Short notice from the run

We are housing Katina and Ishak for the weekend and our days are full of adventures. When all is over there will be a longer post about being temporarily blind, drowning in Israeli rain and thunder, as well as visits to the Druze's, Tishbi winery and the Golan Heights. Stay tuned!

Yes, he can eat by himself! Hallelujah!

Today I had both the kids for lunch by myself for the first time. Their mother needed to go to a meeting, it was her day with the kids, but she asked for our help. However, Yoram was at work so I took on the mission. Ziv eats with me often, but Gal has still not been alone with me any longer moments, and especially not during a meal. He is a picky eater. Both are, but Gal is like the king of picky eaters. Not only picky, but most of the time he does not even want to eat the food he likes. He effectively drives his father crazy and manipulates him to always end up hand-feeding him under occasionally dramatic forms. I was prepared to my teeth and had it all figured out. I would make it easy, but still a bit hard, sausages and pasta penne, which they like, but I was also determined that he would eat a carrot stick. Ziv eats his vegetables without too much fuss nowadays, but not Gal. He started by saying that he would not eat without daddy, upon which I told him quietly that daddy is at work and that he would eat now, with me and Ziv. I imagined sitting patiently by the table the whole afternoon if necessary and putting him alone to his room if he started creating a war. Much too my surprise he stuffed both sausages and then all the pasta I had put on his plate, on his own, with good manners, and without any fuss, accompanied by my wild praising and cheering. Only thing that needed a slight encouragement was the carrot stick, but as he understood that I meant business, he simply ate it. My problem now is how to get Yoram to actually believe me. His 4.5 year old can actually eat all by himself... There is still hope for humanity!

A salty story

Then it was time for my first encounter with the oily salt soup in the lowest place on Earth - The Dead Sea. Katina and her son Ishak from Sweden were my company and we started from Tivon around 8 in the morning. I read my Hebrew road map flawlessly and guided us past Afula and Beit She'an and further down through the Jordan valley, on road 90 straight through the West Bank. I had no clue how fast we would move down and I was very surprised when we suddenly were on the bypass road past Jericho. We had been sitting talking about this and that, watching the Jordan valley become progressively more desert-like, and the time had just passed very quickly, but I guess that I also had expected that it would be much longer than it really is. This is a phenomenon that a Swede living in Israel frequently encounter. In Sweden, driving Malmö-Stockholm with few or no breaks at all is done without blinking, and that is 200 km more than from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat - i.e. the whole of Israel, from North to South. There really are no long distances in this country and what sometimes makes a trip tedious is either heavy traffic or poor roads. Road 90 is however not burdened by heavy traffic ever since the First Intifada, when cars driving there was constantly bombarded with rocks. Thanking the stone bridage for the open road is maybe slightly cynical, but we glided down through the valley as a hot dog on a soaped hallway floor.

The classic Dead Sea floating picture

We decided to go to the Ein Gedi Spa. The entrance to all baths and muds, as well as a proper lunch, was only 100 ILS, which is less than 200 SEK. It proved to be very valuable. Since this spa was built, the water level has sunk dramatically, and today they have a small "chu chu train" that shuttles the guests from the main building down to the beach. The beach on this spot was not rocky, but rather only consisting of salt sand. However, as you went into the water, the bottom consisted of a hard mat of sharp salt crystals, so bathing shoes was necessary. Everybody who ever went into a salt lake know the surrealistic feeling of floating like a cork. You can relax completely and do nothing. If you try to turn around to do some breast-style swimming you will discover that your feet end up way too high above the water surface to be able to take you anywhere. Fascinating and fun! Just as pleasant as the floating is, as unpleasant is it if you happen to get the water in your eyes, nose or mouth. The salinity is fluctuating above 30% and 1 litre of sea water contains approximately 300 g of minerals and these concentrations are extremely painful to get into the wrong place.

The salt content in the Dead Sea water

After floating around for a while we found a mud hole down at the beach, where we took our first mud bath. This was not the "official" black mud, but rather a natural creek with a sandy greenish mud, also supposed to be beneficial. I dived down and completely indulged myself in the dirt, sliding around in the soft jelly, covering everything but my eyes and mouth. The minerals in the mud and the water is said to penetrate and detoxify the blood stream.

