New York Peace-Budget March/Rally
I had just returned from what I thought would be a very small event. It felt throughout the week
that I was the only one putting stickers and giving out leaflets. The crowd in Washington Square
started to look impressive. I managed to give an interview to NY1: "My kid will not go to the pool
this summer - the city pool are closing because we have to fix the rest of the world. I am not
with anyone (because the previous interviewees said they were with the Green party). I am just
a mother angry as hell because our lives are going down the drain in the name of war" (My kid
was in the stroller, holding a big sign).
The Broadway march was good - I can only tell we were stretching over 2 blocks - so,
thousands. A guy in a bush mask with an Earth beach ball was doing a Great Dictator impression.
We were supposed to get to City Hall but we were stopped and penned in Federal Plaza - many
blocks away from City Hall. I used the stroller benefit to get through the barriers, closer to City
Hall and then I saw it: MILLIONS! An ocean of green and blue T-shirts - a huge union rally. The
United for peace people that marched with me have no idea of this. Herding people into pens
serves the goal of obscuring our numbers...I was as angry as I was energized by the sight. So,
spread the word: it was a HUGE rally!
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Monday, April 28, 2003
Sunday, April 27, 2003
Friday, April 25, 2003
Take your daughter to school day
was yesterday. It's a rather new idea - observed for 8-9 years. I believe that angry white males already had their paws over it (it's now daughter or son).
Anyway, Maya went to daddy's school and helped him prepare a new poster - the second verse from Itsy-Bitsy spider which she learned in her school.
She dictated the words, Victor wrote and she made little drawings. After the kids came, Maya spent the morning with them, making a friend and having a good time. At lunch I picked her up.
was yesterday. It's a rather new idea - observed for 8-9 years. I believe that angry white males already had their paws over it (it's now daughter or son).
Anyway, Maya went to daddy's school and helped him prepare a new poster - the second verse from Itsy-Bitsy spider which she learned in her school.
She dictated the words, Victor wrote and she made little drawings. After the kids came, Maya spent the morning with them, making a friend and having a good time. At lunch I picked her up.
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Monday, April 21, 2003
Vacation update
We went to a seder this saturday . Maya had a good time playing with a weird little boy and a cat. Victor and Erica played their guitars and sang. We ate silly. Yesterday, same bunch we went to the Prospect park zoo the one our Republican mayor is fixing to close - along with the pools this summer. Maya was a
little anxious about getting stung by the wallabies but had a great time. Afterwards we went to
the carousel.
Israel
Bulgarii also returned from their European vacation which was also a reunion with Adina. It
involved a lot of joy laughter and partying - sounds like something we should do all together.
We went to a seder this saturday . Maya had a good time playing with a weird little boy and a cat. Victor and Erica played their guitars and sang. We ate silly. Yesterday, same bunch we went to the Prospect park zoo the one our Republican mayor is fixing to close - along with the pools this summer. Maya was a
little anxious about getting stung by the wallabies but had a great time. Afterwards we went to
the carousel.
Israel
Bulgarii also returned from their European vacation which was also a reunion with Adina. It
involved a lot of joy laughter and partying - sounds like something we should do all together.
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
New York Weather - summer today - up to 77F of 27 C
Thought of the Day
As we bightly gallop towards yet a new war, on the used, unproven lies that sparked the one still going on, here's what our predecesor used to say:
"I give a propaganda reason for starting the war. Never mind whether it is plausible or not. The
victor will not be asked afterward whether he told the truth or not. In starting and waging war it
is not right that matters, but victory."
Adolph Hitler
Thought of the Day
As we bightly gallop towards yet a new war, on the used, unproven lies that sparked the one still going on, here's what our predecesor used to say:
"I give a propaganda reason for starting the war. Never mind whether it is plausible or not. The
victor will not be asked afterward whether he told the truth or not. In starting and waging war it
is not right that matters, but victory."
Adolph Hitler
Monday, April 07, 2003
Saturday, April 05, 2003
Some clarifications
Questions I got tell me they are necessary:
Eggplant I cooked for the multicultural shares - called "Vinete" in Romanian - are the common summer apetiser there and completely unknown here. People go crazy when they taste it (and I couldn't make them without the trusty wooden chopper Cati gave me - a tool non-existant here).
