Markymoose in Big Sky: we are in Israel!

And so, here is a diary of our first couple of days...

8/13/2010

approaching Tel-Aviv. Micah asleep. I slept. tired eyes, trying to read, thinking about our arrival, trying not to pre live everything, trying not to have anxiety, trying to be confident that everytthing will be great, I can't believe I forgot my guide book - left it on my bedstand - isn't that a little crazy, have this desire to either buy one right away so I have it or take it as a sign to let go, and not worry about seeing it all, understanding it all, knowing everything and just experiencing.... I should just read. Keep my mind busy, I’m excited, but for some reason I’m a little (a lot?) apprehensive... silly of me really, feeling like a little kid again, not sure what I’m worried about, as if there was something I was supposed to do, supposed to see, we will travel around, we will see things, we will meet people, we will experience Israel... all these new things... is that what it is, new things scare me? Even just getting used to this computer and trying to figure out how to set up all the software... I think we are about an hour away, Micah and I watched 2 movies last night? Morning? We watched Invictus, the Mandela rugby movie directed by Eastwood... and then Kick Ass, the teenage super hero movie... and then somehow I think I fell asleep and Micah watched some t.v. he’s sound asleep now – glasses off – jet lag will be interesting, maybe I’m nervous about seeing people I haven’t seen in awhile – Let’s see I saw David less than 2 years ago... but Lisa I haven’t seen her since 1989? 88? Don’t really remember what year it was, but it was in Massapequa, I was with Jackie, and it was a nice visit.... Israel 2010, last time I was there it was 1982, I have no real memories of Tel-Aviv – never really spent any time there...

all this hebrew....I’m not in Big Sky anymore... my small town... i’m out in the world.... but still on an airplane right now... 45 minutes till landing, just announced...

11:45pm Tel-Aviv

And so we wandered off the plane, Micah waking up as we landed, and we walked through passport control and waited for our luggage, which miraculously appeared, and then out we went, and there was David waving to us. And so we made our way through to him through the summer crowd, hugs and hellos. Then we got money from the ATM and waited awhile to rent a phone... someone in front of us was having a problem, but we waited and we got a phone, and then we drove into Tel-Aviv, David dropped us at our apartment, and we showered and changed, and settled in a little bit.

Then picked us up for dinner to this super restaurant in Old Jaffa Yoezer Wine Bar, really amazing appetizers – lots of caviar, fish egg items – roe, and raw beef, salmon, and main dish of steak, great conversations, David’s family is adorable, Noam and Mika – great kids and Hannoush, his wife, is wonderful... We have Bob Flanagan and Sheree Rose in common. We sat there and ate and talked and enjoyed the good food and wine and conversation. Micah fell asleep in the car on the way home and I’m falling asleep nowwwwww....

8/14/10

What a day, very full, highlights, Demonstration Protest in favor of immigrants to Israel, saying that all of them with children should be allowed to stay and become citizens, Their children speak hebrew, go to school here. As I understood it was said that kids kindergarten and down were not going to be allowed to stay. These immigrants were given 5 year work visas, and now I guess there being told they need to go back to their countries with their children. I am not sure of the details. I'll need to read the paper tomorrow, but it was very interesting, lots of cameras, lots of people holding signs, lots of video cameras, I saw an english speaking reporter asking a Phillipino woman walking with her kids in strollers, do your kids speak hebrew? and what are you asking the government to do?

Hannush pointed out to me a sign in Hebrew that said Homophobia - it can kill you.

So we walked together with the crowd and I took some photos...

But the day was very full, starting with breakfast with David eating Israeli specialties, but I can't remember the names, but all breakfasts are served with a chopped salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, carrots, very very good, bread and lox and cream cheese...

We also went to the Tel Aviv Art Museum, where we saw the David La Chapelle show, staged photos of Michael Jackson with Jesus and the devil, and other crazy very large photos...provocative photos. Museum was very nice - too much to see at once, but the best part of the museum was the air conditioning...

David also took us for arab Desserts , Bakalvas and then this special salty cheese with a sweet sauce and orange crunchy sweet stringlike noodles...

The demonstration/march started around 7 pm, after an hour or so David put Micah and I in a cab to R'anana where we joined my long ago good friend Lisa at her house with her husband Aaron and her 3 kids, and a house full of guests for a good luck departure party for her oldest daughter Daniella who is going off to her mandatory duty in the army on Tuesday... So I met all her kids and lots of her friends, it was very nice, a bit overwhelming, Micah looked a bit bored, but eventually Lisa's youngest son took Micah downstairs for some foosball. I haven't seen Lisa in at least 20 years - it was great to see her...interesting party, lots of english and hebrew, lots of kids coming and going, people from all over the world, now living down the block from each other...

then we got a cab back to our apartment in Tel-Aviv where I was able to figure out how to turn on the air conditioner, so the apartment is cooling down... and we are unwinding... outside on Dizengoff street people everywhere, Tel-Aviv seems to be a city that comes alive late at night, especially for the young people...

at bozeman airport