Not only the water and mud at this place are a health bomb. The air has a very low pollen and allergen content and the high atmospheric pressure at this great depth results in a high oxygen content of above 23%, which makes it highly beneficial for persons with respiratory disorders. The high air pressure also causes a reduced ultraviolet component of the solar radiation, which makes sunburn rather unusual and this allows sufferers from Psoriasis or other skin disorders to sunbathe for longer periods. The bromide content of the air also reduces blood pressure and relaxes the nervous system.

Two black mud aliens

When we returned up to the spa, we went to the black mud area and once again covered up. This mud was even finer and darker and was contained in huge jars. The place is filled with a constant laughter and people continuously assist each other taking pictures of their creations. Ishak took it one step further and simply jumped into the mud jar.

Ishak in the mud jar

We had lunch at the spa before we left for Masada. Nothing revolutionary, but generous considering the price. The restaurant reminds of a school dining hall and you go and pick up food yourself from a nice buffet. However, we ate outside in the garden which was a bit more scenic. Saturated with both minerals and food we headed off towards Masada. We arrived around 15 which gave us less than an hour on top since the last cart went down at 16. Anyhow, we felt quite satisfied with that. What disappointed me a bit though, was that we were not allowed to stay for the sunset. Only the sunrise is possible to watch from the top, so that will be saved for next visit.

We walked around and saw different chambers, bath tubs, old paintings and mosaic floors, but honestly, as far as I am concerned, I do not need to see every corner of the place to feel satisfied. A rock is still a rock, and a ruin a ruin. The place is also packed with tourists, of course, and this unfortunately withdraws most of the possibility of sensing some historic atmosphere. According to me, I feel safe to say that the view from Masada is what took my breath away, not so much the rock in itself. On the way down we visited the souvenir shop and was baffled by the prices. A Pashima shawl that you can get for 15 ILS in Daliyat al-Karmel, went here for 59 ILS. Amazing how stupid people are. After coming down from Masada we drove straight home. From Masada to Kiryat Tivon, including a short break, took about 3 hours. Not bad at all. Today I am sweating sulphur, but feel pure as a baby...

The Dead Sea valley seen from the Northern Palace on Masada

Dogs, ocean and travel planning

Bossy fascinated by the ocean

We spent another lazy Shabbat on the beach, this time with the kids, as well as both Goshen and Bossy. We decided to bring him since his day in his home probably had not presented any revolutionary activities any way. I think it was the first time he saw the ocean, but he followed Goshen straight into the water, no fuss what so ever. Within 2 minutes he also followed me out on for him deep water, without having Goshen as comfort. The water was not even that quiet, but quite wavy, and we all enjoyed watching his courage. Also Goshen was more confident in the waves after swimming a lot in the quiet water last week. The dogs had a lot of fun and so did we.

Katina is here and we have planned that I will go with her and her son Ishak down to Ein Gedi by the Dead Sea, and also visit Masada. She has a rental car and I will be the map reader. I have Yorams detailed road map over Israel - in Hebrew - but believe it or not, that is perfectly sufficient for me by now, and I enjoy every time that I recognise the different names of cities and villages. We will drive East, to Beit She'an valley and then follow road 90 down through Jordan valley since it is the most scenic route. This means that we drive straight down through the East part of the West Bank, passing Jericho, before we reach the Dead Sea. So, time to empty the camera and recharge the battery! This is a trip that I also plan to do with Yoram at some point, but this first trip will be an appetiser for something more extensive that we will do together. This time he will not join due to his work, but he surely knows more "smultronställen" (hidden favourite spots) than three happy-go-lucky "Lonely Planet" Swedes, so I do look forward to going with him. Now I will, with my 5 months BaEretz, try to act as a somewhat guide and translator and I feel pretty cocky actually...

