One of the favorite local breakfast places, Rise and Shine, is also home to excellent baked goods. Who'd have thunk, in one of the tiniest towns I've seen?
Today was my second foray into this gas station strip mall gem. Last time, grabbing a take out breakfast sandwich (on an East Coast-worthy bagel), I noticed the plethora of house made breakfast goodies in addition to the ski bum diet offerings of eggs, meat, and cheese. Muffins, giant cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, and croissants all obviously home made by their imperfections yet irresistibly enticing. Not much of one for heavy sweets in the morning, I decided that a croissant would showcase their skill as a patisserie and satisfy my craving for real food.
I went in this morning with my eyes on the croissants. In addition to my delicious three-egg, veggie-stuffed omelette and potato-chunky hashbrowns, I opted to pay a little extra and add a croissant instead of the offered toast or bagel. Now, I know I am spoiled by Standard and having almost unlimited access to croissants that have been lauded as better than those of Paris. But rather than turning up my nose, I used that as a measure by which to judge this new, unknown croissant quantity. As expected, these mountain croissants were not as good as Standard's. But it was a pretty damn good croissant. Puffy, flaky, crumbly in all the right ways, and distinctly buttery, the croissant could certainly hold its own in a croissant-off. It's a keeper, and only encourages me to keep returning to Rise and Shine until I have blown all my money and tasted their entire menu.
12.27.2009
12.26.2009
Like A Fish Out of Water
So I just went for my first 9,000 ft. run. It was a cloudy 20˚, so nothing out of the ordinary temperature-wise after nine years in Maine, and there is a 2.29 mile loop right out my front door. But the altitude. My goodness. Either I am way more out of shape than I should be, or there is zero oxygen up here. Running on flat ground is like trucking up a hill at sea level, and running uphill...well, let's just say I came way closer to throwing up than I ever have going SO SLOWLY. It's all you can do to keep putting one foot in front of the other, breathe, and not pass out.
But I made it! Maybe next time it'll be easier. If there is a next time.
But I made it! Maybe next time it'll be easier. If there is a next time.
'Tis A Season
Christmas is now officially over and done with, the extent of celebratory festivities being "family" dinner, team gift opening, and a soak in the hot tub. Although the latter happens more often than not, it occurred on Christmas, thenceforth will be considered a "festivity." I worked all day yesterday, and although 80% of customers wished us a Merry Christmas, none of us could figure out what they were talking about. Christmas? What's Christmas? We don't have holidays. We don't have weekends. We don't even know what day, let alone what month it is.
As a gesture towards the holiday we all assume has passed though none of us have experienced it, I currently have a batch of the family heirloom cinnamon rolls set to rise in the oven. (The warmest place I could find in our -100000˚ temperatures out here. No kidding - windchills yesterday were down to -55˚F, the wind at the base was blowing directly sideways. I felt like I was in an Antarctica scene out of Plant Earth.) Yes, I know I baked a fresh loaf of bread and a dozen muffins the other day, but no harm in even more homemade goodies, right? It's a holiday after all...kind of.
As a gesture towards the holiday we all assume has passed though none of us have experienced it, I currently have a batch of the family heirloom cinnamon rolls set to rise in the oven. (The warmest place I could find in our -100000˚ temperatures out here. No kidding - windchills yesterday were down to -55˚F, the wind at the base was blowing directly sideways. I felt like I was in an Antarctica scene out of Plant Earth.) Yes, I know I baked a fresh loaf of bread and a dozen muffins the other day, but no harm in even more homemade goodies, right? It's a holiday after all...kind of.
12.24.2009
Miss Manners Would Hang Her Head
Now that it's getting into busy season (aka Christmas break), we've all been working crazy hours, including a 10.5 hour day for me this past week. Fun! Not particularly, but hopefully the paycheck will be worth it. (Yeah, right. It's not like we get holiday bonuses.)
Not only are we slammed almost every day, but the customers are for the most part some of the most obnoxious, worst mannered people I have ever encountered. I don't know who their mother (or father) is, but I was taught to clean up after myself. When I unwrap a straw, I throw the wrapper away. When I'm done with a drink, I get rid of my cup. That does not mean I leave it on the table. I throw away my napkins. I wipe up spills. I bus my own table. I always think about a sign I saw once at an eating establishment, years and years ago.
"Your mother does not work here."
Subtle, but succint. I am not your mother. I don't want to clean up after you like you are a one year old who cannot be held accountable for your mess. Because chances are, you are not one year old. Not if you're reading this, not if you're drinking Starbucks coffee.
You are not entitled. I'm not here to clean up your mess; your mother isn't writing me a check.
Not only are we slammed almost every day, but the customers are for the most part some of the most obnoxious, worst mannered people I have ever encountered. I don't know who their mother (or father) is, but I was taught to clean up after myself. When I unwrap a straw, I throw the wrapper away. When I'm done with a drink, I get rid of my cup. That does not mean I leave it on the table. I throw away my napkins. I wipe up spills. I bus my own table. I always think about a sign I saw once at an eating establishment, years and years ago.
"Your mother does not work here."
Subtle, but succint. I am not your mother. I don't want to clean up after you like you are a one year old who cannot be held accountable for your mess. Because chances are, you are not one year old. Not if you're reading this, not if you're drinking Starbucks coffee.
You are not entitled. I'm not here to clean up your mess; your mother isn't writing me a check.
12.18.2009
When Worlds Collide
I went into the little gourmet food store around the corner from my house just to see what they had, and to my amazement a dazzling array of Stonewall Kitchen goods met my eyes. Jams, sauces, jellies, mixes, and mustards were scattered throughout a collection of delicacies originating all over the world and the country, but it was the Stonewall Kitchen products which threw me for a loop. I associate Stonewall with the Old Port, with free snacking while wandering downtown, in a word, with home. To see a jar of Wild Maine Blueberry Jam tucked onto a bottom shelf alongside apple and pumpkin butters from Colorado and Italian fruit sauces seemed supremely out of place. Wild Maine Blueberry Jam (personal feelings on wild Maine blueberries aside, DAD) is a hallmark of summers in Maine. Our blueberries are like our lobster and our moose; world famous, probably overrated, but the underlying reasons for many Mainers' livelihoods nonetheless. While it is an honor (and a feat of Stonewall's marketing, I'm sure) to Maine that its blueberries are so well renowned, it is an affront to my own philosophies on eating and to my escape from Maine to see jars of Maine jam on a shelf in a tiny gourmet food shop in the middle of nowhere in Colorado in December. It just seems absurd to me to buy Maine blueberry jam out here. Colorado should have their own fruit to make a jam out of. Leave the blueberries to us Mainers, and let me live my new life in peace without such interjections from the old.
On the brighter side, I did buy my first cookbook out here: The Bread Bible. (There are two of them...this now means I'll have to get the other also.) I'm psyched - if only I hadn't just used the last of my flour on the loaf I made earlier.
On the brighter side, I did buy my first cookbook out here: The Bread Bible. (There are two of them...this now means I'll have to get the other also.) I'm psyched - if only I hadn't just used the last of my flour on the loaf I made earlier.
From Ice to Ice
Since my latest ski incident (Tuesday), I have forced myself to again take a few days off from the slopes. Needing a replacement activity, I went ice skating on the "skating pond" in the Village at the resort yesterday morning. Skating through falling snow as it accumulated on the ice was tranquil enough, although it felt a little weird to be skating on a powder day. People walking by were giving me weird looks which could be instead attributable to my lack of coat or gnarly skating skills. Speaking of which, it took a few laps of the miniature ice (I'd say approximately the size of one zone; blue line to goal line for the uninitiated) to get my legs back under me - although I'm still waiting for the lungs (darned altitude). It definitely made me miss playing. As small and oftentimes crappy as the ice is, it would be a fun spot for a little 2v2 pick up. Now, if only I had my stick and some lung capacity we'd be all set.
12.17.2009
Channuwhat?
This whole holiday thing is very bizarre when you're on your own. Night four I got my hands on some birthday candles, stuck them in an old egg carton, and when they burned down after 10 minutes the egg carton itself caught fire. I guess there's something to be said for having a real menorah. Maybe I should just give up on Channukah like I have on the rest of Judaism; my Yom Kippur fast only lasted until 4 pm because I decided fasting for spirituality's sake was pointless and futile. I'm not sure how this happened, but I'm becoming very skeptical of organized religion. Or maybe I always was, I've just always had family or friends around to participate in all the traditions with. I know of only one other Jew here, and from what I hear, he's very annoying. So I'm going it alone...not to mention the next free church dinner is this Friday, the last night of Channukah. There goes that holiday.
12.14.2009
12.12.2009
A Midwinter Night's Dream
It's the kind of eerie darkness outside that smacks of alternate realities. The true night sky is pitch black. Stars are scarce and the moon nothing more than a slender curve. I know intuitively that it should be blindingly dark outside and yet it's not. Clouds carry spare rays of sunlight from somewhere far to the west, casting a dismal glow over the snow and trees. It's not enough, though. I want to see better than I can. My mind is playing tricks on me. My eyes see the light from the gray clouds, but my brain processes only the deep ebony of a moonless night. I feel as though I am in another place, far away from anywhere I've ever been. Night isn't night but isn't day. It isn't cold but the air pierces my lungs. I am exhausted but in the darkness-non-darkness I am alert and I feel alive. It is meditative, it is ethereal. I'm somewhere in limbo, in the purgatory of winter nights.
Put on Your Yamikah...Smoke Some Marijuanakah
(Warning: Illicit substance use, please read at your own discretion, i.e. don't show to children.)
