Ulpan Etzion is in Baka, which is a quiet residential neighborhood in Jerusalem. We are located south of the Old City and the Center of town, about 25 minutes walking to the Old City and about 10 minutes from the best promenade in Jerusalem, on a hill called Armon Ha'Natziv. It affords a picture perfect view northward of the Old City, the Mt. of Olives and the surrounding neighborhoods and landmarks. Armon Ha'Natziv also borders on the imaginary line that once separated East and West Jerusalem, and if you follow the promenade eastward, you can enter the park (that runs down the side of the hill) at a point that is fairly high up. From there, as you follow the path that runs just below the UN observer base, you eventually are able to look directly east and you see the limits of the Jerusalem Municipality and parts of the brand spanking new wall. It's actually a wire fence for over 95% of the route, but in some parts, most notably in Jerusalem, it's an actual wall. This is because there are parts of the fence that also act as barriers against Arab snipers.
All the neighborhoods around here, including Baka, German Colony, Arnona and Armon Ha'Natziv are residential, Jewish and not cheap in relative terms. There are a lot of smaller apartment buildings and private homes with a fair amount of greenery. Just south of Baka, and maybe 10 minutes from Ulpan Etzion is Talpiot which is an area with a mall and all sorts of stores, businesses, restaurants, etc. German Colony is just north of where I am, and it's a very expensive area. Its main drag - Emek Rafaim - boasts dozens of impressive bars, caffes, restuarants and stores of a slightly more upscale nature.
Yoji - the sushi place on Emek Rafaim, where I dined a few nights ago - is of below average quality. The fish was fine, but the rice was old and hard and they didn't have ginger sauce/dressing. The last is a serious issue for me personally because I love that stuff and I must have it with my sushi, even though it belongs in a salad. The sake was good though, but, as expected, it was not enough to get me even close to drunk. Aside from the regular rolls, we ordered sashimi wrapped, with some veggies, in a leaf of sorts. The leaf was not that great. Basically, don't eat here unless you want to spend too much for too little. On the upside, the company was outstanding.
On this past Wednesday night we celebrated half a dozen February birthdays in the Ulpan by getting drunk and going to a bar called Colony on Derech Beit Lechem, just about 5 minutes from the Ulpan. This bar is in a former werehouse, so it has extremely high ceilings, which creates the feeling of space. The atmosphere is nice, or at least it was when I went there two weeks ago. This time, there were 60 of us, and we invaded the place. Most Israelis ran for cover and we took the place over. Channel Hot 3 showed up and started interviewing random people on the dance floor. Actually, the reporter was hitting on girls and just happened to stick a microphone under their chin in the process. The guy with the camera was doing complicted acrobatics to create what I am sure will be a great artistic effect when the segment airs. The reporter, after he had finished doing his thing, inquired of me about getting a certain girl's phone number. After we had a chat, he ended up getting mine. He said he'd call me to let me know when the segment airs. I might as well believe him.
Last night, for Shabbat, I went to Rehavia, which is a neighborhood in between Baka and the Center of town. It's considered prestigious as the buildings are nice, it's quiet and green, and it's very close to everything. As such, it's popular with Americans and other foreigners, and by throwing their money around they've managed to raise property values significantly. Good news for residents, bad news for young people trying to buy in a good neighborhood on an Israeli salary. A cousin of mine is married and lives there with her husband and three kids. The kids are unbearably cute and I spent a lot of my Shabbat playing games with them and being their jungle gym, horsie, what have you. They are also good teachers of Hebrew. Due to its proximity, N (the man of the house) and I, went to the Great Synagogue for services. I don't know why it's called "Great" but it is very very large. And, like almost everywhere in Jerusalem, Americans had a dominant showing. Theoretically it's the seat of something or other and has some importance, but I don't really think those titles should apply to places of worship. All synagogues are the same, even if they are small and not as well appointed as this one.
Aside from playing with the kids, I enjoyed using my weak Hebrew skills in deep political discussions with N. He also has a degree in History and so, like most historians, his views are well-developed and go far beyond party slogans. He also holds a high position in the Jerusalem Police, which means he's got a lot of security related knowledge of this very sensitive and complicated city. Shabbat dinner was just the 6 of us, but lunch today included another family - a young Russian Jewish couple, they moved here when they were kids, so they are bilingual. I wonder if their kids will grow up to be the same, or if they'll just understand Russian and answer in Hebrew. He is a doctor, and an officer in the IDF. Again, lots of hands-on knowledge, and I am always glad to meet people like that. Newspaper articles just don't relate happenings as well as personal experiences.
