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Sunday, December 21st, 2008
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3:48 pm - My Year in Review 2008
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January: Israel in Winter (snow in Jerusalem). Egypt- Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Sahara Desert.
February: Philly, trip to Rhode Island, back home for some Bar Mitzvahs then home again
March: Drive westward all alone in Prius from Philadelphia, down along Cheasapeake Bay, through Appalachian Mountains, down to deep south in Atlanta, New Orleans, across Texas through San Antonio and Big Bend Natl. Park,
April: Turned a Monterey set into a trip with Julia
May: Playing in lots of Mom's Bar Mitzvahs, planning South America trip, biking
June: Ecuador- Quito, Rainforest, Andes
July: Peru- Lima, Cuzco, back to Ecuador, Galapagos
August: Resting at home after long trip. Julia moves to SF, hanging out over there. Re-establishing various teaching jobs (Beth Am, PAUSD, Private Students).
September: Starting masters at SJSU. After frustrating registration process, taking: Composition Private Lessons, Orchestra & Chamber music (Bartok 1!), Jazz History (terrible professor), Anthroplogy (interesting professor), required grad course Bibliography (somewhat tedious at times but also useful and interesting), Electroacoustics (learning to synthesize sounds and sequence electronic compositions digitally), Comp Forum.
October: Overcoming crises with Julia. Composing various pieces, completing viola-cello duet, and performed it with Julia at comp forum. Getting sick of election coverage. Becoming addicted to crossword puzzles! Joining Halelu band.
November: Trip to Santa Barbara for Tom's wedding. Voting for Obama. Writing lots of articles about concerts and composers for SFCV. Also writing program notes and papers for school.
December: Completed orchestra piece entitled Cairo, working on more Percussion pieces, SQs.
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| Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
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8:04 am - My Prediction for the Election
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| Monday, April 14th, 2008
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8:11 am - Westward Cross Country Trip
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Photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/beerimoalem/WestwardCrossCountry
Day 1
Leave Macungie, go south to Delaware, then West to Maryland, stop in Kent Island, walk to Chesapeake, drive to Love Point, cross Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Annapolis state house active with politicians and lobbyists, cute tourist area, sunny day. Naval Academy: brutal gray colors, uniformed students. Washington DC: poverty gas station, traffic jams,
Jefferson memorial with pink buds in flower trees. More traffic jams, beautiful George Washington Parkway along Potomac River, then Mount Vernon. Slave houses, re-enactment of activities, farms. Tomb, riverside wharf. 45-minute wait to walk through the house. Pretty good museum.
I-95 South in traffic Jam in Virginia, then take VA-3 West. Dinner at VA-20 intersection, talk with old man who still works at both McD and a super market. Drive at night towards Orange, Va, try to sleep by lake, but too scary with hunting noises, dogs, and country music coming from the dark. Drove to nearby gas station and slept in car.
Day 2
Drive around railroad town of Orange, finally pick a local diner for a very nasty egg and potatos breakfast. Drive to Montpelier, but got there too early. Went on first tour of the house- under reenactment deconstruction to return the house to what it was in Madison's time. Admirable attention to detail but questionable in its importance and use of funds?!
Drive through back roads past farms with huge houses to Monticello. Easter Weekend: very touristy. Long lines and pricey entrance fees. Walked up mountain to reenactment farms. Beige tour guide typical academic historian- tweed jacket, lilting quiet voice, wrinkled forehead, and half-closed stretched eye-lids. Jefferson house like a museum even in its own time, with scientific contraptions. House was quite stuffy and small on the inside. Tiny rooms.
Wine tasting in Jefferson's winery, then drive up to Ash Lawn, Monroe's residence. Started drizzling. Drove on West towards blue ridge mountains. Hiked up hump-back rock for view of barren trees on hills. Climbed down cliff face. Slept in Okleigh Mansion in Afton, Va. Realizing that I hardly made any progress distance wise, I decided to wake up early and put in a lot of driving the next day.
Day 3
Drive down I-81 in between blu ridge and Appalachians. Distracted by sign to visit Wilson's presidential library, which was closed on Easter Sunday. Kept on driving south, and fell for tourist trap for Natural Bridge. Indian village rebuilt, nature walk. Kept on going into Tenesee and lady at the Welcome center had a heavy southern accent. Drove towards Smoky Mountains National Park... road is a mecca for tourist predators with glitzy but lame attractions and constructions. National Park itself was a disappointment with all the trees barren and the hills only mildly impressive compared to the West.
At the top, temperature was 37. At the bottom, it was in the mid 60's. Drove through Bill Bryson's Bryson City, past run down Cherokee reservation. HWY-28 in North Caroline- deserted, windy, scary. Sped on south to get to South Carolina before Sundown. Sped through red light, pulled over, let off with a warning cuz I made the excuse that the person before me also did so. Made it to South Caroline State line but.... no welcome sign! grrr. By the time I found one, it was dark. Got on 85-south. Slept in a rest area outside Atlanta.
