August 01, 2005
You are with this?
It is funny how there are things we've never even noticed, never even thought of, until an outsider makes it clear to us.
A funny and meaningless incident took place when I was standing in line at the grocery store on my lunchbreak today. The young man who was standing in front of me in the line had a bag from the snackbar, which sells things like peanuts, dried fruits, etc. It was obvious by his appearance that he was not local, so the guy by the cash register spoke to him in English:
Salesperson: You are with this?
Foreigner: Excuse me?
S: You are with this?
F: What??
S: YOU.. are with THIS (pointing at the bag from the snackbar).
I stood there listening to this conversation. I translated "you are with this?" into Icelandic in my head. It becomes "þú ert með þetta?", meaning "do you have that", although the translation would literally be "you are with this".
I explained this to the tourist. He thanked me, and said he was getting very confused, and said that he did not know what the salesman had wanted!
So it is funny, how organising ones words wrongly can be the cause of such confusion.
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Comment:"You are with this" reminds me of a time, on a Friday of a holiday weekend when I lived in Maryland in the US and was on the way from Washington DC where I attended Gallaudet University, a university for the deaf... another deaf person I was talking to got off the bus before my stop & said in sign language "look tomorrow"... I did not get what he said, he fingerspelled it & spelled "looking tomorrow"... talked to another friend & finally realized he meant "looking forward to tomorrow"... I thought he was trying to say "SEE you tomorrow"... Yes, words can be confusing!!
Posted by: Jessica at August 2, 2005 05:45 AM Permalink
A sick Israeli at my shop
Today was a national holiday in Iceland. Pretty much everything was closed. I was working, because the shop where I work is a tourist shop, but almost everything else was closed.
I didn't really have a good day today. It was very busy, lots of unpleasant incidents, and I'm basically getting more and more tired of the tourists with all their problems and attitudes (although many of them are really nice, and I like all the British ones). But okay enough whining! So eventhough I'm a very hard worker, and definitely a perfectionist, I suppose I am beginning to become less enthusiastic about solving the many problems of my darling tourists (although I still do it, constantly).
But this morning a rather bizarre incident occurred.
It was about 45 minutes after I opened the shop, so it was one of the few places in Reykjavik that was open. A middle aged couple entered the shop. The man looked quite troubled. He was sweaty and breathing heavily. I didn't think much of it at the time, I thought that he had just been walking fast (he was quite overweight). They approached me and asked me where they could find a pharmacy that is open. (*most tourists aren't willing to go anywhere that is far from the center of the city). So I casually told them that since it's a holiday, pharmacies are closed. The man seemed to become very desperate, and asked me "so what are people supposed to do if they need medicine?". I asked him what he needed, and he said he needed medicine.
Then he and his wife began speaking to each other in Hebrew in front of me. Like magic, I turned into the world's most helpful store worker. I told them there was a pharmacy that is open, how to get there, where to get a taxi, the number of a taxi in case there was none at the closest station, where to find a payphone, where to find an emergency medical center, etc etc. I wrote everything down on post-its for them. The man, who was clearly feeling ill and desperate, thanked me again and again, and they rushed off.
I should turn into this super-helpful-lovely person for everybody. Well, it's not like I wouldn't have told a sick German or Taiwanese person about the open pharmacy, of course I would have. But because it's the right thing to do. Not because I would have enjoyed helping them. Maybe I'm just a bad person.
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Hey I'm not a bad person! I'm merely HUMAN, and I don't deny it. But maybe I should :)
As for recognising Israelis, I often do. Usually, even. But it's impossible to always know an Israeli when you see one. I mean sure there is an Israeli "look", but only a percentage has this look. The sick Israeli for instance had grey hair and blue eyes, and his wife was a light skinned blond. Many Israelis look very much like latinos, and vice versa..
Posted by: Maria at August 2, 2005 04:59 PM Permalink
I definitely wouldn't have helped the sick German or Hungarian or Ukrainian or Croatian. Fuck'em!
Posted by: Torbjorn Karfunkel at August 7, 2005 08:34 PM Permalink
August 04, 2005
Another Jewish David!
I am somehow not willing to write post after post describing the accurate details of all the dramatic events taking place during the preparations of the disengagement. At least not right now. I'd rather write about something more positive. Here's something that made me laugh like an idiot:
Apparently, David Beckham just found out he's Jewish!
See, on this picture he's got a hat and a beard! :p
The news didn't really come as much of a surprise to me for 2 reasons:
The first was that I already knew that David was raised by Jewish parents (he was adopted). Jewish parents often prefer a Jewish child. Secondly, he's supposed to be the world's best football player. He is thus, in a way, bound to be Jewish. Why? Well, Jews seem to have at least one guy who is best at everything, no matter how useless and ridiculous the subject. Jews even have the "best" pornstar.
By this I am not saying that Jews are in some way "superior" to anybody else. But I am mentioning the effects of what my shrink (and yes, I see a shrink, and he's a genius) once talked about. He said how the greatest inventions, achievements and ideas have very often come from nations/people/ethnic groups that are going through great difficulties. Hardship forces the mind & body to go further. An easy life, does not.
Oh so, maybe that's why David Beckham, Elvis Presley and Ron Jeremy are Jewish.. Hah oh I crack myself up sometimes :-)
And yes I'm sure Orly will criticise everything I just wrote. Go ahead Orly, give it your best shot!
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Ha ha ha ha ha :-D No, I won't! :-p As Lisa said, you are a hopeless philo-semite.
I just can't help saying that you could have saved that Ron Jeremy from us. I've never heard or seen him before, and let's say it wasn't a very pleasant sight.
