Philosophy and politics of my Middle East

I apologize for not posting anything on this blog in a while. Want to assure that I feel bad about it since I enjoy this creative outburst so much. So when there is no opportunity to find a spare minute or two to put down my thoughts here, it means that there really isn't a spare minute or two. Last week was all work and school and no play. I'm trying really hard to learn more Hebrew by talking to my coworkers during every break, breakfast and lunch. However, it seems like it's not progressing as fast as I'd like. Hebrew is just a difficult language to me. I'm being told by many different people that it's actually very logical and even has a mathematical precision to it, but I'm having trouble understanding this formula. It's OK though, it will get better. By the way, since I touched the subject of coworkers, I wanted to bring up a point about relationship between Russian Israelis and sabras. A lot of the Russians think that Israelis cannot think normally. That they are void of logic. For example, a man I work with even calls them "aborigines". Usually he just laughs it of, but one time, during a particularly stressful work day, he went on a rant. Apparently somebody forgot to move something out of the way and it impeded our hero's path. He started explaining to me how illogical it is to have that thing there and one of the phrases that he used made me laugh. He said: "These are the chosen people? Who chose them? And how do I get unchosen?" Honestly though, I don't think that it's a question of one being smarter than the other. Just seems like everybody needs to find somebody dumber than them in order to feel better. It's the same everywhere. In the USA and here. In my opinion, people are born the same. The only difference is the upbringing. But that's just me. I am finding myself thinking too much about the higher matters lately. I think it started over a year ago and it's still going on here. Maybe too much time to think and play a philosopher instead of trying to take care of everyday concerns like bills, relationships, etc.

I visited my family in Kiryat Shmona last weekend. You might have heard about this poor city from the news reports. During the war, there were on average around 70 Katyushas launched at it daily. A little over a month since then and I did not see many traces of it. Except for a couple of houses, everything has been cleaned up and repaired. Windows replaced, houses fixed. The trees around the town have suffered a lot during the fires that broke out, but it's not that visible. However, I never really liked Kiryat Shmona. So even now, with all the sympathy, I just can't picture myself wanting to live there. It's just a forgotten place in many regards. There is not a lot of hi-tech work here and just a couple of factories. The mountains around it are very impressive so the nature is gorgeous but nature is only pretty when material needs are satisfied, I think. Therefore, for now I will stop talking about Kiryat Shmona and talk about the ride to it from Haifa. It's worth the 40 shekels even if you have nothing to do upon your arrival. The trip starts on the coast of the Mediterranean sea and keeps you looking at the blue water until Acco. I know that you're used to me saying how pretty and memorable and breathtaking everything here is and this time will be no different. I didn't get a chance to take a photograph to prove it to you but there is a beach near Acco that is simply indescribable. Deep blue water, virgin white clouds, the view of Haifa on the left, and the roofs of one of the oldest cities in the world on the right. The mosques and houses of the old city like in some picture or a dream with the white walls of brand new apartment buildings in the background. Yes, I have to go back with my camera. And yet the trip doesn't stop there. (Well, unless you're getting off the bus here.) We turn right to continue on to the fields of Galilee. Green hills to the left of the road with eagles above looking for their prey among the countless trees... Precise patterns of agricultural revolution to the right... And after about an hour of that, you see the mountains of the Golan. As far as the philosophy of this trip, it's remarkable how the mind can make things so significant and important. What I mean is that I've seen pretty mountains and fields and beaches elsewhere but those things seem so much personal for me here. And that's why I came here. Because I am truly feeling that this is mine.
On that thought let me jump to the politics. As a foreword, I don't like politics. I think that it's void of humanity and is showing the darkest sides of people. At the same time it's our life and I can't help but feel like I'm getting pulled into the discussion out of necessity. Now, before I left I would tell myself that I am at political center and wanted to support Israel regardless of anything. Because it seemed like from the outside we could only do that and trust in the people and democracy. However, after the last weekend, I'm realizing that I've moved a little to the left. Maybe that will change in a bit, but at the moment I'm seeing that the difference between the rich and the poor here is staggering. According to statistics, it's the second biggest in the world after the US. However, because Israel is such a tiny country it's felt much more. Also, the question of the Israeli Arab population needs to be addressed better. And soon. Most of the Israel lives in the apartment buildings because a separate house is extremely expensive. Those are called villas. Arabs don't have apartments, they have houses. And so I'm driving past this one point on the road where on the left I see Arab villages. There are big, attractive houses and grey tiny ones. There are mosques and green flags and fields. Overall it's pretty gloom though. Then we pull into Karmiel and the scenery changes to neon lights of stores, blocks of tall apartment projects, white and blue on every corner and flowers and trees everywhere. (Those all came with hard work, including the ingenuity of the water drop irrigation.) But this is the example of the problem. The people in the city, cramped in their small apartments look over to the Arab village and say to themselves that they dare to live in villas, don't serve in army, do nothing and still hate us. And from the other end - there are outsiders who took over our land, built up these huge houses for themselves, have a better life, more money and they hate us. Maybe there is no physical wall here but there still is one mentally. And the violence will continue while it's standing. One side doesn't know the other and live off the myths that come from ignorance. Their children don't go to same schools, people don't work in the cubicles next to each other and they don't get to find out about each other. So the mentality of us against them is what I see as awful. Unfortunately, I don't know if and how this will ever get fixed. A lot of blood will be spilled in any case. And this is not even involving the problems of the Palestinian Authority and Iran and the rest of the world. However, I don't see fear here. With everything you see on the news, read in papers or on stupid blogs, they are not afraid. It's more like people don't live in fear but they live with it. They go about their daily lives and keep working, learning, dancing, crying, loving and so on. Although in the North, it's still in the air. This echo of people's thoughts about uncertainty of living in danger. I don't know if that's the effect of the war or if my eyes are finally beginning to see things from a perspective of a resident and not a tourist.
Alright, enough of this pointless and depressing topic. Let's learn some Hebrew. Today, I will try to teach a few words that I hear constantly. You know how sometimes one might say "Really(?)" or "Seriously(?)" as an expression of surprise, admiration, attention and whatever else you might think of. Well, in Hebrew, that word is "Beemet(?)"
Next up is "mashu mashu". It's more or less slang for really good. I think it's translated as "something something" and it can be used to describe, for example, one's car or phone or something else.
Finally, a tough one. Literally "Haval al haZman" means "a waste of time". In Israel it's used as a superlative description. Really something incredible and memorable. "How was the movie?" - "Haval al haZman". Unless of course you say it with an original meaning intended but for that you have to look really disappointed.

That's all for now. Sorry for such a long post. Don't despair. Everything is well. The sun is shining.