The letters of our thoughts are the ideas present in our mind before they come to realization . . . Thoughts that are, yet not felt . . . The words of the subconscious . . . of the soul . . .

These are the LETTERS OF MY THOUGHTS.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Paper or Plastic


Maxima -the one stop shop for all of your Lithuanian needs.


There are many messages that we give about ourselves through our various choices and actions . . .

I have come to the conclusion that the bag one uses, in Crown Heights at least, tells a great deal about one's character.

An example: Backpacks are used almost exclusively by Israelis . . . Unless they're very (fa)chnyuked (anyone want to offer a better spelling?), in which case they go with attaché cases.

Most Americans tend to use the vaunted plastic bag as means of lugging their various items of worth. Even here, however, much can be gleaned about the character of the bag's owner.
  • The Judaica World bag: Nothing says 'Masmid' more then this stylish yellow bag -be warned though, if the bag seems to be extremely used, then the bearer may be reusing the same bag he used to by his gemara in the beginning of the year.
  • Raskin's Fruit and Vegetables: This orange bag, of similar texture to the Judaica World, is a good sign that he makes his own food (Basement Salad anyone?)
  • An Apple Drugs bag: Hypochondriac.
  • KRM 'The Kolel Store': a yungerman . . .
  • Kehos bag: This one is easy to miss, as its black and nameless, with only its gold stripes giving it away . . .
  • The generic black bag: Shops just about anywhere else . . .

For those of you who will ask -I use the bags that my roommates pick up . . .

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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Backpacks are also giveaways for Hadar HaTorah guys. Just saying.

Oh, and you forgot the RED Mr. GREENs bags.

Mottel said...

You're right, I actually had that in mind, but forgot to write it . . . (in general it stems from those who are used to using it in their day to day lives . . . i.e. those coming from a more secular background)

But what type of person uses the Mr. Green's bag? I had one, but then a Raskin einekel told me I was a traitor -I should use his zeide's bag to hold my stuff for the mikvah . . .

Nemo said...

What about Century 21 bags or Gap bags? Also pretty popular on these streets.

Your analysis seems to leave out a tremendous segment of the Crown Heights population: anyone outside 770.

Even within 770 you missed whole entire categories:

1. Old scuffed up bags from random store on 18th ave in Borough or perhaps even from Geulah, Jerusalem, generally belonging to one of the many CH Baalei Batim who seem to be so successful that they can hang out talking/Davening at 1 PM every day.

2. Israeli Duty-Free bags= Meshulachim

3. Health food store bags from nerdy American Bochurim who think they're saving themselves by eating dry, un-nourishing food.

4. Bags from Hamakom Hanachon men's store in Kfar Chabad are generally in the possession of Israeli that consider themselves fashionable and wear their key chains on their belts.

Mottel said...

I only started the list . . .
Writing at three in the A.M. made leaving things out that much easier.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Greens bags are for the "Upper Albany" folk I guess :)

And Nemo, you're right about those J-lem bags.... Gal Paz bags seriously do last forever.

Anonymous said...

The real classy bochur can only carry his shampoo in the strong and durable, yet small GAP bag, with those handy string handles.

Judaica bags are the origional Mikveh bags. They were the first to issue such quality bags, and their bright yellow makes them easy to pick out from a crowd. Mr Greens and Raskins are merely copycats.

Nemo said...

We mustn't forget the orange Brooklyn Library bags either.

Mottel said...

Mr. Green's does show on 'Park Slope East' crowd -though I've been told that they have the best produce in CH -so it may just be the sign of a discerning vegetarian.

With Judaica World bags are so common, they no longer stand out . . .

Anonymous said...

BS"D
Lol!!!
What's really funny is the fact that it's so true!
You don't see any paper bags at all in the Shchuna do u?

Mottel said...

I've only seen paper for liqueur bottles . . .

Anonymous said...

BS"D
Well, in Lubavitch we don't really have alchoholics do we? We have Chassidim right? ;)
So I guess a paper bag means he's forsure a Chossid...
(wow,how far optimism can lead :)

Anonymous said...

BSD

Hmmm...did Eber's give out plastic bags or paper? I would not know - I never bought less than a case or two of Smirnoff or Benedictine at a time!

Nemo said...

BTW, having worked as a cashier in a CH shop, I can tell you that their are many different types of "generic" black bags and not all black bags are created equal.