She Sells Sea Shells

A few weeks ago I traveled to Beijing for the 2nd time in my life, to witness the marriage of a brother for the 3rd time in my life.  That's right, folks, all the boys are now spoken for and I have a trio of sisters-in-law whom I adore.

But before all that international travel I accomplished a little bit of R&R travel within Israel.  During Pentecost the nearby Arabic village of Abu Gosh hosted a series of indoor and outdoor concerts overlooking the hills of Jerusalem.  My roommate M, two of her friends and I saw a baroque flute ensemble perform songs about birds in a damp, cool venue -- the crypt of a Catholic church:

Afterwards we wandered around a hilltop park, enjoying the view of nearby villages and dropping in on several outdoor performances ranging from Leonard Cohen covers to opera soloists to a Scottish pipe band (as one who has recently lived in the great country of Scotland, I refrain from commenting on this peculiar, very middle-Eastern interpretation of that indigenous musical genre...)

M and friend enjoy the view

A little while after Pentecost, M invited me to join her for a weekend in Herzliya -- a beautiful beach town just north of Tel Aviv.  It was ideal weather for wandering along the Mediterranean and swimming in the cool waters there.

We even managed to catch the final match of a Futures Tennis Championship, hosted by a tennis club on the beach.  It was a tremendous thing to watch, and I'm sure I'll hear more about one or both of these boys in the future -- perhaps Wimbledon! 

Irishman Berry (25 yrs old) took the trophy after an intense struggle against Kobelt (21, recent Ohio State grad)

M and I scored front-row seats to the finals, because the tennis club just happened to be owned by her cousin and cousin's husband.  We enjoyed beer on the veranda alongside various ambassadors and statesmen who'd come up from their embassies in Tel Aviv to cheer on their countrymen in the tournament.

The funniest part was that after all was said and done, M's cousin handed out the trophies and the two players made speeches and they went off to pose for the Championship Official Photo under the sponsor's sign and no one had a camera!  I offered my crappy little point-and-shot digital, but they insisted I not only supply the camera but be the "official photographer" too!

The result was predictable: I accidentally took a very tiny, terrible resolution, 3-second VIDEO of everyone standing awkwardly in the hot sun.  It took me a few tries with someone's iPhone before I got the winning shot (and which, consequently, I didn't get to keep).  I will always, however, have the itty-bitty video I oh-so-masterfully shot:

Movie magic, am I right?  After my shimmering debut as Official Photographer of Young Professional Circuit Tennis Championships in the Middle East,  M's cousin and husband took us out for a relaxing meal on the sea.  Good times and considerable-sized mimosas were had by all.

The day M and I returned to Jerusalem from Herzliya is the day the three young Israeli settlers were announced kidnapped.  It was on the news everywhere -- tv, radio, at gas stations and all over the internet, and it was the only thing people spoke of for many days.

The intensity between these ancient people groups increased, and so did the mercury.  Before the desert became absolutely unbearable, M and I decided to hitch a ride with a French academic to the Dead Sea for a little swim. 

Here are some things I expected about the Dead Sea and which were confirmed:

(i) it is very hot in the Judean wilderness 

(ii) there is no shade anywhere in the Judean wilderness

(iii) there are camels and mules just hanging out in the Judean wilderness

(iv) the Dead Sea was very salty

(v) Dead Sea mud is smooth and slimy and stinky but makes your skin just as soft as a baby's tookus

(v) if you get Dead Sea water in your eyes, it stings very, very, much.  Many much stinging. For much time.

Here are some things I did not expect on my visit to the Dead Sea:

(i) how oily the water feels.  It's like floating in a tub of Johnson's Baby Oil. Euch -- not so refreshing.

(ii) to get sunburned.  Folklore claims the sea is low enough (lowest point on earth, in fact!) that the extra atmosphere prevents sunburn.  I stand as living testimony against this claim. Tis naught but a false lie!

(iii) how pleasing it is to defy the usual laws of physics by standing completely upright while suspended in the middle of a deep lake

  

Thus my travels to two seas of very distinct flavor (literally.  Also, a kindly note to future Dead Sea swimmers: don't -- just do not -- lick your lips!) and to a friendly Arabic village for live music.  Now, on to China!