Mindblowing, heartwarming, Metafilter thread. I won't spill the beans, but let's just say it's got all the key ingredients: Jewish geneology, post-Holocaustness, warm cuddliness. Makes me happy to know there are nice people out there.

I have just discovered the Association of Jewish Culture Providers, which has 45 members. It's getting very New York, here. Although some of them are, y'know.

I can't help having more than a passing interest in the Frieze Art Fair which is this weekend (no, we're not related, although we did have a little bit of a tumble about frieze.com a few years back). When you go through Regents Park, the signage is huge.

The Guardian have a very insightful piece about modern collectors. But it's a lot of money. Although...

Anyway, I'm busy Sunday (and can't go Saturday). So that's my money safe, then.

Yep, you're right, I should explain Sukkot better: here's the wikipedia entry.

I will take a pic of my sukkah, I promise, but when you're squeezing a whole week into three days, stuff slips. And I'm chasing my tail trying to get my work done efficiently.

Here's a weird thing: I got on a 189 bus last week, and since 7/7 I try and make eye contact with drivers and say thank you, and when I looked at this driver he was all goth/Barbelithy: eyebrow piercing, little goattee, sardonic grin. And he had like goth gnomes on his Oystercard reader. No, really. We smiled at each other in a we-get-it way. I like it when people are individual.

When I got into town, I wanted to get off the bus at a non-stop which is against all bus driver rules, but usually, if I smile/show a bit of cleavage/whatever, they do. So I asked him to stop at some lights by John Lewis, and he said "who's a naughty girl?" which felt a little odd, but I smiled because I wanted to get off the bus, and well. You know. (Although had this happened in a workplace, it would have been way weirder).

So today, I get a bus back from town, and who's the driver? My, er, new buddy.

Coincidence factor: well, he drives the 189 bus route. Weird factor? 26%. World's-a-village factor? 78% at least.

Reason for posting this? No reason, it's a weblog.

It's National Giving Week - as well as being the first day of Sukkot. I made kiddish in my sukkah, and it's still standing, which given it's lightweight construction is something of a miracle.

Well, I have checked my sukkah, and it's all still alive.

Jonny Sacks (aka The Chief) clearly reads my weblog, as he just did the Today Programme, and talked about Sukkot. Quelle surprise.

Sukkot (Tabernacles, kinda the Jewish harvest festival and then some) starts tomorrow (Monday night) and I have just built - with the help of my anonymous assistant - my first ever Sukka.

Well, it's more of a pop-up sukkah, from Sukkahmart in Golders Green. The Safari Sukkah, with portable schach (roofing though which you can see the stars, made from bamboo). I was toying with this one (which fits on my newly crafted garden stairs but only fits two rather intimate people) or a bigger one, which would necessitate negotiating the use of our shared lawn with my neighbours. I took the easy option: knocking on six doors to explain that I want to build a temporary both in the garden seemed like interesting work. That I may leave for another year.

So, my first ever Sukkah. I feel like a kid. Kinda a big kid who grew so much they fit the whole sukkah.

I held off getting Arba Minim (four kinds: palm fronds and other stuff you wave around in shul. No, really.). But Sarah just sent me this link to telshemesh, who are creating earth-based traditions in Judaism, this about Ushpizin (welcoming guests for sukkot). Like, I'm not 100% sure what earth-based traditions are, but if we should do them anytime, I guess it would be sukkot.

radical cleric?

radical cleric?
Originally uploaded by sashinka-uk.

So, here's a thing.

I have a friend who wanted to know more about the world of Jewish-style things, and I got him a copy of Radical Then, Radical Now, a theological treatise by Jonathan Sacks, currently the Chief Rabbi of the UK.

Aside: in typical variegated-Jewish fasion, he's not Chief Rabbi to all the Jews; he's Chief Rabbi of the United Synagogue, which is the largest, centre-rightist group, and, crucially, the one with the most money, so he gets a big office. Anyway, he's got a double first from Cambridge, and many older Jews like him because he's not "too-Jewish" like the former Chief Rabbi, with his mittel-European accent and long beard. Aside over.

