Inspector Norse in South Tel Aviv

Of all the spots in Tel Aviv, The Block is hands down my favorite. It's about as far from the tackiness of the Tel Aviv port and the cheesy clubs and crowds of arsim and frechot (think chavs, but worse) as possible. If you didn't know, you would think it's a complete shit hole, being that it's right next to the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, a place which is generally avoided at all costs by anyone who lives in this city. Ironically though, the griminess of South Tel Aviv is what makes The Block feel so authentic and real. It doesn't hurt that they get the best DJ's either.

It's pretty cool also that the Norwegian embassy personally sponsored Todd Terje to help bring him here to Israel to allow us to have a little more fun than normal. 

Todd Terje. The Block. Tel Aviv . 28.3.13

Vintage IDF

במחנה. 1973

Rush Hour

Sunday morning commute in Israel.

Bamahane

Tel Aviv versus Jerusalem

I need a day out of Tel Aviv, just going to start it at that.

For anyone who has spent a significant time in this country, and even for those who've just passed through and visited. It doesn't take long to see that there are more than a few schisms that exist in Israeli society. That's saying it lightly. Spending just a few minutes upon arrival in Ben Gurion Airport you'll see examples up close and personal. Religious against secular, Ashkenazim versus Mizrahim, and of course, the seemingly endless antagonistic relationship between Jews and Arabs. They're all on display, wherever you go. Both under the surface and overtly in the open.

Ever since the birth of the Zionist movement, and the first established Jewish communities or Yishuvim in Palestine during the Ottoman period though the British Mandate, the stage was set for a changing of the guard regarding the future of Jewish culture in what would become Israel. The emergence of the first major secular, Hebrew speaking city in modern times was a pretty big deal. Tel Aviv was finally on the map, and for the first time, our holy Jerusalem had a counterpart to contend with. Fast forward seventy years, Tel Aviv is as hedonistic as ever, and on the other side, Jerusalem, while still scholarly, is perhaps under the highest form of religious coercion it has ever been in Israel's history.

Tel Aviv Summer. T.A Municipality

I've always found the division that exists between the culture of Tel Aviv and that of Jerusalem to be one of the more overlooked rifts in Israeli society, yet it acts as a near microcosm for everything else, and encompasses so much. It plays out all the time, and takes shape in even subtle unexpected forms. I myself am a resident of Tel Aviv, and have been for the past few years. This is not for particular love of the city, in fact, I find it rather tacky and superficial, with a particular high proportion of assholes living here. The falling apart buildings and sky high rent, and overall cost of living don't do the city that many favors either. However, it's where the work is, and it happens to be the only true 24 hour, secular styled city in Israel on a legitimate scale. For better or worse, and as someone who is staunchly secular, its pretty much all we've got. It's all the more obvious by the steady influx of English speaking immigrants who've chose to settle in Tel Aviv in recent years. They're looking to let loose and have fun, and not be confined to the conformity of pious life in Jerusalem. I can't blame them.

Sometimes I just wish though that there was a bit more substance to the supposed style of Tel Aviv. A little more contemplation and little less irrational, mindless reaction.

Jerusalem Light Rail. Jaffa Road. J'lem Municipality

Of course though, in terms of aesthetic beauty and enchantment, Jerusalem will still always take it.

HHhH

I just picked up this book today. I can't wait to read it. Having just recently been in Prague also, I'm even more into it. I'm slightly reluctant to admit, but my bookshelf is stacking up so high with books related to World War II and Nazis, it's getting almost out of control. There's little I can do though, because there's hardly anything that arouses my curiosity as much. 

As a self-confessed WWII junkie, I was surprised that after so much research and studying both in uni and on my own, this one event seemed to escape me. It may seem like just another semi-obscure historical footnote during the war, with so many battles and missions taking place all throughout the world. Especially in Europe, with the seminal events and turning points being highlighted .Operation Anthropoid flies somewhat under the radar. However, it's about as high-wire and dramatic as anything to have happened during WWII in the European theater.

In a brief nutshell, it involved the daring British planned assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, one of the most ruthless Nazi officers of the S.S. The man who was responsible for organizing the Wannsee Conference and planning the Final Solution. After reading more about it, on Wikipedia (where else). I can't wait to dive into HHhH and see more of what it's about.

Adolf Opálka

Jozef Gabčík

Jan Kubiš

Three of the seven Czech paratroopers trained by the British to carry out the operation.

