Monday, August 14, 2006

Temporary Resident Tourist - Day 1

Key word: Positivity. Learn to laugh at self and at others rather than to be offended. I can do this. I can do this...maybe if I say it enough times, I'll believe it...

So the little-city-that-thinks-its-big-cause-its-near-the-big-city is funny.

I said good morning to the random lady I passed on the street, 'cause it was, and she looked at me like she wasn't sure if I was quite human. But there were people who distinctly smiled at me on my very first shopping trip in this crazy town, and the lady at Duane Reed was quite nice ('couse, she was African, and they're always friendly, so many it doesn't count).

I feel very stupid because I only speak (or somewhat understand) 2-3 of the millions of languages spoken by all the people. But it certainly motivates me to learn more!

The sky does get blue here! It's quite helpful for morale.

The big electronics store here doesn't carry ethernet cables. It's owned by frum people, so maybe they don't want to sell anything that can be a מכשול. Pretty impressive! But where's Radio Shack when you need them...?

I understand why so many Israelis move to Brooklyn. There're so many little holes in the wall where you can buy stuff, and they also use those black plastic bags!

Addendum:
Everyone uses Buicks! What do they see in them? (Aside from the whole looking-like-a-government-official thing...well...maybe that's it!)

13 comments:

Scraps said...

Ooh, Brooklyn. Yes/no/maybe?

Personally, while I don't mind visiting the place (most of the time) I'd go crazy if I lived there. But yes, the hole-in-the-wall stores and the black plastic bags remind me of Israel too. :)

Eli7 said...

You can absolutely do this.

And if you need any help with anything, I'm just a phone call away in the city that is big. ;)

tinablue87 said...

Hey there from the borough that is the Bronx! Welcome!!

TRW said...

Scraps - yes/no/maybe ;)
And the people who sit on the side of the street asking for money..

Eli7 - I might just do that...

Tina - I'm awaiting an invite to that lovely borough! ;)

Scraps said...

Where's Radio Shack? The store locator might help. ;-)

http://www.radioshack.com/corp/index.jsp?page=storeLocator

TRW said...

The funniest thing is that the second I got off the subway yesterday in the city, the first store I saw was a Radio Shack! :)

Jewboy said...

You're in Brooklyn. Say it ain't so. We'll miss you at kiddush.

Lee said...

brooklyn? brooklyn!?

oh, dear.

well, as long as you don't start calling it "the yerushalyim of america!", it'll be all good.

btw-there are definitely radio shacks in brooklyn. trust me, I know. but even they don't carry certain items, frustratingly (like video display cables for an apple ibook -I mean, who wouldn't carry that??)

TRW said...

Jewboy - Alas. ..and kiddush! I miss kiddush too! There's no hashkama here (that I've found yet) which has room for females..

Okee - Perhaps somewhere, but not where I looked. It's okay - I went to staples and found what I needed. But it was frustrating..

TRW said...

Oh, and Okee - never, never, never.

TEMPORARY - key term.

Scraps said...

You should come and visit me, there's a hashkama minyan at at least two shuls in my neighborhood. I can't guarantee a kiddush, though. But my shul has one every week at the regular minyan. :)

TRW said...

Yeah, but they actually have the mechitza up at the hashkama minyan? My experience with other hashkamas is that they're not so women-friendly..

Scraps said...

Hmmm...good question. I don't really know, though I think they hold them in the regular shul, so they probably do have a mechitza. I'll have to look into it. I used to go to hashkamah sometimes in high school, and they had a mechitza, though I was usually the only female present. And they had a kiddush afterwards, too. :)