Tel Aviv Diary - July 13, 2009 Karen Alkalay-Gut
July 13, 2009
Does it sound like I eat out all the time? I don't tell you about half of it. It is impossible for me to think about cooking in this weather, and I've got a big backlog on seeing old friends, so I'm visiting restaurants like crazy. Yesterday I was pleasantly surprised by the cafe Einstein at the Ramat Aviv mall. I've been there before but wouldn't think of eating anything besides coffee, partly because I think I've been had a few upset stomachs at their neighbor, Art Cafe. Maybe that projected fear is the reason I can't eat at the cafe at the entrance to the university either, but I have sat down there more than once and decided to pass up lunch and just have coffee.
July 14, 2009 I had a catscan today. I thought it might be a big deal, so i decided to go 'small' and chose the little clinic in Rishon Lezion. I was right - it took me less than a week to get an appointment, and as soon as i walked in I was called in to fill out the papers. Within 20 minutes we were on the way home with the disk in hand. How was the experience? There was a man and a woman in the room - i didn't have time to see much about them. The man held my hand and the woman told me to clench my fist. Then he said to release, and I released his hand. "Don't let go of Me!" he said, "You have the magic touch!" The little touch of gratuitous humor was so relaxing that the five minutes or so i spent inside the machine seemed like nothing. You can't tell me that the medical system here is primitive. And the humanity of the staff always improves everything. July 15, 2009 With the weather cooling just a bit today, I grabbed the opportunity to do some chores. But they were all retail chores and somehow I just missed the big sales, paying full price for all the things I've been saying I'll pick up all year. Everything from furniture polish to a dress for a wedding. When I got home a friend called to make sure I'm coming to some of the free or cheap events in Tel Aviv this week - from La Scala in the park to the farmers' market in the port with jazz and tasting to the opera classes in yaffo. Why did I think in terms of shopping instead of entertainment? My mentality is all wrong. I have to stop thinking in terms of what must be done and start thinking in terms of letting the city happen in my presence. July 16, 2009 Your faithful restuarant correspondent here with another update. I promised myself that if I worked hard all morning I'd go out for lunch. So the lunch at Benny Hadayag in Herzlia Marina was a prize even before I walked in. But it was a prize anyway. Although I was a little upset with the aquarium on the back wall which looked a little too narrow to be comfortable, with a mirror at the back to give it the appearance of depth, I was very pleased with the food. And there was a lot of it. Before we began to order there were little plates on the table - chraime (morrocan spicey fish), salads, eggplant with tehina, etc etc ad invinitum. Maybe because I was with someone famous there was more on the table that would have been the ordinarily, but I took advantage and tasted everything - at least 10 dishes. Then the shrimps. Ay ya yay. And then coffee and Malabi worth saving place for. I don't think I've ever been there before but I'm sure I'll be back. And it was empty when we walked in, and only one quarter full when we left. The only problem is that I don't know what the bill was. July 17, 2009 Instead of the concert last night we had guests. They came in and sat down. "Would you like something to drink?" I asked as the proper beginning for an evening. "Water," the modest guests answered. "Do you have your ration books?" I responded, as politely as I could.
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