknowledged that his ties with the Clinton camp could be complicated at times, referring to an article he wrote last year about the state of their marriage.

In that story, he pointed out that “since leaving the White House, Bill and Hillary Clinton have built largely separate lives – partly because of the demands of their distinct career paths and partly as a result of political calculations... they appear in the public spotlight methodically and carefully: the goal is to position Mrs Clinton to run for president, not as a partner or a proxy but as her own person”.

Spouses have indeed become very important in the 2008 race.

“Michelle Obama and Elizabeth Edwards are very appealing in their own way,” said national correspondent Jodi Kantor.

How accessible are the candidates to the media?

“John Edwards is pretty accessible. But I don’t find Giuliani accessible at all,” said political correspondent Adam Nagourney.

He also felt that the Democratic Party had its strongest line-up of contenders in years and that he personally found Mike Huckabee, a Republican contender, very appealing.

Nagourney believed that Huckabee would have made a greater impact had other factors worked for him, such as more money for campaigning.

These political journalists were of the view that the 16 candidates eyeing the White House were all very driven, ambitious people.

As an example, Healy cited one occasion when Hillary was suffering from a horrible sore throat but went ahead to deliver her speech.

“It showed how much she really wanted to do it.”

On a lighter note, an exception could be Republican Fred Thompson. The general perception is that he is lazy and perhaps not even enjoying the campaign trail.

When Thompson gave a talk to locals in a restaurant in Iowa last month, the crowd was quiet when he ended his speech.

According to Nagourney’s story, Thompson had to ask: “Can I have a round of applause?”

When a member of the audience quizzed the NYT panel on why the newspaper often merely reported about the leading candidates from the two parties, thus neglecting the lesser known contenders, assistant managing editor (news) Richard Berke said: “We can’t give equal coverage to everyone. We do make choices.”

As pointed out by Nagourney, the press had reported all about the thrice-married Giuliani’s estranged relationship with his children, his stand on abortion and so forth.

“Everything is fair game when you run for president,” he said.

Making downtown friendlier

IT IS gradually cementing a reputation as New York City’s greenest neighbourhood.

That’s Union Square, with its endless list of vegetarian restaurants, spas, yoga studios and gyms besides organic dry cleaners and a furniture gallery that sells products made from reclaimed wood.

Shoppers at Whole Foods Market, a retailer of organic food, are given a 10 US cent (33 sen) refund if they reuse their shopping bags.

Union Square is also the site of the city’s first Greenmarket, where local farmers gather four times a week to sell their home-grown produce, while bakers whip out their jams and cheeses.

Free yoga classes are offered at the public park during summer.

More significantly, Union Square is Gotham’s first Business Improvement District (BID), which began in 1984. Its mission: to improve the neighbourhood’s quality of life through better maintenance, beautification and sanitation to ensure cleanliness and safety for all.

Funds come from a special assessment paid by property owners in the area. The BID is essentially an organisation of property owners and commercial tenants who are determined to promote business in their neighbourhood.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had been a big proponent of BIDs, said Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services Robert W. Walsh.

There are now 58 BIDs in the city; some small, others run on a multi-million budget.

“It is the private sector coming together, getting people to make the neighbourhood better,” Walsh told a group of foreign journalists last week.

Such collective efforts had led to the changing face of Union Square, which was not a pretty sight in the 1970s with crime and prostitution.

“There was almost a sense of desperation back then,” he said.

Today, the Union Square Partnership (a non-profit organisation that acts as a liaison among residents, business and government leaders) has a glowing report card to show.

“It has become a crossroad of the city. About 30 million people travel through the subway transit point here every year,” said USP executive director Jennifer Falk.

Although its shady past is history now, Falk said they were still on the look-out for things to do to improve the neighbourhood.

To ensure clean sidewalks, a sanitation team will check the area seven days a week, 12 hours a day. Garbage is collected and the streets are swept, illegal signages and flyers taken down. Graffiti is removed once a week.

Another eight teams are in charge of security. These public safety officers patrol the district on foot from morning till night, keeping an eye on any unlawful acts.

Last year, the USP collected about US$1.4mil (RM4.7mil) in assessment revenue besides spending about US$518,882 (RM1.7mil) on safety and US$462,094 (RM1.5mil) on sanitation efforts.

A host of community events are planned all year round. Besides “Art in the Park” where artists show off their creativity, there are also free walking tours provided every Saturday, focussing on the history of Union Square, which includes the original home of Macy’s and Tiffany & Co.

The latest BID, set up in 2006, is the Flatiron/ 23rd Street Partnership in Manhattan. With a US$1.6mil (RM5.3mil) budget and about 4,500 businesses, it has emerged among the top 10 BIDs in New York City.

Flatiron, of course, is the famous building so named because it takes the shape of a clothes iron. (It was also the location of the Daily Bugle office in the Spider-Man movies.)

“It is one of the most photographed buildings in the world,” said Jennifer Brown, executive director of the Flatiron Partnership.

The neighbourhood boasts now of a wide range of restaurants and retailers. “It is also a fast growing residential area,” Brown said, citing a 47-floor condominium block currently under construction, which some celebrities are said to have shown interest in.

H. Alper Tutus, the Turkish owner of a souvenir shop called “Memories of New York”, readily testified to what he said were amazing changes to the area.

“I have been here for almost 14 years. Back then, there were many homeless people. Security and cleanliness were a big headache,” he said.

The revival of the neighbourhood had led to better business for him. As Brown put it: “You won’t see overflowing bins here.”

Surveys are carried out to detect cracked sidewalks, broken streetlights, malfunctioning traffic lights and potholes.

Regardless of weather conditions, a clean team makes sure the place is cleared of litter and graffiti.

Other projects include beautification programmes and reaching out to homeless people.

They take care of their backyards; never mind that the streets are not paved with gold.

Niki’s furniture fit for success

AS a little girl, Niki Cheng often abandoned her schoolbooks, preferring to draw instead. That invited the rotan from her mother. “I wasn’t that thrilled even though she won many prizes in drawing competitions,” said Lee Sau Then, 56.

