Heared this on Shabbat:
- Youn know, now because of global warming you get Jelly fish in the Northern Sea!
- NORTH sea, not Northern, what happened to your English?
- My English? What happened to the Jelly fish?!?

That was me of course.

Thanks for asking, the walk was an incredible expirience, thanks to all that sponsered me, photos and more to come!

How cool are you?

How do you cool yourself in this heat?
	Drink a lot of water
	Use air conditioning
	Close the curtains during the day, open at night
	Few cold shower every day
	Not bovered
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Heared this a while ago:
- You see, I want to be a good girl friend, but he makes me be a bad one
- Ya. I know what you mean

A half-self potrait, the better half prehaps?

Song of David

This is a very powerful poem by Tamir Lahav-Redelmser, about the 73 war.
Wishing us all Shabbat of Shalom

What an awful day.
I try to remind myself how peaceful and calm I was only yesterday. Its hard work.
Here are few magical photos from Alderbrough and Woodbridge to help me out.

please sponsor me

I am doing a 10k walk on Sunday, raising money for people with HIV in the UK.
At first I thought to do the cancer one back in June but I misse it or something Jewishy, but now I am quite happy to do a walk for a charity that is not as close to me as others. Somehow in this world full of haterd and striotypes I feel proud to walk for them. It makes sense in my head.
So please, sponsor me, it`s this Sunday...
Crusaid is a leading UK charity dedicated to helping poor and marginalised people affected by HIV and AIDS. Providing support, awareness, education projects and hardship funds, for the last two decades Crusaid has worked to enable individuals and communities to regain their dignity and improve their quality of life.

Roi Klein and other HYD

Read this first thing in the morning, the namr was fameliar, then i saw the photo and understood, Roi was killed.
I knew him from Bnei Akiva, he was a year younger,charming, happy thoughtful. such a great guy. Confident, one of those that you just knew they will acieve a lot in life.
I read in a diffrent place that he threw himself over a grante so more people will not be killed. that`s how we grew up, that what we aere taught in BA. Our role models were Uri Ilan and others who gave thier life for others.
Reading about the 9 that were killed yesterday you get what Israell is all about, secular. relgiouse. new immegrents. old immegrents. trying to do thier best to ensure life goes on in Israel.

Roi will be burried today, on his birthday. He is survived by his parents, sisters, wife ant two sons.

The Secreat Nuclear Bunker

I saw the sign on the way to suffolk, and I assumed I misread it. How can it be such a secret nuclear bunker is here is a proper big green sign about it?
On the way back passed there again (its between Chipping Ongar to Brentwood in Sunny Essex), So I asked. and it is.

Sderot

Shimon Adaf wrote this beautiful poem. Sderot a southern development town in Israel. To get the most from this I recommend to listen to Algier or Sfataim or an other rock band that statred in that part of the wrold. And some tea with nana on the side of course.

Going to the countryside. I will be in Suffolk til Wedensday.
miss you

Overheared this at John Lewis today:
- Do you really need this? it coasts more than £30.
- Yes I really need this.

Cutting knife of course it was. a professional one.

Reflection: Windsor

News from the Red Sea - don`t tell Moses!

I still believe in miracles (not in fairies though), all this clever science talk is not convincing me.
Sorry, you will need to try harder!

I feel really special as I have a web stocker, I mean have you noticed the comments lately?
What should I do, please help!

It takes only 25 minutes to cook for Shabbat. tried that on Friday believe me.
(Got stuck on the way back from a lovely day in Brighton)

I am not the only G free in the village!

H put this on my desk this morning, she is running an anti-fake food campign, aimed at my fake coffee, fake (suprisingly Yummy) cookies, fake bread and maybe even more. Loved this piece from the independant. Thanks H!

Born on a Blue Day

I was listening to Radio 4 on the way to work as I cannot be bothered with rock music in this weather.
Daniel Tammet was interviewed explaining about the way he sees numbers, 4 is his favorite and is very pointy, while 2 is wavy.
His book "Born on a Blue Day" named after Wednesday which in Daniel`s special mind is blue.

I have sent the application form to University. I booked dates for a holiday.
I might be growing up. Not really. Its just a phase.

