It was just before Christmas 2004. I met Aryeh Grun through a Jewish dating service. We talked on the phone and he asked me out to dinner, but I had to beg off because I was sick with a cold. I actually didn’t want to meet him at all since he was only visiting L.A., so I said “all I really want is my Mom’s Kugel1 and chicken soup”. “I can bring you Kugel and chicken soup” he said, but I just laughed and said good night. The next day he was calling again and we arranged to meet at Starbucks. Aryeh was very much grounded and almost still. He had a twinkle in his eye and he wore a yarmulke2. He seemed to understand or even see through me and we sat and talked for over two hours. I was thrown by the yarmulke and I dubbed him “the Rabbi”.  I drank a Gingerbread Latte and I noticed that he never touched his – probably not Kosher. Starbucks was playing Holiday music and at some point in the conversation I became fascinated with the sleigh bells music serving as a backdrop for this date with the Rabbi. I am a great lover of contrasts and ironies and I broke into a huge smile. I never could get a straight answer out of Aryeh. His dating profile said he lived in Brooklyn, but when I asked him when he had to go home he said “I’m flexible”. After two hours of feeling I had met my true soul mate I was suddenly put off by him and couldn’t shake this awful feeling that he was one of the old men Billy Crystal imitates and in a panic, I got up and said I had to run and he made me promise to meet him for dinner at 8 and then he walked me to my car and said “Wait, I have something for you” and he went to his car and came back with a bag with delicious Kugel. From that point on I re-named him “Kugel Man” When he called that night for dinner, I just let the phone ring. I didn’t want poor Aryeh to think I was “the one”.  I just wanted him to move on and go back to Brooklyn. A week later I saw Aryeh on-line and from then on we chatted about various things. Every time we “talked” I felt that same calm presence, as if I was really talking to an Enlightened being. I was almost hypnotized by it. I began to think I had made a mistake by running away. The next phone call I got Aryeh was in Prague and the call after that he was in Tel Aviv.; Then one day I had an online chat with him and this is how it went: “Pam, I have something to tell you…” “I think you should come to Israel” Now with anybody else I would have thought it was a come on, but Aryeh didn’t seem like that kind of guy. I am still of the opinion that he is a guide, one of those teachers that doesn’t appear until the student is ready. I even thought that maybe he wasn’t even real. And so it was, I decided to follow my heart and go…. To Israel. Other people thought it was a sudden decision, but the truth was it was almost a compulsion. I don’t think I had any choice at all in the matter. I just set everything aside and made it happen. Once the decision was made I felt that going straight to Israel was not right. I wanted to slow down and enjoy the world and go gradually eastward, first to New York and then to Prague and then finally to the Holy Land. Something in my soul told me I needed a journey not a vacation. The night I went online to book my ticket I had a terrible time with the internet and the website crashed and the transaction would not go through and I was just about to throw the computer out the window, when Aryeh logged on and said hello. I told him I was spitting nails and so frustrated that the computer would not behave and this is what he wrote: “Be more clear” I just sat there and stared at the words. Be more clear. Be more clear. Not grammatically correct, but oddly to the point. I decided to take it at face value. I looked back at the website and I clicked “process transaction” again and voila “your reservation is confirmed” appeared. And so it was.

NEW YORK DAY ONE Thursday, 1/20/05 I headed to New York first to visit my old friend Gabriel. I knew Gabe and his boyfriend Martin from years ago when we worked together in L.A. Gabe told me he was living in a tiny apartment in what used to be the notorious “Hell’s Kitchen”, which was now on the verge of a trendy neighborhood. The plan was to the spend the weekend with Gabe and Martin, have dinner out, maybe go shopping, and then off to London on Monday. How is it that I planned the whole trip, bought the tickets, jumped on a plane, got off at JFK and somehow didn’t ever actually get Gabe’s street address?  But so it was, I got off the plane and called Gabe at home. This is how I discovered that I had written down the wrong phone number (1 digit, but who’s counting?). Gabe wasn't answering his cell phone, so I had a moment to sit down on the floor and contemplate my navel.  Luckily I remembered Gabe mentioning that he lived two blocks from the Port Authority, so I knew what my destination was for the shuttle.  It did give me pause, since I speak the language and this is my home country, if it's so hard to figure out how to get around, howz it going to be in the Czech Republic?  I better start studying that map sooner than later.  Entered town through the mid-town tunnel and was unprepared to have a huge emotional response to the skyline.  Why did I start humming Rhapsody in Blue complete with background fireworks (thanks Woody!)?  The Gershwin-New York connection was overwhelming.  At least it wasn't "Start Spreadin' the News" After my cross country journey we walked to dinner at Bistro Au Vent.  Shall I tell you that I had four scallops tastefully set atop a pureed Jerusalem artichoke and dotted with grapefruit for some astonishing price (paid for by Martin but tomorrow it's my turn!)?  Luckily Gabe let me eat his pomme fritte that accompanied his steak or I should have starved.

DAY TWO – Friday, 1/21/05: Of New York I have to say these two things:  1) It is exactly the way I remembered from 15 years ago, and 2) I love it.  It’s a very catchy city.  Is it the lack of pleasantries or the smell of roasting peanuts in the subway or the way that no one looks up or how fast everyone is walking or....  Wow, I spoke too soon; one or two things have changed? Times Square is positively gorgeous and Hell's Kitchen is trendy and cleaned up.

Gabe and I took the subway down to Macy's.  It shocked me to see THE Macy's, it was like finding the mother-lode, there she was, almost a city in itself.  Eventually, I found the Clinique Counter and made myself at home.

Now for the next quintessential New York experience-street vendor shopping!  I ended up with four handbags at 5 dollars each, which now have to be shipped back to me by Gabe (can't fit those in my backpack).

