This past weekend was definitely an adventure. My cousin and her husband are moving, and they stopped at my house on their way to their new home. They brought their son with them, who was born back in October. I was so excited to meet my new baby cousin, not just because he's a new addition to the family, but because I have come to the realization that I need more experience interacting with babies.
I love kids. I do. I have babysat for small children before, but not one of them has been younger than five. I've only changed a diaper once, on a two-year-old. So I have never really spent more than five minutes with an infant--until this weekend.
First I had to make myself comfortable holding him. He weighs twelve pounds, which doesn't seem like a lot, but I had to remind myself that this was a person, not a sack of flour. I was really nervous about it, but he didn't cry, so I guess that was a good thing.
I was highly impressed with the baby's ability to sleep through anything. My cousin also brought her puppy, so between the puppy and my own dog, there was a lot of energetic canine running and barking (my dog did most of the barking). Didn't wake up the baby at all. And after he went to bed one night, we were all laughing and playing cards and making a bit of noise while the baby slept soundly downstairs. Nothing woke this kid up. I hope my own kids sleep that well when I have them.
Playing with a baby is more fun than some people make it seem. And it actually feels like it's more fun for the adults than it is for the baby. All they do is sit there while you make all the noises and push the buttons on the toys. But it's really great when the baby smiles at you. Happy babies are the best.
I always get upset when I hear a baby cry, even if it's not related to me. I know that crying is the only way a baby can communicate, but it still makes me sad--especially when you can't figure out why they're crying in the first place. Are they hungry? Tired? Do they need a diaper change? (Though that last one is usually easy to figure out.)
The point is, I should probably have more time interacting with babies--I know it will feel like instinct when I finally become a mom, but luck favors the prepared, as they say.
Do not even get me started on the two dogs in the house.....
This afternoon I was watching the show "Top Chef" and it got me thinking about food--which is something I tend to think about frequently. I happened to be making tonight's dinner while watching (pasta salad--mmmm!!), and I was reminded of all the delicious food I've eaten when I travel.
In my sophomore year of high school I went on an exchange trip to Italy. Since it was my first trip outside the country, I was both excited and nervous. But I've always liked Italian food--or, at least, the American perception of Italian food. When I actually got to Italy I discovered that real Italian food is nothing like what you get here. It's way better. Of course I had the usual staples, pasta and pizza (my favorite was a slice that had tuna on it--it tasted a lot better than it sounds). Even they were better in Italy, and their origins are not even Italian (pizza I'm pretty sure is an American invention and the first noodles came from Asia). What made things a bummer however was that I was in the land of delicious bread during Passover--the one week when I'm not allowed to eat any bread. That year was the first and only time I broke Passover. I figured, "G-d will forgive me, I'm in Italy!" (But my host mom was really nice and bought me some matzoh anyway.)
The summer after my sophomore year of college I did my archaeology field school in Cyprus. The seven weeks I was there was the best chance I got to experience the wonderful thing that is Mediterranean food. Olive oil is of course everywhere, but that's not a problem in the slightest. I finally got to try a gyro (pronounced "gee-roh", not "jai-ro"--it's Greek), with tzatziki (cucumber sauce), which was delicious. I got my choice of beef, pork, or chicken--I chose chicken. I also got to try souflaki (sp?), which is lamb. Now, there is a part of me that has a problem eating a cute little baby sheep (well, when you put it like that!), but it was quite yummy nonetheless. And I enjoy trying new food.
And speaking of trying new food: Summer of 2011 I got to go on a Birthright trip to Israel. Now, I have of course had falafel before (at temple), but everything always tastes better in the land from whence it came. I was in Israel, I had to try falafel. It would have been a crime not to. One night a group of us ate at a nice kabob place, and a friend of mine decided to be adventurous and order a kabob of chicken hearts. Yes, chicken hearts. Not normally a part of the chicken you would eat, but I decided to be adventurous too and asked to try one. Predictably, it tasted like chicken, and had the texture of any other bit of fat you'd find on a piece of meat (except it's a muscle). It really wasn't bad. Before I tried it I proclaimed myself Anthony Bourdain--"No Reservations". That was a great trip.
I always make it a point whenever I go somewhere new to try the food. You can learn a lot about a culture from their cuisine--and how people interact at the dinner table.
So, where will I go and what will I try next? I hear Chicago's deep-dish pizza is to-die-for.....
In light of recent events circulating in the news, I thought it might be pertinent to put something out there about violence and guns. I have always considered myself a pacifist, and so I tend to get a little on-edge whenever there is mention of something like a shooting or an update on a war. In school I always enjoyed learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi and their campaign for non-violence and non-violent protest. Actions speak louder than words, as they say.
That being said, it seems pretty understandable that I would get angry/annoyed when people start talking about how sometimes violence is necessary in certain situations. While most of the time their arguments to this opinion seem valid, the only one that doesn't make sense to me is the one regarding human nature. I've heard some people say that violence is an instinct, and that with respect to the "flight or fight" response, more often than not people choose to fight. What I don't get is the assumption that "fight" automatically means beating the crap out of someone, or shooting someone, or some other physical "violent" act. In many occurrences, to fight more so means to stand up and defend your situation without resorting to physical altercations. (The only exception to this of course is self-defense from someone else who is being violent--for me personally, if I had the opportunity, I would choose flight.)
If violence is the only way to get through to someone, then they are the problem and you need to find another way to convince them to listen to you. And if you use violence as a method of persuasion without listening to the other person(s), then you are the problem.
"Violence doesn't end violence--it extends it." -The Doctor
Well, I guess that's it for today. Keep an eye out for my next post--I promise it will be on a happier topic. Thanks for reading!
Hello world! This is my first ever blog post on my first ever blog! Instead of sitting here and telling you what I'm going to write about, I shall just state that I have a lot of things on my mind, and therefore there is no "theme" to what I will write. If I am thinking about it, I'll write about it. If you are thinking about something and want to know what I think also, feel free to tell me and I'll write about that too. I'm not very good at giving advice, so that is probably the only thing you won't see here--unless I happen to know and/or understand about a certain type of situation and can speak from experience.
I'm just a person who thinks a lot and has a lot to say. I won't call myself an "ordinary" person, because I don't believe such a thing exists. I hope you enjoy reading my future posts as much as I hopefully will enjoy writing them. Welcome to my blog!
