Something everybody should know

There is nothing like it, even when I introduce non-Africans to the concept of BILTONG they are blown away. Beef Jerky is the closest (yet furthest) thing you get to it, but still there is nothing like it.

So something everbody should know, how to make biltong :
(Unfortunately I cannot take credit for this it is from the this biltong website)

Ingredients: Top Sirloin Butt Salt Peter Apple Cider Vinegar / or Safari Vinegar Brown Sugar Worstershire Sauce Coriander (Scorched) Seasoning to taste Biltong Box

The following recipe is for curing approximately 10 pounds of beef. Do not use any metal during the initial curing of the meat as the salt will react with the metal leaving a bad taste. Use plastic, glass or earthenware containers. Assemble all necessary ingredients before starting.

Step One

Scorch the coriander:
Heat a large iron skillet to a medium heat and add 1 1/2 cups of coriander. Stir and mash the seeds with a potato masher until seeds are brown.

Take off heat then place coriander in a cloth and use rolling pin to crush the seeds further. Or use a mortar and pestle

Step two: Use a 10 pound piece of Top Sirloin Butt. Wash meat and Remove excess fat, sinew and connective material

Step Three: Cut sirloin with the grain into 10 inch strips that are around 1/2 to 1 inch thick

Step Four: Spray strips of meat using a mister/plastic spray bottle that is filled with solution of pure apple cider vinegar mixed in with a shot of Worstershire sauce (say 1 teaspoon per 2cups) . Make sure to completely cover all the meat surfaces. Squeeze meat to remove excess vinegar.

Step Five: Immediately following the misting of meat roll the strip into the Biltong curing dry spices. Make sure you cover meat completely

Curing dry spices

2 Cups of brown sugar (Well broken up)

2 Cups of Rock Salt (Kosher)

3 Teaspoons Salt Peter

4 Teaspoons of Baking Soda

1/2 of the scorched coriander (Husks and all)

Step 6: Let meat sit and "cure" for 5-7 hours in the refrigerator. The timing is variable based on size of strips and amount of salting material. During this period the meat will draw in the spices and vinegar. Put meat strips in a large bowl and make sure that you have something in the bottom so the meat will not sit in the extra blood. I use a colander inside a bowl or a plastic Tupperware cover. I also remove the colander to pout out the drained blood a couple of times in the first 15 minutes or so.

Step 7 Heat up your tap water as hot as it will get. Fill another large bowl with this hot tap water and add approximately (works for the size of bowl I have) one cup of apple cider.

Step 8: Immediately take a strip the meat and plunge into the hot vinegar solution. Wash off all the salt and spices and then squeeze meat to dry - remove as much of the cleaning solution as possible. Once the rinse becomes to dirty to use make up a new batch. (2-3) batches per 10 pounds. After rinsing spray the meat once more with a 100% vinegar spray. Leave the meet on a paper towel to soak up the extra liquid.

Step 9: Add any seasoning spices you may choose. Keep in mind that you do not want to overpower the taste of the meat. This is a matter of personal taste here is what I use: I make a mixture up that contains the rest of the coriander passed through a sieve to keep most of the husks out. To this freshly scorched coriander powder add Garlic flakes, Ground Black Pepper, Cavender's Greek Spice, Peri-Peri. I kind of guess at proportions. The Coriander powder and Pepper making up the bulk. I put this into a shaker and lightly apply. If I run out I do a few with just pepper. Step 10

Insert untwisted paper clip to hang meat. Hang meat in biltong box. Make sure each bit hangs free and does not touch the side or any other piece if they are touching mold will follow soon.

Making the Biltong Box;

I made this one out of plywood. Cut holes in the bottom where the lamp is and at the top to help air flow. These holes I double covered with a plastic screen to keep out insects. I put doweling in at the top to hand the biltong on. I put a removable shelf in to protect the lamp. Dimensions 27 x 17 inches. Shelf is 8 1/2 inches from bottom. I live in the humid south so in summer I need to keep a open bowl of baking soda to help keep the box dry. I use a 75 watt bulb. Cost of plywood and other hardware around 40$. My brother in law has a similar one with a fan in the bottom.

Step 11

Wait 3-7 days

When the biltong is dry cut up and eat.

Smaller bits take less time than the larger thicker ones. If unsure cut one up and check.

Storage: Keep biltong in brown paper bags in fridge or store whole or cut up in plastic bags in freezer.