Like any pragmatic Asian parent, she told her daughter that lukisan wasn’t going to put food on the table.

But mothers, uhm, are not always right.

Today, Lee glowed with a quiet pride as her creative daughter, armed with a degree in interior designing, owns seven furniture stores in New York and New Jersey.

Cheng, together with her Taiwanese husband, are franchise holders of BoConcept, a furniture chain from Denmark that began in 1952.

The home furnishing brand, which takes pride for its urban and modular design, is sold in 350 stores and studios in 47 countries.

Cheng’s distinction? Her seven stores, which recorded US$20mil in turnover, are constantly ranked among the top five performing BoConcept stores in the world.

Even celebrities are known to shop at her place.

“About three months ago, Susan Sarandon came to buy a bedroom set which costs about US$3,000,” said Cheng, 34. Others who have made their purchases included R&B singer Patti LaBelle, and rappers Sean “Diddy” Combs and Lil’ Kim.

Even Crown Princess Mary of Denmark made an appearance on Sept 19 to launch the 2008 collection at her store in SoHo, New York City.

Still, Cheng remained a modest Ipoh girl who attributed her achievements to good old-fashioned luck.

She came to New York in 1998 to study interior designing. But she could not find work upon graduation and for two years, she took up various odd jobs.

“Then I got lucky. I found work at a furniture shop in 2001 where I was the salesperson, besides helping the owner to run the place. I spent two years there,” she said. Meanwhile, Mr Right came along and they tied the knot in 2002.

Eventually, the couple got tired of their respective jobs (her husband was an IT manager) and they began dreaming about setting up their own business.

Opportunity struck when they spotted an advertisement looking for BoConcept franchise holders. By 2003, they opened their first BoConcept store in New York.

Long story short: four years later, their initial US$300,000 investment had paid off, logistics nightmare was over and they were no longer the green horn in business as they used to be.

As she reminisced about her schooldays, Cheng paid tribute to her parents for never stopping her early habit of always rearranging the decor at their home. “I would also suggest to my mother about changing the curtains and cushion covers.”

However, Cheng noticed a change in herself as she grew older. “After I finished my studies, I realised that I had become more sales-driven, more competitive. I am very much into numbers.”

The young girl had grown into a businesswoman.

She drives a hard bargain, too. The rent for all her seven stores are way below market rate, thanks to her haggling skills. “It’s probably something that I picked up from all the bargaining that I did back at our market in Malaysia,” she chuckled.

Private companies often approached Cheng to design their venues. At the New York Fashion Week in 2005, she designed the Olympus studio where celebrities such as Mary J. Blige took a break between shows.

Her furniture business has become a domestic affair for the Cheng family consisting of five siblings. Except for Cheng’s oldest sister who is a nurse in Malaysia, all the three younger ones are working at the various BoConcept stores.

Their parents are in the Big Apple as well.

Cheng, who has a one-year-old daughter, believed that BoConcept had been a success story here because New Yorkers put a high prize on individuality.

“The furniture can be customised to your preference. The dresser, for instance, can be purchased with or without the handle,” she explained.

BoConcept, she said, looked very high-end but with medium range prices.

Cheng attributed her triumph to her 52 staff, saying that she had many good employees working for her. But at the end of the day, she uttered that word again: Luck.

Good fortunes aside, Cheng, whose last trip home was in April, also declared: “I am 100% Malaysian.”

We have lift-off

IT WAS the summer of 1969 when Jim Lewis witnessed the launch of Apollo 11, the unforgettable mission that landed on the moon. He was a young lad of 17 then.

His dad, who worked for a Florida newspaper, had obtained a pass for him to watch the momentous event at the Kennedy Space Centre.

“The Saturn V Moon rocket lift-off is still the most exciting rocket launch I have ever seen,” said Lewis, who has produced TV coverage for the launching of at least 150 rockets. He founded Communications Concepts Inc (CCI) in 1978, a Cape Canaveral-based audio-visual company specialising in TV and web production.

But even a TV guy such as Lewis conceded, “television at its best cannot capture the full impact of a rocket launch.”

“When you are at the launch site, the rocket blast off sight and sound literally hit you like a warm sensation and pounding wave in the ocean.”

Since CCI is located close to the Kennedy Space Centre, his company, naturally, has produced TV coverage of rocket launches numerous times.

It was also contracted by the Malaysian Government through Mimos to produce coverage of the Angkasawan mission.

“Your astronaut project could be a great starting point for the Malaysian space programme or it could be a one-time thing, something like how the United States went to the moon and then stopped. Again, the future is what you make of it. The US is now once again working to go back to the moon.”

He loves the space business. “Space is a great business with great people.”

Over the years, Lewis has been enthralled by stories told to him by astronauts.

“Most of the stories are about silly and funny things that they did or had happened to them.”

All that said, it was a statement that Al Warden, who flew around the moon in Apollo 15, that stuck in Lewis’ mind.

“Al said that while he was on the dark side of the moon he could look out at the stars and see them so much more clearly then you could here on earth and it was amazing how many stars there are out there.”

Lewis said that the Malaysian astronaut was so fortunate to go to space. “I would gladly trade places with him,” he said.

Likewise, Malaysian space buffs might also want to switch place with Lewis, whose home is near to where all the action is. For the locals there, watching rocket launches is as regular to them as night and day.

(Janie Johnson, who provides airport transfers to travellers, said she had lost count the number of rocket and shuttle launches that she had seen since moving here three years ago. “I always get a wonderful view as my house is near the launch site,” she said.)

Like most kids who grew up having the Kennedy Space Centre in their backyard, Lewis has unending stories to share.

His family moved near there in 1962, so he has lived 45 years of his life with the space programme.

“In May 1961 when I had just turned nine, I was riding in the car with my parents, brother and sister when the final countdown to America’s First Manned Space launch was announced on the radio.

“My dad pulled the car to the side of the road and listened to the entire mission. It lasted only 15 minutes but it was so cool.”

Florida is also among only three sites in the world that sends people into space; the other two being Kazakhstan and China.

Kennedy Space Centre, which is just 45 minutes from Orlando, has quite an impact on the local community.

