Amiram Hayardeny's My China Experience

Tel Aviv, Part II

When one visits his or her home town, there's a tendency to open a big mouth, and take a big bite of everything you like.  Figuratively speaking.  Well, in my case, literally as well.  About 12 hours after we landed in Tel Aviv, we met with my sister, and her two sons, with my brother and his four girls, one of them was just born, less than two months old.  It was our first date.  She is gorgeous, and she looks just like our side of the family...  It's amazing, thirty seconds after the kids met, they were already playing like they have never parted.  It was great to see.

Next day, we went to see our doctor and our lawyer.  A renewed acquaintance with the Israeli bureaucracy.  The combination of 33 degrees Celsius with some clerk, who's not really into giving you what you need, yet he knows that you have no place else to go is a dangerous one.  Again, the usual: "you must lose weight", and "why did you wait with that document"...

Traffic is outstanding.  Drivers are nuts.  Weather is ridiculously hot, and I still have the eternal argument with my mother on whether to turn on the air conditioner or not.  She ends up turning it on, but hates every minute of it.  Denial works better for her.  "It isn't hot", she says, as she wipes her wet forehead with the sopping wet beach towel... This, by the way, does not stop her from stating that "I have never seen such a hot summer in my entire life"...  My father, who will be turning 72 shortly, is doing great with the kids.  He always have.  The reason is simple.  He plays with the kids, like other kids do.  He has no problem playing with a four year old.  When you see them play, all you see is two four year old kids, only one of them happens to be seventy two...

But the really interesting part is on the news.  The media here is going crazy over a plea deal which was offered and accepted by the current (actually now former) Israeli president.  Mr Moshe Katzav, the Israeli president was accused of multiple counts of rape, sexual harassment, misconduct, statutory rape.  But the final indictment, as submitted by the Attorney General included minor offenses.  Rape changed to kiss, statutory rape changed to misconduct.  The media is partying, the public is nauseated.  Various women organizations took it out to the streets last night, in a relatively large demonstration, headed by various cabinet ministers, and members of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament).  The Supreme Court issued a warrant stopping the court from executing the plea deal due to public protest.

Not sure if you're aware, but Israel is a place that generates news constantly.  In my travels around the world, I have met many people who were completely amazed to learn that only 7 million people live in Israel.  They were sure that this country is at least as big as China, geographically and demographically.  This place is intense.  I think it is intense for everyone, but particularly for me.  My mother lives here...

Last but not least.  I knew this morning, as we left the hotel, that we will stop at some Shawarma joint later in the day.  I did not know where, and when.  I didn't know if it would be Hazen (the Haifan) or Sami in the Square, in Hadera, somewhere between Haifa and Tel Aviv.  Lunch was not it.  We had lunch by my mother.  It was good.  It always is.  It's like she convinces (or threatens) the chicken to have a certain taste, and the poor animal agrees.  Or that she talks to the rice and tells each grain to stay away from its brethren, hence coming out one by one 0 delicious.  No, it wasn't meant to be.  But when we drove from Binyamina back to Tel Aviv, an opportunity showed its face.  And I didn't even have to say anything.  My daughter, with no bribe or charge, said that she was hungry.  At 18:00 it was rather early, but looked promising.  Then a miracle happened.  She said to her mother, in these words: "why don't we go to Sami in Hadera for a Shawarma?".  That nailed it.  In five seconds, the rental car was already headed to Hadera, like an ICBM (Inter Continental Ballistic Missile), programmed for one particular location.

The Shawarma was heavenly.  Shawarma, I believe, is originally Turkish.  The short description is a large vertical skewer, with layers of meat (usually Turkey - the bird, but lamb is also common)  and fat, rolling around a flame.  Inside a Pitta, with some fries, Humus, pickled vegetables and Tahini, it is absolutely great.

All in all, one long day, intense with lawyers, doctors, mothers and mothers-in-law, and funny.  Another day in my home town - Tel Aviv.  Frankly, believe it or not, I miss Beijing.  The place, and the people, my friends and colleagues.  There is no doubt in my mind, I was an Israeli American until last year.  I have become an American Israeli Chinese.  Strange as it may sound, I am a patriot in each...

Posted at 02:13AM Jul 02, 2007 by Amiram Hayardeny in Personal  |  Comments[6]