Ich voyn een new york

After 6 days of Yiddish classes, I can muster ich voyn een new york -- I live in New York. Truth be told, I can come up with a few variations -- so long as they are in the present tense and use a very limited vocabulary and do not need to indicate anything conditional. But it's progress. And it's been fun using the language-learning part of my brain, which has been dormant since furiously studying for (other) language exams almost 2 years ago.

And the living in New York element has proven quite fun. The side-by-side cosmopolitanism and parochialism provides endless fascination. Just the other day I passed the Cuban-Chinese Benevolent Association as well as a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant. I can walk down the street to about 6 Thai places, and try out their Panang Curries (my favorite Thai dish) through the $6, that's right, $6 lunch specials (includes an appetizer too! what's not to like). I've found the best Panang curry I've tasted since leaving Krung Siam in California at this hole-in-the-wall.

Then there's the New-York-centrism which is a special breed unto itself. Witness, for example, the following conversation:
A: "So you went to school here. Did you like it?"
B: "I loved it, and so many people stay in the city after college. It's great. I bet people stayed in Philly [A's college location] too."
A: "Hmm, not really. People who are from Philly stay there, but most others leave. They go back to New York."
B: "Oh, weird. I mean it's not like Philly is Madison or anything."

At which point I had to interject and note that there are far worse places to live than Madison and there are, in fact, people who gravitate toward it, even if it's not New York.

But there really was a rainbow visible over the Brooklyn/Manhattan bridges last week (Thursday) in between the rain. The reprieve from rain this weekend and today was lovely. Alas I think more droplets are in my future.

Finally, this dress is awesome.

My friends made me buy it, and I resisted. But it is truly a wonder. Comfortable and cute, with pockets no less. I recommend it. It'll probably go on sale soon, being from Target and all.

And craftiness will return...as soon as I take a picture of the buttercup bag. Or maybe I'll post one of the quilts I made before venturing to New York. To be continued...