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so just after all hope was lost, and me and ela got stuck in amsterdam not knowing where to go, and Rob and Gil ready to leave for a coast-hopping journey to France, Ela got a phonecall from her cousins in Germany, inviting her to stay with them until she decides what to do. Meanwhile, I could go sailing.
So I joined the guys. It was nothing like crossing the Atlantic. We sailed in the daytime, sometimes stayed for two nights in the same place to rest or at least have a beer (R&G love beer. I don�t drink usually, but I joined them sometimes).
We started by going down the coast of Holland to Scheweningen, where we bought a new toilet, and Rob did a major carpentry and plumbing job to put it on. I was sea sick on the way there, though not actually puking. I felt a little out, being with two experienced sailors while I know virtually nothing, but I compensated a little by being quite a good navigator, always checking position and appears to be abreast of where-we-are. I liked it a lot. I didn't like much the long stays in places, because it was a bit boring to me.
We usually left in late morning, and, not having time to finish the same day, went through the night and arrived early morning. Pretty shamful. The coastal towns and marinas of Holland, Belgium and France were sometimes beautiful (Callais, Dieppe) sometimes boring (Scheveneingen) and sometimes utterly disgusting (Boulogne, with the most poluted river I have ever seen; smells like indian toilet)
The major activity, besides sailing (which however our autopilot Basil did most of), was cooking. Since me and Ela bought lots of food to last for 4 people for a month, we had loads of food, and we used it. I got to some new heights of my skill (it wasnt so good to begin with, though). I even made bread and pizza.
The most interesting event was on the way to Dieppe. after 7 hours at sea with favourable wind and current, a small cloud passed. Gil said it tells of a storm coming, so we put down the sails and started the engine. In no time we got winds of more them 40 knots (that's force 8, or about 75 km/h), with amazigly high waves against us, and rain and fog. We advanced slowly but surely, hoping that the engine will survive. Rob was steering, Gil looked outside to see the shore and direct Rob to it, and I was on the compass and GPS and map, seeing that we do go to the correct place. It was hard work and I loved every minute of it, even getting wet.
So we arrived. People in the entrance clapped, and we went to the marine. There we saw a dolphin, swimming next to the fishing boats, probably enjoying the smell of fish. While we waited for registration she came to play with everyone on the shore, and when we tried to park the boat in place, she swam after us, playing with Basil the pilot, tossing him from side to side, until it broke down. We were furious at first, and then we fixed the dammage. Hope it works ...
In Dieppe, however, we said goodbye. Gil went home, and I missed Ela and got a job offer, so I went to Germany. The hitch hiking mission began, as usual, with 20 minutes of walking out of Dieppe. Just when I said "it's far enough" and put down my bag, a car stopped, bearing an old French driver. He was very slow, spoke only French, and turned out to be completely drunk. I said to myself "First time the car stops I jump off", but ... well ... he did a U-turn, and went back to town! No idea why, but came out again in the centre of town, cursing and laughing.
The next lifts were quite nice, though they didn't take me far. The last one dropped me in middle of nowhere, and since noone stopped, I walked 15 kms until I got a ride. By then I was very tired, so I just found a train station and too kthe night train to Frankfurt. I called Ela from the station, not totally surprised her, but surprised her hosts a lot. She now got a guest who invited himself. Pretty rude of me, I know, though I did try to call ...
Anyway, I spent the last few days with Ela, and her very generous and lovely family, and after a few hours with Olympic, including 3 hours in Athens airport, I'm home.
So: I stay here until January, and then I'm off to Brazil. Ela may come here, too, in two weeks. I stay with my parents [+972 (0)8 9410468] until I find a better place. I work with Aduva again [+972 (0)3 7534300]. Lots of arrangements (room, car, papers, bank) to do, and I'm tired, but still I have lotta time for friends.
Love, Moddy.
Today is a good day to prepare yourself for the moment everything will change.
It's been a long time since I last wrote, and some people complained. So here are the news.
First, the baby. I did want to tell everyone personally, but I guess it was too tiring, so, if you know it or not, I'm going to be a father. Ela is going to be a mother, and we become therefore a family. We still don't know if it will be a boy or a girl. Ela doesn't want to know, so she didn't ask the doctor, but I'll ask him when I see him again, and tell you. Don't tell Ela.
