Unpacked: A Walker Returns Home

We woke up this morning to a Jerusalem covered in snow.

Because it is so rare, snow in Israel becomes sort of an impromptu holiday. Nothing- literally nothing is open. The country is shut down in the name of going out to play. The mayor of Jerusalem hosts a snowman building competition. I heard a lady wish her friend “Chag Hasheleg Sameach!” which means, “Happy Snow Holiday!”

In honor of the Snow Holiday, Chana and I went to our friends Udi and Shira for a pancake breakfast.

I want to put that into perspective: Jerusalem. Snow. Pancakes. Three true windows into spiritual realms, together at once. Talk about a holy trinity. (more…)

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I was in a store this morning buying some coffee. I love coffee, but am on a spouse-imposed quota of two coffee days per week. So whenever I have one of my two coffee-days I get a youthful excitement about me, and just know that good things are bound to happen.

So while waiting at the register for my coffee to be ground, I was already expecting some sort of sappy inspiration to occur. And sure enough, there it was: As I was waiting, the song “With or Without You” by U2 came on the cafe’s radio. I am not the biggest U2 person, but somehow the song hit me in the way that songs do, and a joyful glee came over me.

There are some things in the world that I think were put here so us humans can have it a little easier. It’s like a Divine Whisper saying “I know that being a person is a hard, long haul. So I’m gonna place some sparks of heaven into the world, just so that your body and soul can keep trucking along.” (more…)

A city can be defined as a big mush of human development. I spend a good deal of time grumbling about things unfortunate in that mush. But the truth is that humans are super cool and super smart and super fascinating and big mushes of human development produce some great things.

Take Free Range Studios, for example.

Free Range makes movies, art, and other productions dealing with social consciousness and making the world better. They package content that is novel and thought-provoking in a friendly, digestible fashion. “Creativity with a conscience,” they call themselves.

I chanced upon Free Range by watching their most popular short movie of last year, Story of Stuff. They’ve made movies critiquing the meat industry, artistic campaigns for freeing Tibet, and scores of other good-for-the-world projects.

My favorite thing about Free Range is that despite doing good, they are not a non-profit. (more…)

To my dear Kitchen Knife, and to your colleagues in the stuff community that makes up my material possessions:

I apologize for not finding value in you, and for not utilizing all of your potential before going out to buy new and “improved” versions of you. I am sorry that I always feel like I need more stuff, when so much of the stuff that I already have is really good enough.

Kitchen Knife, while I will continue to use my grippy vegetable knife more than you, I very much appreciate your sharing your story, and will remember it when dealing with stuff in the future. I believe you to be a courageous ambassador for stuff worldwide, and bless you with a restful future in your drawer, where you can lie peacefully and proudly till the end of your days.
I thank you,

Yannai

(To read the Kitchen Knife’s Story, click here)

To all of my readers: In honor of my kitchen knife, and in the name of all the wasted stuff out there, I’d like you to do something. I think this can be very powerful:

Please think of something- some stuff that you own, but don’t really use, and issue it an apology, in the form of a comment on this page, similar to the above apology to my kitchen knife. You can apologize to a shirt, a pair of shoes, a pot, a shelf, a CD, a humidifier, an old baseball glove or whatever else.

Imagine a page full of apologies from humans to stuff, committing to a more efficient and responsible usage of stuff in the future. The kitchen knife and all his friends will be so proud!

I am a kitchen knife. Not a butter knife, a chopping knife, or any special sort of knife. I’m just a knife. My only defining characteristic is my neon green handle. I am a kitchen knife, and this is my story.

I was born in China, manufactured together with thousands of other knives identical to myself. Five years ago, I made the trip from China to Israel, together with scores of cutlery and other kitchenware colleagues. The journey was bumpy and dark- I spent it locked in a wooden crate- but I passed the time by dreaming of a new future in a foreign land cutting foreign foods.

My serrated blade is of the finest stainless steal. My handle, like I said, is plastic- not rubber or some ergonomic material like fancier knives. But to date, I’ve never slipped or been dropped, and I have never cut the person holding me and cutting with me. I cut well, and serve those who request my assistance.

After just a few months on a shelf in a Jerusalem market, I was purchased by Yannai and Chana. (more…)

I went jogging in the rain today.

It was a refreshing jog, much overdue after quite a long time without exercise.

A point about jogging:
When I was a teenager, I went on a few jogs with my dad. He has run marathons before, and gets a lot of satisfaction out of jogging. I never really got it. I grew up playing fast-paced sports- hockey, football, etc. Jogging was slow. It was, how do I say…boring.

That was a number of years ago. Now, my only issue with jogging is that it is too fast. (more…)

I’m yet to get a bike- it’s at the top of my to do’s that never get done. But now I can still ride my way around, at least in Tel Aviv.

What do I mean??

New to Israel: Around the city bike rentals. Thousands of bicycles are for rent in Tel Aviv- scattered around the city in lots 500 meters from each other. You can take the train from wherever, get off, find a bike, and ride the rest of the way to work. Pretty darned cool if you ask me.

Click here to read more, complements of Haaretz newspaper.

Tomorrow on Unpacked, I’ll continue of Walking through Challenges of the City- Hope to see you there.

Also- your comments have been great. Thanks! If you have any advice on walking through the city, hearing the music of the noise, or just want to say hello and talk about your travels to and from home- let us all know. We’d love to hear from you.

For now, enjoy the day- enjoy the ride!

Till tomorrow,

Yannai

There is a Jewish tradition that God created the world with ten sentences.

Imagine that. Ten sentences, an entire world.

Those of you who are skilled in both math and linguistics, might have noticed that I am already in my fourth sentence. I do believe that I have created in you the sense of “where is this going?”- but compared with God’s first four sentences, in which He created light and dark, heaven and earth and probably more, I’m feeling pretty lame.

Now granted, God has the whole All-powerful thing going for Him. I gather that that’s a handy attribute when it comes to creating. So I don’t feel that bad that God is a better creator than I am.

But Jewish tradition also maintains that humans can, and are supposed to imitate God. And perhaps the most Godly of our human capabilities is speech. When we speak, our words create, too. (more…)

I would like to tell you of the tea that steeps peacefully before me. Like most things of apparent insignificance, this tea contains within it depth beyond measure.

The tea, a Tazo tea called “Om,” is a blend of green and black teas, imbued, according to Tazo, with the “spirit and taste of the high Himalayas.” I am not familiar with the spirit and taste of the high Himalayas, but I can recommend it with a touch of lemon and honey.

The tea’s paper encasing explains the name, Om, with the following: “The word Om is frequently seen on prayer wheels, stones and flags as you walk through the Himalayas. To merely say it releases a vibration of peace. Imagine what happens when you drink it.”

Let us leave Om for just a moment.

For six months, Chana and I walked. As our walk unfolded, so did the following understanding between us: If I don’t feel like speaking right now, I won’t. If you don’t feel like speaking right now, I won’t pressure you. The result was twofold:

1-Comfortable Silence: We could comfortably absorb our surroundings, relive a conversation in our heads, contemplate something, not think about anything and/or simply enjoy silence for the sake of silence.

2-Real Conversation: Because we didn’t feel compelled to speak, we had real conversations. We spoke lightly and we spoke intensely. But no matter what the conversation, we were fully committed. (more…)