Beck's picture, on the other hand, is nice :-)
Posted by: Orly at August 5, 2005 07:44 PM Permalink
Greetings from Tiberia!
Posted by: Torbjorn Karfunkel at August 7, 2005 08:28 PM Permalink
Elvis Jewish? Not a chance! I downloaded a very antisemitic song, "The truth about the Jew", performed by Elvis. At least it was claimed to be performed by Elvis. Presley, that is.
Tomorrow I'm going to the Golan.
August 07, 2005
So the British can be tough, eh?
Tony Blair - Tougher than the posh British accent would have you think!
One really cannot help but give attention to how Tony Blair is tackling the recent terror bombings in London. He has apparently decided to show the world that you don't mess with the English. And why on earth not? Why shouldn't he protect his people from dying? He'd make a lousy leader if he didn't. (And as you know, I am all for countries protecting their innocent citizens, ehrm.. ). The New York Times headline reads "Blair is seeking to curb radicals who preach hate" (referring to the fact that bookshops selling books that encourage suicide bombings will be shut down).
Prime Minister Tony Blair promised new measures on Friday to close down mosques and bar or deport clerics deemed to be fostering hatred and violence, bringing Britain's antiterrorism policy more into line with some of its neighbors' and answering critics who say the country has sheltered Islamic extremists for years.
He also said two Islamic organizations would be banned. A global list would be drawn up of people "whose activities or views pose a threat to Britain's security," and they would be kept out of Britain.
"Let no one be in any doubt," he said at a news conference. "The rules of the game are changing." (Wow!)
What I found interesting was that the Icelandic article that covered the matter had a slightly different take on it. Their headline was "Human rights come second" (referring to the fact that a lot of people who are suspected of involvement in terror will be deported, even if it can not be proven). I found that quite interesting. After thinking about it for a while, I reached the conclusion that no matter how people fake concern, all they truly care about is themselves. The British only began condemning terror when they themselves were victimized by it.
Scandinavians call protecting your citizens from terrorism violation of human rights. I wonder how the people of Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and Reykjavik would respond to a guy called Mohammed, Khaled or Abdullah blowing himself and 300-500 Scandinavians up? They might become less "politically correct".
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Do you know the flag of France?
I wonder how the average Frenchman would respond, if I told him the story I am about to tell you, considering the fact that the French are known to be very proud of their country & heritage.
I can not remember being so young, that I didn't know what the flag of Britain looks like, or The United States, the Scandinavian countries, and several others (such as the Israeli). I remember when I was 6 years old. I was standing in a staircase in our house in Norway, and my father told me "yes is 'ja' in English, and no is 'nei'". I repeated 'yes', and 'no'. I had learned my first words in English, the language they spoke on Falcon Crest and Dynasty. Shortly after, also at the age of 6, my father taught me all the capitals of Europe, taught me to count in Spanish, French and German, and a few years later taught me basics of Spanish (he was quite enthusiastic about me learning languages, since he himself spoke 11 languages).
In the part of the world where I live, people normally speak 2 or 3 languages. In Iceland people always speak Icelandic, the native language. Most people speak enough English to get by in daily life, and many people speak, or at least understand, Danish (since we study it at school). There are also those (and they're not few), who speak a 4th language. People have a good idea about the major capitals of the world, at least Europe, and can point out the flags of the "most important" countries in the world. People like myself, who know the population of Mongolia, and know what year Papua New Guinea became independent, are considered to be freaks and nerds, of course (well there aren't a lot of people who spent their entire teens reading geography books and National Geographic), but what I am saying is that people aren't entirely clueless about the world.
This is why I am so often stunned by the things that Americans and Canadians sometimes say. I usually defend them. I usually say that it's wrong to stereotype (which it is), that this and that is wrong. But that still won't change the fact that there is a substantial percentage of people in these countries whose ignorance regarding the rest of the world is simply beyond my comprehension. I am not able to understand how they were able to reach adulthood without learning even a little about the outside world, since my knowledge was superior to theirs even at the age of 6 (*note that I am only talking about a percentage. Many, many Americans and Canadians are among the most intelligent people I know).
An incident, one of many, that took place at work a couple of days ago, is an example.
At work we sell these little flag pins. A lady, around 40 years old, comes up to me with the flag of Belgium, and asks "is this the flag of France?". I said no, that's Belgium. Then she asks if I could show her what the flag of France looks like! I said I would, but before I could, she had already pointed at the Irish flag, and asked if that was it. I told her no, that this was Ireland. I showed her the French flag, and she bought it. Then she asked "is this the flag of England?!". It was. How impressive. Then she said "but you don't have Canada?".
That's how I know she was a Canadian.
If anybody out there is not appalled by this story, I advise you to go to this website: flags and maps of the world, and get a basic idea about what the world around you looks like!
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He he, stereoype or not there is truth in it.
I read a book once:
"The Eagle's Shadow: Why America Fascinates And
Infuriates The World" by Mark Hertsqaard.
Though it is a political book and not about the limited knowledge of americans in geography,
it covers through out the book some of these issues as well.
It is a "leftist" book though and some of the things writen there I dont agree with / didnt check the facts, and it may be simplistic at times,
but on the whole I find it a very intresting book.Check it out.
Posted by: Assaf at August 8, 2005 12:01 AM Permalink
Oh, and if you want to see something really cool
in geography, I recomend to all to download the free version of the program "Google Earth".
It is a stuning digital globe with sat' images and 3D terrin.Google it, go to the homepage, download and install.
