fun with the fam

My uncle Ruli is an interesting man. Previously known as the guy who always had knives and medieval weaponry magazines shipped to our house in NYC for most of my life, I later found out that he was quite the adventurer. He would make yearly trips to the US from Israel and somehow be the one who took us all around to see the new museums, or underwater puppet shows, or whatever other crazy underground thing you can think of that somehow none of us antives were ever able to find. He opens doors without any idea of what may lay behins them.

So when he offered to take me around the Old City of Jerusalem, a place where most westerners and israelis are too afraid to go, I jumped at the idea of seeing a Jerusalem that no book could tell me about. I invited my cousin Yuli and with some warnings from my father and requests that Yuli, who's in the army, bring her gun, we were off.

We began with a bagel unlike and better than any other bagel. It was arabic, I think...and about as large as my torso, and when dipped into soft cheese and Zataar, delicious. We then walked into the armenian quarter of the old city which I gotta say was a lot like India. The streets were really crowded and small and ancient, of course. And there was chaos and craziness everywhere, with venders trying to grab you with either their voice or their hands, kids rushing past shouting, "shalom" or "allo." All sorts of crazy foods and sweets and turkish coffees and so much yummies for me to taste! It felt good to be in a world that demanded interaction and awareness, it really makes a girl feel alive.

Ruli took us into a roman catholic church/austrain youth hostel that has Amazing views of the old city and was able to point out a lot of the historical sites from the roof, as well as the accompanying history of the crusades and architecture and all sorts of fabulous knowledge.

We listened to the mosques blast out their prayers and sampled many tasty arabic treats with some turkish coffee that I think is what happens when you mix a cup of chai with some coffee. Then we walked the vie De rosas, which was the road that Jesus walked on his way to his crucificion, all the way to the Western Wall. Ruli told us stories of how he and his regiment were the first people to enter the kotel/western wall during the 6 day war and why all the pictures are of the paratroopers instead of his troops and all of the ways in which it was different and how it felt than compared to now. Fascinating. And then I convinced Yuli to come say "what up" to the wall with me. Throughout this trip I have learned to believe in the power of intention--that holy places are holy because people believe that they are holy. Whether or not there was any holiness in the first place, after 100s of years of people worhsipping there and putting that energy there, the energy accumulates and it becomes holy. And I gotta say the wall defiently had a different energy than the surrounding area. As I walked closer, the vibration grew stronger and it was palpable. BUT, somehow the people who work near the wall, day in and day out had not been affected by this increased vibration in what could be understood as any sort of a positive way. I've never been regarded with such disdain by another human being. How could I dare to walk near the wall with henna on my hands, or tattoos on my skin or even to have skin showing!! HOw could I dare!! to show god a litle bit of the skin that he created in his image, in his perfection! HOw could I dare!! Anyways, I draped myself in some fabric and walked on through. Yuli warned me about hte really religous and also let everyone else know how she felt by cursing them all and wishing their death inside of the wall. Man, that girl's got balls.

After some falafel and hummus and the christian quarter and trying to udnerstand why all the really religious jews look like they are walking around in stripped PJ's we headed back home. Only first we had to make a stop to see some stret art hat YUli saw in a magazine. By the time we got there the statue had been torn apart. So, the good samaritans/fabulous artists that we are the three of us put humpty dumpty back together again. ANd then we made him a friend. It was damn good fun to rummage thorugh an abandoned construction site and put together to rad pieces of artwork.

Since then I have met back up with my friend Assaf from India and my family from America!! More to come...