“Roads are named after astronauts and space programmes; and there is an ongoing schedule of manned and unmanned launches from what is known as the Space Coast,” said Andrea Farmer, who is public relations manager of the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex.

Children in Florida are more aware of the space programme. All six-grade students would take part in a space week project while seventh grade students had another programme for them.

“There is tremendous pride in the space programme in our community, as more than 14,000 people work at Kennedy Space Centre,” she said.

About 1.5 million visitors from around the world make the trip there annually.

And why shouldn’t they be fascinated? According to its website, it is “the only place on Earth where you can tour launch areas, meet an astronaut, see giant rockets, train in space flight simulators and view a launch.”

It is mankind’s ultimate journey, as the Kennedy Space Centre would say.

It’s all think big and talk big

ALL the hoopla and moolah during his book launch was a mirror to the world according to Donald Trump.

The real estate mogul promoted his latest book Think Big and Kick Ass last week at a New York City bookstore on where else, but Fifth Avenue, where its reputation as one of the world’s most expensive shopping streets remains solid despite the weakened dollar.

Curvaceous women in black little T-shirts emblazoned with the book title on the front and “I love Donald” at the back worked the crowds, giving out chocolate gold coins.

There was a mascot as well, bearing a resemblance to The Donald, complete with the infamous hair.

But the greatest bait was probably the US$100 (RM336) offered to the first 100 people who bought the book.

“I downed three cups of coffee to stay warm,” said Christopher Forbes, a 20-year-old student who began queuing up at 10pm the night before the book event.

His effort paid off. Forbes, who described Trump as his role model and that he wanted to become a real estate tycoon like him, was the first person in line. The second guy for the 12.30pm book launch last Tuesday arrived at 5am.

It was a happy crowd that day. Someone shouted: “I made US$100 today! Do you want to interview me?”

Trump sure seemed to have his fans. They held up placards proclaiming “Donald, Teach Me Think Big”, “My Eyes are on the $$$”, “Donald for President. Get Rid of Bush” and “Trump Kicks Ass”. One boy clutched a Donald doll.

Yvonne de Groot, a tourist from Holland, came for his signature when she found out that Trump would be at the Barnes & Noble bookstore. “He is quite big in my country,” she said.

His arrival drew cheers and chants of his name.

“That’s quite a hair,” an elderly man said, upon spotting The Donald. Indeed, his hair looked even more terrible close up.

Trump addressed the crowd for a couple of minutes in a brief speech that proved that it was all about think big and talk big.

“It is a bestseller already. It is going to be number one. I have been told that today’s turnout at Barnes & Noble here is the biggest in the past five years,” he said.

He had had a good life, he said, and the book carried a message of success.

Last Sunday, the New York Post published one full page of excerpts from his book. It highlighted his advice to couples that they must always have a prenuptial agreement.

He cited the example of Paul McCartney, calling him “the poor bastard” for making the mistake of not having a prenuptial agreement with Heather Mills.

Mills would still be a nobody if she had not married the ex-Beatles, he wrote.

The 61-year-old billionaire told his third and current wife Melania that she was beautiful and they would have a great marriage but “just in case it doesn’t work out, sign on the dotted line.”

He conceded that that was not the most romantic act but it was necessary.

The Donald sure has a mouth that matches his bank account. He was blunt about Angelina Jolie (“she’s no beauty”), George Clooney (“little and short”) and Martha Stewart (he’s upset about her ingratitude).

He granted a quick interview to an entertainment TV station before he proceeded to sign copies of his book that day, where he once again was on the offensive against Jolie.

“She was frenching her brother at the (2000) Academy Awards; then there was all that with Billy Bob Thornton and now she is representing the United Nations on world peace. Give me a break,” he said.

He thought of her as a pretty woman but “she’s no great beauty.”

Trump certainly did not forget comedian and former talk show host Rosie O’Donnell, his favourite target. “Rosie’s a bully. I have never respected her,” he said.

He mentioned as well that he had been asked to appear on Saturday Night Live.

“Should I be on Saturday Night Live?” he quizzed, somewhat teasingly. The people around him cheered.

Trump went on to say that the new version of The Apprentice, which would feature celebrity guests, was going to be a monster hit. The cheers began again. His fans were fired up and no one got fired.

No clash of cultures here

KOSHER meat is widely available. One tour agency arranges for travel on Emirates, Etihad, Kuwait, Qatar and Gulf airlines.

There is a mosque, too. And there is a “yeshivah” (Orthodox Jewish school), just a five-minute walk away.

Nearby, a sign outside a barbershop proclaims: “We speak English, Russian, Urdu and Yiddish.”

Welcome to Flatbush, a neighbourhood in Brooklyn presenting a New York City seldom seen on celluloid.

In a way, they are worlds apart yet there is no clash of civilisations here. Muslim men in “kurta” and Orthodox Jews in their distinctive long, black suits and large hats co-exist in Flatbush without any problems.

One fruit stall on the street populated by Orthodox Jews says “Golan Dry Fruit” and carries a Star of David. Another shop sells religious articles such as yarmulke (knitted skullcaps worn by the Jews).

“I have so many friends who are Orthodox Jews,” said Mohammad Razvi, a Pakistani-born American who has lived here for 30 years.

According to him, most of the 130,000 Muslims in Flatbush are Pakistanis.

Mohammad formed a coalition organisation with the local Jews after the Sept 11 tragedy to address issues on discrimination.

“We want to ensure that whatever happened outside of the United States would not happen to us here,” he said.

Almost half of the estimated 972,000 Jews in New York City reside in Brooklyn, and about 240,000 are Orthodox Jews.

“Theirs is an insular community,” said David M. Pollock, associate executive director of Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. They have their own school system where Yiddish is the first language.

In the Flatbush neighbourhood, believers from the two faiths live side-by-side partly because of their similarities, he said.

“They have similar food restrictions, they place great importance on the family, and their dressing is modest.”

Orthodox Jews, he said, pray three times a day. Theirs is a fast growing community due to their views on birth control.