Thanks to Leah for texting me to let me know it was the first night of Channukah last night. Clearly I am very on top of my game out here. I guess that's what happens when you don't know any other Jews. Lacking a menorah and even a potato of any substantive size, I pretty much neglected the holiday altogether. I did have french fries with dinner, which I suppose can be substituted for latkes if the situation necessitates, as did last night. I told a rough version of the Channukah story by way of explanation to a friend who didn't know what the (non) holiday is all about:
"Once upon a time when the Romans or someone occupied Jerusalem, they desecrated the temple, so Judah Maccabee and his Maccabee fighter guys fought back. And then they won the temple back and they had to light the eternal light thing, but they only had enough oil for one night, but it lasted for eight nights, and that's the miracle of Channukah. That's why it's eight nights and we light candles." (And someone let me teach Hebrew School...might have been a mistake.)
I was then informed that Judah Maccabee sounded like a Scottish name, and we all went on a diatribe about how the winter holidays (Channukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa...?) used to have legitimate significance but have in modern times become so commercialized the only point is to compare gifts with your friends.
In the end it was decided that my Channukah celebration fit all the general requirements. I ate french fries, which are like latkes, I lit two bowls, which is like lighting two candles (hopefully I'll figure out a non-mind-altering alternative for nights higher than four or five), and I kind of told the Channukah story. I did not say the Channukah blessings, as it felt a little bizarre to say brachot over weed. Although I'm sure one exists...I'll have to seek out my local Chabad rabbi and ask him.
Thanks to Leah for texting me to let me know it was the first night of Channukah last night. Clearly I am very on top of my game out here. I guess that's what happens when you don't know any other Jews. Lacking a menorah and even a potato of any substantive size, I pretty much neglected the holiday altogether. I did have french fries with dinner, which I suppose can be substituted for latkes if the situation necessitates, as did last night. I told a rough version of the Channukah story by way of explanation to a friend who didn't know what the (non) holiday is all about:
"Once upon a time when the Romans or someone occupied Jerusalem, they desecrated the temple, so Judah Maccabee and his Maccabee fighter guys fought back. And then they won the temple back and they had to light the eternal light thing, but they only had enough oil for one night, but it lasted for eight nights, and that's the miracle of Channukah. That's why it's eight nights and we light candles." (And someone let me teach Hebrew School...might have been a mistake.)
I was then informed that Judah Maccabee sounded like a Scottish name, and we all went on a diatribe about how the winter holidays (Channukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa...?) used to have legitimate significance but have in modern times become so commercialized the only point is to compare gifts with your friends.
In the end it was decided that my Channukah celebration fit all the general requirements. I ate french fries, which are like latkes, I lit two bowls, which is like lighting two candles (hopefully I'll figure out a non-mind-altering alternative for nights higher than four or five), and I kind of told the Channukah story. I did not say the Channukah blessings, as it felt a little bizarre to say brachot over weed. Although I'm sure one exists...I'll have to seek out my local Chabad rabbi and ask him.
12.08.2009
Musings
I walked home from yoga through the snow this morning. It was beautiful. It's finally starting to feel like winter, rather than just bitter cold with nothing but dry skin to show for it. It might have been the zen-like trance that settles over you after practicing yoga, but I really think it is the serenity and the silence of fat fluffy flakes landing on your hat, on your mittens, and in your eyelashes. It feels like it's been a long time since I've really been somewhere with snow. This is definitely the first time since high school I've spent a whole, real winter somewhere. The slush and freezing rain of Philadelphia never fulfilled my yen for real snow, and winter breaks in Maine never seemed to be enough.
Snow is somehow utterly nostalgic and yet always new, always fresh. You never see the same snow twice, but it's like an old friend you haven't seen in months or years. Comforting, yet approached with trepidation, until you've made your peace with it and arrived back at your infinite and unchanging relationship with the snow; a snowball fight, a snow angel, a donut in a parking lot, standing outside with your mouth open wide, curled up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate listening to the blizzard, or not until the day after when fresh powder covers the mountain and your patience has finally paid off.
This is the excitement in the air when the snow comes. Snow is the ghost of winters past, present, and future. Always different, yet always the same.
Snow is somehow utterly nostalgic and yet always new, always fresh. You never see the same snow twice, but it's like an old friend you haven't seen in months or years. Comforting, yet approached with trepidation, until you've made your peace with it and arrived back at your infinite and unchanging relationship with the snow; a snowball fight, a snow angel, a donut in a parking lot, standing outside with your mouth open wide, curled up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate listening to the blizzard, or not until the day after when fresh powder covers the mountain and your patience has finally paid off.
This is the excitement in the air when the snow comes. Snow is the ghost of winters past, present, and future. Always different, yet always the same.
12.07.2009
If All The Snowflakes
It finally started snowing yesterday evening, and it's about time. I made the questionable decision to ski on Saturday, when the mountain was packed with Denver-ites and turning into a giant ice rink. I fell on every run I took, was scolded by ski patrol to slow down, and even crashed into a control fence at the bottom of an icy blue. Then yesterday's windchill was -40 at the top, and I decided to stash the skis until my bruised legs have healed and we get some fresh, natural snow. Finger's crossed this storm keeps up.
12.03.2009
Frost Bites
I woke up at 8:30 in the morning yesterday, sat up, and Katelynn (roommate) informed me that it was snowing. I jumped out of bed: "LET'S GO SKIING!" Not realizing that the warmth of the last few weeks was completely dependent on the sun, I was totally unprepared for the bone-chillingness of the snowy morning. Overcast and with a windchill below zero thanks to 20 mph gusts at the top of the mountain, even the snow flurries were devastatingly unpleasant. I took three runs and couldn't take it. Once I got inside I ran my freezing hands under warm water, which burned, and I wanted to cry. I got to work at 12 and drank probably 20 ounces of hot chocolate and 20 ounces of hot tea, and it took an hour or two to stop shivering. Basically, skiing is NOT highly recommended unless performed safely in a cocoon of electric blankets, or at least millions of layers.
Here's the weather forecast for the next few days:
Here's the weather forecast for the next few days:
12.01.2009
A Hitchhiker's Guide to Colorado
We passed a hitchhiker thumbing his way to Denver the other morning on the way to work. He was standing on the curb with his coffee and a cardboard sign reading "Denver."
"He's standing in a terrible spot - no on can pull over to pick him up right there. He should be standing just down here, where cars can pull over safely. No one's going to pick him up there. He should move. At least he's got a sign though, that makes it easier."
Only in Colorado...
"He's standing in a terrible spot - no on can pull over to pick him up right there. He should be standing just down here, where cars can pull over safely. No one's going to pick him up there. He should move. At least he's got a sign though, that makes it easier."
Only in Colorado...
Bruce
Today I met a man name Bruce. Bruce was standing against a stop sign, long wooden walking stick in hand, in bright orange snow pants, a winter coat, yellow-lens sunglasses, and a lavender knit hat with a giant pompom on top which covered his long white hair falling out of its ponytail. His face was wrinkled, his mouth crooked, and his words were slurred with the speech of a survivor.
I asked Bruce if this was where the shuttle picked up. "It certainly is, it should be here directly." I set down my bag of groceries and prepared to wait.
"You're a beautiful young lady." I thanked Bruce. "I like to give compliments when I can," Bruce told me. "There's a quote that goes something like, you should always do good where you can because you never know when you'll pass that way again."
"Another beautiful day in paradise," Bruce commented. I looked around at the nearly cloudless skies accenting the sharp mountain peaks in the distance and agreed. "This is why I live out here." It's why we all live out here, isn't it? "It sure is. Came out here and never left. I'm living the dream out here." We all are, everyone who lives here. We're all living the dream. "That is true. We're living the dream. We are the dream. Let me rephrase that: We are the dream. All of us out here - we be. We are the be people, we have that be attitude. We live in the now. We are the dream."
"You know, I'm fifty-five now, and I'm gonna live till I'm one hundred and twenty." (Could've fooled me; I would have guessed at least seventy.) You're not even halfway there. "Got sixty-five years left." That's a lot of years. "Well if they go as fast as the last fifty five, that's not so many. I love my life. I have fun." That's all that matters. "Sure is. I can't complain." That's good. "You know, I never complain. When you complain, you ruin someone's day." That's true. "I always speak the truth. I haven't told you one thing that's a lie."
"You know, I love my life. I tried to commit suicide a bunch of times, but I'm glad I didn't die. I love my life." (Speechless.) "Last time I did it, I ate thirty Xanax and forty Aricept." I wouldn't just gotten sick of swallowing all those pills. "Well I chewed 'em up. Ended up in the hospital, killed my liver. I was on the transplant list for a new liver - they had my name on that list. Then they gave me something to drink and it fixed my liver right up. I'm glad I lived."
"You know what I really want to do?" What's that? "I want to give meals to the homeless." That's a good thing to do. "You know, when you do things like that, you get back more than you give. Believe me. It doesn't seem like it, but you do. Not enough people give anymore. It's all 'gimme gimme gimme.' That's no way to live. That's why this world is going to hell in a hand basket." It sure is.
"I'm sorry I'm lecturing you." No problem, gives me something to think about while I'm standing here. "It's important to do something, think about things, keep the mental garden growing. Whatever the human mind can conceive it can perceive - no, whatever the human mind can perceive, it can conceive. You know what I mean? You should never be bored. I always say, do something constructive. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as you're doing something. Never be bored."
The bus came, and Bruce and I got on. "I enjoyed talking to you." Yes, it was interesting, thank you. "Thank you. I don't know if our paths will cross again, but I hope they do, I did enjoy meeting you." It's a small town. "Sure is, this town is a small town."
