Daily Dose of Anna

CSA Week 4

2011-10-28T14:29:00.000+02:00

No, I didn't forget any weeks. We just cancelled our delivery for four weeks of chagim since we were out of town so much. Anyway, this week we got: lettuce, arugula (rocket), scallions, dill, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, carrots, squash, and beets.

In other news, we're back from America after a whirlwind trip in which we did nothing in Croton for a few days, did nothing (but pray and eat) in Teaneck for a few days, visit with Noames (I finally met her kid! She's cute!), and attend an engagement party in our honor with 275 of our parents' closest friends and relatives (and about 25 of our friends too). It was really a perfect party - a gorgeous venue right on the river, a fun band, amazing (dairy!) food, a whole lot of new people to meet, and about 100 people I've known approximately forever, and don't get to see often enough at all.

Now we're back (I said that already) and back to full-time work and part0time wedding planning. This week we had our tasting (we will have delicious food at our wedding) and met with a photographer. So everything is coming together. And we're also in the midst of getting ready to celebrate for the wedding week/end of Katyusha and Sticks (they are the first of the at least 4 weddings that are happening amongst my circle of friends this year - and I thought we went through all my friends getting married when I was 24!)

Thirty

2011-10-16T18:07:00.000+02:00

So yeah, we're off to America again a few hours. Yes, we were just there. We're going again, this time just for a week, so that our parents can throw an engagement party, since the vast majority of their friends and relatives will not be coming to the wedding in Israel. This will be party #4 for us - I think the last until the wedding. Good thing I like parties.

Party number 3 was a few weeks aho - we hosted a joint birthday/engagement/housewarming at our place for our Israel friends. A good time was had by all.

So right, the birthday. I turned 30 a few weeks ago (actually, now that I think about it, not even two). This once seemed liked a super big deal, but in reality it's been totally anti-climactic and not scary or old-seeming at all. There was a time not so long ago when I'd tell people I wouldn't mind being dead by 30. I didn't want to take my life or anything, I just wasn't that happy and didn't think being 30 would be that great.

Well, needless (I hope) to say, I am really really glad I am not dead by 30. The past year or so has been amazing and I can't wait for my thirties.

And maybe I'll even get to some of those things on my 30 list... (That was by far the biggest failure of my year, but I did other fun things, so I don't feel too bad about it.)

Odyssey of Birthday Restaurants

2011-10-04T22:41:00.001+02:00

I'll have to reflect on turning 30 another day, but in the meantime: restaurant reviews!

So, AB had a birthday two weeks ago, and to celebrate that we went to La Guta. I'd last (and only) been to La Guta a few years ago with my parents and remembered it as being amazing, so I'd been wanting to get back for a while. I'd heard that they'd revamped their menu, and this proved to be true. When I first saw the new menu, I was disappointed; it wasn't very extensive, nor was it all that creative.

However, despite the slow service, the disappointment did not last. After the bread course (which lasted approximately forever), we were served an amuse bouche on a cute little spoon of a bite of chicken. Yum. Then after approximately forever more, the waitress brought by complimentary pumpkin soup in espresso cups to tide us over while they caught my gazpacho. I'm a sucker for soup, so that was fine.

Eventually our real food came, and we enjoyed. I started with a gazpacho, while AB got the gnocchi. My gazpacho was delicious. AB's food was delicious too but ... not gnocchi. As he said, it was Jewish gnocchi, by which we mean it was a latke in tomato sauce.

duck

The main course (served after a minty sorbet palette cleanser) was the highlight for both of us. I got duck served with black beans and green beans, and he got practically raw steak slices (it had a fancy name, but let's call it like it is), which is the way he likes it, and a pile of white mushrooms. We were too full for dessert, so I guess they did something right.

Tonight, for my birthday, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Topolino. The food was good, but the highlight for both of us was the wine. (For a small restaurant, they certainly have one of the best by-the-glass wine selections I've seen). I got the Yatir blend, which we've had before, and AB got the Bravdo Shiraz, which neither of us had ever heard of before.

quince

As for food, we started with an appetizer from the specials - quince in a creamy roquefort sauce. It was a bit too rich for me. For mains we decided to split goat cheese and ricotta ravioli in a buttery asparagus sauce and a thin crust pizza with tomato sauce, eggplant, buffalo mozzarella, and arugula. Arugula isn't really my bag so I picked it off (so classy, I know) and then the pizza was out of this world. The ravioli was not bad either.

For dessert I got chocolate souffle - not exactly the most unique dessert, but so so good. Not a bad way to send in my fourth decade.

CSA Week 3

2011-09-23T15:02:00.001+03:00

First, an update from last week. Remember all those yummy vegetable dishes I mentioned we were making for Shabbat dinner? Here's how some of them turned out:

salad

We pickled. Did I mention that last time?

Spicy tomato salad with labane and pits chips

Potatoes provencal with gruyere

This week, our box wasn't that exciting - it's between seasons now. We got: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, green beans, scallions, popcorn corn, corn on the cob, squash, parsley, louisa.

Update

2011-09-21T18:19:00.000+03:00

As you can probably imagine, life has been kind of hectic lately. When we left for the US the apartment was quite finished yet, so since our return we've been still settling in, in addition to undertaking a whole new project: planning a wedding.

We've made lots of progress on the apartment. We now have all the furniture and appliances we need save for dining room chairs, which hopefully we'll find time to look for soon. This includes our made to order bookshelves and dining room table, which we are very excited about. Pretty much all that's left are getting a counter top installed on our cabinets in the kitchen (don't ask) and getting our brand new light fixtures up on our lights.

We've made less progress with the wedding. We have selected (and signed on) a venue, which means we have a date, so that's very exciting. We'll be getting married in a cave in a forest in the middle of winter. I can't wait. Actually, it isn't a real cave, but close enough.

We've also met with a rabbi to discuss whether we're Jewish enough to wed in the Jewish state (so far all signs point to yes, but we'll see) and to if there is any way to bend Rabbanut standards align with my liberal principles. We have a few ideas for the ceremony but thinking about the Rabbanut makes me so angry I have trouble talking about it (even though we are probably Jewish enough and we will be able to find a Rabbanut-sanctioned rabbi who will let the ceremony be somewhat egalitarian).

And yesterday I went wedding-dress shopping. I didn't find anything I liked in the bridal store, but I did find a very simple, beautiful white dress in a regular store. It didn't fit me, but now at least I have a better idea of what I want. Next bridal appointment is on Friday, though I think I'll probably end up with a regular dress or just getting one made.

And that's it. I guess the next task is finding a photographer and a band. And working on our guest list and doing the invitation. I always thought planning a wedding would be super fun. But so far it's mostly overwhelming. Still, we have a tasting coming up. That ,I am excited for.

CSA Week 2

2011-09-16T17:47:00.000+03:00

This time we got cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, onion, green beans, squash, pumpkin, potatoes, corn, thyme, and parsley. In it's honor (and because it's been way too long), we're hosting a Shabbat meal tonight, for which we made orange soup (out of the pumpkin and squash and also carrots), a tomato salad, a normal salad, potatoes provencal, which have tomatoes and gruyere in them, and steamed green beans. We also made curry lentils, though none of the ingredients in that, save an onion, came from the box.

CSA Week 1

2011-09-09T13:38:00.000+03:00

AB and I decided that once we were settled in our new digs we'd sign up for a CSA so that we could have locally grown, fresh, organic produce (well, I think technically all produce is organic, but in the contemporary food movement sense) delivered to our door every week. We got our first shipment on Wednesday. It included: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onion, lettuce, pumpkin, squash, okra, potatoes, leek, and mint.

Today we decided to make two dishes using our new veggies. We made an okra-pumpkin stew and potato-leek soup. During the week we'll use the cucumbers and tomatoes in an Israeli salad and we'll probably use the leftover leek in a leek pashtida (um, can't think of the English word - like a quiches, but not as eggy). I guess we'll also have squash one night.

Engaged to Be Married

2011-09-02T11:49:00.001+03:00

So, this is kind of old news by now, but AB and I have officially announced our plans to wed. The wedding will be in the Jerusalem area, probably in January. (Haven't you always dreamed of having a wedding in the dead of winter? I haven't...). Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's what went down:

Back in March we had a conversation in which we agreed we'd be married. I wrote a blog post about it then that I couldn't, for obvious reasons, post until now. At the time, we couldn't announce it for a number of reasons. By May, we agreed it was still important to wait, but we decided to give our parents a heads up. At that point I started thinking of us as secretly engaged. I think this was actually not such a secret.

Fast forward to August. We flew to the States and spent some time with friends and family there. Then we drove up to Toronto for Brother and the Canadienne's wedding. The whole weekend was great, and the wedding was amazing. We decided to split the drive back, stopping overnight Monday night in the Finger Lakes (outside Watkins Glen).

We knew we were announcing we were engaged after Brother's wedding, but I wasn't sure if we would just start telling people or if there'd be a Moment first... For months of course I had been insisting that I didn't need a formal proposal since we mutually came to this decision months ago. And also, for years I've been insisting that proposals are dumb...because wouldn't you want to start your road to marriage as equals who came to a decision together and not as a gender stereotypical couple where the woman waits for the man to make a move? And on top that, the week before we went ring shopping (something I always thought I never wanted, but turned out to be wrong about) and AB's father (the diamond dealer) told us the ring wouldn't be ready for several weeks. So I didn't know what would happen.

So Monday night after the wedding we went out to dinner in Watkins Glen and ordered wine, as we usually do, and I made AB make a toast, as I usually do. So he was like, "to blah blah blah [I can't remember what he said] and our engagement." So I was like, ok, I guess we're officially engaged now? And even though I had been insisting that I don't need a proposal I was kind of disappointed and it felt really anti-climactic. But we just finished dinner and went back to our B&B.

When we got there I told AB he had to propose and he was like, right now? I was like, yes, no, I don't know, I hate waiting but I want to be surprised. And then I went to the bathroom and when I came back AB and a ring were sitting on the bed and he asked me to marry him. Now remember, I was told that a ring wouldn't be ready for weeks, so I thought the ring on the bed was a ringer ring (ha) and I didn't pay any attention to it at first. Then eventually I looked and it was the perfect ring. Apparently after I described what I wanted AB's dad realized he had an antique ring that fit the description, which they all decided to keep as a surprise from me. Anyway, the next morning I made AB propose again so that I could actually pay attention to the ring this time. And then later we went for a hike in Watkins Gorge and it was pretty so I made him propose yet again. And then when we told the story to my parents I made him do it again, and then when we told the story to my friends there might have been a reenactment. It turns out I really like being proposed to. At least by AB.

Far Away

2011-08-05T17:07:00.000+03:00

It's been a little ~~sad~~ lonely around here in these parts, what with the domestic partner in New Jersey and the whole family getting together in NYC for Brother and the Canadienne's aufruf this Shabbat. I would've loved to be there, but they went and changed the date (it was originally supposed to be next weekend) after I'd confirmed with them and gone ahead and booked my tickets. (Not that it necessarily would've mattered--I'm not sure I could've taken the extra week of vacation and the wedding's now extending over a three-week period, which, whatever, I understand there were circumstances beyond their control, but it's a lot). (It's also one of those things where I've been living far away for so long and have missed so many events that I think everybody just assumes I don't care).

So I thought I was going to have a pretty sad Shabbat, but the day was partially saved when Sticks and his lady invited me for lunch, and then at the last minute this afternoon NoMo invited me for dinner. And now I'm off to Chaveleh's to drink some wine, so I guess I do have friends and it's not a lost cause after all. Happiness restored.

Downsides

2011-07-31T22:49:00.000+03:00

So here's the downside of the whole being in love thing: I now live in a relatively muted but nonetheless constant fear that my beloved is going to die, that in fact he might actually be dead before my very eyes. This fear usually manifests itself when we are in bed and he is sleeping and I am awake. If he hasn't tossed or snored or otherwise done something audible or visible that only the living do, I am sure he is dead, at which point I kick him to see if he'll grunt or move, which to date he has always done, thank god. (I feel kind of bad about the kicking in his sleep, but he almost never wakes up.)

Today he was on an airplane. I have never been afraid of flying and logically understand that the chances of dying in flight are so much smaller than the chances of doing practically anything we do regularly, but still, I obsesively tracked his flight all day to make sure it did what it was supposed to. (It did; relief).

I know this is not normal, and I don't know why I'm so afraid of this, especially since in general I never really worry about people. Stupid love.

Why We Still Don't Have Furniture

2011-07-15T07:29:00.000+03:00

The scene: Our new apartment, two weeks after we've been "living" here, with minimal furniture

Me: Ari, we still don't have a mezuzah on the door!

Ari: I know, we'll get one soon.

Me: Well, this is clearly why we've been having such bad luck finding furniture! Once we get a mezuzah up it will get better.

Ari: I'm only 50 percent sure you're joking.

Me: I'm also only 50 percent sure I'm joking.

[For anyone who doesn't get this play: Jewish law mandates that you hang a mezuzah on all your door posts. Beyond that, it is a very common superstition that living in a house with no or an unkosher mezuzah brings bad luck.]

Moving Along

2011-07-13T17:43:00.000+03:00

We finally have a moving date! Or rather, I do. AB moved about two weeks, and since then we've been camping out in the new place. The new place contains a bed, a refrigerator, a very comfortable recliner, and several computing devices. And not much else. I will be very happy when my stuff, and in particular my oven and couch, arrive on July 24. (And no, I don't have a subletter yet, and no, I no longer care. I just want to not live there anymore).

Even with my stuff we are missing a few key items, namely a dining room table, bookshelves, and a unit for the kitchen in which to put our pots, pans, baking items, and the like (cabinet space is...scarce). This basically means that we've been spending about 75% of our free time running around to various furniture stores looking for non-cheap looking yet affordable items that fit in the spaces we have. This is proving to be an impossible task and I kind of hate it. We're going to one more store in Talpiot today and having another Ikea run later. And we've been trying to contact a carpenter who does not return emails or phone calls. I am giving up soon, whether or not we have furniture.

The other main thing that happened recently is that AB's company got bought and the new owners fired everybody. Well, not everybody. But a good two-thirds of the everybody, including AB. This means he's around to do things like wait for beds to be delivered and to negotiate with movers, but it also is really sad. Luckily, unlike yours truly, he is very talented and has a marketable skill, so he's in pretty high demand and will no doubt get a new job soon.

Moving Up

2011-06-21T20:02:00.000+03:00

It's busy busy around here these days, which is probably for the best. Mainly work is super busy because in addition to doing my normal job I'm also doing a summer job. The truth is that I don't mind that much and it's keeping my mind off other stresses...

...Namely the apartment. AB and I signed a lease on an apartment together. This is very exciting. However, the new lease begins July 1 (that's in 10 days) and my current lease doesn't end until November...which means that until I find someone to take my apartment I have to pay for two rents at once. It also means that I don't know when I'm moving. And it means that the new apartment, in which AB will live in 10 days, will remain in a state of only partial furnishment for an indeterminate amount of time. This is very stressful.

That's on top of all the normal moving-related stress of packing, getting movers, selling/giving away old stuff, buying new stuff, spending money,etc.

On the other hand, even though spending money freaks me out, the move (and cohabitation) means we get to buy new things, to wit: a bed, a dining room table with real live chairs (ok, not live), a dryer, new dishes, cutlery, and kitchenware, a dryer, bookshelves, and maybe even a couch. To start.

It's only in these past few weeks as I've begun thinking about what will come with and what will get donated/sold/thrown away that I've realized how shabbily I've been living. I mean, I know it could be worse, but I'm really ready to own nice things. Not just nice--I guess I mean more stable, permanent, grown-up types of things. All the stuff I have now is second or third hand and most of it is broken. I'm sick of it.

When I first moved into this apartment I really did try to make it feel like home, working with a budget of just about zero. For a time I thought I had done a good job. I guess I did for the time. Now I'm ready to move up a little. And I'm excited we get to.

30 Before 30: Go Camping with AB--Check!

2011-06-05T20:52:00.000+03:00

Back in October AB and I had a car for a weekend and we went up north. During this trip, he told me there was a beach he wanted me to see. Even though it was already a little chilly and we only had a limited amount of time due to the impending arrival of the Sabbath, we decided to stop there for a few minutes so I could see it.

The beach is Habonim, just north of Zichron Yaakov, and AB was right in insisting that I see it. It was (and still is) among the most beautiful beaches I've seen in Israel, with soft sand and blue-green water filling in the coves. On the day we went we were the only people there save for a man fishing with his son.

On that day I declared that once it was warm enough (I estimated by March) we'd have to come back and camp on the beach. March was still too cold, and April had too much Pesach-related activity (and coldness); in May we had a different weekend away planned--our anniversary escape at Amirim. So we choose the first weekend in June and invited some friends to join us. In the end, AB, Kes, Melissa, and I spent this past weekend camping at HaBonim.

AB, Kes, and I drove up Thursday night and arrived in the dark due to a terrible traffic jam on the way. But the beach was fairly empty when we got there and it didn't prove too difficult to pitch the tents in the dark. Friday morning we went for a long walk along the beach, at first walking out to a boatwreck AB wanted us to see and then continuing down. The beach was practically empty and the scenery was so beautiful.