“In a 2000 census, the average household in Williamsburg (another Brooklyn neighbourhood populated by Orthodox Jews) has about six children. It is common to see triple bunk beds there,” he said.

The New York Times, quoting the US Census Bureau, reported that the population in an Orthodox Jewish village in Orange County, New York state, went up by 51% in the past six years.

This rate was faster than any community in the state because of their ban on birth control and because women there tend to marry early.

Pollock also noted the Jews also continue with the tradition of circumcision. A baby is circumcised eight days after birth.

A large number of the community in Brooklyn are known as Hasidic Jews.

“The basic theological difference between them and the centrists is that the Hasidics follow a charismatic leader, someone who leads a very holy life and who comes from a holy lineage,” Pollock said.

Think Dalai Lama, if a parallel is to be drawn here.

Inter-marriages are discouraged by orthodox believers.

“The non-Jewish partner is expected to convert,” Pollock said.

Noah Feldman, a Harvard University law professor, wrote in the July 22 issue of The New York Times Magazine that he went to his high-school reunion with his girlfriend, who later became his wife.

A group picture was taken but he saw in the alumni newsletter later that both his and his girlfriend’s images were omitted.

“My fiancée was Korean-American. Her presence implied the prospect of something that, from the standpoint of Orthodox Jewish law, could not be recognised: marriage to someone who was not Jewish,” he wrote in the article titled The Orthodox Paradox.

“The 12 years I spent at a yeshiva day school made me who I am. Now the school doesn’t acknowledge who I’ve become.”

The 31-year-old Jewish Community Relations Council of New York is an umbrella body of at least 60 other organisations.

Pollock, who has worked there for 27 years, said the council would deal with issues related to religious liberty and hate crimes against Jews.

“The Jewish community embraces a diverse mix of cultures, each with its particular concerns and priorities,” said its website.

Leaping off to a better life

IT is a well-trodden path, one that many have been taking. To them, it leads to the Land of Opportunity.

So they “leap off the plane” (or tiew fei kei, a Cantonese metaphor meaning illegal entry), taking the step in hope of a better life.

They become waiters, drivers or take on jobs in restaurants or the construction sector.

The early years are tough, both physically and emotionally. Home is usually the basement of the landlord’s house. There is no health insurance provided by their employers.

Besides having to cope with a new culture and long working hours, loneliness often hits those coming without their families.

Stories are aplenty about blistered hands and the sense of desolation that led to them later confiding to friends that they had wept silently.

One woman here has not seen her husband and two children for five years as she has not returned home to Malaysia.

But most of them seem content when asked to share their stories.

T.C., 43, a fruit deliveryman, has been working in the United States since 2000.

“I came here with my wife to visit relatives in New York. I wanted to check out the job prospects, too. A week after I arrived, I began looking for work,” he said.

His first job was as a furniture delivery guy. The pay was US$350 (RM1,190) a week but he made extra every day in tips.

“That felt good,” he recalled.

There was also no fear of being nabbed by immigration officers. “I was free to roam about.”

Work was tough, though. He had to lift heavy furniture, sometimes up to the fifth floor of a building.

There was no need for such hard labour in his previous job as manager of a furniture shop owned by his sister in Kuantan.

Back then, he earned about RM2,500 a month. With a house mortgage and two small children, it was a struggle to make ends meet.

Now, he sends about US$1,000 (RM3,400) back to Malaysia every month.

His mother-in-law takes care of his son and daughter, aged nine and 11, who he has not seen since arriving in the United States.

He had no trouble adapting to life in New York, although his command of English was limited. “I am always in Chinatown, anyway.”

“I have no regrets coming here. It’s a good place in which to earn a living. My only worry is my kids. I regret not applying for visas for them to come with me,” T.C. said.

He calls them three times a week, admitting that he is missing out on their growing-up years.

“I can only see them through videotapes sent to me. They have never asked when I would be coming home. Of course I am distressed that there is no closeness between us, but what can I do? I need to cari makan here,” he said.

Even his 80-year-old mother in Kuantan has never persuaded him to return. “In fact, she asked me not to go back as it is better for me to work here.”

T.C. said he never thought he would stay on so long.

Initially, he was thinking of spending just five years here.

But now he has no intention of returning to Malaysia, not just yet. “If it turns out that there really is no way for me to bring my children over here, then I might make plans to return,” he said.

“But still, it is hard to say what’s in store. As long as I can still hold a job, I guess I will remain in the United States.”

His wife works in the same fruit stall.

He spoke of friends who went home and started their own businesses. “One of them opened a telephone shop but the business went bust.”

Some of his friends have since returned to the United States.

Michael Chong, 46, was a rubber factory supervisor in Malacca, earning RM700 a month, when he decided to make the journey to New York in 1983.

His uncle, who was here earlier, had invited him to come over.

Chong’s first job, as a kitchen help, required him, among other things, to mop the floor, cut vegetables and cook the rice.

It was a 12-hour job. By the end of the first week, he wanted to take the next flight back to Malaysia.

Nevertheless, Chong persevered. His wife came to join him and they slogged away, not returning to his hometown in Perak in the first 10 years.

He worked for a Jewish boss for 16 years, helping him make sandwiches. “He saw that I was hardworking and helped me get a green card.”

Chong’s life is better now. He has been an insurance representative for the past two years.

“I never thought I would stay so long,” he said. “I had assumed that I would return home once I have saved enough money.”

His dream was to retire in Malaysia and the family did try to resettle in Malaysia in 1997.

“We bought a house in Ipoh. My wife went back with the kids. They stayed for eight months but could not adapt to things back home.”

The house was sold and everybody was soon in New York again. The family now owns a US$220,000 (RM748,000) double-storey house in Staten Island, a New York City borough.

“My three children (aged 16 to 21) are now getting a good education here,” he added.

It isn’t always a success story. Others are known to have become gamblers, squandering their money and returning to Malaysia with empty pockets.

Kwong Yoo, who is Malaysia Association of America president, said nobody could tell for sure the number of Malaysians who had “leapt off the plane,” although an oft-mentioned estimate for the tri-state region (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) was 40,000.

