I spent part of the flight over here reading Time's annual "Making of America" issue that features an inspirational American and frames their life and legacy in a contemporary relevant way . After featuring everybody's favorite Presidents (GW, TJ, AL, FDR, JFK), the uber-alumnus of my alma mater (Franklin), and the namesake (and his non-domestic partner) of my father's middle school (Lewis & Clark), Time chose this year to feature Mark Twain. The most interesting reason the magazine stated as influencing Twain's selection was his position as the metaphorical creator of that role so beloved in today's political culture (and even more beloved by the media) of the sarcastic political commentator (see: Stewart, John; Colbert, Stephen; Maher, Bill; et al.). b
But that, I am afraid, is quite beside the point. b
I begin with Twain because Time reminded me - again and again - that Twain was, at first and, one could argue, essentially, a travel writer. He published no fewer than four travel books (if memory serves correctly.)
And so, a little more than two months late, I open this blog, to be all about me. Many of the first impressions of being back in Israel after 9 years have fled, though some important ones remain:
- that feeling that everyone you see looks familiar (most likely due to the limited genetic pool from which all of us are formed)
- being harassed by guys in kippot and tzitziot for money everywhere I go.
But with the familiar come also the flat-out weird:
- a New York state license plate on an SUV parked in Rechavia
- evidence that Egged does teach their bus drivers how to drive, i.e., the nearly-empty bus labeled with the words "Egged Drivers' School" on the side
- a black panthers chapter of Jerusalem banner in San Martin
- individuals who appear to be ethnically Thai dressed as Chareidim.
And I couple with the strange the strange-feeling, the many moments I was asked, by cab drivers, shuk salesmen, or post office workers (as I was mailing our absentee ballots), for whom I was voting in the presidential election, and the look of incredulity on their faces when I said Obama -- while wearing my kippah. Or the moment the gabbai at Yakar shouted, on a particularly packed Friday night with the men spilling over into the women's side: "chevrei, anachnu shivyoni'im, aval adayin ortodoxi'im!" - "People, we are egalitarian [read: we care about gender equity, though not in a religious way] but we're still Orthodox!" Such is life in Jerusalem, where grey is often a little lacking.
And so, on this historic morning that two young black women will wake-up with the knowledge that their father is to be the 44th President of the most successful design experiment in the history of the world, I kick off my blog which will be, again, in case you forgot, all about me.
I'll post rants here, and musings; articles and thoughts about articles. I'll keep it quite complex and yet astoundingly simple: whatever it is I am interested in at any given moment.
But that, I am afraid, is quite beside the point. b
I begin with Twain because Time reminded me - again and again - that Twain was, at first and, one could argue, essentially, a travel writer. He published no fewer than four travel books (if memory serves correctly.)
And so, a little more than two months late, I open this blog, to be all about me. Many of the first impressions of being back in Israel after 9 years have fled, though some important ones remain:
- that feeling that everyone you see looks familiar (most likely due to the limited genetic pool from which all of us are formed)
- being harassed by guys in kippot and tzitziot for money everywhere I go.
But with the familiar come also the flat-out weird:
- a New York state license plate on an SUV parked in Rechavia
- evidence that Egged does teach their bus drivers how to drive, i.e., the nearly-empty bus labeled with the words "Egged Drivers' School" on the side
- a black panthers chapter of Jerusalem banner in San Martin
- individuals who appear to be ethnically Thai dressed as Chareidim.
And I couple with the strange the strange-feeling, the many moments I was asked, by cab drivers, shuk salesmen, or post office workers (as I was mailing our absentee ballots), for whom I was voting in the presidential election, and the look of incredulity on their faces when I said Obama -- while wearing my kippah. Or the moment the gabbai at Yakar shouted, on a particularly packed Friday night with the men spilling over into the women's side: "chevrei, anachnu shivyoni'im, aval adayin ortodoxi'im!" - "People, we are egalitarian [read: we care about gender equity, though not in a religious way] but we're still Orthodox!" Such is life in Jerusalem, where grey is often a little lacking.
And so, on this historic morning that two young black women will wake-up with the knowledge that their father is to be the 44th President of the most successful design experiment in the history of the world, I kick off my blog which will be, again, in case you forgot, all about me.
I'll post rants here, and musings; articles and thoughts about articles. I'll keep it quite complex and yet astoundingly simple: whatever it is I am interested in at any given moment.
Hope you stay around for the ride.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment