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
Walked all the way round to Shuk HaCarmel - but didn't enter it because my mind was set on going to Jaffa. I wanted to find a beach that I used to go to y-e-a-r-s ago (and found it, it's near Manta Ray) - and have a look around near Jaffa's old port. However, when I arrived there I was so fluttered with memories of the times I've spent there in my many years here - that I have spent 5 hours walking around everywhere -and had a nice coffee (for 5 blooming shekels- where can one find that in Tel-Aviv?) overlooking the marina there.
Unfortunately there also was a sad thing happening and that was that a rather large turtle came drifting towards the beach... but a dead one :-(
Photo-account: 1. The bird that I am trying to catch on camera for months now but am not able to. So two rather blurred photos - just in case someone recognize him like this. He flutters his wings while staying in mid-air above water without moving for- or backwards or up or down and then dives rather deep into the water to come out with a fish in his beak.
2. The dead turtle :-( Turtles are not a usual sight here and then, when it finally happens one time, it's a dead one. I feel so sad for him. I wander what happened to him.... He was around two meters in size.
3. The mezah just past Manta Ray with view of Jaffa's sea front. Notice the "Know Hope" graffiti - that seems to have been written all over town, btw.
4. The place at the Marina where I had my coffee.... :p
5. An insigne on an old building near the sea (the building was not in use anymore and looked terribly shabby). I wonder what it means....
6. Pigeons taking refuge from the boiling sun under the small roof of a minaret. That place btw, in between the hustle of the sea-front and the hustle of the tourist attraction right above, is mesmerizing. A small paradise of quiet peace and singing birds...
7. (This I found so funny, but doubt it will cause anyone else to laugh) - A photo of the shoes left outside the mosque before entering it, showing the "great diverse taste in shoes of 'our' men in Jaffa" (like: they're all the same, LOL )
8. The building that was built end of 18th century and served as a Turkish jail under the Ottoman Empire and later by the British as a police station. (How hard can it be to be a prisoner overlooking the sea every day, I wonder :D )
9. The Turkish-Jaffa cultural center...
10. Men doing men's things..... playing backgammon :p
UPDATE: (hahahah like a news-agency lol) the mystery of the insigne I found on a building facing the port and which picture is shown above - has been solved thanks to a very good friend of mine:
The first letters mean: Jesus - Christ and the letters underneath: the conquerer - the cross is both Greek and Russian orthodox, and underneath it the O.T.O. which can be read about here: click for O.T.O. (Ordo Templi Orientis)
Left house at 05:00 a.m. on the dot. It was still dark and on my way out of the garden I found...... the little spider in the middle of her web a - I thought about how patient she must be to sit still and wait for a fly or bug to get caught up in it. When I tried to photograph it again, which failed - I noticed also two medium sized lizards sitting right above the entrance of the house. Also failed in photographing them. As well as PeeWee whom I met under the bridge over the Yarkon... I really start to dislike my camera.
It was not fun walking through the dark, isolated streets - I guess I am afraid of the dark. Even the birds hadn't woken up yet. But, as I walked on here and there a whistle or two could be heard as a signal that that was happening. The awakening cities of Ramat-Gan and Tel-Aviv I caught on camera nicely though, showing the magnificent skies that were slowly breaking up into clouds....
I can't describe today at the beach. There are just no words that can describe my feelings when I met the sea this morning. Although he was acting more wild than I have ever seen him acting before in this season, it was with a softness that was totally paradoxical to the show he put up. The drops he sent raining down from over the railing were soft and warm and had absolutely nothing of "anger" in them. On the contrary, they were soothing...
I discovered I couldn't sit down at my usual hiding place at the pier since the waves were splashing high above where I am to sit down and I have no waterproof backpack thus was afraid my camera would get wet. This was the first time I felt sorry I had taken the camera with me, because I was longing to have me engulfed in the furious but tender waves.
He was satisfied with me and I know why. I hope I can keep up with it, because I know it's good. Also this song started playing in my head the moment I was secluded with the sea .... אני יודעת, אני שומעת, מישהו הולך תמיד איתי
He also showed his power though, in a show that was very funny in my eyes. The canoe-ers weren't able to get their canoes any further than a few meters offshore before the sea simply pulled them back to the beach again. No matter how many times they tried they just couldn't get it done. I found them talking to each other - they were 'defeated', LOL.
as a variation on Martini-on-the-rocks :D He looked to dirty and even crept under the rocks into the water (hunting for fish?) but refused to come up to me and into the shade. I went to check up on him later after my pier-sit and he was gone. So I suppose he was alright.
The little "stones" on the 2nd photo are tiny black shells. They're clutched all around me on the rocky surroundings when sitting on my throne at the head of the pier. I've obviously seen them around there but never wondered what they were, until this morning. The wall surrounding the Nemaal is entirely covered by them as the 3rd photo shows...