“They came in great numbers during the recession in the 1980s,” he said.

The numbers may have dwindled in recent years, he said, but the dream of a new – and better – life still beckons many.

When New York comes to a standstill

THE sign on the door screamed for attention with three exclamation marks: “Warning!!!”

“Military working dog inside. Dog will bite. Do not enter,” the notice declared in bold, capital letters.

It was no empty threat. An army officer occupied the service apartment with his canine partner. They were in town on security detail for the 62nd UN General Assembly.

His neighbour readily testified about the dog’s monstrous size. “No one dares step inside the lift with them,” said Ezani Amir, a Malaysian on an assignment with the United Nations.

Besides, who wants to mess with dogs that wear police badges?

“You want to say hi to Brit?” asked one dog handler, during a chance encounter with one such four-legged fellow.

“Don’t worry, he’s a friendly one,” he said, patting the five-year-old German shepherd.

Uhm, no thank you! Not when Brit, despite sitting upright looking coy, is up to the waist of his six-foot master.

As more than 100 world leaders gathered in New York City for the annual meet, security personnel are on heightened alert for any clear and present danger. Unmarked police cars line the streets, besides hazmat teams.

All roads leading to the UN headquarters and designated hotels were teeming with sniffer dogs, secret service guys and policemen who put up French barriers (aluminium partitions) at roadblocks.

The NYPD (New York Police Department) is everywhere. These men and their machines are lean and mean, arriving in trucks, big bikes and good old bicycles.

Its emergency service unit looked like action heroes from Hollywood thrillers. They barely blink, their rifles ready in their arm with their trigger-finger in a position ready to swing into action as they watched the crowd like hawks.

These sharpshooters, in their full assault gear, patrolled the streets in black vans with all the doors wide open, appearing unhesitant to fire their weapons at the first sign of danger.

Such vigilance wasn’t just displayed on the roads only. Security officers were stationed on rooftops, armed with telescopes and guns.

Datuk Hamidon Ali, Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, found that there were extra security measures this year due to the presence of a number of leaders from countries considered “high-risk”.

Access to the UN headquarters was stricter and sometimes even ambassadors were not spared close scrutiny.

“Six types of access passes have been issued this year for delegates. They are allowed entry only specific areas and meetings, depending on the pass that they have,” he said.

Last Thursday, the Malaysian permanent mission hosted a reception for foreign dignitaries to commemorate the country’s 50th anniversary of its UN membership.

As part of the security preparations, secret service officers came to the permanent mission for reconnaissance prior to the event.

“They wanted to know who would be serving the food, who the guests were, and so forth,” Hamidon said.

“They wanted to ensure the security of all leaders. For instance, they advised us to cover the back of our reception area because it was open, facing apartments. ”

Due to the tight security procedures, Hamidon said he would make sure there was ample time before leaving for any meetings, sometimes allocating even up to 30 minutes extra.

When President George W. Bush is in town, the route he passes through is cordoned off.

Hamidon recounted an anecdote last year when Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar was walking to the nearby UN building from the Malaysian mission. Bush and his entourage were passing through, and all pedestrians were stopped in their tracks.

Several months ago, Hamidon witnessed an amusing exchange between an old man and a traffic policeman at a roadblock near the UN building.

“The elderly guy asked the cop who was coming through. When he was told that it was Bush, he questioned why he should make way for the president as he did not even vote for him.”

The policeman replied: “Neither did I vote for him. But you just have to stay put till I say you can proceed.”

New York motorists have to bear with the traffic gridlock during the UNGA (UN general assembly).

“Think of the GA in UNGA as ‘Gridlock Alert’ or ‘Got Aspirin?’,” Paul J. Browne, deputy police commissioner, was quoted as saying in Newsday newspaper.

The estimated cost of providing security is expected to run into a multi-million-dollar bill, he added.

Broadway still draws them in

THEIR vocals soared over Times Square, signalling the arrival of a new Broadway season in New York City.

Leads from The Phantom of the Opera sang All I Ask of You while the cast of Mamma Mia delivered the upbeat Dancing Queen.

By then, the thousands of fans who jam-packed Times Square were swinging along to the classic Abba tune.

It was a sunny Sunday morning of Sept 16, the weather was cool and the crowd was wooed by the Broadway on Broadway concert that presented the cast from popular musicals like The Lion King, Wicked, A Chorus Line and Mary Poppins.

The two-hour free concert was hosted by Lance Bass, former member of boy band ‘N Sync, who is making his Broadway debut in the musical Hairspray.

Broadway fans got a sneak peek of the season’s new musicals during the annual concert that also featured tunes from long-running shows that have become old favourites.

Cast members were casually dressed that morning. Most were in jeans and black T-shirts emblazoned with the name of the musical they were performing. Jersey Boys, another hugely popular musical, sang Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.

Show promoters distributed paper fans and stickers to spectators who applauded wildly after each performance.

“I have been a staunch Broadway fan ever since I watched A Chorus Line back in the 1980s,” said Erica Flower, an office assistant who took a two-hour train ride from Connecticut to attend the concert.

She has seen dozens of musicals. “There’s something about seeing a live performance. I love the energy and the appeal,” she said.

Her most recent Broadway show was Wicked in July. “It was excellent. It was my fourth time seeing it.”

Wicked, by the way, grossed the highest amount last season at US$1.38mil (RM4.75mil). Average ticket price to watch the untold story of the witches of Oz was US$98 (RM337.53).

But Flower’s all-time favourite was Crazy For You which won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical.

“I must have seen that a dozen times. It’s no longer showing.”

These days, the productions are flashier as they had bigger budget and the quality was just as good, she said, adding that she planned to watch The Little Mermaid next.

Such diehard fans partly explain why Broadway performances have been a roaring success.

Even celebrities are known to take their children to watch the shows. Last Sunday, the former king of pop Michael Jackson took his three children to watch The Lion King.

Statistics from the League of American Theatres and Producers indicated that the shows collected about US$938mil (RM3.23bil) during the 2006-2007 season when about 12 million tickets were sold.

There are 39 theatres staging performances that attracted more crowds than those at baseball matches. Their seating capacity ranges from 589 to 1,813 seats.

