CHINAR SHADE : A VISIT TO BOSTON … COOL , HISTORIC AND LIVELY CITY ..

BOSTON : COOL , HISTORIC AND LIVELY CITY

( Photographs Autar Mota )

Boston is a historic town on the shores of the Atlantic falling in New England area .It is about 350 km from New York and you can either fly or reach it by train (Amtrak) in forty minutes or four hours respectively. The fare ( around $65) is almost same and quite often trains are expensive .Travelling in November 2017, I found the train journey more enjoyable with fall colours all around. The north end or the Downtown tour is simply reliving Boston's past .

American settlement history informs that Massachusetts Bay colony was established at Boston in 1630 by the immigrants from England. After initial hardships,these New Englanders saw prosperity and these settlements spread to Rhode Island,Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Along with farming and fisheries, these new settlers engaged themselves in import and export of timber, grains, sugar, tea, furniture, molasses and manufactured goods. Tempted by the stories of prosperity and riches more immigrants from Italy, France , Germany, Spain, Sweden and Netherlands started pouring in. Ships full with poor natives from various African countries were continuously brought to the New found country and these people were used as labour force. Bulk immigrants also kept arriving from Europe continuously. This immigration or European colonization decimated the native inhabitants. Conflicts and new diseases also took their toll. This immigration also resulted in a clash of interests between France and Great Britain .Both the empires battled supremacy in the region and also in what came to be known as Canada. The Treaty of Paris (1763) confirmed England's dominance in North America westward to the Mississippi river. In 1773, the freedom movement of America gained inertia when a ship load of tea was dumped into the Atlantic as political protest by a group of leaders that included Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. The Tea was consigned to a Boston trader by the British East India Company from UK. The local importer also refused to take delivery of the shipment .Something what Gandhi Ji did in his Dandi March or the Salt Satyagraha . The ‘Tea Dumping’ act is relived through theatrical performances . The tea ships are preserved .This event came to be known as BOSTON TEA PARTY in the American History of Independence .Possibly this could be the reason as to why coffee ( And not tea) is so popular everywhere in the US.

Boston is also known as “ America’s Walking City “ . The Faneuil Hall Market Place is known as “ HUB OF THE HUBS “. It is the central point of the city with its old landmarks and most popular points of interest.

Keep walking and follow the “ FREEDOM TRAIL “ to visit most of the old historical sites and structures . You need to see Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market Food Colonnade ,Boston Public Garden , Little Italy Market , Old churches , Cemeteries of first immigrants , Paul Revere’s old wooden house built in 1680 AD ,Boston Tea Party ships and museum, Old State House , Boston Massacre site , Beacon Hill Holocaust Memorial , Old South Meeting Hall and many more places. Walk a street lined with trees and houses that looks so much like it did in the 1600s. Browse room after room of precious paintings and pieces of art at the Cape Ann Museum or Peabody Essex Museum or Addison Gallery. You find local brewers , cider houses , distilleries and wineries recreating, resurrecting and reinventing old recipes into new , making their mark in the world of craft style handcrafted spirits .Buy and gift it to the connoisseur. Tasting rooms are a popular place to sample before you buy. You can find any kind of beer you ever wanted to taste.

A visit to Witch History Museum and Sea Pirate Museum is a new experience. Better walk one day and then take a ‘Hop on Hop Off All Day’ tour bus next day to cover maximum places worth visiting in the old Boston town. Every building has its history. Every street has a story to tell; so don't be in hurry, look , read and listen some fascinating stories being related by many tour guides . Stop to read prominent inscriptions and details on the stones and the walls of old buildings and streets.

Don’t be surprised to see some people in old ‘Victorian Era Dresses’ outside Faneuil Hall. They are just trying to enact the old glory and life of early Immigrants . You can also join the live performances in the Faneuil Hall with regard to Tea Taxation Act .The street magicians are active outside the Quincy Hall. The ladder and rope acrobats ask you not to leave the crowd till they finish their performance . The ‘Russian Doll’ seller , the balloon seller , the free book reading space , pubs , open bars , BBQs and the street musicians outside Faneuil Hall attract your attention.

The North End or Downtown Boston has been picturised in many Hollywood movies. Films like Manchester by sea, Perfect Storm, Shutter Island(2008) , The Heat 2012) , American Hustle (2013 ) and many more prominently feature Boston's Downtown or North End. Rows of Italian restaurants. rows of old houses and shops in North End make you believe that you are in some old European city . Unlike New York , people are open and communicate. Like New York , Boston too has a China Town with a substantial Chinese population.

