Medusa

August 5, 2008 - 7:03 AM by Jessica

As we head to a week-long beach vacation in Hofit, a little yishuv near Netanya, I’m dreaming about cool sand between my toes in the early morning, and salty seas in the late afternoon, just before the sun starts setting. But everyone has been telling me to watch out for the medusot, or jellyfish, that are plaguing the Mediterranean Sea this time of year.

jellyfish.jpg Even the New York Times, well, International Herald Tribune for those of us on this side of the ocean, featured a front page, below-the-fold story the other day about jellyfish, the canary in the ocean’s coal mine, forcing beaches to close in Australia, France, Hawaii and Virginia. Benji Lovitt, in a recent Ynet piece, tells us to urinate on jellyfish stings when beachcombing in Tel Aviv, while my nephew said vinegar does the trick. Both sound fairly vile.
But I’m taking the more literary, esoteric approach, and thinking about jellyfish in the Etgar Keret manner, that is, as presented in his movie, Jellyfish, which won the Camera d’Or at Cannes in May. Saw it during the Israel Film Festival in July, and haven’t been able to get it out of my head. As J. Hoberman, a Village Voice reviewer, phrased it, “The movie’s title suggests that its principles [three lonely characters] are amorphous creatures subject to the ocean’s mysterious currents.”

Not stingers out to get clueless swimmers, but bloblike creatures bobbing along the ocean floor. Sort of like I plan to be on vacation, on the beach, in the water. Or as in the Greek sea nymph Medusa, when she still had hair, and before she sprang a head full of snakes and a reputation as a monstrous beast.

It’s all about attitude.

Tags: , , , , , , , • Category: Environment, General, History and Culture, Israeliness 

Comments

One Comment on Medusa

  1. Judy on Wed, Aug 6th 2008 3:23 PM

    2. In July, during jellyfish season in Israel, we kayaked in the Mediterranean and as the ocean became deeper, we saw bright blue jellyfish – somehow they never get to shore. Thise bright blue blobs were a deterrent in flipping the kayak…just get me to shore…

Leave a Comment





© 2010 ISRAELITY | Site by illuminea | Sitemap