Thoughts induced by staring at snow flakes

* This post is a homage to the icechewer who inspires me and encourages me to be a better me :-)

Thought #1:

Blizzard

–noun

1. Meteorology .

a. storm with dry, driving snow, strong winds, and intense cold.

b. heavy and prolonged snowstorm covering a wide area.

2. an inordinately large amount all at one time; avalanche: a blizzard of Christmas cards.

What a word. in the past few days this word had been used in every small talk and big talk in the east coast. just the sound of it made me shiver...

Thought #2:

Preperation for the snow has started in the city long before the weather forcasts announced of its coming. shovels, snow blowers and other snow-fighting equipment were sold everywhere.

funniest thing happend. Snow actually came a day after Christmas, right after the day where all stores are closed...

Thought #3: 

The worst chore of all - shoveling snow.

Thought #4:

The second worst chore of all - taking the dog for a walk in this weather.

Thought #5:

A friend from Israel asked me where do all the street cats hide in the snow? The answer is - in NYC there are no street cats. So - she asked - does it means that there are mice then? Yes - there are a handful, and if you listen carefully, especially on stormy nights - you can hear them tiptoing across the room.

Thought #6:

(continues thought # 4) - dogs' urine on the snow is bright yellow. Gross!

Thought #7: 
I went to shop for groceries in 2 supermarkets - empty shelves on both! luckily they had differemnt products missing so I was able to get almost everything I needed :-)

Thought #8:
Romance in the snow: a dad and his son throwing snow balls at each other in the middle of the night, a couple walking hand in hand wearing gloves, a couple cleaning snow off a car, a woman walks a dog wearing a snow coat and tiny little shoes on its 4 legs, people helping each other to cros the slippery roads, people posing to a camera, people cuddling in front of the fire place and watching TV (with or without their significant other), people staring out the window at the snow flakes.

Thought #9:
Totally unromantic in the snow: slipping and falling flat on one's face.

Thought #10:
Where are all the taxis?

Thought #11:
I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go? I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away.
The Catcher in the Rye
Holden Caulfield in Chapter 1

מזל מקריית מלאכי Mazal

Dear English readers - sorry, but the following post could have been written in Hebrew only, and any attempt to translate the thoughts and feelings described in it - will just get lost in translation. See you in the next post :-)

בשבוע שעבר, בעודי יושבת בסלון הציפורניים השכונתי שלי, נכנסה לחנות אישה - לא צעירה, אך גם לא מבוגרת, לא כהה וגם לא בהירה, לא רזה ולא שמנה - ככה היא באמצע. אבל אני עם החושים הישראליים שלי שמזהים כל אחד ממרחק של קילומטר - ידעתי בדיוק מי היא ומה היא. גם ניחשתי מאיזה איזור גיאוגרפי היא בארץ.

באופן לא מפתיע, האישה השיבה לברכת השלום של בעלת העסק הסינית ביד קפוצה - כמסמנת "רגע", הוציאה טלפון נייד מהכיס, חייגה ואמרה: "כן, כן. אני פה. קחי אותה תגידי לה מה אני רוצה". 

מתוך נימוס פניתי אל הגברת והצעתי לסייע בתרגום. האישה אמרה: "מה, אתה מדברת עברית?" "כן" עניתי, "מה את ישראלית?" "כן" חייכתי בשעשוע.

מאותו רגע והלאה הלך החיוך ודעך. הייתי נתונה למתקפת שאלות חודרניות וביקורתיות:

"מה את עושה כאן?

אתה גרה כאן?

מאיפה את בארץ?

במה את עובדת?

בת כמה את?

עם מי את גרה?

לבד?

רווקה?

אין לך חבר?

אם היית בארץ כבר מזמן מישהו היה חוטף אותך!"

וכן הלאה וכן הלאה...

ברגע אחד שככו הגעגועים שלי לישראל. זה צד של ישראל שאף פעם לא אהבתי - וכנראה אני לעולם לא אוהב. תחושת הבעלות שיש לישראלים על חייהם של אנשים אחרים, בעיקר ישראלים אחרים. החיים של כולנו הם חלק מהקולקטיב העברי, ולכל אחד יש זכות לקבל דו"ח מפורט על המצב המשפחתי שלך, גילך ומקצועך ולבקר את אורחות חייך.

השאלות הבודדות שאני שאלתי היו: האם את זקוקה לעזרה? מה שמך? האם את חיה פה או מבקרת? את שאר התשובות לשאלות שלא שאלתי נידבה מזל מקריית מלאכי בשטף.

והמדהים ביותר - מזל מקריית מלאכי לא עצרה לרגע כדי לשאול אותי לשמי. בינינו, היא גם לא ממש האזינה לתשובותי. נראה היה כאילו שטף השאלות אינו מתוך סקרנות ועניין אמיתי, אלא מתוך הרגל. מגונה.

COLD!

People keep asking me how is the weather in NYC. Well -in one word - COLD!

Do you want to know how much cold? well...

This morning I had to go to the grocery store to buy milk for my coffee.

I picked my regular half gallon (1%), and while walking to the cashier line (why do they only have one cashier in the morning?), I felt my fingers starting to itch with cold.

I paid and chose to carry the bottle with my bare hands (trying to be part of the solution and not the pollution), and stepped outside to the chill. All of a suddon I realized that the bottle of milk is actually warm comparing to the cold air. 

Now you get it?

Happy eschatologycal Hannukah - New York Version

My favourite holiday is back in town! Hanukah!

Holiday of lights, holiday of triumph, holiday of miracles... and all that jazz.

When I got to work today I felt very festive, and decided to spread it all around me. The best way in my opinion - was to get my company's showroom in Midtown West a Menorah.

I went out to the stormy weather, tried the pharmacy, the supermarket, a couple of gift and hardware stores - and NADA! As if there are no Jews in the city - the stores didn't even acknowldeged it's Hanukah, and in some of them they responded my inquiry for a Menorah by telling me: "We might get them next week". Thanks. very helpful.

Eventually I got to a hardware store a couple of blocks away from my work. When I enetered the store I heard the owner, the employees and the few customers in the store speak Arabic. A thought crossed through my mind: well, there's a place where I would most likely not find a Menorah. But then, all of a sudden, like a mirage - I spotted a big, white, ugly, electric Menorah! Exactly what I was looking for! My Hanukah miracle was there - coexistence for only $34.99! And a happy Hanukah blessing from all the employees in the store. 

Spread the joy! Peace on earth! Happy Hanukah and happy holidays!