Monday, October 26, 2009

Mattress Walking

One night while out on the town, my friends and I noticed a guy carrying a large mattress all by himself. Being good Samaritans, we asked if he needed help carrying the mattress. He graciously accepted our offer.


Meet the guy with the mattress!

We each took a corner of the mattress and began to walk. We introduced ourselves and shook hands. We pretended as if we were a car, but a car that did not have to follow the rules. We went against one-way roads, and only moved to the side if we really felt like it. While walking, my friend came up with a great idea: we should open for business and charge 50 shekels for a ride on the mattress. That is 50 shekels per block.

A complete stranger actually took us up on this offer. Not fearing for his life, he climbed onto the nearest parked car and flung himself on top of the mattress. This was definitely a picture moment, but being one of the four pillars holding this man up, I was unable to take a break from being the northwest anchor. Being novices at this new mode of transportation, we failed in getting to the end of the block. Nevertheless, the stranger offered us 20 shekels for our outstanding efforts. Alas, we remembered that we were being good Samaritans in helping this man with a mattress, so we declined the offer and proceeded to walk the mattress.


I'm laughing so hard and sweating buckets too!!

About 30 minutes later, we arrived at his place to find that he lives on the roof of an office building right in the middle of Tel Aviv. The view from the roof was stunning and the wind was very refreshing! He thanked us by giving us beer - Goldstar beer to be exact. The beer most revered by all of Israel.


Outdoor seating area on the roof!


The look of knowing that we're going
to heaven for our good deeds!

Moral of the story: Always lend a helping hand to anyone who is attempting to carry a big mattress all by themselves, and never think an idea, as ridiculous as charging 50 shekels to carry someone down the block on a mattress, is not worth considering because you never know!




Thursday, October 22, 2009

Orna ve Ella

This entry is dedicated to all those who have had to endure my endless reminiscing about a certain restaurant in Tel Aviv. Particularly, two dishes at the trendy "Orna ve Ella" on Sheinken Street. I am beyond pleased to announce that the exhausting and painful 2.5-year wait is now officially over!

Exhibit A

Dish #1: The Yam Pancakes with Chive Yogurt Dip
Secret Ingredient: Soya Sauce


Exhibit B

Dish #2: The Chicken Curry
Secret Ingredient: Crack Cocaine
(It's the only possible explanation)


Exhibit C

FINALLY!



Now the wait for an authentic nabeyaki udon begins!

20 days and counting...



Sunday, October 18, 2009

Jerusalem in a Nutshell

I went to Jerusalem to visit three very dear friends. The first on my list was a special friend from Vancouver. We met under the newly constructed light-rail bridge – an impressive structure visible throughout most of the city.


The new light-rail bridge...

We caught up and jabbered while walking the streets of one of the most incredible cities in this world.

Smile!

We eventually made our way to the shuk (market). By the time we got there, it was already towards the end of the day and many of the shops were beginning to close for the evening.


A truck load of meat in the shuk...

While sipping on passion fruit flavoured with goat milk, we went into a cheese shop where the salesman was telling a customer that the particular cheese he was holding was from Japan. We chuckled at the absurdity.

On the way back to her place, I had my first falafel since arriving. This falafel joint was pretty chill, and not particularly concerned with the growingly impatient line-up. Their style was quite hands-on. Instead of stuffing the pita carefully with tongs to preserve the spherical shape of the falafel balls like other places, the sauce was splattered and the balls were squished onto the flat bread by the fingers of a worker who has done this probably one too many times. This nonchalant style was entertaining and certainly added to the experience!

The next day we went to “Bruno Schulz: Wall Painting under Coercion”, an art exhibit at Yad Vashem Museum of Holocaust Art. This wall mural is the last known work of Schulz before he was murdered in 1942. Bruno was forced to draw fairytale characters on the wall of a nursery for SS Landau and his family. What others and myself found so impressive is that Schulz added his own twist to the mural’s characters by changing the mythology to reflect his given reality. Each character took on a double identity: Snow White was Landau’s wife, the dwarves were SS officers, and the horse carriage driver was Schulz himself.

After Yad Vashem, I journeyed over to Mt. Zion (located just outside of the Old City) to visit the second person on my list, a fellow student of my mother’s from Bezalel Art Academy.


This is his house...


He made me shakshuka for lunch!
(poached eggs in a cumin flavoured
tomato & caramelized onion sauce)


These two Arab men offered me tea and told me
that I look like a younger version of one of their wives!


Hands down, the coolest living room ever!


You know, just a pomelo growing in his yard...

This has been my dream house since I was a little girl. The magic in this place is undeniable. Unfortunately, my camera died before I got a chance to take photos from the roof. Imagine looking at the entire southern view of Jerusalem from the Old City!

From there, I ventured out with the third person on my list, another of my mother’s friends from Bezalel. She was more than wonderful in taking me around the outskirts of the city.

Reunion after 2.5 years!

Our first mission was driving through Abu Gosh (an Arab town next to Jerusalem) up into the Polish Memorial Forest to see what happened to my favourite random restaurant located in the middle of a forest. Rumour had it that it was an illegal operation and had to close down!