DAY THREE - Saturday, 1/22/05

The Blizzard of 2005

I'm having my perfect New York moment right now, sitting by the radiator, watching snow flurries through a tall narrow window.   Across the street is an old brick walk-up covered with fire escapes.  Two golden cocker spaniels are sleeping on my tootsies.  Sitting on hold fixing Gabe's wireless internet... SCREECH!  (that was the needle coming off an LP for a generation that never even had a reference for that particular sound effect).  Of course I'm tech support - you always have to pay your rent somehow!

LONDON DAY 4 - Sunday 1/23/05 - Travel Day I guess I kind of lost this day since we hung around the house waiting to see if the plane would be cancelled.  As you already know the plane ended up an hour or so late, but I have at long last made it across the Atlantic, unfortunately.....I DID NOT SLEEP and when we landed it was:

DAY 5 - Monday 1/24/05 - Well, it's 3:35 pm and I am still awake, which means I'm about 24 hours awake, which could explain why everything is shaky and I can't keep a train of thought.  Nonetheless, I had a mission today.  Get off at Heathrow, find the “Tube”, take it to Piccadilly Circus, set off and track down my hostel (youch! ugly is a nice description).   I walked by it twice thinking it was some kind of drug rehab.  It's not so bad inside, it just turns out the reception is on the 4th floor away from the street.  I was SO tired that I thought I'd just pack it in and crash but you can't go into the rooms until 1:00 pm so I checked my luggage and set off to see the town. 

Well actually I only set off to have a baguette and a café latte on the corner, which I did, where I chatted with a French woman who told me where to buy postcards, which I did, which led me to be on the corner where the "original" London two-hour tour departed, which led me to buy a ticket and jump on the bus, latte in hand, which led me to hop off at the National Museum, which led me to see a not so bad special Degas exhibit and also to gaze at a Van Gough Sunflower arrangement, which led me to not exactly finding where to reconnect with my tour bus, which led me to walk back to Piccadilly when I found the stop and the guide shamed me into walking, he was like "duh, you don't need a bus to get to Piccadilly!", which led me to walk in circles back and forth between Leicester/Covent/Westminster and Piccadilly many many times before I realized that everything is a square with a statue and everything has a landmark Burger King, which led me up and down the lift to my room and then back down for linens and then back up and then back down for a towel and then back up and back down for the correct room number and then back up and back down for internet access which brings me to the present.  I think I've had enough of London and Hostels to last me a while.  My goal is to just somehow stay awake until after dark and then sleep the sleep of the dead.  By the way, I have the top bunk; I think I'm back in camp.  I hate this. I think I've become a first class girl, maybe I have to speed up this trip and have nicer rooms, and I'm getting too old for this.  Apparently I DID need a bus to get back to Piccadilly.  I suppose I should go have fish and chips or bangers and mash or Sheppard’s pie, when in Rome.... I mean London – 

DAY 6 -  1/25/05 - I woke up this morning to a fire drill (at least I had read a sign about it so I knew what it was) and roommate and I dragged ourselves out into the cold.  We brought coats and shoes and money which was more than the other 600 residents had, so we went off for a coffee. Over cappuccinos my roommate was still talking about her horrible previous room when she mentioned the two Canadians were slobs and we realized that when I moved out they had tried the same trick on her. Our hostel had advertised free breakfast with the room and we went back up for that and found it was toast and coffee (white toast and not even a crumpet).  “600 pieces of toast every morning?” I asked and the "cook" said "would you rather have ENGLISH breakfast?" and made a face. OK, signing off for now, back to London Town DAY 6 - Evening Last night two more roommates joined us: Kira and Elaine - two Irish Lasses from Cork.  I said 'introduce yourselves' and found out my German roomies name is Susanna (just in time for Dinner).  The four of us spent an hour laughing and trying to understand each other.  There were three distinct versions of English in the room.  I felt like I was almost Irish.  By the end of the hour I said 'enjoy your night at the te-ater'. I never knew how hard it would be to understand English without the 'th' sound.  They were off to see a show 'Chicago', I said I've already lived in Chicago for 20 years I don't think I need the show. They said 'it's not a lot of pictures, it's a story, like!" Those girls were so nice and so sarcastic, when they said 'Pamela come on the tour with us tomorrow' I almost said YES even though I've already been on that tour twice. Susanna came home at 6 and guess what? She got a job and it starts Monday, pretty good for one day of job hunting.  She's a budding architect. Probably doesn't hurt that she looks like Cameron Diaz. We went out in search of dinner and found it was hailing. I feel like this snow storm is chasing me around the world, I hope I ditch it by Tel Aviv!  We found all the restaurants so pricey we ended up back at the backpackers Midas Touch. We ordered a pint, I tried bitter and it was okay. I would have had cider if I had remembered about it.  We ordered some dinner, and Susanna's came but mine never showed up. When I inquired the French waitress apologized in broken English 'em, there is some problem'. She then bought me a drink on the house which I gave to our tablemate Shane (since I'm only good for 1 pint). She brought me my dinner but then forgot the salad. This time without telling me it was some problem, she just brought over another pint. We knew that meant the salad had also been forgotten. By this time Shane was getting drunk and he happily accepted. We thought if I kept ordering we would have free drinks all evening.  Shane had recently inherited a clothing import business from his father and was clearly having trouble with the nouveau riche thing.  He kept showing us his coat label Hermes, in case we forgot. We felt bad for him, old and rich and still trying for the pub pickup with old lines.  We opted to go back to the room and sleep off our pint.

