July 6, 2016
Some of my friends admitted to me that they are embarassed to show my site to people because it is so amateurish. I say that is the sign that it is me writing these pages. but i know how stupid this site appears. and i don't know if i really want to change. i'm me.
It's not a very particular me. Nor a very vocal one. Today this religious American guy said something about wanting to stop over the syrian border to claim Syria for the Israel. I was not very happy about it, thought maybe he was testing me, but I wasn't going to argue. what good would it do? At the same time I did argue with another American about how if he didn't believe Trump should be president he should be doing some things that are more active in the campaign. we do tend to give other people advice we don't take.
July 8, 2016
I'm still not there. It will take a long time of resting to be back to normal. I had to leave the PhD ceremony this evening because I couldn't sit on the low chairs and got weak standing up. But I did get to see the new doctors and feel the excitement. In earlier days I've probably written about the pathetic ceremonies in the heat of the summer with poor sound and bugs all over. Today was glorious and dignified.
July 8, 2016
I've been rating places in Tel Aviv for Trip Advisor all evening. I don't know why. But I do know it makes me feel good, because it means there's something really good about this city. So much is free, so much is interesting, even exciting.
Like Dubnov 8, where all the old people go for Friday lunch to talk about their week. They're all in the 70-80s i think, all active artists and journalists, or at least active in their lives, and they all get dressed to kill, and discuss politics and stuff like that.
I think they enjoy life more than the kids in the park nearby.
July 9, 2016
A friend who lives on Florentine has often told me that it is the best place in the world. More than one person have said similar things, but I never really get there. Tonight we went to some fancy restaurant there, and when we left I could start again and continue eating on the street. It's that enticing.
Well it was only fancy by comparison. Florentine House Restaurant. Very good.
July 10, 2016
Last time I had an operation I made a little schedule - one event a day. This time nothing goes. I don't seem capable of following any kind of schedule. it's too hot, too hectic, too crazy. We've had one unexpected thing after another - one night someone came over that i'd forgotten I'd invited, promised to stay a few minutes, and wound up tucking ME into bed.
So today I thought I'd do myself a favor as well as my grandchildren and went to the pool. It seem logical that I'd be free for a few minutes to do some hydrotherapy. But when I finally escaped to the pool usually reserved for hardened swimmers and exercisers, it was crowded with babies. Babies in diapers. Even if I weren't terrified of some kick, I would have been traumatized.
And at the same time I keep thinking about a story i read about Beirut, about how they were fighting and killing in the streets there, and one block away the people were partying at the pool.
July 11, 2016
the enemy of my enemy - wait? is that Egypt? The Foreign minister comes to visit and the next day we bomb terrorists in Sinai. Michael Sternberg (z"l) who was commander of the UN multinational forces in the Sinai, and of whom i must have written many times, used to say that he was terrified of what was building up in the Sinai and the need for strong measures in order to control the frightening arms build-up that would soon threaten the world. He died two years ago this week I think, and his warnings haven't left my mind since then.
On a different note, the "heroes" exhibit in the Diaspora museum is pretty amazing - if you are about 10. lots of interactive stuff. hands on. lots of wikipedia level info about jews. i had forgotten, for example, that Marilyn Monroe could be counted in our flock because she converted. okay - it was a lot of reaching and a lot of sneaking in unknown Sephardim, and a lot of stretching. I stopped trying when Hannah Arendt got into the list. My friend who knew her too well calls her a machasheifa and maybe i wouldn't go that far, but i don't like her take on reality. (I thought of Hannah Arendt when my family visited Eichmann's office in Budapest - the one that looked out on the Jewish Quarter - evil may be banal, and you can be a cog in a wheel, but you can criticize that wheel. you can even put a spoke in it.