As the hours dwindle

So here I am, almost at the close of my last day in Israel. Sad! I spent the day pretending it was one like any other, enjoyed myself as such, took as little time cramming shit into my suitcase as possible, and soaked up as many last-minute rays that I could. I'm now welcoming the evening and my favorite cafe, enjoying a lemonana and sort of wishing the sun would set, i wouldn't go to bed, and tomorrow didn't have to come.

Alas! I know I will be happy to be home. Looking forward to having some productivity in my daily routine(sort of...) and seeing you all, and not having to pay an arm and a let for a pop. (Yeah, i say pop now....i think I've officially been poisened by daddy's weird version of the english language) Can't say I'm looking forward to having to waking up before 10 or doing my laundry or planning what August brings, but vacation can't last forever, right? However, if you do figure out a way that it can, please let me know.

Life here has become more than just vacation, which is nice...I love having time to settle into the city, and have people recognize me, and know what I order, or where I'm going. It is so interesting how quickly common acquaintances occur: with the hotel staff, with the shop keepers, with the servers, with the guards. It is just nice to know that everyone is so friendly and open to new people; it is what i think i enjoy about most about any place, and what I miss the most when I leave.

I'm wondering if perhaps I should just move straight to a tropical island somewhere and forget this whole "future" thing that i meant to be happening. i like the sun, I like the water, I like the easy life.

There are a lot of things I feel like I've probably forgotten to buy, or to see or to do, but like i said last year, it just leaves things for next time. Although this time I believe there always is a next time, since this second trip really did happen. I guess things just work out that way! If anyone decides to take a trip to Israel, sign me up, I'll come back here any time.

Alright, my lemonana is all done and I should be closing up shop and picking up daddy at work soon. This is me signing of from Tel Aviv, and soon enough i will be home...see you then!

Time Flies

So here I am, two days before my departure. BOO! Haven't been in contact with the telecommunicating world in the past few days, so everyone seems to think I am dead, but not true! I have just been relaxing...Daddy took a 3-day weekend like he was supposed to (shocker!). Friday we went to the crafts market on Nechalat Binyamin, and bought some stuffs, but mostly walked around sweating. Heard a fantastic string quartet of olderly israeli men in the market, a nice sort of surprise. They were very good. We went and roasted at the pool and then went down to sheinken street and had drinks.

Daddy is now in love with the israeli version of "ice coffee." It is this wonderful little slushee thing that you get out of one of those slushee-twirly machines, and it is ice coffee, a smoothie, and a milkshake all in one. Divine! We went to our coffee shop the past three days straight, and I am being told (in not so many words) to learn how to make them at home. Sister: teach him how to make smoothies, he is obsessed.

Saturday, while the world was quiet in the shadow of shabbat, Daddy and I trekked out to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. This is one of the best museums I have ever been to. It needs some new curators for the permanent collection, but hey, no one is perfect. They have about 15 picassos all in a row...it is overwhelming. AND there is a huge Lichtenstein mural on the way, painted right on for the museum. Whoa. It is HUGE. I mean, who would think, in a country the size of israel, a "war-torn" country, they have a collectino to compete with those of the major capitals in the world?Plus, they have amazing Jewish and Israeli artists that you've never heard of, but should be sorry you haven't. It is so much in such a small space, and all so wonderful, it is amazing and awesome(to be interpreted with the most literal of definitions).

Yesterday we tried to go see some wineries, but alas, they were all either closed (vacation, now? how goes on vacation in July?!), or apparently non-existent(don't ask). So instead we got a nice little sight-seeing trip around the Israeli country-side...saw some huge cities, and some smaller towns, and got to know Habib, the uncle (sort of?) of one of daddy's colleagues, and our taxi driver. He was a very sweet older man who turned to taxi driving three years ago, after having run his own garage for decades. He was an expert on Citroen and Peugot, and knew Hydrolics like the back of his hand. We spoke a lot in French because he was fluent, as opposed to his english, which I thought was very good, but he felt very uncomfortable with.Learned all about his five kids, and the their lives. Hightlight of the trip: we drove past (a couple times) a huge garbage dump that had gotten too big and smelly, and so had been covered with dirt. Story is that they are going to sod over the large hill-like mounds, which the government will then turn into some sort of tourist site or monument. Ha. Ha. Ha. Too funny. Talk about one man's trash as another man's treasure!

So now I've caught you up, minus all the sunning and shopping, but I'm sure you will see proof soon enough, since I return late wednesday night. Not sure I want to get on that plane....

Anyway, besides

You think you're old?

It is amazing how easy it is to forget how old the world is. America is all so new...at least the US, it is just so...inside the box. All the buildings go straight up, and if they are old, it is merely paint peeling, or siding rusting. Here, you walk past buildings and the windows are merely holes carved out, and then lined with curtains. Old mud-brick buildings are crumbling, and some are merely carcases of what they once were.

