I no longer live in Madrid. This is a sad fact that I’ll just have to deal with. But as a temporary resident of that beautiful city, I’ve been called on now and then to provide recommendations for those visiting. So I figured I’d put back on my Dame in Spain hat and present toContinue reading “The Dame in Spain’s Madrid Must-Sees”
Author Archives: The Next Dinner Party
The World Beyond the Grocery Store
Every grocery store here seems to have “Super” in its name, like Super Deal or Super Sol. I don’t read Hebrew, so I’ll just go ahead and assume the grocery store closest to my apartment is called Super Sad because everyone in it wears a frown and if it was sunny when I entered the store, nine timesContinue reading “The World Beyond the Grocery Store”
Jerusalem Apartment Tour
Readers of this blog know I’m not a big fan of our suburban apartment in Jerusalem. But as we’ll be here for three years, I’ve got to make the best of it. And making the best of it for me is transforming our apartment into a space in which I want to hang out in, cook in, workContinue reading “Jerusalem Apartment Tour”
Delhi in My Belly
I went to New Delhi to experience the vibrancy I’ve found lacking in Jerusalem, and to see where I’d fall on the “India: You either love it or hate it” binary. But mostly, I went for the food. I can report the city is the most vibrant I’ve ever seen, in ways both good and bad. TheContinue reading “Delhi in My Belly”
The Mood-Boosting Benefits of the Shuk
I’ll be honest with you, readers. Lately, I haven’t been super stoked about being in Jerusalem. I’ve been feeling sad, isolated, a little lonely, and just very cooped up. I’ve tried hard to get out lots, as I’ve realized sitting around all day in our dreary suburban apartment is a recipe for depression, but IContinue reading “The Mood-Boosting Benefits of the Shuk”
Pesto For Days
If you open my fridge, there is at least a 50% chance you’ll see a container of freshly-made pesto. I can’t get enough of the bright, herbal, nutty condiment and I make a big batch a few times a month. Usually, I make enough to last for several days, although it never seems to lastContinue reading “Pesto For Days”
Seeing What You’re Eating
First, I’ve more or less recovered from my everything is broken phase. Fixed my bike brake, swept up most of the shards of glass, and recovered much of my novel (in earlier drafts anyway, but a little rewriting can only be a good thing). I did shatter my iPhone in Ikea the other day,Continue reading “Seeing What You’re Eating”
When Everything Breaks
The following things have broken in the past week: My bicycle brakes: I’ve become a biker out of necessity. After a deal to buy a car from a Chinese diplomat fell through, I decided I better get over my mild fear of city biking. We simply live too far out, are not allowed to takeContinue reading “When Everything Breaks”
The Most Beautiful Sofa in the World
When we first set eyes on our dreary Jerusalem apartment, located in a complex that abuts a field of trash, we weren’t stoked, to say the least. But that’s the rub with this whole Foreign Service being-assigned-a-house thing: Sometimes you get winners, like our spacious and well-located Madrid pad, and sometimes you get dropped inContinue reading “The Most Beautiful Sofa in the World”
Post-Paris Crunch Time
I recently returned from wonderful, romantical Paris, where I completed the fourth residency of my graduate MFA program in creative writing. (Just one more left!). This trip to Paris was especially good. Mr. Jerusal-Em came for a few days and we celebrated New Year’s Eve in the cozy home of friends, walked around Montmarte, andContinue reading “Post-Paris Crunch Time”