As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know. ~D. Rumsfeld
This (click here to hear) is the kind of movies I kept dreaming away in when I was a teenager. They're from my mother's generation but that didn't stop me to totally submerge in the romance, the seemingly only-in-movies-reality (but I didn't know that then and I am still in denial that life is not that way, eventhough it handed me the proof for it), and the always happy-endings......
So, today the sea was Wild (capital W) - and it fits my mood of late. I am not giving up hope because it's part of my character to refuse to accept reality and I always believe things will work out positively ... but I'm "in stormy weather".
(other photos are of a HUGE Rose in the neighbor's garden, a mini-orange tree smiling up to the morning sun, a pink Rose that looked so delicate and tender I just couldn't resist eternalizing it on camera, a bougainvillea bush that was just 'there' when I looked up at the skies, an old Ford and the line of moniot sherut that's waiting for passengers in Alenby St.)
Met H. today at Dizengoff Center to where I walked from home. (Of course). On the way I again saw the either mice or rats playing on the little isle of grass located between two high-roads. The photo shows one clearly and still I have no idea if it is a mouse or rat. He most certainly was not afraid of me because I came as close as 2 meter away from him and he went on with his business without as much as looking at me (yeah, hahaha "me" - at 2 meters away from him, LOL. if he as much as would have moved one step into my direction I would have ran away screaming, hahaha). I feel much more a hero with my camera in my hand.
As elections are approaching so are the banners and propaganda activities in the streets. A few giggling girls pushed me a flyer recommending Livni in my hands. The photo shows what it says....
And then, further down the way at where graffiti more often is painted - I saw what you can see in the last photo. I don't know how to take this. Is it meant? Or is it sarcastic? It says "No Children, No Terrorattacks, Gaza 2009". It had my heart freeze for a while....
H. and me did our 'round' in the shopping center. Looking, looking and not buying. We're both tafraniem (poor financially) but the smells of the Food-Bazar that's held there every Friday scrumbled down my resistance to spend money and we had a nice Chorizo covered in a layer of crispy dough.
Though I'm still in a foul mood I had a lovely morning. The foul mood will probably only disappear when I find a nice job that pays enough to make it possible for me to stay in Israel...
Walking the route was uneventful - Not that I think there were no beautiful or interesting things to see, but I didn't have the patience to look. I'm in a foul mood that is like a harness covering my body, my mind and my heart. But..... soon as I am close to the sea this harness weakens and completely dissolves. It feels like my environment absorbs me, as if it makes me a part of it. That feeling is soothing and warm and most of all.... makes me feel welcome.
I felt secluded when sitting on the big mezah, feet dangling down until where the angry, foaming waves could almost reach them. I sat. I laid down. Sun shining on my face and hair. I felt so free. There was no good, no bad, no doubts, no keeping up appearances, no insecurity, no being afraid... Only total submission.
I looked down at the gorgeous water and thought what would happen if I'd disappear into it.... (imagine myself turning into a mermaid, swimming between the fish and crabs and talking with them, them answering me and telling me what lies further ahead in the direction I am swimming in. me warning them of fishermen baits... Serenity, beauty and ... 'simplicity').
When I finally climbed down I saw MsCat sunbathing near her caretaker. We (the caretaker and me) played with her (the only photos I took today). Although she barely touched me I still carry a large scratch on my finger showing just how terribly sharp her nails are...
... my mom died :-( In her remembrance I place the youtube clip here that I filmed this morning, only now remembering that dedicating it to her is so terribly appropriate. The woman who taught me to look at 'the small' things in life and not be distracted by what people in the schwung of life became to believe was important. She had a great awe for the sea. I still remember the time after my father died and she came to stay with us for 9 or 10 months and we went to sit on the beach, watching the sea. At a certain point I said "OK, let's go" upon which she said "Oh, pity - couldn't we stay just a little bit more?" And I said "No" :-( I am so sorry about that now......
The sea was indeed awesome today. The first thing I saw when walking up the boardwalk at the Nemaal was that the splashes that he threw over the balustrade not only reflected the sun but........ also a rainbow. There was no rainbow in the skies. But there sure was one in the water the sea threw before me [photos 1, 2, 3 & 4] (I am so happy the photos succeeded. What is seen on them is e-x-a-c-t-l-y what I saw in front of my eyes).