Note: you must have internet conection to run the program in full detail.Enjoy : )
Posted by: Assaf at August 8, 2005 12:05 AM Permalink
No no no Maria, might is not good enough,
you must!!!
ever dreamt of flying over the Everest?
cross the Sahara? Zoom in from far space all the way to the busy streets of New York city?
Well, even if it is not real, it is close as one can get!
it is an amazing program which put you in prespective to just how vast and big our planet really is.Go to see Maktesh Ramon (the grate crater)
in the Negev desert, Hell I can show you my home even!!!Who ever read this, Download and play
Posted by: Assaf at August 8, 2005 12:42 AM Permalink
just dont get addicted to it
: )
First, I have to say that you are really lucky to have had such a father who taught you all these things.
Second, if you were appalled by that women, then you should see the National Geographic survey on geographic literacy:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geosurvey/index.html
I think you'll agree with me that it reveals worse things than not knowing flags or capitals of countries.
The results strengthens what you say: Americans have poor knowledge of geography, Canadians are not much better, and the only Scandinavian country in the survey - Sweden - reached the highest score.
In fact, the Americans scored last even in the question regarding the population of the US.
Posted by: Orly at August 8, 2005 11:39 AM Permalink
Hey,
I know "World Wind" of NASA,
but the resolution in Google Earth all over is
much better, and in some places like NY, Tokio,
and some other places id so HiRes that you can actually spot buildings and cars. (amazing stuff)World Wind have morw accuret Topography though,
Posted by: Assaf at August 8, 2005 12:04 PM Permalink
Since Google Earth is still a beta.
Well Orly thank you for pointing that out :p I took the survey. I can't say I found it to be very challenging. Only 7% of Mexicans could locate Sweden on the map! But Sweden is so important... I was born there for God's sake!!!
Posted by: Maria at August 8, 2005 12:21 PM Permalink
Oh, I must not let ignorance get to me like this. I just get so angry!
Actually I had such a survey a few months ago. I had a quiz on my blog called "what is maria's nationality?". It turned out that people mostly thought I was Icelandic/Romanian, Icelandic/Israeli, or just Icelandic.
Posted by: Maria at August 8, 2005 02:07 PM Permalink
But no I'm Icelandic/Norwegian and born in Sweden.
I would agree that most Americans (I can't speak for Canadians) are appallingly ignorant of world geography. Hell, there are Americans that couldn't find Canada on a map if you asked them.
I've got both NASA's World Wind and Google Earth on my computer at home. Each has its pluses and minuses, but Google Earth has amazing mapping power. It's fun to just punch in random addresses and watch as the machine "flies" you there. Great tool for teaching geography...and useful for us business travelers as well!
Hmmm...Icelandic/Norwegian woman, born in Sweden, uses an Egyptian name, listens to Hebrew music. Any more like you at home? ;-)
Posted by: Elisson at August 11, 2005 04:14 PM Permalink
When I was about 15 we took a trip to Cape Breton Island (know where that is?) and I walked into a tourist shop which sounds just like the one you work in. They also had a display of flag pins, and I commented that they didn't have a Canadian flag. The shopkeeper picked up a pin, turned to her husband and said, "Isn't this the Canadian flag?" It was the flag of Nova Scotia.
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Fax:86-512-57790807Posted by: aileen fong at September 12, 2005 09:08 AM Permalink
August 09, 2005
Conversation
A conversation with my dear old granny yesterday:
Grandma: When will you be graduating?
Maria: Next spring
Grandma: What are you going to do after you graduate? (She's asked me this a million times before, but she's almost 80..).
Maria: Go to Israel to study.
Grandma: Israel, ISRAEL. Oh dear Lord, ohh you'll be killed, kiiilled! They will blow you up.
Maria: It's highly unlikely.
Grandma: But Israel is very dangerous.
Maria: Several other countries are just as dangerous, except you'd be in danger of getting shot, stabbed or mugged instead.
Grandma: Well, I am not leaving this country! It's best to just stay here so I won't be blown up, shot, stabbed and robbed!
Maria: So you think it's better to stay here and die of boredom?
Grandma: Well dying of boredom.. That isn't good. But, if you get shot, it'll happen so fast you won't even have time to be bored!
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August 10, 2005
No such thing as a safehaven anymore
Turkey nabs 10 terrorists after alert
Turkish press says police arrest 10 al-Qaeda men suspected of planning attacks against Israelis; Cell was responsible for 2003 bombings of synagogues, British Consulate and British Bank in Istanbul that killed 60 people; Counter-Terrorism Bureau says travel alert regarding southern Turkey still valid
Similarly:
City terror attack 'inevitable'
It is only a matter of time before London's financial centre is attacked by terrorists, police believe.
I am officially through with defining locations as "safe" or "unsafe". It keeps becoming more and more evident that in life, anything and everything can happen, regardless of how safe one feels. Even this 'safehaven' where I myself live is under constant danger of earthquakes, volcano eruptions and avalanches.
So we all better just spend our time wherever we feel good. Wherever that might be.
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Very true, unfortunately.
Finland, safehaven like Iceland, is as I write hosting the world championship games and because of that, becomes a possible target for all sorts of fanatics. There was already a threat of an explosives cargo in some of the ferries from Estonia, which turned out to be bogus.
Luckily most of the people are smart enough not to bury their heads in the sand like ostriches and live fearing for the worst day after day. Carpe diem and stuff ;-)
Posted by: Aki at August 10, 2005 06:37 PM Permalink
The reality of losing a life
I thought this was a nice touch from BBC News: Victims of the bombings
Fifty-two people were killed in the four bombs which exploded in London on 7 July 2005. Click on the names below to read an obituary of each victim. They are grouped by the location of the blasts which claimed their lives.