My mother is worried. She grew up in Haifa, and her parents are both burried there. She is afraid their graves might have been damaged. What can I say to calm her?
I am thinking of so many in Israel and in Lebanon who are affected by the violence not knowing if the should worry for the living ones or for the dead.

I heard this last Saturday in Finsbury Park, a man in his 30`s was screaming this on the phone. I heard the pain.
"I am not crazy. You make me crazy"

Wendy Cope

R gave me as a present a wonderful book by Wendy Cope named "Serious Concerns". Here is one of the poems. Thanks R!

Bloody men are like bloody buses--
You wait for about a year
And as soon as one approaches your stop
Two or three others appear.

You look at them flashing their indicators,
Offering you a ride.
You're trying to read their destinations,
You haven't much time to decide.

If you make a mistake, there is no turning back.
Jump off, and you'll stand there and gaze
While the cars and the taxis and lorries go by
And the minutes, the hours, the days.

Last Sunday in Kentish town I was walking back to my car, and this guy holding what seemd like a book asked if I am willing to sign the book. I asked him whats it all about. He shos me the book - its about this guy who made a love poster, took it all over the world, asked many people to hold it and he took a photo of them holding - carrying the love. Margert Thacher is there - not holding the love banner, just near it ( she refused to touch it apprently). So a book was made out of that journey, and the guy I met in Kentish wanted people to sign it so he can show his girlfriend Dawn how much he loves her.
Of course I signed it.
I was very moved by the whole story, entring my car I see that guy asking two women to sign it, and they refused.

How can they refuse spreading love in the world I wonder.

Ga`aguaim revisited

I wrote this seven months ago, reading it todys gives it a new meaning. I am reading the news, and tears are coming. must do some work, but I cannot stop thinking about the people of the North of Israel

I think there is a war around

Having very mixed thoughts and feeling. There were kidnappings and bombing in the North of Israel, and in one night there is a war, men are called to the Army and a women, sitting in her home in Naharya was killed.

I am very slowly realizing we really didn't have any peace in the last 58 years, it is just a long dragining Independence war, with diffrent operations, few names but a very long war.
Any other thoughts or prayers? Now its the time.

The Katzav affair(s)

I hope he will resign, sooner the better. It all reminds me Isaiah 1. go and have a look.
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1001.htm

Zinedine Zidane. What can I say.

Right after watching it on T`s Hi-Difention tv last night (what a treat!!!) was not very proud of his behavior which I`m leaving it to his mother to worry about. But reading what was possebily said to him made me ask myself what would I do if someone would say something as nasty to me. When it happened a year ago I was too shocked and scared to do anything, I will probably call Zinedine Zidane to come and help me out!

Alan Senitt HYD

I am still quite shocked. I knew Allen as he was the chair of UJS, and in the small Jewish community one knows the other. When I heard the bad news I thought its part of a nightmare. Which it is.

(I still see him smiling)

So much potential and devotion, such short life and so much he have achived. He will be missed and remembered by many.

Just read that the highest life expectancy in Israel is in Ra`anana where I grew up, where my parents used to live where my mother is still living.
Interesting, shame my father never had a chance to read this.

Reflections

I love the idea of reflections - one object in the eyes, or on the surface of another object.

Jerusalem: The Good, the bad and the maybe
* Finally the Mayor of Jerusalem have decided to do something about the unpropotional divison betweem the women`s area to the men`s area at the Western Wall and they will enlarge the women side the be the same size as the men`s! Haleluyah!
*The gay pride might not be in Jerusalem. I think it a shame.
* Maybe I should live there? Not really . Joking. Maybe.

We do need Superman

I drove a lot today, so I had some good couple of hours listening to the radio. A lot of survivors and witnesses from 7/7. I thought about how similar the narratives are to what we had in Israel, and how shared is the feeling that the best way to fight over the teror is to keep up your daily life.
I remember evenings in Jersusalem where we were the only one in the Cafe and how strong we felt about this being the answer to the bombings.

Had few more sad thought some tears came to my eyes and then out of the blured window I saw Superman wearing his best blue and red above the North Circlur.
Apperantly the new film is out soon.

