Shabbas in da city

So I just spent my first Shabbat this year in Jlem. Of course, being me, I spent it with Christians. There I was, at the holiest site in the world, the place towards which all Jews pray, sitting on the cool stones with an Singapore-Canadian, who is working for the UN. Relief agency for Palestinians, and a French-Britain, who had just finished writing a book on museums, and a Norwegian, a band member who told me that it broke her heart that Jews were going to hell. (very sweet girl though)

How did I manage to be in Jewish nation and spend Shabbat with non-Jews?

I really don’t know. One Jewish girl was there; she was also working for the UN. Relief agency for Palestinians.

After the Kotel we went to Damascus Gate in the old city which is, as far as I know, part of the Arab quarter. Here everything was still open for business and the others got some coffee while I just sat holding my Siddur pretending to be a good little Jewish girl by not spending money on Shabbat.

I learned a lot from French-Britain, who had just finished writing a book on museums, basically because he is obsessed with museums and told me that the Israel National Museum is the only museum in the world that is privately funded. Therefore, the state can’t use the museum for propaganda. The example that he used was that the Dead Sea Scrolls could be used as establishing that Jews were their first or whatever, but instead it is just used intellectually.

He was also wearing on of those striped headbands that you can turn into different things like a headband, a touque, a scarf. Basically an overpriced stretchy piece of fabric.

Then we went out drinking (but not the good little Jewish girl) and I learnt all about the bad Settlers in the West Bank from Singapore-Canadian, who is working for the UN. Relief agency for Palestinians. I was personally shocked.
I was and still am part of the whole “But all Israel wants is Peace camp” but I have realized its not all that simple. These settlers in the West Bank are extremely right wing and they apparently beat up the Palestinians. Now, a Jew should not beat up anybody. This guy told me he actually saw these settlers beat up a 6 year old Palestinian girl.

I know. Jews? Fighting? Being mean? Apparently so. If you don’t believe me just youtube search Btselem


Thus, I have decided to visit the West Bank. I think its important to see these things for oneself. How can I judge something that I’ve never seen? Most North American Jews see everything in black and white. And its tiresome, and I think we are going to have to face up to the fact that we’re not all so great and we have our crazies too.

Museum guy wants to see a museum not on the holocaust but on how Germany go to the point where they could do what they did. Very interesting… like how did an entire nation get to the point where they ignored or perpetuated Nazi-ism? The same thing today like in the Congo and Sudan, how do people do those things? I mean…we’re also people. People just like us do these terrible things. So yea, I would like to have a museum to understand how and why! Or a book. But this guy is Museum boy, so he wants a museum.

Internship

The reason I came to Jlem was to do this internship at JewTimes*

*Not the real name but you know those ppl you read about who get fired for blogging about their employers? Don't want that to be me!

So I really had no idea what to expect. None at all. I was supposed to go to Hebrew U but that didn't work out. So I walked in in the afternoon on this super super hot day.

I had a mini clothing crisis in the morning because...what do you wear in a religious city, when its 35 degrees, that is also appropriate for an internship?

I settled on Lulus with a white button up with checkered ballet flats and a pink Burberry headband to accessorize.

I didn't even get lost going there: shockers of shockers.

So I walk into this very quiet, but very large, and of course dusty (this is Jlem) office and kind of wander around for a bit until the editor says 'hi' and tells me to go to the intern room.

There are a bunch of other interns sitting around the table with their Macbooks (yay!).

I still had no idea what I was supposed to do, the hours, the dresscode, the beat..nada.

So I got some info of of..wait..wait for this..

Danielle
Who lives 2 blocks away from me
In Toronto
With medium length curly brown hair
who dated the same guy that I hooked up with (though I didn't mention that part to her---please do not read this blog ever, either of you)
who was drinking a diet coke

basically..ummm I asked..myself.

There is no dresscode thank gosh because I swear I hate most of my jobs because they don't let me wear flipflops.

I didn't have my computer on me so I just kind of sat around trying to think of story ideas until the editor gave me a story to write. But then the computer he gave me was ancient and kept fucking up so I told him I would go home and write it.

I raced home, but it still took me FOREVER and I had to listen to this stupid jackhammer for like half an hour waiting for the bus.

Yes I do take the bus here, please pray for me.

So I actually got back to the hostel , typed out the article in an hour (yay deadline I felt so real journalisticy) and then went to Shoppers drugmart.

Of course I have no real idea how to write articles....which I'm sure showed. So I'm going to have to re-do it tmrw. But I'm excited to learn how and I hope he doesn't just fire me because I turn out to be a total retard and incapable of writing a proper newstory.

I'm happy to have structure this summer, but I don't know what I"m going to do to in my spare time. Probably sit in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, eat falafel, write this blog, try to improve my newswriting skills, travel on weekends, take up jogging, shop, walk aimlessly around Jlem...

any ideas PLEASE let me know!

Lets play a little game called Jgeo

Jewish Geography...heard of it?

I wandered around alone my first day in Jlem but then I sat beside a NonJewishBlueEyedAussie on my hostel's couch.