"Could be worse" - the book Maya read is the story of a grandpa who was reacting this way to anything his grandchildren would say. When he heard then saying that "nothing interesting ever happened to him" he makes up a cock and bull story to impress them (It has the abominable snow man, giant goldfish and a monster named Something-or-Other).
It was a useful book to teach Maya about truth and fiction (lies) since they read at school "The true Story of the 3 Pigs by A. Wolf". They stayed on it for a week, discussing and building houses but the teachers left out the main theme: this was the self-serving version of the wolf in which he is good, the pigs are guilty and black is white. Maya was convinced that this was the truth ("it says so in the title") and only "Could be Worse" helped me shake this belief. We talked about reasons people make up stories.
Since these days our entire media is in the hands of wolves berating pigs, lambs and the Little Red Riding Hood standing in their way, I thought it an important lesson to learn.
Questions I got tell me they are necessary:
Eggplant I cooked for the multicultural shares - called "Vinete" in Romanian - are the common summer apetiser there and completely unknown here. People go crazy when they taste it (and I couldn't make them without the trusty wooden chopper Cati gave me - a tool non-existant here).
"Could be worse" - the book Maya read is the story of a grandpa who was reacting this way to anything his grandchildren would say. When he heard then saying that "nothing interesting ever happened to him" he makes up a cock and bull story to impress them (It has the abominable snow man, giant goldfish and a monster named Something-or-Other).
It was a useful book to teach Maya about truth and fiction (lies) since they read at school "The true Story of the 3 Pigs by A. Wolf". They stayed on it for a week, discussing and building houses but the teachers left out the main theme: this was the self-serving version of the wolf in which he is good, the pigs are guilty and black is white. Maya was convinced that this was the truth ("it says so in the title") and only "Could be Worse" helped me shake this belief. We talked about reasons people make up stories.
Since these days our entire media is in the hands of wolves berating pigs, lambs and the Little Red Riding Hood standing in their way, I thought it an important lesson to learn.
Friday, April 04, 2003
Multicultural Share at Maya's School
Last night, the entire school (more or less) gathered in the cafeteria to sample foods from all the countries and traditions . I brought my eggplant and ate till I couldn't breathe - other people's stuff.. It was extraordinary! After that a show followed. The usual - with kids starting a piano piece 10 times - but we lived through it.
Last night, the entire school (more or less) gathered in the cafeteria to sample foods from all the countries and traditions . I brought my eggplant and ate till I couldn't breathe - other people's stuff.. It was extraordinary! After that a show followed. The usual - with kids starting a piano piece 10 times - but we lived through it.
Wednesday, April 02, 2003
No Zoo trip today!
Somehow, the teachers became tripped out: they have a Staten Island Zoo trip next week (yeah, yet another NYC Borrough). I complained about the fact that Queens remained uncovered and I feel that the Zoo geography part of Maya's instruction is incomplete.
But Maya will share a book today (read it to the class from the teacher's chair) so she's fine.
Somehow, the teachers became tripped out: they have a Staten Island Zoo trip next week (yeah, yet another NYC Borrough). I complained about the fact that Queens remained uncovered and I feel that the Zoo geography part of Maya's instruction is incomplete.
But Maya will share a book today (read it to the class from the teacher's chair) so she's fine.
Tuesday, April 01, 2003
Happy April's Fools Day!
This fool was parted with her computer for almost 20 hours and almost went nuts! After parting with a lot of money, the computer was back! Maya asked me today to give her an April Fool idea. I told her to go to the window and say: "It's snowing!" She asked me to help. So, we both went to the window and Maya whispered: "It's snowing" I broadcasted itit and everyone came to the window. "April fool!" Maya whispered. I yelled it out loud and a good time was had by all. When the computer guy showed a little later he said: "It's snowing!" It was.
This fool was parted with her computer for almost 20 hours and almost went nuts! After parting with a lot of money, the computer was back! Maya asked me today to give her an April Fool idea. I told her to go to the window and say: "It's snowing!" She asked me to help. So, we both went to the window and Maya whispered: "It's snowing" I broadcasted itit and everyone came to the window. "April fool!" Maya whispered. I yelled it out loud and a good time was had by all. When the computer guy showed a little later he said: "It's snowing!" It was.
