‘High rising bullet ridden walls, sky seasoned with black smoke, a street left in ruin.’ That was not how the story started but where I chose to. This is what has become of a once beautiful city of Homs, somewhere in the Middle East. I have learnt to skip the first few pages or chapters … Continued
On the one hand, all I need to do is let myself go. On the other hand, I’m 900 feet over the forest floor. “Ready?” the tour guide asks. I hesitate. “Maybe?” I say. The guide sighs. He watches tourists go zip lining in Toro Verde Adventure Park all day, so he doesn’t think flying … Continued
Walking Krisha Home from School I walk home with Krisha from our preschool in rural India. She does not hold my hand because her 3 year old feet are more sure on the rocks than mine. It is noon – the hottest part of another hot day. I pull my Dupatta over my … Continued
The Island Owner`s Influence in Grenada I am a brave person . I live my life exactly how I want to live it. Recently I took a chance to work abroad for a few years which gave me an enormous experience. I also went on around the world trip for 3 weeks, and learnt a … Continued
O sole mio, Italy We were married in Naples in the sixties, practically penniless and with no plastic or other financial safeguards. In the seven weeks of paperwork before we foreigners could get legally wed Patti au-paired with the rich Buonomo family while I stayed in the youth hostel on 200 lira a day, … Continued
“Welcome to your homeland!” Our Birthright tour guide Zvi exclaimed to my group of 40 other international Jews upon our disembarkation in Israel. We were among the few who didn’t cancel their trip during this particularly volatile time. Hamas was firing a steady barrage of rockets, most of which were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome … Continued
I sat on the beach over a coconut that I’d just broken open. I’d never opened a coconut without a hammer or another tool. There was no hammer here at Secret Beach where I’d run away to be alone. I didn’t expect to find a coconut. I didn’t know what I’d expected to find on … Continued
With my eyes half open and my brain not quite alert I clumsily feel around my bed for the ringing phone. I find a fork, a plate, a whole bunch of crumbs, a dog toy and a computer before I locate the source of the noise. Ah, the life of a single girl. I squint … Continued
Concave apricot slices are belly up towards the desert sky, their wet insides unaware of the drought to come. In three days time, they’ll shrivel to brown. Lulu and I have just finished spreading hundreds of these slices on four white tables, singing Hebrew nursery rhymes all the while, laughing as I echoed her words. … Continued
As the car turns left from some joint in the Tabanan Regency of Bali, we get a feeling of entering a best-kept secret land which is actually not that far away. A Balinese village atmosphere beams right in front of us. The temporary stupas in front of the temples stand tall and elongated made of … Continued