Water Proof Cameras aren't Kosher - Luke T. Martin

Tel-Aviv Beach

Drummers Beach - Tel-Aviv

Oh what a beautiful day in Tel-Aviv!

After some unfortunate and unlucky streak of events: (Favorite Olympus underwater camera broken (in the water), a lost wallet, a handful of shattered and spilled glasses, a bruised rib.. an unfortunate incident that involved me running into a handle bar HARD on our bus back from the Dead Sea yesterday (Post on Dead Sea & Ein Gedi soon to come.) This of course enabled me the privilege of spending my Friday evening with a bag full of frozen broccoli from the shuk pressed against my bruised abdomen. I can continue on but I prefer the negative energy STOP here. I woke up this morning and my only two thoughts were 1: “Thank you pain killers! And... 2: My luck will all change today! No matter what!”

What better way to start a sunny day in Tel-Aviv than by grabbing a surfboard and trying out my very own backyard waves at Drummer Beach. It’s been a good few months since I’ve been on a board but no matter where I am in the world or what body of water I’m in for that matter; the ocean cures all, especially when my little body is in it. Indeed it did!

After some fun surf with one of my Oranim peers (Thanks Idan!) and of a few 4”5 ocean predators yelling at us to stop trying to catch ‘their’ waves... as well as offering me some tips (I still haven’t figure out if I should love them or hate them) we left the waves and basked in the sun for a bit with our fellow beach bum peers.

Later, I strolled around by my lonesome and girlfriends camera (with a huge grin of course) and enjoyed Israel’s overall amazing energy that buzzes through the streets on Shabbat. Nobody works; it is literally a day of rest. I enjoyed a glass of wine on my girlfriend Jackies' terrace (whom I met on birthright a few years ago (another program to get us youngsters to appreciate the perfectness of Israel) and who coincidentally just moved in to an adorable flat just a few blocks from me.

Jackie's Tel-Aviv Terrace

Later I went to the market to buy some dinner.

A quick story for those whose attention span is till with me.

I stood in line with my beached-curled hair, shorts and sweater, starring awkwardly at the fresh chicken breast that I ordered from the butcher, when an old man behind me in line blurted, “Hey how are you going to cook that?” (When does a stranger ask that while shopping?) I looked at him with a smile and answered in my best Hebrew possible “Well I'm going to put it on my pan and grill it,” so he tells me with his elderly charm to go make the butcher chop it up because it’s so much easier and tastier that way. So I did... and in the meantime made friends with Amnon the butcher.

As I made my way back to the counter Amnon ran up, stopped the line and told the clerk to make sure to give me a nice discount, which, she did! This never happens in San Diego at a Vons or Ralphs! I mean, I know that’s not sooo amazing but when you’re having an unlucky streak these little bits of thoughtfulness really add up. I walked out of “Tiv-Tam in the City” (the overpriced supermarket, just because it’s in Tel-Aviv) with a cheesy grin and skip in my step. I Ended up with an amazing dinner of chopped grilled chicken, broccoli and fresh veggies... and a glass of red wine YUM.

That’s all for now.

Ill leave you with a quote I find beautiful by Henry David Thoreau

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see”