Month: June 2008
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Slice of the Tzur Hadassah commute, minharot style.
Driving home to Tzur Hadassah through the minharot (tunnels) is not always peaches. On our way home today, passing Husan, Beitar and Wadi Fukin, we found soldiers everywhere, cracking down, probably on the hunt for someone specific from a tip-off. We were greeted by this right as we were getting to the machsom (checkpoint), literally…
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The Israeli rabies experience.
Well, now I know what it’s like to wonder if you have rabies from a stray cat… in Israel. Last night, hanging out in the hood, a small kitten – probably two months old – ran into our friends’ house and after several other attempts, we were resorted to chasing it into corners, until it…
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Tonight's rally for the release of Gilad Shalit.
Amidst the cries for Olmert to quit, be embarrassed and work harder towards the release of the kidnapped soldiers, there was plenty of emotion to go round. Of course, the major focal point of sentiment came from Noam Shalit’s short but necessary speech to open the rally outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem. It’s…
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Waiting for Shalit.
Today is two years from the day that Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas on the Israeli border during non-war time. There will be a rally held outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Kikar Paris in Jerusalem, from 7-9pm. All day I’ve been reading Facebook status updates and Twitter messages from people who are waiting…
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Katamon drama: Not just for new olim anymore.
I’ve come to respect homemade Israeli television. It’s creative, it’s bizarre, it’s actually pretty good sometimes. Hey, there’s a reason why Jews rule Hollywood, right? Here’s the latest from Yes, coming to a televisia near you: סרוגים (as in, kippa sruga, or the yarmulke associated with the dati-leumi universe), a drama about the religious dating…
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A slice of weekend life 'round here.
It’s Sunday today, which really means it’s Monday – aka, the beginning of the work week – aka, I miss the weekend already. Here’s a slice of my weekend so we can all treasure it together and breathe through to next Shabbat:
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The creepiest thing about where I live.
Not many people know just how far my imagination goes or how morbid and crazy I can be. With that said, I would like to introduce you to one of the freakiest, creepiest things about Israel for me: The teleport at Emek Ha’ela – a valley about five minutes outside of Beit Shemesh – completely…
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You think *this* blog is cool?
Check this out: Shin.Tech Blogs It’s a site put together by the Shin Bet (also known as the Shabak), Israel’s general security service (like the American FBI). It follows the blogs of four agents who remain anonymous but talk about different angles of their service: י’ – המוח הטכנולוגי ‘Yud’ The technological mind; ח’ –…
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Bracing for heartbreak… but still hoping.
I know, I know. I won’t believe it till I see it, either. The Israeli in me is skeptical/angry/excited, the spouse in me is tormented/emotional/hopeful, and the mediator in me is curious/reflective/fatigued. For better or worse, I’m indulging in this: Eldad Regev’s father: Deal finalized for abducted troops’ return The father of abducted Israel Defense…
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You know you're an Anglo-Israeli working in hi-tech when…
I just received a tweet from a friend: “just heard terrible news…reeling from the shock. baruch dayan ha-emet” And I immediately went to check my favorite news services to find out what happened. First I thought Ariel Sharon, then I thought Gilad Shalit. I scoured the Israeli news sources and then spread out wider to…
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Good old fashioned Friday fun.
There are 87658345 reasons why it’s awesome to have a car, and today exemplified reason #5374, which is, freedom. Today we ventured to neighboring Gush Etzion, where Rosh Tzurim (next to Alon Shvut) was hosting the annual cherry picking festival – פסטיבל דובדבנים 2008 בגוש עציון. We were going mainly for that reason, but the…