I asked Bruce if this was where the shuttle picked up. "It certainly is, it should be here directly." I set down my bag of groceries and prepared to wait.
"You're a beautiful young lady." I thanked Bruce. "I like to give compliments when I can," Bruce told me. "There's a quote that goes something like, you should always do good where you can because you never know when you'll pass that way again."
"Another beautiful day in paradise," Bruce commented. I looked around at the nearly cloudless skies accenting the sharp mountain peaks in the distance and agreed. "This is why I live out here." It's why we all live out here, isn't it? "It sure is. Came out here and never left. I'm living the dream out here." We all are, everyone who lives here. We're all living the dream. "That is true. We're living the dream. We are the dream. Let me rephrase that: We are the dream. All of us out here - we be. We are the be people, we have that be attitude. We live in the now. We are the dream."
"You know, I'm fifty-five now, and I'm gonna live till I'm one hundred and twenty." (Could've fooled me; I would have guessed at least seventy.) You're not even halfway there. "Got sixty-five years left." That's a lot of years. "Well if they go as fast as the last fifty five, that's not so many. I love my life. I have fun." That's all that matters. "Sure is. I can't complain." That's good. "You know, I never complain. When you complain, you ruin someone's day." That's true. "I always speak the truth. I haven't told you one thing that's a lie."
"You know, I love my life. I tried to commit suicide a bunch of times, but I'm glad I didn't die. I love my life." (Speechless.) "Last time I did it, I ate thirty Xanax and forty Aricept." I wouldn't just gotten sick of swallowing all those pills. "Well I chewed 'em up. Ended up in the hospital, killed my liver. I was on the transplant list for a new liver - they had my name on that list. Then they gave me something to drink and it fixed my liver right up. I'm glad I lived."
"You know what I really want to do?" What's that? "I want to give meals to the homeless." That's a good thing to do. "You know, when you do things like that, you get back more than you give. Believe me. It doesn't seem like it, but you do. Not enough people give anymore. It's all 'gimme gimme gimme.' That's no way to live. That's why this world is going to hell in a hand basket." It sure is.
"I'm sorry I'm lecturing you." No problem, gives me something to think about while I'm standing here. "It's important to do something, think about things, keep the mental garden growing. Whatever the human mind can conceive it can perceive - no, whatever the human mind can perceive, it can conceive. You know what I mean? You should never be bored. I always say, do something constructive. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as you're doing something. Never be bored."
The bus came, and Bruce and I got on. "I enjoyed talking to you." Yes, it was interesting, thank you. "Thank you. I don't know if our paths will cross again, but I hope they do, I did enjoy meeting you." It's a small town. "Sure is, this town is a small town."
11.28.2009
Swinging Things
Although it's still early in the season, I feel like I'm getting a handle on how the flow of life goes. I have today off after three days in a row of actually working at Starbucks. Working the espresso bar is really fun - it's a huge adrenaline rush, which sounds kind of bizarre but it's true. Other than that, I am convinced Starbucks is nothing but glorified fast food/airplane food. According to the corporation, each customer should spend no more than three minutes from the time they step in line until they get their drink. Yeah. Right.
So what am I doing on my day off? Skiing, you may ask? I most certainly am not. "You can afford to be picky now that you actually live here," my boss said yesterday, and she is one hundred percent right. Why deal with tons of tourists and crowded icy slopes when I can hang out in my warm apartment and wait for the real snow to come?
Although in all reality I'll be outside loading wood into the tarp-pulley system Jeff rigged up to get all our beetle kill from the haphazard pile where we were chopping it up to our apartment. So not looking forward to this day off - yesterday I got a huge, triangular splinter in my finger which took me 45 minutes of poking and prodding to get out. I tried two different pairs of tweezers, the big blade on Jeff's pocket knife, and finally used a safety pin (unsanitized: we couldn't find the lighter) to rip my skin open cell by cell until I could wrench the darned thing out of there.
Today I'll wear gloves.
So what am I doing on my day off? Skiing, you may ask? I most certainly am not. "You can afford to be picky now that you actually live here," my boss said yesterday, and she is one hundred percent right. Why deal with tons of tourists and crowded icy slopes when I can hang out in my warm apartment and wait for the real snow to come?
Although in all reality I'll be outside loading wood into the tarp-pulley system Jeff rigged up to get all our beetle kill from the haphazard pile where we were chopping it up to our apartment. So not looking forward to this day off - yesterday I got a huge, triangular splinter in my finger which took me 45 minutes of poking and prodding to get out. I tried two different pairs of tweezers, the big blade on Jeff's pocket knife, and finally used a safety pin (unsanitized: we couldn't find the lighter) to rip my skin open cell by cell until I could wrench the darned thing out of there.
Today I'll wear gloves.
11.27.2009
A Thanksgiving Miracle
Thanksgiving away from family is always an utterly depressing experience. I have had the grave misfortune to be in such a predicament now for two years in a row. Last year was spent in the company of fabulous friends, all of us pitching in to create an America-worthy feast in the heart of the Middle East.
This year, I found myself in a completely different situation. Holidays are, of course, the busy season, so naturally I was working most of the day. One of my roommates was with family friends in Denver, and the other with a friend around here. So there I was, hypothetically all alone, until a friend came along and suggested I join them at a local church that provides a free Thanksgiving meal (and, incidentally, free dinner every other Friday). But when I got out of work, I found they had already gotten hungry and gone to the church without me (some friends, right?). Quite disappointed, I headed home to a lonely night with rice and frozen (homemade) cookie dough. To my surprise, en route home, I got a call from that same friend, offering to bring me a to-go church Thanksgiving dinner. Relieved I wouldn't starve, now all I needed was some company.
Lo and behold, about twenty minutes later, I got another call. My friend and his roommate (who was driving, apparently thinking he was on a racetrack) had ended up in a ditch* about half a mile away from my apartment, and my friend was now walking the rest of the way to bring me my dinner.
After a while he arrived, styrofoam to-go box in hand chock full of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green beans. I threw it in the microwave and he stayed, and I had a Thanksgiving dinner replete with the necessary full tummy and good company.
Holiday: Saved!
*Remember, it's winter in Colorado - this isn't such a big deal. Think puffy white clouds of snow.
This year, I found myself in a completely different situation. Holidays are, of course, the busy season, so naturally I was working most of the day. One of my roommates was with family friends in Denver, and the other with a friend around here. So there I was, hypothetically all alone, until a friend came along and suggested I join them at a local church that provides a free Thanksgiving meal (and, incidentally, free dinner every other Friday). But when I got out of work, I found they had already gotten hungry and gone to the church without me (some friends, right?). Quite disappointed, I headed home to a lonely night with rice and frozen (homemade) cookie dough. To my surprise, en route home, I got a call from that same friend, offering to bring me a to-go church Thanksgiving dinner. Relieved I wouldn't starve, now all I needed was some company.
Lo and behold, about twenty minutes later, I got another call. My friend and his roommate (who was driving, apparently thinking he was on a racetrack) had ended up in a ditch* about half a mile away from my apartment, and my friend was now walking the rest of the way to bring me my dinner.
After a while he arrived, styrofoam to-go box in hand chock full of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green beans. I threw it in the microwave and he stayed, and I had a Thanksgiving dinner replete with the necessary full tummy and good company.
Holiday: Saved!
*Remember, it's winter in Colorado - this isn't such a big deal. Think puffy white clouds of snow.
11.24.2009
There Will Always Be Another Sunset
(I apologize for the headiness of this post title.)
My four day weekend is rapidly coming to a close, as it's back to the corporate mind number (as in numb, the sensation, not number, the counting mechanism) at 8 am tomorrow. If only I had a trust fund, and could ski all day without having to work. Although I have to say, the timing is quite appropriate as I can now do these same three runs with my eyes closed and the ice is getting old and I'm seriously over dodging children and idiots on narrow icy green runs. I could use a few days with a distraction (and an income) while I wait for more snow.
As for the sunset, I was walking up from the bus stop with my hot chocolate* when I chanced to look at the sky. Always a good idea out here - I don't think I'll ever not be awed by the sheer impressiveness of the mountains. Anyway, the sky varied between vivid pink and bright blue, and these shades reflected off the whiteness of the peaks. It might sound trivial but that's the thing about sunsets. They're absolutely breathtaking yet fleeting. Knowing I wouldn't have time to find my camera and get a good shot, I comforted myself with the knowledge that there will always be another sunset.
*Hot chocolate from the Mountain Grind, a coffee shop cum cafe cum gelateria cum fudge shop where they bake all their own pastries as well as bread for their sandwiches. My heroes! Unfortunately they are not hiring.
My four day weekend is rapidly coming to a close, as it's back to the corporate mind number (as in numb, the sensation, not number, the counting mechanism) at 8 am tomorrow. If only I had a trust fund, and could ski all day without having to work. Although I have to say, the timing is quite appropriate as I can now do these same three runs with my eyes closed and the ice is getting old and I'm seriously over dodging children and idiots on narrow icy green runs. I could use a few days with a distraction (and an income) while I wait for more snow.
As for the sunset, I was walking up from the bus stop with my hot chocolate* when I chanced to look at the sky. Always a good idea out here - I don't think I'll ever not be awed by the sheer impressiveness of the mountains. Anyway, the sky varied between vivid pink and bright blue, and these shades reflected off the whiteness of the peaks. It might sound trivial but that's the thing about sunsets. They're absolutely breathtaking yet fleeting. Knowing I wouldn't have time to find my camera and get a good shot, I comforted myself with the knowledge that there will always be another sunset.
