April 24, 2007 Tel Aviv

April 21, 2007

OK. Sorry for the lack of writing since last time. I have moved into an apartment that rents month to month. It’s a nice furnished one-bedroom, in a great location. But, it’s tiny. I get sort of claustrophobic after a while as there is a window only in the bedroom. But, it forces me to get out and into the city. They are charging me nearly double what it would rent for if unfurnished. It’s about 350 square feet. I rented it for a month but have to tell them by next week if I want it for the 2nd month. It’s tight in here but that’s the way it is to be in the heart of it. I smell the new French patisserie in the morning. It is right below my apartment. I walk everywhere.

I was tested and told that, since I can read block letter Hebrew, I don’t need to start at the total beginner level course. However, I was told to go to a special class to learn how to write in Hebrew cursive. The class starts on Monday, April 23. I have been studying on my own and think I may have it down already. We’ll see.

Israelis generally don’t work Friday and Saturday but Sunday is a regular business day. Friday they get ready for Shabbat during the day and rush home to their families in the afternoon to have big family Shabbat dinners. There is hardly any public transportation on Shabbat (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown in case you didn’t know) and there are only a few cafes opened. However, Tel Aviv is an extremely secular town. Many people don’t do anything observant on Shabbat. Today, I was invited to picnic for a birthday party in a huge park just outside of Tel Aviv in Ramat Gan. It was such beautiful gathering of family and friends with great Israeli foods, Bar b que, humus, tahini, roasted vegetables, pita, the works. One woman played Irish music on some sort of flute. Then, the birthday girl (27 years old) decided to belly dance for the group of 20 or so. She then took her jam box with the Arabic music to another group of picnickers and danced for them; then, another and another. She didn’t care what she looked like. She just danced her spirit. People were so happy and real – not just putting on a face. I taught a bunch of kids how to flick a Frisbee.

It was good to get out today because I had not left my new apartment since I got home Friday morning. Thursday was an interesting evening. It started with a Jdate woman meeting me at a bar. In order to be safe, I made plans with a guy that is a cousin of a friend in Atlanta for late night. I was warned that he is a big partier and a late night guy. He said it was fine if I met him at midnight. While waiting for the date to show, I started talking with the couple next to me. We hit it off. They wanted me to give them a signal if I needed help once the date showed up. The woman that showed for my date was really pretty but with a very cynical and argumentative attitude. She stayed for an hour or so then left. The couple next to me then invited me to sit with them at a table with their friends, a newly wed couple. These were refreshingly kind and warm. One guy was an OBGYN and the other a successful attorney. The OBGYN offered to take me to my late night meeting. His girlfriend sails and says she’ll get me on a boat to race soon.

I was dropped off who knows where in front of some high-end apartments around 1:15 AM. I went up and heard in the hallway the thumping of the base to some pounding night club music. When he opens the door, I see his pimped out bachelor pad. He’s got a couple of huge flat screen TVs hung on walls with surround sound blasting the pounding club music. The whole time I’m there, it’s a video of a famous DJ spinning records with a huge crowd watching him spin records in a stadium. A VIDEO OF A DJ! So, he’s a huge muscular 30-something charismatic guy who tells me first thing: “If you ever need anything in Israel, I can get it for you: blow, dope, hookers, whatever. I can get you five hookers at a time for a great deal. I know them all. In fact, I’m about to get a group of them working for me pretty soon.” I politely thanked him for his willingness to help but that I didn’t think I would take him up on it. He starts pouring shots of Gray Goose vodka for each of us. I said that I usually mix it with tonic. He said we do it Russian style. That’s also the way he likes his women – blonde Russians. “How many do you want? I can get you five right now”, he says as he reaches for the phone. “They will do anything for you.” I began to tell him that I have never even tried a cigarette and that my ego won’t let me pay for women… directly. I tell him of my plans to help the refugees from Darfur and he gets the message. (Oh, yeah! We’re doing shots the whole time in his apartment.) As soon as we put ‘em down, he fills ‘em up and raises the shot glass. “…OK, l’chaim, nas’tarovia, whatever.” He starts telling me of one of his good friends who he says is a beautiful woman that is famous in Israel, on TV, and who is a life coach. He says, “You know, like Anthony Robbins”. Of course I know. He has a big head like me. Oh yeah. Nas’tarovia again. He says she is a nice woman that knows tons of people and that if I don’t want to date her, she’ll flush the women my way from everywhere when we’re out at clubs.

Finally, after an hour or two, she shows up – clearly coming from a night club with one of the highest hiked night club skirts I’ve seen. She was pretty nice, blond and Russian looking. However, it seemed she showed up just before I realized that I slammed way too many Gray Geese. She notes the color of my face and tells me that perhaps I should go purge in the bathroom. I did and felt much better. She leaves shortly afterward – only a brief appearance. He walks her to the door. When he comes back in, he tells me she likes me and that I have to call her to go out – friends or date. I return to the vomitorium never to come out. At some point, he opens the door while I’m sleeping next to the bowl. He helps me to a bed and I’m out til 10:30 AM or so. I get a cab home on Friday and can’t leave my apartment or hold anything down until Sunday at the picnic. He calls me Saturday afternoon to make sure I call his friend. I do call her and am doing something with her tomorrow night. It’s an adventure.

I’m still queasy (Saturday night) but I hope I feel well enough tomorrow to run or join a gym. These people eat so healthy. The vegetables in the USA are tasteless compared to these. I crave the salads and vegetables all the time. I don’t do that in the States.

