Driving home yesterday from Tel Aviv, the roads were practically empty. Not surprising considering the fact that there were meant to be hundreds of protestors blocking roads all around the country, protesting against disengagement.
So I decided to take one of the better-known back roads into Jerusalem. Me and half the world I should add... And most of the cars taking the back road in the hopes of missing the inevitable traffic jams, were sporting orange ribbons.
Talk about quintessential oxy-moron.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
NEVER again BA
Most people can't wait to fly any airline other than El-Al. But I have found that El-Al has been getting increasingly better, not to mention the fact that it is more secure, than any other airline I have flown.
I had four flights booked with BA (British Airways), totaling $1900 +. That's a very large amount of money. NOT one of my flights left on time. The first leg, Israel to London was delayed nearly two hours, once we were all already onboard, because of Engine trouble.
The flight leaving London for Chicago was also delayed, because a whole group of people who were on the flight connecting from Africa (where they had been on mission) started throwing up. When we landed they had to taxi the plane to a remote part of the airport and wait for a health inspector to come on board to clear us before we could get off.
The flight back to London was ok except someone had a heart-attack in first class (I think if you are going to have a heart-attack first class is definitely the way to go). We had to wait for the ambulance to clear him before we could disembark.
And as if that was not bad enough. Leaving to London to come home, again once we were already onboard the plane, there was a problem getting the auxiliary power to work. This meant there was no airconditioning. They could not turn on the airconditioning until the engines were switched on, they could not switch the engines on until the doors were close, they could not close the doors because there was no auxiliary power. So there we were sitting for nearly 2 hours on a very hot airplane, waiting for them to bring an emergency generator to power-up the engines. How many Israelis do you think will sit quietly, without complaining or screaming on a 35 degree+ plane for over an hour?
Anyway - ElAl for me all the way from now on!
Oh and in case you are wondering the food sucks on BA.
I had four flights booked with BA (British Airways), totaling $1900 +. That's a very large amount of money. NOT one of my flights left on time. The first leg, Israel to London was delayed nearly two hours, once we were all already onboard, because of Engine trouble.
The flight leaving London for Chicago was also delayed, because a whole group of people who were on the flight connecting from Africa (where they had been on mission) started throwing up. When we landed they had to taxi the plane to a remote part of the airport and wait for a health inspector to come on board to clear us before we could get off.
The flight back to London was ok except someone had a heart-attack in first class (I think if you are going to have a heart-attack first class is definitely the way to go). We had to wait for the ambulance to clear him before we could disembark.
And as if that was not bad enough. Leaving to London to come home, again once we were already onboard the plane, there was a problem getting the auxiliary power to work. This meant there was no airconditioning. They could not turn on the airconditioning until the engines were switched on, they could not switch the engines on until the doors were close, they could not close the doors because there was no auxiliary power. So there we were sitting for nearly 2 hours on a very hot airplane, waiting for them to bring an emergency generator to power-up the engines. How many Israelis do you think will sit quietly, without complaining or screaming on a 35 degree+ plane for over an hour?
Anyway - ElAl for me all the way from now on!
Oh and in case you are wondering the food sucks on BA.
Contrasting Opinions
On my flight back from Chicago I sat next to a very interesting young guy who was on his way back to Iraq after a leave holiday at home in the US. We talked alot about war, and the situation in the middle east (he was quite surprisingly pro-Israel) and mainly Iraq in particular. What amused me most was when he asked me "Isn't it dangerous to live in Israel, aren't you scared all the time?" Halllo - you are fighting a war in Iraq...
I stepped off the plane and there was a mini-cab waiting to take me back to my mother-in-law's house. The driver was dressed in a long white kaftan-type robe with a huge white Kippa on his head. While driving he took a call on his cellphone, it was his brother reminding him it was time to pray. He asked if I would mind if he stopped on the side of the road for 5 min, I was not going to object. When he returned to the car he started to talk about how Islam is the essential peaceful religion. That they pray 5 times a day and this makes them very peaceful and spiritual people, something he claims the world does not know about Islam.
He continued talking - totally unprompted by me, I was too scared of saying the wrong (politically incorrect) thing to say anything at all. He continued, that he thought Islam was misrepresented in the world - and it's all Bush's fault. Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction and he has no proof that Muslims were involved in 9/11??? He said that Jews and Arabs are brothers and that Islam teaches you should love Christians and Jews. So I asked him - how do you justify militant extremists like Hamas who call for holy wars against other races and religions? He answered that there are no such things as Islamic extremists, he said that the people who are called extremists are very loving peaceful people (it was around this time that I started to hope my husband would not come out and greet me wearing his kippa).
When I asked him what he thought of the situation in Israel at first he said "I don't have an opinion on that, I am not studying what is happening in that part of the world" But he proceeded to include this little gem. "When the Muslims controlled Israel they did not treat the Jews as Hitler treated the Jews, now the Jews are in control they treat us the way Hitler treated them."