Day 4
Atlanta traffic jams in the morning as the skyscraper skyline emerges in the horizon. Drove into Downtown, some streets closed due to tornado damage. Found parking, walked to CNN center, took the glitzy media tour- a contrast with the historic tours of Virginia presidential homes. Drove to underground railroad area, should have walked, paid for parking again. Underground- very lame. Walked to State house and had a private tour by an old lady. Drove to Martin Luther King birth home area, missed tomb. Drove to Carter Presidential Library- very interesting exhibits about conservation, energy, and especially Middle East Diplomacy. Very skilled diplomatic maneuvering, appealing to leaders as persons, not as heads of states. To Begin's grandchildren, to Sadat's honor and personal word. Fascinating exhibits on cold war, campaign, etc.
Left Atlanta, drove on 85 South to Montgomery, Alabama. Walked through deserted but wide open State House. Civil War memorial, Confederate Pres. Jefferson honored. Old Alabama town. Sped on south to reach Florida State line before sundown. This time, successful. Slept right before Mississippi state line in Waffle House parking lot.
Day 5
Had a surprisingly god Waffle at the Waffle House. Drove on I-10 into Mississippi. Walked around Gulf Islands National Park in tropical wilderness. Pelicans, birds, then ALLIGATOR!! Spotted him just as I was giving up. Drove on through Biloxi, viewing post Katrina reconstruction. Much is still empty and destroyed. White-sand beaches are pretty nice though. Drove on through swamps and bridges to New Orleans! Checked into Richileu Hotel for $99. Walked along French Market, bought souvenirs. Jackson Square, Mississippi riverfront walkway. Scam: I know where you got those shoes. I'll bet you ten and ten. Welcome to New Orleans. You got your shoes on your feet. Goes down to ground and starts shining shoes. I pulled back, didn't want this, but this crazy lady insists. Then she introduces her baby daughter and claims she doesn't do any drugs. Then asks for $20! It was a bet! I gave her 5 and ran away while she cursed me.Tried not to let it ruin the experience. Walked to cemetery. Bourbon St- bars and strip clubs. Voodoo Museum...creepy man with albino python.
Day 6
Morning walk once again through new olreans. Downtown business district also pretty healthy. Outskirts are still Katrina-damaged. Alligator swamp tour amazing. Held baby gator. Also saw turtles, snakes, herons, ibixes. Huge gators laying in sun. Drove on to plantation houses along Mississippi River. Huge levy. Drove on I-10 to Baton Rouge. Walked around State Building-1930's behemoth, marble dark windowless halls. Pretty flowers along hwy. Slept at Motel 8 just past Texas State line.
Day 7
Nasty texas oil town, drive on Interstate 10, Houston rises out of the horizon, thought about stopping, but after driving around the city, gave up. Westwards to San Antonio. Beautiful wildflowers along road. San Antonio River Walk, Alamo, Tower of the Americas, crowded with tourists. Arab restaurant Falafel. West on HWY 90 towards Big Bend! Sunset in Amistad Reservoir, near Del Rio. Slept near border patrol station at abandoned motel parking lot.
Day 8
Pecos River, drive through distinctly desert landscape for first time. Buy National Park Pass at Big Bend entrance. Chicos mountains, Emory Pk. trail. Met army medic on his time off. Dinner at lodge. Hot Springs at night. On drive back: owls, mice, rabbits, deer, and mountain lions!!
Day 9
St. Helena Canyon, then drive up away from Big Bend north towards New Mexico. Slept at pricey Carlsbad Caverns resort motel. Carlsbad Caverns- HUGE cave with very finely decorated stalags- curtains, "popcorn", gians, pits, lakes, CRAZY. Drove West through mountains, forest in higher elevations, then back down to desert. White Sands National Monument- unbelievable-- like another planet. White sand and sky, except for the few plants who stubbornly insist on living even in this hostile environment. Cheap motel in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Hot springs: met FREAK SHOW- elephant man, lobster girl, laurent the clown, sword swaller, and other wild musicians. Jammed with them till midnight, bought their CD.
