Written by:
Demetria Daniels

P: 212-332-9991

718-885-6576 A chatty, informative column of New York events featuring places, people and personalities and celebrities. demetriadaniels@gmail.com

 
Hi everybody.

Well, I hope everyone survived the 2003 BLACKOUT. My own story went llike this.
I was meeting someone up in the seventies at a trendy social restaurant and when I got there that person was not there and everyone was already talking about the blackout. I was sitting at the bar speaking Greek to the bartender. Then as time progressed, I thought I would try calling someone I knew in the vicinity. Luck had it that the person was in .
"This is Demetria, I'm stuck, the trains aren't working...buses aren't moving" was
my message. "Come on over" was the generous reply.

Well, around the corner I went to a lovely apartment with a 100 foot terrace filled with plants. The barbecue was beginning. The wine was ample, there was another guest there and the three of us began the evening.
We watched as they put flares up on the corner of East 72 Street. Then came the traffic directors rerouting the second avenue buses down to York Avenue.
And as we sat down to a lovely meal, dining "al fresco" under two stars, we heard bagpipes a playing.
The conversation was extremely lively - we discussed the situation and the last two blackouts that New York survived before - the one in 1967 and , and 1977.
Then we got on to every topic under the moon. I was siting with two specialist in African economics so we talked aout how sweet the Ethiopians are and and President Bush's recent trip there and the world monetary situation and various cheeses and colemans mustard which my host buys in London for 75 cents a jar - and a great recipe for curried rice, which we were eating and the best place to buy feta cheese ( in Astoria naturally) and the wines from Australia - which we were drinking.
So, by that time it was midnight - we had a great dinner party - everyone went to bed, happy and content.
Next morning we turned on the radio, listened to the reports, had coffee and eggs fritata. Then, I hopped on the bus - it was free - thank you Mayor Bloomberg. Down to the Manhattan bridge, over the water to downtown Brooklyn, on another buses to where I was going. It took three hours for me to reach my destinatiion, safe, a little tired and grateful for a wonderful time.
Only in New York could this happen. I survived in great condition. What a city I live in - its the best.

posted by Demetria at 11:20 AM