Django

It's amazing how hard work clips along when you have some thing special to look forward to. Went to Tel Aviv tonight to see Swing De Gitan and to enjoy some dancing at the Jaffa pishpeshuk.
Oh. Wow.
This band is amazing. Oh the pleasure! Oh the joy, of gypsy swing played oh-so-right! Another rendezvous at Max Brenner topped off the night.

Right now, it's just a delirium of deliciousness.

A Different Wall

Walls, security fences, blockades, and others in that family of construction are often in the news, both back home in California and here in Israel. Today I took some time to look at the walls my brother is building. Using rough hewn stones, he is building a three walled room as a replication of an ancient building, to be used as a lecture area. I'm amazed at the progress he's made in the past month; it's such a puzzle fitting the stones together and physically strenuous, because they are set by hand.

One more reason to be so very proud of my amazing brother.

Falling Behind

Wow. If you go to a goodbye party after eating yummy middle eastern food, and stay hanging out until 12:30am, and then get up at 4am--as per tradition--to see the same person off at their airport taxi, followed by a 5:30am prayer meeting and work from 8am to 3pm, you will be a zombie. A satisfied, but non-functioning remnant of humanity.

I really thought I left those days behind me after college.

32 Celsius

Today was a little bittersweet. Many of my fellow volunteers are finishing their time here and leaving for home. Johannes, Josh, Leena, and Rebekah will be missed. I am blessed to have met them.

On account of the departures, I am now also aunt and guardian of a kitten, Sisu.

In Finnish, it means persistant, and in Hebrew "be happy." So, though I'm a bit sad, I will persist in being happy.

Wild Child

Tonight we went on an unofficial walking tour of Jerusalem--from Jaffa gate to the Golden gate, down the Via Dolorosa. It was my first time really going into the Arab Quarter of the Old City, and whoa, sights to see. What really caught me was the amount of young children, many under the age of 10, and a large amount under the age of 5 (!), wandering the streets in groups after dark.

There was a small confrontation between some Arab boys (around 10 years old) and a small, possibly Sudanese, girl and boy who looked around 6 or 7 with a child of about 2 or 3. The boys wanted to pet the fluff on the baby's head, and not in a nice way.
Then there were the slightly older boys running in front of cars with a blond baby in a buggy.

And the laffa maker. A man shaped the dough and the kids pulled the hot bread from a smoking dome over a fire. Maybe that was normal, but it looked like a scene of child slave labor from a movie like Slumdog Millionaire.

I should probably also mention that this was not a slum. There were no rags or lack of food. These were affluent potential hooligans.

Bleh

Today and yesterday I had a migraine. Enough said.

Celebration, Really

Last night there were several hours of light machine gun fire, followed by some artillery shells from the West Bank. Apparently, school was ending, and this was a celebratory gesture. I wonder what would happen if we started giving 21 gun salutes for the start of summer? Or launching a couple missiles "for fun". Oy va voy.

Today I had a lovely 4am dance lesson with my brother, and slept until my evening shift started at 3pm.

Are You Going to Scarborough Fair?

Today I might as well have been carrying a message for your once true love. I was surrounded by all the herbs sans parsley, which grows somewhere because it's in everything, but not our garden. Some of the herbs were attempting world domination in a Pinky and the Brain sort of manner, so they needed a little trimming. In addition to the rosemary, sage, and thyme, there were olive trees and this small flowery herb that in Finnish sounds like melissa (my supervisor doesn't know the English name). Oh yum, I want to smell like melissa; it's so refreshing and soft.

I was sorely tempted to cut topiary out of the rosemary I was trimming. For sanity of myself and everyone else coming to the garden, I'm glad I didn't.

Tan Lines

Today was my first day back in the garden after a week in housekeeping. Ah. Fresh air, fragrant plants, sunshine. Lots of sunshine. I've long given up on sunscreen and have a acquired my gardening uniform of a very light cotton long sleeve over a tank, khakis, tennis shoes, and a very wide brim hat. Somehow it never protects my neck though. I'm perpetually browning and singeing on a 2-3 inch area. A friend of mine recently had a facebook status that inspired my own descriptor: my birthday suit has a red necklace.

I think it might be the only place that may actually be tan though when I get home. Oy.

