Turn Five

It was a dream that brought me here, and a dream that’s convinced me to stay.  Sometimes there’s no more than an occasional blast of lightning in the middle of the darkest forest on the darkest night.  It’s just enough illumination to tell you that you’re on the way, but not enough to know where it’s going.  There’s just a hint in you that this is the right thing, and it’s matched by a few fleeting signs.  Some are enough to remain convinced, and this particular flash of lightning was a dream where there was a woman with fire in her tongue, and her hands were open, revealing a small scar between the finger and the thumb on the left hand.

I’ve spent the entire trip, then, just following signs, moving here and there throughout the city, wondering what might happen if I decide to act on a sense of direction that seems to be always shifting.  But there are plenty of moments that also tell me this is leading somewhere, and that’s the case today.  This Italian restaurant is one of those dream places at the edges of the world, where you can apparently, have anything you want.  The food is splendid and there’s something to go on every part of the tongue, and in unusual combination, along with coffees and liqueurs.

As I’m eating, there’s a very strange sense that time is starting to spin in all directions, and I’m not sure why this is happening, or even if it’s important.  But there’s a sense that time is spinning backwards and now forwards, and suddenly it slows.  There is a moment when I am sitting, and my mouth is full of salt and sweet.  The table next to me is moving.  A woman coughing.  She holds up her hand to stop the waiter.  She is not choking.  Her mouth is burning from a pepper.  She is fine.  She holds her hand to stop him.  She has a scar between her thumb and finger.  It is on her right hand, however.  This might not be her.  I better check.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is known throughout the world as Mahatma Gandhi. He was born in October of 1869 and would become one of the greatest politicians and spiritual leaders the country has known. He is also recognized internationally as a great advocate for peace and equally. Gandhi was a primary leader of the Indian Independence Movement and is considered to be a pioneer of satyagraha, which is a non-violent form of political resistance. He is most famous for his long fasts, which were intended for both self-purification and also as a form of resistance. Tourists who are staying in one of the four star hotels in Delhi will certainly encounter one or many memorials to this great leader.

Gandhi’s form of political resistance called for mass social disobedience to fight back against tyranny. His protest work in India led to numerous protest marches and civil rights campaigns across the world. His ideas were firmly routed in ahimsa, which among other things emphasizes a resistance to violence. Ahimsa also instructs adherents to practice honesty and to live modestly. Gandhi was true to this philosophy and swore to always tell the truth. He also lived in a small self-sustaining residential community. He was a vegetarian and wore the traditional Indian dhoti with shawl, which he hand spun on a charkha.

In 1921 Gandhi become the leader of the Indian National Congress. He immediately began work to ease poverty and advocate for the civil rights of women. He led a nation wide campaign advocating Swaraj, which means the independence of India from foreign domination. One of his early and most famous protests occurred in 1922 when he led a non-cooperation movement protesting the British imposed salt tax. He also called for complete British departure in 1942 in the British Quit movement. Gandhi is officially recognized and honored as the Father of the Nation. His birthday, October 2, is commemorated as the national holiday, Gandhi Jayanti. This day is also celebrated world wide as the International Day of Non-Violence.

The city of New York has long been one of the best food cities in the world. The best chefs in North America and top chefs from around the world come to New York to prove their worth to the city’s savy diners. For the last decade, the New York Food Museum has worked to educate the public on food and food sources.

In 1998, the New York Food Museum hosted its first event: a panel discussion at Brooklyn College title “The Food Voice and the NY Food Museum.” In 2000 the Musuem hosted the first annual “New York City International Pickle Day” festivities and began plans for online exhibitions to promote the Museum’s activities.

The Museum was founded with the mission to “encourage people to think about the food they eat.” This includes reminding diners of the source of that food as well as its preparation. Through programs across the city, the Museum partners with non-profit organizations and public space managers to provide exhibitions on food sources, workers, distribution, land use, nutrition, and the ecology of farming. They also host events that celebrate the strong culinary culture of New York. Exhibits have appeared in schools, museums, ferry terminals, galleries, and community and cultural centers areound New York.

Online the museum offers virtual exhibitions on New York’s food history. This includes two centuries of articles and images about fishing, farming, dining habits, and New York restaurants. Some of the special topics covered on the museum’s site have included chewing gum, hot dogs and street vendors, beer, the history of pickling, and fruit marketing. In addition to articles and photographs, the museum’s online collection includes recipes, maps, and transcripts of interviews with chefs.