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Archives: May 2003
Smelling a far past away
My mind wanders to views of today.
Relaxing in the hamam now.
This would be soemthing I would bring into our culture if possible: the hamam...
Later when I am big I want a minihamam in my house. -read bathroom where one should not be afraid of making everything a mess.-
I think of the amazing things of today, so amazing they made me smile all day, and made me forget to take pictures of it.
But then again, all those japanese people who have their trip home because they forget to look while filming...
I wouldn't like to become like that.
I can't help thinking about what that belgian journalist said about the middle-east: I saw no one who was really happy.
I don't agree.
I guess I wonder if they exist really happy people. I don't know any body who is really happy in Europe.
Today I saw this man who makes perfumes. An wonderful shop, full of bottles smelling like far away places and bodies of women. You could close your eyes and remember a childhood in one bottle, or smell your mother in an other one. Or that beautiful girl you met in highschool.
I took a picture of the shop.
'It smells nice' I said. He smiled at me, 'You nice!'
and took my hand to put it full of candies.
'You sweet.'
-he was not trying to do anything, just a nice man-
His eyes were smiling.
I answerd with my sweetest smile.
And kept it all day.
If only the world could be this simple...
Posted on May 1, 2003
in Travels - Syria
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If you could see what I see
if only you could see what I see now. Ended up in craq des chevaliers, the most important thing to see, along the holy bible of the traveller -lonely planet-
i tend to do what the lp doesn't say, but this morning when the hotelowner asked me if i wanted to go with a japanes girl, i thougth 'what the heck, why not?'
i don't like to see this touristic stuff, but there are no tourists now, and this castle has have a reason to be on this place and not another.
Which turned out to be true.
I am sitting on the highest tower, enjoying the views, looking at snowed libanon mounains while where i sit it must be atleast 30 degrees.
this silence, these views, this is why i wanted to travel for some time.
i like pictures with people, but i do enjoy silence and views.
this is why travelling alone is also a bless. soo egoistic, but o so relaxing.
Nobody to tell you what to do, where to go or to be depended of.
It takes some time to adjust to that -and sometimes it is difficult especially with nasty men-
but once you can live with it, it is panuts.
Although, I'd like to travel like M. Helsen -the belgian worldtraveller/journalist- beyond all borders and leave all tourists behind.
But as a woman alone, i don't take that risk.
no way.
Being faced at is one thing, neglect it is another thing. Travelling alone beyond borders is not yet what i can do.
-This is the only time i 'd like to be a man...-
-Because every man youmeet, you meet with the idea that he wants something. although it's not always in their intentions. a big pity-
Posted on May 3, 2003
in Travels - Libanon
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Grandmother in Tripoli
Still in Tripoli, I am wondering. In this cosy hostel, that profilates itself with the slogan 'better than your grandmother', the grandmother is indeed not far away. She's jumping around, makes a fight with her son of 50 years old, and murmels some words of french.
Her daughter rules the place, but doesn't speak english very well, what leads to funny moments.
Yesterday evening we (read: some Syrians, an new-zealander and me) were making some fun. A Syrier (the one that wanted me before) drunk too much and wanted to sell me a kilo of pistache. I started bargaining. Fun.
Also the New Zealander was hitting on me, and I think he was dissapointed when I went asleep without him.Anyway, this place is getting full after we found out that the visa for Libanon is free (and we told everybody in the hostel in Hama)
Posted on May 4, 2003
in Travels - Libanon
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Tripoli, what Tel Aviv could have been...
I am sitting on the 'Esplanade' wit a nice icecream, and after all those time of women with scarves, here I see another reality.
While I am watching the scenery, I start to laugh.
THis is exactly Tel Aviv. If only they know how they ressemle, these enemies...
If somebody would ask me what I expected to see in Tel Aviv, I think the answer is 'What Beirut is like'
Didn't see Beirut yet, but considering Tripoli is just the top of the icemountain...
Libanon has the charm the rest of the Middle-East misses: coffeehouses with french names, loads of icecream and croissants, nice sweet croissants.
I guess the French had some good influences the Libanese people liked.
The view is stunning, behind me a nice port in front of me, in the horizon snowwhite mountains, before my feet, beautiful women parading, and boys trying to get contact -is this Tel Aviv beach->
A few metres away some old men are staring too. Indeed, the women are beautiful.
I guess tomorrow I ask to sit next to them all day.
And stare.
-grin-
PPS: Hei Jake, maybe you should change that ticket to Beirut...