Rights Watchdog, Lost in the Mideast

I have been sharing my view on human rights organisations previously on this blog. Now even the founder of Human Rights Watch (HRW), Robert L. Bernstein, has seen enough of how the organisation has left its original mission to advocate open societies, basic freedoms and to support dissenters, and how they instead have lost their critical perspective in the Israeli-Arab conflict. In the New York Times he published an article in where he strongly criticises how they indirectly serve anti-Israeli forces through their biased reporting. No need for me to write more. Read the article.

Let the food be your medicine

The headline to this post is a quote from Hippocrates. Already at that time, he understood that the key to health and healing lays in the food we eat. Still today we all sense, deep down, that this is true, but powerful economical and political actors like producers of processed foods, as well as pharmaceutical companies, are effectively preventing us from regaining charge of our own lives. This is worth taking under consideration if you are interested in your health. After all, healthy people would be the death for the pharmaceutical industry. Figure that equation out for yourselves.

Eat the rainbow

Up until a few years ago I almost exclusively ate processed foods, cooked and fried, heavy sauces and not so much raw things. Nevertheless, I was not extremely unhealthy, since I my sweet tooth was always moderate. Then I progressively started to transform, but the most dramatic step was initiated by a detox week I suddenly decided to go through. This detox was not a fast, rather it was a vegan week with cleansing smoothies and lots of fresh and crispy foods, and of course abstinence from animal products, white carbohydrates, sugar, coffee, black tea and other toxins.

This week made me feel vitalised and fresh and it made the character of my cravings for foods change for good. Before this, fresh vegetables often grew molds in my fridge, but all of a sudden the largest part of my plate was consistently covered with raw vegetables. I am not a vegetarian, and I never think that I will become one, since I love meat too much, but I am far more pickier with what kinds of animal products I eat nowadays. I can also go days without it, but then all of a sudden my inner predator screams for satisfaction and then it is time for some blood shedding.

The theory behind the raw foods trend makes perfect sense to me. Heat degrades the food into something that is not recognised as nutrients by the body. Vitamins and antioxidants are degraded and useful enzymes are inactivated. By the way, what other species cook their foods? However, if you investigate the matter a bit deeper, it is not that black or white after all, since some nutrients actually become more bioavailable through heating. Hence, I would never adapt a 100% raw diet, but my own system has clearly told me that a majority of raw foods is what makes it work optimally. Same goes for the animal products. I have always preferred my meat rare and I feel intuitively that the raw meat is more natural for the body.

I guess that my diet can be defined as a mix between the Palaeolithic diet and a raw omnivorous diet. Mostly fresh vegetables and fruits, berries and a lot of different nuts, and some nice meat, fish and eggs, complemented with small amounts of dairy products. The more active I am, the more carbohydrates I need, but I prefer to add that through whole-grains like quinoa, rice and buckwheat, or potatoes, rather than processed pasta and couscous, or white bread.

Seductive chocolate

Then we have the indulgence. I am not the fanatic type and there are things that I would never cut out from my life. I drink my coffee every morning, I drink my red wine and I eat my chocolate. All of the above mentioned have their own health benefits in moderate amounts, as you can see if you follow the links. In the case of chocolate, cacao is actually a real superfood, with high amounts of essential micronutrients, as well as several alkaloids with positive physiological effects. It also contains nearly twice the antioxidants of red wine and up to three times those found in green tea. However, I suggest going for as pure chocolate as possible, mostly whole cacao mass, with less (or none) additives like refined sugar, milk or other vegetable oils. What is even better is to choose raw chocolate that has not been roasted. Then you are sure that none of the "goodies" have been degraded.

Bottom line is, that we are what we eat. If you learn to listen to your body, it will also tell you what is good and what is not - and in what proportions. However, if your bodily intuition has been incapacitated and corrupt for a very long time, it might need some soft encouragement to get back on track again, but I can promise you that it will. That wisdom is already in there, in your genes.

It is still warm, yes!

We will get visitors from Sweden. Katina and her son arrives in Israel tomorrow for a two-week holiday and other than spending time with her sister who is married to an Israeli and lives in a kibbutz somewhere, we are also planning for some days together. Since she is also an aikidoka she will not get away with not practising with us, but other than that we plan to go to the Golan Heights for one day and finish off with a BBQ at kibbutz Ortal. Then we will probably take them to places like Zikhron Ya'akov, Daliyat al-Karmel, or maybe Akko. Anyway, after a conversation with me yesterday, Katina decided to repack her luggage and remove all coats, long jeans and knitted cardigans and other warm things like that. There is still no risk that even the night temperature will go below 25 degrees, hardly even in the Golan Heights. Today it is 37 degrees here! She has been her enough times to know better, but I guess that the Swedish autumn weather has already impregnated her system.

