When you exit the metro station at Church, the stairs deliver you up into a strange world. People outside are all talking in Bangla - both the East and West versions of it. They are also smoking outdoors, congregated near the leetil "Chai-er dokaan" at the street corner. Yes, there is a wee tea shop at the street corner. Yes, all the "Kakus" of the Paada hang out there, maro-ing adda all evening. This is the tiny Bengali enclave in Brooklyn, NY. It is where my friends live, it is where I have visited too many times to count, it is that tiny fragment of the East Coast where I feel most at home.
1 comment:
Loved this one! I remember how in Paris I used to visit the Indian area just to hear people speaking in familiar languages!
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