I have a love/hate relationship with the BBC. It is based 90% on hate, but 10% on love, since sometimes they provide a reader with material that just makes such an interesting read. And furthermore, I read everything. But the BBC is not in my favorites ;)
What I feel is useful about showing the world the "faces behind the names of the victims", is the fact that it makes everything more real. Not only do they show the faces, but they write a short biography about each and every person. Here is the biography of the Israeli woman who was killed, Anat Rosenberg.
For someone who has had a number of people look me in the eye and tell me that "hamas is just a political organisation", I have to say that I wished Israeli victims of homicide bombings would be made more visible, as opposed to invisible and thus dehumanised.
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August 11, 2005
August 10th 2005 in my life was...
I have done nothing useful today. I've had a flu for several days now, due to riding my bike home in the freezing cold the other evening. As if that weren't enough, I'm pms'ing, and I should be studying for my summer exam.
Instead, I've done.. Nothing. Infact, here is a list of the things I've done today:
1. Had breakfast
2. Had a second breakfast (I always do that cause I get hungry almost right away again)
3. Taken about 4-5 naps, some short and some long.
4. Eaten tremendous amounts of chocolate.
5. Had lots and lots of coffee and Swedish pastilles Lakerol (I am so addicted).
6. Written e-mails
7. Sms'd all my friends and told them off for not calling me
8. One friend I sms'd and demanded an explanation for him ignoring me (for about 1,5 days). He then called and said that he had just re-filled his phone card, so I took a chill pill (in the form of Lakerol, hehe).
9. Checked my e-mail about 30 times, even checked my university mail
10. Read every major online newspaper in the English speaking world, as well as several other languages.
11. Tried to make my disgracefully bitten nails look better, even though I know I'll bite them right again right away.
12. Listened to the same Ofra Haza songs over and over (that's nothing new, though :/.)
13. Listened to my favorite Kent album over and over. Also nothing new. I love that band..
14. Eaten more chocolate
15. Sent silly messages to my msn contacts that are "away", and then gone offline quickly so that they don't have time to respond.
16. Oh and I did actually go talk to my landlady. I asked her if she had a stamp (cause I couldn't be bothered going all the way to the post office to get one lousy stamp). She said she didn't, but that she did have a funny story concerning a stamp! (My landlords always have a funny story). Then she told the story.
17. Sat in my chair in the dark, and thought to myself that I should consider getting a new filofax, since the one I've had since I was 17 is getting kind of stuffed.. Then thought about what an exceptionally organised person I am.
18. Decided that tomorrow I will study really hard, all day, and eat no chocolate. But today, oh today.. I'll just take another chill pill :-)
So as you people can hear, I am ill, bored and home alone. So I encourage everyone to send me e-mails, sms's, jokes and anything else fun you can think of! Right now I think I'll go hit the sack, with Ofra Haza's "Shir Ahava l'Chayal" completely stuck in my head. Hopefully I'll dream I'm eating a gigantic cream cake, like I did last night.
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August 12, 2005
Death, by a computer game
See, I always knew computer games were a nasty habit. So apparently, they can kill you. Don't believe me? Check this out?
Man dies after 50 hours of computer games
South Korean left seat in Internet cafe only to use toilet, take brief naps
SEOUL, South Korea - A South Korean man who played computer games for 50 hours almost non-stop died of heart failure minutes after finishing his mammoth session in an Internet cafe, authorities said on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old man, identified only by his family name Lee, had been playing online battle simulation games at the cybercafe in the southeastern city of Taegu, police said.
Lee had planted himself in front of a computer monitor to play online games on Aug. 3. He only left the spot over the next three days to go to the toilet and take brief naps on a makeshift bed, they said.
Am I being narrow minded when the following thought enters my head: Why oh WHY did this man not just ... do something else with his time?!
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Sportmanship? Forget it.
I'm so glad they kicked their butts. Just like Yediot Ahronot's article says, victory is indeed sweet for Israel's Maccabi Petach Tikva, against the shamless Macedonian team, their idiot coach, and most importantly, the Macedonian fans:
Israeli team Maccabi Petach Tikva overcomes arrogance, anti-Semitism in outstanding opening game of UEFA Cup competition
Victory is sweet - A UEFA cup soccer game between Maccabi Petah Tikva and Macedonian team Baskimi ended in anti-Semitic chants of “heil Hitler” by Macedonian fans, after the Israeli team won an overwhelming victory of 5-0 over their Macedonian hosts.
Petah Tikva, second in the national league, reacted with much anger to comments by the Macedonian coach, who said before the game that his team would humiliate the Israeli team and predicted a 3-0 outcome in his favor.
But the remarks, and 1,500 hostile Macedonian fans were unable to deter Petah Tikva from placing five unanswered goals in the back of the Macedonians' net, marking a promising start to a campaign to qualify for the UEFA Cup first round.
High spirits
The mood in the Petah Tikva camp was excellent following the game, despite, or perhaps in spite of repeated anti-Semitic chants called out by the Macedonian fans during the game, including “heil Hitler” and “Allahu Akbar.”
Petah Tikva’s president, Amos Lozon, said after the game that his team’s opponents “choked. We did it, and did it easily, and we opened with a powerful blitz. The team was fully prepared, and we were aware of their weak points. It's not that they’re such a weak team, we simply played an outstanding game,” said Lozon.
Of course I think we can all agree that the concept of sportmanship is dead and buried (if it ever existed), due to far
too many
"incidents"
that we all remember..
