$$$, Jaffa, and Crazy Shlomo (the bike guy)

The food, like everything in Israel, is very expensive. Israel is something like the 13th most expensive city in the world (for reference New York is 23rd). A single roll of Bounty paper towels cost $6 here. Breakfast is easily $13 no matter where you go. I haven't noticed gas prices because we've only been walking, riding bikes, and taking cabs (also expensive).

One thing that isn't expensive is produce. I haven't been to the outdoor markets yet, but they are apparently very cheap. But judging by the fact that you get loads of tomatoes and cucumbers at every restaurant, I would imagine they are easy to come by. Olives are also plentiful here.

There are also some things that are commonplace here that would seem like luxuries in the US. For example, just about every single house/apartment has these automated shutters that open and close at the touch of a button that are completely room-darkening. I don't use them that often because I'd never wake up in the morning, but they're great for a nap. The apartment also has zone heating/cooling so you can target the temperature for whatever room you're in and a bidet and toilets like you see in Japan with the different buttons for flushing a little or a lot. No other bells and whistles like Japanese toilets sometimes have, but who needs those anyway?

I just checked the temperature in DC and it was 37 degrees. It's 75 here. I'm not complaining. I'm sitting at a cafe right now looking out at the water. The sun's going to set in about an hour and a half and I plan to walk on the beach a bit before it does.

I recently took a walking tour of Old Jaffa. Jaffa was the original city before Tel Aviv came to be and it is gorgeously situated right on the water. The city has been there since many many years BC, but Napoleon destroyed it all, so what you see today has been rebuilt since that time. And even some of those buildings are restorations. In some places they have preserved old Roman ruins and other archeological digs, and today there are artist shops in the old part of town.

The newer part of Jaffa is not as nice and it's where you go if you want to get something cheaper than you could in Tel Aviv. After quite an adventure at the bike shop there, I picked up a full suspension bike. In the US, the bike shop would have been a law suit waiting to happen. A metal rack on which at least 10 bikes hung when we entered the shop (which was little more than a 2-car garage type room with two separate rolldown doors) started to fall down. So various workers came from all over the place piling bikes outside and on the other end of the room and some guy started spot welding the rack back up. Sparks were flying and the proprietor was still selling bikes. At one point we were in one half of the garage room and they rolled down that door and almost trapped us in by piling bikes in the narrow pathway between the two halves of the room. A pesky foreigner offered to 'translate' for us, but the shop owner spoke better English than he did. He had one of those lame cycling outfits on and warned us against touching his bike because it was expensive. Then some other guy started sawing into the metal causing more sparks to fly. People were shouting in a few different languages, customers coming in and out, workers moving, repairing, and selling bikes. All in all, I am glad we got out of there with a bike and no serious injuries.


Here are some pics. I included a video of bats we saw living in this abandoned building in Jaffa.

View of the Tel Aviv coast from Jaffa.

View from museum at end of tour.




Feral cats can be really cute.









Bat video...

Walking Tour of Jaffa

I  took advantage of a free weekly tour of Old Jaffa, the town from which Tel Aviv grew in the 20th century. I won't bore you with details (you can go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffa ).

The highlights of the tour were the views of the Tel Aviv coast from Jaffa, along with the art museum we went through toward the end. The museum was gorgeous on the inside, with ridiculously nice settings for their dining areas and kitchen. It was a nice respite from the

 downpour that started shortly beforehand (we've had a lot of rain this week, plus some  somewhat chilly temps; I'm still wearing shorts, though). We also went over a bridge where  you're supposed to put your hand on your astrological sign and make a wish. A corny touristy endeavor, but we did it anyway. 

The number one thing I saw in Jaffa, however, was this barricaded and gutted ground floor of a building that had probably a couple of hundred bats hanging from the ceiling. Who knew there were so many bats in Israel!??

I bought a bike!

Catherine and I went down to Jaffa for a free walking tour. I'll try to do a separate post there. Being in Jaffa allowed me to buy a bike from the nutty bike store on Jerusalem Street. I have been jonesin' for a bike since I got here because my only form of transportation has been my own two feet or cabs; the former can get tiresome, the latter expensive.