I actually cannot communicate how utterly SICK I am of telling people my whole life story. I am so sick of saying I'm from Canada and talking about Canada and the French and myself and my life and what I study and why I'm in Jerusalem blah blah blah kill me now.

But.....when you live my life its essential. But it makes me want to stop traveling, its really the worst part.

But I inflict this pain on other people so its clearly Karma.

So back to NonJewishBlueEyedAussie. Now...why would a NJ (non-Eew) come to Israel you are probably wondering? Well..I have met in my hostel alone like 5 NJs at least who came. I think its fascinating. This particular guy had met a lot of Israelis on his travels and

Had admired some things and had definte not admired other things.

...Like Israeli's incredible talent for bargaining in third world countries like Bolivia. (*sarcasm in case of undetectableness over web)


We, and Canadian ex-birthright ppl who were also staying at the hostel, decided to go to this comedy show that their birthright leader was putting on.

I won't even go into the JGEO with them. Lets just say..Hi 3 close friends, 1 camp friend summer '99, and my distant cousin.

So this comedy show...was....not funny. It was funny because it was so bad. Seriously, I thought that that was funniest part. They were making like Arab and terrorist jokes which I personally don't find funny at all because I
a. don't support racism
b. don't support making fun of cultures that aren't your own
c. don't support making it seem like Jews are racist to NJs
d. especially when your a huge loser/nerd

and they were making facebook jokes. Hellooo I have had facebook since 2005...like...get with the program and 2008.

The only funny guy was the birthright leader who was making fun of Jdate and internet lingo. Actually funny.

One of the 'comedians' who looked about 15, we ran into on Ben Yehuda st. after the show. There he (in a Kippa) called me a stupid bitch because I told him he wasn't funny and maybe he should stop seeing the world in black in white as in

" I don't like people who hate me."

Politics are going to come up a lot in this blog me being in the freakin M.E and all. Deal.

I understand the argument that many Arabs are brought up in a culture of hate..which is pretty much true. But that doesn't give Jews the right to return the hate. Then we are just stooping to their level. (hello kindergarten problem solving). As well...its a sad situation and if you can't make fun of it in an actually funny way...then just shut the fuck up. Also I find a lot of Jews use that hatred as an excuse to justify everything.

"Well, they hate us so there is no use in trying to make peace until they stop hating us"

Which is a valid argument. Maybe. But...maybe it could be changed to

"It is so sad that some people hate us. Lets try to get together with them and make them see that we are all just humans and they shouldn't feel like they have a reason to hate us."

So instead of separating ourselves further from them, perhaps we should actually get closer to them.

Newaz...so after the stupid bitch phrase one of the birthright guys like flexed his muscles and the guy like ran away.

Then we went to Mikes Place (cafe) where I ran into someone I know from a CFJS (Canadian Federation of Jewish Students) conference named "Comedian".

That was pretty fun. I ended up having 3/4ths of a wine bottle so was a little bit tipsy for a little bit and got to watch a girl on an Aish program hit on NonJewishBlueEyedAussie in an extreme way.

As in put her legs over his and call him "her aussie".

But she was fun and outgoing and I like her. But NonJewishBlueEyedAussie didn't and as soon as she left he was very relived as apparantly he was sooo not into her. But I guess when you're 25 and travel a lot you probably hook up with girls left right and centre. Especially when you're Australian. Their kinda sluts. Like Jews, except blonde and more straighforward.

All the other birthrighters had gone home to wake up for their early bus ride so me and NonJewishBlueEyedAussie stopped for some shisha where we ran into 'Comedian" who spilt my beer on me, and who happened to be hanging out with a Hasbara group where this girl I had been on a conference with last year was.

That was a mouthful.

Then NonJewishBlueEyedAussie et moi had a religious discussion where I tried to explain to him that one could both be Jewish and an Aetheist. True, but he didn't buy it. I refuse to explain it again. Try watching "The Believer" with Ryan Gosling for an intro to this concept.

Then we walked back to the hostel and me him and 2 girls went to Yad Vashem the next day.

For some reason...not emotional for me. It was just very long. The only thing that was truly scary was the pictures of the people in the concentration camp. They are just so skinny it's like they aren't even alive anymore. You wonder how they can even lift their heads.

I printed out the names of the people who died in my family from the 'Hall of Names' which is full of BOOKS of names in this circular room. Just books and books of 3 million dead people.

But then you step outside and have a "Fuck them!" moment because dammit your Jewish and alive and its 2008 and you just stepped out into Israel which is the fucking Jewish State.

But then I lost all of the other ppl and didnt see NonJewishBlueEyedAussie until later.

That night we went out with his ex-gf's Israeli friends and went to a club where I was soooo exhasted I almost fell asleep. Jlem is pretty expensive and drinks are like kinda super expensive so I wasn't really in the mood. But the friends were super nice except some of them were in high school. Sketch! Super Sketch! I used to be the high school girl...dammit when did I get so old?

Dusty winding roads

So these past few days in Jerusalem have really been a blur.

I'm sitting now in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, the amazing coffee chain from L.A which is extremely overpriced. But worth it on occasion. Plus they have free wifi and I kind of have this obsession with my Mac and Ice Coffees.