Later we picked up Melissa from the Pardes Hana train station and had a delicious lunch at the Tishi restaurant in Zichron. By the time we returned to HaBonim the beach was filling up with people and tents.

In the evening we grilled a bunch of meat and brought Shabbat in early. Saturday we lounged on the beach, first among the crowds and then as the day wore on until we were one of only three parties left.

Aside from the sunburn I seem to have contracted, it was yet another perfect weekend. I really do feel like the luckiest person on the planet sometimes.

me and AB preparing dinner--excuse my windswept hair

Fine Dining with Anna and Ari: Canela

2011-05-24T22:35:00.000+03:00

I think I may have skipped a few nice restaurants we've eaten at recently, and it's beyond time for a restaurant review. Sunday night AB and I dined at Canela (once again courtesy of groupon-like site), a fine restaurant in downtown Jerusalem. I'd say that in terms of price and aspired ambiance and taste this restaurant falls into the same range as Gabriel and HaHatzer. In terms of actual experience, it fell a bit short.

Let me say that nothing was bad. In fact, everything was quite good. However, not everything was amazing, and for the dining experience we expected, we were disappointed. Perhaps not fair, but better to be judged amongst the best than against the mediocre, right?

So much of dining out is the atmosphere and the overall experience above and beyond the food itself, and that's where the restaurant lost points from the beginning (perhaps unfairly, I admit). First, we noticed on the menu that you had to order bread. On one hand, it is usual in Israel restaurants not to get bread included at the beginning of your meal. On the other hand, Gabriel, HaHatzer, Angelica, and 1868 all brought bread gratis without us asking for it. We ordered it anyway, and the restaurant gained some points back when the bill came and we saw they didn't actually charge us for it. I will also say that the bread, which was hot and soft with sun-dried tomatoes and coarse salt, was the most perfect thing we ate all night.

The next problem in setting the stage came when it was time to order wine. The restaurant did not actually have the first two bottles we ordered (Carmel viognier and Ella Valley Sauvingnon blanc) despite them being listed on the menu. We ended up going with the sauvignon blac from Yarden, which was a lovely wine that really opened up with our dessert.

The third problem was that the wine (as well as the tap water we requested) did not arrive until the bread course was finished and we had already begun on the appetizers.

The appetizers, in addition to the bread and the dessert, were what made the meal worthwhile. I ordered asparagus and beets in a mustard sauce. The asparagus and beets were both cooked perfectly al dente (and the beets were sliced so amazingly thinly) and the flavoring was simple (I think just salt and pepper in addition to the mustard) but right. AB got seared tuna. Almost raw fish isn't really my thing, but I could appreciate that this one was cooked expertly, with the outside seared to crunch almost and the inside still red and melt-in-your-mouthable. We also got the lamb kabobs, which were just okay. They were flavored very basically and the meat was fine, but not amazing. The best lamb kabobs I've had recently come from Buffalo, hands down.

For the main course, I ordered the salmon. It was cooked nicely (not too dry) but it was actually a bit too salty. It came with mashed potatoes, which were delicious (can you mess up mashed potatoes) and al dente string beans. Have I mentioned that al dente is my preferred level of cooking for many foods? AB got the lambchops, which were perfectly fine but nothing special. The spicing was uninspiring and the meat was a bit fatty.

We often pass on dessert but this time decided to split the caramelized banana brownie with chocolate mousse and raspberry sauce. The brownie was heaven, especially the frosting and caramelized bananas. AB thought the mousse, which came in a separate dish on the same plate, needed to be a little stronger in order to properly claim its place with the raspberry sauce that topped it. I don't know that I would've come up with that critique myself, but I don't disagree.

I'd say Canela gets 2 stars.

Shoot a Gun

2011-05-23T22:04:00.000+03:00

Another item to cross off the list: On Friday I went shooting with AB and Jordan.

A few months ago GroopBuy offered a deal for a shooting range and we all purchased it. It included 50 bullets and gun instruction. If you are Israeli you need a statement from your doctor. If you are non-Israeli you need a passport and an Israeli. Jordan got his Israelis right away, but it took a little while longer for AB and me to get our doctors statements. But eventually we did. We finally went on Friday and it was not exactly what I expected.

I was picturing the shooting range the way they have it on TV. You know, where you put on headphones and then go in a booth from which you shoot at a target. This was not that. Instead, we were put into a group of 5 other Americans (who I assume also had bought the deal) and brought into a underground bunker with ten targets taped against the wall. We were given headphones and goggles and ushered to the side of the room, where a table holding two guns awaited us. We were told we would take turns shooting the two different guns--one was a normal handgun and the other was a handgun inside a casing that made it seem more like a rifle.

So basically we each had three two-minute turns (one with the handgun and two with the more fun, easier-to-aim gun inside the casing) and then sat around for a while waiting for everyone else to have turns. My turns were okay. I was a pretty terrible shot (not surprisingly--I've always had bad hand-eye coordination), but AB was a boy scout, so he was pretty good, and Jordan apparently just has a natural talent.

The most interesting part by far was when a group of Israeli men walked in, lined up at the eight targets we weren't using, picked up handguns, shot for five minutes, and then departed.

Though the experience was not exactly thrill-inducing, I'm still glad that after thirty years--and nearly seven living in this militaristic society were the majority of people have shot guns--I've finally done it too.

Romantic Weekend Getaway

2011-05-08T18:27:00.000+03:00

I'm changing my 30 Before 30 a little--there were certain things I didn't want to put on there so as not to create undue pressure on things that are not only in my control, but I had them in the back of my mind all along. There are other things on there I don't really want to do, so as the secret ones become public, I'll exchange. So now there's a new 25, which is: spend a romantic weekend away with a boy.

Now that it's there, I'm pleased to report that I checked off two items this weekend: the aforementioned 25, and 28--horseback riding, which was a section of the weekend.

Our anniversary weekend getaway was everything I could've dreamed of. We went up to Amirim on Thursday after work, which is a vegetarian resort village up near Tsfat. Apparently it's a place for couples to go, and for years after hearing friends say they went I've been saying that if I ever got a boyfriend we'd go there. So we went. It's very pretty there, and relaxing, and the zimmers come with hot tubs and food and drink. We spent Thursday night and Shabbat there.

Friday we had a more adventurous day, going horseback riding in the morning (well at noon), and then eating lunch at a chocolate restaurant in the picturesque pioneer town of Rosh Pina. That was followed by visits to two small family-run wineries.

Over Shabbat we drank champagne (for 3 meals in a row) to celebrate and said appropriately cheesy and loving things to one another and it was perfect.

Jumping the Shark

2011-05-04T17:40:00.000+03:00

Recently, a friend made a comment about the dream of curl control. I wrote on her facebook wall that curl control is not but a dream--it can be a reality. She asked how, and I started to reply, but then I realized that maybe my explanation was too detailed for a facebook comment. So, here's a blog entry about it.

I don't claim that my curls are perfect every day, but I have picked up a few tricks (more like severe tenets that make up a creed that the curly girl should not violate) over the years (mainly in the years since 2003--it took me a long time to figure out what to do). Please not that I'm pretty low maintenance--this looks like a lot, but my whole shower routine (on non-shaving days), including hair prep, only takes about 20 minutes (was that tmi?).

I know in advance that two of these tenets will inspire disgust (for different reasons), but they are essential.

1) Do not shampoo your hair. Ever. Some hair stylists will tell you to shampoo once a week or once a month to wash out any buildup. I haven't shampooed in nearly eight years and my hair stylists always, without fail, tell me that I have some of the healthiest hair they have seen and that I don't have oil or buildup. If this really disgusts you way too much you a) need to get over it and b) can consider using Devachan's No-poo, which is non-shampoo shampoo.

2) I highly recommend a salon-quality conditioner. They are more expensive, but it's worth it to invest. (See above re: hair stylists impression of my healthy hair). I recommend Schwartzkopf or Moroccan Oil, but I haven't done much market research on this, so find what works for you. If you can only afford one expensive hair product though, forego the conditioner and focus on the gel (see below).

3) Comb your hair only in the shower. The idea is to keep your curls together, so you want to detangle and get rid of dead, fallen out hair before you do any styling to it all. I use my fingers, but I guess a comb would work too.

4) Do not dry your hair with a towel. Like I said, the idea is to keep the curls in their natural togetherness as much as possible, and towels are way too coarse. Instead, use an old t-shirt or a microfiber (camping) towel. Flip your hair over and dry by squeezing the water out of it. Don't rub the towel in it.

5a) Gel/hair cream. Here we go. I strongly insist on salon-quality gel, or hair cream (depending on the brand). You might find it gross to spend $12 or $20 or even $40 on hair product when you can get an imitation product in the pharmacy for $4.95, but it is essential. If you want soft, well-formed, non-frizzy curls, you need to use a good product that won't cake your hair and/or take away all volume and/or make it look wet all day in exchange for frizz removal. This was the hardest lesson for me to learn, but it has been worth it. (I don't buy (or wear) a lot of makeup so it evens out? And I'm not spending on shampoo?). When I lived in America I swore by Devachan's Angell. I also have friends who were very loyal to Bumble&Bumble. These days, I am a big fan of Moroccan Oil curl cream and this other great stuff that comes in a green bottle whose name I can't remember. (Either or, not both at once). You need to find what works for you, but the key is something light.

A note on conditioners and gels/creams: The key here, for my international readers, is that what works in the US might not work abroad. The water is different, so you need a product tailored to your area's water, so it's best to buy locally. This is why I stopped importing Angell. Though now that I think about it, I'm not sure if the Schwartzkopf conditioner I love is produced here or is an import, made for American (soft) water. Hmm, food for thought, anyway.

5b) To apply the gel/cream, squeeze a dollop in your palm and mash it into the ends of your hair with your head flipped over, working your way up. (I don't even raise my head up from squeezing my hair dry when I do this step). I can't really explain this so well, but just mash it in, don't run your fingers through your hair.

(Actually, my curly hair salon in NY does the gel first, then the drying, but I find it's inefficient/wasteful, because then the towel gets covered in gel and you can't really reuse it till you wash it. The salon uses paper towels, but I can't do that to the environment every single day).

That's it. Some people use leave-in conditioner and/or anti-frizz spray. I have nothing against these products and my hair would probably be even nicer if I used them, but I don't. Some people also like to use a diffuser, but I have no idea how, so I don't. (I would say though that I'm not sure how well any of the above would turn out if I went to sleep with wet hair). So, what you see above is my bare-bones guide to curl control.

I'll also mention, if you live in NY or probably other American metropolitan areas, that a visit to a curly hair salon is definitely worthwhile. I cannot highly enough recommend Devachan (with two locations in the Village at last check, which was back in 2008 or 9, I think), as well as my stylist Rick, though I'm sure everyone there is super talented. It is pricey, but I think it's worth it to indulge yourself every once in a while, and furthermore, you deserve the experience of having somebody who truly knows what they are doing tend to your hair, which you wear on your head every single day. It will change your life.

Ice Skating in April

2011-04-15T11:54:00.001+03:00

So, a few nights ago AB and I went ice skating. The municipality of Jerusalem decided to import and ice skating rink and skates, so area residents were able to enjoy ice skating--a perfect activity for early spring. It was as much imports are--so close to the real thing, but slightly off. I mean, it was real ice skating, but December might have been a more fitting time, and the rink was very small, and the skates were very bad. Not to mention that the ice was terrible since they didn't clean it all. It reminded me of that time I went to a baseball game in Israel. Still, we had a really good time.

In other news, my house is just about ready for Pesach, despite my intense procrastination and belief that if I put it off long enough I wouldn't have to clean and/or a non-feminist wife would materialize to do it for me. Now we're on our way to spend Shabbat with AB's family, which where we will be for seder too.

Lifestyle Changes, Positive

2011-04-10T19:01:00.000+03:00

A few days ago I wrote about how my still-feels-new-to-me-but-is-actually-almost-a-year-old relationship has enacted some lifestyle changes that make me feel like a hypocrite. Well, the advent in of AB in my life has also included several positive lifestyle changes, to wit:

A marked increase in the both the quantity and quality of the wine I consume (and a complementary decrease in the amount of beer, but I'm not sure that's a positive)
A marked increase in the quantity and quality of my dining out
A decrease in my fear of technology and an increase in my desire to be able to be more self-sufficient in this regard
Introduction to new (to me) television and movies

I think those are the main ones, aside from the obvious (Having an activity partner is fun! Even when the activity in question is doing nothing).

In other, though slightly related, news, people have been perturbing me lately. Almost every time I tell somebody that AB's family is coming for Pesach I get some variation of the reply: "Wow, that's a lot of pressure."

Similarly, when I tell people that AB is coming with me to Brother and Canadienne's wedding this summer (all tickets finally booked, btw), I also get the "Wow, that's a lot of pressure."

I honestly don't understand what this means. Pressure for what?

Change, What Is It Good For?

2011-04-09T22:30:00.001+03:00

Sometimes I wish everything could just stay the same. I got sad today because everything is different now and I don't like it. I mean, I'm happier than I've been in ages and ages, but I wish I could go back in time to other happy instances and freeze them and keep them that way instead of having them evolve as is the natural course of things.

First I was (am) sad because my best friend from college is getting married tomorrow. Well, I'm not sad about that part. I'm sad about the part where we've fallen so out of touch that I'm not going and don't feel a part of her celebration in any way. When I left New York almost seven years ago I had an incredibly close group of friends...and they're still close with each other despite now being spread out across the US and have all been bridesmaids in each other's weddings--and I'm not. It was my choice to move so far away so long ago, but I wish I could've kept those friendships the way they once were. Last summer I flew back for the wedding of a different friend in that group. I never in a million years expected to be a bridesmaid in that wedding, but when I got there and discovered everyone else was I kind of died a little. Again, I know it was my choice to leave and that through that choice I've missed out on years of in-person friendship, but it still makes me sad.

I'm also sad because two of my close friends here aren't speaking to each other anymore. When I first came to Jerusalem I had a ton of close friends, and they've almost all left. These two are of the very few from those days who are still here and I love them both very much. I only have the slightest idea what caused their falling out and I have no desire to know any details. I realize they each need to do what's best for them, and if what that is not speaking to each other then so be it and it has nothing to do with me...except for the part where my already small social circle has now disintegrated. I mean, I'm being selfish because this has nothing to do with me, but today, for example, we decided to have some people over for snacks and games, and the two of them would normally have been the first people to be invited, but instead I didn't invite either of them because I couldn't choose. I know friendships can't stay the same forever and I can still be friends with each of them individually, but sometimes I just wish we could take the best parts of 2007 (or 2006 or 2008 or 2009) and keep them going.

Lifestyle Change, or, Confessions of a Hypocrite

2011-04-05T20:48:00.001+03:00

A few weeks I was invited to a party that I didn't particularly want to go to. I didn't want to go because I knew that aside from the host and one to three other friends, I wouldn't know a soul there. I also knew that this was a crowd of people that I didn't want to know--not because I think they're bad in any way, but because they were primarily a here-for-the-year crowd. Beyond that, I have never been one for enjoying crowds of strangers or striking up conversations with people I don't know. That said, I went anyway, to support my friend the host.

After I had made enough small talk to be polite and monopolized enough of the host's time by being anti-social with him in the corner, I figured it was okay to leave. As I was heading out, a friend arrived. "I was just leaving," I told her. "I can't be bothered to talk anymore to people I don't know."

I strongly believe I could have just as easily made this comment at any point in the past ... well, since I started going to parties more than a decade ago, since I don't like talking to people I don't know and never have. But she didn't hear it that way. She then berated me for being insensitive, reminding me that since I have a boyfriend I don't have to force myself to talk to new people all the time but single people have to view every invitation as as an opportunity with potential, however unlikely.

I never particularly subscribed to this school of thought. Every time I struck up a conversation with an unknown male (which trust me, was extremely rarely) it lasted on average 32.5 seconds. Despite the fact that nearly everybody in the world told me I had to "put myself out there" I hardly ever did. It sounded horrible for me. While that certainly works for many people I knew it wasn't right for me--if I felt so awkward and unsettled there was no way any member of the opposite sex would find me charming, endearing, attractive, or interesting, and I knew that, and I knew that's how talking to strange boys felt to me. I always said I wanted to meet a boy in my apartment and everybody, including myself, laughed at me, but guess what? I met AB in my apartment. (Well, technically we met in someone else's apartment, but our first three real conversations were all in my apartment.)

Not to mention the fact that boyfriend or no boyfriend, social awkwardness or no, I am a few years past the stage of intentionally talking to strangers who are only here for the year. (It has happened that I've met someone through a friend and we hit off and become friends despite their impending departure, but it's never been intentional, and they've all been girls anyway).

