More interview questions!
Jul. 6th, 2009 11:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rkoldSince I expect a few of these might have long answers...
1. Your husband, Kennis, seems like a great guy. What is the thing you
most like about him?
His patience, in fact that was sort of the first thing I had hear about him even before I had met him in person. I always appreciate his patience since I am not as patient as I would like and I tend to fly off the handle sometimes a little early. It's really nice to have someone to anchor me.
2. You seem to work very hard to keep kosher. How do you feel about
Jewish people who don't bother with that observance? How do you feel
about the other community (I don't know what the proper name is to call
them--more Orthodox?? The guys with the hats and curls?)? <--I apologize
for my lack of knowledge. We see those guys come through the airport here
sometimes because there's a kosher meatpacking plant north of here, but I
don't know much else about them.
Actually, if you asked someone on the Orthodox side of the divide they would not consider me as keeping kosher and I guess I don't either. I work hard to be a vegetarian. Being a vegetarian mostly works well under the strictures of keeping kosher (since I don't have to worry about mixing milk and meat or whether my meat is kosher) I don't consider myself kosher because I don't look for a hechsher on the foods I eat. I care much more about them being vegetarian and preferably from local sources. I also do go out to eat in normal restaurants where the dishes and pots and stove have been used to cook unkosher meat and I will eat in non-observant people's houses.
I consider myself Conservative (one of the movements in Judaism) in terms of my belief and practice, or at least what was Conservative as of the 1980's. I hear the movement is thinking of changing some stances which I don't agree with. (though other changes I do approve of, like ordaining openly gay/lesbian Rabbis)
Orthodox is in some respects the largest of the movements because it has more distinct sub-movements within it than Conservative, Reform or Reconstructionst. There are Modern Orthodox, which may or may not be becoming like the sort of Conservative Judaism I grew up with.... and then there are the Far Right sects. The ones you are seeing in the black hats, and with the curls (peyes is the proper name) are Hassidic. There are lots of groups with differing views within Hassidism and the groups have some huge infighting, but they're the Jews you see with black hats, long black coats and the curls. The movement started as revolutionary but is now anything but. To someone Hassidic I am not even close to keeping Kosher and they might not even consider me a Jew. They almost definitely would not consider Kennis.
As for my opinions...
I generally have less issues with Jews who don't even try to keep kosher. It doesn't bother me and is probably true of the majority of Jews. I just care more that when I come to visit or we pick a restaurant to eat in there is something I can eat as a vegetarian. (And I don't mean a vegetable plate or a salad.) So I won't be going back to someplace like say TGIFridays where there is nothing I can eat but dessert. Though I am always happy to go out for pizza.
I have a lot of problems with most Orthodox. I don't care if it is our of modesty issues, I find it offensive when they won't say shake my hand because I am a woman at a secular functionthey should then just not shake men's hands either ~.~ I find it offensive how they don't consider our Rabbis real Rabbis. and I find some of their food demands excessive and ridiculous. One symbol is good enough for them but this other one is not?!? This was a huge issue with my wedding where we were trying to save money and picked a caterer my Aunt did not approve of. The caterer was still kosher and considerably less expensive, the original one wanted $100 per person back in 1995. But she threw a god damn hissy fit. It was ridiculous and I wanted to just uninvite her which is what I probably should have done.
It also just gets insulting because everything social has to be done on their terms, and I hate always getting stuck visiting her house because my Aunt is an awful cook because she doesn't believe in using spices or salt and just is not all that creative when it comes to food. The most painful is during Passover.
Passover is the one Jewish holiday where I generally try to be more careful and look more for a Kosher for Passover Hechsher because there is so much you're not allowed to eat for Passover. (it's not just dough that has risen, you're also not allowed any legumes, corn, rice, or grains) But as I get older I am less and less inclined to care and to want to do it. It's famous for non-Jews to buy Kosher for Passover Coke and Pepsi, since it's the one time you can buy them with sugar instead of corn syrup which is not Kosher for Passover.