Even more fascinating to me is how easy it is to step from one world into another. There is a street here that separates to parts of Tel Aviv: one side is Neve Tsedek, and the other side is Rothschild Blvd. It is as if I am stepping from the past into the future, every time I cross that path. One side is all pink and beige sand stone, and roofs of red stone. The other side is high-rise apartments, and Israel's version of Starbucks "EspressoCafe." I guess it is just as easy to find such disparate spaces back at home...I mean, walking down Wilson Blvd is like jumping from 1960 to 2000 in about 2 blocks, but it is so different when even the paving of the streets changes character.

It is just very reassuring to hear and see and feel the way an old world can remain so wholly intact. Even the efforts to update these old buildings maintain a balance of the old with the new, ignoring any expectation to build some up-to-date model of a home. As you walk around tel aviv, you can see the foot print of the past as it has been laid over the years, and beyond that even, the culture holds on to the old world. Despite the fact that Israel itself became a country a mere 60 years ago, the ground on which that country has been built is still ripe with history in all its forms.

I've lost track of the days!

It is a great feeling. I don't care (or have to care) what day or what time it is. Total freedom, it is amazing. So how have I been spending my days? Well, nothing too extraordinary, just wandering around Tel Aviv and lazing by the pool-- it has been excellent.

This morning I went down to the promenade along the beach and read for a couple hours. Finally finished my book, The Executioner's Song. Pretty heavy reading for the beach, but it was very good. Daddy asked if it was "fun." Not exactly the work I would use, but good,definitely good. Now I have to decide what to read next! And at some point I should get down to studying for my wine exam, but I'll let that sit for a little longer.

Did some more research today on where to go to find wineries. I think Daddy and I are going to get a taxi to schlep us around on Sunday, should be fun. Tonight we are going to dinner at one of him colleague's houses in Jaffa, the old city; The guy's family is out of town right now, so it is us keeping him company as much as it is him inviting us to dinner. Should be nice to see what a real house in Tel Aviv is like. Speaking of which, saw an ad on the street for a sea-view studio apartment. Price was pretty great too....although I think it would probably be a little to much of a commute. Ah well!

The people at the hotel have started to really recognize me which is nice. On of the gentlemen who are on staff during breakfast even attempted, through his thick african accent, to compliment me on my crossword puzzle abilities. The cleaning ladies are still very cold, which I'm told is just because they are russian, and has nothing to do with the mess i leave in the room. Not sure I believe it. All in all, I like knowing the people around me....only takes a few days and its nice to fit in like a regular.

Now i'm off to find a nice gift for our dinner host tonight...and to sit by the pool some more :)

Wine

So today has been pretty much the same as usual...up for breakfast, out for shopping/cafe reading and then time by the pool. I think my skin is finally turning a tanned shade, although daddy keeps making fun of me for using real sun lotion. I would be a shriveled little piece of crispiness by now if I listened to him!

Anyway, my excitement for the day is the fact that I found my new favorite store. It is located right across the street from the cafe daddy and I eat at on Shabbat (since NO where else is open. Literally). A cavernous, dark, dusty wine store. It is filled with bottles ALL from Israeli vineyards and wineries, and i had so much fun thumbing through the racks. I was very good and only bought one bottle, but I could probably have bought 10! I got a recommendation from the young man working there (very good english); I had requested a riesling, but he said the Viognier in israel is much better. I love viognier, so i'm all for it...only cost abolut $20 which I thought was reasonable since all the winderies (accept yarden, or barken, etc) are small, estate grower types. The grapes are from the Gallilee and the wine is made a bit west of there. I am excited to try it, but may have to hold off until I get home to make sure I have enough people to share it with. All I can say is I am DEFINITLY going back for more.

I think next time i hit that place up, I will further pick their brains on good wine regions to tour in the area...something about the Eilah valley came up, but I don't even know if I'm spelling that right, so I think i'll get more info before renting a car! and striking out on my own!

I mean, Really?

Just a random vent as I am reading through my DC news....WHAT is with all these frozen yogurt places opening right as I am about the leave?! I have been complaining ever since returning from Boston, that the one thing lacking in the city of DC is FROZEN YOGURT. And now, NOW, when it will hardly affect me, they open, like, 3 stores overnight. Someone up there is just trying to piss me off.

