New Orleans and New York have a strong connection.  This link is reinforced by a similar accent - lower Ninth Ward and Brooklyn tongue must have nursed at the same breast - and a melting pot of food and cultures.  Both cities have the best of the best of food.  But can you really find a better bagel than a Murray’s bagel outside of New York?  Mix up all the packaged Cafe du Monde beignets you want, but you can’t recreate the Cafe’s ambience outside of the French Quarter.  This is one reason why there are so many people flying between New Orleans and New York.  Another reason for the Jet Blue streak between MSY and JFK, is that you can be exactly who you are in both cities.  No questions asked.  The only people who will stare are the tourists.   And this is exactly what we did while we were in New York recently!

For their graduation, Damien and Natalya treated themselves to a New York trip.  They invited Tricia and I along as tour guides!  It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?  College graduate couple invites parents along for New York vacation.  Oh yeah – that had to be a hallucination.   This will go on my Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are list.

To overcome our bagel deprivation, we hit Murray’s Bagels on Avenue of the Americas several times.  Be ready to order when they ask!  I would call the staff charmingly and efficiently impatient.  This popular spot is well worth the wait – for a bagel and a table.

Shopping for the latest in fashion?  Slip on you Minolo Blahniks and watch the Barbie Catwalk at FAO Schwartz.  (Did I say that my son is a very patient man?)

How about bargain hunting in St. Mark’s Place:

After a long day of shopping, relax in a bubble gum bath at Dylan’s Candy Bar:

The Apple store in Lakeside Mall is nice, but the mothership in New York is a fantasy land for techies:

The Statue of Liberty has no equal.  She is an impressive sight – this symbol of freedom for America’s melting pot:

All that sightseeing made us hungry!  Damien took us to a fantastic restaurant in Chinatown called Joe’s Shanghai – home of the soup dumpling.  Be sure to check out the online instructions on how to eat these before going – otherwise it could be very humiliating:

http://www.joeshanghairestaurants.com/

For dessert, Natalya and I were on the hunt for the perfect cupcake.  Crumbs Bake Shop torches the competition:

http://www.crumbs.com/

We did so many fun and touristy things on our trip.  The best of all was seeing New York through Damien and Natalya’s eyes.  Life IS good and miracles DO happen y’all!

Damien, Natalya and Eden proudly display their status as graduates!  Eden graduated last year from BYU Idaho.  Even though she’s almost two years Damien’s junior, she was the first to graduate from college!  Natalya was second, and although she graduated last December, she chose to walk with her husband this year at the BYU Provo ceremony.  Damien’s takes his status as “No. 3″ with good humor.  Two years on a mission in the middle of his college years, getting married, graduating from college – he’s been a busy young man!  I was moved as they became the first in their families to graduate from college.   Their progession and evolution is my greatest joy.

Tricia and I attended our second Go Puja Mela, the Festival of the Cows, at the New Talavan Farm in Mississippi this weekend.  This time, I had the opportunity to dance with my friends Aamani and Surathini.  Miss Shanti choreographed a lovely dance about Krishna.  The song was really sweet, and I thoroughly enjoyed dancing to it!  The New Talavan Farm was beautiful, and it was wonderful to dance outside in the cool fresh air.  This was the first time I saw Miss Shanti dance beyond showing us steps in class, and it was truly inspiring!

Here’s a link to our dance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1SQHNbAMzU

What a surprise it was spending Halloween in the Quarter for the first time!  I had no idea it was such a great celebration there!  It was as packed as Mardi Gras, but with a more laid back atmosphere.  A couple was getting married as we walked by on our way to the Halloween Parade.   Tricia looked great as Batman, and everyone seemed to love Lucy!  Lucy should ditch that philandering Ricky every year and spend Halloween with Batman!

Last weekend, Tricia and I celebrated dance in two different styles – Michael Jackson and Bharatanatyam.  On Saturday, Tricia spent the day at Zephyr stadium with about 70 other dancers.  People of all ages and walks of life practiced MJ’s Thriller dance over and over again for 7 hours, before they participated in the worldwide event.  Dancers from the Jefferson Performing Arts Center taught the diverse group – which ranged from small children to those of us who grew up listening to and watching MJ.  With wistful smiles, the adults shared memories of how he touched their lives.  They were there to pay tribute in a way that would have made him proud – by dancing as a community.  It struck me how freely and enthusiastically everyone participated.  Adults who hadn’t danced for years practiced for hours alongside teens in a high school dance group, and with little boys eager to emulate MJ’s swift and otherworldly moves.  I have a feeling that next year there will be a much larger group dancing at Zephyr Stadium!

 Here’s the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UeTApcWsGE

Dancing to Vande Mataram at The IANO Diwali Celebration was my most joyful dance performance yet!  I overcame my fears and just lived in that moment.  When I stepped onstage with my classmates, I focused on what an amazing event this was – Diwali, Dr. Abdul Kalam’s presence in the audience, the inspirational song, and the opportunity to dance with my friends.  My performance wasn’t perfect, but I got over that.  (Thanks to Tricia’s assistance in getting ready, nothing flew off during the performance – a real success!  She took time away from her Saints game to help me get ready.  We agree that the real reason Hindu Goddesses have 10 hands is so that they can fix their hair and adornments!)  Being truly present in that music – Wow!  It was marvelous.   Afterwards was a total out-of-body experience.  People came up to me and said so many kind things.  Being a patriotic song for India, they appreciated that we danced so passionately to it.  Miss  Shanti was proud of us, and so I felt very encouraged and uplifted!  Our next performance is at a Go-Puja Mela – Festival of the Cows, which is in Mississippi.  We’re learning a dance about Krshna, and it’s really adorable!  I was too keyed up to remember to take pictures at the Diwali event.  Tricia, however, took a superb video.  Here’s the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQW1XDL8_jw

The only photo – after the show!

