California, Part 1

Here I am, back home. It's weird and good and lots of things I can't put words to yet. I'll get more to that in a bit, but first let's talk about the journey.

As I was driving around Jerusalem in the monit sherut before heading to the airport, I realized that Jerusalem has become home. I have achieved that feeling that I was looking for when I first moved here, where the streets are familiar, I know my regular stores and the shuk; I am comfortable here. I am one of them - I am a Jerusalemite. This is home. Not necessarily the forever kind, but home nonetheless, for however long it may be. My friends, family, the language and the culture - they are all a part of me.

on the plane:
Is anyone truly aware of how long 12.5 hours is? And then another 5 or 6 hours more on top of that? Think about it. If you had nothing but a little cramped chair, a couple of books, and a bunch of strangers all crowded around you - those hours seem to last exponentially longer than normal time. Every time I thought that maybe we were almost there, I was told there were still hours and hours. I was going to jump out of my skin.

Not to say that the flight to Toronto was uneventful - So I'm on the plane, right, and these men in front of me have been drinking steadily ("More Canadian beer?") since they came by with the first round of drinks. They are Israeli, Mizrachim (Jews of Middle Eastern/North African decent - basically, it means they look Middle Eastern). Classic good ol' boy Israeli manly men.

Ok actually first of all, in the middle of the flight, they make an announcement over the loudspeaker that someone was found smoking in the bathroom, and not to smoke because it is forbidden and you will be arrested when the plane lands. Um. WHO DOES THAT??? Smoking on airplanes has been illegal for like 20 years. And especially in this hyper-hysterical post-9/11 terrorism-phobic-maniacal world we live in today???

Back to the men sitting in front of me - apparently they know the guy, because he comes to talk to them and is all worried that he'll go to jail or get kicked out of Canada or something. What an idiot. As far as I'm concerned, he deserves whatever he gets. Anyhow, these men, being Israeli good ol' boys - one of them stops a passing flight attendant to tell him that his friend is really sorry, take it easy on him, he didn't mean it, etc. I wanted to tell them that this kind of thing doesn't work outside of Israel, the whole macho-macho-protexia I'll put in a good word for you deal. We're talking about Canadians. And flying, which everyone has an extra-big stick up their ass about.

Plus the beer had got them all sociable, and so it went. I guess the flight attendants might have asked them to tone it down, but I didn't see it. All of a sudden the flight attendants are all annoyed, which makes these men belligerent, and then they start yelling at the young woman and old man in the row in front of them, who I guess were the ones complaining. The chick, also being Israeli, starts yelling back, then calls for the flight attendants when the men start to get in her face. The flight attendant comes and starts yelling at the men to take their seats and be quiet, and then threatening arrest and jail when they continue to argue ("You! 16 days! You - 16 days!" It was kind of comical trying to see a weeny Canadian trying to take on these guys, really). It was all very dramatic though.

You won't believe it, but even after all this, the guys were trying to put in a good word for their smoking friend. Really. thought it might actually do him more harm than good to be associated with those guys, but whatever. In the end, the guy apologized so much that the flight attendant talked to the pilot and reported that the guy wouldn't be arrested when the plane landed.

When the plane got into Toronto, I ate something (the meals on the plane were inedible), and the 12.5 hours caught up with me. I don't even have anything to say about the rest of the trip, because my mind was incapable of processing anything. All I know is that I made it to San Francisco.

I have been back for a little over a day now. I have talked to a few friends and family, but so far I have only really spent time with my mom. It is so good to see her, I can't even express it. And the thing is that we're talking almost exclusively in Hebrew! I'm finding that I want it that way, maybe to keep the connection, but also because those are the words that are coming to me when I want to express myself. It's funny because sometimes I have to stop and change gears totally when I want to talk to like a waiter or someone in the store or something. I'm not used to everyone going on in English! I'm feeling more Israeli than I feel in Israel, but I guess that makes sense, because I'm more American than the people there. I'm definitely different from when I left (in a good way, I think). It's good to be here and I miss Israel and Jerusalem and my friends and I can't wait to see everyone else I know and love here. It's all a bit confusing and complicated, but I guess that's the life of a bi-continental existence, and I'm just starting to experience it. Dang I picked a hard road. Typical. I wouldn't want it any other way!