*Hot chocolate from the Mountain Grind, a coffee shop cum cafe cum gelateria cum fudge shop where they bake all their own pastries as well as bread for their sandwiches. My heroes! Unfortunately they are not hiring.
11.23.2009
Day Three
I woke up (at 11 *guilty face*) this morning to oodles of text messages informing me of the four inches of fresh powder that had fallen during the course of the night. So naturally I sprang out of bed, only to find that everyone was already at the mountain (so surprised) and I had missed the best of the powder morning. Not to be discouraged, I figured packed powder was better than ice and I made my way over to the slopes. Having mastered and been bored by the open green runs over the last couple days, and sick of almost hitting little children sitting in the middle of the narrow, icy path, it seemed the perfect time to venture over to the open blue.
On the third run of the day, third day of skiing, I found myself at the top of Larry Sales, peering down a slope a bit steeper than I had been expecting. Piles of powder and small patches of ice stared back at me. Luckily it was too late to turn around, all though my pride had already gotten the better of me and I was pumped and ready to go. On that first run I made the mistake of trying to turn in the middle of pile of powder and found myself staring the snow in the face. No worries; I got right back up and continued on my way. After briefly stopping to take off my goggles (it was pretty shady and I couldn't see very well), I looked down and realized a huge icy stretch lay ahead. Well, I couldn't very well expect to take it easy going down there - quick turns and stops were out of the question on that slick mess. "F*** it," I shouted to my friend, and went for it.
Such thrills! That was all the boost my confidence needed, and after two more blue runs sans falls my quads were ready to quit on me. It's only November and here I am, hitting the blues...I can only imagine what December will hold.
Anyway, I must now turn my full attention to my grilled cheese sitting right here (homemade bread, portobellos, spinach, and Tillamook cheddar) and dream about the days of skiing to come.
On the third run of the day, third day of skiing, I found myself at the top of Larry Sales, peering down a slope a bit steeper than I had been expecting. Piles of powder and small patches of ice stared back at me. Luckily it was too late to turn around, all though my pride had already gotten the better of me and I was pumped and ready to go. On that first run I made the mistake of trying to turn in the middle of pile of powder and found myself staring the snow in the face. No worries; I got right back up and continued on my way. After briefly stopping to take off my goggles (it was pretty shady and I couldn't see very well), I looked down and realized a huge icy stretch lay ahead. Well, I couldn't very well expect to take it easy going down there - quick turns and stops were out of the question on that slick mess. "F*** it," I shouted to my friend, and went for it.
Such thrills! That was all the boost my confidence needed, and after two more blue runs sans falls my quads were ready to quit on me. It's only November and here I am, hitting the blues...I can only imagine what December will hold.
Anyway, I must now turn my full attention to my grilled cheese sitting right here (homemade bread, portobellos, spinach, and Tillamook cheddar) and dream about the days of skiing to come.
11.21.2009
Here they come!
I went by the resort this morning to get my schedule for next week and to pester the guy at Goody's about a job, and I decided then and there weekend skiing is not my style. It was packed (relatively speaking), and the lifts had just barely opened for the morning. I can only imagine how dreadfully icy the two runs will be by the end of the day today. I had been thinking about doing a lesson this weekend, but on second thought, mid-week might be a bit less hectic. Understatement. I have Monday and Tuesday off so, assuming it snows which it's supposed to, I'll hit the slopes on those days. Keep me away from these weekend crowds!
On another note...
Apparently one day of renting was enough for me. I took the plunge today and invested (yes, of course this is an investment) in ski boots (and a helmet, and two pairs of socks). In classic Audrey style, I tried on four or five pairs and then went with the first ones I tried. BUT now I have my own skis and boots and helmet and goggles and I can go skiing anywhere! No more renting! My own gear! This is so exciting. Skiing world, here I come!
On another note...
Apparently one day of renting was enough for me. I took the plunge today and invested (yes, of course this is an investment) in ski boots (and a helmet, and two pairs of socks). In classic Audrey style, I tried on four or five pairs and then went with the first ones I tried. BUT now I have my own skis and boots and helmet and goggles and I can go skiing anywhere! No more renting! My own gear! This is so exciting. Skiing world, here I come!
11.20.2009
Got Free Time? Ski!
I skiied today! Third time EVER. It was pretty sweet. I mean, considering the total number of runs open was 4, 3 were green and only 2 actually reached the base, it was pretty decent. And I only fell once. And it really is JUST like ice skating, except obviously skis are longer than ice skates. We did the same run about five times, but it was a good warm up. I now realize how cool it is to be able to ski while you work (or are on break, or afterwards, or before, or whatever). Unfortunately it's all just an excuse to spend more money, as I'm going to need boots, poles, and a helmet...
11.19.2009
And It Begins
Yesterday was opening day at Winter Park. Wahoo. There were about three runs open, and at work we probably had about five customers all day. (Today we had ten. Huge improvement.) Despite the slowness of the early season, the excitement of winter was almost infectious walking around the village the last two days. It's in the air and it's in people's eyes. Ski season is here, watch out!
11.17.2009
The Grinding Grind
First day of work today.
That's all there is to it.
Oh, you want to hear more, you say?
Let me begin by saying I think Sara Deane was right when she said the corporate environment is not for me. That is not to say I don't think I'll enjoy my job - I think working in Winter Park with the people here will be awesome. It'll be a ton of fun, and I'll learn how to barista in the meantime. That said, Starbucks training is worse than MGMT100 (anyone who has ever been anywhere near Wharton knows what I'm talking about). The company actually pays someone to develop this training that involves "educational" videos, handbooks reminiscent of the Terra Nova testbooks in Elementary school, and an environment fueled by kitchy acronyms and motivational quotes. I actually spent 4 hours of my life today "learning" that if a customer has a complaint, listen to them. Be nice to customers. Be nice to coworkers. Be cheerful and energetic. Know your product. Chat.
Is it just me, or is all of this common sense? Now I know what they say, that common sense isn't so common, but you'd think a group of 20-somethings, all with previous customer service experience, could be grandfathered out of this absurd, idiot-proof training course. I mean, it has MODULES for crying out loud. I get that Starbucks has to sell their name and the "Starbucks Experience" as much as their coffee, but I'm not sure it takes a workbook and an hour of patronization to figure this out. A simple one-liner would suffice.
But it is what it is and I can't do anything about it, except resolve to try to avoid large corporations at all costs in the future.
Silver lining? At least we get paid.
That's all there is to it.
Oh, you want to hear more, you say?
Let me begin by saying I think Sara Deane was right when she said the corporate environment is not for me. That is not to say I don't think I'll enjoy my job - I think working in Winter Park with the people here will be awesome. It'll be a ton of fun, and I'll learn how to barista in the meantime. That said, Starbucks training is worse than MGMT100 (anyone who has ever been anywhere near Wharton knows what I'm talking about). The company actually pays someone to develop this training that involves "educational" videos, handbooks reminiscent of the Terra Nova testbooks in Elementary school, and an environment fueled by kitchy acronyms and motivational quotes. I actually spent 4 hours of my life today "learning" that if a customer has a complaint, listen to them. Be nice to customers. Be nice to coworkers. Be cheerful and energetic. Know your product. Chat.
Is it just me, or is all of this common sense? Now I know what they say, that common sense isn't so common, but you'd think a group of 20-somethings, all with previous customer service experience, could be grandfathered out of this absurd, idiot-proof training course. I mean, it has MODULES for crying out loud. I get that Starbucks has to sell their name and the "Starbucks Experience" as much as their coffee, but I'm not sure it takes a workbook and an hour of patronization to figure this out. A simple one-liner would suffice.
But it is what it is and I can't do anything about it, except resolve to try to avoid large corporations at all costs in the future.
Silver lining? At least we get paid.
11.16.2009
Probably the worst view ever.
If I chose to look out my bedroom window, this is what I would see. Can't complain.
11.15.2009
High Rise
Trying to get myself off my incessant TV-watching kick, I've been doing wholesome things like reading, cleaning, and 'rithmetic. Inspired by a lack of edible bread products at the local Shop'n'Save (perhaps I was spoiled by my summer job?), my afternoon activity was to challenge the high-altitude gods and make my own bread. Having read up on some of the effects of 9,000 feet on yeasted doughs, I proceeded as usual. That is, I proceeded without a recipe and only my gut to guide me. It guided me to an uncertain combination of yeast, water, sugar, bread flour, oats, salt, and some pumpkin seeds for good measure.
Any guesses on the outcome? Well, knock me over with a feather, but it worked! My dough rose and I now have a loaf of warm, soft, chewy, fresh, home-made bread.
Over-unders are being accepted on how long the loaf will last, though.
Any guesses on the outcome? Well, knock me over with a feather, but it worked! My dough rose and I now have a loaf of warm, soft, chewy, fresh, home-made bread.
Over-unders are being accepted on how long the loaf will last, though.
All In a Day's Work
Today is my second "official" day in CO. As such, it seemed high time for some adventures.
After an accumulated five or so inches of snow over the last forty-eight hours, somehow it got into our heads that an adventurous drive up to some mountain tops was an excellent idea. I mean, we had 4-wheel drive, right?
