There is a tough gal on the web who blogs. She is the blonde conservative.
I stumbled upon her blog by accident while perusing my daily array of conservative
blogs. If I remember correctly, it was probably on Stephen Taylor's blog that I came
across her link.
She is taking the fight against Carleton University Student Association's (CUSA) decision to rescind the funding and status of pro-life groups on campus. CUSA alleges that the groups
which they have taken action against are throwing plastic fetuses at students and hurling
militant epithets. And strangely, none of the NDP or Liberal people on campus are talking
about it and this has not made any news.
The natural conclusion I have is that this is an excuse to outlaw the pro-life voice at Carleton.
What further convinces me of this fact is that CUSA is CFS affiliated. The CFS is a group that in addition to fighting to reduce tuition, has a wide-reaching agenda. This agenda includes changing Valentine's Day to "Pink Triangle Day" as it is more inclusive to non-heterosexual couples. It is also aggresively anti-Israel and pro-choice. I don't mind an aggresive pro-choice, but not to the way that you completely stifle the other side.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
Back to writing
Hi there,
I haven't written anything since my last post in Israel. I feel kinda bad about it and promise to be more prudent from now on. I am quite addicted to this blogging thing. Everyday I read a few blogs. The bloggers whom I read include: Warren Kinsella, Adam Daifallah (whom I know from UTPCA days) and Stephen Taylor. I also want to give props to Andrew Coyne's blog. Andrew is my favourite writer at the National Post.
Lots has happened since Israel. Chava and I appear to be going strong. I joined the Facebook world and posted trip photos there. Finished another CGA credit along the way.
Also got into the habit of writing. I interviewed 17-year old singing sensation Liel Kollet and wrote about it. She came to Toronto to sing on behalf of Save a Child's Heart, an organization that I have much respect for. My article was the cover story in the latest issue of Afterword. This is a magazine written by and for young Jews in Canada. Check it out. I hope it will go places.
The latest big issue appears to be Stephane Dion's dual citizenship. Some people hate the fact that he holds French citizenship. Dion says it's out of loyalty to his mother who was French. I personally do not see much into it but I can see how people can let ignorance dictate how they feel about this issue. I can only imagine if I had run for Prime Minister with the fact that I have Israeli citizenship and a passport. I would be accused of trying to orchestrate an Israeli takeover of Canada. Get real.
I love this country. I try to learn as much as I can about the different regional and societal cleavages. My hope is that we will find as much common ground as possible so we will not break up this country. I have taken out party memberships and will continue to do so. I know I care about Israel and had I been handed the trust of the Canadian people, I would adopt a pro-Israel tone. However, I will always be mindful of who gave me the trust to govern.
But it is my belief that being born where I was, I will never get the chance to be Prime Minister of Canada. Not unless many people change their attitudes. It begins by cutting Mr. Dion some slack for his dual citizenship. This is the only time I will be cutting him any.
I haven't written anything since my last post in Israel. I feel kinda bad about it and promise to be more prudent from now on. I am quite addicted to this blogging thing. Everyday I read a few blogs. The bloggers whom I read include: Warren Kinsella, Adam Daifallah (whom I know from UTPCA days) and Stephen Taylor. I also want to give props to Andrew Coyne's blog. Andrew is my favourite writer at the National Post.
Lots has happened since Israel. Chava and I appear to be going strong. I joined the Facebook world and posted trip photos there. Finished another CGA credit along the way.
Also got into the habit of writing. I interviewed 17-year old singing sensation Liel Kollet and wrote about it. She came to Toronto to sing on behalf of Save a Child's Heart, an organization that I have much respect for. My article was the cover story in the latest issue of Afterword. This is a magazine written by and for young Jews in Canada. Check it out. I hope it will go places.
The latest big issue appears to be Stephane Dion's dual citizenship. Some people hate the fact that he holds French citizenship. Dion says it's out of loyalty to his mother who was French. I personally do not see much into it but I can see how people can let ignorance dictate how they feel about this issue. I can only imagine if I had run for Prime Minister with the fact that I have Israeli citizenship and a passport. I would be accused of trying to orchestrate an Israeli takeover of Canada. Get real.
I love this country. I try to learn as much as I can about the different regional and societal cleavages. My hope is that we will find as much common ground as possible so we will not break up this country. I have taken out party memberships and will continue to do so. I know I care about Israel and had I been handed the trust of the Canadian people, I would adopt a pro-Israel tone. However, I will always be mindful of who gave me the trust to govern.
But it is my belief that being born where I was, I will never get the chance to be Prime Minister of Canada. Not unless many people change their attitudes. It begins by cutting Mr. Dion some slack for his dual citizenship. This is the only time I will be cutting him any.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Northern Israel Day 2
Tonight's my second-last night in Israel. It is somewhat bittersweet. On the one hand,
I am happy to go back to Canada. I miss my family and other loved ones. On the other
hand, I have only begun to really enjoy myself. The family in Karmiel was super awesome,
particularly today. They took me on a trip today. I was taken to Rosh Hanikrah which is the Israel-Lebanon border and Akko. I didn't go there just for this picture (above). There are amazing grottos there and an incredible view. Just like this:
I was able to go into the grottos and see the waves crashing into the rock. The story behind Rosh Hanikrah was that once a train could go through there via tunnel and reach Beirut en route to Europe. It was built by the British to move ammunitions to the Egyptian front in World War II. When 1948 came and the British left, the Israelis bombed the tunnel to prevent the Lebanese army from moving in to attack Haifa via the tunnel. Here is the old rail tunnel. Beyond this rock is Lebanon.
Next we went to Akko which is a very old port that once served as a key trade route. Napoleon tried to capture it and could not. We went through the old city as seen here:
Akko is very Arab in its makeup, particularly in the old parts. When we were walking through, we could hear the muslim call to prayer from the local mosque.
We ended up dining at a restaurant located right on the waterfront. I had humous with ground beef. It was very tasty. With a beer, it came to less than $10 a person. That would have been impossible in Toronto.
What was neat about the restaurant was that next to it was a peak from where about six kids were doing diving stunts. Pola's husband Arie was able to snap this really cool photo for me of a guy jumping in mid-air. He was lucky to avoid the rocks down below:
Then again, there is nothing cooler than..............Arab Bamba!
Maybe the path to peace starts with the Arab Bamba. Let us only hope. I was certainly feeling a sense of unity seeing this. Those of you who are unaware, Bamba is the biggest snack in Israel, chalk full of peanuts and nutritional goodness.
My next post will probably be in Canada so I will now say thank you to Israel for great times. It is time to go back to normal life in Canada. To work and study but with a sense that I had the chance to breathe a little. To feel somewhat liberated from the mundane and to now see that routine as always inter-changeable with the thrills of travelling. I had the chance to see Europe and Israel up close. Had the chance to visit family I had not seen in ages and to help other family members rediscover lost relatives. I have a great feeling of accomplishment from both. This trip has been completely worth it. Many circles closed. One day left.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Northern Israel
I am in Karmiel, a place that absorbed 171 katyusha rockets during the recent Lebanon War.
I came here because my second cousin Polina from my dad's side and her family live here. She is a phys-ed teacher who knows soccer so well she can even lend an opinion on the Swedish Cup. Quite amazing.
Pola as we call her has three kids: Sharon (29), Lior (25) and Sarit (24). Lior is in Los Angeles with wife and no kids. Sharon has a wife and no kids and Sarit has a boyfriend. The boyfriend is Indian Jew which is quite rare but I know there is a community around Bombay albeit tiny.
Sarit told me about the horrors of the katyusha rockets. She told me that the first time a rocket fell, she was in complete shock. Nobody expected Karmiel to be hit as it is surrounded by Arab villages like Majd-al-Krum and Dir-el-Assad. Those villages were hit and there were deaths sadly.
Most of the shelling was not accompanied by an initial siren. Lots of running into the shelter located in the home. Sarit lost weight and hair. It was quite the stressful experience. One occasion she claims to be particularly stressful, was when they took a chance that there would be no bombs and they drove somewhere. The missiles began to rain down and they started driving at 120 km/h until they figured they had gone enough south beyond the rockets' range.
All in all, Karmiel absorbed 171 rockets. Other places were much worse. Kiryat Shemona which is a stone's throw from the Lebanese border, absorbed about 4,000. Safed and Nahariyya were hit quite bad too. Nahariyya had a case where a woman got out on her balcony and was killed by a direct strike.
There could have been a similar situation in Karmiel. I saw a balcony where the missile went right through it and hit the road. Beyond the actual impact of the strike is the fact that a hit generated a spread of hundreds of round ball bearings that could go as far as 100 metres. That particular strike caused damage to all the cars parked in the street that day.
I could not take a good photo of that balcony but I have posted here a few photos of missile damage and piercings caused by the ball bearings.