Day 10
Boring Driving Day. Stopped in Albuquerque to eat at Mediterannean place, where I also bought hummus and tabouleh. Petroglyphs National Monument, kinda lame. Drove to Navajo Indian Reservation past Gallup, NM. Crazy rock protrusions start. Barely made it to Four Corners Monument, but it was closed!!! I drove an entire day for this. Skipped the fence and got the pictures. Slept at very cheap "National 9" motel ($35) in Cortez, Colorado
Day 11
Mesa Verde National Park, go down to "tree house" rock dwelling, chat with Native American ranger. Southern portion of Canyonlands National Park: Needles. Beautiful, but not quite worth the drive. Very desolate, good for rock climbing, kayaking, backpacking, mountain biking. Arches National Park... arrive just before sunset. Drive on, sleep in Green River
Day 12
Cross most of Utah, stopping in view areas only and for gas. Big Basin National Park- no basin, just a representative section with a few mountains. Crossed all of Nevada on US-50, loneliest road in America. Nothing between Ely and Austin. Snow-capped mountains and oceans of sagebrush. Joined I-80 at Fallon, Nevada. Slept in Andrei's cabin in Soda Springs.
Day 13
Just a few hours of driving left. Pass through Sacramento. Bay area shining in the sun, flowered by California Poppies. HOME
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| Monday, February 11th, 2008
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12:20 pm - Letters from Egypt 6
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I am now in Jordan, and it feels so good here. The streets are
spotless clean... cleaner than America! The prices are fixed and
written down, so you don't feel cheated all thetime. The people are
calm, dignified, clean, and speak good English. What a difference a
border makes!
I feel like the Hebrews out of Captivity almost... Egypt is a
wonderous country, well worth the visit (and Inshallah another visit,
with company this time) but the vibe there is negative. Crowded,
noisy, dirty, poor, hostile, disorganzied, corrupt. But already in
the airport, I felt the difference. Arabs people with white teeth (as
opposed to the pervasive yellowish brown in most of the Egyptians I
met), clean clothes, iPods, iphones, people saying sorry when they
bump into you... I was never so glad to hear "sorry sorry"!
But I'm getting ahead of myself... first the desert! It was raining in
Cairo, but everyone told me that in the Sahara it would not be
raining. Of the 365 days in the year, it rains an average of zero
days per year. But it rained when I was there. I asked how often it
rains like this? One person said maybe twice a year there is rain.
Another person said once in twenty years. And what a downpour it
was!!! (My luck with weather continues, as there is a forecast of SNOW
in Jordan tomorrow!) A few dusty drops here and there, on and off for
15 minutes here, 5 minutes there, and the flood was over. By sunset,
I watched the clouds drift off into the horizon. I went to a hot
springs in the oasis and had it all to myself, surroudned by sand palm
trees, and camel shit. Just one month ago, I was sitting in a jacuzzi
surrounded by snow in Tahoe.
I was the ONLY person at the hotel... never had that experience
before... and to have to wake up the staff so they'll make me some
tea. The Jeep was one hour late... desert time is different I
guess... they go at their own pace. My guide Mohammed took me to the
black desert, mountains covered in thin sheets of black lava rock,
almost liek asphalt. We then drove through the nothingness to crystal
mountain, which had arches lined with Quartz. And lastly, most
impressively, the WHITE desert. A moonscape of extraordinary bizzare
white rocks, sand, sky, and sun. We drove off road into a veritable
city of enormous rocky mushrooms, pillars, and all shapes and sizes of
monsters and statues sculpted in blinding white sandstone by the wind.
One rock looked exactly like a chicken, another like a cobra, the god
horus, an old lady, and so on. There are also rocky pyramids, perhaps
inspiration for the ancient Egyptians. We then drove to a tiny
outpost and had lunch and drank bitter tea from shot glasses. I was
getting nervous because I needed to catch the bus and the flight that
evening. Mohammed told me not to worry. Suddenly, I see a pass
driving by us! So we rushed to the jeep, overtook the bus, and waited
for it at the next stop 60 km away.
The ride to and from the oasis to Cairo is a good 5 hours. To the
oasis there were a few other tourists. To cairo, I was the only
non-Egyptian. Before embarking, an old lady passed prayer sheets for
a safe journey, then collected them. I noticed that on the bus, I was
the only one with a book. Nobody was reading anything, and then I
realized that the only book I saw from the whole trip was dusty copies
of the Koran placed on Taxi dashboards. I presume it was the Koran-
gold-edged pages and elaborate inscriptions in green and gold on the
cover. And the book I was reading? One that I found in a hotel in
Aswan "What Went Wrong?" It's about the Arab and Muslim world, and why
the Middle East (except Israel) lags behind the rest of the world
after being at the forefront of Civilization a thousand years ago. It
talks about social inequality, cultural barriers, their sense of
time... all things that I noticed.