Still. I feel like a giant hypocrite. First, for not being sensitive enough to single people. I was single and hopeless for so long and felt slighted so often that I actually feel guilty for having a boyfriend. While my other single friends dated I almost never did and I was the poster child for being a strong independent woman. My friends have even told me that they knew that no matter what happened to them in their love lives, I'd still be there, single, to hang out with them. And now, I feel like I've betrayed them, and I guess part of myself too. Even though another part of me feels like I deserve this so much. And how dare anyone be mad at me for finally being so happy (and to redeem myself just a little, I want to clarify that it's not being in a relationship that makes me happy, it's being in this one.) But then I feel like a hypocrite again.

Second, for not going out a lot anymore. Again, I'm not entirely willing to pin this one on being in a relationship, because I do think it's normal and ok that I don't run around the same way as a working stiff at 29 as I did as a Pardes student at 24. Still, it's true. What did I do on NYE? Have dinner at home with another couple. What did I do on Purim? Go to a quiet gathering of mostly becoupled people.On one hand, I really miss the excitement of getting ready for a night out, wondering what might happen, who might be there, even though I always knew exactly what would happen, which was either a) nothing or b) crying. But there's no longer that thrill and that makes me want to go out less. On the other hand, I am relieved, because while I always liked gatherings of friends, I was never ever into parties where I don't know the people. But that relief makes me feel like a giant hypocrite.

Third, and this is probably the worst, I don't see my friends as much anymore. Again, I'm not going to pin this solely on being with AB. Consider: I started a new job two weeks before starting to date AB. In the past one reason I was such a social butterfly was because working by myself from home every day drove me crazy and I needed to not be at home. Now that I work in an office I am home much less and when I come home I am tired and want to just be at home. Having a boyfriend just compounds that. Also, as I said above, I don't think it's unreasonable, boyfriend or not, that as I get older I want to run around less. Furthermore, most of my friends now also are in relationships, and/or don't live in the same city as me. Whenever I feel guilty about this, I need to remind myself that phones work in two directions and this may not be entirely my fault. Still. Even with all this justification, I don't really think I need to explain why this makes me feel like a hypocrite and a terrible person.

2nd Annual Indian Feast

2011-04-01T17:17:00.003+03:00

I spent the day today preparing for my 2nd Annual Indian Feast. Last year's event, which was held mid-April, was noteworthy for three reasons, in order of importance (ok, just kidding, you can decide the order of importance for yourself): 1) I made cheese; 2) My pre-dating courtship with AB began; and 3) I made all my guests name their favorite dictator and/or genocide. I'm not sure if it was the paneer or the dictators that made him agreed to be pursued by me.

Tonight's meal will not feature paneer (homemade or store-bought) nor will I harp on genocide, but it will feature: onion naan and garlic naan, mulligatawny soup, dal, vegetable biryani, channa masala, aloo gobi, and sweet potato koftas. Plus I'm sure copious amounts of alcohol. And obviously excellent company.

I'm really excited for tonight. If last year's incarnation of this event brought me AB, I can't wait to see who I get this year! ;)

PS I was so excited about who I might meet tonight that I forgot to mention the two other things I'm super excited about:

Daylight Savings Time has finally reached Israel! This makes me so happy. I love when it's light out.
I finally booked my tickets for Brother and the Canadienne's wedding! I will arriving in NY on Aug 12 and returning to Israel Aug 29. AB (who still needs to book his tickets but will do so in the next few days) and I will drive up to Toronto, probably with my parents, where we will be Aug 18-22. The rest of the time I expect to be in the NY area. So excited, even if it is still 4.5 months off...

Sickie

2011-03-29T20:01:00.000+02:00

I did something new today. I called in sick to work. I have never done that before. As a student, I skipped class if I really wasn't feeling well, but I've never missed work for being sick. Now, to be fair, I've only worked in an office for coming up on two years of my whole life. Remember, I worked from home for nearly four years, at which time if I were sick I would just have less productive days and make up the hours the next day. Still, my first sick day ever. Not bad.

Well, aside from the being sick part. I hate being sick. I am a terrible patient. Mostly I just whine and feel sorry for myself, as though nobody has ever come down with a common cold before. Luckily I have a very patient and caring boyfriend who last night brought me fresh soup (for dinner) and instant soup (so I'd have lunch today) and who said he'd bring me soup again tonight. I'm still whiny though.

Until Today

2011-03-23T17:05:00.000+02:00

As I'm sure you've heard, there was a bombing in Jerusalem today outside Binyanei Hauma (near the central bus station). As of this writing it's unconfirmed exactly what happened--I'm hearing reports that it was a bomb left at a bus stop, not a suicide bomber. Either way, I hope this is just an isolated incident.

When I heard about this (from facebook initially, while sitting at my desk at work) my first thought was not of the injured, or even of my friends, hoping that they were ok. It was simply: I cannot go through this again. Selfish, I think. What I've learned about myself is that intifadas make me selfish (not that we're having an intifada again, tfu tfu tfu).

When I was here in 2002 for six months of the previous intifada I worried, sure, but I also didn't. I don't even know what I was thinking then--I remember feelig very adamantly that terror wasn't going to stop me, but I can't even comprehend that anymore. There were times when I was on a bus and did some racial profiling and got nervous and got off. There was a time that I couldn't get in touch with someone I knew after a bombing, when the last I knew of his whereabouts was at the place of the bombing. There was even the time a bomb exploded at a place shortly after I left. But honestly? I was more worried about being caught by an inspector for riding the bus with a kartisyat noar than I was of being blown up. I ignored the people back home who worried for me, shaking my head at them for picturing me dodging bullets. I wasn't living in an actual war zone; I was living in a normal, modern, Western city where there was life to be lived, even as we learned that if you hear more than one siren at a times it means there's been an incident.

It wasn't until I returned home that I realized how traumatic and stressful the whole thing was. How much I feared for my life and lives of everybody I knew on a daily basis. It's actually pretty unbelievable how quickly I, a sheltered, priveliged college student who had never encountered any real hardship or suffering, adapted to a life of fear as though it were the most normal way to live. Which is I guess the only way you can live through these things while retaining any sanity--to just readjust your standards of what consitutes normal.

But when I got home I found myself one day sitting literally on the edge of my blue plastic seat with knots tightly wound into my hunched up back as my empty bus sped down Riverside Drive, furtively looking around for anyone who might be wearing a bomb under his coat. That's when I realized that perhaps I was suffering from some PTSD despite not even realizing I was living through TS as it was happening. Still, I maintained that anybody could be blown up anywhere (I know this is technically true, and keep in mind that this whole period took place right after I had been in NY on 9/11, but there are some places where one is more likely to be blown up than other places) and I yearned to go back to Jerusalem.

By the time I made it back two and a half years later, the intifada was winding down and Jerusalem really did feel like the normal, Western (ish) city I had deemed it to be. There was no reason to fear getting on a bus or going to a crowded place (though I will admit that when I am on a bus I sometimes wonder about how the explosion will go. But at the same time as having these thoughts I don't actually believe they'll come to fruition). Since being back here I have lived through Israel being attacked by hundreds of missiles, two wars, and incidents of terror in the settlements. But none of those things made me fear for my life in particular. (I feel like I am sounding so selfish and callous here, but that's how I felt--that terrible things might be happening and that was upsetting, but I always felt at least moderately safe). Aside from a spate of terror tractors a few summers ago (remember those?) my life in Jerusalem has been pretty quiet.

Until today. For all the obvious reasons I hope today's incident is isolated. Despite the missile attacks earlier in the day in the south. Despite the killings in Itamar a few weeks ago. Despite the calls on facebook for a third intifada. Despite. Despite. Despite. This time I won't be so brazen. But I will still picture buses blowing up as they pass by, and I will worry about my friends all the time.

I pray it won't come to that. Jerusalem really is my home now, and I don't go to that other home in six months' time.

2011-03-22T21:56:00.003+02:00

March 22, 2011

Before I was in a relationship I thought a lot of things that now make me a hypocrite. Or, a person matured by her experiences. A lot of these thoughts had to do with engagement. Mainly, I couldn't understand the point of "getting engaged to get engaged." As far as I saw it, once you decide that one day you'll be engaged, doesn't that therefore make you engaged? (Sort of like Brother's long-standing point that if there is always a 30% chance of rain guaranteed, what you really mean is that it won't rain--0%).

Anyway, my feelings on this matter have evolved, or rather, matured. Seeing as that tonight AB and I discussed in clear unambiguous terms when we'd get engaged (not if, but when), I guess you could say that we're engaged to be engaged. Which makes us...engaged? Well, on one hand, kinda sorta yes. On the other hand, no. Because I now see that "getting engaged" isn't for the couple, or not for the couple alone. It's for when the couple decides that they're ready to share their relationship with their loved ones. It's not about making a formal commitment to one another. Or at least, that's how it is in our case. For a number of reasons we aren't ready to announce that we plan to wed (though let's be honest, everybody knows that we aren't breaking up), but it isn't because one or both of us have doubts.

I now see that "getting engaged" is a process. It's not that one day we're unsure, and then there's a proposal, and suddenly we're like, oh, ok, now we're ready even though we weren't yesterday! It's not that today, or in x months from now when the "official engagement" happens I suddenly feel secure in my relationship when I didn't before. I've been secure the whole time (I know it sounds gross but I knew from the very beginning that this wasn't going to end), and that security has been building up evermore from the first date.

The first time we talked about the future was in December. I think that's when I decided I could marry him. In the course of a long conversation I said I envisioned a future wherein we lived together. He said he pictured that too. I decided that was as far as I needed to push it just then.

In January we talked about it again. He said he knew I thought about the future and he wasn't ready just yet but thought he'd be ready to buy an apartment for me to live in with him within the year, no promises. I timidly asked if he pictured us living together as married people or in sin. He said both were worth considering. I felt happy and relieved and secure.

In February, over dinner one night, we started talking timelines. This was probably when we first "got engaged to be engaged," if you want to be technical about it.

Then tonight, we talked about it some more. Clearly. Using statements like "when we get engaged" and "should we do it in the summer or in Israel." And then I told him the things I want and don't want, despite my protestations of feminism and my previously held convictions.

I never wanted a big production. I still don't. I don't want to be the last to know. I also kind of always thought proposals were altogether dumb and why should the girl wait around for her beloved to surprise her with a piece of expensive jewelry after weeks of fretting about is today the day?! But as I was talking I knew that there's a part of me that does want that. It isn't necessary and I won't be disappointed if I don't get it, but even as AB mentioned that I could always propose to him, and I said maybe I would, I knew that I wouldn't.

So much for convictions.

The Future, in List Form

2011-03-22T19:26:00.001+02:00

Here are a bunch of fun things AB and I are planning to do in the coming seasons:

[Indoor] rock-climbing
Shooting range
Ice skating
At least one more fancy meal
Weekend away to a zimmer up north--this trip will hopefully include good food (obviously), wineries, the electric car, and/or horse-back riding
Camping weekend
Trip to North America to coincide with Brother and Canadienne's wedding in August

You will note that should we do these things (and we should! and will!) I will in the process accomplish several of my grand to-do list goals. You might also note that several of these activities were recent group buys. Anyway, in case you can't tell, I'm really looking forward to spring and summer.

1868

2011-03-11T12:28:00.000+02:00

This isn't review so much as written testament to the parade of gastric delights that satiated us last night when AB and I dined at 1868 with HebrewUSarah, Sticks, and Y.

I'll admit my first impression based on ambiance alone wasn't one of overwhelming impressiveness. The menu claims the building that houses the restaurant is the oldest stone structure built outside the city walls, and that may be, but the set up, despite the white tablecloths dressed in fancy cutlery and generous wine glasses, with an understated tray of sea salt, was very inviting. It's possible that had we gone just as a couple, I would have found the seating more intimate and cozy, but my first impression, seated as we were at a round table near the entrance of building with wrap-around rooms was of being squished in a cavernous space. As the night wore on though, I stopped noticing this, and even though the acoustics were not amazing, the music that tinkled unobstrusively in the background throughout was.

I was the last to arrive due to the failure of my bus to collect me on time, and when I got there a waitress was telling the table something. As I got settled she said she'd be back with menus. A while later, after a bit of confusion about whether we wanted English or Hebrew (they asked, we said whichever, the waitress said in that case she'd be back with the Hebrew and then started to run away with the English menus she was holding until we told her we'd take those, which seemed to surprise her) we got our menus, though not a wine list. Nobody told us any specials, but a friend of mine had been to the restaurant the night before and told me he had the taster menu, which did not appear as an option on our menus, so when then the waiter returned to take our order forever later, I asked him about it, and he was all, "oh yes, we have that." So AB and I ordered that: it included to starters, two mains, and a dessert for each of us--chef's choice (though I said no raw fish for me and AB said no cooked fish for him) and smaller than the normal dishes. I'll get the rest of the negative out of the way here--that we had to ask for the wine list and that the service throughout was just a bit too slow--since from the moment we ordered the night became perfect.

First we got our wine, which AB and Sticks selected--a Petit Castel from Domaine du Castel of the Judean Hills, which was a full-bodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot with a hint of oakiness. AB sniffed the cork when the sommelier brought it out, and from his face we knew it was a good selection. We all agreed that the wine aged well throughout the meal.

We were then brought freshly baked bread with olive oil and balsamic and an interesting bright pink dip that we surmised to be beetroot with garlic--the waiter later confirmed it was beetroot with aoli. After that was our first course. HUS and Y ordered the root vegetable soup (Y's with black truffles) and Sticks got the shallot tartin. AB and I waited for our first surprise--root vegetable soup for both of us. The soup, which was topped with toasted almonds, was delicious (and came in beautiful bowls). The soup was served with a biscuit tucked along the side of the bowl, which I took to be mainly for show, but it too was amazing. I sampled Sticks's tartin, which was also divine--along with the shallot they included a bit orange, which gave the dish a sharper, sweeter, more unique flavor. During this course we realized that what set the food at 1868 apart was the subtle attention to small additions, like the divine soup biscuit and the orange in the tartin.

Next up was the second appetizer for me and AB. In a very nice gesture, the chef provided endive salads for our three dining companions. AB got the calf's sweetbreads with a horseradish puree as a side sauce, while I was served beef carpaccio. My carpaccio was out of this world--very fine meat topped with very tiny cubes of beet and toast (croutons, I guess) with a horseradish flavor. The meat practically melted in mouth while the rest of the flavors exploded around. I'm glad they gave AB the sweetbreads, because we never would've ordered them on our own, but it was fun to taste them. I pretended they weren't insides and took a bite. The meat itself was surprisingly soft (well, maybe not surprisingly, since they are internal organ--from the Hebrew these ones seemed to be tonsil), but it was char-cooked, and thus the flavor was a bit too smokey for my taste.

Next came the mains. Sticks got duck leg confit, which was braised to perfection. HUS got lambchops, which were soft and delicious and served on a bed of lentil with a sprinkling of pomegranate (again, the subtle touches that brought the food to the next level). Y ordered the pan-seared sea bass on risotto, which is what the chef chose for me as well. AB was given lamb skewers. The fish too was cooked to perfection and was presented with a dollop of spicy tomato paste. The risotto, while quite good, was probably the least impressive thing we were served all night. AB's lamb skewers were charred (but not too smoky for me this time) on the outside but retained their juiciness on the inside. Again, perfection.

After that was done AB and I still had another main course to go. This time our dining companions were not presented with an on-the-house course, but I was given lamb stew (served in a coveted ceramic blue pot) and AB was given aged entrecote with marrow and roasted potatoes. The streak was so juicy (and I purport to not even like steak) with a bit of a kick in the spicing. The waiter was excited to explain that the marrow was there for the sucking, but I wasn't so into that. The lamb in my stew was of the melt-in-your-mouth variety, and the vegetables added a fullness, the the dish was not heavy. The spicing was subtle and completed the dish.

Normally when we go out to these fancy restaurants (ok, it's happened 3 times before) we forgo dessert, being too stuffed to enjoy it and figuring that the dessert menu doesn't look all that great. But this time our meal came with dessert, and who are we to argue? Sticks and Y also ordered dessert--a strawberry marzipan affair for Y, which I did not taste, and chocolate soup for Sticks. Sticks was presented with a bowl with a pastry in the middle and some berries and the bottom. It actually looked kind of meager. But then the waiter came with a pitcher of chocolate and elegantly filled the bowl. This was probably the showiest part of dinner, and quite a good show. The soup was rich and good too, but the best dessert was the one selected for AB. He had a hot chocolate souffle tucked into a ceramic pot and topped with banana slices and banana toffee. This was some of the smoothest, richest chocolate I have had in a while, a fuller taste than the chocolate soup, which almost tasted like it could've been milk chocolate (which it wasn't obviously, it being a kosher restaurant). As for me, I had the profiterole with a berry sauce dribbled on top. It was good, especially for being parve. I also had a roibus tea and Sticks had earl gray (both served in teapots, yay). To me tea is tea, but to Sticks's British taste buds, tea is sometimes good and sometimes terrible. He started off a little worried that his tea was too weak, but he eventually came to praise the tea as some of the best he's had and wanted to know where the restaurant bought it. Y and AB each had a digestif instead of tea--AB wanted sambuka but they didn't have any, so they both had porte.

