dutch baklavah: shine and rise

there are two kinds of sufferers in this world: those who suffer from a lack of life and those who suffer from an overabundance of life. i've always found myself in the second category. /waking life
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in amazing israel, you will get up close and personal with the classic tourist sites and some hidden gems including the Old City and Western Wall in Jerusalem, Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, archaeological digging, the Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights, Sunrise at Massada, floating in the Dead Sea, hiking in the Negev Desert, laying out on the Mediterranean beaches, and partying in Israeli nightclubs.
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i am back on the computermachine. it was out of commission for a number of weeks, during which time i drove to and from california and flew to israel via jfk. to bypass everything interesting and cut to the chase, israel was mind-blowing on no less than six levels and i now have a strong desire to relocate to northern california.

the two aren't entirely related. as my mom so deftly pointed out on the phone after many old city ramblings and perusals of my itinerary, "isreal really changed" me. i want to be physically and intellectually active during every waking moment. i've increasingly been viewing the world in general as a foreign territory where every person is to be approached as a potentially kind person, given the benefit of the doubt by lil ol' me. this morning i had a lengthy conversation with the guy at bongo video about 30 rock, of which i've very recently become a fan, and then found myself discussing vegetable fritters with a silly-hatted fellow at the whole foods prepared numnums section. social life is nothing short of what it would or wouldn't be if i were living anywhere else, but i'm finding it difficult to be as lively as i'd like in wisconsin. yesterday i took a walk for an hour and a half to nowhere in particular, and i only turned around to come home because the sun and cold were both settling in for the night. these issues do not necessarily arise in northern california, as the sun literally never sets there, and weather is nonexistent; science has taken care of both and now cannabis reigns supreme over all. it is unfortunate only for a small minority.

eureka, arcata, humbolt, and other norcal coasteries are on my immediate list...basically, anywhere on the coast of california north of san francisco and south of crescent city. as it stands right now, i have no fewer than two friends who are with me on this, and rent is certainly cheaper when more people are chipping in. maybe i could even find a couple couchsurfers to join in the norcallery fun.

a predominant reason i want to move out west is the ease with which i'll be able to live locally, in a very broad sense of the word. i patronize the farmer's markets out here in madison every saturday when the weather's nice, and i've been to the winter farmer's market a few times. to eat local foods, potentially even my own garden edibles, and support the local economy wherever i am, is very important. i think fast food chains have no legit place in this world and in terms of the satisfaction garnered from the things on which i spend money, i'd much rather and sooner give money to a family business right down the road than drive to a burger king and get cheaper food-ish food faster. there is little mass commercialization on willy street, where i live, but there's also limited commercialization in general. i can only eat at so many places, shop for so many necessities, and walk so far before i get to a freeway or some other obstacle like snow-covered sidewalks. and as great as it is and will be to contribute to everything local and keep small businesses thriving when and where they deserve to, a change of pace is as big a reason for wanting to move as any other.

i plan to look for work in dispensaries and kitchens, starting out as a newbie in either. i have extensive experience with both cannabis and cooking, but i've never worked in a structured, paid environment where either was the omphalos of the workday. it will be interesting to parlay personal hobbies and passions into money-making ventures, even though i won't look at them as such. life becomes much easier to manage and be excited about when one realizes that being paid to excel in a chosen field of work is essentially its own reward. "i really want to do just what my body needs to," explains panda bear. as soon as there is no disparity between what i want and what i need, i will be totally fulfilled in my life. going to israel helped me realize that, and going to california will help me achieve a level of awesome so lofty i'll need to brush up on my toga making skills because i'll be partying with zeus up in the clouds.

israel:

ein gev, the kibbutz we stayed at for the first couple nights in israel

the golan heights winery

so many olives at mediterranean souqs that they present them in massive tubs and bottle the oil in gargantuan plastic jugs.

if only my everyday goings on consisted of witnessing an exchange of sheqels between a fruit, nut, and spice vendor and a buyer.

bins, bags, buckets, and boxes of nuts, spices, herbs, and fruit. respectively.

tuna, japanese pumpkin, and sweet potatoes; spicy salmon and avocado. osaka sushi was bumpin' that night.

nyogod all the baklavah.

engrish is actually all over the world wherever english is not the native language.

delicious chocolate. the one on the right says creme brulee, more or less.

oftentimes i agree with the logic of fast food ads while simultaneously disagreeing with the reasoning behind the message. i really think lowest and highest should have been reversed for metaphorical reasons.

mount hertzl

i've no idea what the writing says. perhaps "nothing but kitchen sinks" or "only kitchen sinks" or "look no further, sinks here, pay around the corner" or "more sinks to the left, and even more if you call this number." it's hard to say without an israeli guidebook handy.

jaffa has been serving man's needs as a natural port since 7500 bc. it is literally one of the oldest cities in the world.

old jaffan alleyway

st. peter's church

the pigeonophile made of rugged suede on the shore of the mediterranean sea

two upstanding gentlemen

romping alongside tel aviv

the best dressed american in israel on the left there

this is photo number two in a two-photo series of aerial shots of my feet on foreign ground (the first was taken in amsterdam). i will start taking these shots more often whenever i'm anywhere outside madison.

the multifabricked astrologist on the beach. he made some legitimately astute observations about, and recommendations for, my life, and did it while wearing a leopard print jacket, tiger print pants, a cheetah print hat, and a old school camo t-shirt. for like eight sheqels. that is a quality deal and money i do not regret spending.