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, the Hindu celebration of victory over evil, has become a tradition in our home.  Last year, we celebrated Diwali on All Saint’s Day with a party.  We asked our guests to dress as their favorite saint, from Drew Brees (for those of you who don’t live in NOLA, he’s the city’s favorite Saints quarterback) to Mother Theresa.  We decorated the house with white lights, and made Kajal Burfi, a cashew fudge, with silver foil.

Tricia chose to dress like one of her most beloved saints - Gandhi.  She donned a spray tan, a dhoti, and a plastic “bald” cap.  As Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune, the best part of being that character (besides having long black hair for the evening) was giving gold chocolate coins to the kids.

This year, we’re celebrating Diwali with dance.  Tricia, representing NOLA – and Eden and her friends, representing the Evergreen State – are learning the steps to Michael Jackson’s Thriller.    My classmates and I are practicing our dance to the majestic Hindi song Vande Mataram.  This weekend are the two big events!  Not letting the holiday go by without making it extra special, however, Tricia surprised me with some lovely Diwali gifts:

Red Beans and Rice on Monday is a tradition in New Orleans.  It was made on Mondays when everyone did their laundry, because it was an easy dish to prepare which didn’t requite a lot of  “minding”.  While this household still does its laundry on Mondays, Tricia prefers this lentil and rice dish, which is delicious and a great source of protein.

Monday Dal

1 cup split red lentils, soaked in water a couple of hours (this will hasten the cooking time)

 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee (or regular butter if you’re in a pinch)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek)

1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup ginger garlic paste

2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

4-5 curry leaves

Melt the ghee in a pot over medium heat and add the cumin and methi seeds.  Saute the spices in the ghee until they release their aroma and are lightly browned.  Add the onion and saute until the onions are almost translucent.  Add the ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, chili, Garam Masala, turmeric and curry leaves.  Saute this mixture until the tomatoes soften.  Drain the lentils and add them with about 2 cups fresh water to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.  Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 45 minutes.

 

 Coconut Rice

1 cup rice (basmati and jasmine are good)

1 cup coconut milk (lowfat is good)

1 cup water

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Bring the coconut milk, water and mustard seeds to a boil.  Add rice and coconut, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.  Turn off heat and let “rest” for a few minutes before serving. 

When Damien married Natalya, I gained a daughter-in-law who is more wonderful than I could have dreamed of.   I also gained a title that has so many negative connotations, I flinched whenever someone mentioned it:  Mother-In-Law.  How scary is that???  Would I suddenly sprout horns and become so cantankerous that I scared my son and his wife off? 

To find some inspiration and guidance, I thought of my own mother-in-law Margie.  She’s incredibly supportive and a heck of a lot of fun!

I also found a few books on the subject.  I recommend one in particular to anyone who will become, or already is, a mother- or daughter-in-law:  What Do You Want From Me by Terri Apter:

http://www.terriapter.com/books.html

I will always feel amazed at Damien and Natalya’s decision to live with us for the summer.  It is something I never could have predicted or even dreamed of.  We all got along incredibly well, despite my fears and insecurities.  They’re coming back for Thanksgiving, so I must have done something right!

I sometimes forget that life is a series of changes.  We are not meant to stay the same.  Just when things seem unbearable, I burst from my cocoon into a new and beautiful phase.  I’ve learned to listen to the inner dialogue – which unfortunately has been an irritating and deflating critic for the better part of my life.  Having burst from that cocoon, I now see life as a series of opportunities.  How much more fulfilling is that!

And so it is with Dance.  Just when I found that I could barely stay motivated to practice between road trips to Houston, I was given the chance to start fresh with new teacher.  Miss Sunanda has wisely encouraged me to “move forward” and “keep going”.  And Miss Shanti, my new teacher, has taken me on – this 45 year-old white chick.  No sooner had I discussed with Miss Shanti my abject fear of performing, than I found myself practicing 6 days a week for an upcoming Diwali performance.  Oh yes.  On October 25th, I will be onstage with four other dancers, performing in front of a crowd which will include a former President of India!  I am relieved that I won’t know most of the people there, much less the Guest of Honor!

Putting my fears and self-doubt aside now….  What an amazing opportunity!  The song we’re dancing to is exhilarating!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1UgUpKz3Lc

I am grateful to my new teacher for taking me on.  I love being part of a dance community again.  There are times when I am driving to Kenner for class that I feel a pang of nostalgia, and I think I’m driving to Miss Sunanda’s house.  When she used to live in Kenner.  Before Katrina.  I pull up to Miss Shanti’s house and am greeted by her warm smile.  I take my place on her dance floor with my classmates, who used to also dance on Miss Sunanda’s dance floor.  There is incense.  There is gorgeous music.  There is the talam urging me on.   The Dance takes me over, and there is no time, no space, just Bliss.

Now there’s another dancer practicing in the house!  On October 24, Tricia will participate in a worldwide dance event where people all over the globe will dance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller: www.thrilltheworld.com

Tricia’s a pretty good dancer already, so she’s got some of the moves down.   Here’s a particularly informative site that she found on learning the dance: Learn the Thriller Dance

“For no mere mortal can resist the evil of the Thriller”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8

We’re encouraging friends and family to join in!  I remember watching this video in 1984, when Damien was a baby.  There was quite a buzz at that time about how dark and eerie the video was.   What I saw was an amazing dancer who moved like no one else.  The dancing zombies and scenery were interesting, but Michael Jackson dancing in his red outfit was simply unparalleled.