Saturday Sunday

Obviously, i did not write yesterday (Saturday). Oh well! Daddy and i lazed around the pool and went walking around the city, so I didn't get a chance to hop online. Let's see...what exciting happened yesterday? Well, since daddy went to work for a couple hours in the morning, i had breakfast all by self; or so I had planned. i ended up allowing one of our old new jersey ladies to join me at my table (her table had been taken but some big annoying family group). Luckily the nasty, kvetchy old lady was up in the room ailing over her sunburn, so I only had to deal with the nice one. But let me tell you, I now know all about their trip, day by day, woe by woe....she prattled on for about an hour about their bathroom troubles (shower-based, thankfully not toilet). I got quite an earful of complaining before 11am, phew. That was my excitement for the day.
While walking, Daddy and I saw this awesome statue outside a hotdog/falafel stand on Ben Yehuda. I will attempt to describe it, since I unfortunatly did not have my camera at the time: It was a statue of a hot dog. It was about 3 1/2 ft high, balanced along-side the hot dog grill, so it was raised to look you right in the eye. It held in one hand, as though reaching out to you, a yellow squeeze bottle of mustard. In the other hand, it had a red Ketchup bottle, and was proceeding to squeeze a big blob of the red stuff onto its forehead. It was wrapped, as all modest, kosher dogs should be, in a large 3 foot tall bun. And the part: It was then delicately wrapped in a large plastic American Flag. I mean, really, wtf? A hot dog prepping itself for consumption dressed in the stars and stripes? Is that supposed to make me salivate? Just Weird.

Anyway, last night we went to Doktor Shakshouka! For those that don't know, shakshouka is one of the most divine foods in creation. It is a stew/curry/thing made of onions and tomatoes and whatever else you want, and then with two raw eggs plopped on top that are then cooked by the sizzling mess. It is served right in the pan it is cooked on, and it is beautiful. Very satisfying.

Today was more pool, and a trip to Jaffa to see all the goods a the flea market: some pretty good pictures are to come. The walk to Jaffa is all along what daddy calls the "corniche" and what most people would call a promenade. The Mediterranean sea is along your right side all the way there, and the colors of blue and green are so dazzling as to seem artificial. Absolutely gorgeous.

So here we are, another day in tel aviv come and almost gone, but we are sipping up the sights and sounds. In a cafe, surrounded by natives and tourists alike, we are enjoying Ice coffees (which is NOTHING like what you get in the US...it is an ambrosia that I swear cannot be found on the other side of that side of the atlantic). Tonight we will feast on Hummus, and tomorrow it will all be done again!

Sangria

I just HAD to share: When i sat down to order at the cafe, I got the menu and was browsing through, when one of the waitresses came over. She wanted to make sure i knew that they had this excellent brand new drink that I might like. "It is called Sangria!" She proclaimed. She went on to describe it, with much excitement and it was so cute I almost had to order it. So funny how different places can be!

Oops...

So I totally overslept this morning. Daddy had to go on a trip this morning, and so wouldn't be around to give me a wake up call...planned for the next best thing: Have the hotel call for a wake up call (duh!). Well, I don't know if i didn't hear the phone, or if perhaps they did not call, but the fact of the matter is that I did not wake up at 9:30, as planned, and instead slept until 11:30. Oops! Seeing as breakfast ends at 10, I had to make do with the stolen goods from yesterday's breakfast, which I must say did quite well as a replacement.

Headed straight down to the pool and laid out for a couple hours; I think my bronzing is going quite well! Since it is the weekend here (Friday) the pool was chock-full of families with lots of cute little kiddies in their water-wings. One little girl had a blast dancing around to some Eminem rap blaring from the poolside Radio system. Pretty cute, pretty funny.

When I went up to the room to change out of my b-suit, I found that they still give us gifts on Shabbat! Woohoo! Every Friday the hotel puts in your room a half bottle of Barkan Reserve wine, a box of cookies, and now they have added an assortment of stuffed dates! Man, I love luxury living.

Now I am just sitting at a cafe on Sheinken St, enjoying a Lemonana. It is an amazing lemonade/mint drink that I think was born here in Israel, and it the number one way to fight off the heat. People watching is interesting...I hear a lot of American voices in the markets and such, but in cafes its mostly natives. All the girls my age look so damn cool all the time. it's like you have to know how to dress and make your hair look purposely messy to go out in Tel Aviv. I also can't for the life of me tell how old all these kids are. i swear some of them could be no older that 12 or 13, but they walk around like they are 18. This country feels so European!

I plan on spending the rest of the day ready Mailer and staying in the shade. I feel like that will be my plan for a few days at least. That is until the pressure of leaving requires me to go on crazy shopping sprees every day for the last week straight. Figure I should conserve my energy now :)

Oh and one last thing: I'm an idiot. I didn't pack the cord that connects my camera to my computer, so unless I can find a cheap replacement, this blog will be all text. BOO. I promise pictures will come later!

Good Morning Tel Aviv!

