יום רביעי, אוגוסט 30, 2006

The Iraninan President

You would have thought that since he started his own blog, I might like him better.
You are wrong I still dislike the Iranian President, I think I have a good reason.

A year passed since the Katrina

The weekly Poem -Agi Mishol

LITTLE PRAYER FOR SUNDAY*


Give me a break from flashing cops,
the HMO and the temples of social security,
from bookkeepers, the keepers of jargon,
and temp agency secretaries with helmet-like hair.

They’re been shooting here all morning;
the partridge hunters and the dogcatcher
roam my countryside.
Newspapers --
filled with black-fisted Orthodox men,
and high-strung poetry critics,
and openmouthed bulldozers --
fall like leaves upon my house.

Why is it such a big deal to yield
to a woman like me
who lets others cut her off on the roads.

I who lay me down to sleep with the hens
at the foot of the well-lit shopping malls --
Hear my prayer.

Please don’t add me to the culture package today.

I who am not exempt from anything --
Grant me permission
for one day off
from the army.


* Israel has a six-day work week. Sunday is a regular work day.
Just heard that I got accepted to the Master programme in Creative Writing at the Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva!

יום שלישי, אוגוסט 29, 2006

Word into Art - at the British Muesum

Went with M to see this great exhibition, much recommended. The many similarities between Jewish and Arab calligraphy made me realize the potential we might have in building a peaceful discourse about the Middle east. Imagine artists of the middle east siting together and learning about different techniques, the role of scared texts and the conceptual challenges of art within a religious ad very suspiciose tradition regarding visual arts.

Few poems take part in the exhibition, I read this one by Said Farhan, found it very relevant.

Homes don`t travel
People hang on to their homes
like snails to their shells
When people have to leave their home,
there remains a scar at the very place
where people and walls met so closely.

יום רביעי, אוגוסט 23, 2006

I am going to Limmudfest tommorow

so you will not hear from me till next Monday, have a great week.
I will be celebrating my birthday with 450 pweople, not too bad.
Happy new month!

יום שלישי, אוגוסט 22, 2006

So how much money did I raise?

Some of you were asking, so here is the answer: £359.
Thanks to you.

I slept a whole night!!!!

You might think its not big news at all but it sure is.
After more than a month of having major difficulties to preform my favourite activity ie sleep, I slept for 8 hours without waking up!
I fell asleep very easily, I have to say. I even picked a book, which I didnt open at all, just putting my head on the pillow was enough. It might be thanks to a drink or two I had with J, or maybe just because now there is nothing to be stressed about the war is over, my stuff is packed, my flights are confirmed, so I can just breath.

So good to counting sheep, making lists, breathing exercise.
Welcome deep sweet sleep!

I found what to wear!

I cannot tell you cause I want it to be a surprise. I managed hopefully to combine am 1980`s look with one of my very fashionable dresses plus some accesories.
you will have to be there to understand!

יום שני, אוגוסט 21, 2006

I am moving out today. The moving company is here. Putting in big boxes my belongings. They are very quick, They wrap it, put it away not realizing what meaning the CD`s, books or linens carry.
I will meet belongings again in Israel, hopefully they wil lall come in one piece, nothing missing.
Hopefully I will be fresh after Fest, Holland and New York. I might even have a job waiting.
I will still need to sort aacomadation, decide if I am a Tel Aviv Girl, or a Jeruslamite one.
Au revoir books, coofee cups, and towels. You will be an anchor of stability, you see, being possesive can be a good thing!


Just found this photo. Love it. Amsterdam 2002

יום ראשון, אוגוסט 20, 2006

Getting Through To The Other Side

Our new book is out now. Its very exciting. It`s cover is bright pink with lots of zebras around. And its good. From poetry to fiction to cartoons to parcitical stuff, its a heart warmimg book. Well done to Sam for all the editing, great work! We will have areading soonm so keep September 19th free, sometime in the evening, somewhere in London. email me for more details.
And you can buy it from me for £8.99!

Yoma


Yoma Tractate deals with all the laws of Yom Kippor - Day of Attonement. It holds some descreptions of the cloths of the high priest, the way they choose the priests. Its one of my favourites,I studied it in depth few years ago and I still feel awe towards that piece of Jewish law.

How surprised I was when I saw this in Brighton last week!
Last week in the engagement party, this guy is trying to chat me up. To be fair to him, he has a point. Not me being that great, more about the setting: its an engagement party, the very much in love couple show us all its possible.
So I am queing, waiting near the buffet. this guy is staring at me. I notice that. I try ti ignore his stare but its getting really uncomfortable. The buffet includes load of bread, cheese and vegtables which I am happy to see. The guy is still staring at me, and then he says: So, do you like cheese?

honestly, the answer is really long and complicated. I like some kinds of cheese, mostly goat cheese as I try to avoid cow`s milk but sometime I will have ricotta cheese, and I dislike soy cheese and I like Hallumi cheese grilled, not fried.
but that was not the question. the question was wether or not I am willing to start a conversation, or maybe more than just one conversation. I am usually very happy to have loads of conversations. But not this one. This guy met me a couple years ago, and he got my phone number and called me few times, untill I told him I will be very very busy in the coming year and I have no time to socialize at all.

