Andrew J. Lederer

in the holland park area for rosh hashonnah services.

according to its literature, it's the only synagogue in the uk that offers a traditional turkish/balkan service.

well, i grew up in an ashkenazic synagogue (and a non-orthodox one to boot), so they ween't my liturgical customs. but i felt comfortable there just the same as the words of the prayers often familiar and the overall sound was, well, jewish.

i loved what were, to me, englishy touches like some of the elders wearing top hats.

and i was exhillerated by the notion of "duelling shofars" (rams horns played like bugles).

so, having happily done my new year's duty and all but certain i would now be inscribed in the book of life, i reentered the harsh, secular world to find, while shopping at boots, that i had lost a fiver.

now, this, on top of the rounds of drinks they force you to buy around here, whether you can afford to or not, and the constant topping-up of the mobile phone and the expense of the tubes was a crushing blow, causing me to question my luck. (and who knows? maybe i haven't been inscribed in the book of life.)

also, now i can't afford stuff i was gonna buy today.

and it's all transport for london's fault.

y'see, when i purchased my oyster card in july, they didn't give me the holder that's supposed to come with it, which i typically use as a wallet and which i thought would replace the one i'd lost in december.

in the interim i'd been checking my pockets frequently, fearful loose money would be pulled out and lost when i reached for other items.

well, my fear was not unfounded.

that day has come.

but i don't expect tfl to make me whole again. i'll just have to suck it up and suffer my heightened pauperdom somewhat gladly.

although they did give me a black holder thing when i went down and asked after discovering my loss. i wasn't gonna let that loose, lost, money thing hit me again anytime soon.

of course, now i don't have any paper to put in the thing.

but i'm prepared.