I don't love you anymore, Teddy-Bear!

Christmas

In Bucharest people conquest the hypermarkets and spend hours waiting for their turn to pay. Everywhere there are people looking for gifts and buying food for the holiday.

In Tel Aviv I spent almost 20 minutes in front of the fitting rooms in order to try a shirt, which didn't look good on me anyway. People are looking for gifts not for food. Except for "sufganiyot" ...

Frustration

Small room. White walls. Destroyed old doors. A dusty heater. Beyond the door, male voices talking in Arabic. Sound of boiling water in nargila.
And I feel useless. I cannot heal HIM.

Mosque in Akko

Cat in Haifa

Neighbours

Israeli guy: Hello! I am XY and I want to know more about this event …..

Parparush: The event will take place on Thursday, XX of November, at … pm … … …

Israeli guy: When did you came to Israel? … Wow and your Hebrew is so beautiful … Where do you live? In Tel Aviv? Where in Tel Aviv? … Do you like it here? … How long will you be here in Israel? … How old are you? … What is exactly your job here? ….

Parparush: Would you like to give me your email address so that I will send you more details on this issue?

Israeli guy: Personal or official email address?

Parparush: Official.

Israeli guy: Ok, Parparush, here is it.

Parparush: Thank you. … What is this (ending of the address)?

Israeli guy: ….. 11^th floor

Parparush: What 11^th floor?

Israeli guy: Take the elevator for 6 levels and come to have a coffee together.

Parparush: I am afraid of heights.

Israeli guy: I will come down then!

Parparush: Ok, if you come down, then I will not send you the email.

Israeli guy: No, send it. How will I know your email address?

Parparush [shakes hands with him before he leaves]

Israeli guy [holds my hand]: Don't forget: 11^th floor! … Nice meeting you and I would love to have a coffee with you some time.

Parparush [pretending not understanding Hebrew]: Shall I call to offer you a coffee now?

Israeli guy: No no. I must go. Have a nice day! Bye!

Fata moșului și fata babei

How many of us remember the first book borrowed from the school's library?
I do.
It was "Fata moșului și fata babei" (The old man's daughter and the old woman's daughter) by Ion Creangă - a big-size book, thin, lot of pictures, very coloured ...
I can even remember that day - how I went to the library for the first time, the smell of old books and dust, the librarian - a nice young lady - and how happy I was to be finally registred at the library.