“Broadway contributed US$4.8bil (RM16.5bil) to the economy of New York City, supporting 45,000 local jobs,” according to the League of American Theatres and Producers.

It is, undoubtedly, a tourist magnet as well. About 57% of Broadway audiences are visitors to the Big Apple.

Take Diane Fraser, a housewife from South Africa. She was in town for a week and all geared up to catch Hairspray.

“The movie version with John Travolta is being screened in my country now. So I thought it would be great to watch the musical here,” Fraser said.

Since women made up 62% of the audience, the League of American Theatres and Producers has, for the first time, set Oct 24 as “Ladies Night Out on Broadway”. Attractions include a 20% discount on tickets.

Broadway producers spent US$755mil (RM2.67bil) to run their shows, based on statistics from the 2004-2005 season.

As noted in an economic impact report from the League of American Theatres and Producers: “Broadway is more than just drama and music. Broadway is also a business, an industry that nourishes the economy of New York City.”

A place in NY to call home for all communities

THERE is a small world out there in Queens, literally. It has the distinction of being the most ethnically diverse county in the United States.

As the biggest of the five boroughs in New York City, Queens sports a decidedly different face from the rest of its counterparts.

Facts from the US Census Bureau confirmed its diversity. Asians formed a staggering 21% of its 2.2 million inhabitants although they are just about 7% of the overall New York population.

Which is why the No 7 subway train is nicknamed the Orient Express; its last stop is Flushing, the neighbourhood that has the second biggest Chinatown in the city. A Korean community thrives there as well.

Its ever-bustling public library located in Flushing is further proof of the mixed bag that is Queens.

Besides setting a national record last year for the 20 million items loaned, the Queens Library has collections available in 70 languages.

Overall, the Empire State has a population that is about 74% white but in Queens, the number drops to 55%.

IT specialist Michael Swamy, who has lived in the borough for the past decade, loved the community feeling in Queens.

“I feel comfortable here. The Indian community is here. We share common values, lifestyle and culture,” said Swamy, who is originally from Barbados.

Indeed, there is a Little India in Jackson Heights, the neighbourhood where he lives with his Malaysian wife.

Jackson Heights is also well known for its eclectic choice of eateries; Ecuadorean, Mexican and Colombian fare are all available here.

Another neighbourhood, Astoria, has carved its name as home to a huge Greek population.

As for the people of Latino origin, they form about 26%, which is also much higher than the 16% recorded at state level.

The range of cuisine available is mind-boggling. An Afghan restaurant sits next to an Indian food outlet. There are also Argentinean steakhouses, Mexican diners, and Uruguayan bakeries; indeed, one New York Times writer said he moved to Queens for the food.

But for Swamy, 43, he has more than one reason for being in Queens.

Besides the convenience of transportation (a mere 15-minute subway ride to midtown Manhattan), the reasonable rent is a huge draw for him unlike the exorbitant rates in pricey Manhattan.

He pays US$1,200 (RM4,179) monthly for his one-bedroom apartment although, admittedly, the price has spiralled compared to his earlier years here where such a dwelling would only cost him US$700 (RM2,437) .

“There is also easy access to supermarkets and groceries. Cost of food is cheaper, too,” he said, citing that a slice of pizza is just a little over US$1 (RM3.48), with a Coke thrown in. Canned food such as condensed milk is priced at two for US$1(RM3.48).

Consumers would need to pay double or even triple of those prices in Manhattan.

Maureen E. Walthers, publisher and editor of the Times Newsweekly, is someone who knows Queens inside-out. She has worked for the 99-year-old local newspaper for three decades.

“There is a very strong sense of community here,” she said. Perhaps not coincidentally, the borough has 55 community newspapers that are sold on a weekly basis.

Walthers speaks of Queens affectionately, saying that people here tend to stay in areas that reflected their ethnicity but that did not stop them from being involved in a bigger, more public level in their neighbourhood.

“This place is nice, the people are very good. Rent is affordable and there are good schools. The shops are marvellous shops. You can find anything you want,” she said.

Queens, to put it simply, is great for the family.

Walthers does not think that Queens is being overshadowed by Manhattan.

“No, not at all. The people here are very strong-minded. They made their views known very clearly,” she said. Queens is very much in control, apparently.

Still unfamiliar with Queens? Think the US Open where Roger Federer emerged king again last week. Tennis players battled it out here annually for the final Grand Slam of the year.

This is also the location of New York’s two main airports.

So, New York City isn’t just about Manhattan. Queens reigns the day, too.

Sept 11 still very much in memory

RED, blue, orange, yellow; the 10,000 Japanese origami cranes came in all colours.

A symbol of healing and peace, they hang silently above a staircase at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center on the south side of Ground Zero.

These paper cranes, according to the explanatory message on the wall, were made by Japanese school kids, families, friends and colleagues of Fuji Bank staff who were killed on that September day six years ago.

The Visitor Center, a project of the Sept 11 Families’ Association, has had 280,000 people walking through its glass doors since it opened last year.

But as Americans mourn the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attack, others wonder about a “Sept 11 fatigue” come this day every year.

The New York Times ran a story last Sunday headlined “As 9/11 draws near, a debate rises: How much tribute is enough?”

“Is all of it necessary, at the same decibel level – still?” the daily asked.

However, as they say, different strokes for different folks.

“There is such a variety of emotions involved. Some people get angry, and others may not understand that,” said Sept 11 Families’ Association chief executive officer Jennifer Adams.

There really was no set way to mourn, no one formula to grieve.

“The pain will always be there. It’s just that people have different ways of expressing it,” she said.

Adams, who did not think there was emotional fatigue, found that people were still very much moved by the events of Sept 11.

“Some of the visitors who come here said they somehow felt that they ‘met’ the people who died,” she said in an interview.

At one section of the Visitor Center where there was a huge montage of the victims’ photographs besides a list of their names, four boxes of tissue paper were placed on the bench.

“This gallery can be a very emotional experience,” she said, when asked about the tissue paper.