So my friend has his current reading in his bag, and passing through Euston on Friday, gets stopped by the police as part of their standard (read: slightly scary) new anti-terrorist stop and search programme. The officer riffles through his bag, but when he gets to his reading matter, does something of a double take. Eyebrows are raised all round.

Then, of course, the officer says, "white British national?" as he ticks the correct box on his form, sending my buddy on his way. Gotta make up the numbers in this equal opportunity world.

Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase radical cleric.

Roasted vegetables

roasted vegetables a la NW6
Originally uploaded by sashinka-uk.

Last sunday (OK, it took a while to get them off my phone, but I've been busy being spiritually uplifted), I made roasted vegetables, with rosemary from the garden, and whatever was in the fridge, including some figs (left over from Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, where multi-seeded fruits are one of many customs). The figs gave the vegetables a slightly sweet hit, in the style of my favourite Elizabethan/middle eastern cookery. Thoroughly recommended.

It's Yom Kippur's opening gig, Kol Nidrei, the most serious time in the Jewish year in about 90 minutes.

I've been feeling retrospective/introspective for the last few days, in preparation, and I guess my final bit of teshuva (repentance) is to say to you, dear reader, if I've written anything to hurt or offend you in the last year, please forgive me.

See you on the other side.

I have just discovered Canonist - blogging religiously.

Turns out my local MP, Glenda Jackson, may stand against Tony Blair as a stalking horse.

So it's Yom Kippur (the day of atonement) on Wednesday night/Thursday, and after that it's Sukkot, to my mind one of the weirdest of festivals.

To remind ourselves of the impermanence of life and the Exodus from Egypt and all sorts of other things, we eat meals in little booths in the garden. I've never had one, but this year I'm seriously/not-so-seriously thinking of getting a pop-up Sukkah.

A lot of traffic..

Breaking news, as it happens!
Originally uploaded by destructor.

There's been constant traffic outside my front door since Thursday afternoon - Thursday evening it took me an hour and a half to drive back from Hampstead (a journey that usually takes five minutes). West End Lane was totally solid, like a car park.

Turns out there is a burst watermain on the A41 (Finchley Road) and the whole of North West London has ground to a standstill. Found this picture on Flickr, it's not mine, and if you look closely you can see the bulge under the road.

It's quite amazing. Even the bus lane is full, and not just of buses. I'm hoping they get it fixed soon, but there's something strangely retro about leasving my car standing and just walking. Could be the future...

Oh, p-u-lease. I can't believe that today is National Courtesy Day.

I realise I'm turning into my Mum and Dad - but, just today?

You probably know it's Rosh Hashanah - Jewish New Year - tonight, and that's why I've been a little quiet. In the last week, I've:

made a dozen honey cakes

sought out pomegranates, figs, and other appropriate fruits for a shechiyanu

done to teshuva with a handful of people

called a number of old friends I've not been in touch with for a while to wish them l'shanah tova

cleaned my house

prepared tonight's meal for eight people

signed up for the shul's hospitality programme, so I have someone I don't really know coming as well

been out to play, too, obviously: dinner at friends, shul, Switch Triptych at the Soho Theatre (don't bother) and Pride and Prejudice (there was a woman in the row in front who was the only person in the universe who doesn't know the plot and was genuinely surprised by the turn of events)

dry cleaned my Yom Tov clothes

OK, the last one's a lie. I'm at that stage in my life where I don't get a "new suit for Yom Tov". I have a lot of clothes, and if I bought more every Yom Tov it would get silly. But I did buy a new pair of Victorian-stylee lace-up boots which are almost identical to the ones I had when I was seventeen.

And today, two clients have insisted on meetings. Like, great. It's the equivalent of Christmas Eve, and I need to be in shul at 6.15, and I won't get home till 4.

I'll say hi, later. But in the meantime: I wish you all a sweet, happy, creative new year, and shana tova tikatevu v'tikatemu - may we be signed and sealed for a good year.