You would be hard pressed to find anyone braver.

Ich Will Tanzen

It's been almost about a year since I was in Berlin. I almost can't believe it, because it honestly feels like yesterday. If I had my way, I would be back there right now, that's how much I loved everything about the city. Prior to visiting, I had been familiar with all the stories about underground Berlin and the legendary nightlife and parties, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect. We made our decision to stay in Freidrichshain, in what used to be formerly East Berlin, and we were not disappointed. More than once also I had heard about the similarities between Tel Aviv and Berlin, especially in terms of the D.I.Y ethos that exists among people in both places. There is definitely something to be said for that, also the fact that Tel Avivim and Berliners both know how to party and have a good time. The urban grit, dive bars, and tucked away underground clubs were some prime similarities.

Kreuzberg

However, that's pretty much where the parallels end though. Tel Aviv is a beach city, thoroughly Levantine and Middle Eastern in its fabric. A place where sun, flashiness and hot tempers dominate. Berlin is on the exact opposite end of the spectrum. Its character is entirely more discreet, yet nonetheless just as complex, if not more. By just riding a few stops on the U-Bahn you can see the differences in character of the city so clearly. From heavily Turkish Kreuzberg, where Doner Kebab can be found on practically every corner to Prenzlauer Berg and its upper scale locale of hipster parents and Asian restaurants and art galleries. And to neighborhoods further afield like Wedding and Charlottenburg, the diversity and make up of Berlin had me enamored, and reminded me of New York in a way.

Berlin U-Bahn

Suicide Circus. Friedrichshain

Also, I couldn't help but be impressed by how literate Berliners seemed to be. Everywhere I was, I would see people reading, whether riding the U-Bahn or sitting in a park. Bookstores everywhere. I only say this with surprise since I've been conditioned to the Tel Aviv lifestyle, where reading a book will make you seem out of place. The only people you'll usually see reading tend to be religious women reading prayer books on the bus or Russians. I'll have to leave it to another post to talk about how the Russian Aliyah saved this country. If it weren't for them, and the values they brought over, mainly that of education and science, I wouldn't want to even know what this country would look like today. My main point being though, the way Berlin infuses so many diverse elements within itself is part of the reason why I found it so intriguing and amazing. This overall feeling, coupled with the sense of open-mindedness, and my somewhat romanticized notions of a darker, grittier city filled with mystery and intrigue, all are signs that I'll be back sooner than later.

Warschauer Straße

Brașov - The Heart of Transylvania

If there is one thing that's fairly obvious, even if you were to speak to me for just five minutes, I am always in need and longing for vacation, no matter what. Especially for anything that can take me away from the daily routine of work and bring me somewhere new and interesting.

As a continuation,  I was in Romania last year. It happened to be one of the best trips I have ever taken. Despite being in the country for only about six full days, we did manage to see quite a bit. The first leg of our trip was spent in Bucharest, and the second half in Transylvania, where we stayed in the city of Brașov. It was this half of the trip that was the most fascinating and interesting. 

Gara de Nord Train Station, Bucharest

We made our journey to Brasov by train through the Gara de Nord station in Bucharest. The area around Gara de Nord is not particularly the nicest, in fact, after the Ferentari neighborhood in Bucharest, it has one of the worst reputations in the city. From what I saw though, it was far from nice, but also, not quite as grimy as I was expecting. There were your fair share of down and out and vagrant types, but nothing to raise any type of real concern. The main obstacle we happened to come upon was the fact that hardly anyone spoke English, with our practically non-existent Romanian, it made even the simplest task of buying a ticket a bit complicated. In the areas of Bucharest with a higher concentration of younger people, with many in university, it's much easier to find someone on the street who at least can understand and speak a little English with you to help with things, however, it's rare to find people who can speak with such fluency as many western Europeans can. Nevertheless, it never became a real issue at all. We managed to get our tickets and find the train with not too much trouble and were on our way.

The total train ride was about three and a half hours, and it definitely felt like the entire three plus hours also. Romanian trains move at a snail's pace. Nothing comparable to the speed and efficiency of rail systems in western Europe. Luckily, we were wide awake and excited, and the trip through the Carpathian mountains was spectacular. For our entertainment also, seemingly after every station, Gypsy handlers would pass through the cabin offering to sell their trinkets or candy. They would leave candy or drinks on the table next to your seat and then walk away, with the expectation you would take it. Not surprisingly hardly anyone on the train did, which was not that many people to begin with. They would later come back and pick up their goods before getting off at the next station. All in all, nothing that different from what I've seen already in my time spent in the Middle East, albeit with a slightly different flavour.