Note the piercings on the wall caused by ball bearings. Ground zero was about 20 feet from this side of the house.
This photo was taken in another site. A high
school was hit and the windows are still pierced.
However, they were too dark and far away to
take a photo of so I snapped some nearby.
Note the piercings of the ball bearings right
through this steel pole. The pole was 40 feet
away from ground zero where the missile
struck.
Here is a shot taken from the same area. This road sign is still down, not yet fixed now two weeks after the war. I know the sign looks like it is up but it is actually lying on the ground, probably torn from its foundation by the ground shaking upon impact of the rocket.
The proof is in the photo below.
Along the way, I saw a house whose roof has not yet been fixed. It has no attic as the roof is completely damaged. I couldn't take a photo of it as I was too far away when I saw it. All in all, quite the eye-opening tour. I feel for the people who had to go through this and I also feel for the innocents of Lebanon. War sucks.
I came here because my second cousin Polina from my dad's side and her family live here. She is a phys-ed teacher who knows soccer so well she can even lend an opinion on the Swedish Cup. Quite amazing.
Pola as we call her has three kids: Sharon (29), Lior (25) and Sarit (24). Lior is in Los Angeles with wife and no kids. Sharon has a wife and no kids and Sarit has a boyfriend. The boyfriend is Indian Jew which is quite rare but I know there is a community around Bombay albeit tiny.
Sarit told me about the horrors of the katyusha rockets. She told me that the first time a rocket fell, she was in complete shock. Nobody expected Karmiel to be hit as it is surrounded by Arab villages like Majd-al-Krum and Dir-el-Assad. Those villages were hit and there were deaths sadly.
Most of the shelling was not accompanied by an initial siren. Lots of running into the shelter located in the home. Sarit lost weight and hair. It was quite the stressful experience. One occasion she claims to be particularly stressful, was when they took a chance that there would be no bombs and they drove somewhere. The missiles began to rain down and they started driving at 120 km/h until they figured they had gone enough south beyond the rockets' range.
All in all, Karmiel absorbed 171 rockets. Other places were much worse. Kiryat Shemona which is a stone's throw from the Lebanese border, absorbed about 4,000. Safed and Nahariyya were hit quite bad too. Nahariyya had a case where a woman got out on her balcony and was killed by a direct strike.
There could have been a similar situation in Karmiel. I saw a balcony where the missile went right through it and hit the road. Beyond the actual impact of the strike is the fact that a hit generated a spread of hundreds of round ball bearings that could go as far as 100 metres. That particular strike caused damage to all the cars parked in the street that day.
I could not take a good photo of that balcony but I have posted here a few photos of missile damage and piercings caused by the ball bearings.
Note the piercings on the wall caused by ball bearings. Ground zero was about 20 feet from this side of the house.
This photo was taken in another site. A high
school was hit and the windows are still pierced.
However, they were too dark and far away to
take a photo of so I snapped some nearby.
Note the piercings of the ball bearings right
through this steel pole. The pole was 40 feet
away from ground zero where the missile
struck.
Here is a shot taken from the same area. This road sign is still down, not yet fixed now two weeks after the war. I know the sign looks like it is up but it is actually lying on the ground, probably torn from its foundation by the ground shaking upon impact of the rocket. The proof is in the photo below.
Along the way, I saw a house whose roof has not yet been fixed. It has no attic as the roof is completely damaged. I couldn't take a photo of it as I was too far away when I saw it. All in all, quite the eye-opening tour. I feel for the people who had to go through this and I also feel for the innocents of Lebanon. War sucks.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
What I have been up to
Hello folks. Sorry for not writing in a very long time. I will update everything that has happened so far.
Pretty much I have been running around and about. I have visited family and had a chance to catch in a few sites. Also went to a few soccer games (more on that in just a bit).
The first weekend I was here I picked up my niece and nephew from their grandmother and went back to Ashdod. I took them to the beach and then to a soccer game between Sports Club Ashdod and Maccabi Herzliyya. This game was the first of the season for both clubs. The Herzliyya team is a team that was just promoted this year from the second division and they played with a lot of heart. Ashdod was absorbing a lot of pressure all game long and then they scored an 82nd minute goal that was quite exciting. My niece and nephew jumped out of their seats as well.
The next day I took the kids back to their parents by train. It took quite long with a train switch in-between. About 5 hours because someone got hit in the train station just ahead of Ashdod. Resulted in a 1.5 hour delay. Some things are slow in Israel.
After taking them back, I caught up with my nephew in Tel Aviv and we went to a game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem. We sat in the section devoted to the most hardcore fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv. They had co-ordinated cheers, flags, drums, flares, etc. It was quite something. Here is a photo:
The Jerusalem fans were no less co-ordinated and news reports claim there were 7,000 away fans in all. That must have put our number at around 9,000 (Tel Aviv fans).
All in all it was a good game. The visitors struck first midway into the 1st half. But the fans in my section did not relent. They just sang louder and all game too.
Jubilation as around the 60th minute, Tel Aviv tied it up and looked like they could have another. But alas, Jerusalem got a winning goal around the 70th minute that ripped the hearts out of all the Tel Aviv fans. The final whistle came and Beitar Jerusalem had its first victory in Bloomfield Stadium (Maccabi's home) since 1987. Guess you can say they were due. At least it was only the first week of the season. 32 games left for Maccabi to erase this loss.
The next day I went back to central Israel with my brother in law. I finally got to see my sister and her new home. She bought a house in a place called Tel Mond. It is a quaint little settlement about 25 minutes in good traffic from central Tel Aviv. Anybody who is familiar with Kfar Saba or Raanana.. it is just 10 minutes up the road with a sign clearly marked.
Here are some photos from the new house:
She doesn't have grass yet but I am sure she will soon. Neither does she have a kitchen which will be a bigger chore. But no sweats, she has a mother in-law who will gladly cook for her.
This is the view looking outside. As you can see, there is much space to fill but no worries since all their stuff came from Canada the same day.
That particular day the painters were still painting the house and everyone was put to work. I had to chip paint off floor tiles and walls in the bathrooms and on the main floor. It wasn't particularly pleasant, but when family needs you, you roll up your sleeves and work.
Here is where the kitchen is supposed to be:
It will get there I am sure.
Next post will be about northern Israel where I am right now.
Pretty much I have been running around and about. I have visited family and had a chance to catch in a few sites. Also went to a few soccer games (more on that in just a bit).
The first weekend I was here I picked up my niece and nephew from their grandmother and went back to Ashdod. I took them to the beach and then to a soccer game between Sports Club Ashdod and Maccabi Herzliyya. This game was the first of the season for both clubs. The Herzliyya team is a team that was just promoted this year from the second division and they played with a lot of heart. Ashdod was absorbing a lot of pressure all game long and then they scored an 82nd minute goal that was quite exciting. My niece and nephew jumped out of their seats as well.
The next day I took the kids back to their parents by train. It took quite long with a train switch in-between. About 5 hours because someone got hit in the train station just ahead of Ashdod. Resulted in a 1.5 hour delay. Some things are slow in Israel.
After taking them back, I caught up with my nephew in Tel Aviv and we went to a game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem. We sat in the section devoted to the most hardcore fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv. They had co-ordinated cheers, flags, drums, flares, etc. It was quite something. Here is a photo:
The Jerusalem fans were no less co-ordinated and news reports claim there were 7,000 away fans in all. That must have put our number at around 9,000 (Tel Aviv fans).
All in all it was a good game. The visitors struck first midway into the 1st half. But the fans in my section did not relent. They just sang louder and all game too.
Jubilation as around the 60th minute, Tel Aviv tied it up and looked like they could have another. But alas, Jerusalem got a winning goal around the 70th minute that ripped the hearts out of all the Tel Aviv fans. The final whistle came and Beitar Jerusalem had its first victory in Bloomfield Stadium (Maccabi's home) since 1987. Guess you can say they were due. At least it was only the first week of the season. 32 games left for Maccabi to erase this loss.
The next day I went back to central Israel with my brother in law. I finally got to see my sister and her new home. She bought a house in a place called Tel Mond. It is a quaint little settlement about 25 minutes in good traffic from central Tel Aviv. Anybody who is familiar with Kfar Saba or Raanana.. it is just 10 minutes up the road with a sign clearly marked.
Here are some photos from the new house:
She doesn't have grass yet but I am sure she will soon. Neither does she have a kitchen which will be a bigger chore. But no sweats, she has a mother in-law who will gladly cook for her.
This is the view looking outside. As you can see, there is much space to fill but no worries since all their stuff came from Canada the same day.That particular day the painters were still painting the house and everyone was put to work. I had to chip paint off floor tiles and walls in the bathrooms and on the main floor. It wasn't particularly pleasant, but when family needs you, you roll up your sleeves and work.