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12:08 pm - Letters from Egypt 5
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Got on the sleeping train, then woke up back in Cairo. Didn't have a
hotel, so I looked up a random cheap one from the book, and took a
taxi there. It was nice, but kinda expensive, and far. The
neighborhood was very quiet and nice...big trees, nice cars, foreign
embassies. Should have just stayed there, but I ended up walking to
the Egyptian museum first. It is another tourist mega attraction,
with thousands of old tourists, with loud guides with colorful
umbrellas. Egyptian guides speaking quickly in Chinese, Korean,
Japanese, German, French, English and Arabic... yelling over each
other, echoing in the halls of the museum. Some of the rooms are
deserted...dense stacks of coffins, jars, statues in old dusty wooden
cases. Thousands of items. Other rooms are packed... Tutannkhamon's
chamber of course. Golden chariots, weapons, chairs, writing
utensils, cups... layers and layers of boxes, coins, jewlery, beads,
closets.... then the inner chamber: A huge outer coffin with his Mona
Lisa-like slight grin. Another, smaller cofin. Then his shiny golden
mask. His eyes, pure white, against pure black--- 3,000 year old
eyes, immortal eyes-- they look right through you, like you are
nothing. The face is proud, stoic, yet full of proud life. It is
difficult to hold their gaze- almost like looking at a person...makes
you uncomfortable. Around him, there are golden sandals, clothing, and
even finger caps for both hands and toes. The nails that shut his
coffin. So much, it's all a blur... and no photos allowed inside.
I also paid extra 100 pounds to go to the royal mummi room-- not so
scary. They are just sleeping there... black skinny crusty faces...
shrunken and short. The rest of the museum is almost nothing but
coffins... if only they would dedicate as much passion to the living
world as they did to the afterlife... imagine what they would
accomplish.
I also saw the weird-bodied statues of Akhenaten, the "heretic"
monotheistic Pharoh, who only in retrospect, gets star treatment.
Body is deformed... maybe to show that he is appealing to both man and
woman... maybe to show that he is not human? or maybe from
intermarriage-related birth defects? Apparenly all the Pharos were
very short ( the tallest was 183 cm) and most died fairly young.
After that, I went to buy a bus ticket to the Oasis, which leaves
tomorrow morning. Then I went to look for a hotel. I was helped by a
super super "nice" guy who wasted a lot of my time... but found me a
decent hotel, then of course took me to his shop to get the "best best
I swear I swear best brices... to helb you... for you my friend." He
somehow knew I was Israeli... but he said it's ok, "America, Israel is
the same, we just dont like bolitics."
He stopped a taxi for me and got me a cheap local price (a quarter of
what I usually end up paying) to the citadel. Very large castle, with
very large mosque. Not many American tourists there, actually...
mostly Arabs. The huge Muhammad Ali mosque was very crowded, but then
I wandered off to a very deserted mosque. I don't know why there was
no one there... I think it was forbidden... but I Baksheeshed the
guard, and he took me to the top of the Minaret and Salah Ad In's
towers... very nice... with gardens... completely deserted. I guess
most groups travel to specific places and they all go to the same
place. I just have to explore a little bit, and I see amazing things
all by myself.
I walked around, out of the citadel, and got completely lost in dirty
muddy streets, packed with peeople, cars, cats, dogs, dirt, and people
sell food there... alongside shoes and toys... all on the sidewalk.
Very cheap food... I bought some oranges and bread. I know the
numbers in Arabic so I can get local prices if I hide the camera and
not say anything else: food one pound (20 cents). I finally got a
taxi, and got a cheap "Egybtian Brice"... 5 pounds... "Hamsa" but then
I asked him something in English and he suddenly changed it to the
tourist price of 30 pounds. I got him down to 15. Now I have to take
a shower... for the first time in three days I think... I am very
dusty and sweaty... but still look cleaner than most Egyptians.
I missed out on the synagogues that I wanted to see and I didnt go to
any Coptic churches... no time... next time! "Inshallah" (God Willing
/ Be'ezrat Hashem)
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9:32 am - Letters From Egypt 5
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Woke up in the morning and had breakfast on the roof of the hotel.
Then I got on a "minibus" ot Thebes, the city of the dead. The area
was very touristy, and there was traffic jams at the entrance to the
tombs, which had very little air. The insides were nice, with no
photo allowed. Of course, I secretly tried to take a picture without
flash, then some tall Egyptian grabs me and takes my camera and starts
dragging me to the exit angrily. All I have to say is the magic word,
Baskshish... gave him a 10 pound note and suddenly he's my best
friend.
I was sick of waiting for the group from our minibus, so me and the
two canadian guys I met decided to climb the mountains and take the
shortcut to the temple of Hatshepsut. It was great... we saw
everything from above and had a mini adventure. Some Egyptian guy
tried to guide us, but when we finally managed to wave him off, he
cried "Bad Luck to you!" His curse didn't work, we made it fine.
We also went to the valley of the queens, saw a demonstration of
ancient stone cutting, a baby mummy in one of the tombs, and colossi
of Memnon.
I was swindled into buying some souvenirs. First he says...1 pound!
then after he puts them in my hand, he changes it to BRITISH pound!
Cheater. Then he says..."Allah is my widness... this is a fair
brice!" I paid him to just get away from me. What a skilled
salesman... amazing. This is the ugly side of Egypt... but a
memorable and exciting experience in itself.