I just hope this mini-cab driver, who hailed from Afghanistan 6 years ago is being VERY closely watched by the Homeland Security (or whatever the equivalent is in the UK). Anyway - I still arrived home safely, and my husband even came out to see me!
I stepped off the plane and there was a mini-cab waiting to take me back to my mother-in-law's house. The driver was dressed in a long white kaftan-type robe with a huge white Kippa on his head. While driving he took a call on his cellphone, it was his brother reminding him it was time to pray. He asked if I would mind if he stopped on the side of the road for 5 min, I was not going to object. When he returned to the car he started to talk about how Islam is the essential peaceful religion. That they pray 5 times a day and this makes them very peaceful and spiritual people, something he claims the world does not know about Islam.
He continued talking - totally unprompted by me, I was too scared of saying the wrong (politically incorrect) thing to say anything at all. He continued, that he thought Islam was misrepresented in the world - and it's all Bush's fault. Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction and he has no proof that Muslims were involved in 9/11??? He said that Jews and Arabs are brothers and that Islam teaches you should love Christians and Jews. So I asked him - how do you justify militant extremists like Hamas who call for holy wars against other races and religions? He answered that there are no such things as Islamic extremists, he said that the people who are called extremists are very loving peaceful people (it was around this time that I started to hope my husband would not come out and greet me wearing his kippa).
When I asked him what he thought of the situation in Israel at first he said "I don't have an opinion on that, I am not studying what is happening in that part of the world" But he proceeded to include this little gem. "When the Muslims controlled Israel they did not treat the Jews as Hitler treated the Jews, now the Jews are in control they treat us the way Hitler treated them."
I just hope this mini-cab driver, who hailed from Afghanistan 6 years ago is being VERY closely watched by the Homeland Security (or whatever the equivalent is in the UK). Anyway - I still arrived home safely, and my husband even came out to see me!
Heaven to me
When I was in london I stepped out the tube and walked smack bang into a brand new Apple Store. I have never been to heaven before but there I was. Only one small, tiny, almost insignificant problem... I didn't have any money to spend in there.
Oh well - I can always dream can't I.
Oh well - I can always dream can't I.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
We're back
I really missed blogging, if I have a buck for every time I thought - ooh I must blog that... Well let's just say that Old Navy would have done very well out of me!
And yet we still managed to grow our hits by 200+ not bad considering there have been no updates for 2 weeks. Well I now have so much to write that I don't know where to start.
First of all I see that in my absence cars in Israel have started sporting blue ribbons in support of disengagement. I am glad to see that people take Nushyman's advice seriously.
I also noticed that summer decided to arrive while we were away - I was hoping it would still be cool enough not to need the airconditioner when we came back.
Other than that fact that it feels like we were away for about a year - everything is pretty much the same. Its good to be back. More on my travels soon!
And yet we still managed to grow our hits by 200+ not bad considering there have been no updates for 2 weeks. Well I now have so much to write that I don't know where to start.
First of all I see that in my absence cars in Israel have started sporting blue ribbons in support of disengagement. I am glad to see that people take Nushyman's advice seriously.
I also noticed that summer decided to arrive while we were away - I was hoping it would still be cool enough not to need the airconditioner when we came back.
Other than that fact that it feels like we were away for about a year - everything is pretty much the same. Its good to be back. More on my travels soon!
Thursday, June 09, 2005
We are off to England (and me Chicago)
Will try to blog - now that supposedly I have some holiday time. Hopefully Rampisad can fill in the holes *HINT*
Byeeeeee
Byeeeeee
Getting Hi-Techy
I saw the coolest thing I have seen in a long time today. Parking police taking photos with digital cameras of the cars that are illegally parked before writing the tickets.
BRILLIANT! It's about bloody time Israel woke up. Now they just need to do something about speed cameras.
BRILLIANT! It's about bloody time Israel woke up. Now they just need to do something about speed cameras.
Ushyman got there first!
The Observer have a great read about Apple's iPod. As Ushyman said "I could have written it."
Check out our iPod song of the day feature (not everyday but hey) on the left-hand-side of the Nushworld blog.
Check out Ushyman's own blog post about his iPod here
Check out our iPod song of the day feature (not everyday but hey) on the left-hand-side of the Nushworld blog.
Check out Ushyman's own blog post about his iPod here
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
You Disappoint Me Haaretz
Today's Haaretz (June 1) featured an editorial which used the plebiscite in France as a strong justification for opposing a referendum here in Israel on the Disengagement.
I felt that by dragging the Israeli angle into the French 'Non' vote, Haaretz did itself a disservice. First of all, I do not see any connection between the referendum held in France on the EU Constitution and a possible referendum in Israel on the Disengagement from Gaza and Northern Samaria. Why couldn't Haaretz focus on the French plebiscite and the historic 'Non' vote on its own terms, without bringing Israel into it. As it is, I find it strange that Haaretz never comments on international affairs unless it has relevance to Israel. If Haaretz views itself as the "thinking person's newspaper", it should be able to make its voice heard on international developments, in the same way as any other quality newspaper around the world. For example, The London Times or The Guardian, to name but two newspapers, will feature leading articles on any important international story, whether it takes place in the United States, the Ivory Coast or in Israel. I expect insularity from The Jerusalem Post, but Haaretz?