The closer we inched towards Brasov, snow started to appear and you could tell we were entering the heart of Transylvania. By the time we arrived it was dark and the city seemed eerily quiet, we had arrived on the outskirts of town. It was a weeknight and way past the time when people were coming home from work. I hadn't realized how deeply nestled Brasov was in the mountains, but it was even more of a pleasant surprise than I thought it would be. Brasov alone as a city is not that big, however, it's not that small either. It's the eighth largest city in Romania and has a population of about 228,000. It feels like a small town though, the train station is located outside of the city center. In order to get to our pension hotel, we ended up taking a local bus into town. The old quarter of Brasov is absolutely one of the most beautiful in Europe or any place for that matter. It's entirely medieval and has the real feel of a place that has been barely touched by waves of tourists. And in winter, it couldn't be any more beautiful.

The Accolade

Knight in Queen's Court. Edmund Leighton.

Run of play

I don't know how this exactly happened, but somewhere along the line I've become crazily addicted to soccer. It's all the stranger because it completely came out of nowhere. I still have trouble getting myself to refer to it as football, as is common everywhere else in the world. Football to me is still the one and only game played with pigskin, where my New York Giants will always reign supreme in my mind. Speaking with friends in Hebrew makes it a bit easier to concede that point though..

I suppose the seeds were sown back in 2009 when I was still in the army, and Avram Grant was still at the helm in Chelsea. It was the Champions League semi-final match against Barcelona, and it was a huge deal here in Israel. Barcelona being the most beloved team here, and Avram Grant its native son. I remember just how high the competitive spirit was at the time. Apart from playing in a youth league as a kid, where I totally just coasted along, this was my first real exposure to the highest level of the sport where I actually paid attention and cared. I was completely into it. Barca ended up scoring in the final minutes to take it, and would then later match up against Manchester United and ultimately dominate to win the Champion's League that year. Watching Barcelona was like seeing masters of their craft at work, the best of the best, the finesse, the skill, it was all there like nothing I had seen before. Anyone with any appreciation for seeing talent displayed at the highest level I think would be in awe. That was the beginning, which allowed me to finally understand the fanatic FC Barcelona cult that exists worldwide, especially in Israel. 

Messi. The King.

Army Sentimentals

I love breezing through Bamahane to see what's been happening lately in the army behind the scenes. It only takes one picture also sometimes to bring back parallel memories of my own. 

It's hard to express completely my affinity and understanding for the awkward, nerdy and somewhat outcasted soldiers that exist all throughout the IDF, and in all armies for that matter. In my eyes Tzahal, wouldn't be what it is without these guys, and I'm not just saying this because they provide a much needed counter balance against all of the Arsim who exist in so many units spread throughout the army. When it comes to Hevre, they're usually the best of the best. If you happen to find yourself grouped with a bunch of Arsim calling each other Neshama and blasting Mizrahi music in your Tzevet or Mahlaka, you'll understand why this is where my kindred spirit lies. It wouldn't be the people's army any way else, nor quite as interesting. 

 במחנה

Better Late Than Never

I often have reason enough to place blame on my ever time consuming job for the lack of consistent blogging, among other things. It's ironic because the majority of my time is spent in an office pretty much hitting all corners of the internet on a daily basis and occasionally drifting off from one place to the next.

I have been lucky enough however to be able to take a few amazing trips whenever I have time, even if it means stretching out a long weekend to visit Istanbul, which is what my gf and I did just a couple months back, and it was definitely worth it.

Despite being a massive urban area, the core historic areas of Istanbul, "The Golden Horn" in particular are relatively central and compact in their location. We stayed in the Beyoglu neighborhood at a cool place which was right near Taksim Square, directly off the Istiklal Caddesi, the most famous and prominent street in the city. The excellent metro, tram and funicular system made everything completely accessible and easy to see. Note to the Tel Aviv municipality, effective mass transit is worth it!

