Category: Class Blog (Page 2 of 6)

I’ve generally thought that real estate was a thing that everyone in the world discussed and it was surprising to hear today that outside of New York, nobody really talked about it. Nobody really talked about, for example, property values or had strong opinions about which material was best for building: Brick or shingles (Bricks are obviously the better choice, they’re (1) more aesthetically pleasing and (2) far more durable). To be clear, people outside of New York City probably do talk about their properties but not over Sunday brunch as the way we do here. New Yorkers seem obsessed over their real estate and for good reason.

I think New Yorker’s obsession with real estate comes in part from the meaning that many of the streets seem to impart. To buy a home or more realistically, nowadays, a small apartment in New York is to buy a part of history. Some streets are just dripping with history. I was walking home the other day and I walked down Third ave. At a certain point, Third ave, after Delancy, changes into the Bowery. On either side of the street, I noticed in the windowstills of shops and buildings on the street was posters by the Friends of the Bowery that highlighted the buildings, theatres, homes, which once stood there. I clearly remember that in what was now a group of art galleries on an affluent block, flanked by condominiums and high rises, was a poster talking about the first theatre that showed Vaudeville acts that stood once right on that very ground! Much further down the block, near where the Five Points used to be, once stood another theatre that was designed with beautiful, huge greek columns, and wide balconies, designed to entice wealthy patrons but ironically the theatre was ignored like the plague by the rich who preferred prettier theatres uptown and was rather beloved by the poor immigrant groups that lived nearby, First the theatre, at the corner of Canal and Bowery, was patronized by large crowds of German immigrants, who in turn gave way to Italians, then Jews, then finally closed when the last Chinese finally left the theatre. What stands there now is a Chinese Dim Sum place and an ugly parking garage. The streets of New York are just dripping with historic meaning.

When New Yorkers discuss real estate, they’re discussing the lives, the days, the laughter, the smiles, the tears, the blood of those people that have lived on the same land. New York is a place where so many people have walked, so many people have lived and the history, unlike many other places, is so well-known and so well-loved.

Today in class we briefly discussed how talking about sports is a way to connect with people that you may not have anything else to do with.  We also discussed how at the same time following sports could be viewed as a waste of time.  I have always been a big sports fan and have heard my friends tell me that I am wasting my time.  Recently I have been trying to find an argument as to why following sports is not a waste of time and I have come up with a few possible explanations that I have tried to explain to my friends that do not follow sports.

For one, I think that sports being a thing that can connect people that don’t have much else to talk about is powerful.  The topic of sports is something that people have strong opinions about and unlike politics, heated debates don’t usually end angrily.  Having knowledge about sports is valuable because it is something that comes up a lot in daily conversation.  Also, to connect sports to our class, following sports is a great way for immigrants to become more acclimated with American society. For example, if an immigrant who followed sports came to the U.S and found American soccer fans it would probably be easy to talk with them even though there may be a slight language barrier.   However, this is not the only reason I think that following sports could be valuable.

My main reason that I think following sports is not a waste of time is way more philosophical.  I believe that in life the most important thing that one can do is achieve their goals.  However, I believe that sometimes it is very hard for one to realize whether or not they have achieved their goals because sometimes people don’t exactly know what their goals are.  In the world of sports, it is very easy to see whether or not a player or team has achieved their goals.  I believe watching and feeling involved in these achievements makes a person realize what life is all about.  Further, I think that the realization of what life is all about makes following sports a worthwhile investment of one’s time.

Today, one of the things we discussed was the American Dream. In the novel Netherland, the character Chuck is the archetype of this dream. He represents the optimism and patriotism in the American system. Nowadays there is a rising pessimism in the American Dream. Some are even proclaiming it to be dead.

