Overheard in Freehold, NJ

Some of you know that one of my grandmothers doesn't like black people or Muslims, while my more progressive grandmother sticks to not liking Muslims.

On Sunday, as I nursed a hangover at a family barbecue, I was munching on some cherry tomatoes in my aunt's kitchen. My mother's mother from South Africa was in attendance, as was my dad's mom, who lives in Jersey. This conversation was born:

Mom's mom: So, did you say you've been to Spain?
Dad's mom: Yes, I have.
MM: How was it?
DM: Well, I was a little nervous when we went because the plane was fill of nuns.
MM: Nuns? I don't mind nuns. But on the flight over here my plane was full of chazarshe Muslims.
DM: Muslims? Well I don't like sitting next to Mexicans.
MM: No, the Muslims are the worst.

It went on for a while along that vein. My sister was right on when she said we really should have brought a tape recorder.

Thank you, Amy Adina

A while ago, I was looking into how to get my broke self into Israel. A flight costs well over a thousand dollars, and I quickly emptied out the meager 400 bucks I had in my savings account at graduation.

I trolled the web for grants, and found this fund dedicated to a girl who grew up in New Jersey, spent her summers as a counselor in a Zionist youth camp, went to Israel for a year after high school, believed in the environment and social justice and bringing peoples together...and then died when she was 20. Seeing as Amy Adina Schulman was pretty much me but 20 years ago, I wrote to the fund and asked for money for my flight. They didn't get back to me for the last month, and then on Friday I found out I they are covering my flight. I am now a proud passenger on British Airways, departing September 30. Woo!

In other news, I am getting better at being a Bonefish Girl. I botched a wine bottle opening - twice - for a table on Saturday, but I'm developing the social skills to laugh it off. These are valuable life lessons. The table gave me a 30 dollar tip, so I think it's worth it.