Tidying up...

I have had a very obnoxious head ache since yesterday evening. Only on one side and radiating down in the neck and around the ear. I could neither practice aikido yesterday evening or this morning. The sudden heat wave can probably take some blame, but I am aware that it is mostly stress and bad energy that is channelled out this way after being tossed and turned through unnecessary things we never asked for. Luckily the cleaning process is about to be finished. I have opened my Hebrew books and sit and prepare for my first class tonight while listening to Idan Raichel in the background.

The blueberry is not green...

I have been exposed to well-intentioned, but unrequested, chaperoning, as well as being fed with peoples ideas about how certain persons are or are not. This is something that I can understand as far as to where it originates, but I strongly oppose it and therefore I set my foot down. People are not a like, for obvious reasons, and to apply your own framework on another person can often create an illusionary image that fits your own ideas, but maybe not the reality. These kinds of implantation's of attitudes are most often more harmful than healthy, for everybody involved, and I prefer to make my own impression of people that I am learning to know. I am a big girl and I was not dropped behind a wagon, hence the blueberry is not a bimbo just because she is Swedish...

The good life...

Lazy day at the beach

We were considering going for the lunch aikido in Tel Aviv yesterday, but in the end we did not. Yoram has been driving to Tel Aviv every day this week so he had had enough of car hours. Instead we went to a mall in Haifa to look for some different stuff. We are about to attend a few weddings in the next months, and since I spend my days in flipflop's, some shopping was necessary. I found a pair of classic pumps, in gold, with 10 cm heels, as simple as extravagant. These shoes I can combine with basically anything, so next week I am on a hunt for a cool dress.

After the mall we went for some pampering in Zikhron Ya'akov. We filled up the wine bottles, drank a few glasses and had a nice lunch at Tishbi's. This has become a nice routine for us, every, or every other Friday or so.

In the evening Yoram took Goshen for a run, and in the meantime I prepared two 400 g entrecote's that we bought from Samir, our butcher. He produces the best meat you can think of and since there is no middle hand the prices are very generous. This was a time for our inner predator to devour and the only accessories we had was garlic butter and Tishbi wine. Yummy is an understatement!

We have hit one of many heat waves arriving during the fall, and the temperature these days lay well above 35 degrees, and today we decided to spend at the beach. We have not been there for several weeks now, and for Goshen it is even longer, and I really wanted her to swim in the sea water for the benefit of her fur and skin. The water has for natural reasons started to cool off a little bit, and we giggled and joked about those merely 27 degrees or so, being freezing. For the first time in months you actually got a slight cooling effect from stepping into the water, so it was pure pleasure. The water is also calmer now - not so many waves like during summer - and this made a huge difference for how Goshen could enjoy the water. All of a sudden she dared to follow us much further out, swimming over for her deep areas, to reach outer sand banks. We encouraged her to swim a lot since you cannot get much better exercise than that. She tumbled around like an otter, and it made her completely exhausted, but happy and content.

On Monday, my ulpan starts again (Hebrew class) and I am so happy. I have just waited and waited, but so many things are not started up until after the holidays. Of course I have my books to work with, but it is only reading and writing, and I look forward to see what difference these summer months have done to my understanding and speaking. I am convinced that I will understand so much more in the conversation group than I did before.

Seductive aikido

A meeting on the mat (Photo by Lisa Larsson)

Aikido is physical. Period. Two people meet and touch each other within their personal sphere, and unless you are completely emotionally inhibited and out of tune with yourself, you will occasionally experience energies of erotic character. We exercise hard and we sweat, the pulse is pumping and we are deeply focused on our partner. This expression of sexual energy is inevitable, but what is important is how we choose to channel this energy. First of all, aikido is about developing trust in our own emotional "nudity" on the mat. To be able to relax and fully engage in being thrown by someone else, we also need to feel safe in opening up our bodies for the exercise. This involves minimising the parts of your body (and mind) that you define as being intimate.

