Like a Good Book

The thing about a full life, is that things that matter less gets hold up, so I hardly write anymore. All my thoughts and photography go on FB, and not here, but this weekend deserves a mention.

There was also Book week last week on Tuesday. Only got three books for myself, and a few more as presents. Got through one of them already (Paper Towns- John Green).

( Thursday )

( Friday )

Spent Friday afternoon with Marvel's Daredevil, which turned out to be really fun and good television. I'm almost at the end of the season and will most likely finish it today or tomorrow.

( Saturday )

I had a great weekend. I've got a busy week ahead of me. I guess I'll write when I can.

Took off and went to the port. The market was only half open - the weather frightened everyone away, even though by the time i got there the sun was pretty much shining, even if it was quite cold and windy.

I also got a glimpse of the lower parts of the Yehuda mountains with their lovely snow when I came down from the University Hill. The rain had washed away all the smog and filth from the air, and the visibility was unbelievably good. It was gorgeous.

Got some cheeses and bread, strawberries and olives, and some Haman's ears at my favorite bakery, and had Herring sandwich at the car before heading home.

As it turns out, my mom also bought bread, but, as i told her, that's what happens when she doesn't answer my phone calls.

*~*

You know. I don't fell lonely these days. I pretty much reconciled with the realization I'll probably never have a partner, and I'm fine with that, most of the time. I just don't have time to feel bad about it anymore. I wake up so early, spend the bus rides and car rides listening to music, to talk shows, reading, surfing the internet. I spend all day in a very hectic environment surrounded by people and come home to my parents. I actually feel like I need some alone time during the week, and I take a few hours to do so - shopping, sitting in a cafe, going to see some silly movie.

But then, I was sitting at my car having that sandwich, and I was watching the couples going by, and they were all couples. There weren't many people alone, and most were obviously partners, and it just hit me, like it does sometimes, my aloneness.

Nothing to it, and it'll pass, but, sometimes, for short periods of time, this feeling fills me to the brim and I can't help feel the impact and how it crushes me.

*~*

My parents are on holiday at the moment, and what my mom does around the house is devided to three people (Emma, who comes and feeds the downstairs cats), Udi and me of course.

Had a nasty period these past few days so I was somewhat unhelpful, but I woke up today feeling a lot better, so I already washed the floor (hey, only just smeared poop), made pancakes, fed the dogs, gave them their medicines (they get A LOT), yelled at Bisi about ten times (he won't fucking sit down for more than a second. He already ate his food, ate Bono's food, peed, pooped, drank water twice, and he just keeps on going.
Yes, old demented dogs are FUN. SUPER FUN). I also bolied eggs and made the marinade for my tofu. We'll probably make fried rice for lunch.

Ooh. Also - laundry.

I still really want to clean out the fridge, but I think I'll do that after Udi goes back to Be'er Sheva, sinhce he won't let me throw out most of the stuff. I think I can have a go at the bathroom, though.

I also need to clean out the kitty litter. JOY.

*~*

I was planning on writing quite a lot lately, but it seems it all just slips down and I just don;t have the energy.

For example, I wanted to declare I would try and read at least one new book a week since Rosh Hashana (haven't done that), and I also wanted to write about my TV shows (more on that later) and also about the crap that's going on with my mom and my grandma, but... Like I said, time just slips away.

As for work, things are quiet. I also had a talk with Asaf before the holiday, in which he basically told me that after Motty leaves, Ill be promoted to section head (could still be two years until then, but still). He also made it clear that in order to be bigger section head I'd have to start going out to do tests. I told him I can't at the moment, and that he'd have to bring someone to take some of my work, and he said we'd talk about it once Motty returns from his holiday. If things go well, I might be getting a semi-replacement in a few months. If I stay at the institute, that's the way I want things to go.

Mirit and I also started sewing class, which is super fun. We really needed this. We feel rejuvinated after each class.

So.

I'm gonna go and do the dishes, clean out some stuff and do the laundry, and enjoy my last day at home before going back to work tomorrow (still gonna be a short week of 6.5 hour days since it's Chol Hamo'ed).

BEST. BIRTHDAY PARTY. EVER.

( Preparations )

( The actual party )

I also got very drunk from the booze, which was really great. I usually have to drive, so I never allow myself to drink so much. Also - 30 year old Tequila. Brilliant. I was giggly as all hell, and didn't become sleepy! It seems my body handles Tequila much better than it does beer.

After the last game I opened the presents (got a handful of art books, a novel, a baking pan for brownies, some towels and a great kit of L'Occitane) and then we all got all the remains of the food and stuff back to the apartment.

In between I got a text from H's mom to ask if she left yet... Seems like my mom isn't the only one who does that with kids over 24...