Back in the city of Luxor, I rented a bike for 10 pounds, and biked 2
miles through the city to the Temple of Karnak. A guide managed to
sell his guidance to me, but he was actually pretty good. He can read
the Heiroglyphs like a book. I learned about all the animals... they
kept thousands of them at the temple... and that the column heads are
actually shaped like open or close papyrus. He showed me which were
original, and which were restore. He also told me that there were
dozens of Anubises and Horuses...I thought only one of each. This is
the biggest and most impressive temple, with a beautiful reflective
pond. I bribed the guides to let me stay after closure (only 10
pounds) and I had the place to myself. Too easy. I stayed for the
"sound and light show." Narration, music, and beautiful lighting
effects telling an overly dramatic story about the temple.
Biking back in the dark was very scary. I forgot to tell you, but the
drive without headlights even at nights... the only flash their lights
for a few seconds, honk, then turn them off. Weird. Dangerous. But
I know my way around the narrow dusty streets and I made it fine... (I
got a little lost last night)
OK I have to catch a sleeping train in a few minutes back to Cairo.
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9:25 am - Letters From Egypt 4
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I made a reservation to get on a small minibus that goes to Luxor from
Aswan, and stops on the way in two temples: Kom Ombu, and Edfu. Both
of these are Ptolemaic, and one can feel the Greek influence in the
architecture of the columns and statues. I occasionally listen in
when I see a tourist guided group and I learn here and there... the
triangle around the skirt means high priest, and sometimes the Pharoes
pretended to be high priests to fool the gods, so that they can get a
better after-life. Edfu is huge... and I imagine this is close to
what the temple and Jerusalem must have been like. There is an outer
court, an inner court, and smaller and smaller chambers as you go in,
like the holy of holies. I saw a tiny staircase leading down in a
dark corner... I tried to go down... it was dark... I stepped
wearily... into a puddle! One shoe was soaked! I later found out that
it was a secret passageway to the nile, or maybe a nilometer-- if the
flood is high, they raise the tax. Luxor is a tourist mecca... a LOT
of tourists here, and the Egyptians are a little bit nicer. The
temple of Luxor is also impressive with a large obelisk and a row of
Sphinxes. I learned by evesdropping that they had all kinds of
standard offering, including a cow with mad-cow disease, to conquer
evil. I later went to the mummification museum and saw mumified cats,
monkeys, crocodiles, fish, and humans of course, sleeping frozen-black
for millenia.
The reliefs (carvings) on the temple walls show mostly processions,
battles, and gods. A lot of time you see slaves tied by their necks--
either African slaves... bald with big lips, or Middle Eastern ones,
curly haired, with beards. Clearly shows that slavery was common, and
affirms the story of Passover. It shows them being flogged, speared,
and suffering, upside down, trodden over by carriages, surrounded by
soldiers. All it was just to show off wealth and power.
In the evening I watched an amazing sunset over the nile, with the sun
disappearing behind minarets and palms, behind Feluccas and cruise
ships. Now I can hear mosques calling the evening prayer in a
dissonant harmony with each other. It is a very pleasant, warm
evening.
I met some more tourists on the minibus and we are going to the valley
of the kings tomorrow, followed by the Temple of Karank. After that,
I take the sleeper train to Cairo. We were all comparing trips,
prices, and stories, things from back home. We all said what we
missed at home... one of them (a truck driver like Hugh) said Braums
(a burger chain in Oaklahoma) I thought he said Brahms. I of course
missed family and Julia. The others are friendly Canadians.
I bought a Pita Falafel for 1 Egyptian Pound (25 cents) and some
oranges for the same price. I ended up giving half of the oranges to
beggar kids. Now I wish I had another one before bed.
What else? The zipper on my coat broke. And I leaned on a painted
fence, so it's very dirty. And it's starting to rip. But I like it
even more now. OK there is a line for the computer so I will end here
for now.
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9:16 am - Letters From Egypt 3
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Just came back from Abu Simbel. Woke up early and tried to find the
bus station. Everyone I ask for directions tries to get something out
of it. They hesitate, take their time, consult with their friends,
make fun of me in Arabic, until I turn my back on them and start
walking then they have an answer but you don't know if you can trust
them. It was a 4 hour ride to Abu Simbel from Aswan through the empty
Sahara. I went on an old bus, with about 20 Egyptians and 3 tourists.
and was told that there would be one back in the evening. But when I
got there at 12 noon, they told me that the last one back goes at 1pm.