Did he forget the whole thing? Was he overwhelmed by my pressence that he decided to have another go?
Or maybe he just had a simple question.
We will never know. Would we?

Bar Mitzva Disco Party

So next Sunday at Limmudfest we are having a Bar Mitzva Disco party. The team, which I am part with, was asked to dress in that spirit - redicouluse 80`s stuff.
Being honest I really think I have none of that.
My dear readers please search the attached link, and write to me (Yes! as a comment, I know you are too shy but still)if I own anything semilar. I will appreciate the truth, as painful it might be! (That item will be given to your favoutite charity shop right after fest).

יום שישי, אוגוסט 18, 2006

Got this idea last night when couldnt fall asleep. A new feature to my blog: The weekly poem.
Every week I will choose a poem I feel close to at the moment. Would love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Poem of the week

One Art
by Elizabeth Bishop



The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.


--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

יום חמישי, אוגוסט 17, 2006

Jewdas Beach Party

My friends at Jedwas are having a beach party on Saturday night in much loved Brighton.
I will miss thier alternative events next year, or maybe its the right time to wake Tel Aviv up (Jewishy-funky, way of course)????


I passed this piece few times without noticing it at all. H pointed out to me yesterday. Its made from metal, and what you see are the holes in the meterial .You see people kissing other people but its not people kissing people, its light coming through the metal, I find this very clever, a great matophore about love and prejudice.
Its simple as love should be between parents to thier childern, between couples straight or gay, between neighboors or sibilings. Simple as the air and the sea, simple as a calm afternnon in Brighton.
Yesterday was the first Shlom`s Day ever. Did you know that?
We held it in Brighton, and it was actually a lunch club dining out all day scheme. It was a very special day my friends put together so I will miss them even more. It was all perfect, the weather, the company, the food, the shopping, the magnificent tiara Princess they made me wear, the cool badges I have to wear every day till I go back to Israel, the How to be a lady book, which gives "LADY" a whole new meaning. We took the horses for a ride (cannot tell you the name of my horse, sorry), and we even got up to the ghost train. Brighton gets the mature women out of me for sure!!
I just loved every second , thanks NHSTMN. Its was great!


יום רביעי, אוגוסט 16, 2006

The Geoff Show

Was listening tonight on the way back from Pinner. they playd one of my favourites - Drung vs, Stone - the drunk girl was asked what is a qurater of 5000, and I knew that!!!!! (and I am still holding sometraces of Pimms in my body...)
its 1250!
I failed the spelling test though. So NOT suprised.

p.s. Is there any chance to get Geoff`s laughter as a rington? I wonder.

M&S Food in South Woodford!!!

A historical day. 14/8/2006.
The day M&S opened its food store in SW. It really fits the neighbourhood, its becoming upmarket.
At 13:00 today it was packed, free champgne, live music. bloons, and loads of people buying enough food for the whole of Rowanda, just for the week.
The food looks great.
Any idea when it will be included in the KLBD guide???
Anyone???

יום ראשון, אוגוסט 13, 2006

Went to a lovely engagement paty earlier today. Got myself chatting, and found myself invited to a picnic on Sunday, at Kenwood.
Who cares it came from a 5 years and three quraters old girl????

First we take Manhatan then we take....

Aroma are opening thier first international coffee house in NY.
Back in the 90 I worked in the centre of Jerusalem, right acroos their first ever place, and at an end of a bad day (We had no e-mail or direct phone lines, so you can imagine)we used to indulge ourselves with Ice Aroma or a big Hafuch (Late`).
I hope for you, fellow Londoners, that they will come here next.
Starbucks is veil and redicously over priced, costa is sorta ok, but please remember: Cafe Hillel (Aroma`s Archi-rivals) are the best!!!!

Another silly mistake

Thrusday, during lunch club, while I fought against my tears dropping on my gluten-free psta& tuna yummy salad, we talked about something, dont really remember what it was but it reminded me of one of my favourites tv shows, and I said to my friends: Hey, its just like Little House on The Fairary. Yeup. Cannot remmeber the context, but we (mostly them) laughed.
NHS - do you remember what insparked it all???
If you wonder which gift to buy me for my goodbye party and my birthday the best options are:
1. Something through goodgifts.com
2. John Lewis Vouchers (I want to buy more bits for my lovely new china)
3. just a nich goodbye card with a photo of yourself. I know its not fair as I hate photos of myself, ut I will miss so many of you.
4. NO FROGS. please.
5. The first season of the Muppets Show DVD`s, really.
6. Washing machine - its always usefull.
Guess I am getting a bit insomanic, cannot sleep at all. Maybe its because of the war, maybe its because I am leaving soon, but really, but really, there is no reason for me not to be in bed at 2:13 AM.
I tried reading, checking my boring emails. I googled my x-boyfriends, they are doinh fine, couldnt get any information about one of them, and another has published few intersting articles.