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The bride's website - hardly :)
I don't know about the rest of you, but I am soooo unbelievably addicted to google that it's not even funny. I wonder how many times a day I 'google' something, seriously. 50 times a day? But as useful, fun and helpful google can be... Well, let me just tell the story!
As I have previously mentioned, I have a program called "statcounter", which allows me to see where my readers are coming from, and how they found my website. Most of the people who read this page are returning visitors from Israel, USA or Europe. I am also unfortunate enough to get several visitors a day from USA who have found my blog after typing "photos of Icelandic women" (or something else about Icelandic women, ehrm), in search engines, usually google. It is still understandable that google should direct them here, since I am, after all, both Icelandic, and a woman.
Today on the other hand, I saw something quite unusual in my statcounter's "referring link" section. I saw that an American visitor had found my website, Hatshepsut, by typing the following in google search "pictures of ugly brides"!
How thoughtful of google to think of ME!
I clicked on the link and reached this place in google, and I saw that it had one sponsoring link. It made me laugh like an immature 12 year old brat: "All fat women supersite" - A dating website for fat women exclusively!
I actually ended up getting stuck there for a substantial amount of time. It was very interesting browsing through the women's profiles, because they were asked to rate their own appearance with words such as supermodel, pretty, average, girl next door, feminine, some find me attractive, etc etc. They all had photos of themselves, so I found it interesting how their own ratings didn't do much to describe their appearance, but rather their personalities (their ratings were often very unrealistic).
Oh and just for the record, I didn't sign up :p
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I don't get it...when I google "pictures of ugly brides" there are 3 hits, and none of them come close to your site. What exactly did statcounter tell you?
Posted by: Torbjörn Karfunkel at August 13, 2005 07:23 PM Permalink
Yup! Back in Sweden. I had a great time in Israel, but after 2 weeks it feels good to be back. Towards the end I missed my family so much...
Thx for the tips (vivisimo)...never heard of it. I'll try it.
Posted by: Torbjörn Karfunkel at August 14, 2005 09:21 AM Permalink
August 15, 2005
Bad times, very bad
I can't say I'm "taking this very well". Like all of you, I've known it was coming, but I'm still in some sort of a state of shock. I spent last night watching images from the 1982 evacuation of Sinai, which has been on my mind a lot lately.
I don't only feel for Israel, for making such a terrible mistake, and for the settlers, for losing their homes.. But also for the soldiers who have no choice other than to carry out such a mission.
Where does 'giving everything up for peace' take you? As I have pointed out earlier, the answer goes something like: This
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I was going to ask how you are doing. Well, I'm sure that not good, but anyway, I'm glad you wrote something.
I'm not in shock, but I am more and more surprised of how painful this thing is. It would have been painful even if I was sure that the Disengagement would lead to peace, but probably not as much as it is in this weird situation.
I don't know what exactly you have seen by now. I saw a few hours of live TV this morning. In all cases the settlers showed no hostility to the soldiers and officers and only talked to them by applying to their feelings. I think it was quite a dignified behaviour, and of course I hope this will continue to be the way, but it is still VERY hard for the soldiers. Actually, I think this situation is much harder than handling with a violent situation, because then it's easy not to empathize with the demonstrators. Really I think the soldiers are in an impossible situation, but is it reasonable to expect all the settlers to evacuate on their own without any protest?
It is probably possible to write more and more things, but I think it will take time untill we truly understand what has happened here.
Really I feel bad. I remember very well how I was happy for the Palestinians celebrating after the Oslo agreement, though I had my doubts (I mean: Arafat? Peace agreement? It was very sudden). Now it is so much beyond doubts, that I'm afraid seeing Palestinians happy will only increase my fears. How sad is this.
Posted by: Orly at August 15, 2005 02:04 PM Permalink
The withdrawal may have some advantages. It will allow the IDF a shorter, stronger, more coherent line of defense. Armed forces in the past have been defeated by over extending themselves.
Posted by: Harry at August 15, 2005 06:29 PM Permalink
For the assets left behind, chances are that the Pals will fight over them.
Another thing that the Pals may not realize is that as they build up their assets and infrastructure, if there is no peace, these can be flattened in a hurry. They want a deep sea port and an airport? More easy targets if need be. The pals will be setting up their own hostages for peace, wether they like it or not.
I don't think that Sharon or any other leader will mellow with age.
Harry
Well,
I must say that alltough I am pro this plan,
I see no logic in going out of Nisanit, aley sinai,
or actually all the settelments in the north of Gaza strip which resides near the border.And I am very sad that they are the ones that are allready gone.
This is the mistake in that plan;
Posted by: Assaf at August 15, 2005 11:10 PM Permalink
The rest is blessed.
Unfortunately I have come to the conclusion that not everything doen by the government has any logic, and that Sharon is far from being a genius. Just as a little example: Starting the evacuation right after Tisha B'Av - What the hell was he thinking??
Has anyone seen Sharon's speech? I was SHOCKED by how bad he looked. At least 10 years older than usual, disengaged from his own words, lacking any of the determination and sense of humor he used to have. On top of that - this was a taped speech given to the media by Sharon's office. I'm afraid our PM is ill.
Posted by: Orly at August 16, 2005 08:12 AM Permalink
Well Orly I think we've long established the fact that Sharon is no genius. I have decided I'm not even gonna TRY to understand what on earth he's thinking (and I'm not just talking about evacuation after the fast).
I didn't see the speach, since I live in Iceland, and don't watch television, but I have also had similar thoughts about his health. I think he has big issues, both physical and mental.
Posted by: Maria at August 16, 2005 09:41 AM Permalink
Nice..