And then we paid our bill, which was a lot, but not actually insane, and headed out into the rain, content and satiated from a near-perfect dining experience.

#2 of 30: Photography Lessons

2011-03-08T20:31:00.000+02:00

In an effort to make my way through my List and more importantly, to achieve some tangible goals, which was the whole point of the List to begin with, I started my photography lessons on Friday. AB packed up his fancy camera with its four lenses and he set out to teach me some stuff.

First I learned about his four lenses and in which situations you'd want to use each. (He has a wide angle lens, a 50 mm lens, and then 2 lenses that zoom in to various distances). I practiced taking shots with all of them to get a feel for what they each could do.

Then we had a lesson about light and the three different settings to pay attention to to get the exact right kind of light in the image in different situations (shutter speed, ISO, and aperture). Next time I will experiment with these settings instead of letting the camera do it for me.

In the meantime, here are some of my early efforts ;)

Deals

2011-03-04T11:10:00.000+02:00

I have to admit something. I've never been one for deals. I mean, sure I like them, and I'm pleased with myself when I stumble across one and end up saving money, but I have never been interested in seeking them out. This may seem odd since I come from a line of bargain shoppers and I'm always nervous about money and don't love to part with it, but I just don't have the patience and I kinda figure, as much as I don't love parting with my money, sometimes I find things that I would love to own, so you know, that love trumps I guess.

I've also never been one for online shopping. I mean, I've done it, but I guess a combination of living in a place where the main companies don't ship and that doesn't have its own thriving online industry and being able to better resist materialism when the goods aren't directly in front of me like in a store means that I just haven't ever gotten into it.

But this recent proliferation in Israel of group deal sites has changed both these fronts. With I think seven different deal sites sending me daily emails I have gotten out of control. My salary might as well skip my bank account and go directly to these websites. Well ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. I think I've only bought about ten deals so far. Let's see:

1) 80 for 200 NIS voucher for Gabriel, a fancy restaurant that we went to in December
2) 50 for 100 NIS voucher for Sir Peleh, a housewares store--AB and I each got one and the other day we went and bought a wok, a rolling pin, a baking pan, and 2 whiskey glasses
3) 50 for 100 NIS of beads for jewelry making--Nili and I have plans to go next week
4) 60 for 350 NIS of gym classes (5 classes)--I meant to go to my first Zumba class yesterday but it was at 6 and I didn't get out of work till after 5:30, so... next week I hope?
5) 80 for 200 NIS at 1868, another fancy restaurant, to which we have plans to go on Thursday
6) 50 for 100 NIS of indoor rock-climbing (for 2 people)--we'll go at some point this month

Hmm, this may be all so far. There was the cooking class I really wanted but was shut out of. And then the 2 restaurant deals that AB bought (Marakia and Buffalo). And AB just sent me a weekend-in-a-villa deal to check out, so maybe that?

Stupidness

2011-03-01T21:55:00.000+02:00

This evening I decided to actually cook myself dinner even though I was home by myself (usually I only can be bothered to cook if someone else will be joining me for the consumption of the food). I went to get my Bittman off the shelf and in so doing knocked over a completely full bottle of scotch, which obviously shattered. (My scotch and my cookbooks share a shelf, which has now proven to be really dumb. My apartment, while spacious, doesn't really have all that much space for putting things.) After cleaning up the alcohol on my floor, I went to cook, only to discover that I didn't even own the ingredients I needed. So I wound up just eating a can of beans with melted cheese. And my apartment smells like a college bar on a Thursday night.

Aside from that though, life's not all that bad these days.

1 Out of 30: Pickling

2011-02-20T22:02:00.000+02:00

On Friday, with the assistance of my two fabulous sous-chefs AB and Melissa, I made pickles, thereby completing the first of 30 things I hope to do this year. (Actually, the list only has 29 things right now; I'm still looking for a 30th...).

Making pickles is really not hard, though of course there are many more kinds I hope to try in the future. In addition to wanting to make pickles because it is cool, it is also essential for me because I only like half-sours, a variety they do not sell in this country. I hate--HATE--the pickles they have here. Which is a shame, because I really do love crunchy half-sours that come with a pastrami on rye sandwich from the kosher deli. Yum.

So obviously we made half-sours, or a variation thereof. The recipe we followed was for "kosher pickles," which came out like half-sours. I thought maybe they'd be dills since kosher dills is a thing and we put in dill, but whatever they are, yum.

(The best pickle I have ever had in my life, btw, was a half-sour chili pickle from Gus's on the LES. I will probably try to emulate this next time I pickle, now that I have the basics down.)

So, here's a survey in pictures of the pickling process:

Chop up cucumbers

Add kosher salt to boiling water. Then add ice cubes to the water (I see a way to streamline these steps in the future...)

Add cucumbers, garlic, and dill to the cooled off boiled salt water

Cover the cucumbers/dill with water. Place a dish on top. Place a weight on top of the dish. Wait 24-48 hours.

My New Lover

2011-02-19T23:42:00.001+02:00

First, a clarification: I meant for my previous post to just be a glimpse into all the fanciful things that occur in my imagination. I thought I made that clear, buy my panel of reviewers informs me otherwise. I am not engaged and have no plans to have a wedding any time soon. If and when that time comes, you will know. Trust me.

Next: My new love affair. It is with Mark Bittman, formerly a food writer for the NYT and the author of How to Cook Everything and its companion volume, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. When I was in the States a year ago I purchased the latter, but the tome weighs about 50 million pounds, and I didn't have room to bring it back with me. So my parents brought it to me when they were visiting, and yesterday I cooked from it for the first time. Well, first I spent a few hours just flipping through its 1000 pages. The reason I love this book so much (aside from the fact that the food from it came out delicious) is that it's a real compendium--in addition to recipes it contains lists upon lists (and you know how I love lists) of ideas of how to change recipes, use various ingredients, etc. Anyway, for lunch today I served:

challah with salatim and cheese (leftover from a night of class and taste--see below)
homemade pickles (the first item from my 30 list that I did)
pear-beat-walnut-roquefort salad brought by a guest
tomato-basil-mozzarella salad
black bean-corn-avocado salad (from Bittman, with slight improvisation)
tomato-onion quiche (also a Bittman improv, and not as well-loved as the rest of the food)
potato and lentil curry (from Bittman--soooo good!)
edamame
risotto frittata (Bittman, obv--I never would've come up with that delicious idea on my own)
chili, mint, and plain fudge, leftover from a night of class and taste), with strawberries

So yes, this night of class and taste: A few weeks ago some friends and I had the idea to do a private wine-tasting, wherein every attendee would chip in 60 NIS and AB and another wine connoisseur friend would go buy a few bottles of good wine for us to then gather and taste. So we invited ten people, purchased wine, procured cheese, made fudge (me) and crackers (Chavaleh) and strawberries in balsamic sauce, put on some jazz, and tastefully sipped wines. The wines included a 2009 Cab Sauvignon from Dalton, a 2008 blend from Agur (Kessem), a 2008 Cab Sauvignon from Adir (Kerem Ben Zimra), a 2006 Metsuda Reserve blend from Tzuba, a 2006 Merlot from Yarden, and the 2007 Mediterranean blend from Carmel. We hope to do it again.

Also: the pickles! I finally made pickles, thereby completing one out of 30 things to do before October. I will write more about this in the next post, but now I must go to bed.

I've Always Been a Planner

2011-02-13T22:17:00.000+02:00

These days I am totally obsessed with fantasizing about buying a house. Well, not just buying. Also totally designing from scratch and furnishing. This is a huge problem because houses in Jerusalem are really expensive. Forget houses--apartments even. And I barely make enough money to not be in the red every month. So you know, that's sort of a limiting agent. Nonetheless, one of my favorite things to do as of late is to tell AB at random intervals the ideas I have for our house. Now, let's note that we are not actually considering buying a house and it's not even on the agenda in any way except for when I declare things like we we need to make sure that our four-story house in Baka has rooftop access or a full bar in the furnished basement.

The other problem is that the more I add special features to my dream house in its dream location, the harder it is to face the reality that if I do ever get to own something it will most likely be on the edge of the city (I really cannot entertain notions of leaving Jerusalem for a suburb. I mean, Jerusalem kinda of is a suburb in terms of its urbanity) and the size of pea. In the meantime though, every time I go to a friends' apartment I make careful note of the things I want to incorporate into my own home one day (hopefully soon).

It should be noted (actually, it probably shouldn't be) that my mind has been working overtime coming up with fanciful ideas for my wedding, though that also really isn't on anyone's real-life agenda. (But such fun ideas! Like elephants! Playing in a band! Also, realer ideas.)

It's just, it's so much more fun thinking about these things than about real life. And you know, I've always been a planner.

News

2011-02-06T22:05:00.001+02:00

In food news, I owe you the following:

a review of Angelica, where I ate leg of goose with my visiting parents and AB Thursday night;
Thai food recipes from our cooking class in Thailand back in November;
the recipe for the lentil-orzo casserole I made for dinner Friday night

I hope to get to these things eventually.

In other food news, I had the most delicious hot chocolate in the whole world today (in the presence of excellent company). It came from Babette's. Unlike most Israeli hot chocolate it was not hot milk with melted mekupelet but rather creamy, thick, liquid chocolate pudding. It was amazing, and only 14 NIS for a large cup. Yum.

In non-food news, I have not lifted a single finger towards doing a single thing on my 30 list. Time to get cracking on this. Hopefully soon.

In life news, my parents met my boyfriend. This seems like it should be a big deal but it wasn't really. Everybody seemed to get along just fine.

In world news, there's stuff happening in Egypt. People not-from-here keep asking me what I think about the situation. I don't know why they think I'd have any special thoughts about it. I guess this makes me a bad global denizen and/or not intellectual, but I don't actual have so many thoughts about it. I kind of feel like I don't know what's going to happen and maybe this is good and maybe it's bad so I'll worry about this if and when I have to and in the meantime I will live my life normally. But I guess I must be worried at some level because the other night I dreamed I was in a nuclear war. In a Chinese temple. And was then teleported to South Africa. And then had to get from there to Miami via pulley. So maybe that dream wasn't about Egypt after all.

Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes, or, Death in a Wrapper

2011-02-01T21:38:00.001+02:00

Here's another recipe for you all.

So one of the things about AB is that he reads food blogs and likes to send me recipes he finds. After this happened a few times back In The Beginning, I finally replied, "Um, are you expecting me to make these for you?" and I wasn't sure if I was joking or not, and he replied of course not, they were just for my perusal, which of course means that I get a lot of pleasure out of baking these recipes for him (and sometimes we make them together, but I do love to surprise him with baked goods--now you know why he keeps me around). Anyway, this recipe was one that he sent me a while ago that I got around to baking randomly last Wednesday. I'm not sure where he found it but it seems to come originally from Martha Stewart, one of my favorite fellow Barnard alums.

Ingredients:
21 oreos
1 pound of cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
salt

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 275F
2) Line a muffin tin and put a whole oreo in the bottom of each
3) Beat cream cheese on high speed. Add sugar, vanilla, eggs, sour cream, salt
4) Crumble up the remaining cookies and stir them in
5) Pour the batter into the lined cups

6) Bake for 22 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate

Makes 12 cupcakes.

I tasted these raw (as I do all baked goods) and they made me want to die. But then I ate them cooked and they were delicious and made me want to die in a totally different kind of way. And then after AB and I each ate one, I decided they could not live in my house so I tupperwared them up and brought them to Shabbat dinner a few days later.

Topolino

2011-01-28T12:59:00.000+02:00

First, a few blog things. You might have noticed a few more pages up top, which I just put there. I'm also still playing around with the design/color scheme a little, so please share your thoughts/suggestions. And also, I added a blogroll over there on the side. I think most of my friends don't have blogs anymore (I know, I'm so 2004), but if you I should add let me know.

Moving on...

One of the reasons I took a hiatus from blogging, which I sort of forgot about when I started up again, was the whole violation of privacy thing. The hard part about this, however, is not regarding my own privacy--I can decide for myself what I feel comfortable sharing, and sometimes it's been more and sometimes less. Of course, during periods of less, it's been harder to come up with things to write about (since apparently I'm not an "ideas person" and can only think of topics that are about me, it seems). But the real problem is the violating the privacy of others. So many of the interesting things that I want to share are my interactions or experiences with other people, but I don't always feel totally at liberty to share these since they aren't just about me.

So while I figure out this balance again, I'll provide another restaurant review of sorts in the meantime.

A few nights ago I found myself in the shuk after doing a few errands and managed to hit up three different eateries. First I decided to stop at Mousseline (sp?), a gourmet ice cream shop on the same little alley where the Indian restaurant of yore used to be (I think that storefront is now a Moshiko, but I'm not certain). I love this ice cream shop for its unique (yuppie) flavors. As usual, I sampled the chocolate, chai (they call it tavlinim in Hebrew and I forget how they translate it, but it's chai), and saffron selections. This time, the basil caught my eye so I decided to taste that too. I usually get a half scoop of chocolate and a half scoop of chai (not surprisingly, the chai chocolate is my favorite at my favorite chocolate shop, Roi). However, the basil was amazing, so I had some deciding to do. In the end the guy convinced me that basil and chai together was delicious and not disgusting. Despite my skepticism, I followed his orders, and he was not wrong. Yum.

That was going to be the end of it, but then I remembered that AB and I had made plans to "do something fun" that night, so I called him to see if he thought fun was going to happen in the town area before hopping on a bus back to my neck of the woods. He agreed that fun should happen in the shuk area (and let's be clear about something, 9 times out of 10 "fun" for me and AB means eating in a non-mediocre restaurant). He was still at work though, so I decided to take my reading material (never leave the house without reading material!) and sit in a nearby cafe until he arrived.

I ended up in Hayo Haya, a cafe on the corner of Agrippas right before the shuk. I'd passed it a million times but had never been inside. All I ordered was a chai, which came in a teapot, so props, and I sat nursing it while reading the previous week's New Yorker, but I did glance at the menu. It seemed to offer a range of cafe food, but what was notable was that the menu was divided in that very trendy au currant way where items are categorized by price.

When AB finally showed up we decided to go to Topolino, which I think is the best (and really the only worthwhile) Italian restaurant in Jerusalem. I was first introduced to this bistro by some grad school friends a few years ago, and I was excited to introduce it to AB (it is not often I know of a good restaurant he's never been to, unless it's new). The restaurant is located on Agrippas past the open shuk. The whole thing has maybe 10 tables in it, and sometimes you need a reservation there. I think it appeals to the snob side of me--it's not really a secret and enough people know about it that it's always crowded, but it feels like a find and the reservations thing makes it seem worthwhile and a little exclusive. Anyway, we didn't have a reservation, but there were two women dining at a four top so we were able to just separate and occupy half their table.

The menu is quite interesting--not just standard predictable Italian fare (don't get me wrong--I love Italian food and will happily eat the usual kind, but I also appreciate a creative menu). In addition to their laminated menu they have a paper list of specials, which I think might be the specials every day. Anyway, from the specials list we decided on an appetizer of artichokes with tomatoes and cheese. Since we weren't that hungry (see above re: ice cream and tea), we agreed that one main would be enough for the both of us. So we had to decide between the gnocchi romanesca from the specials menu or the pizza bianca from the general menu. A woman, who from her demeanor and from my eavesdropping on her conversations with other diners I surmise to be the owner, came over to take our order and we told her we wanted an appetizer and were debating between the two mains. She told us we had to get both mains, so we gave up the appetizer and ordered the pizza bianca and the gnocchi. And wine, obviously. I got an Ella Valley blend, which was light and full, and AB got a heavier red whose type I had never heard of and that I can't remember right now.

Like any respectable Italian restaurant Topolino brings out bread to begin with. However, not forgetting that we're still in Israel, where complimentary bread is not the norm, the bread they bring is just two thin slices of baguette. Still, the accompanying spread (butter infused with something that tasted like sweet mustard) was delicious and there's no need to fill up on bread.

Next came salad, which was a bowl of lettuce with a few cherry tomatoes covered in a honey mustard dressing. You know how I feel about lettuce, so eh.

The first hot thing to come out was our pizza. The pizza alone could have fed a party twice our size, but between the two of us we managed to eat 5 slices anyway. What made this pizza noteworthy was its inspired combination of sweet and salty/pungent. On top of the thin crust sat a mix of zucchini, gorgonzola, and pear, with some fresh herbs. Just when it seemed like the gorgonzola was about to overwhelm the palate, the sweet, juicy flavor of the pear would peek through. (I took the remaining three slices for lunch the next day and it did not microwave well, shockingly).

For me, though, the highlight was the gnocchi. This was not normal gnocchi--rather, we received a bowl of three large (fist-sized) balls of potato dough. Each mound was topped with buffalo mozzarella and the whole thing sat in sea of tomato sauce with a slight arabesca tinge. The flavor in the sauce was so suble--the fresh tomatoes, herbs, basil leaves, and then small understated explosions of chili pepper every few bites. And that is how you take standard Italian fare and create something gourmet.