Anyhow, I had bought a bike from the zany bike store when I was here previously and I had negotiated to sell it back at a fixed price. Not surprisingly, the guy jerked me around on the sell back price. Regardless, his bikes are still cheaper than others that you can find downtown. I was looking for a get-around-town bike that I could leave locked outside while I was eating or at a cafe, so cheap is good. 

I arrived at the shop and it was twice as big as before, with bikes hanging, bikes parked, bikes out front...everywhere. Most were of the cheap Chinese variety, which was fine by mean, but he did have some Treks and other decent bikes. The owner was so manic that he kicked up dust like the Tazmanian Devil as he moved about the store. He'd come to me to ask what I wanted, show me some bikes that fit my needs, then turn away while I was in mid-sentence to go yell at one of his "quirky" mechanics. This was all amidst, mind you, some major cutting and welding going on in not one, but two parts of the 15x12 foot shop. 

I wasn't too much in the mood for bargaining, so I just had him slap better tires on the bike that I wanted and I rode home with this (which MIGHT last me two years, but I have my doubts).

Pictures!

Here's pic #1 of the market on Shabbat.


A building on Rothschild that sort looked French Quarter-esque. You can't tell from the picture, but it's blue...a novelty here.



In fairness, this pic was taken in front of a small section of the beach. It is all fenced in and apparently only available to one gender at a time. When we walked by it was Shabbat, an unacceptable day for swimming for the religious anyway, so it was open and anyone could walk in.

A typical tree-lined boulevard in Tel Aviv.

Cats, bats, but no (live) rats

So, feral cats are a big thing here. Really big. There is a big family of cats (khatulim as I just learned on Rosetta Stone) that live in the park next to this complex. Someone from this building feeds them every night. They are so well fed that they actually don't all eat at once. Unlike 'Shloma' and 'Mordecry' (Hebrew names I gave them so they don't feel so out of place here). At first I wondered if anything was being done about the feral cat problem, and it turns out that every cat with a notch cut out of its ear has been spayed or neutered and then released to the street. So, they are whittling away at the problem. But then I noticed that in spite of this being a rather dense city, probably about 4 times the population of Washington DC, which has a huge rat/mouse problem, I wasn't seeing any of either...until I did see one dead mouse ot the walking path near the beach. Instead you see cats at the park, cats at the market, cats in the street, and the funniest is to see cats at the beach. Man, I think Mordecry would love it there. Although he is never setting foot outside the house other than the balcony. I have to say that I prefer cats wandering around to raccoons, squirrels, or other rodents.

Speaking of rodents, the bats use the complex pool as a landing strip as soon as night falls. One by one they do a fly by, briefing skimming off the top of the water before taking off into the night air once more. Over and over the bats take a circular path, dipping and flying. It's a very entertaining show and according to a neighbor, they do not take a detour even if you are swimming in the pool. Hopefully chlorine kills rabies...

I haven't posted for a few days because our free internet access wasn't working over the weekend. On Saturday (Shabbat) I walked miles and miles...through tree- and cafe-lined streets, along the beach, through the port, and back around through a park and several neighborhoods before heading home.

More Space Than I Thought

Israel is a very small country (at one point approximately 10km

 separates the West Bank from the Mediterranean). Nearly everything here is on a smaller scale and space is at a premium. Most Tel Aviv streets seem narrow with narrow sidewalks. There are, however, several boulevards that are fantastic. They are so welcoming because 60% of the street is for pedestrians and bicycles. The center portion is a large "sidewalk" with trees, a bike path, and benches. These boulevards leave only one lane for traffic in each direction on each side of the pedestrian strip. It is very pleasant to walk down these streets, where many other Tel Avivians congregate. 

I saw two other parts of town that were spacious today while Catherine and I were on a very, very long walk (probably four hours walking nonstop). We went by port, which has trendy shops and restaurants. The boardwalk there is quite large and includes open spaces for crowds to move about and for jugglers and "trapeze" artists to perform. The area, in addition to its spaciousness, was also nice because it was new, modern, and clean. I'll be riding my bike over there frequently, I think.