I don't know why they're making this such a big story though, I guess it must be pretty rare. But I love this guy! I wish he could have himself cloned :)
Something really startled me when I read this article and saw his photo.
He is my late father's doubleganger. I have been staring and staring at his photo, and there is no mistake. He looks almost exactly like my father (who had no interest in Israel), did at the time I was born. How strange is that?
(And no, not all Scandinavian men look the same!).
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August 16, 2005
Letter to Sharon
This is certainly not the first time a post from Reb Lazer makes me cry. But it is the first time I cry out of grief.
An Open Letter to Arik Sharon
B"H
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
On two occasions, when you were Defence Minister under Menachem Begin of blessed memory, you gave me bear hugs: Once was in June of 1981, and the second time a year later, in August of 1982. Back then, after having put my country way ahead of my own life, you told me that if I ever need anything from you, I should feel free to ask. Over twenty years have transpired, and despite lean times, I've never asked of you the slightest favor. But now, I'm calling in my marker; not for my own benefit, but for the benefit of the settlers of Gush Katif and Shomron, and for the benefit of our beloved country Israel.
Daniel Pipes wrote this morning in USA Today that you are making the worst mistake ever made by a democracy. He says that you are letting down the other countries that have been combatting terrorism - such as the USA and the UK - by relinquishing to terror. You and I both know that this move - the first time in history that settlers are being been ejected from Jewish land in Israel - won't lead to peace. Once you allow our bloodthirsty neighbors to taste Jewish blood together with Jewish soil, they go into a frenzy. Already, they are chanting for all of our blood and all of our soil. Turn on your radio to almost any Arab station you like - they're all singing in the streets, "Fallastin, ya habib, udrub udrub Tel Abib!" (Beloved Palestine - continue quickly to Tel Aviv!).
Continues: Here
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B"H
Hello.
I just came from a Rally at the UN for
the Jews of Gaza.
I was googling for content for a new site
I created on Tisha B'Av: www.SaveIsraelNow.us
(It is new, under construction).I have not heard news from a reliable source
today, but you might like to see this letter.May we hear good news soon.
SR
http://www.saveisraelnow.us/gazaupdate.txt
From: R. K.
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 6:37 PM
Subject: Fw: Report From Gush Katif
This news is as of 11:30 this morning, Israel Summer Time. The situation in Neve Dekalim may have changed since then.
----- Original Message -----
From: jg
To: Y E
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 5:31 PM
Subject: FW: Report From Gush Katif
FYI, Yassam is the name of the SWAT teams. This is too great! I am so proud of our people.J G
-----Original Message-----
From: A Y
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 3:19 PM
To: Dvar Emet
Subject: Report From Gush Katif
Importance: High
Shalom everyone - and Baruch Hashem! In Neve Dekalim, at least, the spirits of the Gush Katif residents are running high as they are witnessing Hashem melt the hearts of IDF soldiers and Yassam police units.
Shortly before 10am this morning, my friend Chaya called me to allow me to share in what was happening. Through the receiver of the phone
I heard voices in song, "Am Yisrael Chai". Chaya described what was taking place. The residents had broken through the fence and had managed to surround the IDF soldiers with circles of singing and dancing people, a Sefer Torah leading the procession, the men garbed in Tefillin and Talliot. As they danced and sang, they locked eyes with the soldiers, some of the residents speaking to them in low tones, "You don't have to do this". What they soon witnessed were the
faces of IDF soldiers wet with tears. Grouped in buddy teams, the partner of each teary eyed soldier would grab them and demand that they look their partner squarely in the eyes, but the defensive routine they had practiced seem to be failing this morning - to the jubilant cries, prayers and praises of the Neve Dekalim residents.
Half an hour ago, I called my friend Miriam, also in Neve Dekalim. "What's going on?", I asked. Miriam was on a spiritual high that I could discern clear through the phone. A massage therapist, she had been returning home from treating one of the community women, when the loud speaker in the community came to life and requested all residents to go to a certain location in the village. A passenger in a resident's car, Miriam was delighted when
they obeyed the call. Arriving at the location, their eyes were greeted with a sea of black-garbed Yassam policemen - an unearthly spectacle. The Neve Dekalim residents linked arms, trying, as
Miriam put it, to muster some show of "force". They formed a line inside the security fence which had by then been cut open in several places. They locked eyes with the policemen on the other side and prayed. To their utter astonishment, tears began to glisten on the rock solid faces of the hardened Yassam policemen. One after another, Hashem began to melt the hearts of the Pharaohs. Soon, the residents began to make their way through the openings in the security and began to mingle amongst the human sea of black uniforms, bands of orange weaving their way like foam atop shore bound waves - a tide of emunah and bitachon making its way towards the shore. Suddenly, the Yassam police unit did an about face and headed for their buses, leaving the area.
Baruch Hashem. Am Yisrael Chai.Posted by: SR at August 16, 2005 10:05 PM Permalink
PS - about people crying -
There's another story about men crying publicly -
42 years ago - at the Western Wall.
Even the soldiers who didn't know the
full meaning of the Kotel cried....
"I am crying because I don't know what
it is we should be crying for"
(To explain the meaning of the Western Wall
would take more than one blog session :-)Posted by: SR at August 16, 2005 10:11 PM Permalink
Just too much
Scenes from Gaza, taken from CAMERA's excellent blog:
Israeli soldiers weep with Jewish settler as Gaza synagogue is dismantled.
An Israeli soldier embraces Gaza settler evicted from home.
And to think that this is being done by Israelis, Jews. And all for nothing.
That a tragedy, what a complete and utter tragedy.
