Tuesday June 29

Cricket in BK today, no biking at all, left for Queens in the evening, peeled Mexican mangoes again, conducted an interview in BK.

Monday June 28

Boring day, rode to TC and back to Queens. Subway to BK for part 2 of the training. Cooked, ate, emailed. Cricket tomorrow.

Saturday June 26 and Sunday June 27

Tea at Gourmet and then had a brief chat at Foster before hitting the road for Queens.

this is the road

Rode nice and slow and was happy to see this (is the sign visible?):

 Fell asleep on a chair, took a shower, checked email, did laundry, and bought and peeled mangos.

Ate in Jackson Heights at Gourmet. Met up with A and Z. Woke up late on Sunday and got a free coffee and croissant. Took out some mould, went for a walk, ate frozen yogurt. Had a great AIM conversation about various things about what youth do in the summer!

Friday June 25

Same place same situation, but trying to finish wrapping up notes from the day. Interviewed random strangers and some people I know from this other place. Lovely to meet them again! This interaction gave me the courage I otherwise would not have to speak to people I don' t know about a subject that is seemingly irrelevant to what's going on. Motorcycles ROARed through CIAve tonight, gave me quite a jolt.

"sharp observer" as I'm known as, always watching what's goin on

Some 360s known apparently as 'donuts' and some other nice things involving the burning of rubber and smoke and trying to show off!! Earlier, drank bad coffee and had a kebab roll and ate Gryo King. Went for training in the afternoon, it was good.   Killed a cockroach. With bleach. It was not strong like Pakistani cockroaches. Learned to have a blazer at all times. Great lesson, learning it for the 5th time probably. And to have equipment ready BEFORE going anywhere to do any fieldwork. At least I had some business cards. 1 for 3.  I have to remember what I ask to people, not just ask and record answers.

Thursday June 24

This is my fourth Thursday writing. It is 1:11am and I have not even started writing my notes for the day. I don't have the interview schedules ready or the time logs. Training in the afternoon coming right up. No Elmhurst on Friday unfortunately, but lots of other fun things to do. And ZS is coming to town. Started with a trip to Courtelyou, then to CIAve, then to the park and played cricket for the first time in ages. I forgot how much I suck! I got a great tutorial on the how to of youth research.

Tuesday June 22 and Wednesday June 23

Rode from Midwood to Gateway Park to watch the cricket, found out about the BBC article which is being sent around (including to me). Later, biked over to CIAve, met with IS, then biked over to Queens. On Wednesday, got up early and rode to Flushing Meadows, old phone died, and replaced it. Watched more cricket today, rode over to Elmhurst for a rest and to each lunch, and met some old students, came back to BK. I actually looked forward to writing up my notes for today. What's wrong with me?

a long day of riding

Monday June 21

Met up with EWL and had some mango lassi at B. Walked to Y again to say hello, walked up and down CIAve a bit. Went down to Bensonhurst.

Saturday June 19 and Sunday June 20

Spoke in CT, observed how things work in the Pakistani community there and saw how enthusiastic participants in the conference were about working together to resolve the situation. Returned late on Saturday. On Sunday got a haircut at Y, a great place! Also got a chance to pray at MM, not much of bike riding though. Saw a guna ka juice dude, will be trying that.

nice haircut!

Friday June 18

Took the day off mostly to get my wisdom teeth pulled out, and traveled with Y to CT. Missed prayers, but did get to ride from BK to Jackson Heights in a little over an hour. Got a chance to meet a great person, MR and his colleague H on CIAve. A short and very constructive meeting!

Thursday June 17

Finished a rough draft of a 10 minute talk I am supposed to give! Interviewed a high school junior. Read an article in the Pakistan News about migration from Pakistan declining. Went to MEF for prayer, came back very late.

Wednesday June 16

Biked to Kissena Park, arrived by 8:25am, watched a couple games, biked back. Bedford is great to bike up, as is Flushing Ave. Went to FDC's final event which was nice, then to speak to a Detective Sweeeekalooo about something not related to the research project. Met an Urdu poet, and invited to his event in a week.

Tuesday June 15

Biked to Marine Park, then Jacob Riis, then back to Marine, and to another place whose name I forgot. What a long ride. Got to the games late, but watched some good games. There were some mismatches - some students are in college and some just starting high school. Lots of Bangla and Punjabi in the air. Rode to East New York, and back to Coney Island Avenue in the afternoon. Made a few calls.

Monday June 14

the student in action!

Sunday June 13

Went to AMC with IM in the evening, and experienced a different format than what I'm used to, but really it's just the same thing. Great chicken curry afterward, and fantastic faluda at Pakiza. Need to return to meet more people here!

Saturday June 12

Went to hang out with the cricket players, and it was fun! The whole program was very well organized, and I got a chance to chat with some cool folks.

