FC Life November, 2016

It is never too late to share our members’ travels! Last February, Barbara Gersten ,Susan Jackowitz and Barbara Stern were in need of an adventure! This "calling" for adventure took us to India! To further this incredible experience ( although none of us keep a kosher home) we traveled with a Jewish kosher group! We flew to Mumbai, stayed a day before meeting our group, about 26 from Israel, England, Gibraltar and the US. We traveled to Raghastan,Kerala,and Delhi. Visiting the important tourist sites which of course included the most exquisite Taj Mahal as well as to the most funky of cities, Pushkar! Where upon stepping out of our old British style hotel situated on a holy lake( where daily chanting could be heard from the numerous nearby temples) we were immediately engulfed in a bazaar of street vendors holy cows ( don't wear open toed shoes)and women dressed in the most colorful of Saris! We bargained for trinkets, saris, baggy pants and even a suitcase and then laughed out loud later at our unreasonable request to have things reduced by 50 cents! Barbara Gersten turns out to be a pro at this kind of "shopping" and taught us novices a new skill! We traveled to the south of India to the city of Cochin with its colorful Jewish history ,touring the synagogues and were able to actually visit with one of the last Jews living there in the city! Here in Cochin we were delighted and touched by a visit from the family of one of our fabulous trainees, Jephin! Jephin's beautiful family traveled far, coming with presents and warm hugs, bringing a deep heartfelt emotions that cannot be described here! Because this was a Jewish tour we had the opportunity to experience meals and Shabbat services at at the Chabad house in Pushkar as well as in Mumbai ,where we were all deeply moved by the tragic retelling of the murders that happened here not that many years ago! We were blessed to have an incredible Indian guide who has traveled to Israel and was able to see many similarities between Hindi and Judaism! The poverty in India is visible, woman beg in the streets carrying deformed babies, tin shacks and crowded living and working conditions were viewed through the comfort of our tour bus windows! You ask why go there? We began to see these smiling lovely people through the eyes of our guide Lee, who taught us not only the history of India but the philosophical insights to the psyche of Hindus and shared his love for his people. A people who accept that this is not the only life you will live. Be content ,enjoy your family, live a good moral life and you will rewarded in the next! We rode on elephants, on camels and on hair raising pedal cabs. We learned about Gandhi, pashminas and durrie rugs! About Bollywood and bindis( dots between the eyes) and miniature paintings! About Ragas, ritual baths as well as Indian Aryuvedic and modern medical care! We established deep connections with our fellow travelers and continue to share our lives and affection through What's App. The stories of this adventure can go on forever, however the enduring story is one of 3 neighbors who formed a loving bond and a great committed friendship! We thank Barbara Stern and Susan Jackowitz for this travelogue. Today Will Be Different, Maria Semple, author reviewed by the Bookworm The main character, Eleanor, bounced from crisis to crisis, many of her own making, many caused by her own rash decisions. She had been the animation director of a very successful television program called Looper Wash. Her husband Joe was a renowned hand surgeon. They moved to Seattle with the expectation that they would live there for ten years, and then, they would move back to New York City for ten years. Joe wanted to live in Seattle; Eleanor wanted to live in New York City. They had one child, a little boy named Timby. They lived in a nice house, had a nice dog and were relatively happy together. Although they seemed content with their lives, beneath the surface there were secrets. Trouble was brewing, and it played out with humor and a bit of sarcasm for each reader to enjoy. When the book began, Eleanor declared that today would be different. She would get up and dress properly. She would behave when she interacted with people. She would be more organized, more responsible, and less rude. She would be relaxed and do the things everyone else was able to do without a problem. She would be more interactive with friends and her husband. However, even though she had the best of intentions, Eleanor had no filter and often lost her temper, lashing out impetuously without thinking first. Later, too late, she would regret her behavior. This day might not prove to be that different! How Eleanor spent this day that she vowed would be different is actually hilarious. She went from crisis to crisis with her third grader son whom she picked up early from school because he didn’t feel well. However, she had forgotten she had a lunch date, and when she remembered, she decided to take Timby with her. Then, she discovered that she had two lunch dates. In order to keep at least one of the appointments, she decided to bring Timby to his dad’s medical office, but, when she got to his office, she discovered he was not there. She had no idea where he had gone. She knew he was keeping something from her, and she set out to find him, or at least, to find out what he was up to that she did not know about! As she investigated, she got herself into difficult situations, and she jumped to some pretty radical conclusions before she calmed herself down. In several situations, it was Timby who assumed the role of the adult in the room. He attempted to calm her down when she overreacted, and he soothed her when she got hurt. He was relaxed while she was frenzied. I wanted to hug him. After Eleanor found Joe, she learned that Joe indeed had a secret. It was life changing and her reaction was typical, but it was her over-reactions that made the book so entertaining, and it was Timby who made the book worth reading! His innocence and sincerity coupled with his attempts to comfort and guide his mother captured my heart. He drew me in and kept me involved in the book. He was irresistible. His mother, however, sometimes became a bit tiresome. Although it didn’t seem as good as “Where’d You Go Bernadette”, it was written with humor that was sometimes laugh-out-loud. At the end, a reader might certainly wonder, was this day really different for Eleanor? Page 8