The Basilica Cistern in the Golden Horn. Feels like entering an Indiana Jones film

Istanbul truly is a city where East meets West, and it is clearly evident depending on where you are. Beyoglu is without a doubt the most Western oriented area of the city, standing in contrast to neighborhoods further south, especially around the Grand Bazaar and the more historical areas that were formerly the ancient part of Byzantium and later Constantinople.

Istiklal Caddesi. The heart of Beyoglu and modern Istanbul

Bosphorus cruising

All in all, we spent just five days in the city, yet still managed to see all the most interesting historical sites, as well as make some cool explorations on our own. The side streets off of Istiklal Cadessi are especially interesting, with many small book shops and boutique and vintage shops. I guess you could call it the hipster area of the city, because at night it comes alive with some nice dive bars playing good music. A nice balance to the tacky techno and dance music at some of the bigger clubs nearby. Note to  prospective visitors also, the Grand Bazaar is the most intense place I can possibly describe. It's entirely too big to navigate and If you're like minded and already semi-wary and worn out over the the experience of shopping at Middle Eastern souks, spare yourself. The neighborhood around the Bazaar is very nice however, and the main campus of Istanbul University is right around the corner. If you're looking for a destination that infuses history with a dynamic contemporary culture and is somewhat  outside the mainstream of Europe, yet a bit tamer than the intensity of certain Middle Eastern countries. Istanbul is definitely the place to go.

Hagia Sophia, formerly an Orthodox basilica, and later a mosque

Haunted everything

This is a bold statement, but I think I've decided that Ariel Pink has created the most well crafted and catchy song I've heard in pretty much as long as I can remember.

Nostalgia

It seriously boggles my mind to think about certain things and how long ago it has been, and how much everything has changed. The fact that 2003 was ten years ago is just so insane to comprehend. George Bush, Iraq, the uncertainty of post 9/11 life, school, life. All of it feels so far away and distant now, I can still remember everything so clearly though. So crazy.

20 days

I can't describe how psyched I am.

București, the Paris of the East

A few more from my days and nights spent in Bucharest. The city really is the cultural and economic pulse of Romania, and you can feel it. 

Gara de Nord Station

Boutique clothing shop. Dare I say, hipster.

Strada Lipscani. Saturday night.

Romania - Part II

The other day I came across a post on Vice in the 'Your Town is a Paradise' feature. It was only fitting that it happened to be about Bucharest. From what it seems, the grit and the core essence of the city seem to be just as I remembered when I was there. Looking through the pictures, I could easily spot places like the Lipscani Quarter, Piața Universității, and the shambled houses and apartment blocks and general urban decay in neighborhoods like Ferentari. Being that I only had a chance to spend three nights during my stay, I wasn't able to get as in-depth a look into Bucharest as a local Romanian reporting for Vice, however, we did still manage to go out quite a bit and see a lot and have some fun, and poke around in a few odd places or two.

Hanul lui Manuc. An old Ottoman era caravanserai style inn for travellers

The view from the outside. Apparently it is still in the process of renovation

Lipscani Quarter. The nice part of the neighborhood

The less nice part

Bad Weekend

Art Brut. Can't stop.

Good Weekend

Makes you realize, 2005 was a long time ago. Texting almost feels archaic.

The Doom Generation

A few years ago when I was back in the states visiting, I caught this movie on late night tv. It's about as B as a B-movie can get, and I can't exactly say it was anything special, however, at that time, it was perfect. Just for Rose McGowan and some unexpected Slowdive. 

So 90'S it hurts

Slowdive - Alison

Another Day on the Beat

In order to prevent myself from wracking my brain constantly at work, more often than not, I find myself thinking about anything that has the slightest bit to do with my outside surroundings. Of all the places I would like to be right now, it certainly is not in the Middle East. I say this with all due respect to Israel, which is a place I really actually love at heart. The fact is though, it's only March, yet it feels like it could already be summer,  I'm already giving myself nightmares of what's to come, and reliving the flashbacks of breaking out in a sweat five minutes after leaving your apartment, or any building for that matter. In all honesty, I don't know how I've been able to successfully endure Israeli summers year in and year out for the past five years. It must be some form of masochistic quality in me, because even here in Tel Aviv, with the beach and the sea close by, you can't hide from the heat. Not surprisingly, it's probably one of the reasons I've come to enjoy a semi-nocturnal lifestyle during this time. If only for the cooler nights and A.C. I'm from the north, and will always be.

בוקר טוב

Early morning dawn from my office, when everything looks and feels much better.