As some of you may already know, last Wednesday cafe-philo did not take place. Shortly before it was to begin--Kai was already in Le Poeme--a failed robbery in the bake shop next-door-but-one Le Poeme turned into a bloody double murder. The owner (manager) and an assistant were gunned down and two other people were seriously wounded. As the perpetrators were fleeing, they were given chase down Prince and Elizabeth streets by two plainclothes men of NYPD. They happened to be there. The chase took the form of an all-out gun battle more at home on a movie set than on a quiet street of New York. Kai frightfully witnessed the whole scene. He met later with other participants at a neighborhood cafe.  According to Thursday's New York Times, the two perpetrators gave up and were arrested.

I can't help but read symbolically into the tragedy; here we are on the verge of changing location, and the world of crime bloodies (kills) the spot we're about to abandon. Could I be angry about the move? Or is it that the neighborhood would rather kill us than see us go?

We shall meet on Monday, October 25th at Bamiyian (26th street and 3rd avenue), at 6:30. We shall begin with a short administrative meeting and discuss the topic that never took place. I hope to see you all there.

End.

Posted with permission of the author.  Hi-Tech Development Co., Ltd., 1999.  All rights reserved.