Thursday, June 21, 2007

By the way, I'm rich!

Tomorrow it will be a week - a week - since my last post. Oh no! What is this world coming to?

Well, actually, it's mostly because I come home so tired after work and though I have much to say, I have little energy to write. I write mostly in my head as it's happening, but, of course, I can't blog from work (I'm new at this whole work thing. Give it time, give it time). So though I have a new dream diary post in the working (about vampires, to give you a little teaser), I thought I'd post something else beforehand. I don't want to neglect my flourishing, baby blog, after all! I must nurture it! Give it life and much TLC!

So I shall post about today's awkwardness.

Today the people in the publishing house held a pizza party for one of the men there because it was his birthday. The thing was, it wasn't kosher pizza so I of course couldn't have any. That's fine. I just stayed at my computer doing whatever I was supposed to be working on. But then the PRESIDENT of the publishing house came over and asked me if I wanted pizza. Now, this is the first time she was there when I was, so this is her first impression of me. I said, "no, thank you." So she asked me if I was sure and I said I was. Then she gave me this odd look and asked, "...Why?" I could sense how awkward this was about to become. "Well, I only eat kosher," I answered, a bit sheepishly. She frowned. "Oh. But--this is just plain pizza. There's nothing on it." I wanted to sink into the floor right then. "Yeah, but, it's okay," I said, feeling like a complete snob. I think she felt I was one, too, especially considering I heard her mutter a comment about 'kosher' under her breath as she went back into the conference room, and it didn't sound very positive. Or she just might have thought I was rather strange. But the way she had questioned me and reacted to my answers made me feel like a self-righteous snob in an "I'm sorry, your pizza isn't good enough for me," sort of way. Yuck.

So that was the more serious thing. The less serious and more idiotic thing was this:
I was searching for a book on the shelves in the conference room in order to mail to someone. A man who I had never seen before was in there, I think because he doesn't have a desk yet. So, I did the logical thing, I asked him if he knew where the book was. He commented that he was newish there also and had no idea how they organize their books. I sighed and commenced my search. After about a two to three minute pause, he piped up again with a, "by the way, I'm Rich." Now, me in my utter density thought he meant he was rich, as in, wealthy. I turned and stared blankly at him for a moment, having NO idea how to respond to that. Finally I just laughed a bit, taking it as a joke. It was only after he added, "yeah, like I said, I'm new here also," that I realized he meant his NAME is Rich. Idiot me!

9 comments:

Scraps said...

Ooh...I hope that Ms. Head Boss doesn't hold it against you. For future reference, if it comes up again, maybe just give her (or whoever else asks) a concise explanation of kashrut and what it entails, so you don't come out sounding "snobby". But it was probably hard to think of that when you were on the spot.

Your "Rich" story is funny, though. I don't think you're an idiot. :)

Chana said...

That's great. (The Rich story)

Good story from today- guy I talked to on the phone says:

"My dad always asks me what I want to be when I grow up. I want to be sober."

He had a hangover from last night, you see...

As for kosher- I agree with Scraps. The best explanation and the one that makes the most sense in those circumstances is to explain that even though the pizza itself has no toppings, the place it was ordered from probably makes pepperoni pizza or might serve other dishes, including something with ham. You can explain that even making the pizza in the same containers/ovens as other pizza that *does* have toppings you can't eat is a problem, because the drippings/ etc might get on it. Also, any oil used could have animal byproducts or fat (including pig). Since most people understand the ham thing, once you tell them that, they go "oooh, so you're worried there might be drippings/ they might have touched/ been mixed together, okay, it all makes sense now."

Ezzie said...

Hmm... I think that Chana's explanation is a bit TMI. :) But a concise one using the word "rabbi" generally helps.

As for the Rich thing... LOL. Nu nu. Next time you see him you can even tell him and have a good laugh. :)

Chana said...

I disagree, Ezzie. The reason something is or isn't kosher has nothing to do with a Rabbi and it's misleading to give that impression. Then people think kashrus is the Rabbi "blessing something."

I explained kashrut enough times at my high school to know what works.

Scraps said...

Yeah...I also spent two years in a non-Jewish school, and I got pretty used to dispelling the idea (as often held by my non-religious Jewish classmates as by my non-Jewish ones) that kosher food is "blessed by a rabbi". Perpetuating the myth doesn't help anyone.

haKiruv said...

That's a funny post. It's interesting to read people's different reactions to the kosher question, too.

I try to have a rehearsed simple answer for the common questions with what makes me different. "Why the beard? What are those tassles? Are you my real father? (I'm kidding) etc". Then my answer usually involves something like "...it's part of the covenant with G-d that Jews have, but non-Jews don't have to in order to receive their portion in the world to come. Non-Jews just have to keep what's called the seven Noahide Laws, which is basically 'be a moral person'."

I smooth it up a bit and tailer it to the person, but they usually smile and sigh, "OH...I see. Well that's cool". Once people know that there are different covenants in effect, then they don't feel like you're being stuck-up, but to them rather it's just an obligation that you do because you're Jewish. Most people in America have the preconceived notion that everyone in a certain religion goes to "heaven" while everyone else goes to "hell". That's not the way in Judaism. After explaining this, I usually welcome them to ask other questions in the future.

I even tried this approach with a District Manager that randomly showed up at my counter. "So, I hear you're converting to orthodox Judaism? Is that true?", he asks me. Aw crap, I'm thinking to myself. I go on to explain whatever his question was, etc. Then, he started telling me about his faith, how he wished he would go to church more (he's Catholic), and started talking about his kids. I started actually giving him advice and such and he thought it was "neat" or something.

I've had a lot of success with this approach, and most people come back with more questions and are more open and understanding.

the apple said...

I would advise that unless someone specifically asks you to stay at your desk while there is a little party going on, maybe just join where everyone is sitting. You don't have to eat, but don't isolate yourself over at the front desk.

I'm learning these same lessons the hard way too.

Rich - hee hee! Sorry to laugh, but it's good to know that I'm not the only one who makes embarassing fumbles when learning someone's name. (BTW, someone I work with is named Pat, as in Patrick, but privately I think of him as Patty-Cake :).)

Ezzie said...

Then people think kashrus is the Rabbi "blessing something."

I know, and that's so much fun! :P

I explained kashrut enough times at my high school to know what works.

...and I've done it at work countless times. The Q is if they want a quick answer or not. If they do, a quick "we need to know that a rabbi or someone like it ensured that all the ingredients in the food are kosher" is good. If they want a longer answer, then there's no problem to begin with.

Anonymous said...

Whenever someone offers you non-kosher food either say thanks, but you just ate, or thanks, but you're on a diet.

Eventually the Jewish thing will come out and then you'll have a less snobby-seeming opportunity to explain kosher.

Now I have secret, hidden text like on SerandEz!