Here is where the kitchen is supposed to be:
It will get there I am sure.
Next post will be about northern Israel where I am right now.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
My free day in Paris and getting to Israel
After saying goodbye to everyone, I had a free day in Paris before flying to Israel.
Spent the day touring Notre Dame Cathedral and the Latin Quarter of Paris. Nothing major seen, just perusing the streets. After about an hour of walking, I took a cruise around the River Seine where I got a closer view of the city. After the cruise, I walked to Place de la Concorde where an obelisque from Luxor stands. It is 3,300 years old with a golden top. Amazingly, it was brought to France in one piece. A gift from Egypt.
Place de la Concorde is also where people were guillotined during the French revolution. There is a plaque commemorating the bloody execution spot that sealed the fate of the likes of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
I got to Charles de Gaulle Airport on time and managed with help to find my check-in desk. After receiving my boarding passes, I was subjected to a demeaning search which consisted of taking my shoes and belt off and being hand frisked. The same process was repeated in London on my connecting flight to Israel.
The plane was 1 hour late getting off which left me with 90 minutes to catch my connection in London. Thankfully, I was there on time and I am here in Ashdod writing this to you.
Landed in Israel and was simply amazed by how the airport changed. It looks very modern now and the passport control is less strenuous. There is a rail link from the airport so I was able to conveniently get to Ashdod by changing one train.
I will publish my contiki review later.
Spent the day touring Notre Dame Cathedral and the Latin Quarter of Paris. Nothing major seen, just perusing the streets. After about an hour of walking, I took a cruise around the River Seine where I got a closer view of the city. After the cruise, I walked to Place de la Concorde where an obelisque from Luxor stands. It is 3,300 years old with a golden top. Amazingly, it was brought to France in one piece. A gift from Egypt.
Place de la Concorde is also where people were guillotined during the French revolution. There is a plaque commemorating the bloody execution spot that sealed the fate of the likes of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
I got to Charles de Gaulle Airport on time and managed with help to find my check-in desk. After receiving my boarding passes, I was subjected to a demeaning search which consisted of taking my shoes and belt off and being hand frisked. The same process was repeated in London on my connecting flight to Israel.
The plane was 1 hour late getting off which left me with 90 minutes to catch my connection in London. Thankfully, I was there on time and I am here in Ashdod writing this to you.
Landed in Israel and was simply amazed by how the airport changed. It looks very modern now and the passport control is less strenuous. There is a rail link from the airport so I was able to conveniently get to Ashdod by changing one train.
I will publish my contiki review later.
Paris Days 1 and 2
The day we left Lyon, we arrived in Fontainebleau where Napoleon once spoke on the steps of a castle. Had a good pizza lunch with Boyd and Kelly and we talked about what they do in Australia. He works for his family business which sells tinted windows and she works as a grocer in a supermarket.
Got to Paris around mid-Afternoon straight to the hotel. The hotel itself is quite big and relatively cheap: 59 euros a night from mid June to end of August. I imagine it's cheaper the rest of the year. Quite a good rate for Paris.
The only drawback is that the area around the hotel is quite Arab so it was difficult to get everything I wanted done in the internet cafe. There were actually hizbullah backers in the internet cafe. I know because they had a poster of Nasrallah on their computer.
The evening of the first day, we went on a city tour of Paris by bus. Helen started off by telling us a love story of two people she knew. Long story short it's about a guy who is a total perfectionist who wanted to propose to his girlfriend in Paris but he didn't get a perfect ring. He decided to put off the proposal. So he worked real hard at it to get a second crack in Paris without letting her know that they were going there for a proposal. If you want the story, drop a comment.
We started off seeing Notre Dame and surrounding points of interest before we headed to the Eiffel Tower. We climbed the tower and I got all the way to the peak of it. Really neat views up there. When we got down, there was a light show on the tower. I took a video clip of it. It was very spectacular. The bus tour concluded with a peak at the Arc de Triomphe.
The next day I started off at the Louvre where I saw Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa among others. I spent about an hour and a half there. The place is massive. You need a map to find your way out. And few people actually know that it used to be a royal palace.
After the Louvre I went to the Champs Elysees via the metro. Paris subway is incredibly efficient but the subway map will make you go dizzy. I found London's subway system easier to navigate. I saw the Arc de Triomphe and went up and down the Champs Elysees which is a fabulous street to walk on. Many pricy shops like Louis Vuitton and Giorgio Armani.
That evening we had the cabaret show. Since many people opted to go to Moulin Rouge, the cabaret I went too had only 13 people from my group. No matter. It was still fun and about 38 euros cheaper than Moulin. I didn't feel I lost anything by going to that one instead of Moulin. There was comedy, acrobatics, singing and dancing. The women sometimes were bare-chested but it was really tastefully done. The meal that came along with the show was tasty. Steak with potatoes and veggies.
After the cabaret, I said goodbye to the group at an irish pub close to the Moulin Rouge. I took a bunch of pictures of the people I referred to as friends for the 15 days prior and whom I shall continue to do so. The contiki tour has officially ended.
Got to Paris around mid-Afternoon straight to the hotel. The hotel itself is quite big and relatively cheap: 59 euros a night from mid June to end of August. I imagine it's cheaper the rest of the year. Quite a good rate for Paris.
The only drawback is that the area around the hotel is quite Arab so it was difficult to get everything I wanted done in the internet cafe. There were actually hizbullah backers in the internet cafe. I know because they had a poster of Nasrallah on their computer.
The evening of the first day, we went on a city tour of Paris by bus. Helen started off by telling us a love story of two people she knew. Long story short it's about a guy who is a total perfectionist who wanted to propose to his girlfriend in Paris but he didn't get a perfect ring. He decided to put off the proposal. So he worked real hard at it to get a second crack in Paris without letting her know that they were going there for a proposal. If you want the story, drop a comment.
We started off seeing Notre Dame and surrounding points of interest before we headed to the Eiffel Tower. We climbed the tower and I got all the way to the peak of it. Really neat views up there. When we got down, there was a light show on the tower. I took a video clip of it. It was very spectacular. The bus tour concluded with a peak at the Arc de Triomphe.
The next day I started off at the Louvre where I saw Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa among others. I spent about an hour and a half there. The place is massive. You need a map to find your way out. And few people actually know that it used to be a royal palace.
After the Louvre I went to the Champs Elysees via the metro. Paris subway is incredibly efficient but the subway map will make you go dizzy. I found London's subway system easier to navigate. I saw the Arc de Triomphe and went up and down the Champs Elysees which is a fabulous street to walk on. Many pricy shops like Louis Vuitton and Giorgio Armani.
That evening we had the cabaret show. Since many people opted to go to Moulin Rouge, the cabaret I went too had only 13 people from my group. No matter. It was still fun and about 38 euros cheaper than Moulin. I didn't feel I lost anything by going to that one instead of Moulin. There was comedy, acrobatics, singing and dancing. The women sometimes were bare-chested but it was really tastefully done. The meal that came along with the show was tasty. Steak with potatoes and veggies.
After the cabaret, I said goodbye to the group at an irish pub close to the Moulin Rouge. I took a bunch of pictures of the people I referred to as friends for the 15 days prior and whom I shall continue to do so. The contiki tour has officially ended.
Lyon
I made a vow to complete this blog and so I am doing so while the memory is still fresh.
We began the day with a drive to a perfumery where we learned how they make perfume. Helen the tour manager said that the reason we are going to girly spots like a diamond factory, a crystal shop and a perfumery was to make us "all around gentlemen," whatever that means.
After the perfumery, we arrived in Avignon which used to be a papal city during the Great Schism of the 13th Century when there were popes in Avignon, Rome and Pisa (3 popes at once). Each contended they were the true pope.
We were there for one hour and I had a crepe which turned out to be nothing but blintz dough with some sugar over it. 6 euro for that?
There was a guy near the palace who could sing like a female opera singer. It was really wild so I gave him all the change I had.
When we got to Lyon, I inquired about the nearest shul in the hotel and I took the subway there. The subway in Lyon is very clean and nice to ride. 10 minutes later, I arrived at the shul which turned out to be a sephardi one. No matter. When I got to the entrance, I was asked a bazillion questions by a guy in the front and he looked at my ID. I guess they experience anti-semitic attacks.
After the service, I was invited to someone's house for shabbat dinner. The husband happened to speak hebrew which was good. His father was there along with his wife and two young girls. One of the girls was adopted from Vietnam when she was 3 months old.
The evening consisted of details about Lyon's jewish community and the family's aspirations to move to Israel ASAP. They have family in Raanana and they simply feel that Israel is their home and not France. I sympathize with them. Shabbat dinner was really delicious with yellow rice and curry chicken with olives.
Not much to talk about Lyon as I didn't get to experience the downtown but I am happy that I got to spend Shabbat the proper way.