DAY 7 – 1/26/05 - 5:02 AM - that would be early evening at home - Just because it isn't Day 7 at home yet doesn't bother me. I'm not doing badly with the jet lag thing.  After forcing myself to stay awake that first day I've been on an almost normal local schedule.  Nothing could keep me in that damn purple bunk bed anymore this morning. I'm more determined than ever to find a good hotel when I get to Prague. Okay, so about that "no shopping" rule, I thought I could do it but somehow when I hit the shops, some primitive instinct told me I can find a bargain in London if I set my mind to it.  I followed the locals to the Designer Sale Shop and promptly found an affordable trendy London shirt, which led to a new fuzzy hat at a stall (which hopefully will help people to stop calling me SIR!) and when the day was done, I marched right over to Soho and picked out my dream watch as a going away London present.  Whew, I finally feel civilized.  I thought I did good. When I got back to our room where I was supposed to meet Kira and Elaine, they were not in attendance but the room was top to bottom shopping bags.  I didn't know it but they were here on a 2 day shopping junket and those girls made my meager purchases seem like nothing.  There were more bags than girls.  I have four words for London: Cold, Cold, Cold, and Cold.  Did I mention it was cold? I couldn't feel my fingers when I sat on the outdoor bus to take pictures yesterday, but how could I come home without a picture of Big Ben and London Bridge? So I had a lot of options today and now it is 4:30 pm so I know I won't be seeing Harrods or the Changing of the Guard or Camden Town.  I headed out today with the following missions:

1. To find a mail box (which I found out is called a post box here) - DONE (but it took some doing since I didn't know what they looked like)

2. To buy some of the popular music of London and came home with 2 CD's - Oasis and Keane, neither of whom I've ever heard of but are on the top 10 here.  - DONE (by the way Virgin Music is the same here as at home)

3. To get to the bar on the 5th Floor of Waterstones Bookstore and sip juice while gazing at the lovely view of Parliament - DONE (but that was a six dollar grapefruit juice!) While at Waterstones to buy a novel by a local London authoress "White Teeth".  I saw the perfect book for Dad there, too heavy to carry so I'll have to Amazon it "The Complete Prose of Woody Allen".

4. To get to Camden Town and Window Shop - well, not exactly done, I got confused with Camden Town and Covent Gardens, since they both start with C and ended up walking my feet off to see an almost empty Covent Gardens.  I hear the stalls are full and the market is jammed on the weekends, but Wednesday afternoon...not so much.  At Stacey's advising I bought a $2 pair of earrings (something small I could carry).

I walked to Covent Gardens - a straight line so I figured I'd just re-trace my steps.  But why can't I ever find the same way home in this damn             town? No one could quite figure out how to tell me the way back to Piccadilly, so I walked off in the direction of Trafalgar Square when a saw             a long line of trolley-style buses, one with a Piccadilly sign in the window and in a moment of bravery I just hopped on. I felt like I was back in            San Francisco and I just snapped into automatic.  I was home 2 seconds later. Wonderful!

1. To get a watch - I'm SO tired of not knowing what time it is.  Since I can hardly ever remember what day it is at least I can stare at my wrist and reassure myself with the time. – DONE

2. To do laundry - DONE - this was interesting - they sent me on a hike to a laundry-mat, but when I got there I found it was a chic laundry service in Soho (and I was there in my slippers!).  It was so funny shuffling along in my slippers with my laundry surrounded by the fashionistas of Soho.  I feel so spoiled having my laundry done for me.

Well, you may not hear from me tomorrow because it is a travel day.  I "check-out" at 10 and fly out of Heathrow at 2 via Frankfurt to Prague. I have another 1 hour time change ahead of me! This is ridiculous. I arrive in Prague 6:35 their time, so I may not get out to the internet until the morning.  I will call Doris tonight and say goodbye.

OH-so much to say, so little time to type... I have forgotten to document a few moments, the Irish girls are giving me SO much material.  First: I should have made this a three month journey - did you know that it is $24 pounds to fly to Dublin from here and sometimes as cheap as $5 pounds to Scotland?????? It costs $50 to take a taxi to Heathrow Airport.  I could go to Ireland for less!!!! I know, I know, I should take the tube back to Heathrow, but I have it from a local that I can get a price fix (how do you spell that?) on a taxi if I call tonight and reserve.  Apparently it can be $20 for a local but $100 for a tourist.  Second:  last night I got a pack of matches at the bar for Susanna and on the red shiny package it said "Why go home?"  That is something to think about.  Was that matchbook talking to me?

Night:  last night in London.  Susanna came home and had had another successful interview and had actually started working that day.  So she had 2 jobs in 2 days and is now officially employed in London.  Kira and Elaine finally came home and we went out in search of a Shepard’s Pie.  Do you know we couldn't find one and ended up eating Vietnamese Food.  I asked for Pho and they said "what number?" meaning they didn't speak Vietnamese, I think it was Chinese owned.

Then giving up on some authentic pub we headed back for the Midas Touch where I am now a regular.  A man from Peru came up and asked if he could sit with us this way "May I join you? I am so boring!"  We couldn't stop laughing and imitating him all night, "Hi my name is Sebastian, I am so stressful and boring".  We tried to explain it was "stressed" and "bored" but it was no use.  He entertained us by doing impressions of the English.  I was home after one Cider, actually 1/2 a Cider and slept well.

ciao, Soho Pamela

DAY 8 -  1/27/05 - Travel Day

Back to Heathrow on the tube, and do you know that I was accompanied by my new Irish Friends, and they stuck by me for me to check in and then to have "a proper breakfast" at Weatherspoons, the popular London chain pub.  As we headed for the "lift" I heard a voice behind me say "Oh Miss Ashlund!" and THERE WAS DORIS. I couldn't believe it.  She had taken her walking shoes and her cane and took the tube down to see me off.  So somehow, in a town where I should know NO ONE I found myself in a restaurant having a fabulous breakfast with three friends.  I can't tell you how happy I was or how lucky I am.  I thought this was going to be a spiritual journey, meaning solitary, but look at me, Pam the socialite, entertaining at Weatherspoons darling. 