I started walking rather late today because I first had a nice conversation with my son over the phone. Australia seems to be a lovely country. Perhaps I can visit it one time. After all, if one life is a whole world my world sure would like to know what it is my son likes that much over there.
Over the Yarkon (standing on the bridge) I took like a million photos of what I thought was a Shag but turned out to be spolet: a plastic bottle, hahahahhaaa.... That's because the Shag that was giving away a show of diving and turning up after several minutes tens of metres from where he dived in the water had me in desparation I could ever get a normal photo of him. LOL. In the end Mr. Egret flew by and though not a masterpiece of photography I caught him on camera on a picture that turned out to be an interesting image of shadows. [photo 5].
When I walked past Rabbithill [photo 6] (the place in downtown Tel-Aviv where rabbits are walking free) - I felt the urge to walk up the hill. So I did. It was an oasis of rest and peace between a busy high-road and a path many pedestrians pass. Cats don't eat rabbits :D That I know because the two baby-rabbits there were not chased by the two cats also present at the premises :D
Fairytaletree this morning looked gorgeous as always. But now, in the sunshine he looked as if he was radiating cheerfulness - more so than when days are gloomy. So, another photo here [photo 7].
My neighbor, Salah - a grumpy old man with a lovely character and very modern hair cut though in his 80s - complained about the lack of rain. He threw away 11 of the plants he cared for in our garden downstairs due to them being dead because of the drought. It is forbidden to water the gardens at this point due to a lack of water in the reservoirs - and it is sad. I love days like these: warm but not too warm, sunny but not too hot, dry and not humid but..... I believe if this goes on the way it does now the country (Israel) will face a major disaster from natural sources...
Last photos are of a tiny little web in between two wooden parts of the balustrade on the Tayelet where a very little (like in miniscule) spider was weaving his web (the spider disappeared soon as I took my camera out; what's new?) and of the sea trying to catch me on the place I was standing near my mezah - naughty old dude :D
I had a rough 24 hours behind me but finally gave birth to an adorable baby girl at exactly this hour. I was so surprised at myself. I had never thought I was able to give birth to something so perfect, so beautiful.... It boosted my ego so much. Pity how things go in life sometimes, someone should have told me then that that was just the beginning and I should have watched it carefully and not assume that someone very close to me who I thought wanted best for ALL of us was taking advantage of my naivety and good faith :-(
Today, after finally seeing the doctor (this was the 3rd time, the first time I came there simply was a notice on the door 'sorry, the doctor won't be in today', the second time was yesterday - I had been mistaken and thought it was then, so huhuhuhhhhh) and, of course, as was predictable, leaving her office with a whole lot of hafnayot to do tests I am not interested in doing but not receiving anything I actually came to see her about, I........
fast-walked towards the Nemaal.
At Fairytaletree the first thing I saw was a fruit had fallen off [photo 1] and while I stood under the tree with the wind blowing rather hard through its branches I thought the large, heavy fruits still hanging there [photo 2] and swaying from side to side could easily fall on my head. Was I a bit weary? Yessur. But it didn't prevent me from enjoying my rendez-vous with Senor Kigelia ;-)
The sea was nervous. His waves didn't only splash far over the balustrade of the boardwalk but they also kept coming one after the other with very little time between them, something that doesn't happen all that often. Even the spot at the pond that was left without water for the past few weeks was gone and high (well, relatively) water was covering it [photo 3].
MsCat came to greet me as usual (I feel very honored because she woke up from sleeping in the sun to just come and rub her head against me and be carressed). She did throw a weird look at Mr. Egret who found a small dead fish a couple of meters away from us (from MsCat & me). I bet she thought "How could I have missed that fish?" :D
The police-on-horses were drinking coffee at the Hof Metsisim beach post again and had their horses tied in the same place as I took earlier photos of. When I was talking to the horses they lifted their heads, stuck up their ears and looked at me. Soooooooooooo sweet!! Later I took a photo of those police "at work" [photo 4] and me dying of envy "what a job!!!"