Had few thoughts about why I have been watching super-hero films lately, quite obviouse isnt it?
I really should go throgh my paoper work, and decide which shoes I am giving away, but I am tired.
If youare intersted in any of my shoes, scarfs, CD`s, books or any other belongings, email me. I am quite generouse sometimes.

יום שישי, אוגוסט 11, 2006

I have planned to write about Irony & Education, about trying on hats in M&S in Bluewater, about my planned journey to the Whittard outlet(canecelled), about our new book that`s out now and how excited I am about it, but as I got to work today I learnt that Nir Cohen, who was My Gap Year kids Madrich was killed Yesterday in Lebanon.
I know (sort of, not really) how to deal with death, but they don`t. For all of them Nir`s death is thier first encounter with Israeli-army breavment. I read them what was written about him in the Israeli news papers, and started crying not only for him, but also for them, and there naivity that was taken from them. We learnt in his memory one of my favourites Mishnyot from Ethics of the Fathers,

He(Hillel,one of the teachers) would also say:
A boor cannot be sin-fearing,
an ignoramus cannot be pious,
a bashful one cannot learn,
a short-tempered person cannot teach,
nor does anyone who does much business grow wise.
In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.

(Chapter 2:5)

For me its about the desire for knowledge, the value & methodolgy of learning and teaching, standing up, being counted and being a role model for so many others.
Just as Nir was for so many.
May his memory be blessed.

יום חמישי, אוגוסט 10, 2006

Yesterday was a day of little goodbye ceremonies.
Went with M to The Princess Diana Memorial, it was so pleasent sitting there watching all the kids trying to walk in the water while the royale representitive chased them and told them off. Quite a job, telling happy innocent kids off a whole day long.

M asked me alot of questions the forced me to reflect back, she asked me if I have any regerts. And no. no regerts at all. I never felt this way, I look back on the last three years, and I can happily say no regerts at all.

There were few hards moments, believe me. Loads of work, feeling a bit lonely for time to time, missing home but at whole. it was an amazing 10% of my life.

(Later in the day I discovered the Soho Square,where we sat lazy in the park and played one of our favourites: Spot the Israeli!!!)

In the evening with with my girls to Bluewater, or Heavengates???
I can honestly say now I think better about British Shopping, its getting to my style! Baught some cool kitchen gadgets, well cool.
More about that evening will follow - I am waiting for few pics just to show you how lucky we were not geeting arrested in M&S!

יום שלישי, אוגוסט 08, 2006

Had a long chat with N last night, and I understood a lot about myself.
not sure if its a result of that conversation or I am just ready now, but today I managed to book the shippment of my belonginings and the ticket back to Israel.
Its becoming real.

p.s. tomorrow I am going to Bluewater, never been before. Any recomendations?

יום ראשון, אוגוסט 06, 2006

Our Rabbis have taught: When Israel is in trouble and one of them separates himself from them, then the two ministering angels who accompany every man come and place their hands upon his head and say, ‘So-and-so who separated himself from the community shall not behold the consolation of the community’. Another [Baraitha] taught: When the community is in trouble let not a man say, ‘I will go to my house and I will eat and drink and all will be well with me’.

תענית יא' ע"א
Ta’anit 11a

there is that fruitstock festival in Regents Park today, and I really want to go. But bad news from Israel are coming. 10 soldiers were killed.
Should I go out for a nice day in the park while my peopole are suffering???

The taste of music

I tried to avoid music as much as possible during the 3 weeks of mourning betweem the 17th Tamuz fast tho the 9th Av ( which was last Thursday). In the car I have been listening to Radio 4 so I am well cultured now. Last night I started to listen again to my music, and some of it I don`t get, at all. How come I got a Robbie Williams track? How come I got 3 of them? Did I ever like his music????

I feel its like tasting a new flavour rolling the rythem and the harmony on my tongue, feeling the texture and deciding if I am fond of the new combination.

I still like Ben Foulds and Eminem though

4 mistakes : don`t try this at home!!!