Posted on May 6, 2003
in Travels - Libanon
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Beirut, here we are
Arrived in Beirut...
Quinten -my dearest fellow traeller for helas only 2 days- and I took the bus in Tripoli, which turned out to be a great experience.
We only payed 2 dollar, and started wondering about that allready.
After 20 min of driving.. BANG!, a collapsed tyre. -That explained the 2 dollar only. joke!-
Well the next 20 min were quite funny: a crazy woman saying crazy things -in arab-, a hole bus laughing and we too, although we didn't understand a word of it.
I think aI made some good pics.
In Beirut, Quinten and I take a walk in town.
'Ice-cream' my head and body scream. It is soooo hot and we're aching for refreshment.
Beiruts ice-cream turn out even better than he tripoli ones -but also more expensive..-
Views of a renewed city next to old destroed buildings. I am amazed when I see how good everything is restored.
But houses with bulletholes or even bigbig holes remind of the past they're trying to erase.
I was right saying that Beirut is what Tel Aviv would like to be...
A remarkable nice fashionable city -with big fashionshops!- but expensive.
Oil-shahs from Oman, UAE etc come here to spent their summer, which explaines the prices...
Remarkable is the trafficlightsyndrome... Nobody stops for red... Somebody gives us the explanation: during the war there was no trafficlight working and people got used to do without, now trafficlights are putted on again, but everybody still ignores them.
Also remarkable is the fact that almost everybody speaks French and English. In Tripoli we met a girl that talked Franch and English quite good, she was only 10!
A day later we get in touch with the openness of the Middle-East -Israel included!-
A guy picks us up at the market and guides in town, telling how libanese people are like.
-It seems that everybody in the middle east claims the label of most friendly people...-
We get to know about the Israel-Libanon conflict, but also the syrian-libanon conflict, the muslim-christian conflict, the palestinian-libanese conflict, the men-women conflict.. and once again we realize how many conflicts this region counts...
Nobody likes nobody. Libanon doesn't like Israel, Syria, Palestinians and vice versa.
When we hear the news on the road map, we start to laugh.
Sorry to say this, but we really don't believe in this peace.
If only you see the expectations of phase 1.. Doomed to collapse.
Quinten, who is UN observer on the Isr-Lib border seems to agree with that.
To my friends in Israel, once again. Take that foreign passport, get it issued not in Tel Aviv, but in country of origin and come and see.
And learn how economics are running here -maybe not optimistic yet but better than elsewhere- Might be interesting for Israel.
Posted on May 10, 2003
in Travels - Libanon
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Bloody hot...
Waaargh. Again a bloddy hot day. I am so happy I am here and not in Syria or elsewhere.
Here a woman can where short sleeves and shorts.
You're not stared at because short sleeves but because my lack of taste in clothes. Carlos told us yesterday that women like to show of.
Well they do.
Beirut is for me: bulletholes, mercedesses and beautiful short skirted women parading (grinning).
Amazing how many women drive mercedesses (or big cherokeejeeps.)
(And how they're allowed from their lovers to drive them. Wow...)
Posted on May 11, 2003
in Travels - Libanon
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Shabra -without Shattile-
Today I decide to visit Shabra. Maybe some of you don't know it very well, it's a former refugeecamp for Palestinians, in Beirut.
Sharon is charded to have committed violations against human rights here, after having commanded a so called massamurder...
Still the truth is not know about what happened here, and we will never know.
One thing is sure, I have never seen so many houses full of bullets....
The new Beirut lost traces of this war, most things are restored and on several places you see houses that are not done yet.
But once you get out of the center, things get different...
Shabra is a poor neighbourhood, and money to restore is not existing, so houses stay in the same way they were.
No words for what I saw...
Pictures will show just part of it. I you start thinking how this war should have been...
Yesterday Quinten -dearest fellowtraveller for too short time- and I came across this nice guy who guided us in his big Mercedes -one likes to show of here...-
But the most stunning part whenhe showed us his appartment, a penthouse to be. Everything had been ruined in the war, and we saw bullets in a window.
So we asked Carlos. He looked and said ' Off course bullets.... This are rests of the war.' And explained us what it was like.
He was 12, and one day several bombs, they were used to it.
'But the biggest of them all, well it made us have a swimmingpool in just some seconds...
It landed 10 meters from our bomb shelter and it made so much noise.... Wow. I was scared to death.
But afterwards I asked my father to leave it as a swimmingpool. He didn't.'