(credit to NYPD Community Affairs and John DeMarco for photo)

I was extremely late, and got very lost, but that was an exciting day. Also later on went to Sheepshead Bay. The field in Queens is well suited for cricket matches, and I noticed the organizers knew what they were doing. Well timed, great competition, and mostly a Brooklyn crowd from what I could tell.

Friday June 11

Went to a police station for the first time, and found that Officer Payne can do nothing, and that I should call the cops for help. Amazing! I was helping someone else with a situation and it just isn't getting resolved. Met someone who works a 9-5 job, and then drives a taxi from 6-12. She is inspiring! Planning to play some cricket and do some street outreach on Saturday.

Thursday June 10

Went to the Peace Walk sponsored by MCN in BK. Covered in several places, including also PRI.

Saw the opposition to the set up of the new community center in Sheepshead Bay! At the spot meant for a gathering and for snacks, one one side of the street people holding roses, and on the other side some very upset neighbors.

How's this for spectacle (of a peace walk)? 

It was covered widely, and here's something from a local paper - the Brooklyn Courier.

Wednesday June 9

Had a nice conversation with R, and with J in Manhattan. I was an extra in a Turkish movie, boring mostly.  But I got to meet great people, and also met Ahmad Razvi! Then picked up my bike in LIC and took the G train to Church Ave. Spoke to a young man training to be an imam. Learned someone in the P sample will not participate due to his parents, but that someone from the B sample is cool with it. Off to Sheepshead Bay in the morning.

Tuesday June 8 Part 2

Some pictures from the weekend

Tuesday June 8

Went to Queens in the morning, and the FUJI again gave me trouble. Front wheel again. Two Puerto Rican brothers saved the day, and I got it to the repair shop. Visited Bensonhurst again, B-U-K is just a great place to be. I practiced my Urdu reading, and did some shopping. I have a clearer idea of how to implement the methods that I need to use: surveys, two samples (one B and P), and time logs.

Monday June 7 Part 2

Learning a lot about the community, but finding out how much information there is. There's no limit to finding out about the local culture, environment, and traditions, I could be here for years. Of course, I do not have the luxury, and have to wrap up in 10 weeks. I need all the advice and help I can get. The 'community' is actually spread out far and wide. Went to Bensonhurst for a few hours at B-U-K.

Monday June 7

At Gourmet, using free internet, and wow fresh samosas out of the oven. Need to follow up with Cricket League, and some doctors I met on Saturday. And with Dr. SM from Utrecht area.

Sunday June 6

Spent some time in East Elmhurst, then biked down to Midwood. Attended Maghrib and Isha prayers at MM, spoke to apartment-mate who is from Turkey, brought clean clothes home. Cleaned the Queens place a bit, but it was a dusty windy day.

Saturday June 5

Attended and helped out at the health fair, met a few journalists, and saw someone walk in a mosque with their heels on. Wow! Not well attended, but still had a decent day. Took the night off, spent it with family in LI.

It was a hot sweltering day. Realized how the community works, or doesn't, through the way an event was organized.

Friday June 4

Spent some time in East New York with MZ. Handed out fliers for the health fair on Saturday, gave out maybe 100 fliers, maybe more, at MM. Prayed there as well, then ran for the subway to back up to Elmhurst. Eventful day for life beyond the study.

Thursday June 3

Rode to Elmhurst, maybe 12 miles? Took the night off to watch the Celtics game, a bit of a disappointment. Didn't get a chance to write up the field notes for the day, not that there were many. Recognized a few tags, put up some more posters... getting ready for the health fair and for outreach for the study.

Wednesday June 2

Third flat tire. Second one I repaired with scotch tape and kept going since I didn't have my patch kit on me. That was on the way to the western side of Brooklyn. Today I fixed the front tire for the third time. Had a great interview in the afternoon with a mom of three, put up some fliers for a volunteer thing I'm doing, and gave some out in the evening to congregants. Going to take Thursday night off to watch the Celtics-Lakers. Started to give out business cards, that makes one feel important! Have several emails to respond to, library fines to pay, must stop being so addicted to the internet, stop drinking so much tea, and eat more fruit.

Monday May 31

Made some deliveries in Queens with AR, two in Flushing. Made a visit to BK in Kensington, might be spending more time there this summer! Still no youth confirmed for the study. Need to finish the instruments.

Sunday May 30

Dropped dad to Penn Station, returned to Brooklyn. Met MC again on CIAve, and hung out with AR. Went to Papas, nice place! Went to a new mosque, Belal.

Saturday May 29

Took the night off to watch the Suns Lakers game. If the Suns panic and resort to one-on-one play, then they are going to obviously going to lose! And if they're not going to box out like in game 5, then.... no bueno. Took a visit to CIAve with AK.

Friday May 28

Visited two schools, got to the first one at 9:02am just in the nick of time. Went to the other one with plenty of room, but had to walk cause I got a flat tire! Returned to Queens for a visit.