And the restaurant is reasonably priced--our two glasses of wine and two mains came to under 200 NIS.

Therapized

2011-01-27T08:45:00.000+02:00

Me: I'm easy.
AB: You're mostly easy.
Me: Ok, I'll take it. Wait. What part about me isn't easy?
AB: Well. You're strong-willed and confident.

Chickpeas with Spinach (Spinach with Chickpeas?)

2011-01-27T08:42:00.000+02:00

As you might have noticed, there's been some silence around here, due to an unfortunate incident of internet outage. Luckily, with the help of a some bad customer/technical service at HOT, some great customer service at Netvision, and a talented in-house internet superhero (don't tell anyone, but he even has a cape), my internet is now back. So we can get on with the blogging.

As promised, here's a recipe for Chickpeas with Spinach. (I am going to get a recipe section going, so those of you not inclined to read a mediocre food blog won't have to when you come here looking for the juicy tidbits on my personal life.) Anyway. This recipe comes from the New York Times. I think I found it myself, but it's possible someone sent it to me.

Ingredients:
olive oil
chopped up onion
2ish minced garlic cloves
cumin (the recipe says seeds, I use the ground up spice)
salt
pepper
tomatoes (the recipe says paste, I use fresh, chopped)
1 can chickpeas (the recipe says drained, I use the chickpea juice instead of water)
1 cup water (I skip this part, see above)
cayenne
spinach (they probably mean fresh, I use frozen)

Directions:
1) Saute onion. When translucent, add garlic, cumin, tomatoes, salt
2) When the tomatoes have cooked down a little, add chickpeas, water, cayenne
3) Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, simmer about 10 minutes
4) Add spinach, let it cook down

5) Add pepper and more salt and cayenne if you want

The NYT recipe says this amount serves 3. I'll just say that last Shabbat we served this to 7 people and there were leftovers. I will also say that we served this, after an appetizers course, with cholent, green beans, chicken satay, and edamame. So, you know, maybe without all that other stuff it only serves 3.

I'm also pretty sure this would make a delicious soup, if you cooked it in a pot instead of a pan, added more water, and let it simmer longer.

Chocolate Mousse

2011-01-21T15:42:00.000+02:00

I've been wanting to start a feature on my blog wherein every time I cook something yummy I post the recipe. I'm thinking about setting up a separate tab for this, but in the meantime I'm just writing here. Today I made two things for Shabbat. This post will be dedicated to the second, no-egg chocolate mousse. The next post will be for the first, chickpeas with spinach.

So, the recipe below is for chocolate mousse. I've been making mousse since Noames and I made some to bring to our French class in high school and freaked everybody out when we shared the fact that mousse is made with raw eggs. (I can't remember why we made mousse for French class, but I digress). Anyway, I've never been one to shy away from raw eggs, but recently I've felt nervous about baking with them since every second woman I see seems to be pregnant and feeding raw eggs to pregnant ladies makes me nervous.

The truth is, though, I can't remember why I needed this specific recipe to be eggs-free, since the first time I made it was for the birthday dinner I cooked for AB, who is definitely not a pregnant lady. Maybe it was early enough on in our relationship that I didn't want to freak him out with raw eggs? I can't remember, but I digress again.

Anyway, the recipe below comes from my friend Chava (otherwise known in these here pages as Chavaleh), who got if from the Nestle cookbook, I believe. I first made it for AB's birthday dinner, as noted above, and then for a Shabbat lunch I hosted, and then for a Shabbat lunch at friends'. And now for lunch tomorrow at AB's.

Oh, since this is my first recipe on the blog, I'll say this here: I'm not really one for exact measurements or using or doing anything complicated. So I usually streamline recipes, and I'm going to post here the streamlined versions I use. Don't worry, they come at well all the same, and people like them.

Egg-free Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients (for 2 servings):
1 cup chocolate chips
3 tbs butter, cut up (I've been using margarine since I need the mousse to be parve, but I bet this recipe comes out even more divine with real live butter)
some instant coffee (I sometimes skip this part)
some vanilla (I sometimes skip this too if I don't have vanilla, like today)
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:
1) Microwave chips and butter together for about a minute. Stir, if not melted enough, microwave some more
2) Pour coffee into chocolate, stir
3) Pour vanilla into chocolate, stir
4) In a separate bowl whip the cream on high until stiff peaks form

5) Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture

6) Spoon the mousse into glasses (unless transporating elsewhere; then be less fancy and put it all in a bowl)
7) Refrigerate at least 1 hour
8) Garnish with berries, strawberries, cinnamon sticks, etc

Old and Tired (and Rejuvenated?)

2011-01-18T20:53:00.000+02:00

I have been in a great mood all day. I was relaxed at work, despite the workload that seems only to increase as I complete each new task. Things that would normally make me complain or despair made me laugh. I won't lie: I know exactly why today was so great. I slept for about 11 hours last night.

Ever since increasing my hours and responsibilities at work I've been an exhausted mess. I know that every time I've started a new job the first week or so have been exhausting as I adjust. But I thought this time would be different, since it wasn't really a new new job. But I guess in my old age I'm not as resilient as I used to be and it totally knocked me out.

It wasn't until the beginning of last week that I was able to come home and not want to flop directly into bed (which was good, since Brother was here and I wanted to play with him). Saturday night I was able to drag myself to a birthday party/concert that didn't even begin till after my bedtime (we left before midnight though, don't worry). Sunday I managed to maintain full energy till around 10pm. I thought I was finally going to be ok.

But then yesterday I was so tired that when I got home at 8 I crawled into bed "just to read for a few minutes before doing stuff." The next thing I knew it was 9:30 and my phone was ringing. I managed to (just barely) listen to AB talk for about 15 minutes. Then I had to put him away, and I got in my pajamas properly (I was already obviously wearing sweatpants) and turned out the lights. And slept until 8 o'clock this morning.

This morning I was still a little hazy, exemplified by the fact that I forgot my phone at home, but by the time I was settled at my desk at work I was more awake than I have been in weeks, if not months. I maintained this feeling the whole day, did a few local errands, baked a cake, dealt with some emails that have been sitting in my inbox for way too long, did some freelance work, prepared dinner, spoke to MRM, spoke to AB, and now I'm actually writing in my blog. And I can keep going! And I think I will--maybe I will write something. Or read. Or start tackling my List.

On the other hand, if I go to bed now I can sleep for 11 hours again.

Dreaming Big

2011-01-13T18:16:00.000+02:00

Now that I've delineated 28 out of my 30 to-do list items for the coming year (exactly zero of which I've thus far made any effort to get underway) I've started thinking big--more long term. And I have two long-term goals I'd really like to share with you. One is to travel at least part of the Silk Road (the part that goes through the stans). This is not a new goal and you probably knew this already. The other goal is to own an electric car. (This keeps coming up in conversation, as at least once a week an friend or acquaintance relates their adventures at Better Place, the electric car indoctrination and test drive center near Herzliya that I am dying to visit). I have already told AB that we are doing both those things one day. However, last night over dinner at the pasta bar in the shuk with AB, Brother, and another friend, the suggestion came up to combine these dreams and drive an electric car along the Silk Road. How amazing would that be? Ok, so I'd probably have to bring several trunkfuls of batteries and/or my own generator, but I think I have a new life dream.

Thai Shabbat

2011-01-09T19:39:00.001+02:00

One of the highlights of my Thailand trip in November was the cooking class AB and I took. We decided to do this during our stay on Ko Lanta (an island on the Andaman coast in Thailand's south). The proprietor of our resort arranged for the resort's cook to give us lessons in the resort's kitchen. The cook, who I am going to refer to as he despite the gender ambiguity,* spread our lessons over two days--he taught us how to make bananas in coconut milk and sticky rice with mango the first day (these are both desserts) and our entree of papaya salad and main courses of red curry, pad si lew (like pad thai but with thicker noodles), and pad bai krapow the second day.

Ever since returning from the trip, I have been threatening to cook a Thai feast for my friends. AB and I made good on my threat Friday night in honor of Kil's visit. (Though we didn't start dating until about three years after we first met, Kil is the one responsible for initially introducing us.) I meant to pretend to be a food blogger and take lots of pretty pictures of the delectable dishes in their various states of preparedness, but I forgot. So no pics for you. Sorry.

Anyway. We decided to skip soup and appetizers and just dive in to the main courses. The first thing we made was pad bai krapow. My favorite thing about this dish is its name. You have to do a punching or kicking motion as you say it--it's really fun! Name notwithstanding, the flavors of this dish are really fun too. The main feature of pad bai [punch] krapow is its hot basil-chili sauce. Our first night in Thailand I ordered this from a menu of about ten million options, and it was delicious. So I was really pleased to later discover that this is one of Thailand's main dishes, and that we could learn to make it.

The thing with Thailand is that they have a lot of vegetables we don't have here (or that I have yet to discover where to buy them, at least). Relevant to this dish is hot basil. However, we substituted sweet (normative) basil and it came out quite tasty anyway. For this dish, we used a base of tofu and string beans (but you can substitute any meat and many kinds of veggies). It was quite a hit.

Our second dish (and my favorite) was red curry. Here we used a base of tofu, eggplant, and cauliflower, which we cooked in a curry of red curry paste (which we had bought in Thailand but you can get here), soy sauces, sugar, and coconut milk. The dish we made came out tasting exactly like what we were served in Thailand, and we didn't even use fish sauce in ours!

Our third dish was pad king, which is a ginger stir fry. Finally, we also made pad si lew, which is like pad thai. This is the one dish we put meat in, since we figured the vegetarians would be sadder to miss out on the other dishes since they've probably had pad thai before.

For dessert we made bananas in coconut milk, which was ridiculously easy. All you do is dissolve unrefined sugar and salt into coconut milk, add in chopped up bananas, and boil until the bananas are wrinkly. And voila, dessert.

I am happy to provide recipes upon request (I'm just too lazy to type them up right now).

*The other person whose gender we had trouble distinguishing was the person who administered my Thai massage. It is very weird--but not actually uncomfortable--to have someone touching your whole body and to not be able to figure out if they are male or female. I guess that proves gender is just a social construction or something.
-----
In other news, I added a 27th item to my to-do list (see the page above), so I only need 3 more ideas. I'm going to get started on the list for reals after Brother leaves (he arrives tomorrow), but we'll see if he wants to do any of the things with me. Shoot a gun maybe, or pickle?

30 Before 30, or, Goals for 2011

2011-01-06T19:53:00.002+02:00

As long time readers know, I love making to do lists. Back in 2004 I made my grand list of 80 Things To Do Before I Die. Inspired by that list, undertakings of a few other friends pursuing a year or month of goals, the new year, and a general desire to be a more productive and interesting person, I have come up with a project for myself for the next several months: 30 Before 30.

The point of this project is to compel me to get off my ass and do stuff. The goal is to complete all the items on the list before my 30th birthday in October, though if I complete even a third of them it will be the most productive year I've had since child development ended.

As you'll see below, some of the things are serious endeavors and some are totally random. (And some come from the original 80 Things list). I tried only to choose things that are affordable, reasonable to accomplish in a year or less, and accessible. The biggest restriction to getting these done (aside from inertia) is money and lack thereof, so we'll see how that shapes up. Also, with exception, all of these are things I've never done before.I only have 26 things so far, but I plan to think of four more to add. If you have any ideas, let me know. And I plan to use this space to report and/or reflect on my year of productivity.

Without further ado, I present, in no particular order, a partially annotated 30 Before 30

1) Learn a computer language

This has been on my list since 2004, and I just learned my first "word" (which I don't remember) over the summer. Good thing I am dating a webmaster--a very, very patient webmaster.

2) Make a website

See above.

3) Write a travel essay

4) Learn how to lift weights

So okay, actually I learned this once. But I've forgotten, so I need to learn again.

5) Finish my quilt

I started my quilt more than a decade ago. It's about time I finish the damn thing. Unfortunately I live in Jerusalem and my quilt lives in Croton, so the biggest obstacle here is going to be figuring out the quilt's transatlantic journey.

6) Get a fiction story published

I have a few I'd like to see in print. I hope some editor agrees with that sentiment. And I hope I figure out who accepts submissions and get over my fear of letting someone else read my stuff.

7) Learn how to use a DSLR camera

Good thing said webmaster is also a photographer. (But for the record, this would've been on my list anyway).

8) Sew an article of clothing nice enough to wear

The limiting agent here is a sewing machine. I'm going to look into buying a cheap one somehow.

9) Take a pottery class

I've wanted to do this for years. I hope it isn't too expensive.

10) Drive a motorcycle

Whose I don't know. Maybe at a driving school.

11) Shoot a gun

At the shooting range.

12) Cut someone else's hair

Any volunteers?

13) Visit another new country

14) Sheer a sheep

This was probably the most remarked-upon item from the original 80 Things list. I have no idea where one shears a sheep. Maybe at a colonial manor house in New England?

15) Milk a cow

16) Make pickles

17) Have plants/herbs

Like, grow stuff. Without killing it. And maybe even cook with my herbs!

18) Go rock-climbing

This I have done. But not since I was a kid. And I really want to do it again. I bet it's a lot harder now.

19) Learn to knit

Ok, so I once learned. But I forgot. So I need to learn again.

20) Learn to make kippot

21) Learn Hebrew calligraphy

22) Go camping with AB

We have the location picked out. I'll tell you about it after.

23) Learn to cook Ethiopian food

24) Run a distance

I need to decide on a manageable one. And I think it might be too pathetic to write "a mile."

25) Make ice cream

26) Read a something Greek that everyone else read in high school and/or college (The Iliad?)

I somehow managed to procure not only a high school diploma but also an Ivy League degree without ever having read a single Greek thing. Not one. Maybe it's time to fix that. I'll take recommendations for a good one.

Items 27-30 forthcoming. Ideas welcome.

What I Read, 2010

2011-01-02T20:16:00.000+02:00

Links to my readings lists from years past can be found here.

This was by far the year with the greatest dearth of book reading since I started keeping track, but I'll attribute that to the fact that I read two dense magazines every week (The Economist and The New Yorker) and not to an alarming instance of illiteracy.

So here they are. Favorites (5 this year) are denoted with an asterisk, as always.

1) I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti (lent to me by Avigail)
2) Taxi by Ali Khamissi (lent to me by Avigail)
3) The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al-Aswany (lent to me by Avigail)
*4) The Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine (recommended by somebody, former Mate-of-Room perhaps)
5) The Russian Debutante's Handbook by Gary Shteyngart (recommended by somebody, I think Haywire)
6) My Life in Paris by Julia Child
7) The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (recommended by somebody, I think Haywire)
8) That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
9) The Eaves of Heaven by Andrew X. Pham (recommended by somebody, former Mate-of-Room perhaps)
*10) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
11) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (lent to me by AB, recommended by nearly the entire universe)
12) The Know-It-All by AJ Jacobs
*13) Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (present from grandparents)
14) Ghost Train to the Eastern Star by Paul Theroux (inspired by Brother and the Canadienne)
15) The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich (recommended by somebody, Haywire or fMoR)
16) The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes (given to me by Avigail)
*17) Great House by Nicole Kraus (lent to me by Flo)
18) Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg (recommended by my writing teacher)
*19) Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (given to me by Ilana G by way of AB)

Once again, another year has passed in which I didn't read any real non-fiction (but again, I cite The Economist and The New Yorker as reasonable alternate sources of literacy). Of the 19 books I read, 12 are pure fiction, 6 are memoirs, and 1 is self-help-y.

6 were by women, none of whom went to Barnard as far as I am aware.

Contrary to popular opinion I strongly disliked both the Elegance of the Hedgehog and The Russian Debutante's Handbook and found it very difficult to get through both of them. While I did tear through the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I totally do not get the hype about this book and did not feel compelled to read the rest of the trilogy.

But of the 5 I loved, I really loved. So if you're looking for a book, I endorse those.

2011, The Year We Turn 30

2011-01-01T23:22:00.001+02:00

I have been dreading 2011, in abstract way, for a long time. On New Year's Day 2003, the year my high school friends and I were scheduled to graduate college, one of them announced over brunch that since it was now 2003--the last year in which our lives were on a set track--we had no more years to look forward to until 2011, the year we turn 30, she helpfully explained to our quizzical expressions. At the time I was 21 and 2011 and my 30th birthday seemed an unfathomably long way off. However, with each passing New Year's since then 2011 loomed ever closer, and with it a sort of dread that 30 is coming and that I'm not ready.

I know 2011 and 30 are both just numbers, but since then they've also seemed like some kind of marker, a time frame by which I should have my life in order. And until a few months ago I was certain (and nauseous at the thought) that I was a total failure: all the major milestones I thought one should have by 30 eluded me, namely marriage, a career, and being a homeowner.

But in the past few months I finally feel like my life is on track again. I still don't think I'll ever be able to afford property, but my job is finally seeming like it's turning into a profession, and I'm in a serious, healthy, happifying relationship for the first time ever.