He said it laughing, told it like a joke, but it was no joke, it was real. For all those people this war was so real.
No wonde rthey hate Israel so much -which they do....-
Everywhere traces of this past.
Later today I spoke with the hostelowner -the sweetiest guy I know, we get free tea and food- if he believed in peace with Israel.
'Never peace with Sharon', he said.
'Not even if it's good for tourism and your economy?'
'Never with Sharon... It is not a man of peace... Netanayu was better, he tried to do something. Now nothing happens...'
I guess a lot has to change in this region before peace will be achieved.
A lot more than talking....
Posted on May 11, 2003
in Travels - Libanon
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Tyre, looking to Israel from a distance
Michel -the Brazilian guy- and I went to Tyre to day.
Watched Israel.
So close and so far away...
Went back to town, ate an ice-cream -probably really the last one in Libanon, Quinten...-
and started thinking how close the end of this journey is.
Almost back in Tel Aviv, almost back in Belgium.
Great 7 months till now.
Just wanted to say that.
Things do have changed. especially in my head.
I don't seem to care where my head lies, I never get awake wondering where I am.
That's great...
It really is.
But also the desire to see more
And more and more and more....
So won't stay long at home I think....
Posted on May 12, 2003
in Travels - Libanon
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Sky falling on my head
I stare at the ceiling of my hotel room and wonder if it will fall on my head tonight...
It's soo hot in Damascus, too hot in this room, no airco -but hey what do you exspect for 4 $->
Been busy with those elections in Belgium. How to solve the fact that I should go voting...
I am in Damascus, while my domilily (home adress) is in Ghent, but in fact I have been living in Tel Aviv the latest 6 months. Complicated...
I hope a copy of my passport and some flying tickets will be enough to convince the Belgian Government to let go those fines...
-Thank you mum, for helping me on this one...-
To the Belgian Government I would say, do something usefull instead of making laws for people abroad going to vote. They don't have a clue about politics, and before, if they wanted to vote, they could.
Now we have to find an excuse why we won't vote.
Heck, because your parties are all saying the same bullnuts...
C'mon, close those weaponfactory, create some jobs for the unemployed -I'll send you my plan very soon- instead of quirelling on who should be in charge in Antwerp...
Voting abroad should stay what it was: an opportunity, not an obliogation.
-which in my opinion is totally different when you're living in belgium. Everybody should vote there...-
Oh, on Damascus. maybe because of the heat it is somehow dissapointing... so leaving soon to the desert, to sleep under the stars...
Posted on May 13, 2003
in Travels - Syria
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National Museum
Sitting in the garden of the National Museum.
It's the place to get lost when the world is spinning too fast. (Temperatures are bearable again)
Damascus didn't get better. (I guess after visiting cities as Aleppo, Beirut, Istanbul, I have seen too many cities for a while)
A desertwind is raging, and the sky is more yellow than blue. Meanwhile I get lost in time.
Not that I like all these historical stuff. It does make me realize the beauty and 'greatness' of the past.
(In the museum there is a shrine where the Torah should have been. I had to smile this thing is here in Syria, and not in Israel. Quite ironic. I don't think they intend to give it to the Israeli...)
Those floating ideas, an d the silence of a museum.
It's like a church, but disconnected of religion. And so I sit in the garden, listening to birds singing songs, waiting til closing time.
Amongst statues that make the past the past.
Posted on May 14, 2003
in Travels - Syria
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Imagine a Saoudi..
Imagine going from Damascus to Amman, in a service-taxi -because the bus you wanted to take only leaves at 3pm and it is 9am-
Imagine sitting in this cab with an old Jordanian, an senior Lebanese woman and a Saoudi-Arabi man who is giving everybody to drink all the time.
Imagine passing the border and be stunned because evrybody in the Syrian! border is having a mask against SARS -is there sars in Syria->
Imagine arriving in Amman and being proposed to go to Petra with the same Saoudi-Arabian by the Libanese 'Because he's a sweet man'
And before you know it you're in a private taxi to Petra, and the guy says he was not planning to go but because of you he changed his plans
Imagine he proposes you to stay in his house in Cairo, or in Saoudi-Arabia -which is almost impossible to go to, they don't give visa to foreigners...- as you wish
Imagine he's paying all the bills -taxi, dinner and even hotel, with your own room-
You think this is a joke?
It isn't!!!!!
How do I get rid of this nice man
Mum, if you want to sell me high price: do it now.... I guess I am worth a lot here...
