november 22, 2021 – zin Read Post »
israeli politics
i wanted to call this section “tiv tam and tomatoes” – because it’s only a detail of a short shopping trip. But it was such a strange and funny detail.
I noticed today when I dragged Ezi to Tiv Tam in search of a turkey for thanksgiving that the store was almost empty. It seems that the times it is crowded are when most people think no one is shopping – nights and weekends. So the fact that everyone was speaking only Arabic in a Russian supermarket was very obvious. Anyway, we were picking out vegetables when a lady in a hijab complained in Arabic that the tomatoes were not the best quality. Immediately the clerk began rolling the un-picked-over tomatoes from the unreachable top of the piled-high tray down to her. Luckily we understood and waited until she’d picked her tomatoes. Then we picked ours. Bandoora. Always good, as the cat said, to learn a foreign language….
november 22, 2021 – tiv tam Read Post »
israeli politics
I just don’t know about hotels. Everyone in Israel seems to think it’s a form of vacation in itself, but I only am interested in going places and seeing things. The idea of sitting around in a lobby in the evening and listening to some guitarist while you’re buying clothes for the next vacation on the internet – not my idea of fun. Our hotel was also challenged by the fact that most of the activities take place in the open pool area, and it was … raining in the desert. Nevertheless, we managed to find great pleasure in our stay at the Kedma, and may return… but with friends…
november 22, 2021 – hotel vacation Read Post »
israeli politics
Two elements in life are always amazing to me. The element of history. Every time I realize how long civilization has been going on as usual, how long people have been living almost the same way we are living – I am amazed. Today at Ovdat, a place where I have been many times, but long ago when I was apparently young and stupid, I began to imagine a woman like me living thousands of years ago in the villa on the other side of the hill from the bath-house, feeding her babies, enticing her husband with humor and food and wine, bathing in the incense bought and sold on the incense trail from Egypt to Petra – frankincense and myrrh – praying to one god or another for frivolous things… just like me. Only well over 2000 years ago.
The other thing that floors me is nature – how it is so alive, transforming, magnificent. I’ll try to show you some of it – some of the desert blossoming, but my computer is malfunctioning and it will take time. Here’s my amazement:
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november 21, 2021 – ovdat and zin Read Post »
israeli politics
We’re freezing down here! So we went to the bar in Kedma to warm up. And there are two musicians playing on oud and drums music that sounds like it should be Arabic but have tunes that sound like Shereles to me and maybe it’s the Pina Coladas but I keep picturing 4 Hasidic couples with handkerchiefs dancing in the background.
And now they have seen me singing along to one of the Hebrew tunes and they purposefully turn to play “Next year” with the words “Next year we will sit on our balconies and count migrating birds.” It is the kind of sentimental song about peace that proves to me the fact that the whole thing is a fantasy.
november 20, 2021 – music Read Post »
israeli politics
we would have loved to enjoyed the negev in the sun, but it is even more exciting in the rain. The only problem is getting out of bed at home and packing. Thunderstorms always remind me of Chaucer’s Pandarus who advices the lovers he’s matchmaking, “This is good weather for sleeping in.’
november 20, 2021 – escaping the flood Read Post »
israeli politics
The decision was made long ago – we were going with friends to a great hotel and take treks into the desert.
But the friends had to cancel and we didn’t make the cancellation deadline, and so we are all paid up for a weekend. And now it’s raining. One does not trek in the desert with the threat of rainstorms and flashflooding. And with limited wifi we may have to wait until I get back before I can tell you about the fabulous time we had in a nabatean village.
.
november 19, 2021 – negev Read Post »
israeli politics
Maybe we needed to celebrate the release of the Israeli couple from Turkish jail. Maybe we were celebrating our new Tesla. Maybe we just wanted to visit with good friends. In any case, we found ourselves this evening at Maris, a Turkish restaurant. We’ve been there many times before, and know the possibilities and limitations of their menu, and keep coming back. It’s a kind of homey place, with limited niceties – like new silverware with each course, and water-on-demand, but the food is good and the place is crowded.
Still, I would really like to be able to go to Turkey myself and enjoy the real thing. Israelis love Turkey, and visit there a lot, but until we can be immunized, we’re sticking to places in the Negev or up north.
november 18, 2021 – turkish food Read Post »