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There are many kinds of scenes from the evacuation, some are very different than these, but I think these images very much represent the evacuation.
From what I saw today on the BBC and CNN it seemed that they were mostly looking for sights of physical clashes between soldiers and settlers as if this was just another demonstration. However the deep meaning of the evacuation is in scenes such as these.
I can find a positive thing in all this. Well it's not a result of the evacuation, but I admit that only now I relize what amazing people we have in the army and police. We have all the reasons to be proud of them.
Posted by: Orly at August 17, 2005 12:01 PM Permalink
Well said Orly,
Though I am a bit surprised you relize it only now?
As we can all see the situation is making some sort of a split in our country but not as much as every one thought it would,
and like you said Orly,
I can also see some positive things in it,
(even though it's hard)
I hope that we will unite all of us,
Left, right, peace activists, settlers, arabs, and all the mix that we have here and relize that this is the only place we have and if we want it to be the place we all dream about,
we should all work together.Amen
Posted by: Assaf at August 17, 2005 03:14 PM Permalink
It's unbelievable. I can't see any good in it now. I just have faith that it will make more sense in the future. Best I can do.
Also, Hi Maria! I replied to your comment on my blog here-
http://aliceintexas.blogspot.com/2005/08/judging-motives.html
-and thanks for stopping by over there, it's good to meet you :)
Posted by: AliceinTexas at August 17, 2005 06:15 PM Permalink
Orly: Yeah it's obvious that the IDF soldiers aren't the ruthless machines international media cuts them out to be, but rather human beings who care about other people & their country..
Assaf: I am a bit shocked that you'd say something like "the disengement is 'blessed', and I am surprised you didn't see it had good points, and lets hope it will unite everyone'. I mean, saying that something bad is 'good' because it unites (even if it WOULD unite Jews and Arabs, which it won't, it will just cause Arabs to turn to their next target. Probably the West Bank). So I was saying, that even if it would unite, didn't the holocaust in a way 'unite' Jews as well? And was that a good thing?
Posted by: Maria at August 18, 2005 01:26 AM Permalink
I know that I might sound offensive to some people (I know that Orly cares about this issue, but I'm trying to demonstrate a point, not to offend anyone). I mean why should anyone take joy in sad events, just because they have some minor positive side effects?
Of course I had a general positive view of IDF soldiers and officers, but I am still amazed seeing what impossible situations they face and how nobly they react (some would say too nobly, but I think that generally this is the right way).
I guess I shouldn't answer instead of Assaf, but I think he has other reasons for supporting the Disengagement rather than because it may unite people. I really hope we can be more united but have no idea if it will happen.
Posted by: Orly at August 18, 2005 11:06 AM Permalink
Orly, again well said.
Your answer for me was in the spot.But I will add some stuff if I may.
Maria, to see the sights of the Disengagment is really hurting, and by no means I think it is blessed because I like to see people taken away from their homes. My reasons for those thoughts are purly
security and budget reasons. (naturally we can argue about this as well, but this is not the issue now).When I see the good in the bad, it does not mean I think some thing is just good.
Dont forget, I am pro geting out of the southern gaza settelments, so naturally I think its a good thing, with no conecction to the horible sights which are bad.And what I said about the Arabs whom will unite with the rest of us, dont think I am naive,
and dont forget that Israel have many arabs whom are good citizens, not Palestinians!!!
I was talking about them, and only about them.The bigest most dengarous problem Israel is facing
Posted by: Assaf at August 18, 2005 02:30 PM Permalink
at the moment is not terror or antismetesim
(which are very serious problems on their own)
but that there is no agreement inside Israel on what to do next.
If we would be unite, we would have no problem and
we(Israel)would do what is good for us, with out
thinking about the western world and the arab world, we would be, I dare to say invincible.
But we are not unite at the moment,
We give names to people, I read sometimes respones
in the internet, and I am ashemed and sad in what
I read, what hate people have to other people,
just because one is a settler or a leftist or an arab and so on...
This is the thing that hurt me the most, to see
the hate in the people.
Untill we (Israelis) won't unite, we will not reach the end of this conflict.
What's going on here?? I can't type the five letters c h r o n consecutively - I keep getting error messages! Really weird!
Anyway the above ***** stands for these letters. This is article which makes the Disengagement look somewhat reasonable.
I'm not at all sure the future will work the way Krauthammer says, but I think he has good analysis of the past and present.
Assaf: I feel JUST like you when reading talkbacks on the Web, but I want to believe that they don't represent Israelis, just like the cursing you hear on football games doesn't represent Israelis.
Posted by: Orly at August 19, 2005 08:59 AM Permalink
Ha,Ha,
the things he say about the automated rocket respones is so right.
I think the same for years now, though I never tought about making it automatic,
And when I think about it, it is very doeble!
Israel have for years now sensors in the northen
border with Lebanon which recognize where the Hizballa rockets are lunched from in order to make
a presice counter attack.
Now all there is to it is make the rockets follow
these sensors automaticly.An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth,
Posted by: Assaf at August 20, 2005 02:55 AM Permalink
only 10 times more!
Maria, one more thing I forgot to write,
though I am almost sure you think the same,
I can not be totaly sure.The holocaust didn't just unite the jews, it did much more, it created Israel.
Naturally I dont think the holocaust was a good thing, like I wrote here in the past, almost all the family of my mother died in Awshwitz,
So was it a good thing? not at all.
Still it is hard for me to imagen Israel being created if a nightmare like the holocaust wouldn't have happend.So even if this analoogy is not at all compareble
to the dissanganment plan, I hope that some thing good will rise out of it in the process of uniting our people.Do I really believe it? I dont know, I hope so but I dont know.