Sigal and Tamar -you're the closest-, come and save me.... grinning
I started doing very weird, telling that I want to cross this desert by camel-which I will do btw- and want to sleep in the desert -which I will do also-
and it starts to work, he thinks I am crazy.
I have to make him believe I am too crazy, so he leaves for Saoudi -Arabia and leaves me behind....
By now I said I am going to Al Quds -which is Jerusalem for those who don't know- and he says he will wait for me in Cairo....
I say I don't have any money, he says it's nothing, he'll pay my flying!ticket -and believe me, he will, he's from Saoudi Arabia, don't forget....-
Fppp, travelling alone is easy, when you're really alone...
This adventures, I wonder how I will live through.....
Kisses.
Hope to see you soon...
-So dearest girls in TLV, if you want to go to Cairo, you'll only have to pay a flyingticket, staying is for free.... grinning-
Posted on May 14, 2003
in Travels - Jordan
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Storm ove Damascus
Storm komt over Damascus. Eindelijk een licht koele bries.
Zwaluwen racen door de lucht en spelen spelletjes waarvan wij het bestaan niet vermoedden.
Wat doe ik hier? De onvermijdelijke vraag doemt in me op.
Angstig omdat er geen antwoorden zijn, verplaats ik mijn blik van dit papier naar elders.
Toeterende auto's maken muziek, al naargelang je definitie van muziek...
Antwoorden blijven uit, zoals ze dat al 25 jaar doen.
Ik kwam voor de kleur van de hemel, zal ik later zeggen. Om de schoonheid van de dingen en de stiltes, eens niet van ongesproken woorden, maar van stiltes, want niemand om tegen te praten.
Waarom het Midden-Oosten zullen ze later vragen.
De antwoorden zijn eenvoudig. Omdat ik het niet link aan buikloop (zoals ik dat wel met India doe), Omdat ik het niet link aan tropische vochtigheid (zoals ik dat wel met Zuid-Amerika doe)
Omdat ik het link aan woestijnen, blauwe hemeles en kamelen. Aan avontuur. Daarom.
En om mijn nieuwsgierigheid dit conflict te bevatten.
Niet eens te begrijpen.
Daarom.
Posted on May 15, 2003
in Travels - Syria
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I saw Petra today...
After getting rid of my Saoudi guy -he I do have a mind...- I got to the Petra site, where I got in touch with some nice people from Dubai -yeh- They stay in a 5 star hotel -me in a zero one...- -they're in hotelbusiness or something like that.
They're really great.
I had loads of fun, stunning views and now hurting legs.
Wanted to take a camelride, but I guess that if I can walk tomorrow I will feel happy, so I don't know if I will go for a hurted butt....
Heading day after tomorrow for Aqaba.
Almost home...
Petra is indeed more than you ever expect. Great....
Posted on May 16, 2003
in Travels - Jordan
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5 billion sky
You have 5 stars hotels, he said, but mine is a 5 billion star hotel.
Dehbi smiles. I knew I would trust this man Mahmoud introduced me to.
Between the 2 man a discussion about prices start, and in the end they compromise: I pay the engine and the food.
Dehbi, bedouin, takes my stuff in the 4*4 and of we go, into the desert.
I guess if I would have listen more carefully to my mum and grandmother, I would have taken a tour with a travelagency and 20 other people... Instead I follow my heart and take the risk of going out with somebody I don't know.
Once off the road we are in the desert, and Dehbi loves jeeping, and I tell you it's fun.
This is the most impressive thing I ever seen: an empty desert
We stop several times to visit his family and drink tea (never drunk soo much tea)
Dehbi's family counts 6000 people....
Everywhere we are welcomed.
In the middel of the desert we drink tea with an other tourist, elsewhere we cook a meal -well, he cooks a meal-
Elsewhere I am invited to have horseriding at sunset. Imagine riding an Arabic horse in a beautiful desert. I can dream of being Ine of Arabia for an hour.
-later more on this part...-
Much later and a lot of km further, we head for a place to see sunset. But our jeep gets stuck, real stuck: the tyre got of the velge.
So there I am, in the middle of the desert, no telephone connection, no way of solving this problem alone...
Nothing to do but walking.
Ever saw a film of people walking in the desert, in a huge emptyness? I did. They always almost die of thirst... So I quickly take a bottle of water and a camera. (hey I am a photographer, I can aswell die with a camera)
After an hour (or was it less?) Dehbi drops me at a rockformation 'Climb on it, enjoy the sunset. I'll be back with family, if not head 1 km north and wait in a camp'
'Don't worry, be happy, this is life' he adds.
