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.