New Route

Today we decided to veer off our usual pattern of sidewalk tread in Jerusalem, and roam some new roads. Very good choice. We meandered through quiet orthodox neighborhoods, found small shops with normal prices off the beaten track, and found our way back to old stomping grounds without any hassle. We purchased a tallit katan for Sam, and some lovely scarves for me. A yummy ice cream waffle finished our shopping adventures.

The best part though was getting an updated and accurate bus schedule.

Shabbat Delight

Today I tried Turkish Delight for the first time. Real Turkish Delight. It was...amazing. Suddenly, the scene Lewis depicted in the first of the Chronicles of Narnia (or second, depending on your school of thought) was so thoroughly explained. The stickiness, the true vulgarity of eating so many pieces and wanting more (I was swooning after 2, and I am a sugar lover extraordinaire), and the fact that once you've eaten Turkish Delight, it could very well be the first sweet that comes to mind whenever anyone mentions having a nice tea time snack.

I'll try to bring some home, so as to share the goodness. If you have tried and didn't enjoy your experience, I think you must have eaten a low quality selection. That's my final verdict.

Disappearing Laundry Act

Today I successfully apprehended my finished laundry before anyone else. It required 2 alarms set on my cell phone, and hastily leaving a very interesting chat with a screenwriter, but I did it! The dilemma is that the two machines for volunteers and residents are rather unreliable (sometimes they spin...sometimes they don't), so we cluster around the machine for the guests. And if you aren't there when it stops, you will most likely find your clothes balanced precariously on top of the washer...at best.

My clothes are clean and happily stowed. Good day.

Middle Day

Today I woke at 5:20am for the 5:30am prayer meeting we have every morning, except Shabbat. It was such a beautiful dawn. After breakfast I enjoyed the most delicious sleep since I arrived here.

Sometimes working an evening shift has delightful benefits.

Twice on Tuesday

Today I went to H'Mai Yoav, for the second time! And got deluged with fabulous groceries and snacks by my dear Aunt, for the second time! H'Mai Yoav is the natural hot spring spa that has lovely pools, saunas, and excellent masseuses.

It's such a hard life here.

Madtastic Monday

Today I found out that Max Brenner is not the only place to offer amazing chocolate goodness to be devoured; a lovely spot called Idelson is equally divine. This is due to surprise birthdays and new good friends. Thank you, Izzy and Yana.

And there was dancing too.

Oops

Today I mooned half a bus full of people--on accident, of course. The length of my skirt and the height of the armrest just happened to coincide perfectly, and as I disembarked from my seat, my skirt disembarked from my bottom.

I am laughing hysterically. I think this bus driver (who got the best view) regularly drives our route. Part of me is resigned to never being able to respectably ride the bus again, but the other part is still laughing.

Long Day

Today was a long day, but not as long as I expected. I slept in, worked late--but not as much as I thought I would--and it ended like most days do, with a sunset.

I missed sauna because of my shift. This is a saddening thing.

Sun and Shade

Today I walked the road to Emmaus. Well, hiked and slid and panted and climbed it. We had an amazing time of scripture reading and sharing amongst the 16 volunteers and our guide. Bonus material included how to throw a grenade and tell time from the sun. We finished the day at Rishon Litzion; absolutely perfect beach day.

In other news, my tan is finally darker than my brother's white.

Daily Doses?

It's time to try something new. For me at least. Short blogs on one memorable moment from my day--since it seems something striking happens every day without exception. Nothing deep, probably not very insightful, but more documentary.

Why? Because these are the things I miss jotting down for my own memory prompt and the amusement of others.

The day I found thyme. Fresh, wild, hidden by weeds; such a delicious scent after a long hot day of work.

The day I was scolded for working to hard (by a boss), and told to take it easy or I could hurt myself.

The day (weeks later) I was scolded for not working hard enough (by a guest) and being a slacker, after all "this is Israel, not some slack job."

All the little things in between that have been formative and forgotten.

And today. Today I ripped my pants. A nice right angle above the knee while climbing into a trailer to unload part of our branch trimmings for the day. I've never ripped a pair of pants before. Now I have to sew. Maybe I'l even have to buy a patch. Shorts are not an option.