Tel Aviv Diary - October 28 - November 2, 2012 - Karen Alkalay-Gut


Tel Aviv Diary - October 28=November 2, 2012 - Karen Alkalay-Gut

October 28, 2012

Remember when my dear husband first had cancer? Remember how confusing the hospital system was for me - (system or chaos - they seem to be interchangeable terms once you've entered the medical establishment) - well now that Orit is having complications it is even worse. I was teaching today so Ezi went with her, and updated me every hour or so, and it seemed as if he had a go-pro on his head and he was taking me though a labyrinth. Every minute another turn and another dead end. I've spent the past few hours trying to follow the thread and feel like there is a minotaur at every turn and/or behind every blank wall instead of just in the middle. Never mind, we'll get it unwound when she has to go to Emergency to give birth.

October 29, 2012

Here it's raining rockets and in the U.S. it's plain raining. Hurricane Sandy has us all worried - but soon it should be over with, and everyone seems to be prepared. It's amazing how one candidate went right to the middle of the storm, and the other as far away as he could.

October 30, 2012

We have been glued to the tv watching the after-effects of Sandy. This is a life-changing experience for millions. Wish all of you an easy recovery from this.

The U.S. may have postponed campaigning but Israel is popping surprise after surprise even though we've got months and not days. The Bibi-Libi alliance seems to have encouraged candidate after candidate to come out of the woodwork and do ...something.

Everything is a matter of waiting it out.

October 31, 2012

This was an afternoon for Akiko, my favorite Japanese restaurant. Even Japanese eat there, after of course presenting their visiting card and bowing to the manager. I love that. We drank a lot of sake and wandered a bit around the pretty revolting shopping center of Ramat Aviv G. Four optometrists, 4-6 hairdressers, 4 shoes stores, a couple of bakeries and butchers,about 5 of cafes and the rest dress shops - mostly overdesigned, overpriced and undersized. The only reason I'd go there is for Akiko or an intimate coffee with a close friend.

Can't seem to find good things to say about Ramat Aviv G. Even the remodelled Maccabi offices that are so clean and efficient bug me - they're so sterile. Shouldn't complain - when i went there for a flu shot last week I was in and out in fifteen minutes and even got weighed and measured in that time. Nevertheless, I can't resist finding something bad to say about Ramat Aviv G.

November 1, 2012

Call your Zeyde

This may not be the greatest video you've ever seen but it's a cool concept anyway. No one has to call me though - I've voted already. And I'm sure my grandchildren would agree with me.

It was really sad to see the bookstore at the university closed down. I seem to recall seeing a letter about a big dispute with the university, and the books I ordered never came in, and it was there that I bought this computer that turned out to be a lemon, but how are students going to get their equipment? Who ever heard of a university without a bookstore? So now you can buy socks on campus (very nice socks too I might add - in the middle of the quad) but no books. What does this mean about the future of education?

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