Somosas in New York

by Jack
(Alabama)

Imagine paying $4 for a ‘somosa’? Unbelievable, but true! I was in New York, tired and hungry, lonely and homesick, so I thought why not go eat at an Indian food restaurant? At least I would feel closer to home and the familiar food and aroma might help me get over my loneliness.

So, there I am, walking in downtown New York, looking for an Indian joint and suddenly I spotted one! It looked alright, mainly because it was filled with Asian people. That was a sure sign that the food was hygienic and tasty!
I went inside, got a place to sit and stared at the menu. Whoa!! I was shocked to see the prices, man! The price of one platter of ‘somosas’ which is a triangular, meat filled appetizer was $4 and that consisted of only 3 somosas altogether! Back home, we could get three dozen somosas for $4!

I felt tempted to get up and leave, but then I thought, if I can get the same somosas as my home town, sitting in the heart of New York, then surely $4 is not a big price to pay, is it???

The food came and it was awesome. I missed home even more and my nostalgia increased but, the somosas were worth it.

I had been to New York many times before, each time for a business trip. It was a huge contrast to my own state, Alabama, where everything is mellow and quiet, but sometimes the change does you good. Although, given a choice, I would never choose to move here permanently. It’s too much hustle bustle and traffic for me. I like my own town, where I know everyone and everyone knows me.

New York is a place I like to visit when I’m low and need to recharge my batteries again. People from all walks of life come here for a living and funnily enough, all of them manage to merge in, become part of the crowd. That’s the beauty of New York; it makes everyone feel at home.