Well. It was pretty excellent - I mean, the view was nice - until on our way up a particularly steep and icy slope we encountered a Suburban coming - or rather, sliding - down the one-lane "road" and frantically waving us back down the way we had just come. So smarties that we are, we reverse down the hill until we find a nice ditch to rest in while the Suburban slides on past and spins out into the same ditch about twenty feet further downhill. As a gaggle of men heave-ho the Suburban out of their ditch and on their way down the slippy-slidey hill, we try desperately to get our car out of its predicament. A few tire spins later we're back on the road, only to spin into a ditch again just about where the Suburban had. Now, the snow-pack was so slippery you could hardly walk on it (in fact I definitely wiped out and fell - hard - on my tush), and here we were about to go in reverse down this steep slope; ditch on one side, drop-off on the other. We fretted a few minutes until we saw another pickup truck coming on down the mountain. To avoid them hitting us, we ran up to their truck, and asked them for help. Lo and behold, they had chains on their tires, so they could do things like grip the snow and stop and maintain control of their vehicle in general. So together four of us pushed the car out of its new ditch and one of the nice men coached our driver down the steep part of the hill until we reached a spot we could turn around and thenceforth creep slowly down the rest of the way.
So. Lesson learned. Next time you want to go up into the mountains on snow-packed roads, bring chains.
After an accumulated five or so inches of snow over the last forty-eight hours, somehow it got into our heads that an adventurous drive up to some mountain tops was an excellent idea. I mean, we had 4-wheel drive, right?
Well. It was pretty excellent - I mean, the view was nice - until on our way up a particularly steep and icy slope we encountered a Suburban coming - or rather, sliding - down the one-lane "road" and frantically waving us back down the way we had just come. So smarties that we are, we reverse down the hill until we find a nice ditch to rest in while the Suburban slides on past and spins out into the same ditch about twenty feet further downhill. As a gaggle of men heave-ho the Suburban out of their ditch and on their way down the slippy-slidey hill, we try desperately to get our car out of its predicament. A few tire spins later we're back on the road, only to spin into a ditch again just about where the Suburban had. Now, the snow-pack was so slippery you could hardly walk on it (in fact I definitely wiped out and fell - hard - on my tush), and here we were about to go in reverse down this steep slope; ditch on one side, drop-off on the other. We fretted a few minutes until we saw another pickup truck coming on down the mountain. To avoid them hitting us, we ran up to their truck, and asked them for help. Lo and behold, they had chains on their tires, so they could do things like grip the snow and stop and maintain control of their vehicle in general. So together four of us pushed the car out of its new ditch and one of the nice men coached our driver down the steep part of the hill until we reached a spot we could turn around and thenceforth creep slowly down the rest of the way.
So. Lesson learned. Next time you want to go up into the mountains on snow-packed roads, bring chains.
9.11.2009
Why You Should Carpe Your Diem
A very wise woman came into the bakery today. "The only time you'll get nothing in return for your efforts is if you don't even try." We had been discussing the lack of eligible and worthy bachelors in Maine, and how crushes seem to always crash and burn, so why bother trying? This was her response. "I tell it to my graduate students," she explained. Her point is well taken; her example is a job interview. You may not get the job, but you're no worse off than you were before and you've learned something, gained a valuable lesson from the experience. You'll interview better, or perhaps you have a better idea of what you want or don't want in a job. Or in anything, for that matter: boys, friends, hobbies, jobs, adventures of all sorts. Of course it will come to nothing if you do nothing. But if you do something and fail, at least you gave it the old college try, right?
9.09.2009
karmic bennies?
The karmic benefit of biking home from work: you find a Visa card along the side of the road, look up its owner in the phone book, and return the card, with hopes of good karma to come.
Instead, three bizarre (although not terribly - just slightly out of the ordinary) incidents occur.
1.
Lady at bakery: Oh man, did you gain so much weight when you started working here?
Me: ...No?
(Mostly I just found this to be a bizarre question to ask someone, although we get this kind of question a lot, never quite phrased this way. I mean, do I LOOK like I gained that much weight? Let's hope not.)
2.
Well-dressed, Amish-beard-sporting French Canadian: Are your parents originally French Canadian?
Me: No, not at all.
W-D, A-B-S FC: Well your face, it looks very French Canadian.
That's one I've never heard before. I've gotten Lebanese or Syrian, Brazilian, and Greek statue, but never French Canadian. Third parties however have since confirmed that I may look somewhat French Canadian. Huh, who knew.
3.
About the same time as the French Canadian incident, a couple from somewhere in the deep south came in a ordered a few goodies. Like any good tourist, Wife was pulling out her camera and pointing it around the bakery. All well and good, until I noticed it pointed at me; "am I in this picture?" Appalled. I don't want to be emailed around to all their friends, the laughing stock of "Bob and Mary's trip up Nawth." "Smile!" I grimaced, handing the bag over as Husband smiled dutifully. I hope I ruined their silly picture.
Instead, three bizarre (although not terribly - just slightly out of the ordinary) incidents occur.
1.
Lady at bakery: Oh man, did you gain so much weight when you started working here?
Me: ...No?
(Mostly I just found this to be a bizarre question to ask someone, although we get this kind of question a lot, never quite phrased this way. I mean, do I LOOK like I gained that much weight? Let's hope not.)
2.
Well-dressed, Amish-beard-sporting French Canadian: Are your parents originally French Canadian?
Me: No, not at all.
W-D, A-B-S FC: Well your face, it looks very French Canadian.
That's one I've never heard before. I've gotten Lebanese or Syrian, Brazilian, and Greek statue, but never French Canadian. Third parties however have since confirmed that I may look somewhat French Canadian. Huh, who knew.
3.
About the same time as the French Canadian incident, a couple from somewhere in the deep south came in a ordered a few goodies. Like any good tourist, Wife was pulling out her camera and pointing it around the bakery. All well and good, until I noticed it pointed at me; "am I in this picture?" Appalled. I don't want to be emailed around to all their friends, the laughing stock of "Bob and Mary's trip up Nawth." "Smile!" I grimaced, handing the bag over as Husband smiled dutifully. I hope I ruined their silly picture.
9.08.2009
crazier things may have happened.
[phone rings, 5:40 pm]
me: hello?
lady: oh hi, may i please speak to an adult in the house?
me: what do you mean by adult?
lady: oh, i thought you sounded...
me: i'm 21.
lady: well may i speak to whoever is in charge of buying lightbulbs?
me: they're not in right now.
lady: okay, i'll call back in the evening.
can't wait to talk to her again.
me: hello?
lady: oh hi, may i please speak to an adult in the house?
me: what do you mean by adult?
lady: oh, i thought you sounded...
me: i'm 21.
lady: well may i speak to whoever is in charge of buying lightbulbs?
me: they're not in right now.
lady: okay, i'll call back in the evening.
can't wait to talk to her again.
6.24.2009
The Plan? Not Yet.
Although I have no money and no timetable, I decided it was high time to start planning my "trip," whenever and wherever it might be. Ideally it would be an epic tour of all of North Africa and the Middle East and somehow get to India. We're looking up cheap flights at work and finding some good deals, especially to Tehran. How does that sound right about now? Sign me up, I'd go in a heartbeat. So much strife! So many fantastic things to see and do and take pictures of and opportunities for being arrested for civil unrest or something...don't worry mom, I'd stay under the radar.
6.23.2009
Ghado!
That means lunch in Somali. Definitely taking advantage of this whole multi-cultural workplace thing. I went to lunch last week with one of the caseworkers from Lewiston, a Somali woman. We went to Hamdi, the little Somali restaurant/grocery on Washington, and of course she ordered without looking at the menu and instead engaged in a lengthy discussion with the waiter (not even really a waiter, more just the guy that works there) about food, the only word of which I understood was "chicken" (although I later found out that that isn't how you say chicken in Somali, after all).
A few minutes later a plate of rice topped with peas, raisins, and some other stuff and served with a piece of chicken and several pieces of goat meat appeared in front of me, along with a banana, salad and salad dressing, hot green chili paste, and a pitcher of what we decided was watermelon juice. It was delicious - the rice was flavorful and made even better by its garnishes, the meat was flavorful and spicy and the green chili sauce made everything just painful enough to be AWESOME.
On top of it all, I learned my first Somali words! I can now say lunch, table, chair, rice, chicken, meat, banana, juice, and thank you. Hopefully my vocabulary will expand a bit in the future, but I can deal with this for now.
A few minutes later a plate of rice topped with peas, raisins, and some other stuff and served with a piece of chicken and several pieces of goat meat appeared in front of me, along with a banana, salad and salad dressing, hot green chili paste, and a pitcher of what we decided was watermelon juice. It was delicious - the rice was flavorful and made even better by its garnishes, the meat was flavorful and spicy and the green chili sauce made everything just painful enough to be AWESOME.
On top of it all, I learned my first Somali words! I can now say lunch, table, chair, rice, chicken, meat, banana, juice, and thank you. Hopefully my vocabulary will expand a bit in the future, but I can deal with this for now.
5.31.2009
من زمان ما حكيت عربي
It's been a while...
I started my internship at Catholic Charities this week doing refugee resettlement work. So far it's good - really interesting, a lot to do, a little bit overwhelming. In the two day I worked so far, two Iraqi families came, and 14 more people are arriving on Monday (although I think they might be Burmese). The other intern and myself spent most of our days driving around Portland taking care of various tasks and going to the airport to greet new arrivals. The best part? We got to speak Arabic! I never thought I'd get to brush up on my skillz at PWM of all places. My goal for the summer is to make friends with an Iraqi family so they can teach me how to cook, or at least invite me for dinner or something. It's really cool to work with interpreters, especially understanding as much as I can because you totally pick up way more about the translation through language and culture. We had to go to this orientation program thing (explaining what it was for would take up way more energy than I have) and there were Sudanese, Somalis, and Iraqis, all with their own interpreters, and listening to the English and then watching the interpretation into Somali or Arabic was mind boggling. But so cool. I hope I keep getting opportunities to use my Arabic ... fingers crossed!