3. Where is your favorite place to visit in Japan?
This is tough, I have a huge fond spot for a lot of places in Japan, particularly if I have friends I like to see there or have spent a lot of time there and the locals were all nice. At the moment, my least favorite place in probably Kyoto because I find the Japanese who live in Kyoto snobby and rude. Also I hate their public transportation and they don't make clear where you can park your bikes ~.~ Even Tokyo is easier to figure out for bike parking!
But hmmm.... I have a huge soft spot for Uji. I've been 2 or 3 times now. Even though all there is do there is go to onsen, I love Zao, though part of that is I like Yamagata-ken and how friendly people are there, though I've only been there once. I really want to go back to Hiraizumi and hope to in October. Hirosaki is really really nice but having only been there once I am not sure I would call it my favorite place. I love Okayama and have been there quite a few times. And I love Kairakuen, particularly in season. So it's probably between Uji, Mito or Okayama.
I know if I was going to live in Japan, I would want to live in one of those 3 places.
I don't think there is any place I go every single trip to Japan, about the place I've been most often is probably Ikebukuro in Tokyo, but I wouldn't call it my favorite place so much as my favorite place to shop XD;;;
4. What do you love most about New York?
My family is here. >>;;;
I like the fact that I feel comfortable being Jewish here. When I travel to other places in the US I sometimes feel like I stand out as a Jew and it can be disconcerting and I feel like people are staring. It's probably all in my head, but I still feel that way.
I also love that there is so much on offer! There are great museums, restaurants, produce choices, Broadway, all readily accessible.
5. I seem to remember you saying once that you liked roller coasters? Do
you have a favorite? Which one and why?
I LOVE roller coasters. My all time favorite is Millennium Force at Cedar Point, Ohio. It's incredibly smooth and the track is incredibly well designed and beautiful as well as thrilling. You get tons of airtime and the experience of the first drop is amazing. I love the way it speeds out into the tunnels and I could happily ride it repeatedly if there was no line. Millennium Force is considered by many to be one of the best roller coasters in the world. One of my favorite things about college reunions is my husband and I always go to Cedar Point post. lol The only negative I would say is the food choices at the park sort of suck if you don't eat meat.
1. Your husband, Kennis, seems like a great guy. What is the thing you
most like about him?
His patience, in fact that was sort of the first thing I had hear about him even before I had met him in person. I always appreciate his patience since I am not as patient as I would like and I tend to fly off the handle sometimes a little early. It's really nice to have someone to anchor me.
2. You seem to work very hard to keep kosher. How do you feel about
Jewish people who don't bother with that observance? How do you feel
about the other community (I don't know what the proper name is to call
them--more Orthodox?? The guys with the hats and curls?)? <--I apologize
for my lack of knowledge. We see those guys come through the airport here
sometimes because there's a kosher meatpacking plant north of here, but I
don't know much else about them.
Actually, if you asked someone on the Orthodox side of the divide they would not consider me as keeping kosher and I guess I don't either. I work hard to be a vegetarian. Being a vegetarian mostly works well under the strictures of keeping kosher (since I don't have to worry about mixing milk and meat or whether my meat is kosher) I don't consider myself kosher because I don't look for a hechsher on the foods I eat. I care much more about them being vegetarian and preferably from local sources. I also do go out to eat in normal restaurants where the dishes and pots and stove have been used to cook unkosher meat and I will eat in non-observant people's houses.