I really loved London and every single moment was a "moment" which is very very unusual for me.  I felt the power of friendship and the energy of the crazy city.  Still I am happy to leave because I haven't had one single decent meal (until the breakfast at the airport) since I left.  I tried English Food, I tried Vietnamese, I tried a Falafel from a stand, and even Burger King, but nothing was right.  Doris almost died when I pushed my bacon aside with distaste.  It was so horrible, a fried egg, two giant fatty salty horrible bacon slabs, two equally horrible sausages.  I inhaled the egg and toast and after Elaine and Doris hounded me I tasted the bacon.  They both maintained its infinite superiority to US bacon but I could not concur.  I felt like a picky eater, which I have NEVER been accused of in my life.  So, Doris ate my bacon in delight and I bought her a cappuccino and we had a good chat, then I realized I had to make tracks or miss my flight and off I went to....

FRANKFURT - On de-planing, I asked the woman at the counter for the direction of my gate and when she looked at my ticket she said "oh you are so late, you better hurry, well maybe you missed it, I'll call the gate" and she got on the phone and then said "they'll wait, but hurry" and then she gave this instruction:  “go up and take the skyline and then go down and go down, and then go all the way down because your gate is at the end, you better hurry”.  She added something in German which started with Sch and ended with ck's, like schiekle or something and I got the drift, I RAN, and.... whew, made the plane.  At least the airport marathon warmed me up because (OF COURSE) it was snowing for me in Frankfurt.

  DAY 9 – 1/28/05 Hotel Roma, The Old Square, and the Synagogue Still no luggage! The English should take a tip from this place, the breakfast was not only free but an incredible array of all the right foods.  I had granola, yogurt, a tangerine and grapefruit juice.  But they also had Czech style meats, breads, cheeses, and French style pastries and every type of coffee and tea. Happy with the meal, I set off wandering without a map today in search of Wenceslas Square, the "The Globe Cafe" and for a look at my Hostel.  But as usual, I never made it to Wenceslas.  I wandered downhill and like magic I found the water.  Charles Bridge connects the castle side that I am staying on with the Old Square side.  This Bridge was built in the 1400's, which is almost older than my imagination can extend.  Every time I turned a corner something took my breath away. Now that was only a cliché to me before, but the views startled me awake.  I have never seen a place like this outside of the museum of science and industry's "old main street" or Disneyland or some studio.  It isn't that one little place is beautiful, but it was all beautiful as I turned every corner.  I followed the twisting cobblestone roads down to the old square where there was a famous church, I think the Church of St. Nicholas, and Orloj, a 15th century astronomical clock. I don't know where I was wandering, I just kept following along with the crowds when suddenly I went down three little steps and I was in yet another world.  It was the Old Jewish Quarter. It was dark and wet and had a heavy feeling.  At the end of the street was the Old Jewish Cemetery.  I bought a ticket and went and visited a few of the old synagogues and then walked thru the Cemetery.  I couldn't believe it, in a very small area there were thousands of tomb stones, and the dead had been buried 12 deep.  I heard 4-12 thousand tombstones and as many as 80,000 possibly buried there.  This was also were Rabbi Loew was buried. He was apparently a renaissance scholar who created the mythos of the Golem.  I bought a book about the Golem legend, he is made of mud and one ugly dude. Exhausted from my 4 hour walk over cobblestone roads I collapsed at Franz Kafka Cafe and had a bowl of potato soup and a cappuccino.  Even the Cafe was in an ancient building, and the stairs down the WC were an amazing iron spiral staircase that made me dizzy as a found my way down to the bottom.  A claustrophobic person would NOT do well in this town.  People were much smaller in the 15th century. After soup I headed back, which was interesting because I had no idea how I got there, but eventually by repeating "Charles Bridge?" "Charles Bridge" a dozen times I made my way back to Hotel Roma.  I have only been out 5 hours but I can not move. ==Pam

DAY 8 – END Sound the bells! My luggage has arrived! Home from my crazy walkabout, I found my luggage had arrived and the faxes with my hotel discount vouchers and free tour etc.  So everything worked out.  FYI, I did file a claim with Lufthansa at the airport and also had separate travelers insurance.  I never keep anything I can't live without in luggage anyway, still I HAVE CLOTHES again.  I went upstairs to unpack and stood by the heated towel rack in the bathroom.  I know it was to dry towels, but I feel in love with it because my legs were so cold.  I was so happy that I said "hello little heater" and realized I may have been alone too much today!  Then I separated all my coins, American, British and Czech into three piles (after all I am a Virgo) and put my passport in the room safe and laid down "for just a second" and woke up at 7.  Apparently the coffee I had before going up worked like a sleeping pill.  I feasted on potato pancakes, sausage and Grog!  Grog, I had forgotten it existed, hot with lemon and sugar (citron, limon, sukar). Wow finally I am warmed up, why didn't I think of it before?

Earlier:  In search of a coffee house I stepped into a place called Coffee Heaven which was so much like home that it depressed me and I went back out.  I hiked down a rather desolate street, which turned out to be the High Street, with Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, and the like. Since I don't think anyone has any money in Praha I don't know what all these stores can do here, they looked deserted.  I didn't know what I was looking for but I was glad I held out since I stumbled on Franz Kafka cafe.

PRAGUE IS A GATE 

A 5 Word Czech Visitor vocabulary: Kostel doesn't mean Castle! It means Church, what's Castle you might ask?  Hrad! of course

Bridge = Most

Charles = Karlov

Namesti = Square

Hrad = Castle

Kostel=Church

With these five words I think you can make it thru all of old Praha.