What a morning. Its only 9:22, but ...
I had plenty of guests for Shabbat so when I woke up at 7:30 (My first mistake) I thought to myself, great I will do all the dishes, clean the living room, have plenty of time to read, download some music, call D as he is back from Africa etc. Great plan for the earky Sunday morning.
So I took out from the dishwasher one pile clean dishes, washed the wine glasses and some other bits and pieces and put some more dishes in the dishwasher, then I realized I am out of the liquid that helps the tablets to do the job (never understood how human civilization can send rockets to space and develop a cure for Cancer but cannot work out the formula for a dishwasher tablet that will not need an extra liquid and some salt every now and then), since I am using Ecover which makes me feel good about the environment but keeps the dirt on my cups, I thought - Hey, I really should add something so.... I added some washing up liquid. In my mind it all made perfect sense (Mistake number 2).
I left the kitchen, thought to check the news, but for some reason the internet disagreed to connect some USB misbehaving, tried to print and again some USB`s are having a party. So I started playing Operation , taking cables in, out all the blipping goes on and different light, great game. Thought everything was ok, without really checking (Mistake number 3), then realized that something is really wrong ie the angle my computer desk is caught in, everything starting to slip`sliding away, thanks to IKEA the little front left wheel decided to liberate himself from the rest of the desk and role around the living room. So I tried to take things off the desk so I can fix it, so I moved the hard disc, without disconnecting my camera from its charger which is on top of the heard disc (Mistake Number 4) so it fell on my little toe.Oouchhhh. All ok with computer great.
As I managed to put the wheel backI started cleaning the whole area, and the living room. Suddenly I hear from far away snow melting. That is sureal. its August. 29 degrees, what snow on earth? The quite soft sound came from the kitchen. So I went to discovered it transformed itself into a whole room bubble bath plan with meters and kilograms of foam. Yes, this might happen if you put washing up liquid in your dishwasher.

It all makes sense, but I still have more plates to wash. I am slightly worried, what will be my next mistake?
I wonder

Saw it last Sunday at St. James Park. Lovely, init?

יום שישי, אוגוסט 04, 2006

Burger King

That what happens when Shay & Dror- 2 very funny guys that run a sataire radio show onRadio Tel Aviv, call Burger King in Beirut to order some food. its for real!
Shabbat of Shalom.
(thanks to the other S for sending me this)

יום חמישי, אוגוסט 03, 2006

Tessa Kiros

I am well into her books. She has the most wonderful recipies, mixture of North-Euruope, Italy, South Africa, Greek, Cyprus, what a deliciouse combination.
The manner in which she writes about her family, her respect to tradition and beautiful writing makes her one of my favourites.

How come on fast days I am not hungry? Just thinking about food, but not hungry, there is a very fine line there.

Snow in Jerusalem. It dates from Feb 2003, seven months before I relocated to London and today I found this photo, a month before I return to Israel.
It sharpens my feelings, this photo, how much I love Jerusalem, how much I miss being there specially now, specially today Tisha B`Av, when I usually used to walk to the Western Wall towards the end of the fast.
Needless to say there is no snow covering Jerusalem this time of the year.

יום רביעי, אוגוסט 02, 2006

Mel Gibson wants to meet a Jewish leader

Sorry Mel, but I am very busy with all this Tisha Bav this week, so I cannot meet with you. Actually even if I had time I am still not sure I would like to meet up with you.
I never thought you were attractive, and now I think you are completly appalling. Yah being drunk makes your tongue find its own words, I have been drunk so I know. But the tongue lets out what is inside, in your mind in your heart.

No excuses. Specially now as we see the Iranian president that recommended Israeli Jews to go back to Europe and promised to erase Israel is trying to do it throughout the Hezbollah he funds.
Sorry Mel, apologizing is very sweet but not enough.
I think you got something else wrong. If I am not a devoted Christian (which I am not), why should I accept the Christian morals of forgivness? Since when Jews agreed to give the other cheeck???
You know Mel, go get yourself a drink, call your daddy, start to look for a new career, and please leave us alone.

I don't like you very much,
shlomit

יום שלישי, אוגוסט 01, 2006

Are fighting soldiers exampt from fasting?

I dont want to be funny but I thought it obviouse. Surely they dont need too fast,
even Superman cannot fast and fight, right?

The Three Weeks this year were full of agony sarrow and fear, forcing me to reflect upon what I feel and believe about Israel, war and peace (and how often we use this words in a way that deludes the meaning), Theology and UK Jewry.

I hope this Tisha Bav will bring the peaceful end of this war. Amen

100 anniversary+ walk for life






What a great way to celebrate my 100th post!
here are some photos from Sunday`s walk, thanks to our friends(yes. you too) we raised nearly £1000 for a very good cause, to help people with HIV and AIDS in the UK and Africa.
I loved it, cannot recommend it enough, its a beautiful route, lovely people around you, a very good cause, as I said, and you get a free HEAT mag (and discounts at the VUE cinema)!!! what else does a girl like me needs???
please do it for me next year!!! You can see here 3 of my friends, we were officialy called the Tiger team, but actually we are the S team...
BTW - you can still sponsor us!