Is the American Dream dead? Research has shown that on average 30-year-olds now are earning less than their parents. Also, the income gap is larger than ever before. In monetary terms, it seems like the American Dream is dying, but I don’t think that’s the whole story. I don’t believe that money is what the American Dream is about. The Constitution promises all Americans the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We have become so fixated as a society on equating money to happiness that we lost touch with what happiness truly means. Happiness can found no matter how much money you have. What made me realize this was speaking with my parents and grandparents who are all immigrants. They spoke of their struggles and persecution against them. America afforded them a life of comfort and rights they couldn’t have imagined. This is where they found happiness. As a native born American I think I can sometimes lose sight of this. We need to find what truly makes us happy and find meaning in our lives. America gives us the right to pursue this dream. This to me is what the American Dream truly is, and it seems to be alive and well but you just have to take advantage of it.

During today’s class discussion, I was intrigued by the mention of cases regarding Halal food being brought into U.S. courts. I feel that such a situation is completely justified in the case of a wrongful advertisement of food as “Halal” or when failing to meet the standards of the consumer’s requests for Halal food. If we were to look at this issue from the perspective of a person with allergies, celiac’s disease, or a vegetarian diet, few people would object to bringing the case to court. Failing to provide food that is for example cooked separately from any food that may contain allergens is likely the strongest argument for bringing the law into the industry, but there is still relevance when considering gluten free and meat free diets. Customers with Celiacs disease can expect that their food will be cooked separately from the food that contains gluten if the restaurant advertises its compliance with such dietary restrictions. Similarly, restaurants that feature a vegetarian or vegan menu are expected to comply with the standards of such a diet, even if it may seem extreme to some. In my opinion, these dietary restrictions prove just as relevant when it comes to people who practice their religious values. Those who eat Kosher and Halal have every right to expect their dietary restrictions to be accepted and complied with in the same way that a vegetarian diet may be.

In my opinion, these dietary restrictions prove just as relevant when it comes to people who practice their religious values. Those who eat Kosher and Halal have every right to expect their dietary restrictions to be accepted and complied with in the same way that a vegetarian diet may be, but that’s not to say that all restaurants are expected to be able to do so. In my opinion, restaurants should have the option of serving Kosher and/or Halal food to their customers, but if they choose to do so they need to be held accountable for accommodating all restrictions of those diets or at least giving clear information about what is in the food and how it is prepared. Liability for restaurant owners would lie in the failure of presenting information accurately to consumers, therefore by being upfront about the food that is served, owners can avoid any legal issues. If problems do arise regarding the improper preparation of food according to the regulations of the Halal and/or Kosher diets, I believe it is justifiable to take the case to court and make an argument against the restaurant owners who were negligent in the matter.

I have never ordered at a Halal cart, I don’t even know what Halal carts serve, but I guess I’m about to find out.  Because of my Kosher dietary restrictions, I have only ever smelled Halal carts, and been jealous at how conveniently placed they are around the city. I never realized how many different things went into the Halal cart business.  I always just assumed that the one or two guys in the cart did everything.  On my strolls by Halal carts I have noticed that primarily immigrants are working inside, but it is never really something I thought about.

To be honest, before this semester, immigration was never really something I thought about.  After talking about Korean owned groceries today, I realized that I have never really considered what ethnic groups did what jobs or anything of the like.  I did not know what the class People of New York City was going to be about when I first walked in, but I find that I’m learning new things and encountering new things that I never knew and have never encountered before.  This class has been a great opportunity for me to be able to step outside of my comfort zone and learn about different types of cultures.

While I unfortunately will never be able to eat at a Halal cart, I think it’s important to learn about the immigration aspect of Halal carts and the dietary restrictions of Islam.  I have always gotten a little annoyed when someone had no idea what Kosher is and I had to explain it to them, but now I realize that I know nothing about Halal and I probably should never have gotten annoyed.  I think this class is really helping me get over some ethnocentrism that I might have felt being raised in a mostly Orthodox Jewish community.  While it is great to be part of a community, I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the outside world, and become more acclimated with other cultures.