All the neighborhoods around here, including Baka, German Colony, Arnona and Armon Ha'Natziv are residential, Jewish and not cheap in relative terms. There are a lot of smaller apartment buildings and private homes with a fair amount of greenery. Just south of Baka, and maybe 10 minutes from Ulpan Etzion is Talpiot which is an area with a mall and all sorts of stores, businesses, restaurants, etc. German Colony is just north of where I am, and it's a very expensive area. Its main drag - Emek Rafaim - boasts dozens of impressive bars, caffes, restuarants and stores of a slightly more upscale nature.
Yoji - the sushi place on Emek Rafaim, where I dined a few nights ago - is of below average quality. The fish was fine, but the rice was old and hard and they didn't have ginger sauce/dressing. The last is a serious issue for me personally because I love that stuff and I must have it with my sushi, even though it belongs in a salad. The sake was good though, but, as expected, it was not enough to get me even close to drunk. Aside from the regular rolls, we ordered sashimi wrapped, with some veggies, in a leaf of sorts. The leaf was not that great. Basically, don't eat here unless you want to spend too much for too little. On the upside, the company was outstanding.
On this past Wednesday night we celebrated half a dozen February birthdays in the Ulpan by getting drunk and going to a bar called Colony on Derech Beit Lechem, just about 5 minutes from the Ulpan. This bar is in a former werehouse, so it has extremely high ceilings, which creates the feeling of space. The atmosphere is nice, or at least it was when I went there two weeks ago. This time, there were 60 of us, and we invaded the place. Most Israelis ran for cover and we took the place over. Channel Hot 3 showed up and started interviewing random people on the dance floor. Actually, the reporter was hitting on girls and just happened to stick a microphone under their chin in the process. The guy with the camera was doing complicted acrobatics to create what I am sure will be a great artistic effect when the segment airs. The reporter, after he had finished doing his thing, inquired of me about getting a certain girl's phone number. After we had a chat, he ended up getting mine. He said he'd call me to let me know when the segment airs. I might as well believe him.
Last night, for Shabbat, I went to Rehavia, which is a neighborhood in between Baka and the Center of town. It's considered prestigious as the buildings are nice, it's quiet and green, and it's very close to everything. As such, it's popular with Americans and other foreigners, and by throwing their money around they've managed to raise property values significantly. Good news for residents, bad news for young people trying to buy in a good neighborhood on an Israeli salary. A cousin of mine is married and lives there with her husband and three kids. The kids are unbearably cute and I spent a lot of my Shabbat playing games with them and being their jungle gym, horsie, what have you. They are also good teachers of Hebrew. Due to its proximity, N (the man of the house) and I, went to the Great Synagogue for services. I don't know why it's called "Great" but it is very very large. And, like almost everywhere in Jerusalem, Americans had a dominant showing. Theoretically it's the seat of something or other and has some importance, but I don't really think those titles should apply to places of worship. All synagogues are the same, even if they are small and not as well appointed as this one.
Aside from playing with the kids, I enjoyed using my weak Hebrew skills in deep political discussions with N. He also has a degree in History and so, like most historians, his views are well-developed and go far beyond party slogans. He also holds a high position in the Jerusalem Police, which means he's got a lot of security related knowledge of this very sensitive and complicated city. Shabbat dinner was just the 6 of us, but lunch today included another family - a young Russian Jewish couple, they moved here when they were kids, so they are bilingual. I wonder if their kids will grow up to be the same, or if they'll just understand Russian and answer in Hebrew. He is a doctor, and an officer in the IDF. Again, lots of hands-on knowledge, and I am always glad to meet people like that. Newspaper articles just don't relate happenings as well as personal experiences.
posted by Felix at
8:08 AM
2 Comments:
can you be any more long winded? honestly...i would have preferred if you made it a little more interesting such as the following...
The details of my life are quite inconsequential... very well, where do I begin? My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds- pretty standard really. At the age of twelve I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking- I highly suggest you try it.
also, stop corrupting N. he is a sweet innocent little boy who is beginning to sound like you which makes me want to hit you in the head with a heavy, blunt object, which i might get to do since one of the places i'd like to go on my honeymoon is eilat if at all possible.
By
Anonymous, At
5:02 AM
you know what's heavy and blunt? really blunt?
By
Felix, At
1:18 PM
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