Hence, denying yourselves these sexual energies will not enhance your aikido, since this prude attitude will make your body and mind close up, instead of opening up. An attempt to suppress the feelings will create tension, distraction and distance to your partner. This does certainly not mean that you need to perform abstract intercourse on the mat - rather it is about channelling the energy into the aikido and use it in a joyful way. A friend of mine shared her encounter with this energy and how she had come to the conclusion that it is not about the energy itself, rather the label we choose to put on it.

Certainly there is most often some personal chemistry involved and this phenomenon will commonly not occur with just anyone. The fact that these energies are personal, can encourage people to argue that accepting them is the same as crossing the line of moral conduct, but that brings us back to the question of trust, inner peace and integrity. And the definition of morals.

Aikido is a martial art based on a universal truth. The universe is composed of many different parts, yet the universe as a whole is united as a family and symbolizes the ultimate state of peace. Holding such a view of the universe, aikido cannot be anything but a martial art of love.

O'Sensei (Morihei Ueshiba)

As you can see, aikido was already by its founder defined as the martial art of love, peace and unity. Of all the aikidokas that I know well, most of them are very physical people and the boundaries for the affection we can share with each other are most likely more tolerant and allowing than among the general population. So, are we then immoral? On the contrary, if you ask me. Good morals according to me is to take responsibility for your own inner peace and to be open, honest and generous in life. This personal quality brings forward good aikido - but at the same time does aikido practice bring this out of people - if the people allow it. Anyhow, it is all tightly intertwined and inseparable. So, go to the dojo and get seduced, allow the energies to flow, play with them, and create beautiful and powerful aikido.

Goshen walking the streets of Tel Aviv

I brought Goshen with me today to Tel Aviv, to see Anna and the other Swedish girls. First we spent a few hours in Anna's flat, everybody came and although the room was full of playing and shouting kids and the table was full of treats, Goshen found a corner and just relaxed. Then we went out together and walked down to Nahalat Binyamin, since Anja wanted to look for new fabrics for her armchairs. In the shouk we past people, dogs and cats, bikes but above all the cacophony of smells that a city like this produces, but she behaved flawlessly. Considering the fact that she is used to having the safe and quiet nature just outside her house, and that she basically never walks on a leash, I was very proud of her when she stayed by my side all the time, no pulling and no unnecessary excitation. This is the result of consistent education, through where you get a calm, submissive and trustful dog that you can put in any new situation without any hustle.

Four days of aikido revelations is over

There. Four days of intense Seki seminar is over, and my impression have exceeded my expectations, I have to admit! I am sitting here now on the sofa with a glass of well-tempered Tishbi wine, while Yoram is sweeping the floor, and I am contemplating the practices I have had with different people. Here in Israel it is pretty common that you choose a partner and stay with this person during the whole class, just like in Hombu dojo in Japan. This of course has both pros and cons. It adds a moment of strategic planning before the class starts, unless you want to end up with someone less comfortable to train with. However, when you are paired up with a partner you have a good chemistry with, it allows a deep penetration of the aikido techniques when you don't have to tune in all over again with a new partner after every technique. Seki has a minimal agenda when it comes to the number of techniques you will be presented with during the seminar. He delivers the basics, clear as crystal, and he returns to the same combinations of attack and aikido technique over and over again. This allows for a fine tuning that was quite effective. I improved many details during these days. I found more clarity in the techniques, but above all I improved my centre, ground and posture.

I paired up a lot with Yoram of course, but since we train together 4-5 days a week as it is, I tried to limit that and get together with other friends I enjoy, but don't see that often. Mostly Omer. We had a morning routine, first class of the day together, but then it also became some afternoon class. We are killing each other softly and always stay on the line, showing gaps and pushing boundaries, but with respect, sensibility and tonnes of playfulness. This chemistry is not growing on trees and something I am most grateful for and cherish highly. He is a person with qualities enough to enter my "book", so here goes Omer! Now you also entered my blog, after entering my life. ;)

Goshen has finished her first big aikido seminar, of many to come, and I think she deserves at least 1st dan after these days. From now on, she is not only Tivon Aikido mascot, but most part of Israeli aikido mascot. Even Seki petted her good morning when we arrived the last few days, and everybody was constantly talking and playing with her. Not only did she get a new life - now she is also filled with aiki...