I started my internship at Catholic Charities this week doing refugee resettlement work. So far it's good - really interesting, a lot to do, a little bit overwhelming. In the two day I worked so far, two Iraqi families came, and 14 more people are arriving on Monday (although I think they might be Burmese). The other intern and myself spent most of our days driving around Portland taking care of various tasks and going to the airport to greet new arrivals. The best part? We got to speak Arabic! I never thought I'd get to brush up on my skillz at PWM of all places. My goal for the summer is to make friends with an Iraqi family so they can teach me how to cook, or at least invite me for dinner or something. It's really cool to work with interpreters, especially understanding as much as I can because you totally pick up way more about the translation through language and culture. We had to go to this orientation program thing (explaining what it was for would take up way more energy than I have) and there were Sudanese, Somalis, and Iraqis, all with their own interpreters, and listening to the English and then watching the interpretation into Somali or Arabic was mind boggling. But so cool. I hope I keep getting opportunities to use my Arabic ... fingers crossed!
4.19.2009
The Little Traitor
Last night was the closing night of the Israeli Film Festival of Greater Philadelphia (believe it or not Philly has a lot of Israelis) and since student tickets were free and it was basically on campus, naturally I went. The film was The Little Traitor, a story about a young Israeli boy who befriends a British lieutenant in 1947. The movie itself is cute - definitely worth a NetFlix. But what I found so fascinating was the way the Arab-Israeli relations were depicted. Although the scope was so limited, the boy (Proffi) and the other Israelis in the film had friendly, normal relations with their Arab neighbors. Proffi bought his groceries in the souq and spent time smoking hookah with the Arab men hanging out in the street. They spoke a mix of Hebrew and Arabic, and were seemingly united in their hatred of the British occupation. It was almost as if the film was screaming, "things would have been better had the British stayed." It made that point explicitly when Proffi and his British friend, Dunlop, (played by Alfred Molina) were discussing the British presence and the Israeli resistance. Dunlop suggested to Proffi that the British were keeping the peace in Palestine, and if they were to leave, the Arabs would take the place of the Israelis in the weaker position and would put forth their own home-grown resistance. Proffi dismissed these wise words with a passionate "but I hate the British!" Alas, what else can one expect from a sixth grader.
Dunlop's point is well taken, but then again, hindsight is always 20/20.
Dunlop's point is well taken, but then again, hindsight is always 20/20.
4.16.2009
That's What She Said
A friend of mine is writing an article for a magazine and wanted to interview some of Penn's (more liberal) Jews, and I liked her questions so much I wanted to throw them up here. It's a bit lengthy, but come on, it's not like you have anything better to do.
Q1) Do you consider yourself religious? - I consider myself conservative, a little bit observant, but not necessarily religious. "Religious Jew" has such a stereotype attached to it.
Q2) What defines a ‘liberal’ Jew if such a definition exists? - You can be liberal religiously or liberal culturally, I guess. I assume you're going for the liberal culturally aspect. In the US, and I think in Israel (although liberal Israelis would probably be considered radical here), being liberal means having some level of questioning of the legitimacy of Israel in its present form. I don't think you'll really find someone Jewish who actively believes Israel shouldn't exist at all, in any form, but being liberal means you question something about it - whether than be the nature of the state, their actions, it's geographical placement, something more than just Israeli politics (because anyone in their right mind should question that system).
Q3) What is your opinion on Zionism? - I read a great quote in a book once, about how Zionism has two different meanings. The meaning for Jews is itself twofold. Zionism is first and foremost the movement started by Theodor Herzl (a secular Austrian Jew) in 1897, which was a secular search for a Jewish homeland. The Zionist conference itself proposed Uganda, at the time a British (I think) colony, but there was a large contingent of very religious Jews in Eastern Europe who demanded it be founded in the Holy Land. Zionism as a movement is defined by its socialist characteristic. Israel was founded on the backs of kibbutzniks (people who lived and worked kibbutzes, essentially successful socialist community experiments), and its origins are arguably completely secular, although religion definitely had an influence. The other side of (Jewish) Zionism is the way it is seen today. To be Zionist means to support Israel, or believe in it, or to want to make aliyah (move to Israel), something along those lines. There's obviously not one set definition. However, for most Jews, Zionism is not a negative movement. It is at its core the (secular) search for a Jewish homeland, whether or not in Palestine is a different matter. Now, to most of the Arab world, and specifically Palestine, Zionism is code for all the bad stuff; occupation, settlements, genocide (if you want to go that far), apartheid, whatever. Granted, this is a fair view point, since Palestinians lost their land at the hands of 'Zionists', who were essentially the first settlers. However Zionism is not meant as a negative movement or to have negative effects. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say Herzl and the first Zionists had every intention of living and coexisting peacefully with their Arab neighbors in Palestine. Shit hit the fan when the Holocaust came and Israel became founded as an expressly Jewish state, rather than just a state with religious equality and tolerance and principles of sanctuary. So in a nutshell, Zionism means something totally different depending who you are, and as a word should be completely omitted from intelligent/educated debate because of the amount of anger it will incite, on both sides.
Q4) What do you think of the Israeli lobby at Penn?- I wouldn't call it a lobby, but the pro-Israel contingent is definitely very strong. They are also sensitive / easily offended, which seems silly, because they have so much more support than any Palestinian groups do.However, I think it is to be expected considering the high Jewish, and particularly high Orthodox, percentage at Penn. Luckily MOST Penn kids are intelligent and open-minded enough to engage in relatively civil debate.
Q5) What are your thoughts on Israel’s actions towards Gaza? - Personally, I understand both sides, and it's really a struggle. Obviously Hamas shouldn't be shooting rockets into Israel, but obviously Israel shouldn't wage a war of attrition against the people of Gaza. I think the accusations of the criminality of Israel's particular attacks on schools, etc, are bullshit. Any group like Hamas - including (and this has been well-publicized) Haganah during the 30s and 40s - hides weapons wherever they can, and that usually means community buildings like schools or religious institutions. But then again, obviously Israel shouldn't be bombing out schools when there are children inside. I'm pretty sure their technology is good enough to bomb them at night, or something. I also think using White Phosphorous should put them on trial at the ICC. I think "atrocities" are a particularly good definition of what happened, and as much as I/others would like to, I don't actually think you can place the entire blame on Israel. Like it or not, they were provoked, or believe they were, and while the punishment may not have fit the crime, there was a crime, and it should be punished, whether or not the means fit the end is a different question.
Q6) Do you think your views are well represented by the international media?- Interesting question. What is international media? Media in Jordan, satellite TV channels such as Al-Jazeera and Al-Quds and others, during the time of the invasion of Gaza, showed nothing but death, destruction, smoke, fire, all the usual suspects. Any time you turned on the TV a bloody child would be staring back at you. It's all anyone talked about. What's your opinion on Gaza? I must have heard that question a hundred times. (Now try answering it in Arabic, as an American Jew, to a Jordanian/Palestinian.) When I came back to the states, I was appalled at how few people knew what was going on. Obviously, people were like oh yeah, Israel invaded Gaza, they had to stop the rockets. But never once did I see images anywhere near approaching the gore of the ones I saw in Jordan. It seemed to me that people just didn't care. It was like going from a place where everyone was angry and passionate to a world of apathy and ignorance. I think this case proves that there is no 'international media,' per se. Yes, the New York Times covers international issues but their Gaza coverage was so focused on political aspects of the problem and very little on the humanity issue, whereas 'international' news networks such as Al-Jazeera were SO focused on the human element and very little, if at all, on the politics. Hence if I look hard enough, I'm sure my views are represented by SOMEBODY in the 'international' media circuit.
Q7) Do you have Muslim or Arab friends? - Yes! Of course. I lived in Jordan. I would be totally friendless otherwise.
Q8) What are your views on Islam?- As a religion? I haven't read the Qur'an so I can't answer completely, but from what I know first-hand of Islam as a religion I really like it. But that's like asking me what I think of Christianity, or Hinduism, or Native American religion. All religions are quite nice, but I like mine well enough. Islamic culture, traditions, holidays, everything is cool by me (in moderation, of course - hence why I'm not so religious myself). Asking this question is so loaded though, so I'll go there. I detest fundamentalism in any form; Jewish, Christian, Muslim, whatever. Fundamentalism is a narrow-minded world view that is the antithesis to everything modern thoughts stands for.
2.28.2009
Keep Moving .... West
It seems the farther West I go the more I miss the East, and probably vice versa. Being out here makes me really miss Jordan - maybe because everything is totally the opposite, not least the weather. But it's also making me miss home. The only thing I don't miss is school. Did I make the right decision going back to Penn? Logically, yes. I am glad to be closer to the fam and the friends but I still feel like there is something huge missing in my life. It's like every day I am dealing with the same heartbreak, over and over. I desperately want to go back, but I don't have a reason. I am torn between feeling the necessity of gettingajobacareeranormallifeasalaryBLAH or giving up on everything? It can't be dichotomous but it definitely feels like it is. Even silly things, that exist everywhere, like city lights, make me think of Amman. The forest makes me think of the desert. Jews make me think of Muslims, Israelis of Palestinians, peanut butter sandwiches of za'atar and labaneh, my lonely single of a crazy house full of children, English of Arabic...all these things I came to love are now just ... gone. I want them back!
2.11.2009
عن غزة
This evening I went to a "teach-in" about Gaza which featured such esteemed academicians as Ian Lustick (political science big shot at Penn) and Eve Troutt-Powell, my fave teach evs! No for real, she is my favorite professor I've had at Penn. Anyway, it was sponsored by SJP, and although the general tone was definitely pro-Gaza (but without negative connotations) I thought it was well-balanced, at least as well as it could be, and presented its arguments in a reasonable manner which abstained from throwing blame or inciting anger or irrationality. It was for sure thought-provoking, and although the room was packed there are certain people who I wish would have been there. Certain points were made which I believe both Jews and Arabs need to hear to understand each other and what's going on.