Then, when we finished up at the port, we cut through Gan HaYarkon (The Yarkon--a river--Park). The park was very large, had nice walking paths, a rock climbing facility, tennis courts, basketball courts, and an inline skating rink. It also had a nice bike trail and paddle boat rentals. It's a good location to get away from the congestion--and is an alternative to the beach.

First day in Israel

After a long journey Diego and I arrived in Tel Aviv last night. He was really good on the plane-- I don't think he's meowed even once since we left the house. Michael met us at the airport with flowers and brought us back to temporary quarters that we both hope will become permanent. It could definitely use an update, but the space and location are hard to beat. There's a huge balcony that the kitties love, an outdoor pool and (cold) jacuzzi, and a park right next door. It's just a few blocks from an area of town with a lot of cafes, shops, and restaurants.

We had dinner at this place on the beach with low tables and chairs where you can stick your feet in the sand while you eat. We had some traditional mediterranean food--hummus, lamb kebab, and grilled chicken. It was tasty and relaxing after a long flight to sit and eat watching the waves crash.

The weather is gorgeous...warm and only very slightly humid. And just on Monday I was scraping ice off of my car back home. My first impressions of Tel Aviv is that it kind of reminds me of a cross between Sendai, Japan and Rio de Janeiro. Lots of tall, aging, utilitarian buildings in a semi-tropical environment. Expenses are spared on building exteriors, but not so for the interiors. Though this is not the desert, most buildings are desert hues of sand beige, tan, dirty white, and occasionally that slightly pinkish cream color you might see there. There are tons of tiny shops lining the streets, and I was amazed to see how many people were shopping, sitting in cafes, or otherwise out and about this afternoon. I was thinking, 'don't these people work?' and then I remembered it was Friday. Shabat starts at sundown and people are cramming in what shopping they can before the stores close. Tel Aviv is a modern city, so it will be interesting to see just how much actually does shut down, and, since they've already 'fallen back' here, it gets dark around 5 so I'm about to find out.

The hour I spent studying and learning about half the Hebrew alphabet last Saturday has already paid off. After a little prompting from Michael I was able to distinguish between a Merlot/Cabernet blend and a Merlot/Shiraz blend at the AMPM. We went with the Merlot/Shiraz.

I also had a fairly unique experience in a beauty shop earlier today. I wanted to buy some Ahava lotion. You can get it at home but it's expensive. It's made with Dead Sea minerals and it's light but nice. Charlotte from Sex and the City is their spokesperson. Anyway, I went into this store and this woman was trying to get me to buy this other Dead Sea lotion because you got 50 mL more for 5 shekels less (about 3.75 shekels to the dollar). I prefer the Ahava due to its pleasant fragrance and the other lotion was fragrance free. But I really think that was the first time I've had someone in a shop push hard for me to buy something cheaper.

I feel really safe here too. Time will tell if that's warranted, but I actually feel a LOT safer walking around here than I do in DC. I don't have pictures yet because my batteries have been charging today but I plan to post some soon.

Hugs and kisses to all!

Armed Forces Network...a little bizarre

Armed Forces Network (AFN) was up and running when I got here to the temporary quarters, which was a good thing. I get a good dose of football and other US tv programs, which is helpful, especially this soon into the tour. I note, however, that it's a little jarring to watch the commercials after awhile. You see, there are no traditional commercials; it's all Department of Defense "communication." Some of it is helpful, and it's almost universally conveying positive messages, but it ends up as a whole coming across like a little bit of brainwashing.

Living Quarters...

Housing is always a crapshoot. You can game it only so much because you are dealing with so many variables (commute to work, neighborhood, building amenities, size of apartment) that you can never get everything you want. Add to that the fact that there are limited housing opportunities because most housing is occupied already, and you really get slim pickings.I had thought about living near the embassy and beach, which would have been a great commute (2 minutes), but a friend pointed out how it would be better to live in a neighborhood separate from work. It would be easy to tire of local establishments if work/apartment were in the same 'hood. So, I requested to live near Rabin Square, which is about 20 minutes walking from the embassy, but is in a neat neighborhood with lots of cafes, restaurants, and other entertainment. I was given housing in the area, but I first have to be in temporary quarters.