I worried that I would have to spend the night in Abu Simbel, but I
left all of my stuff back at Aswan. I decided to worry about it
later. I arrived at the temples in between tour buses I guess,
because it was almost completely empty. It was very nice and clean,
well preserved, and impressive. About the size of Lincoln monument,
only there are many of them. From the front, it looks natural, but
from the back you can tell that the mountainside is artificial,
recently moved when the dam was built. I climbed the artificial hill
(there was a path) but when I got to the top policemen started yelling
at me, even waving their big machine guns. For some reason, I wasn't
scared. I said Assef, Assef, (sorryy) but they made me follow them
around for a while, kinda ignoring me. I don't think I did anything
wrong, they were just looking for Bakshish. I let them walk forward,
and nothing much else happened. I walked back to the town, and found
a "minibus" back to Aswan. A van about the size of our Sienna, but
with 5 rows of 3-4 people each. We had 16. They drove around town
until it was full, changing drivers every couple of minutes. It was
weird. Then finally we were off. On the way, about every 100km there
were police check points for my passport or their ID cards.
You feel the islam like you feel Judaism in Jerusalem. In the train
station, instead of Hassidim with Tefilin there are mats for prayer
with men kneeling down. Hardly any women without head scarfs. When I
opened this computer, the homepage is "islamonline.com" There are a
few tourists (not many, but you see them.) The Arabs can alternate
between being really friendly, and then I can hear them cursing behind
tourists backs (Kalb... and more of their lovely phrases that I
understand but will not repeat here.) It's slightly distressing but
the deep mysterious majesty of the Nile and the desert, and the ruins
quickly erase the Arabs' ugly character. The roads are littered with
trash trash everywhere. Policemen in machine guns also everywhere.
Yesterday night, I saw a truck with no windows pull up by the police
station. Out came about 10 black people, handcuffed to each
other...men women and children maybe Sudanese refugees? They looked
scared but not too freightened. They had hope in their eyes, but they
also looked very tired, and dirty. The food is simple- bread with
something-- cheese, potatoes, halwa, or some sauce. And very good
spicy onions that burn even your nose. I am also still living on
Shnitzelim from Safta and fruit and oranges that she packed. Tomorrow
I will try to buy some more fruit and will maybe look for falafel. I
hope to find a tourist bus that stops in Kom Ombu, Edfu, and then
Luxor. After that I have to decide between Alexandria or going to an
Oasis in the Sahara.
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9:12 am - Letters From Egypt 2
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After I wrote the last email, I found a hotel for fifty Egyptian
Pounds. 5 pounds = dollar Hathor hotel. As soon as I got on, I was
swindled into taking a Felucca ride which ended up costing me 150
pounds by the end of the day. But they waited for me and got me food
and sang and it was nice. A felucca is a tall sailboat with a
triangle sail. It can even go against the wind by zigzaging. I went
to the Noblemen's tombs, and to the beautiful botanic gardens island
with tropical trees and flowers. I also explored a small Nubian
village and got lost in it's mazes. Ihere, I bought a Rebab and a
knife with a crocodile leg for a handle. One year old kid tried to
pickpocket me but was unsucessful. His hand was in my pocket. I also
witnessed people making mud bricks and leaving them out to dry in the
sun, and saw the buildings made out of bricks-- exactly the Israelites'
slave work described in the Bible.
Aswan is more relaxed than Cairo, but still lots of car horns and dirty.
The weather is cloudy and cool, but not cold. Tomorrow morning I wake
up early to take the bus to Abu Simbel.
I still haven't found an international phone card and my cell phone
doesn't work here.
Miss you guys
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9:03 am - Letters From Egypt
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Jan. 21
I just got off the sleeper train, and made a bee line for the Internet
Cafe sign. I'm in Aswan, the southernmost city in Egypt. I had one
of the best sleeps on my life... sleeping on the train in the cozy
cabin is so soothing, and I love the sense of waking up and not
knowing what I will see.
I landed in Cairo yesterday, and no sooner than did I cross the
passport check, I was already swindled by a travel agent who dragged
me into his office and tried to sell me hotels and cruises and taxis.
It's so hard to wave them off especially when you are a nice guy like
me. The taxi ride was crazy. Car horns are blowing at all times, and
lanes are non existent. Bikers and pedestrians, many of them with
loads balanced on their heads, and dirty babies in their hands (the
bikers too!). I went to the train station and bought the ticket for
the train, then went to the pyramids. First you see sillouettes of
huge triangles in the hazy smog, and then you're there. I went inside
the biggest one, and crawled up an exhausting tunnel with my huge
backpack. It ends with a small room which was the burial chamber. I
spent the rest of the afternoon around the pyramids exploring other
small tombs and the climbing nearby cliffs for a better view. The
sphynx is creepy, and the pyramids are also eerie in their silent
mysterious age and enormity. I am disappointed to say that this holy
site for tourism is littered with plastic bottles, paper towels,
cigarette buts, camel shit, food wrappers, and other goodies. And at
every turn people try to sell you practice and almost literally push
you onto their camel. I saw the sunset there, then took the taxi to
Giza train station.