So that is my view from on top of the world where I miss good biltong.

הבלוג הראשון שלי בעברית

"?אחד מהחברים מדרום אפריקה שאל אותי אחרי שהוא קרא את הבלוג: "דובי, אבל למה זה לא בעברית

אז חשבתי לכתוב פוסט בעברית, אבל האמת היא שאני עדיין כותב, חושב ומדבר באנגלית. זו שפת אמי.

חוץ מזה כל הקוראים של הבלוג המפורסם אינם מדברים עברית.

אף אל פי כן, החבר צודק, אם אני חי פה אז אני צריך להשתמש בשפה של הארץ.

או-קיי, אז מה לכתוב בעברית? המחשבות הראשונות שלי היו, שיהיה משהו קל ופשוט, אז אתאר יום רגיל בחיי כאן. מה, יש יום רגיל פה בארץ???? או שרק אמרתי שהחיים שלי פה קלים ופשוטים? לא התכוונתי לכך - סתם, בוא נתחיל.

שבועיים בחודש אני כותב תקציר על החדשות בארץ בשביל חברת תחקיר בלונדון. לכן אני קם מוקדם בבוקר וקורא את העיתונים הישראלים והבריטים וכותב את תיאורם על המצב פה ובמזרח התיכון.

לאחר מכן אני הולך למשרד יחסי ציבור ותקשורת אסטרטגית. שם אני עובד ביחידה הטכנולוגית, מעבד את מערבת המידע של הלקוחות, ואת האתרים, כמוכן אני נותן פתרונות טכנלוגיים שיכולים לעזור ללקוחות.

זו העבודה אבל בנוסף לכך, אני גר בעיר נפלאה: תל אביב.

הם אומרים שכמו נוי יורק, תל אביב היא העיר שאינה ישנה. תמיד מוצאים אנשים בברים ובבתי קפה עד השעות הקטנות (אני תמיד חושב לעצמי במה הם עובדים ואיך הם מסוגלים לקום בבוקר) והכול קרוב וקיימת תחושה של עיר אינטימית.

בקיצור, זהו יום נורמלי בחיי כאן בארץ לא כל כך נורמלית

"Nothing Much"

So the average conversation goes like this, "What you been up to? Nothing much."
Do people really mean that, surely you have been up to a lot and keeping busy and interested in life or are people stuck in a same mundane routine that nothing new occurs or "nothing much" happens.

So I decided to look back on the highlights and points of interest for me of my last week where "nothing much" happened (Chronological order of how they happened):

World AIDS Day

Being from South Africa this day is having more and more significance, due to a country with a ridiculous high infection rate and terrible government policies to try sustain the problem. The international press did cover the day a bit and I picked up on an interesting interview of Zackie Achmat (South African AIDS activist) in the Independent. Zackie is a very interesting and inspiring person and I am proud to say that my friends back in South Africa work closely with him and the work that he does. On local issues here, Israel's AIDS cases consist of 5,130 HIV-infected people of whom 384 a AIDS patients. In 2005, 26 people died as a result of AIDS in Israel, and 350 new cases of HIV infection were discovered. It is a ten percent increase. Nothing in comparison to the South African epidemic but yet still something to be aware of and educate about. Marking the World AIDS day the health ministry had free AIDS tests around Tel Aviv and the university. It is interesting to note that Palestinians HIV statistics are pretty much unknown. In a simple form of utilising technology, I was reading an Israeli paper there was an advert that said sms this number (3300) with the number 10 to donate ten shekels to the Israel Aids Task Force. I obligingly did.


Innercity traffic - Tel Aviv is a great city but not so well designed and overcrowded in terms of traffic and automobiles. The favourite trick here is to rip up the roads a bit lay down some pipes and put the road back. So nothing really changes to the human eye but large sections of roads are often just closed. So I took my car on Thursday night just to the outer suburb of Tel Aviv called Givatayim, for a game of evening doubles in tennis. It took me just to get out of the city centre about 40 minutes (no more than one kilometre), I was stuck in the centre no matter which way I took I could not get out and then finally out of the centre it took me 5 minutes to get to the tennis courts which are normally about 15 minutes away. Highly frustrating!

Evening game of doubles - The previous paragraph gave this one away, but I occasionally play tennis, and last week was the first ever game of doubles I have played in Israel. Amazing...