Posted by: Assaf at August 20, 2005 03:15 PM Permalink
We will wait and see, untill then I want to be positive because that the only thing I have at the moment.
August 18, 2005
Got a clue what's going on?
I myself scored a 7/9 on this, and I wasn't too far off on the mistakes I made. The only negative thing about this quiz is the fact that the people who are going to be taking it, are those who are least in need of realising just how little they know.
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Trackback from Abracadabrah, How Much Do You Know about Gaza:
How Much Do You Know about Gaza? Unfortunately, not as much as I should...
Maria,
It's been a while, hope all is well.
Posted by: selfindulgence at August 19, 2005 05:46 AM Permalink
I know we don't see eye to eye on disengagement, but picyures over the past few days have been almost impossible to endure. It's been very hard.
August 29, 2005
Sorry about not blogging...
I haven't stopped blogging, really, I haven't!
The truth of the matter is that I am, and have been, working like a dog. I've basically just been working every single day, all day, all the time. And I shall continue to do so for several more days..
I was dying to express myself after the disengagement. The reaction of Abu Mazen and the Arab world had me depressed for several days. My mind was constantly filled with these incredibly evil thoughts about dancing on Sharon's grave, and similar things. I thought it would be best if I didn't say much (since I don't want everyone to know what an awful person I am), and I didn't have the time. I just read the online news during quiet times at work. After a few days of depression and intense anger, I "magically" became more optimistic. I thought to myself:
"Hey, this is Israel we're talking about. In Israel, shit happens. It's always been like that, it will always be like that. Bad shit happens, but sooner or later, Israel is gonna get some of the good stuff as well".
In other words.. Someday, whether it will be while I am still alive or not, Israel will get back their land. There will always be fighting, problems, hatred.. sure, at least to some extent. But there will be better times. The battle isn't lost forever. Not at all.
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Maria and the celebrities!
What is interesting about the last few days, is the amount of famous people I've bumped into here in Reykjavik.
I myself am not much into celebrities. I don't watch television, don't listen to the radio, and couldn't name a single song on the top 10, and not even a single movie currently at theaters. I do, however, read newspapers obsessively, and listen to my own, "exotic" music.
A lot of world famous musicians have visited Iceland, but I have never been to any concerts. The only celebrity I ever saw in real life was Bjork, since she spends a lot of time in Iceland. I've seen her on several occasions in town or at the mall. But she doesn't count, since she's Icelandic.
But when I was a teenager, I was much more into movies & popstars (what teenager isn't?). When I was 13 I saw "Terminator 2" about 45 times!
That's why it was pretty cool when Robert Patrick came into my shop the other day. (He's not scary at all in real life :p).
Then earlier this evening 2 men entered the shop. I didn't pay them much attention, until finally one of them decided to buy something. He commented on my "Segafredo Reykjavik" t-shirt (which has the names of a bunch of cities worldwide on it), and mentioned that he had been to most of the cities, since he was touring with a band. I asked him what band it was, and he answered "Joe Cocker. Do you know Joe Cocker?".
I said yeah of course, but.. come on, really, is he in Iceland?
So we ended up having a quite long and really nice conversation, and he said he was going to stop by at the shop again.
And I have since found out that Joe Cocker is indeed in Iceland :)
Last night I was on my way home from work, at around 19:30 in the evening. I got on the bus, and guess who comes staggering, completely drunk, with his jeans looking like they're about to fall off, into the bus? Bobby Fischer himself!
And his girlfriend (she was wearing a sweater from my shop!). They sat down very close to me, so I could hear everything they said (he talked the whole way). I was really amused when he was harassed by a bum who sat down behind him, padded his shoulder and asked in Icelandic: "so have you learned any Icelandic yet?". He tried to ignore him, and kept talking to his girlfriend. He spoke loudly, and sometimes he laughed incredibly insanely. He was complaining about some lawyer he called a crook.
I don't know why a rich guy like Bobby Fischer was on my bus. I could tell that he doesn't take the bus a lot, though, cause he and his girlfriend were completely lost, and kept wondering about where to get off.
Since I help foreigners for a living, speak English with confidence and know my way around Reykjavik very well, I could have offered my assistance, and normally I would have done so to the lost foreigners sitting next to me... But I just sat there, and let Bobby Fischer do what he should have done a long time ago: Get lost.
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What is the problem with your blog? Why can't I post comments?
Posted by: Torbjörn Karfunkel at August 30, 2005 08:16 AM Permalink
That one worked. I've tried several times before with no success.
Posted by: Torbjörn Karfunkel at August 30, 2005 08:17 AM Permalink
OK, here's what I would do if I encountered him. I'd punch his teeth out, kick him in the groin, break his arms and legs, rip his heart out through his throat, stomp it into a mashy substance and feed it to a syfilitic pig, slaughter the pig and pack the meat in boxes labeled 'Halal Turkey Meat' and distribute them to grocery stores.
And that's only the musician...I'd be really rough on Bobby, though.
;) Kidding
Posted by: Torbjörn Karfunkel at August 30, 2005 08:21 AM Permalink
August 31, 2005
Some whining
I have had the worst day. The worst.
First my paycheck was far too low. I went to see my boss, ready to bite his head off. It turns out I'm the one who messed up, and part of my paycheck ended up in another girl's account because of it. The problem is, she already quit, and has switched her mobile phone off, and disappeared. My co worker Thorunn says she probably ran off to Argentina with my money.
Just when I was beginning to feel better, I found out that I failed my course in statistics & research methods.
Beautiful.
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