Now I will try to find a hotel, explore Aswan, and tomorrow I will
take a bust to Abu Simbel. My feelings keep alternating between
adventurous excitement, and forlorn homesickness.
Miss you all
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| Thursday, November 22nd, 2007
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3:34 pm - Annual Thanksgiving List
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This girlfriend. Specifically this one Julia with her lively beauty and genial attitude (usually)
Family back at home. Again- specifically THIS family. Unique and wise Mom, gentle and generous Dad, an obsessive sister and a friendly but teenish sister.
Money in the bank
Limewire and broadband
Biking
Two cross country trips
Food- specifically Falafel, cucumbers, eggs, pears, and salted sunflower seeds
Freedom- from jobs this year (I consider a year from September to May) ... in addition to the political and life freedom we take for granted
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| Monday, September 17th, 2007
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5:45 pm - Recent Photos
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| Sunday, September 16th, 2007
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5:26 pm - Sudoku horoscope.
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Nines are always given out for free. Start with them. They're great. Love em.
Ones. Eh. Boring they'll sometimes help you out.
Eights are crazy. Look for unorthodox ways to solve them.
Fives. Evil. Danger. Watch out... nearly two-thirds of all mistakes are made on fives. It has to do with the peculiar shape of the number. It can ruin your whole board.
Threes are often left behind or forgotten, and when remembered will guide you.
Twos are calculating and sharp minded. Use with precision but also with caution.
Sixes like to hide but when sought out will reveal worlds. Games hinge on sixes.
Sevens are dangerous.
Fours are usually the last to be filled. It is unforunate that they are ugly.
Damn fives.
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| Tuesday, August 14th, 2007
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2:42 pm - Israel Trip Day by Day
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July 19-Aug 13 Day By Day
Day 0 (Thursday, July 19)
Flight from LAX to TLV...
Day 1 (Friday)
Arrive, bus to Jerusalem, view from the Tayelet... still excited to meet people and talk and make a good impression. Checking into Olive Tree Hotel... briefing about the rules... Shabbat (Tour guide Chaggai doesn't know how to do a real Kiddush)
Day 2 (Saturday)
Walk through 100 Shearim. "Shabbos! Shabbos!" Egg thrown. Swim in Novotel. Saturday night party at "Dublin".
Day 3
Jerusalem old city... walking slowly and ineffectually with group. "Wailing lady" at wailing wall. Met NIR DADON! Drive to Dead Sea, sleep in Ein Gedi. No cold water in showers! Only hot water due to extreme outdoor heat!
Day 4
Pre-Dawn hike to Massada. Sunrise from desert citadel. Hike to desert waterfalls. Covered in mud. Shopping in made-for-birthright Ahava Tourist Outlet. Floating in Dead Sea. Drive to Negev. Picture of Nuclear Plant. Ride Camels. Beduin-Style tent, midnight barefoot hike to the mountain. Nargilla & Campfire.
Day 5
Morning hike to the top of mountain. Rolling rocks with cork soakers. Rapelling 18m. "Eize Chom!!!" Back to Jerusalem, Novotel. Night in Jerusalem bar. Party continues in hotel
Day 6
Drive north, stop by Gai ben Hinom and Tziporit. Amazing mosaics, and location of liberal Jewish town where Mishnah was codified. Drive to sweltering and damp Tiberias. Temp well above 40 degrees Celcsius. Onwards to Kibbutz Afik. Swimming pool. Nice AC in "Zimmers"
Day 7
Hike in Yehudia into Wadi with waterfalls. Jumping down ladder. Meet the soldiers. Yarden winery... so-so wine. Very hot day. Back to the Swimming Pool in Afik.
Day 8
Tzfat, Nahal Amood Hike (A guy died of dehydration there the same day that we were there), "Missing Piece" Story, Shabbat with guitar Rabbai
Day 9
Relaxing Shabbat... new tour guide "Yoni"... disastrous discussion about Antisemitism.
Day 10
Yad Vashem, Har Hertzel, Drive to Tel Aviv... nobody goes to Yoni's bar, we sat on the beach... 1 AM & 2 AM swim
Day 11
Tel Aviv Beach in the morning, Rabin Square, Independence Hall, Dinner and final square thing in Azrieli Center... picked up by Yair at Ben Gurion... another dinner waiting in the Moshav
Day 12 (Aug 1)
Relaxing with cousins in the Moshav... goats, horses...home-made Pitah bread... Mid-east style Kosher BBQ Shiran visits
Day 13
Shlomit drives me and Shiran to Holon, then bus to Eilat, got a Henna Tattoo... sleep in Queen Sheba Hilton
Day 14
Failed to go to Jordan and Petra (was lied to in the hotel cuz they wanted to make money!) instead spent whole day at the scorching hot beach, later met Brady Rachel Michelle and Carly... sunset from roof of Meridien... snuk in and slept at pool of Meridien... instead of the SHADY hostel.