Adams, who lost her buddy in the tragedy, understands the sorrow. She is no longer so absorbed in investment banking, previously her focus.

“My prerogatives have changed,” she said, preferring now to focus on the people whom she encounters in the course of her job. When the tragedy struck, she became a volunteer, working from the tents, handing out gloves and granola bars to the fire-fighters.

Lee Ielpi, association vice-president, also debunks any talk about emotional fatigue.

“It’s easy for anybody to just say ‘move on’. But this had been the most serious terrorist attack in the country’s history. Don’t forget that 1,145 people are still listed as missing,” he said.

Ielpi himself was not spared the heartbreak. He lost his eldest son, fire-fighter Jonathan, then a 29-year-old.

His youngest son, who has two university degrees, recently become a fire-fighter as well.

“You might ask me if I had discouraged him from doing so. Why would I want to do that? Do I have fear in the back of my mind? I am a father,” he said, answering his own question.

He is reminded of his eldest boy almost ceaselessly, one way or another. “I hear my son all the time. Every day, 9/11 smacks you in your face.”

To illustrate his point, he asked: “What is the emergency telephone number? Nine one one.”

Still, in a way, he said the people had moved on, even those whose lives had been directly impacted by 9/11.

“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have seen so many thousands of foundations and scholarships being established by families of the victims,” he said.

Moving along, too, is the building schedule of the three World Trade Center towers. Construction begins next year.

“We want to develop this place as a 24/7 neighbourhood and not just a financial centre anymore,” said Avi Schick, who is chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.

Schick and several other representatives from architect's firms and from Silverstein Properties (a Manhattan-based real estate developer assigned to redevelop the WTC site) gave a press update on the designs and construction schedule of the towers on Thursday.

Also in the works is the National Sept 11 Memorial and Museum which has been described as “the symbol of the recovery, and the heart of a rebuilt and revitalised Lower Manhattan.”

Sept 11 isn’t just a memory.

Obama wows his supporters

TINA Turner’s Simply The Best was played to the hilt at the New York Marriott ballroom that evening in Brooklyn, New York City.

The VIP guest was at least an hour late but the hundreds of fans who assembled there remained earnest as they waited for their man. Never mind that it was standing room only, no seats provided.

At 6.36pm, the people roared. Cameras flashed. The rock star of politics, Barack Obama, emerged on stage where a banner was hung, proclaiming “Brooklyn for Barack.”

In that much written about baritone voice of his, the Democratic contender for the White House immediately tried to connect with his audience.

“I’m excited to be back in Brooklyn. I used to live here,” he said as he reminisced about his days at Columbia University and how he used to grab some bagels in the borough.

It was a fund-raising event; the people who turned up had made donations so that they could receive admission tickets to see the politician in action, the man who is on the cover of GQ magazine last month.

“I made a US$25 (RM87) donation,” said lawyer Jeff Williams.

He has been an Obama supporter since 2004 when the Hawaiian-born politician spoke at the Democratic National Convention about the audacity of hope, a speech that got him flashing brightly on the political radar of Americans.

That evening, Obama was talking about hope again.

He said people thought that he was naive for always touching on the subject.

“But that’s all right. I plead guilty as charged. I’m optimistic. It’s not that I don’t see the problems but the reason I am hopeful is that I have seen what can happen when people get together.

“I have seen ordinary people doing extraordinary things when they work together.”

Rhetoric? Yes. Stimulating? You bet. At least to the supporters who cheered and whistled.

He said Americans had grown tired of the “can’t do, won’t do, don’t know how” attitude of the government.

“The reason you are here this evening is that Americans are starving for change. They are tired of the same-old, same-old.” (Clap, clap, clap from the crowd).

It was a speech that touched on a little bit of everything, from gas prices to the Iraq war.

“People are tired of a broken healthcare system. They are tired of the economy. They are tired of the war, a war that should not have been waged, a war that had cost thousands of lives, a war that has diminished our standing in the world.” (More thunderous claps).

He scoffed at critics who labelled him too green. “Let me tell you something,” he said. “Nobody has more experience than (Vice-President) Dick Cheney and (Secretary of Defence) Donald Rumsfeld.” The audience laughed in delight.

“The question is not whether I am ready, but are you ready?” he asked.

For supporters like Williams, the white American lawyer, they are ready.

“People are ready for a candidate who can make things better for America. It doesn’t matter what he or she looks like,” he said.

Williams, who grew up in a small town in upstate New York with a 15,000 population, said it was his first time seeing Obama in person and that the Democrat did not disappoint.

“He’s fantastic. He’s genuine,” Williams gushed.

Press photographers trained their huge cameras on Obama as he spoke. News presenters from local TV stations conducted their stand-upper.

Forty-five minutes later, it was all over. Obama did not work the room. He remained near the stage where people crowded around him, seeking his autograph on their copy of his book The Audacity of Hope. Security details followed him.

Outside the hotel, about a dozen policemen were on duty.

Volunteers handed out “Obama for America” forms, soliciting donations. Under the law, individuals are allowed to give a maximum of US$2,300 (RM8,000) per election.

There was a brisk sale of Obama souvenirs. T-shirts were priced at US$20 (RM70), keychains at US$4 (RM14), and lapel pins at US$10 (RM35).

So, is Obama “simply the best, better than all the rest,” as sung by Tina Turner?

Yes, to his fans. To others, it’s wait and see.

Restoring the soul of America

AT a glance, New Orleans’ oldest neighbourhood bears no sign of having been a casualty of the pain brought by Hurricane Katrina.

The French Quarter, which largely stayed dry when disaster hit in 2005, is alive with the sound of jazz almost at every corner.

Tourists munch on “beignets” (French doughnuts) priced at US$1.59 (RM5.54) for three pieces at the famous Cafe du Monde while a local African-American musician stands nearby, alternating between singing Amazing Grace and playing his trumpet.

It was the weekend of the Satchmo Summer Fest, an annual event to honour the memory of New Orleans’ famous son Louis Armstrong, whom the city’s international airport is named after.

Free jazz concerts were everywhere. Step inside a gift shop and you could hear strains of What a Wonderful World.