Right...
I end up in the highest rock, enjoying a great sunset, floating in millions of thoughts.
'I am getting big now' A realisation.
An hour later, a convoy of three jeeps, and 10 people come to the feet of the mountain and start jelling 'Come down!!!'
It's funny, but this rescue team feels like happiness in my head.
The desert is the place where things become to the pure essential: sun, land, sky and water.
And two other things: beauty and friendship.
It's peacefullines? is amazing.
We get into the jeep, go to ours, and some men get it fixed. Offcourse now we have to drink tea, talk about what happened and an Ud-player is singing songs, that everybody seems to know.
Later, Dehbi and I head for a Bedouincamp in a valley, to enjoy te desertnight fully.
Offcourse we don't stay alone for long... People come to visit us, because they heard what happened. Waterpipes are smoked, stories told and bedouinsongs sung.
Suddenly one of the man jumps up, a hedgehog was hidden behind its back. Funny. The man was scared all evening.
In my mind a flash: 4 men and a me, alone in an empty desert. Everything could happen, nobody would know.
But I don't fear anything. In fact I should... Later when we walk to see the moon, suddenly a snake appears... Promptly the men get into action. As I exspect to see them catching a snek in traditional way, they set off with the jeeps and strat driving over it til it is dead. Quite funny and impressive to see. grin.
Later I watch the 5 billion star sky before falling asleep under a beddouin lullabie.
If heaven is silence: this is it...
Posted on May 17, 2003
in Travels - Jordan
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Worldmaps...
Did you know that on Arabic worldmaps Israel is not mentioned?
Peace is still far away. Too far.
As many roadmaps as you prefer.
And a Sharon that doesn't want to poor water to the wine.
An Arabic world that doesn't recognize Israel as a country, as a fact.
Long way to go....
Posted on May 19, 2003
in Living in Israel
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Birders to cross
Take a seat, this can take a while, he says after 2 hours.
She knocks on the door. 'Is there anybody?'
I come out of the toilet. 'Yes, me.'
'You shouldn't leave your things alone here.'
I look around me, I am the only one in the border,
nobdy else but security, they checked my luggage,
and they're checking me now, for 2 hours.
She looks quite angry. It is not safe, she adds.
I look into her eyes. 'You know, after 2 hours being stuck in
a border, somebody sometimes needs to pee.
I am not thinking of taking a backpack and 2 bags into the
toilet with me...'
'Next time you don't leave it' she says, and leaves.
'If there was a bomb inside, I would have had it explode here' I think.
But I keep silent.
The rest of this story I told too many times to too many Israeli's. You don't feel welcome. I repeat. But hey.... I'll spare you the rest...
Posted on May 19, 2003
in Living in Israel
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Beurthdee
I wake up late and the first thing I get is a sweet birthdaykiss. A little bit later, a sweet young girl stares into my eyes, innocent. She gives me a hug. I smile. My birthday is already a hit.
So this lazy day goes on
Posted on May 23, 2003
in Living in Israel
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Eurosong
Oh my god, after 3 songs Eurosong, we collapse... Austria convinces us.
Sigal puts a DVD en we enjoy very lazy a nice movie.
The whole day has been slow: wake up late, wach a movie, read a book, enjoying the sun, have a sleep, and finally end up at Sigals with Tamar and Dana.
Heaven... I became a little bit lazy since I am back.
But he, I think that's OK. In one month I'll be back in Belgium, working very hard.
-That idea makes me lazy I guess...-
After the movie, we zap to Eurosong, and to my surprise Belgium does pretty well8
Why Now I have to watch it to the end, imagine we win, while I am lying in my bed and could smile to all those Israeli and say we won -and they not... grin-
Between counting of the points, all kinds of thoughts struck my mind. How I became a real nomad by know, jumping from one 'home' to another. How my backpack became smaller and smaller untill the only necessary: a toothbrush and fresh underwear.
Being spoiled by friends, and be reallyreally 'home'
I wonder if everything would be as easy in Belgium.
(But probably I'll notice, since I don't have an appartment by now. Maybe I have to come to one of you to sleep some nights. Grin.)
The nearing end is strange. On the one side, I am really looking forward to see those friends, to spend time in the park, have parties, on the other side it will be so different/difficult to leave this home behind. This luxe-life. And this firends.
Meanwhile Belgium springs to the first place in Eurosong!!!
When we loose, in the last points, I kind of find it hard to believe, but hey, it is only a Eurosvisionsongfestival.