So lets talk about Jerusalem. It's dusty for one. And very white for a second. (is that a phrase? Let's make it into an acceptable phrase)

All the buildings are made of this whitish stone material and at times it seems as if the whole city is gleaming reflective sun.

That is, if you can see the buildings through the dust.

Or think through the noise.

The old city is really beautiful though. Its this laberynith of lanes with Arab shopkeepers selling the exact same t-shirts and trinkets shouting "excuse me" at everyone who walks by.

That always unnerves me. When people say 'Excuse me" in Canada its a polite gesture meant to inform the person of a stain or ask a question.

Here they just use it to get your attention which is kind of extremely annoying. Fuck off, if I want to buy something I'll walk in.

But the lanes are cobblestone obviously and they have these ramps on each step that I guess were used for wheels.

I always feel like I'm about to slip down them in my over-priced brown Havanias.

I could literally get lost for hours. And when you look at the old city from a distance its so nice. Its walled and stoned and ancient and beautiful and.... amazing that its been the source of so much bloodshed, just for all the whitish stone.

I'm staying in a hostel in the Christian quarter in this ancient building that is basically a cave with free wifi. They have a rooftop dorm where you can sleep and it has the most amazing view over the city which someone should remind me to post a picture of.

I met like 20 ex-birthright Canadians there and we played Jewish geography for a while. But that will be the next post!

The other part of Jerusalem is the new city. This is where the Mcdonalds and tourists shop are. Including the cafe I'm sitting in now. Its entirely filled with English speaking people. Mostly Americans, mostly modern orthodox.

On the famous (or popular) Ben Yehuda street is Shopper DrugMart (I kid you not), tired old souviner stands, falafel places which I am already getting sick of, and very bored security people in yellow vests. Subtle.

There is where everyone meets up at night. The Jerusalem Hostel is across from there; I might be moving there when I get sick of my hostel or fail to find an appt.

Outside the central part of the city, Jerusalem seems to be crowded and noisy and well...Middle Eastern.

Fly JetAirFly and possibly die

Yay, so in honour of the holy land I have decided to resume my blog that has to long been dormant.

Lets start with my last day in Belgium.


Actually I can't even recount this story again....bassssically i had SERIOUS SEIROUS luggage issues because of stupid airline regulations that need to go away. I had to leave like 1/3 of my clothes, my giant suitcase, and half my room in Belgium. I sent one small suitcase home with Simon, who i hope is actually allowed to bring it on his flight, and went to israel with my backpack and a large shopping back full of shoes basically.


I was wandering around the lovelye/hideous city of leige when it started to pour rain suddenly and unexpectedly. It was then that i cursed Belgium. I started to find a cab to take me to the airport but because I am apparantly the cheapest person alive I turned down the first cab driver and continuted to wander in the rain. Finally i gave up and hopped in the first cab i saw which happened to be a van in the middle of the street stopped at a traffic light.

26 euros later and at the tiny leige airport i was ready to go to the holy land!

except my baggage was 16 kilo overweight.

whoops/

So i proceeded to take out verything from my bags and repack on the airport floor. shoes, underwear, books and makeup was everywhere. I just ouldnt decide what to leave.

I loved my shoes! I had boughten them all for 5 euro (yes you read that right) in Paris and i was never going to find shoes like that in Canada.

Then she got fed up with me and started to yell at me that she needed to close her booth.

so i dumped all my extra shit into 2 plastic bags and she decided she was too busy to weigh my hand luggage (a good 10 kilo overweight) and i ran to catch my flight.

I was so upset i had to leave all my shoes and pajamas behind that i ahem...started crying infront of the non english speaking guy who started throwing out my hair cream (damn liquid rule) she was very confused about why i was crying..probably because i declined to explain it to him in french.

but also i was getting my normal delayed emotional reactions that i get from having to leave belgium and go to the middle east.

then i asked another guy not to stamp my passport because i for some retarded reason thought he was stamping it with an israeli stamp. he declined though. about 15 min later the same guy runs in with 2 plastic bags.

I stopped him and said very sheepishly "oh..um those are mine"

He gave me an incredulous stare.

"um..sorry about that. mam i in trouble?

He said" first you dont want me to stamp your passport, now this s your luggage?

"Um...yes? sorry about that..i meant to throw those out becuase of my overweight lugagge. but then...i forgot. so you can throw them out now"

He said: "So these are yours then? is there a time bomb in them? hahah"

"um no..hehe...just my..pajamas."

and then HE HANDED ME THE BAGS!

he totally did not speak english well enough to understand that that was my oveweight luggage! you were only allowed to bring 6 kg on the plan and i had about 15 kg with me.

and umm...how unsecure was that? everybody knows not to touch bags that are left unattended in the atrium! especially on a flight to israel.

but that is what you get with a random airport in leige and JetAirFly


Then i spent five hours in front of SCREAMING evil jewish children. Whose parents didnt even looked ashamed at every dirty dirty look i shot them.

I arrived eventually at my hostel at 2am and these Belgian guys in my shared taxi who spoke english well decided to walk me to my hostel. although is walking in the old city of jerusalem at 2 am really that dangerous? surely not.