I have one other problem with the comparison made between the Chirac referendum and a possible 'Disengagement' referendum in Israel. Quite simply, there is no comparison! The French plebiscite was held on an internal issue that posed no problems vis-a-vis international law - namely, whether or not to accept the EU Constitution. Israel, on the other hand, has no business holding a referendum on whether to withdraw from Gaza and the West Bank, because the decision is not Israel's to make. No country recognizes Gaza and the West Bank as Israeli sovereign territory. At best, they are disputed territories, and even the Israeli Government reluctantly accepts this, hence its decision to withdraw.
I felt that by dragging the Israeli angle into the French 'Non' vote, Haaretz did itself a disservice. First of all, I do not see any connection between the referendum held in France on the EU Constitution and a possible referendum in Israel on the Disengagement from Gaza and Northern Samaria. Why couldn't Haaretz focus on the French plebiscite and the historic 'Non' vote on its own terms, without bringing Israel into it. As it is, I find it strange that Haaretz never comments on international affairs unless it has relevance to Israel. If Haaretz views itself as the "thinking person's newspaper", it should be able to make its voice heard on international developments, in the same way as any other quality newspaper around the world. For example, The London Times or The Guardian, to name but two newspapers, will feature leading articles on any important international story, whether it takes place in the United States, the Ivory Coast or in Israel. I expect insularity from The Jerusalem Post, but Haaretz?
I have one other problem with the comparison made between the Chirac referendum and a possible 'Disengagement' referendum in Israel. Quite simply, there is no comparison! The French plebiscite was held on an internal issue that posed no problems vis-a-vis international law - namely, whether or not to accept the EU Constitution. Israel, on the other hand, has no business holding a referendum on whether to withdraw from Gaza and the West Bank, because the decision is not Israel's to make. No country recognizes Gaza and the West Bank as Israeli sovereign territory. At best, they are disputed territories, and even the Israeli Government reluctantly accepts this, hence its decision to withdraw.
Driving me crazy
Going over my blog posts yesterday, I realized that a lot of them are about driving or the roads, or thoughts I had while driving. I get the feeling I am spending too much time on them, but that is where I do most of my thinking. Afterall, I am on them for at least 2.5 hours a day with nothing else to do but listen to Galgalatz or think or both.
So I started thinking last week, while driving of course, that there seem to be more and more cars with Orange ribbons on them than I would care to see. And I started thinking that maybe the people who are pro-disengagement (or anti-settlement as some people like to call it) should have an easily recognizable symbol to show their support for evacuating the settlements.
And then I thought, wait a minute, surely the fact that there are 50 cars without orange ribbons to each car that has one is a clear enough sign. If you count the number of cars that DON'T have orange ribbons on them then I think you have a clear sign that people are either apathetic to the disengagement or pro. But either way you look at it they are certainly, by a very very large margin, in the majority. So if you disagree with me then put an orange ribbon on your car and prove me wrong. Who needs a referendum!
So I started thinking last week, while driving of course, that there seem to be more and more cars with Orange ribbons on them than I would care to see. And I started thinking that maybe the people who are pro-disengagement (or anti-settlement as some people like to call it) should have an easily recognizable symbol to show their support for evacuating the settlements.
And then I thought, wait a minute, surely the fact that there are 50 cars without orange ribbons to each car that has one is a clear enough sign. If you count the number of cars that DON'T have orange ribbons on them then I think you have a clear sign that people are either apathetic to the disengagement or pro. But either way you look at it they are certainly, by a very very large margin, in the majority. So if you disagree with me then put an orange ribbon on your car and prove me wrong. Who needs a referendum!
Galgalatz
During the winter season there is a funny law in Israel that makes drivers have their lights on in the day as well as at night. Understandable when visibility can be reduced due to the weather.
On my way to work this morning Galgalatz, fast becoming quite painful to listen to, for it's very annoying road safety ads. Played a script calling for people to join a forum to discuss the decision for a law that lights have to be on during the day all year round in an effort to reduce road accidents.
Yep that aught to do it! I can now see the moron driving over 150km an hour in the middle of the road much much better. Sure way for him to avoid losing control of the car and killing 5 people in the process, don't you know - his lights are on!
MORONIC !!!
On my way to work this morning Galgalatz, fast becoming quite painful to listen to, for it's very annoying road safety ads. Played a script calling for people to join a forum to discuss the decision for a law that lights have to be on during the day all year round in an effort to reduce road accidents.
Yep that aught to do it! I can now see the moron driving over 150km an hour in the middle of the road much much better. Sure way for him to avoid losing control of the car and killing 5 people in the process, don't you know - his lights are on!
MORONIC !!!
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