Tel Aviv Diary

Karen Alkalay-Gut, September 27-October 1, 2012

Of course, no one in the metro said a word, throughout the tirade.

And from what I saw on French TV they didn't even cover Bibi's address in the UN about the imminence of the Iran nuclear attack.

But we turned off the speech too so we could turn to the problems of our daily life, miniscule as they are. And temporary as they may be.

September 28, 2012

For a lot of people the alternating of holy days with saturday weekends allows a lot of vacation days to have fun. But for me, this time these holidays are hell. Maybe because I've got 2 people who need doctor-tending and we've got weeks of one-day-off and one-day-on behind us and ahead of us. Half of the medical staff seems to be on vacation abroad and the other half has no time. Maybe it's only me and the people around me, but the phrase "after the holidays" drives me up a wall. Even when I use it myself. But especially when it's a doctor's answering machine. Ezi handles it very well, but I think about my friend running a high fever after chemo and not being able to find out where to go. I think about trying to get guidance on Polyhydramnios and whether the situation is critical or passing.

Oh yes, and my computer.

September 29, 2012

Because we eat all the time and barely move on the holidays, we decided that now is the time to go back to daily walks. But it was like trying to move in soup - the heat and humidity sticks to the body. At least tomorrow night we're going to a sukkah on the roof.

As we all know it always rains on Sukkot. Those guys in the old days knew about the weather. Even when I think global warning will turn this country into the desert I am always comforted and reassured by the fact that it rains on Sukkot. Sometimes only a drop, but it rains.

And it rained for a few moments today

September 30, 2012

And today too. Not enough to thin out the pea soup, but enough to blur my windshield. This being a half-day before the holiday we had to get everything in. Everything. Even a rehearsal of Panic Ensemble in the depths of south Tel Aviv.

There was all this wild music and craziness and then, suddenly, we say "Happy Holidays" and go out into the shabby deserted street to be home in time to sit in the sukka...

October 1, 2012

What I like about the sukka is the way it reminds us of the transience of our dwelling. We always have to be ready to move on and must not tie ourselves down with material goods. Sounds corny but after sitting in Yael and Oren's sukka on the roof last night, in full view of the glorious and rich housing structures all around, it seemed a good lesson.

What I like about this image of Oren is the shocked look on his face that he's actually doing this.

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