I’m meeting people all the time. They are friendly, speak English well, and are authentic. There are good, great, and bad people everywhere. I meet them through Jdate, a bunch, and in cafes and bars. It’s great. Of course, it’s lonely at times, too when all your friends are elsewhere and you are so much older than other singles. I keep telling people that I am looking for my 2nd wife. I just skipped over the 1st. I sometimes feel like I am wasting time and being unproductive during the day. But, that’s in my head. I am here for the adventure and the learning. I have the next 20 years to work. I will, however, set up meetings with investors to put together a fund for Scott and Hults’ company.

Worst Jdate story: OK, so I’ve had several dates, some OK some no so great. I came out of my Hebrew test and decided to call this woman who looked beautiful on Jdate, absolutely beautiful. I called her around noon and, decided to invite her to lunch at that moment. She, surprisingly said, “Sure! I was just wondering what I was going to do for lunch. I know a wonderful restaurant. Do you know where ‘Sun and Sea’ is?” I told her I had just arrived in Tel Aviv. She told me it was in Tel Aviv on the beach and that I could cab it easily as everyone knows it. I was a block from the beach so I figured it couldn’t be far. My cab has to call in to find out where it is. He drives for about 20 minutes in no traffic north and north. I find out it’s at the border of Tel Aviv and Hertziliya. It’s a fancy resort with a restaurant called Torquios or something. I wait at the bar for a while and when she arrives, she is NOT the same person of the photo. She may have been 10 years ago but I really don’t see any resemblance to her “smaller self”. I had looked at the lunch menu and the fixed price menu was about US$25 per person. This is hugely expensive for Israel. She tells me her father takes her here often and she knows what’s good. She goes on to tell me about her millionaire boyfriends of her life and how she will never work. She would only leave Tel Aviv for a huge flat overlooking Central Park in NYC where she is taken care of. She was not attractive and her demeanor made her much worse. Since I invited her to lunch, I felt I should pay. She is bitching at the bartender (who knows her), has a “migraine” but orders wine anyway, kvetches about the size of the wine glass, and orders tons of food in Hebrew. I don’t know what she is ordering. Food was great and plentiful. The bill before tip comes in at around US$90. She keeps telling me throughout that I owe her for taking me to such a fine restaurant.

At one time during the meal, she tells me she’ll drive me back to Tel Aviv. She changed her mind before she finished but finally agreed to take me to the edge of town so that I could walk the final mile and a half. She is laying on the horn the whole ride, screaming at all other drivers and pedestrians. I had to laugh the whole way home as I walked as I learned my lesson: You have to be upfront at times here and say what you want and feel. I should have said, “I really did not expect such an expensive restaurant. Let’s take it easy unless you want to help out.” That’s’ not my culture but it might have helped here. I was later told by the OBGYN and the lawyer that this was, in fact, the finest restaurant in Tel Aviv.

April 24, 2007

Today is Independence Day (Yom Ha Atzmanut). In Israel, Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron) is the day before. Israelis really take their Memorial Day seriously. All is somber and most stores and restaurants are closed. Israelis know that those soldiers died so that they could continue to live in their country. Unfortunately, I did not do much for these days. There was a ceremony on Memorial Day at the school where I began to study. It was my first day and a short day because of the holiday. In order to get into a class every day, I am told I need to learn to read and write better in cursive. Then, they will place me in an appropriate class that has already begun. I don’t need to start at the very beginning as I can read OK and don’t need to start with the alphabet.

I have had around 6 dates so far. That is, with 5 or 6 people. No fits so far. Most are from Jdate. Above, I mentioned the Russian looking woman that I was told was famous and on television. We had talked of going out on the eve of Independence Day. This is when everyone goes out hard starting around midnight. She said she didn’t want to go out and that she is often approached because she is famous. She wanted to wait until today to do something. We spoke in the afternoon when she said she wanted to have lunch. She said, “Do you know where Sea and Sun is?” I cringed and said, I’d prefer to go somewhere inside Tel Aviv as didn’t have a car. I told her I’d call her back in a 10 minutes with another suggestion. When I did, she didn’t answer and didn’t return the calls. I guess she thought it rude that I was not willing to travel. Who knows? I thought, “Would I really want to go out with, say, a move star-type in the USA that was used to a lavish life style?” I will work on not being cheap but I don’t think the first date with someone you aren’t psyched about needs to be all-out. Oh well…

So, she stood me up. I ended up eating in a nice café and walking my tuches off around the huge park at the north of town. I think EVERYONE does a cookout on this day. It’s really warming to see everyone outside. I’m thinking that since apartments are older and smaller, it’s nice to get outside with families. The beach was awesome today with windsurfers, kite surfers, sailors, and people packing the cafes and promenade along the beaches. It was a lonely day as it is here sometimes. Almost everyone speaks English here but there is sometimes a language barrier. Also, I always like to respect the local culture by speaking their language.

Life is clearly tougher here than in the States. Of course, it is in most places. People here often go day to day with money. Prices are comparable to the US but wages are half. Also, cars and gas are double the price in the U.S. Many people are cynical here in Tel Aviv. As I talk to people that have this outlook, I have to maintain my optimistic view and try to share it. I refuse to sink into cynicism. It’s too easy. Some are determined to stay in what looks like a dark place and some do have beautiful spirits. I feel like I am meeting several but have not found friends, yet. I have not tried to meet the ex-patriot groups as of yet as I want to know the locals and their culture. I don’t know if Tel Aviv is the right spot in Israel for me of if I should go to Jerusalem or another city. I am here because there are so many young people to meet.

OK, this was a stream of conscious email. I will look into creating a blog that you can check from time to time. It will have photos, too. I am early into this adventure and the primary purpose is again, to get to Africa someday to help out with the refugees. Israel is the treat for me. Meanwhile, you can reach me at my home number in the states (404) 848-1424. It will be forwarded to me via Skype and I will be able to answer the call on my computer.

L’hitraot,

Randy