It was an appropriate follow-up to a conversation I had had/listened to earlier today with a bunch of guys from the Gulf. One of them asked me what my view is on Gaza - a question I find really hard to answer despite the amount of thought that has definitely gone into it - and they proceeded to debate between themselves the history of the conflict, the rights, the wrongs, the causes, the outcomes, everything. It was really interesting to listen to, and not least because I could actually understand it.
It's all combining in my head to make me even more sure of where I stand on this whole spectacle...if you really want to know, feel free to ask.
It was an appropriate follow-up to a conversation I had had/listened to earlier today with a bunch of guys from the Gulf. One of them asked me what my view is on Gaza - a question I find really hard to answer despite the amount of thought that has definitely gone into it - and they proceeded to debate between themselves the history of the conflict, the rights, the wrongs, the causes, the outcomes, everything. It was really interesting to listen to, and not least because I could actually understand it.
It's all combining in my head to make me even more sure of where I stand on this whole spectacle...if you really want to know, feel free to ask.
2.09.2009
2.03.2009
EZ
I decided I needed motivation to save money, and I decided that motivation is to go back to Jordan. What better reason to not buy that extraneous whatever than to have enough in the bank for a plane ticket?
It's still weird being back at school ... it could just be the senior thing or it could be reverse homesickness, but I just feel kind of floaty and ungrounded, like I really don't know what I'm doing. It's weird, I don't like it. So I need a goal, and this is it.
Plus everything makes me miss Jordan...especially Arabic because it's so EASY. It kills me. I want to tell everyone that عامية is so easy they just need to stop being afraid of it...but class is so BLEGH all in English and people don't understand and everyone always looks at me when there's a question...it's going to make me forget everything! حرام...
It's still weird being back at school ... it could just be the senior thing or it could be reverse homesickness, but I just feel kind of floaty and ungrounded, like I really don't know what I'm doing. It's weird, I don't like it. So I need a goal, and this is it.
Plus everything makes me miss Jordan...especially Arabic because it's so EASY. It kills me. I want to tell everyone that عامية is so easy they just need to stop being afraid of it...but class is so BLEGH all in English and people don't understand and everyone always looks at me when there's a question...it's going to make me forget everything! حرام...
1.29.2009
Remnants of a Former Life
We started a movie the other day in عامية, called Captain Abu Raed. It's Jordanian, so I can understand them! It was filmed actually in Jordan, too, so I recognized the airport and Amman and coasters...it made me miss it...
I signed up for a conversation partner so I could keep practicing my Arabic, and there was an ice cream social last night for everyone to meet each other. I meet a bunch of guys from Saudi Arabia and one from Qatar and a few from UAE and it was awesome because I could FINALLY speak Arabic/Arabeezy and people understood me! So hopefully this will work out because it would be great to keep using it.
I'm trying to put together a slideshow because I signed up to do a presentation on my time abroad, and I'm looking for all these specific songs that I can't find because I have no idea of their title, who sings them, or even the words...oh well. At least I found the nationalist song that they always show on Jordan TV. It's actually awesome - watch it. The funny part is it comes on TV and people actually intentionally watch it, volume cranked and everything.
I signed up for a conversation partner so I could keep practicing my Arabic, and there was an ice cream social last night for everyone to meet each other. I meet a bunch of guys from Saudi Arabia and one from Qatar and a few from UAE and it was awesome because I could FINALLY speak Arabic/Arabeezy and people understood me! So hopefully this will work out because it would be great to keep using it.
I'm trying to put together a slideshow because I signed up to do a presentation on my time abroad, and I'm looking for all these specific songs that I can't find because I have no idea of their title, who sings them, or even the words...oh well. At least I found the nationalist song that they always show on Jordan TV. It's actually awesome - watch it. The funny part is it comes on TV and people actually intentionally watch it, volume cranked and everything.
1.26.2009
To Smoke or Not to Smoke?
I was thinking about really being Jordanian back in the States and taking up smoking. No, not seriously (I don’t think). But I was walking back into my building this evening (for those who don’t know I live in the International House), passing a group of three smoking together, and overheard this one American guy asking this French guy about classes, and it struck me that these people were getting to know each other over a cigarette. What a convenient ice-breaker! Gee, got a light? By the way, what’s your life story? Things like that are what made me want to live in an international community anyway. If I have to start smoking to make international friends, so be it.
I feel your pain, brother.
Thanks mom for pointing me in the direction of this fantastic article from the Week in Review. I liked it so much I sent the author this email in response:
I have just returned from a semester studying abroad in Amman and I can appreciate the sentiments you express in this article. The vast difference in perspective even between the "liberal" American set and the Arab viewpoint was unexpected at first but it is something more Americans need to realize. I agree that it is important to show both sides of the conflict in equally legitimate light and not to give in to pressure from those who would have their news sources even more biased.
The point that ideas like Zionism can carry such a multitude of connotations is something not enough people understand. Our words matter, and not because we have power but because we are judged for them.
I just wanted to thank you for acknowledging that there are such diverse opinions on the conflict and for recognizing the difficulty of objectivity when everyone is ready to jump down your throat for the smallest turn of phrase or choice of words.
I really think his point is an excellent one; words and ideas don't carry the same meaning or weight everywhere and this simple knowledge is often lost and usually leads to misunderstanding which is where so many problems lie.
I have just returned from a semester studying abroad in Amman and I can appreciate the sentiments you express in this article. The vast difference in perspective even between the "liberal" American set and the Arab viewpoint was unexpected at first but it is something more Americans need to realize. I agree that it is important to show both sides of the conflict in equally legitimate light and not to give in to pressure from those who would have their news sources even more biased.
The point that ideas like Zionism can carry such a multitude of connotations is something not enough people understand. Our words matter, and not because we have power but because we are judged for them.
I just wanted to thank you for acknowledging that there are such diverse opinions on the conflict and for recognizing the difficulty of objectivity when everyone is ready to jump down your throat for the smallest turn of phrase or choice of words.
I really think his point is an excellent one; words and ideas don't carry the same meaning or weight everywhere and this simple knowledge is often lost and usually leads to misunderstanding which is where so many problems lie.
1.19.2009
The End of an Era
Alas...I am now back in Philadelphia so this blog seems no longer relevant, at least for now. Sad! I liked blogging. So don't expect much, although if I come up with relevant ideas I'll for sure post.
1.17.2009
Journey to the Center of Iraq
Or I should say, journey that never got us through the border. On Thursday Abe and I rented a car and trekked across the desert wilderness of Eastern Jordan with hopes of being allowing into Iraq, just to see it and say we’d been there. Four hours after we left Amman we got the Karameh border crossing, only the chat with the border guards for a few minutes until we were informed that we couldn’t go in without either Iraqi citizenship or a valid visa. Oh well, we tried. And now we can legitimately say we have seen all of Jordan; east to west, north to south.
Despite our failure to achieve our goal, it was a heck of an adventure. We ran out of gas in Ruwayshed, which is this tiny town 100 km from the border in one direction and 100 km from the next town in the other. And when I say closest town, I don’t mean you might see something resembling civilization in between the two. I mean there is nothing except igneous rock, sand, and mirages, for farther than the eye can see. Not only were we almost on Empty, but there was no gas in town. At all. They had run out and it wasn’t supposed to come till the next day. Not really wanting to stay in the middle of nowhere (literally, in every sense of the world) we negotiated to siphon gas from some guys tank, paid them 5 JD, and went on our merry way. Not entirely merry though, as we got stopped at something like 3 checkpoints on the way back. But return to Amman we did, eventually, with one more adventure tucked under our belts.
Pictures are on Picasa
Despite our failure to achieve our goal, it was a heck of an adventure. We ran out of gas in Ruwayshed, which is this tiny town 100 km from the border in one direction and 100 km from the next town in the other. And when I say closest town, I don’t mean you might see something resembling civilization in between the two. I mean there is nothing except igneous rock, sand, and mirages, for farther than the eye can see. Not only were we almost on Empty, but there was no gas in town. At all. They had run out and it wasn’t supposed to come till the next day. Not really wanting to stay in the middle of nowhere (literally, in every sense of the world) we negotiated to siphon gas from some guys tank, paid them 5 JD, and went on our merry way. Not entirely merry though, as we got stopped at something like 3 checkpoints on the way back. But return to Amman we did, eventually, with one more adventure tucked under our belts.
Pictures are on Picasa
1.14.2009
What do we do when we're jetlagged?
We sleep till 2:30, that's what we do.
I can check at least one thing off the endless and ever-growing To Do While In Jordan List: eat at Reem!
Abe and I went to Faris in Sweifieh for chicken shwarma and then to Reem on the Second Circle for lamb shwarma. Both were delicious and hot and moist and mmmm just so good. Perfect jetlag breakfast-lunch-dinner food - I can see why Reem is the King's favorite. It's the kind of place that only makes shwarma and there is no writing anywhere. It's just a little red hut shack kind of thing tucked into the surrounding buildings with your typical Arab "line" aka clusterf*** gathered out front but boy, is it worth it. At .5 JD per sandwich you can eat your fill essentially for nothing. Faris, while a bit more expensive, is arguably the best chicken shwarma in the city.
Yeah, not so healthy, but hey, when in Rome...
I can check at least one thing off the endless and ever-growing To Do While In Jordan List: eat at Reem!