Went to bed after 2:00 and got up this morning at 10:00. No headache and no nausea.

SO MUCH FUN.

Hold on to your hats.

( Here they are )

The last week was full of family stuff. Well, you know, passover and all.

The Seder was great - it was supposed to be just us this year with Netalie and Hadar, but about three days before my aunt called my mom and said her son and his wife decided to have the Seder at their house because the little twins (who were born a month ago) shouldn't be outside (forgive me for bullshitting that), so they'll have the wife's family over, but not my aunt's... So yeah, they came over without Asaf, the eldest son who's wife is a bitch and it made a whole lot of difference - Asaf is the leader in the "No-reading-of-the-Hagada-movement", and without him we went through it quickly and with lots of laughs, and a lot of singing (and after a point, drunk singing). Everyone were in high spirits and the food was great, so it was a great night (unfortunately Netalie and Hadar didn't make it in the end, but next time).

And so begins a week long of Matzebra (so many different names for that dish, so allow me to explain) - basically passover's pancake - you break a matza into little pieces, mix it with warm water, milk and egg and fry it on a pan. It's my dad's time to shine since he's the Matzebra maker at home (he can't cook anything else for the life of him). I tried to make one for myself one day and it turned out horrible, so dad will be in charge of it from now until forever...

Friday was meant to go to my aunt and uncles (other side), and boy was that fun.

( Some family connections )

So Shachar, who is my cousin's second cousin once removed was about 9 when I last saw her, and I was amazed to see her this time. She's a real sweetheart - funny and smiley (reminds me a lot of myself), and we immediately clicked. She spent some time talking with me and she sat next to us when we played cards (oh, the cards! Both me and Ayelet really like this one game but we usually have a hard time convincing people to play with us - this time not only did we have abundance of players but my uncle Rafi actually made us stay and have another game with him since he didn't play the first game - I was lucky my mom was in no hurry to go home - since I won both games which was awesome). Both Udi and I explained to her some of the moves and we had a great time (my dad was our secretary, and he recruited both my cousin's little kids to help with the math. They ended up riding his head, literally, and he was having the time of his life).

Since the guys were coming over to play football on Sunday I tagged along and sat with Shachar for two hours mocking the players (she mocked her dad quite a lot). Lilach, her mom, who's a really cool broad, sat with us some and gave me the thumbs up when I was teaching swearwords in Hebrew to Shachar (I don't get it - I have more genes in common with this girl than I do with actual people I'm related to). The conversation went to food somehow, and she mentioned she had sushi for the first time that day - but it was veggie sushi, and in Rehovot (very hard to find good sushi outside Tel Aviv and Herzliya) so I volunteered to take her out to have real sushi today.

Picked her up at 7 and we made it in good time to Tel Aviv and we headed for Moon, which was a great choice. She was a real good sport - she let me pick all the dishes ("Do you trust me?" I asked her, and she dove right in) and ha all of them, not just nibble at the edge, and enjoyed everything, even the shrimp. We both declared the experiment a huge success and I told her next time they'll be in Israel I'll take her to have some good ice cream. Lilach told me she had no idea if Shachar would want to come over during the summer, but she told me today they booked their tickets and she looked excited about it, so yey.

I am also going to introduce her to Tori Amos. She's just the right age to grow into this kind of music.

I seem to have adopted a little sister. :)

Yesterday was my mom's birthday, so we said we'd go for a trip. My mom talked to Menahem, who's a friend who travels a lot and he gave her some places, so we headed out early in the morning (early in our definition... Say 8:30).

We went towards Jerusalem and the Jehuda mountains, where we hoped to get a glimpse of tulips in bloom. The weather was terrific. We made it first to one place and then the other (Chorashim forest and Kisalon) and there were no tulips in sight, even though the entire surrounding was green and beautiful, full of mustard plants and some primroses. My mom called Menahem again, who directed us in another direction... And there they were! Tulips! Wild tulips are much shorter than cultured tulips, but just as beautiful. In a few weeks the blooming will be gone, so we really did get the last glimpses of them before the season is over. I broke out my Diana F to shoot some of them, I have no idea how it came out (I finished the roll of film later in the day, I'll find a place to get them developed tomorrow or next week). My camera was acting up (it is almost 6 years old. I really need another one already) so some of the photos were taken with my phone.

( Tulips photos (and other nature shots) )

We finished our rounds of photos and excitment of the flowers (city dwellers that we are) and went to have brunch.

We went to a place called Derech Hagefen (Vine road) in Beit Zait (Olive House! Woo-Hoo!). The place comes highly recommended, but it wouldn't have been that in Tel Aviv. Yes, the food was good and the place is beautiful, but the service was below average and the prices high, and the food is just as good as any coffee house in Tel Aviv (lack of competition, that's what it is - you drive half an hour outside of TA and there's only one coffee place in a 30 km radius. This place would not have survived in TA).