We began the day with a drive to a perfumery where we learned how they make perfume. Helen the tour manager said that the reason we are going to girly spots like a diamond factory, a crystal shop and a perfumery was to make us "all around gentlemen," whatever that means.
After the perfumery, we arrived in Avignon which used to be a papal city during the Great Schism of the 13th Century when there were popes in Avignon, Rome and Pisa (3 popes at once). Each contended they were the true pope.
We were there for one hour and I had a crepe which turned out to be nothing but blintz dough with some sugar over it. 6 euro for that?
There was a guy near the palace who could sing like a female opera singer. It was really wild so I gave him all the change I had.
When we got to Lyon, I inquired about the nearest shul in the hotel and I took the subway there. The subway in Lyon is very clean and nice to ride. 10 minutes later, I arrived at the shul which turned out to be a sephardi one. No matter. When I got to the entrance, I was asked a bazillion questions by a guy in the front and he looked at my ID. I guess they experience anti-semitic attacks.
After the service, I was invited to someone's house for shabbat dinner. The husband happened to speak hebrew which was good. His father was there along with his wife and two young girls. One of the girls was adopted from Vietnam when she was 3 months old.
The evening consisted of details about Lyon's jewish community and the family's aspirations to move to Israel ASAP. They have family in Raanana and they simply feel that Israel is their home and not France. I sympathize with them. Shabbat dinner was really delicious with yellow rice and curry chicken with olives.
Not much to talk about Lyon as I didn't get to experience the downtown but I am happy that I got to spend Shabbat the proper way.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
French Riviera Day 1 + 2
Got to the French Riviera around mid-day after a stop in Pisa and a rest stop in Italy. The Leaning tower of Pisa indeed has a significant lean. It's worth checking out just to get up close. I got me a photo of myself trying to push the tower back to its place (visual effect of course).
Feeling kinda shitty lately, even losing my voice but still trying to have fun out there. The evening was spent in Monaco which is absolutely breathtaking. Go there if you want to see the best cars and yachts. Money does grow on trees in Monaco or so it seems. There were a bunch of Ferraris parked outside of the Monte Carlo Grande Casino.
There was a dinner in Monaco which was alright. Wasn't as spectacular as the Tuscan dinner but at least I can say I had dinner in Monaco and add to it, gambled. I lost 50 euros in the Sun Casino but it's alright. My roommate Darren won 300 euros on a one euro bet so at least somebody won. Two other people won 100 and 200 euros respectively.
Day 2 in the Riviera has been a chill-out day. Would have gone to the beach if I was feeling better but I am not. Instead I will just go back to the hotel to lie down and recuperate from this cold that seems to engulf the entire group. Maybe spending a long time with the same people is not so good for one's health.
Feeling kinda shitty lately, even losing my voice but still trying to have fun out there. The evening was spent in Monaco which is absolutely breathtaking. Go there if you want to see the best cars and yachts. Money does grow on trees in Monaco or so it seems. There were a bunch of Ferraris parked outside of the Monte Carlo Grande Casino.
There was a dinner in Monaco which was alright. Wasn't as spectacular as the Tuscan dinner but at least I can say I had dinner in Monaco and add to it, gambled. I lost 50 euros in the Sun Casino but it's alright. My roommate Darren won 300 euros on a one euro bet so at least somebody won. Two other people won 100 and 200 euros respectively.
Day 2 in the Riviera has been a chill-out day. Would have gone to the beach if I was feeling better but I am not. Instead I will just go back to the hotel to lie down and recuperate from this cold that seems to engulf the entire group. Maybe spending a long time with the same people is not so good for one's health.
Florence
I really liked Florence for its undying commitment to art. So much so that there is a plaza full of statues. I took some photos of them.
We left Rome that morning and got to Florence around mid-day. Had a group photo taken and then had a chance to explore the city. I went to the Bargallo museum which is a little less known than what else there is in Florence. It was full of renaissance statues and art. Quite neat.
Some people made the effort to wait in the queue for Michaelangelo's David which was a whopping 2 hours and 30 minutes. I decided not to this time and I vow to return to Florence to see the statue which those who saw it described as massive and magnificent.
Around 2:30 pm, we were treated to a guided tour of the city by an art expert and local. He pointed out how to spot a greek statue from a roman one. Greek statues emphasize a perfect body, a roman one is not shy to show flab. Also saw the Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge. It's full of shops so you would never realize it was a bridge. Worth checking out.
Our evening was packed with entertainment. We had a Tuscan dinner with music and opera singing. The opera singer was absolutely amazing and she finished with a rendition by Andrea Bocelli. People gave her a standing ovation. I also got to do some dancing like something that resembled a hora. Later that night I went to a disco which was fun too.
I am a little under the weather even in Nice where I am writing this. I hope it will be over with by the time I get to Paris.
We left Rome that morning and got to Florence around mid-day. Had a group photo taken and then had a chance to explore the city. I went to the Bargallo museum which is a little less known than what else there is in Florence. It was full of renaissance statues and art. Quite neat.
Some people made the effort to wait in the queue for Michaelangelo's David which was a whopping 2 hours and 30 minutes. I decided not to this time and I vow to return to Florence to see the statue which those who saw it described as massive and magnificent.
Around 2:30 pm, we were treated to a guided tour of the city by an art expert and local. He pointed out how to spot a greek statue from a roman one. Greek statues emphasize a perfect body, a roman one is not shy to show flab. Also saw the Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge. It's full of shops so you would never realize it was a bridge. Worth checking out.
Our evening was packed with entertainment. We had a Tuscan dinner with music and opera singing. The opera singer was absolutely amazing and she finished with a rendition by Andrea Bocelli. People gave her a standing ovation. I also got to do some dancing like something that resembled a hora. Later that night I went to a disco which was fun too.
I am a little under the weather even in Nice where I am writing this. I hope it will be over with by the time I get to Paris.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Venice and Rome
Hi guys.. sorry for not posting in the past while.
I will combine Venice and Rome together as I am bound by time.
Venice was a really cool city. When we came there, St. Marks square had been overflooded by high tide so I had to carry my sandals in my hand. The gondola ride was fun as well but the rower did not speak any english so he did not explain anything. But I do think the gondola is an overrated thing as much of the canal-side buildings are chipped and look crummy.
There were a lot of beggars and illegal immigrants selling knockoff louis vuitton bags. This was expanded times ten when I got to Rome. Rome kicked off with a walking tour that took us from the Colloseum to the Trevi Fountain and the Parthenon. We actually got to see a lot in a short time. Had a pizza dinner near Piazza Nevona which was absolutely delicious. 15 euros which included mineral water and bruschetta. Some makeshift band made their way near the patio where I was sitting with friends and wanted tips. Dan (Canadian friend) gave him 40 cents and the guy gave him an evil look. We did not ask them to come there. He should be thankful for what he got.
Rome is also littered with graffiti, especially their crummy subway system that comes by once every 7 minutes even at rush hour. But I got to see what I wanted to everything was good. Even saw the Titus arch.
A sad point was that Jason and Cat had to leave us early because Cat`s father died. Really sad. We said goodbye to them this morning.
Now I am off to explore Florence. Next time I post will be in France.
I will combine Venice and Rome together as I am bound by time.
Venice was a really cool city. When we came there, St. Marks square had been overflooded by high tide so I had to carry my sandals in my hand. The gondola ride was fun as well but the rower did not speak any english so he did not explain anything. But I do think the gondola is an overrated thing as much of the canal-side buildings are chipped and look crummy.
There were a lot of beggars and illegal immigrants selling knockoff louis vuitton bags. This was expanded times ten when I got to Rome. Rome kicked off with a walking tour that took us from the Colloseum to the Trevi Fountain and the Parthenon. We actually got to see a lot in a short time. Had a pizza dinner near Piazza Nevona which was absolutely delicious. 15 euros which included mineral water and bruschetta. Some makeshift band made their way near the patio where I was sitting with friends and wanted tips. Dan (Canadian friend) gave him 40 cents and the guy gave him an evil look. We did not ask them to come there. He should be thankful for what he got.
Rome is also littered with graffiti, especially their crummy subway system that comes by once every 7 minutes even at rush hour. But I got to see what I wanted to everything was good. Even saw the Titus arch.
A sad point was that Jason and Cat had to leave us early because Cat`s father died. Really sad. We said goodbye to them this morning.
Now I am off to explore Florence. Next time I post will be in France.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Austria
I call this post Austria because we went whitewater rafting about 45 minutes out of Innsbruck and then arrived later in the city.
Quite the day. Liechtenstein was stop number 1. A very tiny country about the size of the GTA. Got my passport stamped for 2 swiss francs. After that we went rafting. Whitewater rafting was amazing. We were guided by an instructor who was super great and he was Welsh. Nobody fell out of our raft. I got a souvenir photo for my troubles.