Abe and I went to Faris in Sweifieh for chicken shwarma and then to Reem on the Second Circle for lamb shwarma. Both were delicious and hot and moist and mmmm just so good. Perfect jetlag breakfast-lunch-dinner food - I can see why Reem is the King's favorite. It's the kind of place that only makes shwarma and there is no writing anywhere. It's just a little red hut shack kind of thing tucked into the surrounding buildings with your typical Arab "line" aka clusterf*** gathered out front but boy, is it worth it. At .5 JD per sandwich you can eat your fill essentially for nothing. Faris, while a bit more expensive, is arguably the best chicken shwarma in the city.
Yeah, not so healthy, but hey, when in Rome...
1.13.2009
Catch Phrase
I have created a meme, or perhaps a new buzzword, look for it in next December's NYT magazine:
propaganda prophylactic
The meaning is fairly self-explanatory but it is basically what is needed before either side can start making progress towards talking with the other. And I'm not talking about politicians here. I'm talking about 22 year old American Jews with 22 year old Palestinian Jordanians. The respective medias have such different perspectives and emphases, and no one can understand the other side completely, so you end up with clashes that don't even make logical sense because they are not arguing the same point. I therefore point out the need for a propaganda prophylactic - a way to understand both sides of the conflict without media or popular interference. Just the facts, no bias. Impossible, no?
For proof just check out and compare:
nytimes.com
jordantimes.com
propaganda prophylactic
The meaning is fairly self-explanatory but it is basically what is needed before either side can start making progress towards talking with the other. And I'm not talking about politicians here. I'm talking about 22 year old American Jews with 22 year old Palestinian Jordanians. The respective medias have such different perspectives and emphases, and no one can understand the other side completely, so you end up with clashes that don't even make logical sense because they are not arguing the same point. I therefore point out the need for a propaganda prophylactic - a way to understand both sides of the conflict without media or popular interference. Just the facts, no bias. Impossible, no?
For proof just check out and compare:
nytimes.com
jordantimes.com
1 good reason not to go Venti
Today I saw a protest, kind of. I was in a taxi and down one of the side streets there were a bunch of people with green flags...but that was about it.
And apparently you should boycott Starbucks because the guy that founded it is Jewish so he supports the Israeli Army. That's what I learned from facebook today. What does that even mean? And really, do you think a company that has branches in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon really be THAT supportive of Israeli military action, if they have an opinion at all?
Let's think first. THEN do silly things like blame any prominent American Jew we can find.
And apparently you should boycott Starbucks because the guy that founded it is Jewish so he supports the Israeli Army. That's what I learned from facebook today. What does that even mean? And really, do you think a company that has branches in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon really be THAT supportive of Israeli military action, if they have an opinion at all?
Let's think first. THEN do silly things like blame any prominent American Jew we can find.
1.12.2009
From One City of Brotherly Love? to Another
Watching a War Across an Ocean When I'm 100 Miles From a Real One
As far as I can tell there is a war brewing on Penn's campus between Penn Israel Coalition and Students for Justice in Palestine. Kids, read the name: JUSTICE. It's not called Students Who Hate Israel.
Here's a quote from an event posted on facebook: "Students for Justice in Palestine is putting on an anti-Israel rally for Gaza next Thursday, and we need a big turnout for our side!"
And here's one from the event page of the so-called anti-Israel rally: "...to raise awareness about what has specifically been going on in Gaza since the 27th of December. Though this will be a silent march, we will be holding signs that reveal facts about the blockade and genocide."
Not to choose sides indiscriminately, but it seems as though the Gaza march is a peaceful event, aiming to inform, not to intimidate. On the other hand, the PIC's march is reactionary and aims to silence its opponent rather than listening to what they have to say. How can anything be achieved if one side continues to act petulant, immature, and ignorant? This goes both ways, depending on the day, so don't go getting all uppity at me for telling it like it is. A Palestinian friend's facebook status recently read: "Israeli Rats have enough shelters 2 hide in.While Gaza have sky as a roof,blood rivers as floor ..Thats y PALESTINIANS R MEN & israelis r rats!"
Please, everyone, control your anger. It is rational, understandable, and necessary, but deal with it maturely instead of throwing around hateful words and stereotypes and become informed before you inflame. Only then may you have your opinion to do with as you wish.
As far as I can tell there is a war brewing on Penn's campus between Penn Israel Coalition and Students for Justice in Palestine. Kids, read the name: JUSTICE. It's not called Students Who Hate Israel.
Here's a quote from an event posted on facebook: "Students for Justice in Palestine is putting on an anti-Israel rally for Gaza next Thursday, and we need a big turnout for our side!"
And here's one from the event page of the so-called anti-Israel rally: "...to raise awareness about what has specifically been going on in Gaza since the 27th of December. Though this will be a silent march, we will be holding signs that reveal facts about the blockade and genocide."
Not to choose sides indiscriminately, but it seems as though the Gaza march is a peaceful event, aiming to inform, not to intimidate. On the other hand, the PIC's march is reactionary and aims to silence its opponent rather than listening to what they have to say. How can anything be achieved if one side continues to act petulant, immature, and ignorant? This goes both ways, depending on the day, so don't go getting all uppity at me for telling it like it is. A Palestinian friend's facebook status recently read: "Israeli Rats have enough shelters 2 hide in.While Gaza have sky as a roof,blood rivers as floor ..Thats y PALESTINIANS R MEN & israelis r rats!"
Please, everyone, control your anger. It is rational, understandable, and necessary, but deal with it maturely instead of throwing around hateful words and stereotypes and become informed before you inflame. Only then may you have your opinion to do with as you wish.
Third Home?
Coming back into Amman yesterday was a weird feeling, the same as when I go back to Philly or to Maine, like going home in a way. I guess when you go through some kind of experience like this somewhere, even if it's for such a short time, it really does start to feel like home, even if it's one of many. It made me really think I do want to come back eventually, although definitely not right now. After graduation if I have a job or something I'll come back...insha'allah.
Didn't do much today, went downtown for lunch at Hashem's (one of the famous Amman restaurants) where we gorged ourselves on fuul, hummus, falafel, etc. Zaki kteer! It's funny how getting around down there used to be so confusing and now it makes so much more sense, although I won't pretend to be a master of wast al-balad.
My goal is to do some daytrips while I'm back here, so hopefully some of that will get accomplished and I'll have some interesting stories to share.
Didn't do much today, went downtown for lunch at Hashem's (one of the famous Amman restaurants) where we gorged ourselves on fuul, hummus, falafel, etc. Zaki kteer! It's funny how getting around down there used to be so confusing and now it makes so much more sense, although I won't pretend to be a master of wast al-balad.
My goal is to do some daytrips while I'm back here, so hopefully some of that will get accomplished and I'll have some interesting stories to share.
1.10.2009
JFK again! My favorite place in the world.
Merry Christmahannukwanzaa and a Happy New Year to all.
After a brief respite for much needed cold weather enjoyment I am now en route back to the desert. After a whirlwind of a few days (since Wednesday) it has been non-stop phone calls, planning, packing, and for the last 36+ hours, traveling. Lovely Delta canceled my PHL - JFK flight this afternoon forcing me to seek alternate transportation which took the form of a nice older middle aged guy driving an airport shuttle from Princeton to JFK through snow storms and EWR, and I'm not sure which of those was more chaotic. But I got here, حمدالالله, and although my flight has of course been delayed an hour (it is JFK, so not everything can go your way). I've already made a friend who wants me to go to her house in زرقاء so she can cook me mansaf and I can marry one of her sons.
Also there's this one little kid (2 years old!) who according to his mother is learning four languages simulatneously: Arabic, French, English, and Armenian. Wow. If only ...
And there's this other really cute little kid, and now they kind of play together and it's very adorable. The second one took my SIGG (which is empty, of course) and started throwing it around until he hit himself in the head with it which didn't seem to bother him.
It's amazing how much I understand what's going on around me (it's basically all in Arabic)...I guess I didn't realize how much I know. I've spoken to people (like my future mother in law) and they say I'm good at it! So I guess 3 weeks isn't long enough to lose it, after all.
There were also a bunch of French people at the newsstand store and it was amazing how much of what they said I understood, although I couldn't say anything to them because I could tell that as soon as I opened my mouth Arabic would come out. Oh well. At least I can do one at a time, anyway...
After a brief respite for much needed cold weather enjoyment I am now en route back to the desert. After a whirlwind of a few days (since Wednesday) it has been non-stop phone calls, planning, packing, and for the last 36+ hours, traveling. Lovely Delta canceled my PHL - JFK flight this afternoon forcing me to seek alternate transportation which took the form of a nice older middle aged guy driving an airport shuttle from Princeton to JFK through snow storms and EWR, and I'm not sure which of those was more chaotic. But I got here, حمدالالله, and although my flight has of course been delayed an hour (it is JFK, so not everything can go your way). I've already made a friend who wants me to go to her house in زرقاء so she can cook me mansaf and I can marry one of her sons.
Also there's this one little kid (2 years old!) who according to his mother is learning four languages simulatneously: Arabic, French, English, and Armenian. Wow. If only ...
And there's this other really cute little kid, and now they kind of play together and it's very adorable. The second one took my SIGG (which is empty, of course) and started throwing it around until he hit himself in the head with it which didn't seem to bother him.
It's amazing how much I understand what's going on around me (it's basically all in Arabic)...I guess I didn't realize how much I know. I've spoken to people (like my future mother in law) and they say I'm good at it! So I guess 3 weeks isn't long enough to lose it, after all.
There were also a bunch of French people at the newsstand store and it was amazing how much of what they said I understood, although I couldn't say anything to them because I could tell that as soon as I opened my mouth Arabic would come out. Oh well. At least I can do one at a time, anyway...
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