I wonder what the Belgian newspapers will write tomorrow.
In Blegium, a birthdayparty is going on now, I hope I am a little bit in yor thoughts now.
Hugs from here tot there.
And bubbels and strawberries.
Hope I have a late birthdayparty on July 2nd. Smile.
Posted on May 24, 2003
in Living in Israel
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Short story
'Layla Tov', I say to the soldier at the checkpoint.
The second one looks up, surprised.
'It's you... How was it inside?' 'Interesting.'
'It sucks inside' 'You think so? For me it was ok.'
'What are you doing there anyway?' 'I am a student photographer. I take pictures'
'Ah, ok. See ya.' 'Good evening.'
-a friend was sent back 2 times by know. I don't seem to have any problems here.-
As I walk out of the checkpoint
heading for home -where that may be-
I hear a woman singing.
Another 20 m before she will be checked.
Good evening, I say
Good evening, she answers, are you as happy as me today?
Because I saw you I am happy, I answer
Good evening, miss, good life.
And don't let the dogs bite you.
As I walk further away, I smile,
wondering what she ment by that,
wondering if she will easily get in.
The man in the sherut looks at me
his eyes are too shiny not to be drunk
I know this glance since the last 6 months
and know how to recognize it by know
This man is sitting too close to me
to be comfortable
Jerusalem- Tel Aviv 50km left
The uneasiest 50km of the Middle-East until now
He wants to touch my breast
I give hime a hit
Scared he turns away and starts making phonecalls
To his wife, asking where she is and if she will
pick him up.
I look at his keppa, I look at him.
Filthy pretender.
Posted on May 29, 2003
in Living in Israel
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John arrives
I pick up John at the airport
For those who don't know John surf to www.baeyens.net
That's the way I learned to know him. Strange one might say, well I am quite happy about it.
Internet does work as communication thing.
That's how he became my twinbro in e-space.
And suddenly he will be here in real-time. (never saw him before...)
I doesn't feel uncomfortable, it seems very normal in a way and I don't feel nerves for this 'blind date' as Sigal calls it.
We drive the rented car to the Dead Sea and then to Eilat.
Although I told him we would visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem etc, I changed plans and decided to show him the 'real' Arab world, and then do Israel in a quicky.
My desert adventure of not to long ago wants to be repeated. I want to convince people this worldis so interesting, I want to have people feeling the same exitement I challenged some days ago.
Desertstorm makes bad sight, but I don't care. After an early dive in the Dead Sea and a dissapointing Massada (Mum, you missed NOTHING!) we arrive in Eilat. I drive into the city, to drink something, but a trafficjam and Benidorm alike people make me take a U-turn and head for Aqaba straight away.
And then it happens to us. As we cross the border we enter a different world. I feel comfortably home. John seems to enjoy it too and my only aim of this trip, giving him an impression of the Middle-East, seems to have worked already.
More has to come.
Snorkling and desertrips. But that's another day...
Posted on May 30, 2003
in Friends around
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Sigal throws a party...
Sigal throws a party, she organized one for the british council and the ambassador
When Tamar and I arrive, we're both surprised. Instead of the small thing we expected, this turned out to be a huge thing:ministers, famous people, ambassadors, etc. Television. Everubody is here.
A swimmingpool transformed to dancefloor, a huge watertower enlightens the place.
I get in as a 'guest' Amazing.
I can't deal with the difference between one day ago and now.
Yesterday I was sitting in a refugeecamp, now I am standing on a high class party...
I look at Tamar, try to explain. I realize for them everything is different.
They live only in one world. I cross those borders and fall from one extrem in another. I guess they'll never understand that.
If people ask me the way in Tel Aviv, I can't explain. I feel ashame after 6 months of being here not knowing more, I blame it on the Hebrew signs.
From every world I know a little bit, from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Some times that feels strange.
Some times that feels good.
Posted on May 30, 2003
in Living in Israel
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Fishy
After a Middle-East breakfast (orangejuice) we head for the glassboat to snorkel in the 'Japanese gardens' -I wonder who called it that way, we ARE in the Middle-East...- where we swim amongst fish.
I used to look at Kristel's aquarium.
As the little glowing fish, the zebra-fish, the sardineschools swim around me and beautiful corals are beneath me, I wonder how one wants to have an aquarium.
I swim in the biggest aquarium of all.
For John this is not new, but I guess it stays as impressive every time...
Posted on May 31, 2003
in Friends around
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