So I woke up bright and early this morning to a fantastic view of the mediterranean out the hotel room's wall-sized window. Got in last night on time, schlepped back to the hotel and walked down the street with Daddy for some hummous and tabouleh, YUM! After what felt like 24 hours of plane food and candy, my our meal was a masterpiece that could have come straight from Richard's kitchen.
First thing on the menu today was breakfast, our favorite part of Israeli hotels! I got seated between a couple on one side, and two old ladies on the other side, all four American. Do you think they seat us all in the same place to keep us quaratined or something? The proceeded to talk across my table, bonding over the fact that they all used to live in West Orange, NJ, and now all had places in Boca Raton. My lord, the American-Jew stereotypes are painfully true. They were all very civil, except one of the old ladies was the biggest pain in my ass, and I didn't even talk to her. I swear, if you look up kvetch in the dictionary, her picture is there. First is was the coffee: decaf, not regular....no decaf is gross, bring me regular. Then food...she couldn't get up (just finished a stint in the hospital...hip?) so she made one of the hotel ladies get her danishs. Those weren't right, so her friend (just as old and crotchity as her) had to get up to get her OTHER sweet rolls. Those weren't good either. I could have killed her. The whole time, she was yammering on about her woes in the thickest New Jersey accent you can imagine. Not the first thing you want to hear on a jet-lagged morning.

Anyhow, after my Boca-infused breakfast (more on the food later, that will be a happy story), I went for a stroll through the Carmel Market (outdoor food and good market) and down Sheinken St, which is the fancy shopping street in Tel Aviv. I avoided buying for now, just scoping out the wares for the time being. On the way home I did however buy some fantastic cherries and dried dates, and some fresh nuts for snacking. Everything looked so good! Then I laid by the pool for a couple hours. I had to go out and buy new "sun burn" oil, because the stuff Daddy has here really is for sun burns. No SPF. He made fun of me for buying 15, but hey, I want no lobsterness on this trip...After Miriam's recent run-in with the sun sans lotion, I am well aware of the troubles that lie therin and I am not looking for touble.

That is all for now, I nice semi-eventful first day, just as relaxing as I would hope!

Just a Disclaimer...

Sometimes I do not capitalize letters that should be capitalized. Sometimes I capitalize too much. That won't change, so deal.

Half Way There!

Lap one of the trip is complete! It is approximately 8 am London time, and I've settled into Heathrow after about a 3 mile hike/ride to my terminal. Had a decent flight over, except I did not sleep one wink! I am now fueling myself with a $5 (!) latte that tastes like a cross between burnt coffee and car oil. They call it "Italian." I sat next to an Ethiopian woman with a 3-year-old son. Cutest thing ever, except his little game playing machine was louder than a tractor, and after an hour of beeps and boops I wanted to rip it from his hands and break it. Instead I started the first of 2 movies, followed by the pilot for a new TV show that looks fantastic!
One thing I do like about airports is layovers in GOOD airports. I could easy spend a thousand dollars between here and Israel. Have browsed through the duty free, World of Whiskies and Harrod's handbag section, and have successfully come out alive and purchase free. Not to mention the candy! Candy galore! Of course Roald Dahl is from Britain. Only someone who grew up with a sensory overload caused by candy wrappers could come up with Willy Wonka. Or did Britain start its lavish treatment of treats AFTER the creation of the magical candy god?? Thoughts to ponder...


The clouds are out in typical London fashion, and i cannot wait for tomorrow this time when i will awaken to the beautful sun and cloudless sky of Tel Aviv.

Twas the night before Israel....

I am a copycat, but I figure who better to copy than sister? Finally, I am able to follow in her footsteps, and proud to say I owe this blob (no typo) to her.

So here I am, circa 11:30pm, wide awake. All I can do is sit in the dark and bemoan the fact that I have to get up so early tomorrow to complete my packing and preparations for the trip. Well, actually, I have to get up really early to put quarters in the meter so I don't get towed...but THEN I have to pack. Double ick. I have all my clothes in the suitcase, but that is another issue...all the clothes that are in there and really shouldn't be! Life can be so difficult when you are young and headed on an all-expenses-paid trip to a Mediterranian paradise.
You may be asking, why sit and complain about packing? Why not just pack NOW, while you are totally buzzed on that final cherry-coke you had too late into wine class? Well, I have a thing called a roomate. Her name is Miriam, and lucky for me and my aversion to packing, she has decided to get into bed early tonight. And so, Miriam saves the day, and Vicky does not have to pack, and instead must sit quietly stewing. That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Just thought i'd write a little "pre-departure" post, to get into the swing of things: why leave till tomorrow what you can do today, right? No wait...man, I'm ironic.

Welcome to my blog, and enjoy!