Sureality Check

Okay, so there seems to be a pattern developing here and I am not entirely sure whether it is just me or if this is New Jersey... Either way, it certainly seems to be (with apologies to The Grateful Dead) what a long, strange, trip it’s been!

The complexion of this place certainly changes on the weekends! All week long the hotel has been filled with briefcases and business suits. Last night, it was filled with wedding guests, mahjongg players, and a strangely large contingent of some Orthodox Jewish sect.

The first two were easy to spot because of the dress, the flowers, and photographers for the wedding group. A photo shoot of the bride was going on at a random spot on the third floor balcony (I cannot imagine what the background for the shoot would be except for the elevator bank) as I was going down to have a drink at happy hour last night. A family in the elevator was trying to take “selfies” with the bride in the background through the glass walls of the elevator.

 For the second group, the give-away was the Mahjongg-based humour (?) of the garb. This morning at breakfast, there was a woman at the coffee urn with a bag over her shoulder inscribed “Mahjongg Diva” and wearing a shirt with the slogan “Unless you want to be somebody – be yourself” surrounded by what I recognised as Mahjongg tiles.

I assume the last group described are Orthodox because of their garb. The men are wearing black hats, yamakas, and peyots; I have always assumed this style with Orthodox Jewish people. The only other clue I have on this is the fact that one of the gentlemen wished me a Shabbat Shalom as I headed up to my room last night.

What tomorrow brings is anybody’s guess.

Wherever you are today, I hope that your day is full of surprises!

Don Bergquist – August 023, 2014 – Piscataway, New Jersey, USA