Just when I thought I was cultured...
...I had to google "jewish shiva" so as to not embarass myself today when visiting an old friend who lost his dad to a sudden stroke. I'm one of those Catholic who has a bunch of jewish friends but am not terribly close with any of them. I've been to my share of bar/bat mitzvahs, I know that "tchotchkes" is Yiddish for knick-knack, and I know that the only acceptable alternative to an Italian bakery is a Jewish one. But sitting shiva is something I have never done. So thanks, Google.

...oh, and just when I though I knew what to wear to shiva...
I called my Italian mother to confirm that jeans were acceptable attire for a shiva.

ME: "hey...i can wear jeans today, right?"
MOM: "what?! would you go to a wake in jeans?"
ME: "no, but this is a house call-type thing"
MOM: "you must be kidding me"...click