חמשושלים Finale

For the third and final weekend of חמשושלים, we decided to spend our Thursday evening at the Bloomfield Science Museum, which is near to the Israel Museum and Gan Soccer. The museum is laid out like most other kid-friendly museums (haphazardly) and is full of whirring, spinning, falling, and flying colourful items, as well as enough levers, cranks, buttons and magnets to make NASA jealous. While there we ran into half-a-dozen friends, and enjoyed making the rounds with them. We even got to participate in one demonstration, by being tied together and told to extricate ourselves. We failed miserably, to everyone's delight. That same demonstration utilized a jar of liquid nitrogen, whose coolness more than made up for the embarrassment. Toward the end of the night (12ish) we waited in a stinky line with many impatient patrons to watch a light show, basically a man dressed in black wowing us with optical tricks, then explaining the science behind them. Who knew nerdiness was so popular and so much fun?

Who knew Plinko had science behind it?

Abu Tor Tour

Every so often, one of the administrators from the Senior Educators Program offers guided tours to the participants and their families. Today we took advantage of this opportunity to walk with a small group from the Tayelet, the scenic overlook of Jerusalem, through the neighbourhood of Abu Tor. The unifying theme of the walk was the linkage of the land's geographical and philosophical past with its present. We examined maps and the scenery to understand why the city developed as it did, and discussed quotations from the Bible and modern poetry to understand the psychology of the region. One of the most interesting statements that came out of the tour was made in the neighbourhood of Abu Tor, where a street and bullet-pocked wall mark the boundary between Jordan and Israel as it existed before 1967, and where the Jewish and Muslim residents of the are still largely divided by clear geographic boundaries. The leader of the group summed up the tour by saying something like, "it's interesting that in this region where one man nearly sacrificed what he held most dear, the residents still daily grapple with the threat that they, too, will have to sacrifice for this land."

חמשושלים

This weekend started off splendidly, and we hope it continues throughout.

We started off with a Thanksgiving dinner at the apartment of one of Rina's classmates. Although there was no football, there was an entire roasted turkey, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and pecans, and pumpkin pie. Yay! We gorged ourselves like it was a Jewish holiday*, and then got ready to walk it off for our next event.

Like last weekend, Thursday night starts off the weekly carnival Chamshushalayim, where the city's museums are open to the public for free until late in the evening (morning?). We hiked over to the Old City, where we toured the Migdal David complex. The museum is, as we recall from teen-trips, interesting in the daytime, but at night it takes on a whole other reality. The glass sculptures shine in what little light there is, and the walls are lit up by spotlights - all very dramatic and pretty. Next we wandered over to hear a Balkan ensemble toot on its horns and bang on its drums in an interesting polka-klezmer-ska combination that even had some of the crowd dancing. Lastly we walked through Mamilla, the new chic shopping and upscale residence plaza next to the Old City, to get to a small amphitheater. Minutes later the troupe showed up dancing wildly to a massive drumbeat, with torches and wheels on fire. The ensemble, which was dressed in what looked like army-fatigue body stockings with plumbing glued on, then gyrated to the rhythms in what we can only hope was an interpretive dance of some sort. The whole scene was like something out of "Lord of the Rings" but without the budget. Or dialogue. Or imagination. yeah. But still, lots of fun! Then it was home to cook a little, and then off to bed for our few hours of sleep before a tour tomorrow morning!



*There was even a short improptu dvar Torah: How do you say "turkey" in Hebrew? הודו. And what country is named הודו? India, exactly where Columbus was attempting to sail. And what is the word for thanks, which is our feeling for the explorer who accidentally located our home? הודו.

Oud

Tonight's entertainment - the International Oud Festival.

As everyone knows, the oud is a bloated and misshapen guitar played throughout the Middle East and Orient, which sounds far nicer than any other misshapen and bloated instrument we have yet to hear (yes, we're talking about you, uberorgan). The oud is often used in conjunction with Middle Eastern percussion and string instruments, such as hand-held drums, tambourines, and qanuns, in order to create an authentic Arabic flavour.

Speaking of authentic, aside from ourselves, there was only one other pair in attendance who wasn't clearly of Arabic or Sephardi descent. We were fine with this, though, it just meant that we didn't quite understand the lyrics to the songs, the cheers shouted out at the performers, the conversations next to us, or the directions to the fire exits.


