January 2008 Archives
Fine dining is a lot of money for delicious by tiny portions. Restaurant week is a bargain??!!??
As someone who has spent years playing guitar, and harnessing their craft - I find Rock Band to be an abomination. A fantastically fun abomination.
Norman Mineta would've approved Metro to Dulles. But instead we're stuck with these anti-transportation assclowns. And to your people bitching about the tunnel, Bechtel built the rest of the system with a design/build no-bid contract, and they did a fuckin' good job. Plus tunnels = cost overruns. And honestly, those of you trying to scuttle the elevated track, you weren't for the tunnel either - you wanted to kill the damn project either because of some misguided notion of "slow growth" or because you didn't want to hand a political victory to a primary rival. But I digress. Assholes. We need that train.
I downloaded all of Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass's Going Places album because I wanted to expand my collection of cheesey music. But I'll be damned if Tijuana Taxi isn't a catchy song. Is it possible I'm starting to ACTUALLY enjoy Herb Alpert instead of just IRONICALLY enjoy him?
So as I sit first in a hollow aluminum tube with a couple of jets attached to it and then a second hollow aluminum tube that sits on rails, I've been trying to reflect a bit on the last 10 days, I can never seem to sleep on planes anyways – so it seems like a good time to begin the ol' “think-er-ing”. This was definitely a very unique experience – not a normal vacaction. I definitely do feel like I got the break I needed, but I think this spring I may take a long weekend somewhere for a do-nothing kind of vacation.
Quick Thoughts:
Shwarma and Falafel = AWESOME
Goldstar Beer needs to be distributed in the States
Cuban Pork sandwiches may be slightly extra tasty when eaten ironically.
I'm very glad that leash laws exist in the States after I saw a couple of mean dogs corner a Terrier in a Kibbutz. The little dog did escape unharmed.
Restaurant Food > Hotel Food > Airplane Food (duh)
If all Wine needs for Kosher status is to be prepared by Orthos, why the fuck have people been drinking Manishevitz?
Shintzel (Fried Chicken Patties breaded with Sesame Seeds) can be anywhere from ok to fuckin' awful.
Drawn Out Thoughts
Jerusalem is acutally a real place, not just a religious pilgrim desitination. They have roads, malls, shops, bars, hotels, light rail, freeways... And yet, it is the center of so much tension. And one begins to ask, “Is this city really worth all the blood that has been shed for it?”
There were two rounds of goodbyes last night/this morning. First, we said goodbye to the Israelis we'd travelled with and those from our group who were staying longer before we got on the plane. Then goodbye to everyone else when we landed in Newark. Both times it felt very odd – I've just spent an intense 10 days with this group of people, and none of them live in Washington so it's not easy to just go hang out with anyone. The closest people are in Richmond (ironically?) and New York. And oh how many New Yorkers there were. We all said we were going to keep in touch, but I'm truly not sure whom I'll see again, and who's forever left my life. Some people I have no doubt that I will see again. For others? Perhaps Facebook linkage, or perphas not... One thing we were trying to sort out is how to handle the photo sharing situation – something I fully intend to investigate when I get back home. I also intend to do laundry. And take a shower. Oy vey I smell! And soon, I will resume the company of my beloved Poodle. Who is now shorn. I need to brush him more.
Oh and Jeff, I brought you back Bissli. Mmmm...
That wine I got all excited about bringing home? I totally left it at the last hotel. Grrrr..... That was a waste of money.
We went to Jerusalem for a day, and will be returning back there tommorrow before we leave. While there, we checked out the Old City, including the Western Wall. I've been chewing over the whole experience for the last two days, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. In some senses, Jerusalem seems like a perfectly normal city – highways, streets, etc. It's quite nice. But there's an underlying tension that is definitely abnormal. Perhaps I'll get a better sense of the place once we return.
Tel Aviv is a wonderful place. It instantly felt familiar. I think the best comparision I can make with Tel Aviv is Miami – metropolitan, populated, on the beach, and full of Jews – albeit in Tel Aviv they're more my age then my grandparent's age. It is quite odd to go out to a bar at night, knowing that probably everyone there – from the patrons to the wait staff – are Jewish.
While here I've done some shopping, ate at some good restaurants, and walked along the Mediterranean. The hotel, however, is a shit hole. C'est la vie.
Apparently, one can purchase over 15 drinks, including shots, for under $75 US at Kibbutz bars. I made it a point to buy the first round on new years. There's something inherently gratifying about picking up the tab befo tore people can realize it – and doing it first is a great way to ensure future drinks purchased for you by others. Alcoholic dividends, I suppose (I guess it's not completely al-cohol-truistic.
I am continually struck by the similarities between Israel and California. Warm client, diverse terrain, driving everywhere, McDonalds all over...
Coffee-maker technology has seemed to escape the Israelis – everywher you go, it's instant coffee. With such devotion to the crap, it doesn't surprise me that Starbucks packed up and left.
Admittedly I haven't been going out as much as I would've thought, but that probably has a lot to do with the absence of places to go. Carlsberg Beer is fairly prevalent here – and it is quite good on tap. I shall have to remember to order it more during my next trip to the Brickskeller. I did finally get to try a Goldstar Lager, which was a dark beer. I was quite impressed.
As I type now, we're pulling away from the Galil Mountain Winery. Aside from an over the top, sexually charged, intro video – the wine was quite good. I wasn't too impressed with their Yiron blend – their flagship wine. But they had an excellent Pinot Noir, of which I picked up a few bottles.
One of the absolute best pieces of the trip is the friends I am making. While most of the people here are New Yorkers (which is really feeding a desire to move to NYC), there are at least a few people here with whom I'm fairly certain I will keep close contact. Many of the photos you see of me on here and Flickr were taken by my friend Stacy who is a professional wedding photographer. If you need wedding photos in the NYC area, let me know and I will put you in touch with her. I also know a good one in DC – but I digress.
