And she lives in the scariest neighborhood. I thought I'd be murdered Saturday night and I'm not joking. I started to wise up to the situation when her roommate started telling me about "the drive-by" that happened the day before, or when Jordy recounted the story of "the metro car with blood everywhere." Despite all this Jordy is so sweetly optimistic it makes me feel like a grizzled old woman, paranoid and edgy, poo-pooing the "well meaning" strangers Jordy asks directions from and jumping out of her skin when Jordy asks the bus driver a question. "What are you doing!!?! He won't answer your question, that's not his JOB!!"
I'm thinking my weirdness stems from Russia. Now whenever I visit a big city I revert to Moscow mode, meaning I clam up, frown, and don't talk to anyone. I never asked for directions in Russia, even when I was lost. I figured it out myself and that was a source of pride for me. If it meant I didn't end up where I intended to go, that was ok. I brushed it off. Sure I wanted to go to the Pushkin fine arts gallery but this weird ass portrait artist guy's gallery will work just fine. Yeah Moo Moo would've been nice but what's wrong with a little street food? (answer: everything. Don't eat it if you can help it).
Back to DC... since Jordy works for a Jewish group (called Avodah) that houses young Jews and sends them to different non profits, her social activities tend to be all synagogue and Jewish social hour related (where they tend to offer free booze). So I spent Saturday night be taken to various Jewish things, including some holiday celebration, including horah dancing. I have never stuck out more in my life. I wouldn't have noticed it had Jordy not prefaced all this by saying "if you're worried about not being Jewish... don't worry, I'm sure they won't notice." When I said that actually, yeah they probably would notice since I more resemble a member of Hitler Youth than anything she amended it with "well, I'm sure they won't mind..." I don't know if they minded but they sure did notice. I was getting quite a few looks. Like, "hey, imposter. I know you're not Jewish. I know you're here for our free martinis and our dancing in the street." Or then again maybe this is crazy, paranoid Emma talking.
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