2010 ended up being one of the best years I've had in a long while, though I feel slightly guilty saying that given the hardships my family faced this year (serious illness [now better], death). It began with a trip to Egypt, followed by a trip to the US (officially to spend time with the sick family member). Once back in Israel, I quit my horrible job and found a new one really quickly, which is developing in promising ways. A few weeks after starting my new job I started dating AB, which was the beginning of nearly eight (and counting) of the best months I can remember. I flew back to the States again for Butt Honey's wedding, and was there for my grandmother's funeral and shiva (which wasn't exactly a highlight of the year, but I'm glad I was there). The rest of the summer flew by with numerous visitors and fun events, and then in September Brother got engaged. In November, the year wound down with a perfect trip to Thailand with AB. And a few days ago I was offered a promotion at work.

Just in the nick of time, I feel like I'm not only ready but actually excited for 2011. And I still have ten more months till I turn 30. Right now, everything is just so good.

Fine Dining at Gabriel

2010-12-31T16:18:00.001+02:00

I was intending for my first real post of my revitalized blogging career to be a New Years/Reflections on 2010, etc post, but first I need to write about my dinner last night.

One day a few weeks ago, when AB was still on his travels, I saw that the daily GroopBuy (like Groupon for Jerusalem) deal was a 200 NIS voucher for Gabriel (for 80 NIS), a fine French chef restaurant in downtown Jerusalem. AB and I enjoy fine dining, and I thought this would be something fun purchase we could enjoy together after he got back. After I bought the voucher, I looked online at the restaurant's menu and realized that our 200 NIS voucher would get us each an appetizer. Maybe. If we choose from the appetizers on the lower end. So much for me being able to treat my well-compensated boyfriend for once.

We decided to go last night as an early New Year's celebration. I called ahead to make reservations since it was a Thursday night. The restaurant wasn't full when we got there, but the tables around us filled up (and emptied and quickly filled again) as the night wore on. The ambiance wasn't anything special, but the acoustics weren't problematic and we did dine on a tablecloth, which doesn't happen all that often in Jerusalem restaurants.

We chose our appetizer and entree fairly easily, and I decided on a main. The waiter helped AB choose between the steak and the lamb chops, and then we (ok, AB) agonized over the wine list for a while. We (ok, he) eventually settled on Tanya pinor noir, which was light and smooth and took care of my voucher. It was the kind of bottle you could easily get drunk on because the taste was mild, and we almost finished it by the end of the night.

After the initial wine tasting, we were served a selection of bread with eggplant dip, some kind of spiced onion, and spicy carrots, all of which were good. Then our foie gras emerged. It came on a well-composed plate in a careful, generous mound topped with dried beat strips next to four pieces of cinnamon toast. It was also accompanied by very sweetly cured cherry tomatoes with mint. All three components were delicious on their own and divine as a combination (though AB thought the sweetness of the cinnamon bread detracted from the foie gras' inherent deliciousness). Now, a word about foie gras. It had never occurred to me to eat such a thing because I. Do. Not. Eat. Liver. But a few months ago friends were raving about it and described it as meat butter, which sounded intriguing. And in my old age my love affair with processed foods has been dwindling and my taste for the gourmet has been skyrocketing, so I when AB suggested we order it I was game. This was not a mistake (though it cost more than half of my voucher). Foie gras is indeed like meat butter, really delicious, rich, creamy meat butter that melts in your mouth. AB even got me to try the fat around the edges. I almost couldn't do it but I'm so glad I did. This might cut my life short by a few years, but it will have been a fuller life for it.

At this point we were also served our entree, which was creamy eggplant-filled ravioli in a light pesto sauce. These raviolis were quite tasty and would have stood out at any of the mediocre restaurants on Emek Refaim, but since we were eating them alongside the foie gras they kind of felt superfluous.

After that opening, our waiter brought us a refreshing limonana (lemon-mint) sorbet as a palate cleanser. We ate that, drank some more wine, and took a breather before the main course.

My main course was a lamb assado casserole on a bed of mashed potatoes. The lamb was cut into bite-size chunks and braised in a sweet carmelized sauce. The flavor was out of this world, but the meat was a little overdone. The waiter had convinced AB to go with the lamb chops, which he ordered medium rare. Though lamb chops were thought to be on my list of Foods I Don't Eat, I told AB I'd taste whatever he ordered (thank God he didn't go for the sweetbreads or veal brains, which were listed as entrees, not mains, anyway). When his plate arrived they seemed a little undercooked to me and I thought about reneging on my word, but AB prevailed and I tasted them. Medium rare was definitely the way to go with these (it is so super fun dating a guy who knows his food and wine). The meat was perfectly tender and hardly needed to be chewed, just savored on the tongue a little.

After the main we both decided we'd need to be rolled and/or wheeled home, but we wanted to hear the dessert menu anyway. I'm sure the desserts would've been fine, but nothing listed jumped out at us or seemed unique in any way, so I just ordered a tea and we called it a night.

A very romantic, satisfying, delicious night.

A note to potential Jerusalem diners: A few months ago we went to HaHatzer, a chef restaurant at the old train station. The menus of these restaurants obviously differed somewhat, but we found that the prices at HaHatzer were noticeably cheaper while the quality of the food at the two was about the same.

Terminal Hiatus

2010-12-30T18:54:00.003+02:00

After careful consideration I have decided to terminate my blogging hiatus, at least for now. It turns out I miss having a forum for share sharing stuff and in the past month or two I've realized that I have a lot I want to say. And I miss regular writing--no matter how often I tell myself to sit down and just write, it's hard for me to do it in any sustained manner if I don't think anyone will have the opportunity to read it.

Not that I think I have any readers left. You still there? Leave a message in the comments. And look for new content coming in the new year.

Remember Me?

2010-08-01T19:58:00.002+03:00

I've been meaning to write this blog post for a while now, but I haven't been able to do it, mostly because I'm lazy and busy and can't be bothered, and a little because it's bittersweet. After six years, it looks like this blog has run its course. I'm not saying I will never write here again; it's totally possible that on occasion I'll have a thought I want to share or even that someday in the future I'll feel the need to have a regular creative outlet and pick up frequent blogging again. But for a long time now I've felt no desire to blog, so I've decided to write this post a) so that you all know and b) so I can stop feeling guilty about my extreme lack of blogging.

This change has clearly been brewing for a while (which is probably clear from the silence since May and the dearth of quality and frequent posting for a long time). I don't want to say that I can stop blogging now that I'm not happy, but that is a little bit true. In that, I'm very content with my life right now, which leaves less motivation to write (and less time). It isn't true in the sense that I have not been miserable for the entirety of the past six years.

I started this blog in 2004, when blogging was at its peak (I think, anecdotally, I don't really know when blogging peaked). I was at a job which gave me nothing but time to kill, and I spent my days reading other people's blogs. Fancying myself a writer, knowing I would soon be leaving NY, and still believing that "the real world" was causing my over-educated brain to atrophy, I decided to jump on the bandwagon, and the early entries are testament to all those things. After I moved to Israel, I used the blog to stay in touch, marvel at the things I was learning, and laugh and vent about life as an immigrant. Being an immigrant, however, eventually became the norm, and not that interesting for me to write about, and more significantly, I jumped on a new bandwagon: microblogging. Sort of, anyway. I don't tweet or anything, but since 2006 I've used facebook, not the blog, to stay in touch with people, and when I have a quick thought I post it in a status update there.

So anyway, yeah, that's what's up with me: the facebook takeover and contentment with job and relationship.

Though, writing this was kind of fun. I kind of forgot the pleasure I get from stringing sentences of my verbal diarrhea of the fingers together and pushing the publish button. So maybe I'll be back. We'll see.

Good Stuff

2010-05-21T18:37:00.003+03:00

I have been asked by The Management (which in this instance means Brother) to update my blog. So, here. Hopefully this entry will aid and abet in studying for law school finals.

So, yeah, not to jinx it, but life around here has been pretty darn good recently. One good thing that happened as of late was the Yom Kef (Fun Day) that Avigail and I took last Friday. We rented a car and left Jerusalem early last Friday, stopping first in Taybeh to replenish our supply of Palestinian beer. (And I'll note here that I bought 24 beers and it's been a week and I still haven't touched any of them). After that we took ourselves on a scenic tour of the West Bank. Eventually we ended up in Netanya (not in the West Bank) and ate lunch at a cafe on the beach whose main feature was its "English" menu that offered such items as eggplanets and contained the statement: "Alcoholic Beverages Wins." It was hard to type that without an exclamation point. After lunch and putting our feet in the water, we headed up to Zichron, where we ate frozen yogurt. Then we went to church in Nazareth before ending up on Avigail's friends' moshav for the sabbath.

Saturday night we went to Ikea, where I bought new dishes and ate a hot dog. We were out in less than an hour, since I am super efficient.

Other fun things this week: Chaim and Simi's wedding, Shavuot, happy hour on the astroturf at the makolet with Kes, Ilana's engagement party, lunch in the Old City with Avigail, and other good stuff.

Now quiet Shabbat (the siren is sounding as I type this, and I haven't cooked or showered yet...).

Because I Feel Like I Should Write Something, Anything, at Least Once a Week...

2010-05-02T23:20:00.003+03:00

I don't know why, but I can never think of anything to write about any more. So for old time's sake, here's a menu of what I cooked for Shabbat dinner: challah, guacamole, [homemade techina and carrots by Avigail], dijon-dill salmon, beef tajine, couscous, cauliflower, sweet potato pie, and triple-chocolate cake. It was one of the tastier--and more fun--dinners I've hosted in a while, which isn't to say that previous meals haven't been fun or delicious. Though this time, I did not make the guests name their favorite genocide and/or dictator, as I did during my Indian feast a few weeks ago.

Last night after Shabbat, HebrewUSarah, AustralianIlana, the English boys, and I decided to celebrate Lag B'Omer by going bowling and playing the most boring game of pool ever (due to the complete inability to sink any balls, not the company). I was in bed by 1, but unfortunately the teenagers who congregate outside my window decided to bonfire until 5 am. Good times.

New work is still good, and I'm amused by office life, which I had forgotten about after nearly four years of working from home, preceded by two years of not working. I do enjoy the company of others.

I also coincidentally was offered three freelance jobs within the past week. I finished one up today, and have 2 more to keep me occupied (plus the ubiquitous thesis, and also this week the Jerusalem writers festival and a wedding and preceding bachelor/ette party). So: busy, in a good way.

On the Eve of New Work

2010-04-25T08:05:00.002+03:00

Avigail: Good luck on your first day of work tomorrow.

me: Thanks.

A: Do you have a new pencil case?

me: No, but I have a new shirt.

A: Hmm. A new pencil case is a good thing to have before a first day.

me: I think my job comes with office supplies. I don't think I'm expected to bring my own.

A: Perhaps a new shirt is the grown-up form of a new pencil case.

Best Day[s] Evar

2010-04-18T12:40:00.003+03:00

I know, it's been a while...

The other day my friend Melanie posted on her blog that she hadn't posted in a while because there was something on her mind that she didn't want to write about, but it was taking up space and preventing her from thinking of other things to write about. I guess that's sort of what's been going on here, namely, that in the past few weeks I've been nervous about job stuff.

But it looks like it's working out, and with little effort exerted on my part. Thursday was my last day of work at the job I've had for the past nearly four years. I haven't written too much about the challenges of that job on here, and I'm not going to air everything (or anything) now, but I'd been ready to move on for quite a while, so the quitting, when it finally happened, was a big relief. I was super loking forward to Thursday, my last day.

In the meantime, I had been thinking about finding a new job but had done very little to actually find one. I applied for a total of one job, figuring I would look in earnest when the old job finally ended.

What I didn't know when I woke up in a great mood Thursday morning was that by the end of the day I would not be liberated yet unemployed but rather liberated and employed by someone else, as I got a job offer that afternoon. I probably shouldn't be writing this yet, as I haven't signed anything or anything yet, and at the moment the position I was offered is only temporary and part time ... but I don't think I'm going to have the rug pulled out from under me, and I don't mind temporarily postponing the job search while earning money, gaining new skills, and freelancing on the side.

So Thursday was a pretty great day, work-wise. The last time I was able to say that was...I don't even know when.

Then, Melissa came home and we cooked for a month, which was fun and productive. This time we made chicken curry, miso chicken stew, vegetarian chili, veggie chicken fried rice, and pea pesto soup. Melissa is also going to make spinach burgers soon. Then, a few friends came over to celebrate my greatest day.

The goodness continued on Friday as I cooked an Indian feast. I love spending Fridays in the kitchen, if Shabbat starts late and I don't have anything else I'm supposed to be doing. I made all new recipes, and they all came out great. I even made cheese (paneer)!!! The menu included: homemade naan, spicy carrot chutney, date chutney, dal, saffron rice, aloo gobi (potato/cauliflower curry), chana masala (chickpeas), baingan bharta (eggplant), palak paneer (spinach and cheese), tofu, and rice pudding. Luckily 12 people came over on Saturday to eat it. I think my next feast will be Middle Eastern food.

Busy Three Days

2010-04-02T15:59:00.003+03:00

Things I Meant To Do Over Hol HaMoed:
--start my thesis
--read novels
--work on my novel

Things I Did Do Over Hol HaMoed:
--sleep
--wander around Mamilla
--drink wine with friends
--hike to Mevasseret from Jerusalem
--go to a barbeque
--go to the Old City to observe vatious kinds of Christians do the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday

Hostel of the Absurd

2010-03-28T22:59:00.003+03:00

Setting:
Twilight in the Old City the day before Passover.

The Protagonists:
Anna and Avigail, two Jews trying to deliver hamatz to non-Jews before the holiday.

The Background:
Hametz, including all manner of grain, tea, biscuits, and leftover Shabbat meals have been successfully delivered to the Gypsies in the Muslim quarter. All that remains is a six-pack of beer. Unfortunately the Lutheran minister who was supposed to receive the beer is not home.

Abigail:
What an unfortunate problem to have. What are we going to do? We can't just give out beer in the Old City.

Anna:
Perhaps we can find tourists. We can leave it at a youth hostel.

Abigail:
We will go to the Lutheran Guest House.

At the guest house, the protagonists are buzzed in and approach the receptionist.

Protagonists:
Excuse me, are you Christian?

Receptionist:
Yes

Protagonists:
Do you drink beer?

Receptionist:
Yes

Protagonists, pulling beer out of backpack:
Good. We are Jewish and must get rid of our beer before a holiday that starts tomorrow. We would like you to have it.

Receptionist:
...

Moving On

2010-03-21T16:55:00.002+02:00

I guess the biggest thing that's happened around here as of late is that on Thursday I gave notice that I will be leaving my job. In Israel it's customary to give a month's notice, so I'll be working until mid-April. I need to find a new job. Ack.

In other news, it's baby season. Or rather, it's pregnancy season. In the past few weeks several of my friends have told me that they are in the process of procreating and will be having babies in the fall (this is in addition to the round of children who are currently being born this spring). This is weird for me.

Recharged Batteries

2010-03-14T14:29:00.002+02:00

I generally believe that when people come back from visiting the States they seem a little cleaner, a little more put together. Something about living in the Middle East precludes a squeaky-clean image. Anyway, ever since coming back just over a week ago I've felt cleaner and nicer-looking, probably a combination of washing off a year and a half of Middle East dust, new clothes, new glasses, and a general recharging.

I think it's actually this recharging that contributes to the image that recently returned people emit. I like living in Jerusalem but I feel like after a certain amount of time my batteries run out and I need to leave the country for the land of luxury and comfort to get my energy back. My point is, since being back I've felt really good and have felt like I look really good (which I'm tempted to say is a figment of my imagination, except for that I keep getting complimented). Again, part of it is probably the new clothes and glasses and stuff, but I think I also probably just look happier. (Friday night a friend told me: "I don't know what happened to you while you were away, but the trip seems to have suited you; you look great!")

I'm not one for being arrogant about my looks or even ever believing that I am attractive in any way (except for possibly about my hair, which I admit I am often vain about). So I'm not trying to be gross here, I'm just trying to express how I've been feeling happy and how I think that it shows, which then makes me happier.

This, despite the fact that it was actually kind of a rough week as far as the major things are concerned. So I don't really get why my spirits are up. I'm still waiting for the shoe to drop, but I actually kind of think it might not. I mean, I foresee lots of difficult/frustrating/unsettling things on the horizon, but I don't really see them making me so overwhelmingly depressed. It's weird.

Home

2010-03-05T16:56:00.003+02:00

So, I'm back in Israel now. My trip, as predicted, felt way too short and I wasn't really looking forward to leaving. Being back feels ok though.

I can't remember what I wrote about last, but the end of my trip was great. I spent last Shabbat in the city at Brother's. First I met up with the Big O for lunch and hanging out in the huge snowstorm. Then dinner at Brother's with fun guests.

Saturday morning the 2004 shul posse was reunited at Hadar, after which I had a lovely lunch at Butt Honey's fiance's house. Saturday night we ignored Purim, going to a quick, no-noise megilla reading at the apartment of Brother's friends, and after Brother, the Candienne, his roommootes and s/o's and I went to dinner at V&T's.

