happy birthday, serge gainsbourg and lisa weiss

i went to tel-aviv for the first time yesterday. it has a completely different feel than jerusalem-- definitely more urban, open, and free. it reminded me of los angeles for some reason. lisa, jonathan, carla, avi and i went to an art show somewhere between yafo and tel-aviv. it was in this building called the panorama. the displayed work was not necessarily good but definitely interesting. avi and i walked through the part of the building where there was a fog machine running. we couldn't see anything and avi caught me freaking out on camera. the art scene is more happening, as people say, in tel-aviv than in jerusalem. lots of the art students i talked to reference berlin, germany as the next new york art scene and tel-aviv a close second after berlin. in conjunction with the art show, there were also musical performances. i ended up talking with this old, eccentric looking man. what i didn't like about this conversation was that he asked everyone where they were from in hebrew. when i answered in hebrew, he said that i should speak in english because it's my native tongue. when i told him that i wanted to speak hebrew because i'm in israel, he said that it doesn't matter, just speak english. i didn't understand this. it was also at the art show when i realized the question 'יש לך סיגריות?' (do you have a cigarette?) is somewhat of a pick-up line. it's a given that any person in israel smokes and therefore has some to share. sometimes, the cigarette in question is a joint.

yesterday was serge gainsbourg's birthday. avi, being french as he is, he heard there was a birthday party in gainsboug's honor. the place wasn't even a kind of bar or a club. it was someone's house that they put a tiny bar in. i loved the homey feeling exuding from the white walls covered in kitschy art. everyone there looked decadent in their french styles, sipping beer and red wine. the deejay spun some 50s/60s music, much to the liking of my friend, lisa. we twisted and shimmied and just had good fun. it was funny that even though it was gainsbourg's birthday, they played none of his music.

i met three soldiers at the party. so far the best experience i've had with the off-duty IDF. their names are dekel, matan, and itamar. they were very nice and offered me a grand tour of tel-aviv the next time i'm back there. dekel is in the process of learning spanish. matan and itamar can't wait for their service to israel is over and move to berlin where matan wants to study music and itamar, history or film studies.

and of course, how can one visit tel-aviv without a visit to the beachside? we trooped over to the ocean around 430 am. the walk there peaceful and nice. i was constantly reminded of santa monica, walking through the residential areas to the pier/beachfront. and, i dipped my feet into the mediterranean! from the sand, tel-aviv appears to be just like any mediterranean city/port. it's pretty at night. i am told that this after midnight past time is one high schoolers engage in. nevertheless, it was a fun, but tiring, experience. i definitely have to go back to tel-aviv as much as possible.

we got back to jerusalem at 630 in the morning by the way of a sherut. jerusalem by morning light is really an amazing place. the streets are empty. there is lively silence in the air. oh my god, i love it. by the time i made it back to mount scopus, the entire city was enveloped in a dense fog. it was peaceful.

i'm really starting to really like being in israel. the life style is radically different and i can feel myself changing, acclimating easily into the life here. the food, the people, the sites-- i'm amazed by it all. interestingly enough, i'm practicing korean more so than hebrew. i don't know if i want to come back to the stateside!