We stood outside with her braving a nice icy wind, and staring up at a church (St. Vitales? I think) and listened to her words being carried away on the wind.  I am guessing she was German or Czech, if she was speaking English you would never guess it.  The church as beautiful but I was transfixed only by one detail, a long icicle on the nose of one of the gargoyles.

DAY 11 - Travel Day - Up at 4 am to the airport, with the same nice driver who took me in to town before.  Arrived at the airport at 5 and even the airport staff had not arrived, so sat on my luggage waiting for Lufthansa staff to finish their coffee and check us in.  Again, I was off to FRANKFURT, for a one over stop, and more German, Danka Shane, Bitte, Bitte.  And then one last FOUR hour flight to Tel Aviv.

Now, everyone knows Israeli security is world famous and I am here to tell you, it is true.  I was FELT UP by not one but two strong German woman and I think it was more thorough than a jail visit.  Twice thru security check points and scanners and finally allowed to board a very large plane to Tel Aviv. 

I was wondering if I'd find Aryeh there, since he's virtually a stranger and after an hour in the customs line and finding my baggage I stared out a whole room of men who looked JUST LIKE Aryeh.  A kipah could not help me to identify him that's for sure.  So I wandered around thinking about what I would do on my own, when a soft tap came on my shoulder and there he was.  He drove me over to an apartment rental, which although in very nice neighborhood, and offering a nice bed with a down comforter, was basically not comfortable to me.  It smelled like mold, and it was cold, and the kitchen and bathroom were dirty and I thought "I'm going to have to go get some spic ‘n span if I'm going to live here for a week".  When Aryeh called to see how I was I said "I'm too cold to stay here" and five minutes later he knocked at the door with an electric radiator and also a DVD for me to watch.  Well, I bundled up, watched that DVD, climbed into my warm bed with a radiator by my side and finally slept so well.... and

Hmmm, I didn't come to Israel to watch DVD's and I drove from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in the dark, so I called the only person I knew in Jerusalem,  my brother-in-law David's uncle, Allen.  Wow, was it good to hear his voice.  He talked and talked and the longer I talked to him the better I felt.  He said "don't you want to come over here? You have your own room and your own bathroom and music and food, you can stay the whole time, it doesn't matter" and other words that were basically music to my ears.  The long and short I packed up in 30 seconds and Allen drove by and picked me up at 11.  I was in such a hurry I think I left my photograph of Prague, but maybe I will get that before I leave.

ISRAEL

DAY 13 - Raining in the Holy City

Well from now on I'm writing the log in Hebrew, hmmmm I don't speak Hebrew that could be a problem.  I learned a lot today, I'm saying Shalom and Toda Raba and B'vakashet like a native.

Allen took me on a tour of the Hebrew University on Mt. Scopus today.  There was a lot more history that I ever expected up there.   It is built in 3 layers, cars underground, indoor halls throughout the entire campus (very tunnel like) and then the ground level.  Interesting constant reminder of security.  Our trunk is opened everywhere we drive, entering regular businesses you have metal detectors and your purse checked.  The best part about the school, though, were the views.  Of course I got to eat in the Faculty Club, I would die and go to heaven if I had a buffet like this everyday.  I think there were 12 salads of every fruit and vegetable in the world (ok, only of every fruit and vegetable in Israel, but that's a lot!).  It was so awesome to finally have really fresh healthy food (soup, salad, fish).  I really didn't have an appetite to fully appreciate the spectacle and Allen kept telling me "eat, eat, or I'll tell you're mother!".  Mom: you'll be happy to know he made me zip up my coat when we went outside!

After the University Visit, Allen ran an errand and let me tag along to the outskirts of downtown Jerusalem.  There I discovered the most amazing fruit market that absolutely puts any farmers market in LA to shame.  This was Gelson's4 on crack! I bought nuts and olives and Allen bought persimmons and oranges.  Then, (by then it was 5) a snack of Hummus and Pita.  Now I have never been a fan of the chickpea, but I'm a new convert.  I loved the Hummus.  I wish they made it this way at home. 

DAY 14 - The Only Tourist in Jerusalem  

I entered the Old City this morning, thru the Jaffa Gate (there are 8 gates) and was immediately joined by a young pest masquerading as a tour guide.  Then I was grabbed by one shopkeeper after another and pulled this way and that, “come and see my shop” “where are you from Maam?” “let me give you a good deal”.  I think I was in some kind of Ali Baba and the 40 thieves place, it was amazing and hilarious.  It took me a moment to get my Chicago Chutzpa back, so a pushed the pesky kid to a shopkeeper, and said “YOU keep him please!”.  Everybody cracked up (except the kid) and thus shook my “friend”.  In fact I was in the Jewish Quarter and had not even arrived at the real Ali Baba area, the Moslem Quarter.  I really was the center of attention and in fact eventually left the city with two marriage proposals (sigh), but it wasn’t that special je ne se quoi of mine, it was simply that I was THE ONLY tourist in Jerusalem.  After a while I found Neil, a much less annoying shopkeeper and I joined him for tea, complete with Moroccan style cushions and tea with mint carried in on a tray and served in glasses.  Neil played the Bedouin Violin for me and occasionally tried in vain to sell me something.  This place (and by “this place” I mean the entire Old City) was really filled with mostly junk and nothing compelled me to purchase.  I had come to see “the WALL” but ended up in the biggest maze of markets I have ever seen in my life.  Neil ran me around the maze and up to the City Center to see the view, I think he was bored out of his mind and was thankfully 30-ish (as compared to the many very old men downstairs).  He also did not hit me up for money which distinguished him from the others.