Sunday we had a bunch of family over for a "seudah," where something occurred that has never happened before in the Melman household, which was that people gathered 'round the TV to watch a sporting event, namely the Canadian-US Olympic hockey game.

Monday I went into the city and met up with McMahonberg, whereupon we visited the Silk Road exhibit at the Met, ate at a yuppie organic restaurant in Morningside Heights that occupies the space of what was once a shady college bar, wandered around Barnard, and geberally enjoyed each other's company.

Tuesday I spent the day getting my computers serviced by Teekie, and then travelled up to Trump Tower to dine by the Gleichblooms.

Wednesday was for shopping and saying goodbye to Brother, and now here I am.

If nothing else (and there are some something elses anyway) I'm enjoying being back for the weather. I went out today in sandals and a t-shirt and couldn't stop smiling.

Whirlwind

2010-02-26T15:22:00.002+02:00

...And then vacation got busy.

Last Thursday I flew to Chicago, where I spent a fabulous 3 days, staying with Stef and Matt, eating at a cafe run by a cult with Raf, Shabbat with friends, playing in downtown Chicago with Sara, taking in culture with Jordan, and eating way too much Indian food as it snowed outside.

Monday morning I flew to NY (after missing my bus to the airport by 30 seconds), and then straight away got on a bus to DC. Upon arriving in DC I straight away got on the Metro to Silver Spring to spend an hour with JLS and her kid and then an hour with Nili and her kid. Then I went back into the city, whereupon D-Bash and I consumed Ethiopian and hung out. Tuesday morning I went to Noames's, and she took me to an outlet mall where I discovered TJ Maxx. Tuesday night I had burgers with the Resnicks, and then back to Noames's. Wednesday Noames straightened my hair to see if it's long enough enough to donate yet (it is), and then we played in Georgetown before I had to Bolt back to NYC.

Once in NYC again, I met up with the Barefoot Wonder and her suitor for vegetarian chicken parm and rice pudding. Then up to the Canadienne's, where we hung out for a while before going back to Brother's, where we hung out some more. Thursday morning (yesterday) I ventured out in the pouring snow to meet Newmate for breakfast, and then MetroNorthed it back to Croton.

Back in Croton, I ate lunch with the parents and then my dad and I went out in the blizzard to the mall to pick up my new glasses and contacts, and I obviously bought a few other things too... And back at home my new netbook and external hard drive were waiting for me. I opened them, but then packed them back up, so that Teekie can do stuff to them before I ruin them.

Today I will venture into the city again for a playdate with the Big O, followed by Shabbat and Purim.

I can't believe I'll be back in a week...

In Motion

2010-02-18T05:02:00.002+02:00

Things are looking up. After a quiet weekend, yesterday I became social again, traveling into Brooklyn to see long-lost Teekie, and later Kil, and then traveling to the UWS to have a delicious vegetarian dinner with the Big O, which we duly followed up with dessert at Cafe Lalo.

Today was an exciting shopping day, as I ordered new glasses and bought contacts for the first time. They are currently in my eyes but I'm not sure how I'm going to get them out. I also explored buying a tiny little netbook and a new iPod. Teeie recommended the nano, but I'm leaning toward the Touch, of all things. And Teekie says I should also get an external hard drive.

Tomorrow I try for Chicago again. And then I go to DC for 2 days. Yay.

Croton

2010-02-14T16:17:00.004+02:00

My past few trips to America have been crazy whirlwind adventures with no more than three consecutive nights spent in any one place as I jet off to see friends and family scattered throughout the East Coast. This trip is not like that. I've been here a week and so far I have seen one friend and have not ventured farther than the isle of Manhattan.

This is partially because I'm not on vacation this time, so I'm spending the working hours, well, working. It's also because the point of this trip is to spend time with family, which I have been, ish. Also, I am supposed to be in Chicago right now, but my flight on Friday was cancelled and I couldn't get on a new one before Shabbat. So, weekend (following week) in Croton. I'm more than a bit bored.

In this week coming up (and the two following it) I need to make some plans or I will lose my mind. On one hand, I feel like I got myself all the way here, and I don't really want to commute around the 5 boroughs (or ok, 3 of them) to chase friends down. On the other hand, I do want to see my friends, and also: bored.

Though Croton is boring me to death (and discomfort is compounded by the fact that I appear to be allergic to my parents' dog), I do still maintain it and the Hudson Valley in general are among the most beautiful places on earth. I love riding the train into the city so that I can stare out the window at the choppy (these days gray-brown) waters of Hudson River.

My mom used to say that she and my dad decided to live in Croton because it was so pretty. I always thought this was a dumb reason to live in a place, but I see it now, the beauty of the water and the trees and the houses tucked into the hills. It really is beautiful here, heartbreakingly so.

My parents' snow-covered front-yard

Snapshot of My Room in Croton

2010-02-08T16:31:00.002+02:00

There's a million things I could be writing about now, and a million things should be doing instead of writing about any of them, but at the moment I feel like documenting what hangs on the bulletin board in my room at my parents' house. I think the last time I cleared off and updated the board was the summer after my first year at Pardes, when I lived here for 2 months, but stuff has been added to it since it arrived when I was in second grade.

It currently contains:
--6 personal cards given to me on various occasions: a thank-you from Olga and David's wedding in June 2005; a good-bye card from Teekie from before I left for Pardes in August 2004; a good-bye card from Noames from before she went to France in January 1998; a Chistmas card from Kauds from Xmas 1998; a card from Melanie from before she left Israel in May 2005; and birthday card from Noames from my fifteenth birthday. The latter is amazing; it's the kind that we used to make where you cut out things from magazines. Among other things, it contains letters and phrases that spell out "only 365 days till you can DRIVE;" "mental illness: stop it;" "healthy cooking who needs it?" and an ad for Friends and Seinfeld Thursdays on NBC.

--comments from my 11th grade term paper, which include among others, "this was the best paper submitted." [I must admit, I'm kind of embarrassed that I felt the need to display that, for over a decade now, and also, kind of still proud. Also, the paper itself is long since gone.]

--program from my high school graduation in June 1999

--12 photographs: a picture of someone's nursery school birthday party of me, Noames, her twin brother, and a few other peeps we also went to high school with; a picture of me and Kauds circa 1983, a picture of me and Nili from her 24th birthday, a picture of me and Joel from when he came to visit Jerusalem in June 2005, mall photobooth snapshots of me, Noames, and Kauds from around 10th grade or so and another of me and Noames making funny faces from probably around the same time, a picture of me and Brother from when he came to visit Jerusalem in December 2004, a picture of Butt Honey, R, Teekie, Peeps, and me from Teekie's birthday in July 2005 (this picture is also framed in my Jerusalem apartment and in Butt Honey's apartment, or at least it was at some point), a pic of me and Shanana learning at Pardes 2005, a pic of many of the Pardes ladies of 2004-2005 at a girls' night, a pic of goats in the desert; and the Barnard Class of 2003 class photo.

--my learner's permit

--a bumper sticker purchased in June 2002 that says "I [heart] NY but Jerusalem is home"

--a Valentine Noames made me in nursery school

--dried flowers from high school graduation and a corsage from either junior or senior prom

--a Barnard banner

--a certificate of a prize I won at Barnard

--a pin from my high school exchange trip to France with my name and our trip's logo and slogan: Mickey Mouse and Asterix holding a chain that says "une chaine d'amitie a travers l'ocean

Off Again

2010-02-06T23:44:00.002+02:00

In about an hour my Nesher will arrive to pick me up for the airport, if all goes according to plan. I'll be Stateside from tomorrow until March 4, just over 3.5 weeks. I feel like at this point that's a long time to be away, but not long enough to be there. Mostly my agenda includes in hanging out in NY with the fam and some friends, shopping (for books, shoes, and clothes), and eating, particularly Indian food. The main things I'm not looking forward to are cold weather (it was pointed out today that my last experiences with NY winters were in March 2007 and December 2004) and missing an Idan Reichel concert.

This week between Egypt and America was crazy, with trying to squeeze in seeing as many friends as possible before I go, including last Shabbat at T&A's, a super-fun pub quiz, coffee with ITR, dinner with Ayala, learning with Kes, movie with Avigail, coffee with IC, movie night with the Gidon 13 boys, brunch with HebrewUSarah, Shabbat at the Riemenschneiders', lunch by Avigail, and hanging out here with Melissa, Chaval, F, Avigail, Noah, Jon, and Arik before heading off. Good good times.

See y'all on the other side.

Egypt

2010-01-29T16:11:00.003+02:00

So, I just got back from an amazing vacation in Egypt. The fact that I hardly checked email or facebook the whole time I was gone was amazing enough, but it turns out that on top of all that I loved Cairo (and Luxor) and had a great time. I unfortunately don't have time a long post now, but highlights, in no particular order, include:

discovering how gross Egyptian tea is
crossing the street successfully, with the aid of human shields
visiting the pyramids, complete with camel ride and guide whose English was only about 6% comprehensible
seeing the Sphincus
attending a phenomenal (free) Sufi convert and dance
wandering around Coptic Cairo, including churches, a closed bazaar, and the Ben Ezra synagogue
wandering around Islamic Cairo (all of Cairo is Islamic, it's the name of an area), visiting al-Azhar mosque
discovering koshari, a delicious rice/pasta/onion/lentil/chickpea dish
visiting a synagogue, which was built in full ornateness just a few decades before most of the Jews left
wandering around Zamalek, an upscale island neighborhood with pretty parks and ridiculous embassy buildings
discovering an intellectual bookshop, where we spent hours (spread over 2 separate visits), proving that Cairo is more cosmopolitan than Jerusalem (as though there was any question)
being indoctrinated at the 1973 war victory panoroma light and sound show, celebrating the world's greatest military victory since WWII, which changed the way conflict and warfare is viewed
riding on an 11-hour train ride between Cairo and Luxor the proletarian way (in seat compartments) and the bourgeois way (in a sleep car)--guess which we preferred?
wandering around Luxor, at once a tourist mecca and a wonderfully grimy Middle Eastern/African city
visiting thetemples or Luxor and Karnak
visiting tombs and stuff. Heiroglyphs are cooler than I would've thought
visiting the Um Kulthoum museum
watching Egypt beat Cameroon in the Africa Cup and watching the city engage in intense nationalism and logistical matters in preparation for Egypt to beat Algeria in the semi-finals

Overall Egypt, especially Cairo, was great. I was warned that Cairo is dirty and gross and unsafe and the men leering and inappropriate. I did not find any of that to be the case. The city was super-cheap (and you could tell, kind of poor). The people were really friendly, I couldn't have felt safer (though I did not share where I live with most people), and out of all the places I've travelled, especially of those where I clearly look like I don't belong), I found the men to be the most respectful, by far. We were annoying by people hawking stuff to a moderate degree, though not the worst I've experienced, and considering how much we warned before about baksheesh ("bribes"), we hardly got asked for any at all.

Back to normally scheduled life on Sunday. Blah.

More Displays of Profound Billiance and Poise

2010-01-21T15:15:00.002+02:00

Here's a ridiculous story.

Remember how I got an astronomical phone bill and had to request a letter from my company to give to the other company detailing exactly when I ordered the hold on the line and when it was in effect?

So this morning as I was leaving my apartment to meet Kes for brunch I stopped to check my mail. The letter from Orange was there and I grabbed it. Unfortunately, I was holding holding a bag of trash, and when I put the trash in the dumpster I also put the letter in there.

Then I tried to climb into the dumpster to get the letter out, but I couldn't reach. I think I showed up to brunch smelling like garbage.

***
In other news, I'm leaving for my first real vacation in over a year tonight. I'll be in Egypt for a week. W00t!

Argh

2010-01-20T17:16:00.002+02:00

The other day I got a phone bill for nearly 2400 NIS (about $600). I'd be freaking out about this if it weren't so impressive.

Remember how my phone got stolen last month? Well, as soon as I was able to borrow a phone, about an hour and a half after the theft, I called my cell phone provider (Orange) to place a hold on the line. They assured me they would, and I didn't worry about it.

Mistake.

Apparently, Orange works with a company called Telemesser, which is the provider for services like calling Egged (the bus) for information. When I called range to find out why my bill was so high, I was told that I had an 1800 NIS charge from Telemesser. So I called Telemesser and discovered that the day my phone was stolen someone racked up the bill. Telemesser claims that they received the hold order the following day and will not reimburse me unless I can prove the phone was stolen before the calls were made.

It seems like this is Orange's fault for taking 24 hours to transfer the hold order, so I called Orange to ask them to prove to Telemesser when I reported the stolen phone and requested a hold. Orange so far has not been cooperative and I want to tear my hair out.

However, I'm suitably impressed by the phone thief. How he managed to spend that much money in a 24-hour period by calling information is indeed a feat. I mean, there must be something about Telemesser I don't know, right?

Cafe of the Absurd

2010-01-13T22:45:00.004+02:00

"I know this is based on only 20 minutes of exposure, but I feel like East Jerusalem is more cosmopolitan than our part," I say. Avigail and I are sitting in a cafe on Salah-a-Din Street, the main commercial drag of East Jerusalem. It's my first time in the Arab section of the city outside of the city walls, the part where the American consulate is, and the section of Sheikh Jarrah you drive through on shortcut to Hebrew U. My observation is based on a combination of a shattering of my ignorance in realizing that there actually is commerce in East Jerusalem, and the fact that not everyone around me is Jewish. The cafe we're sitting in, located among the types of shops that I associate with "real" cities, still has its Christmas goods on display, which I think is contributing to the feel I am getting that this area of the city is more worldly.

No sooner are these words out of my mouth than our coffees arrive. They come with chocolates, and I notice that the chocolate we are given look like Hanukkah gelt, wrapped as they are in gold paper in the shape of a coin. I pick up my chocolate to examine it more closely. I notice that it is in fact Hanukkah gelt. And written on it are Herzl's famous words elucidating the spirit of Zionism: "אם תרצו אין זו אגדה--If you will it, it is no dream."

Lightbulb-Shaped Wounds

2010-01-12T10:47:00.002+02:00

It's like I'm new to life or lightbulbs or something.

About a week ago I put my arm on a lightbulb. Before you get too confuddled by this occurrence, allow me to state that the lightbulb in question resides in a clip-on lamp on my bed. Anyway, clip-on lamp, in same place as always, arm finding new place to rest...ouch.

I didn't even notice that much though, until I was at work the next day, when I noticed there was an oozing open wound on my arm. I worried for a second that maybe it was getting infected, since I hadn't cleaned it and then with it open went to the gym and on public transportation, which seemed to be places where germs gather, but whatever.

Fast forward a week. Wound no longer oozing. Scab half-picked. Great. So I'm in bed last night and I put my arm on the freaking lightbulb. Again.

Guest Post: The Strategerist

2010-01-10T12:18:00.001+02:00

My regular posting will hopefully resume soon. In the meantime, please enjoy another travel log, this one written by my dear friend The Strategerist, also known in these pages as D-Bash. Read her post, look at her blog, and join me in wishing you could be as cool as my coolest friend.--Anna

So first off, let me say that I'm pissed at Aerolineas Argentina. I got to the airport this morning to fly from El Calafate to BA, and they had a) overbooked the flight to start with and b) changed equipment to a smaller plane. Consequently, Strategerist did not make it on her flight. The good news is that there is free wifi and a place to vent. I tried every trick in the book to get on the flight and nothing worked. I asked for compensation, they refused. I stood at the counter and refused to move. In the end, I got a voucher for lunch. Small victories.

So I'm sitting in the airport lounge, and I find the ONE outlet to plug my ghetto ancient computer in to. And I'm happily logging on and all that and suddenly I have the urge for a cafe con leche. So I turn to these two guys in the corner of the cafe playing scrabble and ask them to watch my computer. I notice that they have a lot of Z's on the board, so I ask them where they are from. Poland, they respond. One from Warsaw, one from Krakow. And I get so freaking excited. I tell them that I have visited Poland, but that's not why I'm excited. I'm excited, because there was some measure of divine fate earlier in the day...

I was packing my bags and trying to organize my stuff. I was pulled my ipod out of a plastic bag, and it kind of got stuck. So I pull harder and I see something attached/hanging off of the earbud. I was pissed that I had broken it or something like that (wouldn't be the first time I've crushed those earbuds). Anyhow, it was my Solidarity pin (Solidarnoss) that I picked up in Poland in June 1989. It is my absolute favorite souvenir in the world. I've written essays on this pin. And here it was, in some random bag in Argentina. And I was pissed at myself because it should not have come and I'm not sure how it got to Argentina or mixed in with my stuff. So I put it away in my laptop bag, figuring this was the safest place for it.

So when I meet these two Poles and we start talking about Poland, I suddenly remember the pin; I dart to my bag, pull it out, and show it to them. They were more than impressed and asked me how I got that. I explained that my family took a vacation to Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania in the summer of 89. They looked at me and said, 1989? Like they needed reassurance that I wasn't a lunatic. I insisted it was 89 and that's how I got the pin. Then they wanted to know what kind of family takes their vacation in the Soviet Bloc? Answer: the kind that produces a child who thinks Patagonia, Central Asia, and other remote places are fun!