The two hour long show was lots of fun, and featured several different singers and instrumentalists, all centered around the work of Imad Dalal, who is apparently a very famous oud player. Who knew there were famous oud players? Who even knew there were ouds? Anyways, the music was very evocative and entertaining, and we highly recommend your buying tickets to the next International Oud Festival in your area.

Joy!

To celebrate Rina's completion of a six-month project for her workplace back in T.O., we went out tonight for our first non-shwarma meat dinner, to a restaurant named "Joy". The meal was fantastic, and we highly recommend the venue to anyone who enjoys steak, fish, fried things, delicious things, ambiance, or friendly staff. We especially recommend ordering items that the kitchen has run out of, because, if you are as lucky as us, it will garner you free wine and desserts. Joy!

Shabbat in the Gush

This weekend we decided to escape our standard Jerusalem routine and spend some time with friends who live in Neve Daniel, part of the settlements outside of Jerusalem. We started off by going to Kfar Etzion, a kibbutz, to pick up my Naot at an outlet store, and have a picnic lunch, sort of a last grasp at summer before the torrential downpours begin. Once our shopping and lunching was over, we hitched a ride over to Neve Daniel.

This was a first experience for both of us in this sort of community, and even though we'd heard about it we were still shocked when confronted. The community is tiny (350 families), surrounded by hills and other tiny gated communities (the gates aren't ornamental, either - they are barbed and menacing.), and look exactly like the suburbs they are. Totally unlike Jerusalem, Neve Daniel is quiet, clean, and full of actual houses.

The weekend was really nice. We spent time with our friends (Shira and Ricky) and their two adorable children, as well as two reticent midrasha girls who were spending the shabbat there. The Pleasantville-atmosphere we felt when we first entered the town pervaded our time there, and made for a very relaxing break. It wasn't necessarily something we'd want to move to permanently, but it definitely has its allure.

The Hershey's Kiss

Tonight was the first of three weekends on which Jerusalem's museums are free from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m., with special activities and attractions at each. We chose to attend a choir's performance at the Shrine of the Book. We got to tour the facility for about twenty minutes before the tuxedo-clad performers filed in and began their 45 minutes show. The songs sung covered a range of languages, styles, and eras, and were all fantastic. One of the most engaging aspects of the event was the fact that a room usually silent, filled with the texts of a long-dead sect, was suddenly filled instead by a rapt audience and a talented chorus of voices. There was life in a usually cold, both physically and emotionally, cave. We are very excited to try out the municipality's other events in the coming weeks, and hope they compare favourably with tonight's excitement.

Ethio-Israel

For dinner tonight we decided to take advantage of the many different cultures represented in Israel, and went out to an Ethiopian restaurant called, sensibly enough, Ethio-Israel. Please, no jokes about there being such a thing as an Ethiopian restaurant.

Although a little bit challenging to find, the eatery was worth the trip both in terms of taste and culture. The dining area was decorated with tapestries, and straw-and-wood furniture was scattered throughout. The food was, we have been told, authentic Ethiopian cuisine (again, no jokes, please) but with the spices altered so as to not horribly burn our unprepared palettes. The entire meal was made up of a variety of sauces, pastes, and meat stews served atop a huge pancake called "engera", which was the serving platter, utensil, and meal. We tore off pieces of the slightly-sour dough, scooped up the topping(s) of choice, and piloted the mass toward our mouths, trying to keep as much as possible in the bundle and off our clothes. The colourful array that we had selected were all delicious and completely new tastes to us, and the eating experience was well worth the visit. We did, however, leave a little bit hungry (control yourselves).

Striking Teachers Still Know Arts-and-Crafts

The striking High School teachers here in Israel are complaining about their low wages, and haven't yet been paid this year, but somehow had the money to plaster these very creative posters on trash bins all around the city.

Negev Tiyul

For two and a half days this week I (Rina) was on a Pardes Tiyul in the Negev. I was a little apprehensive about going especially because Jon was ditching me and not coming, but it ended up being a lot of fun. We stayed in this place in the Negev called Hatzeva Village. It is a little enclosed area with 95% of the population being Thai. The Thai people are there for cheap farming labour. In the middle of this Thai area this Israeli guy opened what he calls an Israeli version of a Bedouin Tent. It was really cute. It is basically a large area partially enclosed with a bamboo roof. The place was decorated with mats and tapestries, colourful mattresses and hammocks, and a jacuzzi. There were some rooms off to the side for people who did not want to sleep outside. They even had the delicious mint tea and turkish type coffee. It was great and the food was delicious (there was steak at a Pardes event!). One of the nights I went with a few people star gazing, which was very pretty. During the days we hiked. The first day I was there we went on a hike called Nahal Gav which involved a 6 hour hike with ropes and ladders. It was awesome! The second day we went on a hike in the Machtesh Ramon which was also very beautiful. I definitely have a new-found appreciation for the desert and realize that everything in the desert really does look significantly different.
Overall, the tiyul was really fun and gave me an opportunity to really get to know some of the people, which I have not really made an effort to do yet. It was also fun to have a girl slumber party, which is very foreign once you get married.