When the walking tour was complete I walked (hiked?) over to the Museum of Israel for another astonishing experience.  One word of advice: do not go here if you don’t like walking, because the building is about a half a mile away from the entrance. I would have liked to take a bus!  Now I may not have the details straight, but inside were (I think) four completely reconstructed Synagogues from around the world (one from Italy, one from Poland, one from India (!!!!) and one from somewhere else.  This was the highlight of the museum visit as these places were long forgotten and on the verge of being long lost and forgotten had not someone packed up the pieces and brought them here.  The India room took 5 years to put together.  The Polish one was found in use as a BARN!

DAY 15 AND THE WALLS COME TUMBLING DOWN

Jericho, 2/3/05, the day before the Israelis turn over the West Bank to the Palestinians.  We drive in through a checkpoint and Khalid brings me to a table by a street vendor and Mahmoot, the 10- year old son of the owner, fans the charcoal for our dinner.  Khalid goes to a butcher and buys fresh lamb and brings it to the restaurant to make shish kabob for us.  Waiting for dinner sitting on the sidewalk watching and watching.  Across the street are three workers, mixing cement in the street, mixing it by pouring it onto the ground and running a hose on it and shoveling it into buckets and then spreading in out.  An old man wearing traditional Palestinian headdress, Kuffiyeh, in red and white, sits, sweating and eating an orange and sometimes takes the hose and waters the cement for the laborers.  Once in a while a well dressed young, handsome man, displaying western clothes, white turtleneck collar and open sports jacket, even wearing a slightly large stomach, emitting wealth and distain, comes sauntering out to watch and then vanishes inside a shop again. 

Behind me I hear slow chopping of the salad that they are making for me (not so spicy), chop, chop, chop and then a long pause and another chop.

Mahmoot runs back and forth helping his father proudly and occasionally batting his long eyelashes at me and then running away slamming the door behind him.  He begrudgingly lets me take his photo and then smiles like a little movie star.

So much is going on around me.  Across the street is a very recently constructed building and the owners are working hard setting up a restaurant.  The excitement is obvious, this is finally going to be their land again after a fifty-year wait.  Young school boys wander around wearing scarves the colors of the Palestinian flag, they strut like proud roosters. 

A downs syndrome boy walks alone and he too wears the flag-scarf and he goes to pet a dog the boys are walking and one jeers at him and another hits him on the head.  He hits back and shouts at them and they laugh and are on their way.

Then plates are brought, one of cubed lamb and another of chops, two of salad (mine with lemon, Khalid’s with a bright green pepper decorating the plate, colorful tomato and zucchini slices covered in lemon and peel.  Then even more, shish kabob, and bread warmed on the fire.

We drink fresh orange juice and grapefruit juice (and also a coca cola inscribed in Arabic) and eat lamb with our fingers and try to eat some of this carefully prepared salad which has way too much lemon.  And when the lamb is gone and we sit with two half filled plates of shish kabob and salad remaining, then the plates are cleared and coffee comes.

Two small glasses, of cardamom spiced thick coffee, steaming as darkness falls in what will be the new Palestine tomorrow.

LAUNDRY IN THE BOMB SHELTER 

Note from my mom:  Keep enjoying Israel, and dad says "Stay out of Jerusalem!"  It's too dangerous.  Always a dad. My reply: Stay out of Jerusalem? A little late for that! I am LIVING in Jerusalem!  Tell Dad not to worry, the house has a bomb shelter! I'm doing laundry in the bomb shelter right now as we "speak".  If he wants something to worry about tell him I went to Jericho today and had lunch with the Palestinians!  ;-)

DAY 15

Why did the Jews spend 40 days and 40 nights in the desert?  Moses lost his wallet

Why did the Jews spend 40 days and 40 nights in the desert? Moses had the map upside down

Daniels photographs of old men in India adorn the burnt orange walls of "my" bedroom, and they are straight out of National Geographic.  I woke up this morning and took a shower and put my hair up in a blue towel turban and crawled back into bed, propped myself up and saw myself in a mirror at the end of the bed.  Blue Towel against Orange Walls framed by a small mirror.  I think I have become one of Daniels photographs.

Yesterday I wanted to go home, another eight days felt like eight days too long.  Maybe seeing Pringles at the store did it, maybe it was watching the news in Hebrew, maybe it is all of this damn Jerusalem Stone.  But I'm glad I held out because I went off on a private tour of Masada.

DAY 15 - Going South for the Winter

I was wrong.  Haifa is North! Elat and Masada are South (I guess I do need a guide).

My private tour guide picked me up in front of Bank Hapolim and we set off for the South.  It was getting cold in Jerusalem, so like a sensible tourist, I was headed for the southern sights...uh...ok, the SPA!

Our first stop was the Mall at Ma’al Adumim (which I think means “reddish place”).  I bought the only bathing suit in the mall at a sports shop since it is February and the stores were full of winter clothes.  Then we were off for a two hour drive down to Masada, the home of the mass suicide of 900 Jews to prevent capture by Herod.  This Herod guy doesn't sound very nice.

On the way we stopped in Qumran to see the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.  Not much to see there since the Scrolls have been in a museum for years (in fact I think I saw them at the Israel Museum the other day...)  Of more interest to me was Salim...the Camel.  I know it is the dumbest tourist photo op to hop on a camel, but of course, I saw Big Ben and I had to kiss a Camel!  Salim sat down for me to climb up and I still have no idea by what miracle of nature he sat. His legs must hinge in both directions, but after a serious of folds he arrived at ground level.  I hoped up and then he began the reverse of the hinges.  I was so scared I couldn't breathe.  The guide and the Camel owner couldn't stop laughing.   Then I realized they intended to take me on a walk, but I begged them to bring me back and let me off and they complied.