Drained, but three more days of Seki

Today was the first out of four days of the annual seminar with Seki Sensei, with 6 hours intense aikido practice. It is the first time I see Seki and even though he does not teach exactly the style of aikido I prefer the most, I found him a remarkably (for being Japanese) humble and sweet teacher, and more than a few light bulbs shone up above my head during the day as new details fell into place. He does not talk much, but mostly teach by showing what he means, and his aikido is very clear with a basic form.

The pace is very high and you definitely get a good workout. The last hour me and Yoram had almost nothing left and mostly stumbled around and giggled or moaned back and forth. I feel every inch of my body and I am completely aware of how difficult it will be to get out of bed tomorrow morning, and not to mention getting ready for more aikido. Tomorrow will be hard, the next day even worse, while during the last day the body is getting used and cannot understand why it all has to end. That's how it is with aikido seminars. When they end, you are ready for more...

Goshen joined us, since the seminar was in a kibbutz suitable for bringing her, and the day was too long for leaving her alone. We first tied her on the side of the mat indoors, but she was rather excited and did not keep quiet, so we put her just outside. We heard occasional whines and barks, but the barks just made all of us happy and proud, since she hardly never barks for some reason. Our timing was excellent all the time, in which we came back to her as she was laying down and was quiet as opposed to going there when she was excited and barking. This will show her that barking is no good, and mummy and daddy comes when she is calm and quiet.

I need a full body massage with hot Tiger Balm...

Light of Tabor over the Galilee

Mount Tabor seen from South East

We had the plan to go on day trips both Monday and Tuesday, but Ziv was had a tummy bug, so Monday we had to spend at home. Today he was feeling better and we took off for a few hours. We went to Mount Tabor, the strange lonely bump in the middle of the flat Jezreel Valley. Mount Tabor is believed to be the site for the Transfiguration of Jesus, hence the Franciscan order built the Church of the Transfiguration and a huge monastery complex on top of the 4th to 6th century ruins of a Byzantine church. However, these Christian sites on top of the mountain was not what took my breath away. That was the view. The day was warm and clear after some night rain and the sky was full of dense clouds that broke the sunlight into distinct patterns on the ground. Quite magnificent and nothing you can catch with a camera, no matter how hard you try. Nevertheless, I tried... Click on the images to magnify.

View to the West

View to the North with Ein Mahil (probably)

on the top in the background

The Swedish shrine - IKEA

I have done my first visit to IKEA in Israel. The parking lot was over-full and cars were standing on all assigned spots, as well as forbidden areas, so clearly the campaigns to boycott Swedish products after the Boström organ trafficking scandal had not reached too many Israeli homes.

Examples of Israeli parking outside IKEA

This store is always packed, and today that was even added up a little bit more, since this week everybody is free from work for the Sukkot holidays. It could therefore be questioned whether the day chosen was respectful enough to my nerves, but I survived. I try to set myself into some kind of trance state, where I flow freely in between people, find what I want and then flow ahead.

I think we stood in a line for 30 minutes in the checkout. Israelis are not famous for their queuing abilities, but here it seemed to work just fine. Maybe the Swedish spirit of subdued self-control have penetrated the walls just enough to create some order. However, the sabra temper shone through and we had the privilege to experience a real cat fight between a cashier and her customer. Both were screaming shamelessly at each other and were just about to take physical action when the security guard came to cool off the conflict, and as if that were not enough, a whole bunch of other people around them had already decided to join in to the quarrelling. Charming...

Our catch...

After checkout I went to the Swedish specialities corner to get some treats. I came out from there with Leksands knäckebröd, Kaviar (Unfortunately not Kalles), Lingonsylt, Digestives and Marabou Mjölkchoklad. I guess I have turned to a real expatriate Swede now...