I forgot I had a date with H. but luckily remembered at the last moment and so I've spent 7 hours at the beach today LOL. When she got off to bath in the sea a friendly man started talking to me and it turns out he is from Eritrea and here all by himself, desperately looking to find work and also knowing his 6-month visa won't be renewed in another 2 weeks time .... He cannot go back to Eritrea because that is dangerous (and he doesn't want to - he escaped there being forced into being a 'fighter') and here he won't get a permit to stay. He really is in a very bad situation but....... not sad at all, we were laughing the whole time. I admire people that can do that in that situation. The only time I saw a shimmer of longing appear on his face was when he talked about the sea in Africa...
I got all ready to get in the God is a DJ mood (bought my coffee and sat myself down at "my" mezah) looking forward to a tete-a-tete with the sea when ... there was a family fishing exactly there... One small child, a little girl, totally adorable, kept talking to me - so, I showed her the crabs and told her it is dangerous to go down at the pier eventhough her father was fishing there. (Luckily her mother had brains and forbade it to her also because the father most certainly didn't care at all while wild waves were overflooding the pier) - So God wasn't DJ'ing for me today, but I will return......... soon.
Walking back I saw a piece of bread floating on the water in the pond. It was wildly moving up and down and then I saw why: tens of fish were eating from it. (Photo). The funny part is that when it drifted up to an area where fishermen were fishing the fish left the bread alone and took off :D :D :D
and then, when I got home I saw how my camera had registered the sun on the water: like stars......... sooooooooo beautiful!
I wanted to enter the building yesterday evening after my walk home from work I spotted just in time a very active spider spinning a web between the 2 trees at the entrance. The web was shining ever so delicately under the soft lamppost lights that I had to get a photo of it obviously. I got carried away since I saw I didn't manage to photograph it so it would show up as I saw it and spent quite some time and many trials close-up to the web. In the meanwhile the spider just kept on working on his web but, I seem to have caught his attraction somehow because at a certain point he dived for my head with a dazzling speed and I was just barely able to avoid him, LOL. The spider never turned out OK on all of the photos but the web can be seen here.... (and also the vague blur of the little black cat that was watching me all the time)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Walked the route to the beach and while standing leaning over the bridge between Ramat-Gan and Tel-Aviv felt like only me and Peewee (see photo 1) were not hurrying to a destination. We took the time to stand there and 'relax' :D Peewee kept on peewee-ing for the whole duration of the time (approx. 10 minutes) that we were (albeit separated by quite some distance) in each other's company. Like we were on a tiny little island of rest with buzzing all around us.
Since H. had to work overtime I had quite some time to spare at "my" mezach. This time though there were a handful of people around my mezach - and that was less nice. Not that I don't like to be in the company of people but I feel less connecting with the sea if I'm not alone with him. Still it was very enjoyable and when one man asked if he could please pass down to the mezach (because where I am sitting I am blocking the (very narrow) entrance down) it sounded as if he was asking it from the owner of the place (me) LOL!
I was sitting there quite a long time due to H.'s working over and saw what looked like as if there had been a massacre of fish down the stairs on the mezach, I saw numerous crabs - they were very busy and chased each other away the whole time, but - at a certain time - sat all together at the edge of an elevation next to a line of water, as if sitting on a boulevard sunbathing. Soooooo cute!!!!! The sunset and its reflection on the water also was simply magnificent, breathtaking as always and like the best vitamin pill available on earth.
Oh - yes - and H. and I met up finally when the sun was turning into a flaming balloon coloring the skies pink ;-)
This is my synagogue, This is where I heal my hurt,
And God is my DJ.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N9m_F8ryfc
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Long time, no see... (well, it felt that way anyway) viewing the sea - again wild - sends a hypnotizing feeling through me, like meeting a long lost, very close, friend. Together with many little children that were there I let him splash me with his water drops that he ferociously threw over the railing of the boardwalk and which offered a nice refreshment after the one-hour walk from Ramat-Gan to the shore at 30 degrees and a humidity that can kill an elephant. My clothes were drenched and it felt just so good....
I started out late and the 'scene' was different from the other walks when I leave the house earl(ier)y. I smelled the Frangi Pani tree already from across the traffic lights and the Hibiscus in the gardens of the houses I passed were again absolutely breathtaking in their simple, but endearing beauty and colors. Their buds give me a feeling of softness, like they are babies about to be born... I missed the two large banners on top of a high building (which I used to see on my previous walks) carrying the pictures of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev calling not to stay ignorant in light of their kidnapping.
After I bought my coffee-to-go at Aroma-on-the-beach I set out to my own small secluded place at the mezach, leaving behind all the hustle of joggers, bikers and fishermen. I just turn my back and look the other way... and I start to float. The feeling is absolutely divine... It opens up channels in me that are closed when not being there. The sea is 'taking hold' of me, controls me. I find a spiritual elevation taking place and I hear the sea talking to me.