DAY 16 – Friday, 2/4/05 - Shabbos with the Levy's

I had a hot dinner date lined up with Khalid and Neil and their friend Dan but when I told Allen (my host) about my plans he looked disappointed and said "oh, I guess you won't be able to join us for Shabbos Dinner then, Judy has invited us".  He looked so despondent (probably practiced as a good Dad would) that I cancelled my plans for my "family obligation".  And so it was.  I had my first Shabbos dinner in 20 years! I made DAY 16 my day of rest (even though Saturday my Day 17 is supposed to be the Day of Rest), Banks are closed here and there is no newspaper.  They take this resting business seriously.  I almost never left the couch except to go down to the corner for a cappuccino and a croissant.

I may be off for the North tomorrow if weather permits, Haifa and Sea of Galilee, we will see.

DAY 17 -  Saturday, 2/5/05 

Woke up today and drove to Haifa in the rain.  We stopped at Caesaria, which sits on the Mediterranean Sea, to see an ancient Roman Aqueduct.  Everything is ancient here, so I am loosing my perspective.  Oh yeah, that's where Jesus had the last super, oh right, King David's tomb.  I thought they were joking...but no. I am most fascinated with Jerusalem, although Allen says I should experience Tel Aviv first before deciding.  I don't want to go in chronological order here because my mind is not going in chronological order, it is jumping all over the way I am jumping all over Israel. Two days ago I visited the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, and then the City of Jericho, the oldest city in the world (10,000 years of continuity) and yesterday (DAY 17) I went to the top of Mount Carmel which is the highest point in Israel.  So now I have covered the "town", the whole state of Israel, North to South, highest to lowest and oldest to newest.  Haifa is a very modern place compared to Jerusalem and "oh so American" with Office Depot and Ace Hardware etc.  We drove up to the top of Mt. Carmel and looked down on the grounds of the Bahai Temple.  It was beautiful in the rain and after looking out over the Mediterranean I looked over my shoulder at an orange tree from which one single orange had fallen and lay on the black grate beneath it, all by itself and beautiful in the rain.  I took three pictures of that orange for some reason. It was a long drive to Haifa and seemed like for nothing because of the rain and that it was the Sabbath. No people, no stores, just me and Khalid and the rain.  We drove back from the mountains listening to music and watching the rain and the sea and also visited Natanya, a smaller Russian Jewish town and then in the suburbs of Tel Aviv we stopped for lunch at a Kurdish Restaurant where we ate Kurdish Kabob style hamburger and also chicken liver, which I have never seen served on a stick before.  This with French fries and hummus and red paprika and a "salad" of onions and parsley and pita bread in huge sheets. And then we drove home on side roads in the country and looked at the Kibbutzim and farm lands and rows of strawberries and the white flowering almond trees and pink flowering cherry blossoms and the green green ground and finally home to my door.  I went inside and slid onto the couch and did not awaken for 3 hours.  Then Allen made popcorn and we watched a terrible Hallmark drama together. 

DAY 18 - Sunday, 2/6/05 - The first day of the week.  Here they must say "I hate Sunday's" instead of "I hate Monday's".   Neil picked me up in his Uncles Honda civic and drove me to town.  He took me through the Zion Gate to King David's tomb, where we walked slowly inside, until we were in front of the tomb.  I looked at the torah's on top of the tomb which were ornamental silver and then behind me at the old wall tiles which seemed to be from Syria.  Then we were greeted by a rabbi who signaled me over and drew water up from a well in the stone, and I held out my hands and he poured water from a bowl, once, twice, three times over my hands.  Then I dried my hands and I lit candles and he said bruchas (blessings).  First a candle for me and then for Janet, my mother and Andrew my father.  I gave Sidhaka charity) for the blessings and he tied red strings around my wrist and around Neil's.  It is still there, that red string. We went to his shop for tea and I tried on a beautiful embroidered Bedouin dress, which turned out to be $800 "on sale" so it could not come home with me (it wanted to though!).  Feeling that my days were short I finally picked out jewelry which will forever be my Jerusalem.  A necklace that Neil made and a garnet ring.  We spend another hour arguing over the price, and when were both completely dissatisfied we reached an agreement. Neil took me home and we stopped for Lebanese Sweets, which was a warm melted cheesy kind of dessert which sat heavily in side me for many hours. I am "home" now and I will take a nap before I go out with Allen to a concert of classical music. Tomorrow, I have tentative dinner plans with Khalid and Dan (another Controller from the US) and then just a few more days.  I have decided about Tel Aviv, the Sea of Galilee, Chagall’s Windows at the hospital, a Holocaust Museum, Tiberius, The Golan Heights.... Just a little more Israel and then I will be sent flying west out of the wind and the rain. END of DAY 18 - Went to the Mormon Church with Allen and his neighbor and saw a Schumann concert.  It was performed by a string quartet and then the second piece, a quintet, with a pianist from the Israeli Philharmonic guesting.  The concerts are free and are held in a huge auditorium with floor-to-ceiling windows looking over the lights of the city and under the huge dome of the church.  But the rains had caused a leak and we were forced to see the performance in a basement forum.  The music was still beautiful and one of the church custodians let Allen sneak me in and look at the auditorium. DAY 19 – Monday, 2/7/05 - What day is it? Can I be writing Day 19 and 20? Nooooooooo because there are only 23 days and that means only 2 more days in Israel.

What a place. 

This morning I went up to the Mt. of Olives (beautiful view of the city) and then had tea at the home of an Arabic couple (business friends of Khalid) and then visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum, where I saw the wreath of roses Condoleeza6 left there the night before.

Tried to see Chagall's windows (too much traffic, no parking) so ended up eating lunch at the Jerusalem Mall.  Who needs art when you can go to the mall?  Aren't the Chagall Windows copied at the Art Institute?

 It is Monday night, and now...time is running out...

Tomorrow will be on my Christian tour, I will finally see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (now if I could only figure out what the stations of the cross are, I'll be fine).

