Oye & Oy Vey

(for Genevie, especially)

A lot of people, not to name names, unknowingly use expressions incorrectly, as exhibited by their incorrect spelling and context. “Oye” and “Oy vey” are perfect examples of this. Being a Spanish language minor and living with an extreme Jewish-enthusiast, the debate over “Oye” has come up a few times. I, myself, am also guilty of misusing these cultural phrases, which sparked the idea for this blog.

So…for clarification, folks:

“Oye” is a Spanish command for “listen” (a derivative of oir “to hear”); most commonly used in expressions when someone is trying to command the attention of surrounding people (ex. a mother to her child, etc.)

“Oy vey” is Yiddish meaning something close to “Oh woe”; it was popularized in Germany and Austria from within their Jewish populations (cognate of Ach weh!, meaning “Oh pain!” in German); it can mean an extreme state of stress, frustration and even excitement.

There are a number of other translations out there (like "oye" meaning British/Irish slang for "hey"), but these are the two most commonly used meanings, though misspelled and used incorrectly at times.

So there you have it. One step closer to being a more culturally conscious, respectful American. Great idea, isn't it?

Detroit.

Detroit.

How is it, that my birthplace, Detroit, and my second home, St. Louis, always get lumped in the top 5 most dangerous cities in America? Really? What exactly are these statistics based on? Apparently, as of the 2010 rankings, St. Louis is #1 and Detroit is #3. As if Detroit needs any more negative publicity. I’ve been dealing with it since I moved to Chicago. People always have the strangest responses when you tell then you’re from Detroit. The “Ooh..” or “Really?” or even worse, “Wow, I’m sorry”.

Let’s cut the crap, people. You usually have no idea what you’re talking about, so maybe you ought to keep your mouths shut just to be safe.

Detroit is the known as the world’s traditional automotive center. It’s the birthplace of Motown. It’s the hometown to the Red Wings, who (sorry to offend my Chicago friends), have won the most Stanley Cup championships of any NHL franchise based in the U.S. (that would be 11 for those of you who still think the Blackhawks are so amazing). The city’s large farmers’ market is better known as Eastern Market. The farmer’s distribution center is the largest open-air flowerbed market in the United States and has more than 150 foods and specialty businesses. On Saturdays, over 45,000 people shop in this historic district, including many restaurateurs from the metropolitan area. The city’s architecture should not be overlooked, nor its rich musical tradition that has influenced many genres over the decades. And the art is still alive today. Ask anyone who lives there.

Yes, the economy has gone a bit to shit because of the automotive industry, but chances are, when speaking to a Metro-Detroiter, you don’t know the real issues and repercussions of the automotive industry dying. The bailout is despised by many who don’t understand that supporting and investing in American products and American industries is what this country needs right now. Anyone who understands host/home country economics would agree that funding our own engineers and manufacturers is the smarter move. Politically, we’re not doing so well either with this whole Kwamecatastrophe, but that certainly does not mean that the entire is filled with criminals.

Detroit may be holding on by thread to some, but I believe it will make a comeback someday and all these hoosiers who think that reading a headline allows them to make an educated judgment about a city they’ve never even been to will be putting both feet in their mouths.

26 Things To Do Before I'm 26

As college graduation keeps creeping closer and closer, people keep asking, "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" I have absolutely no clue, to be honest. Nada. But I find I do well with lists. So...to all you wondering what I plan on doing after graduation, here's a rough idea:

1. Go to Europe again

*I miss it everyday. I miss almost every place I visited, but I'd also like to see Ireland, England, Poland, Portugal, Greece, Germany and Denmark.

2. Skydive

*Never done it! And when the groupon came around, no one wanted to sign up with me!

3. Snowboard

*I've always wanted to try a winter sport and go to a cute little ski resort town somewhere.

4. Cook at least 3 major meals from Julia Child's French Cookbook

*I'm in love with Julie & Julia. I own the movie and book, as well as My Life in France, though I have not begun to read it yet.

5. Become fluent in Spanish and Italian with a 3rd language on the way

*Maybe Polish? Portuguese and French sound cool too

6. Volunteer/Work Abroad

*Maybe not as intense as the Peace Corps, but something for a few weeks in 3rd world country would be really rewarding

7. Become a vegetarian for at least month

*I say "month" because I really don't even know if I could last that long, but they say you're body feels completely different

8. Roadtrip

*I've wanted to do the Route 66 roadtrip for years!

9. See America's (Semi)Natural Wonders

*I've never seen the Grand Canyon or Mount Rushmore or the Four Corners

10. Go to the Music Festivals I've been planning on going to for years

*Bonnaroo, Rothbury, Northcoast, Summerfest, Pitchfork, Burning Man

11. Got to renowned American Film Festivals

*Tribeca, Traverse City and Sundance

12. Ride in a hot air balloon

13. Go to the Baha'i Temple in America

14. Visit Graceland

*I LOVE ELVIS! :-)

15. Adopt a Main Coon

16. Drive a vespa

*And should I be financially capable, BUY one too.

17. Finish a Wall Street Journal crossword puzzle
18. Re-read all 7 Harry Potter books
*I think one last, good hurrah with one of my childhood obsessions is in order
19. Write more

*in journals, on this, and personal works

20. Take many, many more voice lessons

*I miss singing

21. Engaged?

*I'm leaving the door open: I'm not planning on being engaged, I'm planning on being open to being engaged.

22. Law School?

*Again, leaving the door open...

23. I would like to have something published or recorded professionally somewhere

*Either a poem, a short story, a journalistic piece or a song

24. Visit The Green Mill Lounge, Redhead Piano Bar, Kingston Mines and Jilly's

*All famous music venues in Chicago

25. Get caught up on scrapbooking!

*I'm almost 3 years behind!

26. Change at least one person's life.

*My attempt to be altruistic, even though it sounds SUPER cheesey...

So there you have it. A little more insight to what I will hopefully accomplish in the next few years. I also hope to write more and thats why I started this new blog (hoping I will stick to it better than the Rome blog).

Ciao :-)