Birthdays

      Another birthday is here. Ugh. I am happy to have another birthday, but I always find them to be a time of intense introspection.  This year is a big birthday. No I am not sharing with you the number so don't bother asking. Then again every birthday for the past few years has seemed like a big one. I had hoped I would have accomplished more of my dreams by this birthday, but alas I have not. I suppose that everyone feels that way around their birthdays. Then again, there are a lot of wonderful things that I do have in my life. I have good friends and family . I have been writing a blog since January 2008, which is something not many can say :). As a kid I had always wanted to be a published writer, which I am via this blog.
      I have heard people say that its better not to have expectations of life because then one won't be disappointed, but I am not sure that that is the best way to live. If one does not have any aspirations one may never be disappointed, but one also may never feel gratified that one has achieved any goals. I think its good to have things to look forward to . One may not ever have all one wishes for , but I think that hope is a good thing.
     I am looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead and I am grateful to be celebrating another birthday.

The Mighty Escalator

         New York City is such and old place. I never forget my first trip to Macy's in Herald Square . I will never forget noticing the presence of escalators from another era. I do not know if those escalators were even around in the 1950's when my parents were growing up. Over the years they have renovated Macy's many times. No matter how big the overhaul those old escalators have remained.
        This week on an outing to Macy's Herald Square I noticed that there are a few new fangled escalators in the newer balcony section. Otherwise the vintage escalators have remained.
          I would say it feels comforting to still see the vintage escalators, but if I said that I would be lying. Those escalators are from a bygone era before I was born. The escalators are more fun in the vain of the vintage trains that sometimes run during December.  It feels so odd that so much  past architecture has left us, but the mighty escalator remains.
      I wonder what unjustified architecture will be around in another 60 years for the next generation to ponder.

Pizza Time

     It is so easy to ruminate about everything that is wrong with life. I wish could be more like these Snoopy mugs. I would much prefer to be busy over thinking pizza. I really must make a concerted effort to focus on what is enjoyable in life (like pizza.) instead of  hyper focusing on what is uncomfortable  about  life. Life is going to be what it is going to be whether one is optimistic or pessimistic. I can choose what color glasses to look at the world through. Its a lot more pleasant to look at  the world through rose colored glasses than to look at the world with grease smudged glasses . Unless of course the grease is from pizza.....

Who Occupies Gaza?

                                             This has been  what I have been saying all along...... Love this.

Free Gaza From Whom?

      I am always confused when I hear about those who want to free the Gazans from. I know that they seem to really  mean the Israelis, but in my mind this really makes no sense. Don't  they want to free them from Hamas or the Palastinian authority?? Gaza isn't part of Israel anymore so would not that make more sense? Oh that's right, it does not make sense. The only thing anyone wants to do is blame Israel and the Jews. Silly me.

Citizens of the Subway

yuppie child and frum child

 I love watching people on the trains. It is always fun to guess the relationships of those sitting in such close proximity to one another .
  The two little girls in yuppie child and frum child are just so cute.  I purposely cut out the parents from the photo. The kids were just so cute and just acting like kids   proving that people are people no matter where they hail from.
   The second photo was more confusing. At first glance it seemed as though this was a couple wearing blue on the train together on a random Sunday. After a closer look I am not sure that they even know each other's names.
   

are they together or just sitting beside each other?

As we approach the last photo I posted called together , we see that though there are so many disconnected people on the train  there still are some who 

ride with their friends  and it is apparent that they indeed are friends. It is so refreshing.

 When I first moved to New York I used to people watch
constantly. After awhile I got caught in my own
bubble and started looking inward instead of outward on the trains. Sometimes that
has been to my advantage. Sometimes there is
just too much weirdness on the trains that it is better to
be engrossed in a novel or a song on my ipod.
     Lately I have been paying more attention
to my surroundings and noticing the photo opportunities on
the subways. Now that I have an iPhone it is a lot easier
to secretly snap a photo. I feel like there really is a softer
side to New York City that I had not noticed until I
began photographing random individuals. It has been a
nice surprise.

together 

Spin the Egg

     There are two events that if I wanted to I could attend almost every night of the week and they are shiva and singles events, not necessarily in that order. I am not sure why that is, but trust me it is. I am sure that there are gold diggers who pay shiva calls to find shidduchim. Shiva houses are full of lonely people . Death makes people want to strengthen interpersonal relationships because  one never knows just how long one has on this earth so its imperative to pair up as soon as you leave the mourners home.
    Singles events can sometimes make one feel as somber as a house full of mourners. They can certainly be depressing. Not unlike avelus. Singles events can definitely make one contemplate life and how one is afraid one may have to live life singularly , without a spouse because these singles events can make the possibility of finding a spouse seem so bleak.
     Singles events and shiva  go together like egg whites and yolk.

