Category: NY

Cat Links my life, NY

Kafka comes to NYC

Posted on Ashira

This section of sidewalk where Riverside Drive passes over 96th street, on the east side of the road is still icy and dangerous (especially for those who need to run to the bus). Riverside drive and 96th street For the second time this year, I called 311 to file a complaint to ask the city to clear the sidewalk. Instead I was treated to an excursus about how, since there is no private or commercial property around the sidewalk, the city is not sure which of it’s own department is responsible for snow and ice removal but they were starting an investigation to figure it out. I explained that I don’t care which city department is responsible, as a tax paying citizen of NYC, I expect the city to work out its issues and shovel the sidewalk. I was told that though it is reasonable for me to have no vested interest in who does the job, the folks at 311 can’t enter it into the system until they can assign it to a department. Though I was assured that after my first complaint, they sent an officer to look at the sidewalk and he noted that there were no

Continue readingKafka comes to NYC

Cat Links NY, photography

Ice Storm 2011

Posted on Ashira

It was a treacherous walk to work this morning. Many buildings hadn’t done anything at all about the sheet ice coating their sidewalks. It was, perhaps, stupid to walk to work, but I’m pleased with a number of the photographs I got. The photo above and below were taken right outside my building. This photo (above) was also on my block. PS 75 hadn’t yet shoveled or salted and I almost slipped as I was taking it. Taken on West End around 102nd Taken on West End around 104th Taken on Broadway around 113th

Cat Links cooking, my life, NY

Levantine Pizza Roll

Posted on Ashira

-conceived and cooked by Tim. Ingredients:1 laffa (now available at Fairway)olive oilfresh mozzarellazatar Method: Preheat oven to ~400 F Brush laffa with olive oil Place thin slices of mozzarella on laffa Sprinkle with zatar Bake in oven until cheese is melted but not brown Carefully roll laffa Hold for a few moments so it sticks together Slice into three inch peices and serve It looks something like this shortly after it’s finished cooking:

Cat Links Jew-ish, my life, NY, Travel

Defensiveness

Posted on Ashira

After checking in for our flight we decided to davan at the synagogue in our terminal. JFK is strange in that it has separate chapels for different religions. I hadn’t seen this before. To be honest, I think I might be more comfortable doing my airport davaning in a space that is not dedicated only to Jews. This eliminates the problem of someone else thinking that they have any right to be judgmental about my observances. Also, the room looks like a shul, complete with mehitza. You can see pictures here. This doesn’t bother me when I don’t have to stand behind it, but as I walked towards the end of the hallway where the synagogue was, it became clear that also headed in the same direction was a haredi gentleman, who was headed to the same place. Uh Oh. We got there first and we proceeded to do our thing. The haredi enters and quickly figures out that A Girl Is Wearing Tefilin!!!. Uh Oh. Actually he says hello and is just curious. He has never heard of this, let alone seen it. He asks if he can take pictures. I sigh and reluctantly say okay.His English is weak

Continue readingDefensiveness