Today he told me I am doing something wrong. But he didn't tell me what.
It's "his" show.... and I truly feel that this is MY synagogue and He is my DJ . . . . (and then there was this treasure -box- brought up from the depths of the sea that was floating on the water - see last photo :p )
Yesterday I set out to see (and mostly listen to) Skazi, but when I got to Park Yehoshua (where he was supposed to perform) I ended up in a festive evening organized for youth beginning their first day in the army today. There was Harel Skaath and Subliminal. Skazi I never saw - I don't know if he came on later, after 22:30 when I had to leave because I was tired and still had a long way to walk - or not (nobody talked about him performing later on) - but notwithstanding the happy atmosphere and real good music (and me shyly sitting in a corner together with a guard my age because I didn't want to stand out between all those youth) - I felt sad. Yesterday was the evening before the prisoner swap here today. And these happy, young - free - youths were going into the institution from where those two soldiers were kidnapped. Well, their bodies were kidnapped as turned out today - the hi'Zballah just isn't capable of kidnapping living people. . . .
Nvm. Here's Subliminal with one song - of the many they performed.
Left house at 06:00 a.m. to reach the Yarkon about 20 minutes later. My attention was being captured by several birds who noisily flew over the Yarkon as I heard a guy in a car that had stopped near me say something. OK, I am naive but that is a calculated being of naive because I rather be naive than rude and so I said "goodmorning" back at him. He then proceeded to talk and talk and talk for about 10 minutes but I was with my back towards him (and his car) as I wanted to relax at the sight of those birds and the space around me. He then came out of the car and asked if I was OK. I thought, "heavens, perhaps he thinks I am going to jump off the bridge into the Yarkon" (LOL) so, I - politely - responded I am fine and please leave me alone. Upon which he made a very explicit indecent proposal. I was shocked. This was a young man, I could have been his grandmother (well, slightly exaggerated) and a very good looking man as well. What is his problem? I wanted to ask what his mother would say if she'd knew what he was saying to me, but decided to take the tough approach and reached for my mobile and told him calmly I would phone the police if he'd not leave immediately. Well, luckily, that did the trick.... and off he went. Thank heavens.
Of course I never got the birds on photo because as usual they were too fast for me to catch them on film. (in a manner of speaking)
The first fisherman I encountered at the Nemaal just pulled in a Karash - which was medium sized and until this morning the biggest fish I have ever seen a fisherman at the Nemaal pull in. When I asked if I can make a photo of it he asked "only of the fish?" - and made clear that he wanted to be photographed as well. So, the photo hereunder is of him holding the fish as if holding a trophy (which I think is really sweet).
The sea was pretty wild and I couldn't sit at the top of the pier I usually sit because it was wet from the waves. While sipping on my (Aroma on the beach bought, very delicious) coffee-to-go, I noticed two men or women (hard to tell from far) on ski jets. OK, I got jealous. I really would like to try that as well. It looks as if this is so much fun, like it must give such an exhilarating feeling flying over the waves like that. They put on a nice show, jumping quite high up from the waves as well.
Walking back I found flyers explaining to have 'safe sex' with condoms stuck on them - cigarette butts by the hundreds and broken beer bottles on the boardwalk near some of the clubs. I literally had to walk right through the condoms but was shy to take a photograph because of the prude that I am, LOL. So there is a glimpse of it on one of the photos below only. It must have been a wild night yesterday. However, why do they have to pollute the boardwalk with it?
The following photo is of the catch of yet another fisherman, who had 2 denises and 1 karash already in the bucket. I was happy for him because usually he doesn't catch much. His patience (and love for the sea) has paid off today.
The last photo is that of a cat napping underneath the wavebreaker. She was so sweet not being awakened by my sneaking up on her that I just had to get that on photo as well...
Yesterday during my time at the beach I also "shot" a short clip of a 'memorable' to the Voice of Peace. The radio station located on a ship 5 miles out of the territorial waters of Israel and therefore a "pirate" station (just as it was when the ship was in use by Veronica, a Dutch radio station before being bought by Abie Nathan to function as the Voice of Peace) whose broadcasting I vividly remember and accompanied me during the years until they sunk the ship. It has some English in it but is mostly in Hebrew.
I know. On a "working day" (Sundays are working days in Israel) I shouldn't be giving in to my drives and let the beach tempt me, but I can't resist.... and so:
I left the house again at 06:00 a.m. and started out via Shouk HaCarmel towards the place that has been my refuge ever since I arrived here in Israel: the Beach.
However, at Shouk HaCarmel I was stopped by a lady sitting next to a bread-roll stand I have seen every time I pass there (so like... many times) and I have never seen her sell any of her rolls. She called me. The Shouk was quite empty with only salesmen delivering products in trucks and she was sitting near her stand already - like she didn't move position since all of the last times I saw her in the months before.
