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Journalism of Courage
There8217;s an undeniable feeling of culture shock, and trust me, it doesn8217;t matter where you8217;ve grown up or which Hollywood blockbuster club you8217;re a fan of. As you hit the First World, the shockwave is very right-in-your-face. It overwhelms you 8212; the white noise. There8217;s that, and the fact that everyone is superbly well-dressed. Not just well-dressed, immaculately dressed. Welcome to New York.
The diversity is the other thing that makes itself felt. None of that unity in diversity stuff. This is total diversity in diversity. All sorts of people, all sorts of sizes, all sorts of colours 8212; homogenised by the wait and whoosh of the subway train. A metallic beast that8217;s both friend and foe. And you8217;ll certainly feel that it is hostile to you when it shuts on you.
This is the glory of the free world then. This is the dream beaming out of the skyline, a skyline scarred by events from six years ago, but very much there. If anything, this is the city of the individual. It never sleeps, and sometimes it sways to the Latina beat. Spanish is spoken everywhere, but South Asia has a presence too 8212; Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Hindustani, Sri Lankan, take your pick. You pick up on their origins at a local Dunkin8217; Donuts, or in a deli someone is just overjoyed at being able to speak to you in Hindi.
That8217;s why they call this city the centre of the world, and a total state of mind.