I consider myself Conservative (one of the movements in Judaism) in terms of my belief and practice, or at least what was Conservative as of the 1980's. I hear the movement is thinking of changing some stances which I don't agree with. (though other changes I do approve of, like ordaining openly gay/lesbian Rabbis)
Orthodox is in some respects the largest of the movements because it has more distinct sub-movements within it than Conservative, Reform or Reconstructionst. There are Modern Orthodox, which may or may not be becoming like the sort of Conservative Judaism I grew up with.... and then there are the Far Right sects. The ones you are seeing in the black hats, and with the curls (peyes is the proper name) are Hassidic. There are lots of groups with differing views within Hassidism and the groups have some huge infighting, but they're the Jews you see with black hats, long black coats and the curls. The movement started as revolutionary but is now anything but. To someone Hassidic I am not even close to keeping Kosher and they might not even consider me a Jew. They almost definitely would not consider Kennis.
As for my opinions...
I generally have less issues with Jews who don't even try to keep kosher. It doesn't bother me and is probably true of the majority of Jews. I just care more that when I come to visit or we pick a restaurant to eat in there is something I can eat as a vegetarian. (And I don't mean a vegetable plate or a salad.) So I won't be going back to someplace like say TGIFridays where there is nothing I can eat but dessert. Though I am always happy to go out for pizza.
I have a lot of problems with most Orthodox. I don't care if it is our of modesty issues, I find it offensive when they won't say shake my hand because I am a woman at a secular function
It also just gets insulting because everything social has to be done on their terms, and I hate always getting stuck visiting her house because my Aunt is an awful cook because she doesn't believe in using spices or salt and just is not all that creative when it comes to food. The most painful is during Passover.
Passover is the one Jewish holiday where I generally try to be more careful and look more for a Kosher for Passover Hechsher because there is so much you're not allowed to eat for Passover. (it's not just dough that has risen, you're also not allowed any legumes, corn, rice, or grains) But as I get older I am less and less inclined to care and to want to do it. It's famous for non-Jews to buy Kosher for Passover Coke and Pepsi, since it's the one time you can buy them with sugar instead of corn syrup which is not Kosher for Passover.
3. Where is your favorite place to visit in Japan?
This is tough, I have a huge fond spot for a lot of places in Japan, particularly if I have friends I like to see there or have spent a lot of time there and the locals were all nice. At the moment, my least favorite place in probably Kyoto because I find the Japanese who live in Kyoto snobby and rude. Also I hate their public transportation and they don't make clear where you can park your bikes ~.~ Even Tokyo is easier to figure out for bike parking!
But hmmm.... I have a huge soft spot for Uji. I've been 2 or 3 times now. Even though all there is do there is go to onsen, I love Zao, though part of that is I like Yamagata-ken and how friendly people are there, though I've only been there once. I really want to go back to Hiraizumi and hope to in October. Hirosaki is really really nice but having only been there once I am not sure I would call it my favorite place. I love Okayama and have been there quite a few times. And I love Kairakuen, particularly in season. So it's probably between Uji, Mito or Okayama.
I know if I was going to live in Japan, I would want to live in one of those 3 places.
I don't think there is any place I go every single trip to Japan, about the place I've been most often is probably Ikebukuro in Tokyo, but I wouldn't call it my favorite place so much as my favorite place to shop XD;;;
4. What do you love most about New York?
My family is here. >>;;;
I like the fact that I feel comfortable being Jewish here. When I travel to other places in the US I sometimes feel like I stand out as a Jew and it can be disconcerting and I feel like people are staring. It's probably all in my head, but I still feel that way.
I also love that there is so much on offer! There are great museums, restaurants, produce choices, Broadway, all readily accessible.
5. I seem to remember you saying once that you liked roller coasters? Do
you have a favorite? Which one and why?
I LOVE roller coasters. My all time favorite is Millennium Force at Cedar Point, Ohio. It's incredibly smooth and the track is incredibly well designed and beautiful as well as thrilling. You get tons of airtime and the experience of the first drop is amazing. I love the way it speeds out into the tunnels and I could happily ride it repeatedly if there was no line. Millennium Force is considered by many to be one of the best roller coasters in the world. One of my favorite things about college reunions is my husband and I always go to Cedar Point post. lol The only negative I would say is the food choices at the park sort of suck if you don't eat meat.