Problems notwithstanding, we had fun and took pictures (duh), including one of me hugging a very reluctant Udi, which I'll spare you from seeing... :P

( Vine road photos )

After out meal we headed out to see the memorial for 9/11 they have set out on the way to J-M. Don't ask me who made the decision to locate it there, since it's literally in the middle of nowhere, but we made it there (saw some deer on the way! No pics of them, though. Fucking camera). It's very large, and made with white limestone (I think). The middle piece is dark metal with a piece of the twin towers behind a glass window, and overlooking the hills of J-M is a bench with the name of the casualties on dark metal.

( 9/11 memorial )

J-M isn't one of our favorite cities but Machne Yehuda market is a great market, full of goodies. If we would have had a shopping cart we could have emptied half the place... We bought Halva, olives, pastries, cheeses, garlic and other stuff I can't recall. Most of it is awesome (there are always flops with places you don't know). We had a small lunch at Azura, an Iraqi restaurant with really great food and headed out to Nachlaot neigborhood. The street are small and old, and it has its charm. Some really big cats as well...

( Machne Yehuda market and Nachlaot )

The last place we headed to was Yemin Moshe, with the big windmill and overlook at the old city.

( Yemin Moshe and the old city )

...and then we headed home through the haze, which made me caugh heavily.

( Haze! @#$%^&* )

And in the evening we met Michali and Tomer for dinner at Brasserie, which was excellent, as always. My mom was over the moon after that day...

Our maid was due today, so I packed myself out of the house. Visited Soho's annual sale, with no items bought (a very weird first, but I only went to mark it as done, not so much as to buy stuff - since I'm still at home and see myself leaving only quite a long time from now there was no point).

Headed over to "Donkey" for a burrito, and ate it in the car, since the place was packed as hell. Great burrito, but next time I think I'm going to ask no chilly - it burned my tongue really well today.

After that I had a small debate with myself, but then just drove over to Ramat Aviv and headed for the World Press Photo. It was pretty meh this year, and seemed smaller somehow (even though I think I remember saying the same thing last year, so I might be wrong). I usually like the international exhibition more than the "Local Testimony" one, but this time...

See, I have no photo stuck in my head from the WPP save one - of the world's largest cave in Vietnam (a definite vacation destination in the future), and even that one isn't about the photo but about the place.

There is one piece from the LT exhibit I keep playing in my head, though. It's a video piece, not video art (which I pretty much despise) - of a man dancing in the fountain created by a fire hydrant which was hit by a car some time before. The man was later recognized as a dancer and choreographer, but in those moments of dance he seems like a little boy, dancing, not in the rain, but in the summer's sprinklers. It was very obviously a modern dancer, no doubt, but the act of dancing in a fire hydrant's fountain is not an act of an adult.

It reminded me of that sensation, of the summer's heat, and the sound of the sprinklers, going this way and that, and you wait for them to hit just the right place and you walk into the rain of it, and the smell it spreads and the sound it emits - it was so lively, that sensation in that moment. It was beautiful, pure joy, and at the end he just lay there, in the water, soaked through and through (as he was withing seconds of going into the stream).

...and that's why I go back every year. For these moments.

First two days in Paris went by quicky and with so much food!!!

I won't write a lot since I'm typing on my iPod and it's extremely uncomfortable, but we walked tons and saw the Notre dame and been to the Orangerie and the city is beautiful and the weather is wonderful and my dad only gets an angry fit about six times a day (that's not a lot)...

Every corner has a pattiserrie and we have a great one right below the apartment we rented. I'm gonna have quite a few photos when I get back... :)

Spent most of the weekend in front of my Kindle, and some in front of other books and my computer.

Managed to finished the "50 Shades" trilogy for the second time (even if less thoroughly than the first time) and another book from beginning to end in just under three hours yesterday ("No mistakes" by Ella Yavlonski). I also watched the series finale of "Awake" (that had so much potential...), some "Revenge", "Game of Thrones", an episode and a half of "Wilfred" (sure made me laugh, but it's not how I want to spend my time" and half of the first season of "Awkward" (oh, high school drama).

I also bought two new shirts at Frau Blau of Friday, and had my fist summer-shake on Shenkien street (watermelon and banana!).

...and now I'm hungry.

Coffee? Too early.

*~*

Short week = good week!

And I have the Goteborg Ballet tomorrow, and the Accessories Market this weekend, and next week is my graduation ceremony
(Diploma!) and the reunion for my school and book week.

Fuck.

So much to do. :)