After that, we ended up in Innsbruck. I saw the ski jump that is next to the cemetery. It was used during the 1976 olympic winter games that were here. But when the competition was going on, they put a billboard to cover the cemetery. The jumping distances greatly improved after that.
We then walked into the downtown where I went to Swarovski Crystals. I bought this beautiful necklace that I may give as a gift someday. It is just so much cheaper here than to buy in Canada.
Tomorrow we are off to Venice. Should be quite good. First time in Italy.
Quite the day. Liechtenstein was stop number 1. A very tiny country about the size of the GTA. Got my passport stamped for 2 swiss francs. After that we went rafting. Whitewater rafting was amazing. We were guided by an instructor who was super great and he was Welsh. Nobody fell out of our raft. I got a souvenir photo for my troubles.
After that, we ended up in Innsbruck. I saw the ski jump that is next to the cemetery. It was used during the 1976 olympic winter games that were here. But when the competition was going on, they put a billboard to cover the cemetery. The jumping distances greatly improved after that.
We then walked into the downtown where I went to Swarovski Crystals. I bought this beautiful necklace that I may give as a gift someday. It is just so much cheaper here than to buy in Canada.
Tomorrow we are off to Venice. Should be quite good. First time in Italy.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Switzerland Day 2
I conquered Mount Titlis today. I apologize for saying it was 7,000 metres above sea level. Not even Everest is that high. It is 10,000 feet high which is 3,020 metres.
I got to the very peak of Mount Titlis. It was snowing and foggy. Some people went tubing up there but I elected to go with Jason and Kat on a hike from the middle of the mountain to the base. It took us 2 and a half hours with a stop for coffee. On the hike we saw cows with cowbells. Unbelievable how some people have cow herds at 5,000 feet above the ground.
There was also a beautiful lake that was crystal blue. It looked like a large swimming pool but it was all natural. The entire walk itself felt like something out of Lord of the rings with winding trails and high peaks.
Getting to the peak of Mount Titlis was slightly scary with cable cars that were an 80 degree incline in some spots. It took three cable cars that were getting larger by capacity as I was going up. The very last cable car was run by a Swiss woman who could speak a few languages including hebrew. She said "welcome to the only spinning cable car in the world" in hebrew and even said that the weather was "al hapanim" which means not good.
I heard about the news out of Heathrow. I am not particularly alarmed. I am still going with plans as usual. I have faith in the Israeli airport security.
I called my aunt and she told me I should stick to my plans. My aunt is very wise so I will listen to her.
I should lend some words to last night. Most of the group went to a local bar which is like a club. It was really nice times and with the franc being close to par with the Canadian dollar (94 cents to the franc), drinks are somewhat the same as they are in Canada at 7 francs a pop.
Everything else though is expensive as heck. The Swiss pay all their employees double what they could make here and then charge alarming rates at their touristy spots and most shops. But you can trust that everything is pretty high quality and you should be relatively satisfied with your purchases.
I was going to be very frugal with my money when I began this trip but our tour guide encourages us to throw caution to the wind and act as though this could be my last ever trip to Europe. That is how I am treating things and it is the best way to go about it. I am not destitute anyway.
I got to the very peak of Mount Titlis. It was snowing and foggy. Some people went tubing up there but I elected to go with Jason and Kat on a hike from the middle of the mountain to the base. It took us 2 and a half hours with a stop for coffee. On the hike we saw cows with cowbells. Unbelievable how some people have cow herds at 5,000 feet above the ground.
There was also a beautiful lake that was crystal blue. It looked like a large swimming pool but it was all natural. The entire walk itself felt like something out of Lord of the rings with winding trails and high peaks.
Getting to the peak of Mount Titlis was slightly scary with cable cars that were an 80 degree incline in some spots. It took three cable cars that were getting larger by capacity as I was going up. The very last cable car was run by a Swiss woman who could speak a few languages including hebrew. She said "welcome to the only spinning cable car in the world" in hebrew and even said that the weather was "al hapanim" which means not good.
I heard about the news out of Heathrow. I am not particularly alarmed. I am still going with plans as usual. I have faith in the Israeli airport security.
I called my aunt and she told me I should stick to my plans. My aunt is very wise so I will listen to her.
I should lend some words to last night. Most of the group went to a local bar which is like a club. It was really nice times and with the franc being close to par with the Canadian dollar (94 cents to the franc), drinks are somewhat the same as they are in Canada at 7 francs a pop.
Everything else though is expensive as heck. The Swiss pay all their employees double what they could make here and then charge alarming rates at their touristy spots and most shops. But you can trust that everything is pretty high quality and you should be relatively satisfied with your purchases.
I was going to be very frugal with my money when I began this trip but our tour guide encourages us to throw caution to the wind and act as though this could be my last ever trip to Europe. That is how I am treating things and it is the best way to go about it. I am not destitute anyway.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Switzerland Day 1
Wow it is so amazing here. The mountains are lush and beautiful. The hotel in Engelberg is fantastic. We are surrounded by mountains.. some that go beyond the clouds.
Today was filled with shopping and a cruise on Lake Lucerne. I took some really nice pictures of Lucerne and Lake Lucerne. I had a chance to bust out the french I have learned for 9 years with some success. I was able to ask how much something cost and which way to enter the church. It was one of those huge cathedrals that adorn Europe and it was quite the sight.
I bought two bull horns and some chocolate for family in Israel. Speaking of Israel, I hear they are no where near ending the war. This pains me.
I learned some really cool things about Switzerland. For one, they are very paranoid. They have bombs strapped to all the bridges and tunnels leading into the country. This is in the event of an invasion attempt on their country. By bombing the bridges and tunnels, they can prevent an invading army from moving in. They have the capacity to mobilize 750,000 troops in 48 hours. Swiss nationals are conscripted and later on they are routinely called for duty including target practice. All this for a country that is neutral.
Tomorrow I climb Mount Titlis by cable car. It will take 3 cable cars to get to the peak. Supposedly it is 7,000 metres above sea level. Makes sense since we are pretty high up here in Engelberg.
Today was filled with shopping and a cruise on Lake Lucerne. I took some really nice pictures of Lucerne and Lake Lucerne. I had a chance to bust out the french I have learned for 9 years with some success. I was able to ask how much something cost and which way to enter the church. It was one of those huge cathedrals that adorn Europe and it was quite the sight.
I bought two bull horns and some chocolate for family in Israel. Speaking of Israel, I hear they are no where near ending the war. This pains me.
I learned some really cool things about Switzerland. For one, they are very paranoid. They have bombs strapped to all the bridges and tunnels leading into the country. This is in the event of an invasion attempt on their country. By bombing the bridges and tunnels, they can prevent an invading army from moving in. They have the capacity to mobilize 750,000 troops in 48 hours. Swiss nationals are conscripted and later on they are routinely called for duty including target practice. All this for a country that is neutral.
Tomorrow I climb Mount Titlis by cable car. It will take 3 cable cars to get to the peak. Supposedly it is 7,000 metres above sea level. Makes sense since we are pretty high up here in Engelberg.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
St. Goar
We are only here for one day in Germany. Already went on a fabulous Rhine Cruise. Really have to see it
to appreciate this beautiful river.
Started the day at a rest-stop just into Germany. Had schnitzel and mashed potatoes.. a really delicious meal. Then we were off to the boat. Had beer in a giant glass like Germans enjoy doing. Then when we got to shore.. I bought some beer steins and sent them home.
While most of the group went wine tasting, I joined a few folks from South Africa for an excursion to an old castle. It was on top of a high mountain and you could get more nice views of the Rhine.
There are awesome people on this trip, particularly the Aussies. But the people I hang out with the most are Graham and Gillian, a South African accounting couple.. and most of the Canadians. There is a married couple named Jason and Kat who are a lot of fun. They are from Vancouver.
Dinner was fabulous. While everybody else had pork, I had a veggie quiche. It was delicious. No need for trife meat.
The hotel is the best yet. Really high class save for no TV. But who needs TV on a trip like this?
St. Goar the good: everything
St. Goar the bad: Saw a swastika spray painted on a road sign and a memorial to a Nazi soldier. Also, most things are in German including touristy things.
Tomorrow we are off to Switzerland.
to appreciate this beautiful river.
Started the day at a rest-stop just into Germany. Had schnitzel and mashed potatoes.. a really delicious meal. Then we were off to the boat. Had beer in a giant glass like Germans enjoy doing. Then when we got to shore.. I bought some beer steins and sent them home.
While most of the group went wine tasting, I joined a few folks from South Africa for an excursion to an old castle. It was on top of a high mountain and you could get more nice views of the Rhine.
There are awesome people on this trip, particularly the Aussies. But the people I hang out with the most are Graham and Gillian, a South African accounting couple.. and most of the Canadians. There is a married couple named Jason and Kat who are a lot of fun. They are from Vancouver.
