When in Rome…

Wednesday evening, having finished the editing at the ABC I met up with Tal in a popular nightlife area on Ben Yehuda Mall. The strip was busy with families on holidays, every cafe with outdoor seating was filled even though the outside temperature was around 30 humid degrees. I love walking around these areas where a side alley leads to more restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. Numerous Judaica shops scattered the scene with giftwares of menorah’s, kiddish cups, passover plates, mezuzas and much more. The modern creative energy put into several thousand years of history is a welcome sight, like sweet and sour, lemon and pepper, cream and chives, night shifts and bad coffee.

Tal and I got a quick bite and ventured to a basement bar where an english speaking comic was doing standup. The audience of 5 people (Tal, myself, and a family of 3 from Canada) were surprisingly entertained with “The Aliya Monologues”, a 1 and a half hr performance covering a very Jewish and Israeli sample of jokes and humour.

I was very impressed with the show and spoke with the comic, David Kilmnick, afterwoods. Not only is he a comic, he is a trained Rabbi and all round nice Jewish boy. I want to chat more with him to see if he would like to put together a Jewish comedy tv show set in Israel but in English. Could be good.

After the show Tal and I ventured down a busy laneway that, last week I visited Jerusalem and walked down, was a ghost town. Tonight it was alive and pumping with 100 different beats of music, 100 different smells of food, 100 different sights of dishevelled locals, glammed up rock chicks, orthodox families, shop keepers, tourists with “I love Israel” hats, and 1000 great memories.

See larger.

She don’t look too kosher to me!

Tal saw some friends of his and we joined them at an outdoor table, where drinks were flowing freely. I was offered a Tequilla Sunrise. Funny as it tasted like it had no Tequilla in it at all, yet was quite potent.

Chatting to a couple at the nearby table we quickly formed new friendships, laughing, drinking, and smoking a Nagilla. I’ve never tried it before and quickly took to trying my best to look like a half soused Russian Jew slumming it in the holiest city in the world.

Tal chats to Cameron and Sophie from London. Two really cool people we met. Cameron does his best angered bull impression.

My first ever puff on a nagilla. It was apple flavoured. mmmm.

Some extra Australians at the table. 2 nagillas.

After my 2nd Tequilla Sunrise.

Tal chats to Sharon who also made Aliya.

Sophie and Cameron.

Elahn and Ilana. Does my pipe look big in this?

An apple flavoured nagilla a day keeps the doctor away.

The funky alleyway. See larger.

Ok, I don’t remember this one.

Oh come on… Really? Who took this photo???

Let’s just say the busride back to Tel Aviv the next day wasn’t fun. Apart from the extrememly busy bus station and lack of crowd control for people getting onto busses (pretty much a free for all, push your way on and bugger the old people, small children, nursing mothers or army guys with uzi’s), it was an hour I could have spent feeling sorry for myself in bed.