Day 15
Bus back to Jerusalem... nap!... moving Kabalat Shabbat service at Saba's Synagogue, Safta's Gefilte
Day 16
Shabat Morning prayers... felt good. I was Golel in the synagogue that has rejuvinated since I came back. Packed house with lots of wedding and Bar Mitzvah and birth announcements... lots of stories from Saba, more napping, late afternoon stroll with Safta. Haya and Chezku came with Masua and Nurit and Tzvi and his wife and Yehuda.
Day 17
Bus to Tel Aviv, beach, night club with Lior and his friend, sleep in Bet Dagon
Day 18
Back to the Moshav, out in Jerusalem- contrast to Tel Aviv, Sleep in Jerusalem
Day 19
Try to rent car- failed cuz too young. Bus to hitch hike spot... failed... took taxi to desert. in the Maayan- full of Dossim... Asher Fux, Nadav... Kfar Adumim- Itay, Ela, Nir
Day 19
Kfar - > Bet El
Day 20
Realized I got ticket wrong! Worst day of trip. On the phone with El Al. Bus from Bet El, taxi to Bet Shemesh. At least we had a good BBQ
Day 21
Beach with Yair in Ashdod, Shabbat
Day 22
Yemenite Shabbat in Moshav Yishi, Motzash: Flight authorized!!! Happy. Horse ride at night
Day 23
One last visit to Jerusalem with Naomi and Aviel and Shiran. Grandparents. Midrachov. El Al Office
Day 24
6 AM flight (woke up at 3 AM)... more than 24 hours of travel time with LAX transfer... then finally home!
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| Saturday, July 21st, 2007
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9:24 am - Have a nice summer!
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| Monday, July 2nd, 2007
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9:27 am - Summer 07
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| Wednesday, April 18th, 2007
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9:55 pm - The wait is over
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For once I see this logo and I feel a sense of pride...
Warriors goin to the playoffs!
Dallas better watch out (Swept in reg. season...). Swarming D, forcing turnovers, fast breaks 3pt streaks...
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(comment on this)
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| Sunday, February 18th, 2007
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3:34 pm - Bike Trip
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Took a service road of Page Mill into Foothill Park... view of the whole bay area... you could clearly see the SF Skyline.
And a few thousand feet up and a few miles to the west, from Skyline Blvd., a view of the Peninsula's Redwood Forest and the Pacific Ocean.
Off route 9, descended into a wild creek... I think this is the origins of Stevens Creek before it enters the suburban concrete canals.
Valley between the foothills and the coastal mountains on the peninsula
Page Road. Lots of motorcycles. They smell terrible and they're noisy. These guys think they're so tough, but those fat old guys wouldn't be able to power themselves up these hills (on a bicycle like me)... they have to sit on noisy fart machine motorcycles
A map of my trip... 45.5 mile loop... almost 3000 ft elevation gain took 7 hours including stops and off road deviations
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| Monday, February 12th, 2007
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10:49 pm - Moby Dick
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Reading Moby Dick a lot lately. Started about 5 months ago on and off, and only now really getting into it. Sometimes it reads like an encyclopedia or a science textbooks... other times it reads like the Da Vinci Code or some other thriller.
The author Melville goes off on these worn out, laborious details obsessing about every conceivable aspect of whales, then he reels in a chapter (#89) with an amazing passage like this:
"What was America in 1492 but a loose-fish, in which Columbus struck the Spanish standard by way of waifing it for his royal master and mistress? What was Poland to the Czar? What Greece to the Turk? What India to England? What at last will Mexico be to the United States? All Loose-Fish.
What are the Rights of Man and the Liberties of the World but Loose-Fish? What all men's minds and opinions but Loose-Fish? What is the principle of religious belief in them but a Loose-Fish? What to the ostentatious smuggling verbalists are the thoughts of thinkers but Loose-Fish? What is the great globe itself but a Loose-Fish? And what are you, reader, but a Loose-Fish and a Fast-Fish, too?"
Made me LoL
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(comment on this)
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| Friday, January 5th, 2007
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5:05 pm - Friday Five
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1. What feels like home?
Home... but nowhere REALLY right now
2 Do you look at yourself carefully in the mirror before you leave for the day?
NO... not at all... sometimes I discover midday that my shirt is on inside out or that I have sleep-snot in the corners of eyes.
3. How do you feel right now?
Pretty relaxed yet restless, and a little bit cold.
4. Are you a star-gazer?
I would like to stare at stars more
5. Friday Fill-In:
How much time has passed since you last _____? Were happy?
Truly? about 5 months.
How much time has passed since you last Practiced Viola?
A couple weeks.
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