Israel part one

The first few days in Israel were the usual; I hung out with family and a few friends, and it just felt familiar and comfortable and nothing to write about (So I hugged my grandma and ate some hummus...). I felt unbelievably lucky when a few days had gone by and I only got one mosquito bite. It also didn't seem to be as hot as I dreaded, so naturally I assumed I exaggerated it all in my mind, and life was good. I hung out with Tal, we went shopping in Tel-Aviv, and I met my friends Maya, Vered and Shay and indeed saw my grandmas. My uncle Gadi was here for a week, flying from India where he lives, on the way to the States for a couple of months. It was fun, and I was feeling rather pleasant. I spent the night at Vered's and got first-hand experience of Tel-Aviv heat, unprotected by the AC at my aunt and uncle's house. I woke up half-baked, and not from substance (I was literally swollen. Honestly, who gets that?) And after hanging around downtown Tel-Aviv in the scorching heat for a few hours (this is where Israel started giving me a run for my money), went to collapse on the couch in the AC. The evenings, on the other hand, are a different story. Those of you who know me, know how much I love Berkeley and consider it home. Unfortunately (in Italian - sfortunatammente), we don't get hot summer nights, and I've been waiting to walk around in a tank top for a while. The nights are breezy, beautiful and warm, inviting for a stroll on the beach or just to sit outside in a cafe (ignoring the cigarette smoke), which I gladly enjoyed. The other night, I dipped my feet in the warm (warm!!) Mediterranean at sunset, and walking back I rediscovered how soft, golden and warm the sand on the beach was. Without noticing the crazy person yelling on the boardwalk, or the hustle and bustle of tourists rushing from their hotel to the restaurants, I looked down at my wet feet, which were wrapped by the warm sand - and flashbacked to being a kid, walking on the beach, lost in my own little world - and it felt like home.

This being my third visit since I officially left Israel, I've been noticing the small differences that amuse, annoy and intrigue me at the same time. People often ask me why I left Israel, or in what ways it's different. Firstly, there are security guards everywhere. You have to open your bag every time you walk into a mall, and many restaurants and shops. Aside from doing their job, many are bored. My first day back, walking into the mall, the security gaurd was too busy shouting at his friend. I had to get his attention to check my bag, and without looking at me he felt up (literally) my bag, kept talking to his friend, and made a sloppy hand gesture that suggested I'd better move along. Tonight the security guard standing at the entrance to the parking lot was leaning against the security podium with his finger up his nose.
The other day the taxi driver said he'd give me a discount if I'd wait in the cab (without stealing it, he added pleadingly) while he gets his cellphone back from the repair center.
Aside from that, everything is smaller and more crowded. People give you nasty looks if you attempt to do something like crossing the street as a pedestrian while they're in the car - like they're your sworn enemy or something. On the other hand, an Ars (one day I'll explain what that is) bought me some water while we were waiting at the bus stop (of course as a way to hit on me, but I thanked him for the water and tried to look lost in thought while mildly engaging in polite conversation) and when people hear I live abroad I'm automatically a million times cooler. Another huge perk is - people can pronounce my name! The downside is how common my name is - everywhere I go there's another Michal :)

I visited Haifa and saw an old man with a complete PA system, sitting in the middle of a traffic island, singing old Israeli folk songs.
Then I went to Jerusalem and met a storyteller with a huge moustache in the heart of a gorgeous, narrow neighborhood composed of alleyways built with Jerusalem stone.
Then I came back to Tel-Aviv to have amazing Sicilian Gelatto (all vegan of course) with my awesome friend Maya and plot her visit to SF (UCB, my apartment, studio grow, Wicked, Millennium, Cha-Ya) and now I'm updating my blog, hoping that one of my couchsurfing requests to the many lovely residents in Florence will work out.

I miss the Bay Area but I'm STOKED to be traveling. Thanks to my cousin I know my next destination: Laos.