Dinner was fabulous. While everybody else had pork, I had a veggie quiche. It was delicious. No need for trife meat.
The hotel is the best yet. Really high class save for no TV. But who needs TV on a trip like this?
St. Goar the good: everything
St. Goar the bad: Saw a swastika spray painted on a road sign and a memorial to a Nazi soldier. Also, most things are in German including touristy things.
Tomorrow we are off to Switzerland.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Amsterdam Days 1 and 2
I have to compact these together because last night there was no internet access. By the time Day 1 was complete, the internet cafes were closed. But now I discovered that the hotel had internet access all along.
Day 1's major thing was the canal cruise and the free beer. The tour guide was funny. He is a big soccer fan and said that the way Ajax goes, so goes the Dutch team. Since Ajax sucked this year, so did their national team.
Amsterdam is definitely an interesting city and I encourage all to go. Beautiful canals, plenty of thin but high houses and quite the vibrant nightlife. Saw the Anne Frank museum (very powerful) and the Van Gogh. They also took us to a live sex show which I can say wasn't worth the money (45 euros). Not that I'm sure what would have made it worth that much.
The city itself is a culture shock. Drugs and prostitution are readily acceptable. You walk down a street in the red light district and you see girls standing in the windows. It's quite something and it's in a way.... sad.
City is very un-pedestrian friendly. Between the streetcars, the bike-only lanes (there are plenty and they're like roads) and the cars, you are lucky at times to get off in one piece. Supposedly if you get hit by a bike, it is your fault and you will get deported as a foreigner.
Believe the bias that Dutch all have bikes. The story is that the Nazis took all the bikes from the Dutch in WWII and after the war, the government gave every Dutch person a bike. That is why they have their bike-only roads and they dominate the downtown and even the country-side.
Day 2 was filled with a morning of biking across Edam, a village famous for its cheese. Then it was off to see an exhibition on cheese making and clogs. I learned that smoked cheese uses 2-3 year old cheese melted down. Good thing I never liked that stuff. I bought plain cheese and I will give it to my aunt.
After returning to town, I saw a diamond exhibit, went to Anne Frank's and then the Van Gogh. I had lunch at a kosher establishment where they spoke perfect hebrew. Then I had dinner at a falafel stand where the owner was Israeli. I learned that it's a very Israeli city. In fact, there were signs in hebrew in a few places.
I also saw a Hizbollah supporter. Someone asked a man what his cap written in Arabic meant. He proudly chanted "Hizbollah..terroristas" Gross!
Amsterdam the good: Vibrant nightlife, easy-going ways. multi-cultural.
Amsterdam the bad: unfriendly to pedestrians
Off to Germany.
Day 1's major thing was the canal cruise and the free beer. The tour guide was funny. He is a big soccer fan and said that the way Ajax goes, so goes the Dutch team. Since Ajax sucked this year, so did their national team.
Amsterdam is definitely an interesting city and I encourage all to go. Beautiful canals, plenty of thin but high houses and quite the vibrant nightlife. Saw the Anne Frank museum (very powerful) and the Van Gogh. They also took us to a live sex show which I can say wasn't worth the money (45 euros). Not that I'm sure what would have made it worth that much.
The city itself is a culture shock. Drugs and prostitution are readily acceptable. You walk down a street in the red light district and you see girls standing in the windows. It's quite something and it's in a way.... sad.
City is very un-pedestrian friendly. Between the streetcars, the bike-only lanes (there are plenty and they're like roads) and the cars, you are lucky at times to get off in one piece. Supposedly if you get hit by a bike, it is your fault and you will get deported as a foreigner.
Believe the bias that Dutch all have bikes. The story is that the Nazis took all the bikes from the Dutch in WWII and after the war, the government gave every Dutch person a bike. That is why they have their bike-only roads and they dominate the downtown and even the country-side.
Day 2 was filled with a morning of biking across Edam, a village famous for its cheese. Then it was off to see an exhibition on cheese making and clogs. I learned that smoked cheese uses 2-3 year old cheese melted down. Good thing I never liked that stuff. I bought plain cheese and I will give it to my aunt.
After returning to town, I saw a diamond exhibit, went to Anne Frank's and then the Van Gogh. I had lunch at a kosher establishment where they spoke perfect hebrew. Then I had dinner at a falafel stand where the owner was Israeli. I learned that it's a very Israeli city. In fact, there were signs in hebrew in a few places.
I also saw a Hizbollah supporter. Someone asked a man what his cap written in Arabic meant. He proudly chanted "Hizbollah..terroristas" Gross!
Amsterdam the good: Vibrant nightlife, easy-going ways. multi-cultural.
Amsterdam the bad: unfriendly to pedestrians
Off to Germany.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
London Day 2
What a day. Took the train all the way to Hampton Court which is 35 minutes out of central London. It was literally end of the line. There was no rail beyond the station. And just as advertised, train conductors whistle when the doors are about to close.
Hampton Court is a palace that was first inhabited by a Cardinal Wolsey who did all of Henry VIII's affairs of state because Henry was too lazy to. Then at some point, Henry VIII decided that he wanted the cardinal's palace and took it to himself. Later on, the palace was ruled by other kings until King William II. There is an interesting contrast of styles in all the rooms reflecting everyone who lived there.
There were actors portraying themselves as Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and other lesser known people from that era. The actors played a game of lawn bowling and all observers were given a coin to wager on who would be closest to the "jack" or golden ball. I won my bet so I got to keep the coin.
Then I went on to the Tower of London which was quite interesting. Saw the crown jewels.. quite breathtaking I must say. The tower is an example of English multi-tasking. The tower has been used for coronations, as a prison, as an execution spot, as burial ground (for Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey and others) and as a place where the crown jewels are stored. Quite the many uses.
Finished up the day in Piccadilly Circus where I made a few Brazilian friends and went into a club with them.
So in summary I say this...
London the good:
1. A wide range of transportation options making it impossible to get lost and to get to your destination in quite rapid time.
2. A rich sense of history. Many museums to visit along with the usual big spots.
London the bad:
1. The hotel was terrible. Europe's sense of budget lodging is roughly 1-star by our standards.
2. People at the club were rude and it was 10 pounds to get in.
I will talk about Amsterdam soon....
Hampton Court is a palace that was first inhabited by a Cardinal Wolsey who did all of Henry VIII's affairs of state because Henry was too lazy to. Then at some point, Henry VIII decided that he wanted the cardinal's palace and took it to himself. Later on, the palace was ruled by other kings until King William II. There is an interesting contrast of styles in all the rooms reflecting everyone who lived there.
There were actors portraying themselves as Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and other lesser known people from that era. The actors played a game of lawn bowling and all observers were given a coin to wager on who would be closest to the "jack" or golden ball. I won my bet so I got to keep the coin.
Then I went on to the Tower of London which was quite interesting. Saw the crown jewels.. quite breathtaking I must say. The tower is an example of English multi-tasking. The tower has been used for coronations, as a prison, as an execution spot, as burial ground (for Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey and others) and as a place where the crown jewels are stored. Quite the many uses.
Finished up the day in Piccadilly Circus where I made a few Brazilian friends and went into a club with them.
So in summary I say this...
London the good:
1. A wide range of transportation options making it impossible to get lost and to get to your destination in quite rapid time.
2. A rich sense of history. Many museums to visit along with the usual big spots.
London the bad:
1. The hotel was terrible. Europe's sense of budget lodging is roughly 1-star by our standards.
2. People at the club were rude and it was 10 pounds to get in.
I will talk about Amsterdam soon....
Friday, August 04, 2006
London Day 1
It's 5:30 pm almost over here. What a day it's been already. Sat on the plane next to a guy from Malta who had bad breath but otherwise was very interesting to talk to. He unfortunately lost his son to cistic pibrhossis (sorry for the spelling) a few years ago.
Landed in London and I have to say the view on the landing was of damp houses. The periphery of London looks quite impoverished. The walk from my plane to the customs inspection was about 1 km... not joking. It was long. Then I hopped on a bus to a tube station. The coffee there was quite good and not too expensive.
Took the tube (subway) for about 50 minutes to my hotel. Couldn't check in so I put my bags in storage for 1 pound each. I took the tube to the bank of england to exchange some old notes so instant 30 pounds for free. Well worth the trip. In that trip, I became a veteran of the tube. I changed three lines and had to go up and down two flights of escalators! The escalators can be quite large.
After the bank, I took it to Westminster station where I took photos of London Eye, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I then took the bus to Chelsea area and thought I missed the tour of their stadium. So I had some chinese food.. 5 pounds with a full plate and coke.. decent by London standars. When I got to the stadium, I was fortunate to catch a tour.