Unlike New York, The cab drivers in Boston are friendly ,open , smiling and eager too talk to you and know about your place and country . “ Welcome sir “ ," Have a Great day “ and “ That is my pleasure sir “ is often heard. Most of them are well educated or retired persons or students enrolled in premier institutions with valid driving licence.Cab driving could be interim occupation or something the students do during their long breaks. Cars are leased after proper verification through police or private agencies. Don't be surprised to find your cab driver doing his Masters or a retired engineer who plans to set up some business. Music and television is available in cabs. The driver keeps sipping coffee or munches a chocolate as he drives and busies you in conversation. Sincerity is apparent.

Boston is a well known Education Centre ( MIT and Harvard ). It is also known as a Centre of Medical Research . The coast of North of Boston region happens to be among the best places in the world for whale watching. You can go for whale watching sight seeing tours at many locations along the region's coastline. Sea cruising is another favourite tourist activity.

Boston lies in Massachusetts state falling in New England area of the US ; very cold and full of snow in winters . Life is a little relaxed and not so fast and moving as I saw in New York. People walk ,talk and smile . They help you to reach your destination should you seek intervention. The homeless on the street may suddenly raise his voice and say “ Namaste “ .

We saw a Farmers Market ( our Sabzi Mandi ) . Every vegetable and fruit was seen fresh and plenty at comparatively cheaper rates . I heard the cries:

“ Apples apples , Ccome this way , two for a dollar, come ."

“ Grapes seedless one lb for a dollar “

“ Brown plum three for a dollar “

" Fresh pears 3 for one dollar "

" Potatoes , potatoes 1 lb for one dollar. fresh "

" Hey you gentleman, hey friend , Hi madam ,here here cabbage , spinach , carrot and Kale . discount. "

" Hey you come , come this way , fresh , discount “

We visit the spacious South Station ( Long Distance Trains ) . Neat and clean with mouth watering food Malls .We also visit the massive and spacious Prudential Centre ( Shopping Mall ) and pull out a short story ( from the automatic short story dispenser ) to read it as we move inside this fashionable Mall. We dine at the Dosa Factory ( Indian restaurant ) . The waiters could be students doing part time work . I found some students from India doing MBA in some good institutions and simultaneously doing part time work in malls, shops , restaurants and other establishments to supplement their income. Most of these part time workers are paid as per minimum wage applicable to the State of their domicile. Minimum wage varies from State to State. It could be anywhere between 10 to 15 dollars per hour of work. In Boston , the minimum wage for the non tipped category of workers is $11 per hour of work .New York State proposes to hike the minimum wage to $15 per hour of work. It is quite easy to find work on minimum wage scale . People can work during a time that is most convenient to them as many shops and stores are open 24×7.

Public transport is not visible in Boston. People use cars . Petrol is something around 2.40 dollars a gallon ( something around Rs 45 a litre as we understand it ). Car prices start from $ 12000. A new Ford Fiesta may cost you something around $13500 ( exclusive of incentives ). Down payment in cash may reduce the price by another $1000.

And meeting Muneebur Rahman in Boston was a pleasure . Muneeb is son of well known Kashmiri writer and poet, Amin kamil .He edits a quality( pure literary ) journal NEAB in Kashmiri from Boston . NEAB was published originally by Amin Kamil from Kashmir. Muneeb works as Director, Translations at the prestigious Boston Language Institute.

( Avtar Mota with Muneeb in Boston )

Before I close this write up I need to tell that the oldest newspaper in the US known as "THE BOSTON GLOBE" is published from this town. It is a quality newspaper in terms of its contents and impartial reporting. I am informed that the paper has won 26 Pulitzer prizes and the owners have a long history of contributing to various charities and philanthropic causes .

So Long So Much .

( Avtar Mota )

(1)

The “Freedom Trail” is a line of two bricks laid on the foot path in Old Boston, North End . You have to follow it to walk to major historical buildings , markets and venues .

(2)

We paid an entry fee of $5 per person to see Paul Revere House .Inside the house , Paul Revere’s personal artifacts have been well preserved . Paul Revere was a silversmith and a great revolutionary who participated in the freedom struggle of America. He died in 1818 aged 83 , having contributed not only to the cause of American independence but also to the cultural and industrial landscape of the new nation. He had purchased the house from some old resident and renovated it . He had set up the first copper rolling mill in the US apart from setting up many foundries .

(3)

New England is a northeastern region of the United States comprising the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.