Paintings and Drawings

A fresh baby

September 18^th, 2007

Today was so much fun – I met up with some friends from the United States who were visiting their daughter and son in-law who lives here in Israel. The daughter had just had a baby 8 months ago and the baby was very fun to play with. We ate lunch and looked at photos and I was so pleased at how comfortable we all felt with each other. Amazing that we were all in Israel of all places at the same time. They took me to an incredible Organic grocery store called “Teva” which means “Nature” in Hebrew. It sold all kinds of dried fruits and teas and chocolates, cheeses, ice creams, juices, breads…mmm Then they showed me the Kibbutz that they all grew up on. A kibbutz is a small community of homes with a grocery store, doctor’s office, children’s center, cafeteria and agriculture. The people that live there never really need to leave the kibbutz because they have everything right there. It is especially good for children and the elderly because one would never feel lonesome there.

Kibbutzim used to be very communist. People used to live there for free even with a small salary while they worked during the day either in agriculture or livestock. Each meal was eaten at the main cafeteria and the children ran around all day playing. The only problem with this community was that everyone was paid the same amount – even the lazy people. Which I was told was extremely irritating for the people who worked in the field all day. So the structure changed quite a bit, and now you pay rent to live on a kibbutz – working agriculturally is optional, and most people leave during the day to go to work. But the sense of community is still there, and it is not uncommon for the elderly to live into their late nineties is this environment.

I loved seeing everyone today and it was very special to be around a new person seeing the planet for the very first time. He has so much to see!

MC Tupperware

September 16^th, 2007

I took a trip to Tel Aviv today. If I didn’t read and speak minimal Hebrew I would have been screwed today. Although the busses do feel safe…You have to know exactly where you are going to take them. There’s no map on the bus shelters and the bus drivers didn’t seem to know where anything was…they just know their own route. I was not the only one either – many Israelis had to ask for help from other people to figure out where to tell the bus driver to go. I don’t have a cell phone here – which is in sharp contrast to everyone else here. If you sit on a train here and look around – about 60% of the people are usually talking on their cell phones. – What’s the point? Finding a payphone is difficult! You don’t know how lucky you are to have a phone and are able to call someone whenever you want!! Any time you go into a building, there is a security guard there to check inside your bag and sometimes send it through an x-ray machine (I’m definitely not complaining about this).

In my opinion, Israel is not the most beautiful place. Its quite grungy and plain and the streets are very dirty and decrepit in most areas. But there’s a overlying quality in the atmosphere that makes this place so special. Any place I go, if I need help at all – Every person is willing to assist. I thank all the people who have lent me their cell phone to call home (About 6 people). I have found myself adapting to the culture and am much more helpful to strangers who need it – Like yesterday I overheard a conversation in Hebrew – one woman was asking the other “I wonder where the bathroom is” and I turned around and told her where it was…Normally I would never have done that because I would think its not any of my business – but that’s the culture here, and she was very thankful.

The food is excellent to the extreme here – due to its simplicity and freshness. I was in a marketplace yesterday and there was a stand which kindly sold to me fresh pressed pomegranate juice with orange and strawberry mixed in. The marketplace is a weekly event and you can find the regular vegetable & spice stands, as well as olives, cheese, kosher meats, fishes, Judaica, Arab tea mixtures, candies and artisan jewelry- which is quite unique. There is an automatic recording of a man yelling “Melons! 20 shekels!” repeating itself over a loudspeaker. Men behind their stands are saying whatever they can to get me to buy their produce “The finest corn for a prettiest girl.” I did not purchase any corn.

I finally made it back to Haifa where Lital picked me up in her car and we met up with some friends, drinking tea – then we took a walk on a main Haifa street. All of the restaurants are open late at night and I could not resist a fresh falafel stand.

Reggae on the Sand

September 15th, 2007
Suf, Eldad and I went to the sea at night where there was a tent lit up by pink and yellow lights. It was a Reggae concert in the middle of the beach. We all took our shoes off and danced reggae style in the sand to the music arranged by the DJs. If you ever have the chance – go to a reggae concert to feel how everyone is so accepting – and simply enjoying the music. A guy started dancing with me. He said “You’re so hot.” I was like “Thank you.” Then a few minutes later he said “you want to make out?” Classic….I said “no.” then he said “ok.” I could only see the sand illuminated by the moon while I walked with 2 other girls to the sea. We got in – only with our legs, timid to get our bras wet. Mine got wet anyways so my new friend and I decided to just take our tops off completely. I got into the warm sea with no top and felt so free. I said “Ohh! Guys are so lucky!” we laughed and enjoyed the middle eastern stars – returning to the tent – braless and loving it. We ended up sleeping on the beach – our friend had set up a small village of about 5 tents, with an air mattress in between. I did not sleep - but I was happy to be witnessing this moment underneath a canopy made of stars.

Pics of Car and Fire

Will upload more pictures later

September 13th, 2007
What a full day. We packed ourselves into a couple cars and drove around trying to find something to do. We ended up in the countryside visiting a friend who has a lot of farm land. Suf and I drove around in between the crops in a little tractor buggy. I had the wind in my face and the bugs flying past me, I watched eucalyptus groves and held onto the roll-cage when we flew over bumps in the dirt road. Hof got his car stuck in the mud- which gave us a couple hours of free entertainment. Trucks couldn’t come through the mud so we brought a little tractor to pull him out. We put our feet in the mud and made the best of the moment – it actually reminded me a lot of home. We ate honeycomb from a local beekeeper – which I think must be a natural anti-depressant (Not that I’m depressed or anythingJ).
I’ve been doing a lot of sitting and enjoying the air. Ofra gave me a canvas and some acrylic paints and I started to make a painting of a girl looking out at the sea. When we go out to do something, it is almost always never planned – at 9:00 us kids got a call from mom & dad that there’s a campfire down at the beach. So we hopped in the car and went to the campfire. It was beautiful to be at the warm sea, looking up at the stars and just being with each other. We threw potatoes wrapped in tin foil into the fire and ate the blackened jewels, singing songs of Rosh Hashanah.

L'Shana Tova!

September 12th
Well I feel like I’ve made an Aunt & Uncle + 5 new cousins. The lifestyle here is very easy to love. I’ve simply been enjoying being alive. I would have never thought that having 5 children would be fun…but I must say it is an experience filled with energy and life. Instead of looking outside of the home for fun, we all find it with each other. There’s nothing much you need besides each other’s company because it’s like a little community. Everyone is always in communication and we’re either at the house or a restaurant or the beach. Oh the beach – It’s always warm enough to just climb right in.
My new friend Lital took me to the famous Bahai garden here in Haifa and it was so perfectly manicured I could not believe. The Bahai religion is relatively new and was born from the mind of an Iranian looking for peace. The garden is set up on a very steep stretch of hill with steps leading a traveler on the way up to meet the temple in the middle of the hill. The atmosphere feels flecked with Persian spice and it invites quiet reflection and appreciation of the workers tending to its beauty.
If you want the best hummus – you must go to Israel. I sat with a group of friends in a popular bar in Haifa. I’m so content being at home with the boys that I really didn’t feel interested in talking to anyone new.