The tour guide was quite fun. She told us anecdotes about football like the fact that Totti spends 40 minutes in front of a mirror before a game. And it's actually in Beckham's contract that he get 20 minutes before a game. Silliness. There was also something about using the away team's dressing room to have a psychological edge for a home game (like cranking up the heat in their dressing room prior to a game).
The city seems very multicultural like Toronto. I heard a lot of French and even spanish on the way from the airport (maybe all tourists). A lot of colourful faces. It's neat.
I am off now to check out Picadilly Circus.
Landed in London and I have to say the view on the landing was of damp houses. The periphery of London looks quite impoverished. The walk from my plane to the customs inspection was about 1 km... not joking. It was long. Then I hopped on a bus to a tube station. The coffee there was quite good and not too expensive.
Took the tube (subway) for about 50 minutes to my hotel. Couldn't check in so I put my bags in storage for 1 pound each. I took the tube to the bank of england to exchange some old notes so instant 30 pounds for free. Well worth the trip. In that trip, I became a veteran of the tube. I changed three lines and had to go up and down two flights of escalators! The escalators can be quite large.
After the bank, I took it to Westminster station where I took photos of London Eye, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I then took the bus to Chelsea area and thought I missed the tour of their stadium. So I had some chinese food.. 5 pounds with a full plate and coke.. decent by London standars. When I got to the stadium, I was fortunate to catch a tour.
The tour guide was quite fun. She told us anecdotes about football like the fact that Totti spends 40 minutes in front of a mirror before a game. And it's actually in Beckham's contract that he get 20 minutes before a game. Silliness. There was also something about using the away team's dressing room to have a psychological edge for a home game (like cranking up the heat in their dressing room prior to a game).
The city seems very multicultural like Toronto. I heard a lot of French and even spanish on the way from the airport (maybe all tourists). A lot of colourful faces. It's neat.
I am off now to check out Picadilly Circus.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
One day to go
That's it. Just one day to go and I am off to England, one of Canada's mother countries. I am off to London, England for two days to sightsee like a madman before my Contiki tour begins. I am getting chills. The things I plan to see in London are the usual biggies: Tower of London, Parliament, British Museum and some obscure ones like the Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC. One way or another, it promises to be quite the interesting roundabout and I hope to have the time and patience to blog all about it. If not, feel free to leave me a comment to egg me on for not writing enough.
On the European continent, I hope to see all the biggies where I am going. Cruise a canal in Amsterdam, climb a mountain in Switzerland, see the Vatican in Rome and take an elevator up the Eiffel just to name a few. It will be quite the hectic 18 days but it will be memorable for sure. I only pray that thieves and beggars will not spoil the fun.
I am pretty much packed everything. I have to pack not just for Europe but for Israel as well. After Europe, I am off to Israel on a mission of goodwill to renew relationships with family and friends. That is my first objective. My second objective is to touch the western wall in Jerusalem one more time. After that, everything is an absolute bonus.
I say with a heavy heart that my relationship with two of my 3 cousins, my uncle's daughters, has been strenuous at best. It's probably due to lack of communication but I really hope to change it. Lately I have begun to talk to his youngest daughter Efrat who is actually really cool and I have admired her a lot growing up. With his oldest daughter though, it's still dead air. I am not sure how to break that one.
Then there are distant cousins in Petach Tikvah that I should visit and lastly but no least, my sister and her family who have returned to Israel just recently despite everything. So there you have it, a bunch of people to visit. Plenty of things to get done in a month. A sweet break from the usual routine I have become accustomed to.
On the European continent, I hope to see all the biggies where I am going. Cruise a canal in Amsterdam, climb a mountain in Switzerland, see the Vatican in Rome and take an elevator up the Eiffel just to name a few. It will be quite the hectic 18 days but it will be memorable for sure. I only pray that thieves and beggars will not spoil the fun.
I am pretty much packed everything. I have to pack not just for Europe but for Israel as well. After Europe, I am off to Israel on a mission of goodwill to renew relationships with family and friends. That is my first objective. My second objective is to touch the western wall in Jerusalem one more time. After that, everything is an absolute bonus.
I say with a heavy heart that my relationship with two of my 3 cousins, my uncle's daughters, has been strenuous at best. It's probably due to lack of communication but I really hope to change it. Lately I have begun to talk to his youngest daughter Efrat who is actually really cool and I have admired her a lot growing up. With his oldest daughter though, it's still dead air. I am not sure how to break that one.
Then there are distant cousins in Petach Tikvah that I should visit and lastly but no least, my sister and her family who have returned to Israel just recently despite everything. So there you have it, a bunch of people to visit. Plenty of things to get done in a month. A sweet break from the usual routine I have become accustomed to.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Support for Israel in Toronto
I took this photo on Wednesday during the rally for Israel set up by the UJA.This gathering was there just to watch a closed circuit TV feed on a movie screen. The main action was taking place next door at the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts.
It is estimated that combined there were about 10,000 people. All were there, including what I call the Tefilin Police. These are Chabadniks who aggresively try to get people to put on tefilin. I was one of those aggresively recruited, even though I was happy to volunteer this time around. I have nothing against tefilin. I just find it hard to get into the routine of it. Hats off to those who can.
So as you can see, the event was a huge success. It was announced that $6 million was raised for Israel's north by Toronto's Jewish community as part of its Emergency Fund. FYI if you are feeling generous at this time of need, here's a neat way to donate. You will have to understand hebrew in order to donate for the second one. What it is, it's a drive run by a supermarket chain in Israel and for NIS 70 (about $24), you can sponsor a box of food to a family stuck in a shelter. For NIS 110 (about $38), that box includes baby food. If someone tries it before I do, please let me know if it worked.
On Tuesday night before the rally, I went to Betar's annual event which coincides with the Ze'ev Jabotinsky yahrtzeit. It's been 66 years since Jabotinsky passed on. It's a shame he didn't live to see a Jewish state. Highlight was getting my picture taken with David B. Harris, a counter-terrorism expert. He delivered the keynote address and basically warned everyone that Canada is headed down a dangerous path through relaxed immigration screening and liberal tolerance.
David B. Harris is no lightweight. He lectures politicians and CSIS. His columns and quotes have appeared in numerous newspapers. And just from hearing him speak.. I could tell he was a unique individual. Thank you David for speaking to a predominant Jewish audience.
Here's a photo of myself and another person who is all too familiar with terror:
The man himself. Rudolph Giuliani. I have to say he's a class act in person. This photo was taken on May 30th, 2005. Mr. Giuliani was here to speak to the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre. I was fortunate enough to be a volunteer that night. Proof that connections can give you photo ops.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
To go or not to go?
Shakespeare thought he posed the ultimate question in his play Hamlet when his protagonist said: "To be or not to be. That is the question." Obviously Shakespeare did not foresee the land of Israel and all her troubles. Israel is getting shelled from the north and from the south and the question to those outside is: to go or not to go? I say that is a more preplexing question than Hamlet's was.
On the one hand, one should never seek voluntarily to step into a warzone. If one can seek shelter elsewhere, they should generally opt for it above anything else. War is deadly and a human being must strive to preserve his/her life.
The numbers are staggering. More than 1,400 rockets shelled into Israel. Rockets flying as far as Haifa and Tiberias. Around 39 dead and scores wounded. Lives disrupted and at times sadly ended. A million people in the crossfire, confined to shelters. Others opting for evacuations to safer spots in the south. Soldiers also trapped in the line of fire. The situation for now, appears to have no end.
It does not seem very appealing to fly to Israel now. You can forget about the Golan, the Sea of Galilee, Safed, Akko and even Haifa. These places have been hit hard except for the Golan, but first you have to get there which is through Tiberias (also hit hard). Now there is a threat that even Netanya is on the range of Hizbullah. That limits your travel plans a great deal.
On the other hand, this is the country I was born in. The country I hold near and dear to my heart. I sing Hatikvah with more gusto than I do O Canada (sorry but it's true). To be perfectly honest, if someone offered a job to me with similar pay in Israel, I would consider jumping at it.
Then again if you're Lebanese and live around Hizbullah, by all means RUN!!!!
On the one hand, one should never seek voluntarily to step into a warzone. If one can seek shelter elsewhere, they should generally opt for it above anything else. War is deadly and a human being must strive to preserve his/her life.
The numbers are staggering. More than 1,400 rockets shelled into Israel. Rockets flying as far as Haifa and Tiberias. Around 39 dead and scores wounded. Lives disrupted and at times sadly ended. A million people in the crossfire, confined to shelters. Others opting for evacuations to safer spots in the south. Soldiers also trapped in the line of fire. The situation for now, appears to have no end.
It does not seem very appealing to fly to Israel now. You can forget about the Golan, the Sea of Galilee, Safed, Akko and even Haifa. These places have been hit hard except for the Golan, but first you have to get there which is through Tiberias (also hit hard). Now there is a threat that even Netanya is on the range of Hizbullah. That limits your travel plans a great deal.
