New York City Marathon Notebook - Day 2
The ubiquitous merchandising trucks branded “Weed World Candies” are a welcoming sight in New York.
What you need to know:
- Curious international media were taken aback as they couldn’t decipher what Kandie, who makes his full marathon debut tomorrow, was saying.
Fake weed has tourists “high” on nothing
*****
Marijuana is illegal in New York. But some clever merchandisers are branding their products as “weed” to lure tourists into thinking that they can be intoxicated by sucking “weed lollipops.”
The ubiquitous merchandising trucks branded “Weed World Candies” are a welcoming sight in New York, especially around the world-famous Times Square. The innovative merchandisers go to the length of pretending to be “high” on the “weed candies” to convince tourists to indulge! Before his unceremonious exit, former New York Governor Chris Cuomo had mooted plans for limited legalization of marijuana for recreational use in the State.
New York vigilant against virus spread
****
Businesses are slowly opening up to normalcy in New York City after months of frustration visited by the coronavirus. However, to guard against the spread of the virus as the city hosts the prestigious New York City marathon on Sunday, fast food joints have been urged to sell only on take-away basis to avoid crowd dining.
At some restaurants, diners are required to show proof of vaccination, or Covid-19 negative results, before they can be allowed to enter or order food. Thankfully, there are scores of free testing centres located all over the city that test and provide Covid-19 results free of charge.
Journalists screened ahead of accreditation
******
Before you can get accredited as a journalist to cover the New York City Marathon, one has to show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination or a negative Covid-19 result for one to be given accreditation as organisers are taking vaccination seriously.
“All credentialed media will be required to adhere to all health and safety guidelines at NYRR’s (New York Road Runners) discretion, which may include, but are not limited to, wearing a face covering, showing proof of at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, or proof of a negative Covid-19 test,” the accreditation rules for journalists reads.
Journalists stunned by athlete’s “foreign language”
*****
There was some excitement at the Media Centre of the New York City Marathon on Thursday when, during an athletes’ media meet-and-greet, I elected to interview Kenyan world half marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie in Kiswahili.
Curious international media were taken aback as they couldn’t decipher what Kandie, who makes his full marathon debut tomorrow, was saying.
“Excuse me, what language is that?” a curious lady journalists asked me as I urged Kandie to keep it Kiswahili. “That’s our national language in Kenya, Kiswahili,” I responded as I fired more questions in lugha tukufu.