DAY 20 – Tuesday, 2/8/05 - Neil picked me up this morning and took me to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  Now this I was not prepared for.  Here is where Jesus died on the cross and where they laid him out and the cave he was buried in.  Some of this story must be off, because if he rose from the dead, how can we see where he is buried?  I have to go back and study my Christianity.  Still, walking down into those caves, small, dark, cold and musty smelling, I started to cry.  It was dark and Neil said stop laughing, we are in a church.  I just said OK.  There is something about this much history that takes all of the energy out of me. 

I was quiet for a long time as we walked through the Old City back to the Shop (where I bought a Hamsah7 for Stacey) and also two turquoise cats of unknown origin.  Walking through the old City there is a meat market and the old streets still run with blood, and later we saw an old [run?] in the rain and the dye was running off red and I thought it was blood again. 

DAY 21 – Wednesday, 2/9/05

This may be my last entry in my travel journal.  Tomorrow will really be my last day in Israel, but I leave at 2 am from Tel Aviv, and I may not find a computer between now and then. 

On vacation, one never really knows when the moment comes when you forget the world you left behind, but one minute you remember and the next you do not.  Yesterday I chatted with Karen and realized that I had not thought of my former employees, all fired back in August, for the past three weeks.  And that reminded me that maybe just maybe I had achieved what I set out to achieve, which was NOT to forget, but to some how heal from that trauma.

These kids, the boy is actually named Mohammad Ali (Ali for short) and Lila and Rosana... they all held my hands and giggled and impressed me with English words and Ali even showed me he could read Hebrew (which I pretended I could read!).  And so I was my favorite role, mom for an afternoon at the mall.  Good old Auntie Pammi.  On the way home we played a tape of pop Arabic music and the kids sang every word and Neil turned up the music and Lila did the hand part of belly dancing and we shouted and sang.  I bought a green feather pen with a heart on a spring (for the little girl in me) and when we drove by the old city and saw the usual police with their M-16's standing in front looking at us as we drove by, I waved my feathers at them and we sang and smiled and they totally cracked up.  I think we made their day, we were that contagious.

And then the door bell rang and it was Khalid who had brought me a Chagall print (embossed and numbered) and a long scarf as a going away present.  I don't understand him or Neil, these people LISTEN to EVERY thing I say.  Last week I said I love my scarf but I wish it was longer and he had found one just like it but long.  If this is how he does business (or treats all his potential clients or friends) I would not be surprised if he did very well.

And then (ooops) the doorbell rang again and it wasAryeh (who had felt bad and came to deliver the picture I bought in Prague to me), so being the heel that I am I just went out and said good bye to him in the parking lot.  Allen was howling, because I had two dates show up at the same time. 

Tomorrow Khalid will take me to Tel Aviv for my "send off" and put me on a plane.  So this must then be the end of my story ????

DAY 22 - 2/10/05 SIN CITY 

My flight is actually tomorrow at 5:30 am, but that means I have to be at the airport at 2:30 am, which means…no sleep tonight. Allen was getting nervous about getting off safely and I packed and we did the laundry (sheets and towels) and he took me down to the coffee shop for my last Jerusalem Cappuccino and Croissant.  This is always the toughest part of a trip, the part when you have to leave and you don’t want to and yet there it is…time to go. Allen was really pressuring me to see Tel Aviv, he wanted to make sure I saw it and he told me it was known as “Sin City” and that it was very modern and very different than Jerusalem.  I’m not sure if prostitution is legal there, but it is prevalent (as were drug busts and other assorted delights) and the people are less religiously inclined, etc. At noon Khalid arrived to drive me to Tel Aviv, but as always there was a tour before the journey home.  Off we went, toward Tel Aviv.  We stopped for lunch at a mall and for the first time I really noticed that everything (EVERYTHING) is Kosher in Israel.  McDonalds-Kosher read the sign.  That means: no cheese burgers!  We went to a Chinese restaurant and that means: no pork! No shrimp fried rice!  I thought it was going to be terrible and I settled for the chicken (there was nothing else!) but it was….like everything in Israel (when am I going to learn?) delicious.  When is cheap Chinese Food in a mall good?  Never in my past 40 years of culinary experience, but never say never.

After the requisite food, we drove the two hours down to Tel Aviv area in silence.  I was getting tired and Khalid wanted to show me more sights, but I begged him not to.  Before Tel Aviv is another very old city, Jaffa, home of the famous Jaffa Oranges.  Driving into Jaffa was like driving on to a movie set.  Old streets filled with antique dealers and junk everywhere.  We pulled into a little alley and Khalid brought me to an antique dealers that he does business with and went back to settle the books (I am guessing by the sweet smelling smoke, would be code for “smoking hashish”, ha ha ha) and I laid down in the car for a cat nap.  When I woke up I went in and had tea and looked at all the beautiful artifacts (most of which were reproductions as it turns out). 

Then we drove off to the beach and stopped for ice cream, which was fresh pistachio and was incredible.

Darkness was coming and there was a palpable romance in the streets.  It was exotic and dark and smoky and the darkness was only broken by neon signs in Hebrew letters.  I think I was starting to see what Allen was talking about.  Cars were driving by filled with young men and girls with too much makeup on and I could feel the evening beginning and a plain clothes police car sped past us and pulled over a car which completely screamed “drug bust”.

1 Kugel – An Eastern European traditional Jewish dessert made with egg noodles and raisins

2 Yarmulke – Skull cap worn by Jewish men to cover their heads in deference to God (also known as Kipah in Hebrew)

3 “What a slim, hot girl”

4 Gelson’s – a gourmet grocery store in the Los Angeles area.

5 Araby, a short story by James Joyce.

6 Condoleeza Rice, newly appointed National Security Advisor for U.S. government in 2004

7 Hamsah – a hand with an eye in the palm, a symbol that wards off evil

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