The entrance to the Polish Memorial Forest.
'Bialystok' is written in Hebrew on the far right.
My grandfather was born in Bialystok.


The road up...


Picnic area...


Believe it or not, this used to be one of the best restaurants!
It was known for using goat milk and
cheese products that they themselves harvested.
Imagine creme brulee made from goat milk!


Oh, hello there!


The source of all the goodness!


3 seriously 'chillaxed' dogs!

After walking around and slightly mourning the fact that the rumour was true, we went on a beautiful drive. These are photos from that drive:


A blooming sabra (cactus plant)...
Native Israelis are knicknamed sabras
- rough on outisde, sweet on the inside


A view of the valley from the road...


Bougainvilleas - orange, pink, magenta, white - you pick!

The drive eventually brought us down to Ein Kerem, believed to be the place where John the Baptist was born. It was originally an Arab village, and is now a popular place frequented by Christians. What I like about this place - though - is the gelato. Looks like the nuns around here like it too!


A mosque built over a spring...


A close-up of the palm tree with bright orange ferns...


A very famous pianist lives in the house to the right
and every month he opens his house up for a performance
where he plays for everyone in his pajamas!


****

Earlier in the day, I came across this sign. Apparently, in order to get back to Jerusalem, you need to take the Ottawa Road. For those of you who are Canadians, you'll get a kick out of that!





Friday, October 16, 2009

Carmel rode a camel in Karmiel...

While walking with a friend in a beautiful park in the city of Karmiel, I encountered a camel. Instead of the typical desert backdrop and severely malnourished camels on their last legs, I had the pleasure of being in the company of a healthy female camel amid a green oasis of luscious bushes, bright pink bougainvillea bushes, and a stunning waterfall.



Yes, we found a camel in the park...


The camel and her friendly Arab keeper...


Still amazed that there was a camel
in Karmiel of all places!


Getting on is tricky business!
This much I remember from the last time...


The keeper told me that
there's something "off" about my ethnicity.
But that whatever it was, he liked it!
Perhaps, it was the flower in my hair that threw him off...


A picturesque view of the waterfall from my VIP seat...


Resting with my friend after the camel encounter!


Quite the far cry from the time I rode a camel in Giza, when riding a camel – I thought – was still a novelty! Here are some photos from that trip for comparison:

Token shot in front of the pyramids...


$15US to only get up and straight back down with no warning!


Overworked, exhausted, and barely breathing camels.



Maybe they should move to Israel...




Sunday, October 11, 2009

Life in the Sukkah!

I flew to Israel just in time for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Some families celebrate this holiday by continuing the tradition of building a sukkah - a hut reminiscent of the dwellings the Hebrews built when wandering the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. The majority of people - however - use this time to take a break from their normally hectic lives and skip the building.

I was invited by my first cousin up north to spend the holiday with her in the city of Ma'alot. Ten years ago, my cousin and her husband were up and coming film directors in Tel Aviv's happening art scene, but traded in their potential success for domestic, religious life. I have to admit it was strange to see someone transform from one extreme to the other, but after spending a couple days with her and her family, my opinion of her choice has changed for the better.

Life in my cousin's sukkah was a wonderful and an unexpected experience. Time becomes obsolete when inside the hut and the objective is to relax and enjoy your self. And I did exactly that!

I slept when I wanted, which helped my jetlagged mind and body cope with the time difference. Between moving in and out consciousness, I listened to her husband play guitar with a friend and murmur prayers both for the holiday and everyday life. I read my book, 'The Elegance of the Hedgehog', while enjoying warm bursts of wind fill the hut with life. At night, we - "adults" - stayed up reminiscing about the good old days in Tel Aviv and various family members; in particular, our tyrannical grandmother and our late cousin, Nir katz, which helped to further ease the pain of losing him.

I taught her two boys how to fold origami paper cranes and in exchange, they taught me how to play some street fighting video game. There is nothing like having two little religious boys with payot (sidecurls) and kippot (skullcaps) telling you that you suck at playing! What can I say? I'm a Nintendo veteran, not PS2!

There were many moments that fascinated me, but one had a profound impact on me. We were all in the sukkah: the eldest boy was eating at the table, I was in the corner taking photographs from my cot, my cousin was cooking a delicious Moroccan feast for later that evening, and the youngest boy was playing with his father on another cot.

Life was bliss.

After the youngest boy had finished exhausting himself by showing off his latest acrobatic ability, his more-than-doting and loving father began gently twisting his son's payot with both index fingers before tucking them in behind the boy's ears - sealing the deal with a kiss on the forehead. It was a beautiful and touching moment all-to-familiar for them, but for me, it was one of many insights into a life of religious orthodoxy that I didn't know much about before and will never forget.

By the end of my visit, I felt energized and ready for all my adventures still-to-come and concluded that my cousin and her family have found, in their own way, their peace in this world - something I have still yet to figure out myself.


Here are some more photos from my visit:

My closely related cousins - can't you tell?


A gust of wind rushing into the sukkah!


Palm branches were used to protect us
from sunrays and keep us warm at night.


In my opinion, one of the cutest kids ever!


A total poser and he knows it too!


A plant randomly growing out from a stonewall...


A stunning view of the galil...


And a close-up of a pomegranate fruit tree!