Life in Israel is pretty boring. I don't much have a life. I go to work in the morning, and back in the evening to the small flat in Bnei-Berak. Bnei-Berak is an ultra-orthodox-jewish city in Israel. Dirty, poor, and boring, and that's why I could find there a temporary dweling for cheap enough ($300. In Israel it's considered cheap). Ela is bored. What would you expect? She's alone in the room all day, doesn't know the language (though she learned to read), and watching "neighbours" on TV.
To make things a bit happier, we went to the Israeli rainbow gathering. Ela went for the whole time, and I only for weekends. It was not the best gathering in the world, but it was still a rainbow gathering with loads of nice people and vibes and everything. It was in a remote place in the south, but Israel being so small, it is only an hour drive from Tel-Aviv, and therefore full of rainbow tourists, who bring in cars and cigarettes and the rest. Also there's a big Jewish Orthodox influencem especially the Braslav Hasidim, who are pretty rainbow-like ultra-orthodox Jewish sect - they worship by dancing, singing and being happy. They weren't so disturbed by the nude people everywhere....
The baby grows nicely. It is already 15cm long, and we have ultra-sound photos. Ask them and get them - i'm really trying not to push the photo to everyone I meet, but I'm so proud.
Plan is to go to Brazil and give birth in the rainbow gathering there. Ela should leave in mid December, because airlines don't like pregnant women on board, and I leave in mid January, since my contract is until then ...
We also try to get married (big hassle) and to get for Ela residency here (big hassle) and to find a direct ticket to Salvador (big hassle). Fingers crossed, all will be well.
Love to all, Moddy.
Today is a good day to make truth of your dream of a better world.
We tried to get married and to get for Ela an Israeli residency. Problem was that the office of internal affairs were on strike, and therefore we could do anything. The day after the strike was over we woke up early and went to the office. We were too late - they said you have to register your name before 8. We came back the day after at 7, and they said "the list is already full", so we dropped it.
However, I did take enough documents to get married. Israel is a stupid country regarding to marriage (and regarding many other things). You can have only a religious marriage. Since i'm jewish and ela isn't, we can't do it. we went to Cyprus instead.
We had a deal: A flight, two night in a hotel, transfer, and a wedding ceremony. The short flight was really short, and in the airport the taxi driver who waited for us took us directly to the municipality. They were expecting us, has all our names and details, and we only had to give our passports and documents, and to sign, and to wait ... while we waited the ever-helping tourist guide told us about the fabulous things you can do in Cyprus, but we were not very interested. Two tired from waking up so early in the morning.
Ela dresses in white, which is not green, and we had the ceremony. There were pre-organized witnesses, and a young lady who read from the book some things, and we both said "I do" and kissed before we were supposed to, and the tourist guide took photos, and it was over.
We had a lift to town, and thought of how to spend the next few two days. Limasol is a boring town. It is winter so the water is too cold to swim, but for the British it is very hot and sunny. And who do you think can come to Cyprus in a non-holiday time? Pensioners, of course. Therefore we were the only under-50 persons around, accept for another newly-wed couple, but we didn't see them until a few hours before the flight home.
So what did we do? We tried to go to Pafos, which is the birthplace of Venus, but woke up too late. We went to the old fort of Limasol, but couldn't find it. We tried to find good,cheap food but didnt get much. We spent a lot of effort to get for Ela tickets to Brasil, and made it, and bought wedding rings. We forgot to prepare them before ...
So back in Israel nothing changed. We went travelling a little one weekend, but mostly we were too lazy to move. We planned to go to Jerusalem and visit a friend who was wounded by a suicide bomb, but Ela was sick ...
And on a tired morning in the middle of December Ela went to Brasil, with a week stopover in Germany and England. The flight out was a demonstartion of murphy's law "If anything can go wrong, it will", but this is Ela's story, so better ask her for details. I only shared with her stressful two hours in Tel Aviv airport, trying to get there on the flight. It happened, and the flight was delayed, and Ela appeared in the news in Greece .. but as I said, it is another story.
And life here without her is annoying. I try to pass the time by hanging out with friends, going to movies alone and staying late at work. It's been three weeks and there're two more to go. How can I survive? I dont sleep well and i dont eat well. What to do.
I'm also pretty scared of what will happen soon. I'm going to be a
father, and with the joy of it comes the knowledge that life will
never be the same. And life the last couple of years were terribly
good. I just read my letters again and
"I find it all so amusing.
to think I did all that
and may I say not in a shy way".
Love you all, Moddy.
Today is particualrly good to go your own way [and you dont have to call it another lonely day]
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