At the big mezah (which I mounted and where I sat and sung in the wind THIS (click here) - and thought that notwithstanding everything I experienced in life I still don't want to give up on my naivity - because that would mean that I would have to start suspect people and I can not ever live like that) I photographed an lone fisherman [photo 5]. The feeling with it was indescribable because it was a mixture. I hope I will be able to reconstruct it when reading this and seeing the photo ..... later.
is what I saw on a lamp post on route to the Nemaal (photo 1). It is a saying (or whatever they call it) out of the Talmud and it says "Know that a human being will have to cross a very, very narrow bridge, and the most important thing is that he shouldn't be afraid at all" -
Before I saw that I had spent quite some time trying to get an Israeli Woodpecker (click here to see it more clearly and hear him as well) on my camera. As I passed at the end of my street I heard the strangest noise, it was as if someone stood behind me and knocked ferociously on the tree I was walking under. Well... for me he is the new guy in town since I have never seen one IRL before. Needless to say he reacted like all the other birds I get to try to pose for my camera: totally unwilling :-( (photos 2 & 3)
At the bridge and just after I took photos (4 & 5) of the fog that had landed on Ramat-Gan/Tel-Aviv today. It looked real dirty fog as well, brownish instead of grey. Photo 5 is of the sun trying to get through but failing miserably.
Photos 6, 7 and 8 are of the fog enveloping the Nemaal. It was a very special feeling walking through this fog - as if I was experiencing a totally new environment instead of one I visit so many times a week.
Also the wind started to blow harder and harder and when I saw Mr. Egret all ruffled up by the wind it tickeled my humor-buds, so that's photo 9.
Photo 10 is of two of the many dinosauruses that have been placed in the Nemaal as a scientific exposition who look like they are chatting away together while enjoying a large bottle of icetea (someone had left there) together :D
a little riddle out of my youth: howmuchwoodwouldawoodpeckpeckifawoodpeckcouldpeckwood? awoodpeckwouldpeckasmuchwoodasawoodpeckcouldifawoodpeckcouldpeckwood (say this very fast, 10 times after another)
Friday, January 23, 2009
As I reached the Nemaal at around 08:00 a.m. the first thing I noticed was a group of Shags floating on the water. They seemed to be "chilling", enjoying the calm waters of the sea and the lovely weather. Unfortunately, although they were not too far away from me, the reach of my camera was insufficient. All the photos I took of them were 'vague'. Grrrrr....
I walked my usual round on and near the wavebreaker and met with MsCat who was eating kattenbrokjes that a woman (having a huge German Shepard on the line) had given her. She came to me as usual and we had our little 'rendez-vous' :-) It is obvious she likes me a lot and I think she can feel I am totally crazy about her as well...
The big mezah was totally desolated despite the calm sea and I climbed up on it without even thinking. I made my way to the little beitan at the end and photographed the terrible dirt of the things people have left in it. Then I climbed around the beitan and stood at the very end of the big mezah. It was an amazing feeling. Reminded me somewhat of standing on the Reading mezah this summer- me and nature and nothing in between us...
As I passed the pond I saw a lot of Seagulls on and next to the patch of sand that seems to be getting larger and larger all the time. They were very active and I photographed a whole series of 'on the move' photos. I think they are so sweet. So terribly innocent looking (almost all birds are, but some are more than others). And, as with all birds except for Crows, I think they are beautiful! Looking at them is like caressing the eye....
Arriving on my mezah with my Cappuccinno I was -also as usual- having a superduper relaxing time. It's like the environment creeps under my skin and relaxes all my muscles, my brain...
Two speer fishers (well actually they're guns but a speer is the ammunition) entered the waters of the sea from where I was sitting and I also had to take a photo of that.
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BIRDS also pigeons I love. There were a whole lot of them on my mezah. I know many people don't like pigeons at all because -well, a variety of reasons. But, to me they are terribly sweet and mischievous looking. As if they own the whole world but wouldn't want to irritate you. And, their colors and designs are amazing - the feathers in their necks shine when the sun shines on them as if they give off (a colored) light - each one a different color. Today I saw many green, purple, blue and greyish "lights".
OK, OK - I've gone a little overboard with the photos this time. But, I like them all....