I feel kinda Francophile tonight.
You are invited to send your own translations.

Non, je ne pourrai jamais vivre sans toi,
Je ne pourrai pas, ne pars pas, j'en mourrai!
Un instant sans toi et je n'existe pas,
Mais mon amour, ne me quitte pas.
Mon amour, je t'attendrai toute ma vie,
Reste près de moi, reviens, je t'en supplie!
J'ai besoin de toi, je veux vivre pour toi,
Oh, mon amour, ne me quitte pas.
Ils se sont séparés sur le quai d'une gare.
Ils se sont éloigné dans un dernier regard.
Oh, je t'aime! - ne me quitte pas.
Non, je ne pourrai jamais vivre sans toi,
Je ne pourrai pas, ne pars pas, j'en mourrai!
Un instant sans toi et je n'existe pas,
Mais mon amour, ne me quitte pas.
Mon amour, je t'attendrai toute ma vie,
Reste près de moi, reviens, je t'en supplie!
J'ai besoin de toi, je veux vivre pour toi,
Oh, mon amour, ne me quitte pas.

I think I am growing up. It`s always a big deal with going on vacations for me.
I never took time before or after university to travel, I never spent summers abroad doing nothing as I was busy leading Jewish summer camps.
And for two months now I was driving myself insane with what to do after my term ends. I thought to go to New Zealand, or maybe a world round ticket. But it put me in too much stress. The idea of taking time off, having no plan, allowing myself to be taskless seemed unbearable I was painfully driving myself nuts, stressing and so unhappy about the whole thing, it became a burden. Until J pointed out that maybe I should leave it. So I did.

Yesterday I checked prices on the internet and discovered that Virgin offers flights to New York for £300, half the price of BA, then I realized how much I miss NY and my friends there and I should take time off and enjoy the low price.
I am allowed to be free from work, zooming around doing nothing or prehaps sitting in a cafe writing maybe enjoying a relaxed afternoon at the Moma or even a Sunday in the very alternative Williamsburg. All of a sudden its not too scary, maybe because its a familiar place with familiar people, maybe I started to agreewith my body who tells me I need to rest and with others who tell me I deserve it.
So between 5-18/9 I will be in NY!
Well done to me.

(Seems silly, how easily I can manage other people`s life and how difficult it is to manage my own buisness)

We had a sweep steak at work, ironically I got Germany. I grew up in a home where we never bought anything from Germany (but tipax), we never ever thought to go there, in the late 50 early 60 my father injured his knee in one of the demonstrations against the compensation agreements, so you can get the picture, not a very Germany loving family.
And I got Germany in the sweep steak. Could be worse - Iran for example, but deep inside I knew its time to confront my Germanphobia, R - a very close friend moved to Berlin, she really wants me to visit her and I miss her, I keep hearing about the great night scene, but can I go there? Will I feel I am a traitor???
After all, my father injured his knees and we always bought the more expensive electrics because we banned German products. Not easy.

Football: my plan was that Brazil will win. My nephew convinced me that Ronaldinio is the top footballer of our generation, he is only eight years old, but very persuasive, And now with Brazil and Argentina out it seems more realistic, Germany might win.

I had a solution - I thought to take all my colleagues from work to the pub, but £25 will be enough for only one lager and two bags of crisps, between all of us.

And maybe its about time to be normal finally? To stop those fears and concerns. What does modern Germany have to do with the Holocaust? What lesson from the Holocaust have I learnt if I am banning a whole nation as opposed to hating individuals?? (there is not nuch hatred in my life, but when it comes to Nazis, it wakes up).
So I am not sure, on one hand I want them to lose and for this self reflective obsessive process to end, on the other hand it might be time to make peace between me and Germany.

The JC well surprised me this Shabbat. Have you noticed the piece about Leo Beck College? and about the gay couple as a normative Jewish family??
Has the editor changed and no-one told me??
Have to say its much more refreshing, specially as you copmare it to the London Jewish News, sort of the diffrence between Gefilta Fish and sushi.
(same fish, sometime stinks but for some reason sushi does look better)