“This music is our therapy now,” said 67-year-old retiree Lauretta Wolf, who was accompanying her 10-year-old granddaughter to a jazz performance by children at the French Quarter.

Wolf, born and bred in New Orleans, had moved to Hammond, a city about 80km from The Big Easy after Katrina struck.

“My mother lives with me. We are too old to start over here again,” said Wolf, who brings her granddaughter Gabrielle Snyder to the French Quarter every week. She wants young Gabrielle to appreciate jazz.

“This is our culture,” she said, looking at her granddaughter dancing with the jazz band on stage. “Jazz is the music of my time. I don’t want her to forget it.”

But this city of music is still languishing from the after effects of Katrina 2005. According to statistics, it hosted 3.7 million visitors last year, a far cry from the 10 million the year before the storm.

It has also has the dubious title of being Uncle Sam’s murder capital. There have been 117 murders here this year and, according to news reports, the rate is about 95 killings per 100,000 residents.

Recently, its mayor C. Ray Nagin acknowledged that the city seemed dangerous but added somewhat ironically that such bad news “keeps the New Orleans brand out there.”

Locals from Biloxi, a Mississippi city about 121km away, seem wary about the crime rate in New Orleans.

“Be careful when you get there. Stick to where the crowd is,” said taxi driver Jimmy Seal.

At a New Orleans hotel, the receptionist was cautious about her advice on safety in the city. “It isn’t dangerous. Just don’t venture too far off from the city centre, and don't look too touristy,” she said.

Needless to say, there is no such fear within the French Quarter, which remains vibrant with its sights and sounds ... pubs, shops, cafes and art galleries. There is always a musician somewhere, be it at a quiet corner on the street, playing his instrument even when no one is about.

Posters at public spots declaring “Louisiana Rebirth: Restoring the Soul of America” were a reminder – not that people need to be reminded – of the ongoing plan to rebuild the city after the Katrina disaster.

But, as they point out, progress is measured in inches. The hurricane damaged almost 72% of the homes in New Orleans, which sits below sea level. Prior to the disaster, its population stood at 450,000.

Residents have returned home gradually. One rough estimate put the population now at about half of the original number.

The bleak facts are that the number of hospital beds has dropped by two-thirds, and thousands of people still live in government-provided trailers as they could not move back home yet.

An AP report noted that some residents would get their mail only three times a week.

So far, about US$1bil (RM3.48bil) has been spent to rebuild the hurricane protection system in the city.

But warm regards for New Orleans remain aplenty. Travellers who stop by at the Visitor Information Centre in French Quarter often wish the local staff there “all the best.”

Tourism has been a lifeline for New Orleans. It reportedly supports one-third of the city budget, besides providing jobs for 85,000 locals. Taxi drivers, dropping off their passengers at the airport, would tell the visitors to come again another time to check on their city.

Come what may, crime or catastrophe, they know that life has to go on.

Malaysia going on tourism blitz in US and Canada

AS a couple, they are the exact opposites. One is the very symbol of Kuala Lumpur’s concrete jungle, the other is the man of the jungle.

But together, they are the biggest “poster boys” for Americans coming to Malaysia. We are talking about the Petronas’ Twin Towers and the Orang Utan.

“The Twin Towers remain our iconic landmark. They know that Taipei 101 has overtaken us. But our advantage is that we have two towers!” said Mohamad Taib Ibrahim, Tourism Malaysia vice-president (New York).

Malaysia’s second best-known “face” among Americans is the Wild Man of Borneo.

“I am often asked ‘can we cuddle them?’, ‘can we touch them?’,” he said.

Americans, he said, preferred to see the orang utan in their natural habitat. They know about the renowned Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan, and the Semengoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Kuching.

“They are more interested to know what we are doing to protect the orang utan,” Mohamad Taib pointed out as the name “Borneo” itself sounded very exotic to the Americans.

Come Sept 9 to 17, a Malaysian delegation led by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor will be on a hard-sell mission to the United States and Canada.

Their first stop is New York City, followed by Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles.

“Our main objective is to inform and educate the industry about our tourism products. We also want to provide a bridge between Malaysian suppliers and the local players,” Mohamad Taib said.

Seminars, presentations, meetings with agents to draft tour packages; even lucky draws are in the line-up.

Among the Malaysian participants are Borneo Divers and the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort, besides representatives from World Amateur Inter-Team Golf Championship and Monsoon Cup.

“The idea is to showcase Malaysia as not just a leisure destination but to stress that we have other niches as well,” he said.

Tengku Adnan would also be opening the Naza Group-owned Crowne Plaza San Pedro in Los Angeles on Sept 15.

And in collaboration with Telekom Malaysia USA Inc, he would also launch in New York on Sept 10 a prepaid international phone card, where 60,000 cards will be sold in Florida, Washington DC, Virginia, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

These cards, in denominations of US$2, US$5, US$10 and US$20, will feature costumes such as the cheongsam and sari, plus the songket and “pua”.

“It is a way to sell the Malaysian brand. Hopefully, they can become collectors’ items as well.”

The aggressiveness of the Malaysian delegation is understandable.

Firstly, the focus now is towards long-haul markets such as the United States, Europe and Russia.

“A lot of our tourists are from neighbouring countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. Now, we want to target markets that are further away,” Mohamad Taib said.

But perhaps there is a more compelling reason. Although the number of American visitors to Malaysia went up by 15.2% to 174,336 last year, the figures still fell short of the targeted 180,000.

Apparently, the Johor floods and the unrest in Thailand have impacted the entry points in the south and north of the country.

Mohamad Taib acknowledged that the main stumbling block in selling Malaysia to the Americans was their perception of what a Muslim country was all about.

The images they have are kidnappings, insurgents and terrorists.

“But once they visit Malaysia, they know that nothing can be further from the truth.”

Still, the US market isn’t doing too badly.

A total of 45,525 tourists were recorded between January and March, which represented a 7.8% increase compared to the first quarter of last year.

In fact, Tourism Malaysia is targeting 200,000 American tourists next year.

As Mohamad Taib put it, the best-kept secrets about the country should be out.