“The Bohemian Rhapsody is basically 50 totally different songs baked, hard boiled, deep fried and steamed together which is what makes it so beautiful” I said to my father as we walked down the snowy streets of New Haven. Both of us have been obsessed with this song lately and it tends to be our most prominent point of conversation. When we are not randomly bursting into the song, we are furiously complimenting it.
Out of nowhere, this statement reminded me of New York straight away. At first, I had no idea why the Big Apple randomly popped into my head, then I realised, that this song, is actually almost EXACTLY like the city. There are people from all countries, colours, castes, religions, genders and mind-sets all thrown together in one heck of a city. I had gone to New York only last week and I found it, as anyone who has seen it for the first time, AMAZING. But not only because of the skyscrapers that made me feel insignificant or the hordes of people rushing around or even the fantastic Broadway show; it was the people themselves. It was the citizens, migrants (legal and illegal) and tourists that caught my attention. The candy seller, the bus driver, the restaurant owner, the concierge, the guy asking for change; everyone in New York, each and every living soul is different.
This came to my notice only after we ventured out of our room after settling in. On arriving at the Grand Central, I was too overwhelmed by the crowds, hustle and bustle, insanely high buildings, and the chaos which seemed at that time, to be settled beneath the very essence of the city. Only when we went to the concierge to ask where to go, did I realise the beauty of the diversity of this place. The concierge, a Czech migrant gave our slow-going day an excellent kick-start. She was very friendly and directed us to the best pizza place in town.
On the way I noticed was that, every small shop owner was a migrant. Most of who like me, were Indian. My father and I have taken to conversing in Hindi since we came here. That way, nobody out here understands what we’re saying. But if you go to New York and speak in Hindi, you will be surprised by the number of people that will be able to understand you. Heck, forget Hindi, speak in any language and someone or the other out there is bound to understand you and that, I can guarantee.
And it is this diversity that I’m talking about; all these people from different part of the world are living together, each with his or her own way of doing things and that is what makes new York such a vibrant city. Just like the song, Bohemian Rhapsody in which so many songs are mixed up to form one fabulous piece of music, to me, it was all these different people that made new York one fabulous city. I guess that’s the New Yorkan Rhapsody.
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