Tel Aviv Diary November 1-6, 2016 - Karen Alkalay-Gut

Tel -Aviv Diary - November 7-12, 2016 - Karen Alkalay-Gut

i November 7, 2016

Today is the first day I feel like a human being - getting up, dressed, working, etc. As a result of some questionnaire some student urged Ezi to do for her thesis, we had this long about memories. And i started to think about the numerous reactions i had to Trump in my history. First off I went out with guys like him in highschool, and especially in college. i never wanted to go out with them, but somehow i would find myself at some country club with some guy who would confide in me that the place was restricted, and i'd ask, who is it restricted to, and he would say "oh, you know, negroes, jews..." and I would say some of my best friends are jews: my mother, my father..." All right it happened only once - i was wearing my junior prom dress and looked smashing and no one knew my last name.

we got really stuck in traffic on the way to the center, and then, after a long long ride, Ezi swerved when the care next to us got too close, and got two flats going up onto the traffic island. now we're carless and Oren has to get to the airport first thing in the morning and at the same time i have to get my stitches taken out in the opposite direction. Bassa, as we say here.

November 8, 2016

Rebecca

You called me to a strange land –
And I agreed to go

Your servant just fooled me
With some rings and jewels
Made me go crazy with my dreams

And promised me future
With his eyes and words
Gave me a reason to believe

And now I’m lost here,
In a strange land
They say i call home

I see you walking,
alone in the field
No one to show you where to go

A veil on my face now
To hide my tears
I drop from vague hope
To the floor

That's tonight - Panic will be 'doing' this song for the first time.

Ezi worked hard this morning - not only taking Oren to the airport but fixing the car. These are not easy times. I found out that taking taxis is not all that difficult, even if it is into the depths of herzlia. and both of us came home exhausted, and got right into bed. why? the pressure of ,US elections, politics here, security, family, and sad sad friends.

November 9, 2016

So I look up what my son said about the elections and he wrote, "she yihya bemazal" or "may it be for the best." I am overwhelmed by the wisdom of my son.

Panic Ensemble was so strange last night. They themselves were great but the entire mood was destroyed by their having to ask for microphones, monitors, more smoke, etc. And i hated the room. Really wrong for their type of performance. Right for something more casual. A distant audience, bad use of space, etc. I could see it affected the performance. Yael started off great and powerful, but began to get messed up after a few songs. In any case I was enthralled and loved the new songs more than the old ones.

November 9, 2016

Here's my plan. Trump moves the embassy to Jerusalem, declares Jerusalem capitol. Then Tel Aviv declares its independence, and the rest of the world can go crazy while we sit here and smoke dope.

I actually think Trump may not be as wild as he plays it, and it is not the end of the world. yet. but 11-9 will go down in history along with 9-11.

November 10, 2016

I'm not going back to the university next week. Except maybe to take some books back to the library. Everyone there is so depressed. We raised a glass to Yael Sternhell, who just got tenure in the English department, and it was all we could do to act pleased - even though we were all thrilled with her. She had been on television all week covering the elections and commenting on them and could barely smile. Then there was a poetry reading and everyone was doing everything possible to be optimistic. All I can think of is that we must hope Trump doesn't kick the bucket and leave Pence in charge. And here and there I have wild thoughts - like "I wonder if Kim Jong-Un speaks Persian." "Has Putin stopped laughing?" "Has Bibi stopped laughing?"

November 11, 2016

You know that tonight has been postponed, right? The evening with Mira Awad and me at Kfar Shmariyahu? I'm kind of relieved that the impressario decided against having it tonight for a variety of reasons. I can't face all those political discussions about Trump. He's the president. Now let all those checks and balances and cabinets and advisors kick in and teach him the basics. who knows? he might not ruin the world.

But they've got to get him off those tweets.

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