The quest for Dosai in midtown Manhattan - In a New York minute

Observations
1. Times square is probably the only place where you could sit in the middle of a street and have dinner with a million people from all over the world. Its an experience that I will never forget and one which every person should experience atleast once. Counting down the new year's with a million voices to give you company is a big part of that.
2. When the wind hits you on the 86th floor of the Empire State building, you better be prepared.
3.Chinatown here really means chinatown. You would really think you were in midtown Tianjin.
4. The statue of Liberty is best seen on a clear day just after sunrise bathed in sunlight.
5. Becco's is probably the best italian place in manhattan. Its by far the best italian food I've had. Never knew pasta meant so much more than mac, spaghetti, and penne.
6. Dosai tastes heavenly regardless of whether you have it at home, at Woodlands or on Lexington and 27th in Manhattan.
7. Never thought I could see anything like the queues and crowds at the Tirupathi temple. The mob trying to get into Times square on New year's eve comes pretty close.
8. The museums in New york will drive you crazy. They are so huge that you can get lost in them. But I must admit that some of the stuff on display is fabulous and makes even the most uneducated eye pause and take notice!
9. Most people working on wall street and making millions still live in apartments smaller than the one I live in right now.
10. The number of people making a living off the streets is almost equal to those not. Most of these are asians.
11. For the first time I saw a ladies queue much longer than the men's. Any guesses as to what the queue was for?
12. NYPD bomb squad dogs are some of the healthiest known to man.

New york city is like no other in the US. But the more I think of it the more I'm reminded of Bombay. Here are a few parallels........
1. Its the first and probably only skyline that requires a panoramic view to see.
2. It is dirty almost to the point of being filthy at certain places. I needn't even bother to open my mouth about the cleanliness of bombay.
3. Its busier than any other city. People dont have the time to take a moment and soak in the atmosphere. That is left to the tourists.
4. The subways are a lifeline every New yorker appreciates. It reminds you of the train system in bombay. Sometimes, it does get that crowded as well.
5. The waterfront on battery park is the place to be for sunrise and sunsets. The ferry to liberty starts from there. Benches, pigeons, even buildings resembling the Taj Mahal hotel..........need I say more.
6. Grand central is a train station so much like VT. Ofcourse its much bigger. It also has this Indian place called Cafe Spice which serves some amazing biryani!

But thats where the similarities end. New york has so much more. The sheer size of the buildings can be quite a pain in the neck! In the middle of all the madness is a green haven called Central Park. You can get your peace and quite there. Just walking down the streets of Manhattan is quite a surreal experience. Its a truly international sight as you bump into people of all shapes, sizes, race and color. There's an ad, i think for mastercard, which goes "If you stand on Times Square long enough, you are likely to meet every person on earth". I now actually believe that.