Comatose Government

March 18, 2008 by · 2 Comments
Filed under: Blogging, Crime, Israeliness, Politics 

Israel’s government can be a wonderful source of fodder material even on an extreme writer’s block day.

Because as Israellycool puts it, “You can’t make this stuff up”:

A group of Knesset members has signed a petition calling on President Shimon Peres to pardon Omri Sharon, the corrupt son of former PM Ariel Sharon who is serving a 7-month jail sentence for lying under oath, filing false affidavits, and violating campaign laws.

Their main argument? The sentence will prevent Omri from being at his comatose father’s side, causing father to lose hope which may, in turn, shorten his life.

That rationale makes you want to run right out and commit a whole handful of crimes.

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Israeli Culinary Lesson #494

March 18, 2008 by · 1 Comment
Filed under: General 

From the Department of What the Hell Was I Thinking?

I just ate lunch at a little place with home cooking. Feeling adventurous, I accepted the worker’s offer to try the ghoulash-like dish which he referred to as “fajitas”. Up to this point, I considered my worst decision in Israel to have been going to the mas hachnasa (income tax authority) three times in a week. There’s a new #1 in town, folks.

And if I ever decide to eat “shakshuka” in Mexico City, please shoot me. Sorry, Big Felafel, still searching for Mexican food.

For more good times…head over to What War Zone???

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Dancing in the streets at Purim

March 18, 2008 by · 3 Comments
Filed under: General 

I grew up loving Purim. It’s probably my favorite holiday.

Not only do I get to dress up, eat thousands of cookies, shout and yell in synagogue, but it is kind of required to drink oneself silly (really, it is written that on Purim one should get so drunk you can’t tell the difference between Haman (the bad guy) and Mordachi (the good guy).

My synagogue in the US obviously fulfilled all the requirements, but people drove to the temple, people had to go to work the day after, families would go listen to the story be read and that was kind of it.

Here, according to my Israeli friends, is completely different.

Living in Jerusalem, I’m going to see people dancing in the streets, songs will be sung everywhere and groggers will be handed out at every corner.

They tell me that if I think Saturday nights are wild in downtown Jerusalem, I’ll be blown away by Purim.

I’ll be dressing up as mini mouse, hanging out with my friends and noshing on Hamantashin till my stomach explodes, and I have never been more excited to do so!

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The Doctor is In

March 18, 2008 by · 10 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, Blogging, Food, Immigrant Moments 

It took a few decades but guess who finally arrived in Israel?

The Doc.

Dr. Pepper.

And Oleh Girl Yael is thrilled.

I’ve been whining and whinging for years that we are still a third world country no matter how many brands of toilet tissue we have on our shelves because we do not have Dr. Pepper here. Well, welcome to the first world baby!

Personally I am loath to drink beverages that taste like my toothpaste but heck…what do i know?

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Sick of Smoke

March 18, 2008 by · 1 Comment
Filed under: Blogging, History and Culture, Israeliness, Life 

Tel Aviv’s Barzilay Club (Bar-Zee-Lie or “Brazilian”) is one of the “It” spots for trend & an underground warehouse type scene.

But Amir of Forecast Highs was there over the weekend to check out Kutiman and he’s none too happy with the experience.

Israel’s legal arm made progress last year by enacting an anti-smoking law. Now it needs to be enforced.

The Barzilai Club and the Gymnasium are two of the most popular nightspots in Tel-Aviv, and it seems they enjoy some special immunity from the local authorities who are supposed to enforce the non-smoking law in public places. Its as if the selectors at the door won’t let the municipal inspectors into the club. Its as if the mayor is not on the guest list.

Now I’ve written about this before, and its painful to see just how little the Tel-Aviv Municipality is doing to enforce the non-smoking in public places law. The same thing happened at the Erika Badu concert last month at the Tel-Aviv Exhibition Grounds. It seems that in large places the non-smoking ban is not enforced. But as far as I understand it, the law specifically states that smoking in public places is illegal, i-l-l-e-g-a-l. So what’s the problem?

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