On the other hand, this is the country I was born in. The country I hold near and dear to my heart. I sing Hatikvah with more gusto than I do O Canada (sorry but it's true). To be perfectly honest, if someone offered a job to me with similar pay in Israel, I would consider jumping at it.
Then again if you're Lebanese and live around Hizbullah, by all means RUN!!!!
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Mom's poem from 1965
Today I came across a poem my mom wrote when she was 17. It got published in the junior section of the Jerusalem Post.
The Ma'apilim were "illegal" immigrants to British mandate Palestine. They got on boats (most famous one was the Exodus) and tried to sneak into the Holy Land under cover of darkness.
She tells me she wrote it to express the injustice inflicted by the British prior to 1948, when they restricted the immigration of thousands of Jewish holocaust survivors. The British saw first-hand the suffering caused by the Nazis when they liberated the camps. They then proceeded to deny many of those people the right to return to the ancestral home of the Jews.
I feel that some of the frustration and anguish reflected in this poem resonates today. Israel is treading in rough waters today just as it has for all of its existence. The sea still has no pity.
Here is the poem:
The Ma'apilim
Far away the sun is rising.
Men are holding hands, praying.
Who are they?
Do not ask...
They have no answer, but an aim
They are what they are...
But the sea has no pity
It seems to want to swallow them
It might do so without effort
Because they have no power, only hope...
They come with the great belief that the
World is on their side.
But the sea has no pity!
They are not allowed to come on shore.
Only one thing is left.
The sea will be their home for ever ---
Unwanted, they are now allowed to return
To the East where they can become again the sons
of God.
But the sea has no pity!
Yet they won't give up
Because it is their only home ----
But the sea has no pity!
Dated Feb. 12, 1965
The Ma'apilim were "illegal" immigrants to British mandate Palestine. They got on boats (most famous one was the Exodus) and tried to sneak into the Holy Land under cover of darkness.
She tells me she wrote it to express the injustice inflicted by the British prior to 1948, when they restricted the immigration of thousands of Jewish holocaust survivors. The British saw first-hand the suffering caused by the Nazis when they liberated the camps. They then proceeded to deny many of those people the right to return to the ancestral home of the Jews.
I feel that some of the frustration and anguish reflected in this poem resonates today. Israel is treading in rough waters today just as it has for all of its existence. The sea still has no pity.
Here is the poem:
The Ma'apilim
Far away the sun is rising.
Men are holding hands, praying.
Who are they?
Do not ask...
They have no answer, but an aim
They are what they are...
But the sea has no pity
It seems to want to swallow them
It might do so without effort
Because they have no power, only hope...
They come with the great belief that the
World is on their side.
But the sea has no pity!
They are not allowed to come on shore.
Only one thing is left.
The sea will be their home for ever ---
Unwanted, they are now allowed to return
To the East where they can become again the sons
of God.
But the sea has no pity!
Yet they won't give up
Because it is their only home ----
But the sea has no pity!
Dated Feb. 12, 1965
Thursday, July 20, 2006
The London Pass
I was perusing sites on London when I came across this. The London Pass sounds like something quite incredible. You get access to 58 attractions across London and virtually unlimited travel by bus, train and tube. For boats you get 1/3 off or free depending on which one you go to. What's nice is that they include the Chelsea Stadium Tour with this thing. That's regularly a GBP 14.00 value. Wimbledon is also included.
I paid GBP 55 for the card and it will take 10 days to get here. That's a bit too close for comfort as I leave in exactly two weeks but I'm confident it will get here in time. For GBP 55.00 I get to use the card for two days. This amount is close to what I budgeted for some sites I wanted to see. These included Churchill's WWII bunker, the Parliament tour, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. I am definitely going to try to use up 55 pounds worth of things and will blog how much each item cost that I got for the one-time price.
FYI if you stay around one week in London, the card will really pay off. I believe with a travelcard it will cost you somewhere below GBP 20 a day. So if you tube and see one attraction per day, it will pay for itself.
Oh and one more thing. The card gives a GBP 10.00 discount on plays. Something to think about. Les Mises is playing that weekend.
Monday, July 17, 2006
An opportunity for Lebanon
For too long, the Hezbollah has been allowed to mobilize itself a formidable army within Lebanon. It has come to the point
that Hezbollah is a country within a country. Not only does it have an army, but it has a TV station, its own schools and health facilities. It has political representation including partnership in the governing coalition. It virtually controls the entire
south of Lebanon, all thanks to Iran and Syria. But to repay its generous donors, Hezbollah does their dirty work, hijacking Lebanon
in the process. To substantially weaken this organization or eliminate it entirely will mean that Lebanese finally will be masters
in their own house.
It is inconceivable to think that a country can accept a private army within its borders. And yet, Hezbollah has been given a free hand
to create a private army. It boasts a cache of 10,000-12,000 short and mid-term rockets in addition to RPGs, anti-aircraft and anti-tank weaponry. Some of its
missiles are feared to have a range that could strike Tel Aviv. We have already seen that they have missiles that could strike Haifa, some 40 km from the
Lebanese border. An organization with such firepower could, without a doubt, mount a coup inside the country. The katyushas pointing at Israel could be turned
on the Lebanese army itself.
Such a situation is not entirely hypothetical. The Lebanese government while intent to disarm Hezbollah, is fearful of that organization. Government officials have argued that anyeffort to disarm Hezbollah will mount to civil war in the country. This probably explains why in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s assassination when anti-Syrian sentiments were high, it was the pro-Syrian Hezbollah that was untouched. On the contrary, Hezbollah ended up being a political partner in Lebanon’s government.
But what is the alternative to disarming Hezbollah? Is enslavement by Syria and Iran a preferable scenario to civil war? Perhaps it is, if it means saving lives. But civil war is unlikely. The Lebanese can be assured that they will receive full Israeli and even international support for ridding the country of Hezbollah’s private army. Moreover, they can be assured that an alliance with Israel and the West will yield greater benefits to Lebanon than that with Syria and Iran.
Now is the time for the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah. Under the guise of Israeli air, sea and ground attack, the Lebanese army can join the combat without claiming to be an ally of Israel. It can argue that it is doing so in the interest of exerting its sovereignty. Furthermore, the Lebanese government can firmly say that it will no longer allow Syria and Iran’s mercenaries to wage a war within its borders. Lebanon has a unique opportunity to finally free itself of Iran’s grasp and gain its freedom. It can no longer claim that it cannot control Hezbollah when Israel is giving it the capability to do so.
Hezbollah is one of the last links Lebanon has to Syria and Iran. It must free itself of this link and declare Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah to be a traitor to his country. The question is: are Lebanon’s leaders sincere about being a sovereign state free of Syrian influence? How Lebanon reacts towards Hezbollah may well test that sincerity.
Friday, July 14, 2006
3 weeks to go - What to buy + London tube
There are three weeks to go before my trip. I am quite excited about it. Can't wait to see
Europe and the interesting people I will be sharing it all with. There is at least one fellow Jew travelling. Her name is Lisa and she is from South Africa though not for much longer. I understand she wants to move to Australia.
So three weeks to go and still much to be done. Need a bunch of clothes, backup camera battery, large memory card, a converter for the electric plugs, etc. etc. I also need to plot what I will do with my time in London.
One thing I know is this. Understanding Tube (subway for us Canadians) prices in London is like acquiring a new bachelor's degree. It's not easy. If you get it wrong, you could find yourself paying the equivalent of $6.30 a ride (GBP 3.00) for a few stops. That's horrible.
London's tube is divided into zones and there are six in all. To go a few zones costs more than if you just stick to one. Contrast with Paris where for the equivalent of $2, you can ride from any station to any station at any time. No zones. No fuss. Smart Parisians.
To make matters more difficult in London, you pay more if you board the tube before 9:30 am than if you do afterwards. Pre-9:30 is called "peak" and post-9:30 is called off-peak. The savings can be as much as 50% if you go off-peak. As I will be arriving at 7:30 in London, I may be tempted to burn 2 hours at Heathrow. Don't know if that's worth it.
Apperently for London there's something called an Oyster card which you can get and it makes rides cheaper. One ride can cost around $3 (GBP 1.50 instead of GBP 3.00) with an Oyster card for Zone 1, which is the main zone where I will be doing the bulk of the travel. A significant savings. The Oyster card costs GBP 10 plus a GBP 3 deposit. You can get the deposit back if you return the card. The card is also transferrable which is good if I wouldn't need it anymore. I could just sell it to a fellow traveller.
The card is ideal if you travel a lot. It has something called "capping" where you will never pay more than the maximum day-pass rate (that varies with zones). Anyway, here is the website for the card.
Happy travels
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