Guest Blog: MRM@Spain

2010-01-04T22:57:00.006+02:00

So, a few days ago my roommate and I were sitting around looking at our to-do lists. Hers said "nap." Mine was much longer and included things like "write thesis" and "pay bills." It also had on it, "blog." I offered to trade to-do list tasks with her, and she asked if she could blog. I'm not sure she's ever actually read my blog before, and her guest post certainly isn't as Anna-centric as Kil's guest blog a few weeks ago (or let's be honest, 95 percent of the posts regularly found here), but I fully support reading about other people's vacations, especially if you, by which I clearly mean I, have not had the fortune of taking one since last forever. Enjoy.-Anna

Hiya, folks. So, Spain. . . it's a good time.

News updates: 1) Anna has just gone to bed after finding a Gemara in her bed. Sounds titillating.
2) As this is a blog about Anna, I have fulfilled my responsibility to mention her before getting into the "meat-and-potatoes" of the post.

I just got back from a winter trip to Madrid & Barcelona after traveling with TF.

Some basic principles about MAD & BCN:

MAD = a relatively modern European city with many worthwhile art museums, cervazerias (beer halls), parks, cathedrals, and a Royal Palace (Palacio Real)

BCN = older coastal European city spiced with funky modernista architecture, a beautiful new opera house in the classical style, and much, much more!

Note for the kosher traveler: You may encounter some challenges and bringing your own food is advised. This goes for bread and milk so far as we were told (if someone hears otherwise, I would be interested to know). For those who choose vegetarian food as a means of keeping kosher while traveling, I strongly suggest (as my travel guide did) to emphasis that not eating meat includes ham -- it is far and wide a staple of Spanish cuisine.

So we hit MAD just before Xmas. TF's suitcase didn't arrive until M"S which gave rise to an adventure at the bakery that carries kosher bread (fresh baguettes = yum!) and one of the modest local butchers/kosher groceries (great variety of kosher wines, other than that variety was lacking). There was much excitement on the MAD-BCN overnight train (nice way to save some cash and arrive [mostly] refreshed at your destination) when TF reunited with Trader Joe's Indian food and some other goodies.

Anyway . . . a few MAD highlights:
1) Palacio Real: Spain's royal palace is now predominately a museum though reserved for special state occasions, including the Madrid Middle East Peace Conference of 1991. The Royal Armery & Pharmacy (complete with belladonna syrup -- rx for CHF or pretty eyes?) were worth a look-see. TF and I got a kick out of the horse armor complete with ear protectors! [Free to EU citizens on Wed.; we paid 3.5 euro a piece]

The Almudena Cathedral next door has some very impressive modern stained glass windows. Generally I am not one for much art, particularly religious art, but Spain may be changing my mind. MAD's Almudena and BCN's Segrada Familia are great examples of modern art in a religious context. If you make it to the Palacio Real, I suggest dropping by. [Free]

2) Prado Art Museum: One of Madrid's Art Triumvirate -- defintely worth a visit. Velazquez's Las Meninas sent me back to AP Euro (thanks, Mr. Shuff). I spent a while looking at the composition and its statement on politics at the time (see more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Meninas); I also pondered the craziness of the Infanta Margarita's a la mode attire and am thankful I don't have to wear such a wide gown! [Free Tues - Sun. from 6 -8 pm]

3) Mueso Renia Sofia: #2 of the triumvirate. Modern art museum -- lots of Juan Miro, Picasso, some Dali if I remember correctly (Guarnica lives here. it's big . . . like ginormously huge!). Worth a visit [Free Sat. 2:30 - 7. No ID required.]

4) Cervazarias, tapas, raciones, and much, much more: Spainards like their beer as much as they like their pork. Here they manage to combine the two. Cervazarias, or beer halls, pepper the city and no doubt spice it up. Walk in most times of day (until 11pm or midnight when Spainards decide to call dinner a night), order a beer and you will be given a bissl. These seemed to be mostly small open-faced sandwiches (of . . . you guessed it: pork!), croquettes, olives, etc. Want a little something extra? We saw varieties of meatballs, fish and shellfish dishes, etc. These were known as raciones. TF and I even stopped at a Tapas market very similar to Boston's now-defunct Marche. [Beer is reasonably priced. I think we paid 2.5 euro each, which were doubles; think: Stella Artois-sized glass]

5) Nightlife: So if dinner typically wraps up around midnight, then you can imagine the nightlife doesn't get rockin' until about 2-3 am. Xmas Eve, TF and I went to go play tourist (what does a 1' Catholic city look like around Midnight Mass). After finding several of the city's up-to-now missing baby Jesuses (Jesi?) safely tucked into their nativities, we were headed home when we were ushered into a club. Several hours, 4 (count them, four!) renditions of Black Eyed Peas "I Got A Feeling," 2 Gresease medley renditions, and countless new "friends," we made it home somewhere after 6:30 am. While the music wasn't my favorite, the guys we met were quite respectful and a good time. Surprisingly, the first bar we went to was full of mostly Spainards, even on Xmas Eve. We were told everyone had eaten dinner with their families earlier in the evening and that church is not a large part of modern Spainish culture even on Xmas Eve.

Winter in Spain is mildly chilly and commonly rainy. Most of our time in MAD, it rained. We saw and read about many parks and squares that would have been ideal for a picnic or afternoon nap in other weather. Also, we heard good things about the Wax Museum and the third major art museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, but didn't make it to either.

In contrast to BCN, which I'll talk about it in my next post, we found MAD to be very, very walkable. Most major sites seemed to be concentrated in the center of the city and near our hostel (in the Huertas district). The Jewish part of town was a bit of a schlep, but well worth the prior registration to see a moderately-sized community (did I mention a few friendly, good-looking men amongst the mix?). Many weeks the community hosts meals at the shul for singles and visitors; ours was not one of those weeks, but we were graciously hosted by MAD Chabad. Thanks to TF for a great trip, and especially, for not complaining when we arrived home Friday night soaked to the bone.

MAD was a good time, but BCN was better. Check out my next post for a more detailed 3- day itinerary of BCN's must-sees.

Thanks again to Anna for allowing me this guest post.

Over and out,

MRM

What I Read, 2009

2010-01-03T18:11:00.002+02:00

Yay, reading list time! You can see what I read in 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004. There's a 2003 list somewhere too, but I can never find it.

This year was not as high in quality as last year. Favorites are denoted with an asterisk, as always. This year, 7 out of 29 books earned the star.

1) When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
2) The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
3) The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh (lent to me by Josh)
4) Empire Falls by Richard Russo (lent to me by Ilana)
5) Q & A (also called Slumdog Millionaire) by Vikas Swarup
6) Snow by Orhan Pamuk (lent to me by Ilana)
7) The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper (gift from grandparents)
8) Pravda by Edward Docx (gift from grandparents)
9) The Risk Pool by Richard Russo (gift from grandparents)
10) The Lay of the Land by Richard Ford (gift from grandparents)
*11) Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner (gift from grandparents)
12) Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo (gift from grandparents)
13) Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (gift from grandparents)
*14) Memory by Philippe Grimbert (gift from grandparents)
*15) Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (recommended by Haywire)
16) Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (lent to me by the Barefoot Wonder)
17) The World to Come by Dara Horn (lent to me by Flo)
18) Brideshead Revisited by Evenlyn Waugh
*19) The Brief Wonrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (lent to me by Ilana)
*20) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (lent to me by Avigail)
21) Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem (lent to me by a different Ilana)
22) Aleppo Tales by Haim Sabato
23) Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi (lent to me by Avigail)
24) One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty (gift from grandparents)
*25) Old School by Tobias Wolff (gift from grandparents)
26) A Pigeon and a Boy by Meir Shalev (gift from grandparents)
*27) Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche (lent to me by Yael)
28) Neverland by Joseph O'Neill (lent to me by a different Ilana)
29) The Crearive Habit by Twyla Tharp (lent to me by Flo)

Fun facts: Out of the 29 books listed here:
--1 was written by a Barnard alumna
--at least 8 deal with war and/or genocide, to varying degrees
--9 were written by women
--22 are fiction; 6 are memoirs or memoir-ish; 1 is self-help-y; none are real non-fiction

2010, Holy Fucking Cow

2010-01-01T13:27:00.003+02:00

I know it's just a calendar date, but I can't believe it's New Year's. I guess what I really can't believe is that Y2K was a full ten years ago. I still remember NYE 2000 very vividly in all its tequila-infused glory. The past decade was certainly pretty major in my life, coinciding as it did with my college years and most of my 20s. What's crazy is that I've lived the majority of this decade in Israel, having lived in NYC from January-May 2000; September 2000-May 2001; September-December 2001; September 2002-May 2003; and September 2003-July 2004 (38 months), while I lived in Israel in June-July 2001; January-May 2002, September 2004-June 2005; and September 2005-December 2009 (69 months and ongoing, obviously).

In addition to New York and Jerusalem, from 2000 till 2010 I also lived [briefly] in Croton; Washington, DC; and Melbourne, Australia. I visited a total of 14 countries (I think): the US, Israel, Canada (March 2003, August 2004), France (August 2001), Belgium (August 2001), the Netherlands (August 2001), Italy (February 2002), Poland (April 2005), Germany (July 2007), Croatia (July 2007), Bosnia (July 2007), Turkey (March 2009), Australia (June-August 2003), and Senegal (March 2006).

The decade overall was pretty good, but 2009 specifically was kind of a wash. Last year I wrote about 2009: "I think it's going to be a boring and somewhat lonely year." The first few months were indeed kind of lonely, but the rest of the year has been less lonely than most of the past several, despite a massive outflux of certain people who filled pretty big holes in my life. Which just goes to show that loneliness is a state of mind, I guess. On the other hand, my god was 2009 boring. I did little this past year that I'm proud of, or even excited about. And the ending of the year (last night's party notwithstanding) was quite inauspicious, despite my remaining in fairly good spirits overall.

I have a pretty good feeling about 2010 though. And since I seemed to be right about 2009, I'm confident in looking forward to good things.

A Good Jew*

2009-12-28T22:31:00.003+02:00

I saw A Serious Man the other night. While it was fun to watch such a Jewish movie in a theater full of Jews, I wonder how much Israelis understood the movie, given how very situated it was in the American diaspora experience. That said, I really have no idea how anyone non-Jewish understood this movie.

That said, I'm not sure I understood this movie, or rather, that I want to understand it. The story is based on the book of Job, so basically lots of bad things keep on happening to a perfectly nice but totally nebechy man. And then it ends.

I consider myself somewhat of a nihilist. Several years ago I wrote a story for a writing workshop in which the story only sort of climaxed and then ended unresolved. The teacher was highly critical, arguing that the story had to end. I was adamant that my story would not end tied up neatly because life isn't like that. He retorted that stories are not like life and need to have a point. I argued that the point was that there was no point.

Having sat through this movie I now concede--somewhat. Each bit of the movie was entertaining, but it at the same time it was painful. You hope throughout there will be a payoff, that something--anything--will change. But it's just shit on top of shit, and with each shit resolved new shit. In other words, true to life.

Seriously, I enjoyed each component of the movie, and as a whole it had a message--but one that was too pessimistic even for me. Who knew such a thing was possible?

*The best part of this movie (and I say this as a high compliment) was its title's translation into Hebrew: Yehudi Tov, or, A Good Jew. (I think it's not meant to be a direct translation but the same character who describes himself as a serious man also calls himself a a good Jew, but still.)

Overlapping andf Distinct Cultures: Christmas in Jerusalem

2009-12-27T21:42:00.000+02:00

One of the ways that Jews in America express their Jewish identity is by not celebrating Christmas, by which I mean that they do in fact celebrate the day, but by being decisively different--no tree, no church, but yes Chinese food, yes movies. Certainly not the Christmas of the Christians, but still a way that marks the day.

In Israel by contrast, most Jews do not even notice the day. However, Israel is probably the only place where Jews seek out actual Christmas activity. Not Matzah Balls or Chinese food but actual churchy things. I think this is a fun side effect of living in a Jewish state, where we can enjoy the cultures around us without feeling threatened.

Thursday night (Christmas Eve) I went with my ethnomusicologist friend--who is doing fieldwork on music and sound in the Old City--to the Christian Quarter to see what kind of sounds were being made. We wandered around for a bit. The streets were mostly quiet, as most Jerusalem-area Christians go to Bethlehem for the holiday. The main thing we found, in addition to a big Christmas carol singalong at the evangelical church--complete with free Hebrew New Testaments--was large groups of Israelis being led on tour by guides teaching them about the history and theology of Christianity, with explanations of the key moments of the Christmas story.

It was hard to tell, in our eavesdropping, if the guides were Israeli entrepreneurs or Christian missionaries, and consequently, whether the participants were curious Jews or Messianic Jews. We stopped and asked someone, who was very offended that we might possibly think she wasn't Jewish. This was in the beginning. After that, we noticed more hordes of Israelis.

We wound up at the Lutheran church, which was having a midnight mass at 10:30. This was after stopping for a hot chocolate at the adjacent, upscale Mamilla mall, which was as usual teeming with people, all of whom seemed fully unconcerned with the minority population celebrating one of their holiest days just meters away.

By the time we got to church it was full and we couldn't get in. I decided to go home, though my friend exhibited more patience and was duly rewarded after about an hour.

By Christmas day I'd had enough and spent the day brunching and running errands in my Jewish West Jersalem neighborhood, where life continued oblivious to the event currently overtaking the rest of the Western world.

Living La Vida Anna

2009-12-23T15:48:00.001+02:00

This guest-post is a celebration of soup. More particularly, it is a celebration of Anna's delicious pea-pesto and lentil-apricot-yogurt soup, eaten in Anna's lovely apartment, while enjoying Anna's (well, Jerusalem's) lovely weather.

My day began not-altogether fortuitously. An early-morning gchat from our Blogger Herself let me know that she was too jung-over* to join me for spinning. Sweating away along-side smelly Anglo ladies twice our age, I silently cursed Anna for not getting her well-deodorant-ed tush onto the bike next to me.

But all was forgiven when Anna joined me for breakfast and let me pick all of our food. She didn't even blush so loudly when I reiterated that there was to be no rotev on our eggs** or salad. She also let me eat all the peppers (negotiated) and olives (unspoken).

An hour or so later, the work part of this working breakfast might have begun. But then Anna came up with an excellent suggestion: let's go back to my house, where the food and tea is free.*** Being a cheapo**** visiting guest, I eagerly agreed.

For the next several hours, I sunbathed and read feminist legal theory.***** Anna worked. We then lunch-breaked. Which was a genuine highlight of my day (see feminist legal theory, above) and perhaps my soup-eating life.

I recommend the soup.

Love,
Kil

*original spelling
** Tal Bagels innovation: douse poached eggs with thousand island dressing, and no one will notice that it is not hollandaise sauce. It is, after all, a sauce.
*** Well, for me.
**** Jewish
***** Did you know that Genesis was the beginning of the end for us ladies? Now I do. too.

Tis the Season

2009-12-22T17:29:00.003+02:00

In the spirit of the holiday season (which we don't have here, but whatevs), here's a list of the things I want:

new glasses (non-scratched, with the correct prescription)
contacts
new [non-ripped, designer] jeans
new boots and/or other shoes
new sweaters
new skirts
fun baking gadgets
a fun purse
a new living room rug
new, matching dishes and cutlery
new bras
nice [non-broken] bedroom furniture
a car
an apartment

Living in Israel is like, totally worth it, right? Because I have this feeling that if I was in the seventh year of my career in New York I'd at least be able to afford to upgrade my glasses.

I like to pretend I'm non-materialistic but I'm wanting a lot of things now. Oh well. Maybe next year...

Busy Busy

2009-12-21T19:03:00.002+02:00

I don't really know where the past week plus went. It's been total craziness, with two major work thing coinciding with nightly Hanukkah festivities. The fun of Hanukkah plus included:
--super fun Hanukkah anniversary party at Chaval and Gilan's where I was bestowed with a medal of honor for having the foresight to host the party where they met three years earlier
--Hanukkah dinner (soup and latkes) with uni friends
--Hanukkah girls' night involving more latkes, cake, and When Harry Met Sally
--Hanukkah housewarming at F's where I ate my one sufganiya of the season
--work lunch involving steak and wine
--Hanukkah party at I&J's involving more latkes and hot chocolate
--Hanukkah latke-baking competition (I missed the latke part though)
--phone chat with an engaged Butt Honey! (how weird though that one of my closest friends is marrying someone I've never even met)
--Friday in bed
--Southern Fried Shabbas hosted by my roommate
--British Shabbat lunch at IP's (who's Australian)
--dinner shmooze with Avigail and Kes
--long long phone talk with Newmate!
--early morning spinning class at Kil's initiative
--anorexic breakfast with Kil (who sent back the food and made me want to die; I did not feel even a little bit badass)
--Egypt vacation planning with Avigail

Whew. From here on in it should be dull though...