She wanted so badly to sell something. She started out with the "where are you from?" openings sentence, like most of the Shouk salespeople do (they love that, when someone isn't from "da hood" because then they know they can 'work on them") - and I wasn't willing at all to participate in her little, known, game. But she asked me to come closer... and even more closer. She then started out a story about how I am her first buyer (I hadn't bought anything yet) and that I will bring her luck.
I cannot break someone's superstitions (even if they are not meant and only want me to buy no matter what) - so I asked her how much the rolls are and she said 5 shekel. I said I don't eat bread really but she was very persuasive - The flies were in the thousands sitting on her rolls and swarming above it. I really wouldn't eat a roll like that EVER. But I couldn't resist her. She took my hand. I told her to give me a roll (didn't matter which one) - and after she had put a roll with onion in a plastic bag she asked me for another shekel. I gave it. She then moistened a finger by licking it (really!!) and picked up another roll and placed it in the bag. She wished me "good parnassa, good health" etc. (the usual when you give donations here) and I wished the same back for her.
Obviously I wasn't going to eat those rolls and I knew from the beginning I would give them to the pigeons at the Opera Building Beach.... I was afraid to even touch anything else (I just don't like someone's spit on the items I am carrying) and after having fed the pigeons went to thoroughly wash my hands at the Opera Building toilets.
The gym was crowded with "old men" (I know bad description being not the youngest myself, but they really are old men) - and after watching for a while I decided to try some arm-muscle stretching exercises. Then... this old man came up and at the pulling yourself up pole he, without any effort, not only pulled himself up but also swayed himself around the pole. This at approx. 2 meters height from the ground. I on the other hand, couldn't lift myself off the ground for more than around approx. 20 cm..... My prejudices seem to always show me how wrong I am. But since I saw this I am determined to get the strenght back into my arms in order to be able to -at least- pull myself up until my shoulders and not less than 5 times.. .(Still have to figure out how though).
The sea was angry, wild and I felt very much intimidated by him today :( He did put on a spectacular show though. It is not his performance, but the message that made me feel a little upset. However, I talk back to the sea. (Yeah, I know I am crazy) - and I think when we "parted" we had an understanding.
I got home around 12:00 - even later than yesterday - and I am afraid I am becoming a "beach-bum" - but then: who cares? ;-)
Saturday, July 5, 2008
When I walked out of the house this morning at 06:10 it was already warm from the percent of humidity in the air. Still I took a quick pace. I don't decide beforehand on which pace I take, it comes as it comes, sometimes fast sometimes slower - but never really slow because that gives me a back-ache.
The whole scenery was already in place, the snow-egret came flying over my head, the fire-flies dancing in the sunlight and of course the overwhelming outburst of the colors of the flowers everywhere. I do notice a change though. Where first the trees had purple little flowers all over them now those are gone. The Bougainvillea however is blooming abundantly all around. Their flowers like fluorescent little colored light-bulbs, so very vivid and varied.
I met an old friend when I arrived at the beach whom I hadn't seen for many, many years already and who used to be a very close friend of mine during my beginning years in Israel. It was a very nice surprise and we decided to stay in contact. I was happy though she (and the other friend she was with) didn't suggest we walk the beach together. That is strange because I love people and always enjoy with friends and I like her a lot. It dawns upon me that I need this time to enjoy from my surroundings alone....
Well the sea was even more 'angry' than the day before yesterday but didn't splash over the railing that much. His stories were roaring though (meaning he made a lot of noise). I made my round telling "my fishermen" good morning and ask whether they caught something but except for one none had caught anything. This particular fisherman caught a "Denise" - nice fish, but it also looked small to me...
When walking the beach you don't notice what they're doing at the boulevard so when I took the boulevard walk this morning instead of wading through the water (it was too crowded to my liking) I was surprised to find the Iriya (I think) had installed a kinda work-out place people can do exercises. Of course I had to try it out. It was lovely. I never used those attributes before because I always thought it was dumb to go to a mechon Kosher when you can do everything "naturally". But, I must admit, it was very nice to put those muscles I seem not to use normally into action.
I arrived back home at 11:15, so I had a nice, long morning at my refuge ;-)
My day was a mess. No schedule at all. And after having been to work I decided to walk to the beach (duh!) - On the way I saw a nice graffiti (it says "what do you want to do this evening/night?" and someone scribbled under it "sleep"). It was a rather hot day and when I arrived at the beach the sea was playing up (he was rough) and -as the photo shows- splashing water drops over the railing of the boardwalk. This "seashower" was so refreshing. I love it when the sea make 'grumpy' noises and then -as if to show he cares for me (yeah, I know - wild imagination) splash cooling drops all over me :D