The Search Continues

I recently realized that I have been remiss in my search for shwarma. It is just that Melech HaFalafel seems so perfect - cheap, delicious, and close. But for three days Rina is on a retreat with Pardes, making this the perfect opportunity* to continue my research. I was given added incentive when a fitness fanatic instructed me to "work out and eat shwarma", and who am I to argue?

Today's stop was another shop near Ben Yehuda, called "Al HaEsh". The restaurant caught my eye with its proclamation of a 17 shekel shwarma, and drew me in with what appeared to be a clean establishment, replete with tables and chairs. I placed my order, and the man behind the counter asked me what I wanted in my wrap, to which I responded "everything." Apparently at this store "everything" includes only a fraction of the items behind the counter. There was no eggplant or charif inserted, and only a minimal amount of the mainstays (french fries, salad, meat, and chumus). Luckily, there was an expansive salad bar from which to supplement the disappointing wrap I was handed. I (more than once) added zucchini, beets, carrots, cucumbers, and an interesting zatar spread. They also had what I assumed to be free toasted pita pieces, which I made sure to load up on. Even with all of the additional salads, however, I couldn't get past the absence of the necessary oils and juices from the eggplant, fries, and meat. All the spicy carrots in the world can't make up for that amazing combination flavours. Oh well. For now it looks like Melech HaFalafel remains...er... the king of falafel.

*Perfect opportunity = Rina doesn't know I am spending more money on shwarma unless YOU tell her, the meal costs half as much, and I am tremendously jealous of the meat-heavy meals that she is being served in a "Bedouin tent".

Shuk Moment

In the shuk today searching for a place to go out for chumus, I passed a pile of meat in the middle of the walkway and could have sworn that there were a pair of horns sticking out. Not wanting to merely think I saw them, I went back to check, and found out I was mistaken - there were TWO bull-scalps in the pile of meat in the middle of the pedestrian walkway. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I didn't have our camera.

Ein Karem

Today we finally had a Friday free of obligations (work, homework, or cooking) so we decided to get out and see the town. Today's stop - the neighbourhood of Ein Karem.

Best known to most people we've spoken to (Mrs. C. Parker) for its hospital and the hospital's Chagall windows, the area is actually inhabited by people other than tourists and the ailing. The city is home to several churches and monasteries of various sects of Christianity, most of which base their presence on the town's heritage as the birthplace of John the Baptist, as well as a place visited by Mary before Jesus' birth (when she apparently had a get-together with John's mom). All of the edifices are beautiful (and, to judge by our pictures, very blurry) and the architecture of the buildings in the the city is both quaint and engaging. After ditching a tour after 45 minutes (we thought it was free, but found out otherwise) we wandered the streets admiring the surroundings, both natural and man-made. We then went out for lunch to a wonderful bistro named "Cafe Inbal". If you happen to be in the city, and have to choose between the two kosher establishments, look at their breakfast-for-two before choosing. Scones, omelettes, pastries, juice, assorted dips, coffees - it could easily have been breakfast for three, but it was lunchtime, so no.

How the Fish Pisses

Tonight we decided to take in some native culture by attending an Anglo-only concert by HaDag Nachash, an Israeli funk/pop/rap group. The event was sponsored by MASA, an organization that allocates scholarships to students from abroad wanting to study in Israel for the year.

While the music was a lot of fun (especially finally getting to hear Shirat HaSticker, a song made up entirely of juxtaposed bumper-sticker slogans), some of the most entertaining parts of the concert were entirely unrelated to it. Highlights included people on stilts dressed as trees (a la "Lord of the Rings"), the rhythmic-swaying/body-surfing crowd of teens at the front of the auditorium (in a concert hall usually reserved for, you know, formal concerts), the techno theme song for MASA, and the fact that instead of lighters creating a sea of lights in the audience, the glow came from dozens of digital cameras and cell phones recording the concert in all its pixelated glory.