Matzo: Not a grain to be found in JP

Already having missed the annual passover Seder this year as I was in Minnesota for the MAC alumni match, I felt some thing was lacking. I decided to buy some Matzo at Harvest Coop. a place with stuff for everyone and hippies. But guess what, they ran out of Matzah and said they would be getting some soon. Because I am trying to keep the tradition, didn't want to eat non-passover cereal, and didn't have any Matzah I skipped breakfast that day. I have been struggling ever since with out the patented staple of this holiday.

A brief interlude here: I did have Matzo pizza with pepperonis (cheese & meat + pork) and clam chowder (clams) during Passover earlier this year and while this may seem contradictory since, as you will see, I have gone to great lengths to get Matzo. I love many pork products and don't really see eye to eye with the oral tradition as opposed to here with the sacrifice of bread which is more the cultural tradition.

Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, so I went to the Stop N Stop and they were all out too and told me that they didn't think this demographic existed here, it's more for Hispanics they tell me. This is a huge grocery store with just about everything! They tell me to check the Stop N Shop in Brooklyn. So I venture in to CVS not too far down the block, don't ask my what I was thinking, and I interupt a long line to ask the lady at the register, a young Latina women. She calls out over the inter-com and asks if they have any "Ma-s-o" (I even spelled it out and tried to describe it) as she calls it and then: "it's a brand of cracker." So now I am embarresed in front of this whole line of waiting people and of course they do not have "this" brand of cracker. After 3 days with no Matzo I go back to Harvest today and they still don't have any. "Funny you should ask the grocery person tells me, every one has been coming in here and there isn't any." Huh no wonder - there actually are Jews that exist in JP, or just a bunch of Hippie cracker eating mo fos. Also, usually when people want some thing at a grocery store and there are enough people asking for it, don't they get it right away??!! Any who,this lady tells me there will be more crackers in Friday and asks is there any other brand of cracker she could get me?

This type of thing never happened in Vermont where there are far fewer Jews. I really don't understand it. The annoying Stop N Shop lady was right, I should have prepared before the holliday - just never thought it would be a problem. Looks like I'm going to have to go to Brooklyn for a freaking piece of Matzo, or maybe I'll just get some crackers and forget about the whole thing.

The Organics Movement

One thing I have learned a little bit about at my job is the organics movement. It is an interesting parallel that has happened there with everything in this country, and really in the world, with consolidation. Check out this video if you get a chance:

http://www.msu.edu/~howardp/OrganicIndustry.mov

I have conflicted feelings about the movement. On the one hand, I can definitely see the value to eating fewer chemicals, decreasing health risks for producers and consumers, and a better quality product in general I think. I also think the price is too expensive for me to actually afford to start buying all organic foods. So I chose eggs for now. On the other hand, I think people may be overly obsessed with organics (see the blog "stuff white people like") in a crazy way that doesn't always make sense. Just because some thing's organic doesn't make it better and doesn't mean that the person producing it was a farmer in overalls wearing a classic yellow hat. People just associate organics with small producers, economic empowerment, healthy food, and other ideas which are not necessarily true (unless you are one of the thousands of yuppy soccer moms now shopping at Whole Foods). So many supporters come off as self righteous too and make it seem like this is the most important ethical decision one can make. Some times I feel like I'm not radical enough for this job.

A plug for E.E.

Equal Exchange's recent trip to Chiapas. I know this is some what self-promoting advertising, but I feel like this will give you a better idea of where I work.