Wall Street

60, Wall Street

16.April.2007

(first day at 60, Wall Street)

I have heard about Wall Street. But I am blissfully ignorant about its real reputation especially amongst the top-notch business circles of the World. May be the default distance which I keep to the “businessmen” left me less bothered to know what it is all about. So when I am told our office is at 60, Wall Street I hardly felt anything special. But I am a little nervous - some sort of suspense is in my mind, over my first day at New York office which made me wake up as early as 5:30 am. I got ready within an hour in my new clothes. By 8'O clock, my friend also got ready to take me to the office.

The wind is chilling in New Jersey as we took a quick stride to the Journal Square Path Subway Station. It is just 5 min walk to the station. An escalator takes us down. I swiped the ticket to enter the platform. The ticket from New Jersey to New York costs $2, if we take one and $1.5 each if we take a bulk ticket for 20 trips. My friend had kept ready one bulk ticket for me.

The platform is not as big as those we see in India, less crowded and much clean. In another two minutes, a train screamed in and stopped in Platform 3. The hoarding on it read WTC, our destination. The train is moderately crowded with office goers. An announcement is made and the doors got closed, as the train started.

Inside the train, I felt I am surrounded by the entire clans of this world. There are golden hair Europeans, the blue-eyed from Middle-East, the pink skin Americans, the needle-eye Chinese, the broad-lipped, tree-tall, dark-toned Africans, and the thick-moustache - high turban Indians – Ha, what a cosmopolitan journey to start with!

The train travelled mostly through a tunnel which is below river Hudson as told by my friend. After stops at two stations we reached our destination – all within 30 minutes. We get down and move with the crowd to the upstairs. From there we take two escalators to reach the Broadway. We walk out. Just outside there is massive construction going on in a seemingly large pit. “This is the place where the famous WTC buildings once stood. Now construction is on-going for another building.” – said my friend. We walked alongside the fence. Few remains of the WTC are still kept intact there as a memoir. I looked around. There are tall buildings around us many of about 50-70 floors. But WTC was the King among them with 100 floors - almost twice the height of what we see in the surroundings.  An unknown feeling sweep through my mind – that day, Sep 11, 2001 flashed again – I was at home watching the television when I saw that – the second flight crashing into the WTC - live! Now I am at the very same location. I looked up. The sky is bald and clear. No traces of clouds. Once, here, the sun might have found it hard even to see the Earth. But now!

 We walked along the narrow Broadway watching the New York Stock Exchange to reach the 60 Wall Street.  “Here we are” – said my friend.  I suddenly came out from my gentle trance. Here is a giant building in front of me –it stands like a grand old stout man – The Deutsche Bank building rising to 47 stories. Later I came to know this building was earlier owned by JPMorgan. From them it was taken over by Deutsche Bank. We entered through a revolving door to the security for the pass. We then took a lift, a royal one, first to the 26^th floor for security check and then to the 15^th floor of the office. An introductory talk to the Managers followed. And finally I am given a seat with a computer.

With prayers I take the seat. In my mind the virtual images of my vagrant life are streaming. From the obscure streets of a little village in Kerala life has dragged me to the financial capital of this World – to the Wall Street! – may be for a purpose!