THE ADJUSTMENT

26 Jun

It’s Wednesday, June 26th. It’s been almost a week since I arrived here in Israel.  I am getting used to it, I think.  To use a baseball term, I am making the adjustment.  Here are 5 things I have learned so far.

1. Israelis love the Doors.

Most people would concern themselves with things considered more practical, but my two biggest fears moving here were that there wasn’t Wash-N-Fold, and the radio would be bad.  Not sure about Wash-N-Fold, yet, but my worst FM nightmares have come true right before my ears.  It’s all Israeli folk music and minimal European techno and a strange mix of American pop music including the Doors and…

2. Israelis love Depeche Mode.

I have not figured out the particular commonality between all this music that appeals to Israelis.  But in addition to to Depeche Mode and the Doors, they seem to like anything that loosely refers to revolution.  I have heard the Beatles’, “Come Together”, and Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster” multiple times, and some Bob Marley, thank goodness.

3. The roads are well designed.

I have always heard Israelis are bad drivers, and they are, don’t get me wrong, but the roads are nice at least.  And they’re not as bad as New Yorkers…

4. The country is FULL of bad sculpture.

I have know this for a while, from previous trips.  It’s everywhere, unavoidable.  Around every corner there is another giant steal monster staring down at you, twisted metal shoulders, eyeballs of recycled weapons, barb-wire feet, chicken-wire arms.

5. It’s hot.

It’s hot as hell here.  And getting hotter in July and August.  We are, and I have to remind myself of this, in the desserts and oases of the Middle East.

But that’s enough music and art talk, for now.  This blog is about baseball, damnit.  Eventually it will even be about all the amazing people here in Israel that make playing baseball in a non-baseball playing country possible, but for now, and this is the danger of blogging, it is about me.

Each morning, I wake up, and go for coffee here…

my cafe

the cafe

When I need food, I go here.

the store

the store

I live here, for now.

home

home

This is my plate and glass and pot and pan and 2 cups.

IMG_0201

We had a meeting last night.  There is a lot to do.  Practice tonight with the Juniors. People to meet.  Camps.  Games.  And I am focused on my divined duties as the sovereign ruler of the Kingdom of Jewish Baseball.  But I must tell you, Ladies and Geese, it can be lonely being a King of Jewish Baseball.  So, for now, and for always, you are my friend, and I am yours.  And this is life.

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