When I arrived at my building, I was a little underwhelmed. It didn't seem very fancy and felt a little rundown. I did, however, note the huge pool on the way to the elevator. Anyhow, when I stepped into the actual apartment, my first thought was that it was drab, not updated, and had cruddy furniture. As the days have gone on, though, and as I have realized that the other apartment I'm slated for might be tiny, I'm beginning to like this place. It's a decent size--largish master bedroom with bath, a small second bedroom, and a third room that would serve as an office, but could house visitors, too. The apartment has a good-sized balcony, on which I am sitting right now while looking at a performance at the opera house just across the way. The neighborhood is nice; the opera is across the way, there's a park right next door, and stores and cafes are a 5 minute walk from here.

So, all in all, it's not bad here...some slip covers for the couches, replacing the fluorescents with regular lighting, and adding some color/art to the walls...and I'll feel at home. That is...if we can get the landlord here to be reasonable on rent, b/c that's all that stands in the way of me keeping this place. :(Let me know what you think of the pad... (see more pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/twoyearsinisrael/2008OctMyFirstApartmentInIsrael)

So, where do I stand now?

Housing -- angling to stay in the current place, but unclear whether or not that will be possible; will have to talk to housing this week and hope that they can renegotiate with the landlord to get a reasonable lease rate. I've otherwise emptied my luggage and sorta set up shop.

Transportation -- I scored myself a temporary bicycle, thanks to a colleague and her boyfriend. It's broken and requries some trickery to ride, but it's better than nothing.

Communication -- I can no longer "borrow" a neighbor's wi-fi, though, so I'm a little out of the loop. I am trying to identify good cafes to work from. I still am awaiting my blackberry at work, which I probably will curse for desiring once I'm reachable 24/7. I am very happy with Rebtel's phone service, which has allowed me to talk for many minutes, while paying only pennies. Once I get it down to a science, it should be nearly free.

Catherine -- She heads out here this week. I have to work on some fun plans...and some job strategery.

Plus a whole long list of other, mostly work-related, stuff. :(

Long road to get here...

I arrived here in Tel Aviv on 15 October to begin my two year tour as a political officer at the embassy. It's amazing that I am here, as these last seven months or so were quite intense. I had a house that I needed to fix up to prep for rental, my father fell ill and passed away, and I dealt with the administrative, logistical and other crunches to prepare for my departure. I'm here now.

I had shipped off all of my belongings on 1 and 2 October and then sent my car off to the port on the day I left. It was an odd feeling, but my months of living out of a suitcase during the runup to my departure made it easier to digest. On the 14th, I said my goodbye to Catherine following a nice lunch (mmm, bison burger!) and then grabbed all my bags and toted Slappy down to the cab. She had no idea how much her life would be turned upside down.

The flight was rather smooth, though my feet really had nowhere to rest with Slappy taking up all the space below the seat in front of me. I got to watch the Chronicles of Narnia sequel and a bit of the latest Indiana Jones (were all of them that bad?). I also got to watch the Israelis on board mill about constantly; hard to keep them in their seats. The highlight of the whole trip, though, had to be the looks and comments Slappy got when I had to take her out of her carrier and walk her through the metal detector. Needless to say, people have not learned to never comment on a gal's weight (they loved her, though!).

On arrival in Tel Aviv, I was met by an expeditor from the embassy. It's one of the pleasures of flying as a diplomat...someone else scoots you very quickly through all the lines upon arrival. Things were going smoothly until we were waiting at the luggage carousel for far too long and learned that my luggage was...."delayed."  We filled out the paperwork while a lady with two dogs let them urinate on the tile floors. Great!

I headed back to the apartment that I will be staying in at least temporarily, and then my sponsor took me out to a grocery store so that I could get cat food and litter. After a little snack and unpacking my welcome kit of necessities the embassy provides, I went to sleep. What a long day and a half.