Farmer's Market

      Its the beginning of the harvest season and the union square farmer's market is in full swing. The most tasty veggies and fruit are available. I had the most succulent nectarine today that I purchased there. I did not know that a nectarine could taste so superb. I also noshed on some tangy sweet yellow cherry tomatoes.

 When you eat vegetables that were harvested often the same day they are sold one has a new appreciation for how food was intended to taste.
    Produce shopping at the farmer's market in union square is very calming even though it is located in the midst of the concrete jungle. I try to buy a lot of produce there. It supports local farmers and the food is healthier because it is local. It is not all completely organic, but it is fresher because it travels less to get to my table.
    I highly recommend the greenmarket in union square if you live anywhere near Manhattan. It is the largest farmer's market in the area. It is open Mondays , Wednesdays and Fridays.

Rallies

     I will admit that I do not always go to rallies. I hate crowds. But today I decided to go to the tail end of a pro-Israel rally that was held in union square. When I got there an Israeli man was singing Hebrew songs and people were fervently dancing . It was quite intense. It was heartwarming to see people have such zeal. There was a nice mix of young and old as well as quite a few gentiles. I heard Pamela Geller , an anti- radical Islam activist speak and I was there for the final Hatikvah. 

     Singing Hatikvah at the end of this rally was most poignant. The world is a mess and we sang the national anthem of Israel whose title means hope. If that is not powerful I do not know what is. 

     I am not really sure what a rally accomplishes, but I do know what this one has given me. It was nice to see a large group of people that I have never seen before supporting Israel. 

Happiness

      Robin Williams had a lot of fame and fortune and yet he still suffered from mental illness and committed suicide. Wealth, fame and fortune do not necessarily prevent one from being depressed. We all think it might , but it does not. One can be poor and live a really enjoyable and fulfilling life. It is so sad that a man who was able to lift the spirits of others was not able to lift his own .
     
       

Do You Pass the Israel Test?

     This is a little slow moving, but good. I of course passed the Israel test.

Candy Crush

      For about a year I was a candy crush addict along with several of my Facebook friends. Eventually I broke free from my addiction. I still have Facebook friends who are candy crushing including several in Israel. I imagine they are in the rocket shelters playing candy crush. I bet Mark Zuckerberg did not envision Facebook games as a diversion during war in Israel but I think he would click the like button if he knew .

Ari Lesser - Boycott Israel [Hebrew Subs]

   This is quite a song. I think that I have seen it before, but this seems like a good time to post it. Enjoy!

The Missing Tile Syndrome

      I just saw this on you tube and I just had to share it. It is so true. Yet another midah to work  on.....

Tokyo Stands With Israel

  Thank you Tokyo for standing up for Israel . Beautiful singing.

Grown Up

     As a kid one always imagines what fun it will be to be an adult. One can stay up as late as you want, you can do whatever you want . Then you grow up . Reality sets in. As a kid you only noticed the fun stuff adults get to do. As an adult one gets to find out all the adult things adults have to do. Adults pay taxes. Adults have jobs. Adults are aware of current events . Adults come to realize how illogical life can be. It would be nice to be a kid again, but alas that ship has already sailed.

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein | Let us draw strength

    I found this video to be very inspiring during this difficult time for the Jewish people as a well as for Tisha B'Av. 

Spontaneous Pro-Israel Rally Erupts in Response to Protestors

   This is truly miraculous and heartwarming. 

No Justice

     So many times in life when someone not so upstanding does something improper people just chalk it up to thinking that they are not such good people and do not give it a second thought. Other times someone who is good most of the time can do something questionable and the world criticizes them like no body's business. I really do not get it . Isn't a reprehensible person responsible for their actions? Just because they are always a jerk is not green light to be awful. Is it just easier to harass a usually good person for misbehaving ? If so there is really no justice in the world.

Brooklyn Love

      I just finished reading  the book Brooklyn Love by Yael Levy. It's the story of four Orthodox Jewish young women in their early twenties looking for their basherte. At first I was not sure whether or not this was going to be a story that was good for frum Jews or bad for frum Jews. At first I thought that it was a more negative portrayal  but as I kept reading I realized that it is a  positive portrayal of looking for love in Brooklyn , it is just not a sugar coated view of it. It is an easy read. I do not want to give too much of the story away, so you will have to read it for yourself to get the full 411.