Last night me and two friends drove to the Newark Liberty International airport to pick up a friend who was coming back from India. When we reached the gates, this friend of ours hasn't arrived and so we decide to wait for him. But the cops won't let us wait there. So we have to get out on the highway, drive around for some time and then come back. And we inevitably lose our way, ending up in a shady neighborhood in Newark city at 11:30 in the night. Now, Newark has a predominantly black and hispanic population and has had its share of mugging, gunshots, arson, sexual assaults and murder. Quite more than any other city in New Jersey. So we drive around for some time, trying to get back on the highway. Finally we stop at this pizza place and a huge black guy comes over to us menacingly. He raises his giant hands, greets us and on learning that we have lost our way, directs us quite cordially. We then try to follow his directions and get lost again.

We finally found our way but that is not the point. From the day I have stepped my foot in this country, I have heard about black men terrorizing unsuspecting whites or asians at every street corners. But all I have got from them till now are huge smiles, warm "hello, how ya doing today?"s. And now, this. I guess not everyone around me is a racist. Perhaps its me who's lucky. And I am not complaining.


Oh, my Albanian and Italian roomies were having a heated discussion a few days ago. They were counting how many places they have been to, that the other hasn't seen. Clearly the Italian guy was winning. And then the Albanian guy asked him "have you ever been to Albania?". The Italian answered "no". To this the Albanian replied "well well, I have been to Albania. quite a lot of times". Rich, huh?