Abu Shukri Humus in Abu Gosh on Friday: I went on an outing with some friends to the "so called" best humus in Israel in the Arab village of Abu Ghosh just outside Jerusalem. Now everyone has their humus favourite but Abu Shukri is always in the top three. The famous story of Abu Shukri is his fallout with his partner who opened up "Abu Shukri Number One Original" right opposite the first one. The legend and story goes that they stand outside and shout at each other while also shouting at customers to come into their store. Needless to say both hummusiot (houses of humus) were fairly busy and I being a traditionalist stuck to the original one.

Borat movie - I went to see the much spoken about Borat movie with actor who is Ali G impersonator, Sacha Baron Cohen. A surreal experience watching in Israel when Borat who is a Kazakhstani news journalist is actually speaking Hebrew when he is supposed to speak Kazak. A really humourous, scary look at society and its deep down secrets. The method he used of a fictional story line using reality clips and some set up scenes made it all the more memorable yet uncomfortable to watch at times with the awkward moments.

That is my view on top of the world from the week where "nothing much" happened!

Open Source Beauty

I am slowly exploring and discovering the beauty of open source software.
I have known about it for a while and it has certainly existed for a long time. But slowly, slowly I have decided to make the transformation.

Now let me explain, Open source allows the end user to see and change the source. So in computers for example Microsoft products are closed source and therefore you cannot see how the products are made and cannot alter them. While Linux (the penguin on the right is the symbol of Linux the open source operating system) is an operating system which is open and developers have developed and programmed into a powerful strong system. The beauty of the whole open source community is that it is for free, people contribute to the existing and the end of the day with some synergy a powerful end product is available and is continued to be developed. More appropriately, "Open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials typically, their source code. Some consider it as a philosophy, and others consider it as a pragmatic methodology. Before open source became widely adopted, developers and producers used a variety of phrases to describe the concept; the term open source gained popularity with the rise of the Internet and its enabling of diverse production models, communication paths, and interactive communities." (Thanks to Wikipedia an great example of the power open source.)

So I am frustrated with Microsoft's manipulation to use their software and pure frustration of crashing computers the whole time (Linux hardly ever crashes) and hence I have started to move over to using Linux and learning the new methods and ways to compute. My view from on top of this world, is that open source is the method and way for software in the future and is definitely going to help the impoverished (see the one laptop per child initiative which without a doubt will use open source software) and create a fair equal playing ground for technology and knowledge to develop

Sometimes things just catch your eye and you want to share it

9 Sept - Picture taking in Jerusalem the day before the much protested against (by the ultra orthodox community) Gay Pride Parade which took place in the capital.
It reads "Love thy neighbour" and was taken by up and coming photographer Danni Hasson.

makepovertyhistory.org vs climatecrisis.net

Saving the Planet vs Saving the life?

Another debate which entered into my mind sometime last week before all this week's action in the news (US elections & Gaza disasters) is the new Al Gore documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" and campaign for climate control.

Now I am more of a fan of the Make Poverty History campagin, drop African debt campaign and AIDS awareness, Live 8 etc and the battles of One,DATA,Make Poverty History.

Now when the question is posed to someone whats our choice between these two, the immediate answer is that they are not mutually exclusive. No question that both these are two of the main world wide causes that need to be dealt with, but is more focus going to be put on the environment than a human life. It also deals with the unknown, meaning the privileged masses who get exposed to these campaigns have no clue of the problems in the burning continent of Africa, yet in a way they can more relate to the environmental crisis that most of their countries are causing.

Overall, the underlying similarity is man's greed to undermine the real problems faced with in the world: life and environment. My view from on top of this world is that the cause of the world's campaign needs to focus on the human beings, the Africans, that are suffering in this world.

4 November

So the 4 of November is a memorable date for most Israelis, the day the Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin was assassinated after attending a massive peace rally in the centre of Tel Aviv (1995).

So 11 years later and every year since a ceremony and remembrance is held. I live literally two minute walk from the Rabin Square. As I strolled down (like I have done for the last 3 occasions I have been here), one tends to think of the meaning, purpose and ideas of why you go to this event.

To my surprise, the masses still showed up in their thousands, close to a 100 thousand, with the left wing political parties flying their banners and the blue collared labour left wing youth movements bringing their troops along. The ceremonies are pretty similar, the top Israeli artist donate their time to sing old classic Israeli songs, a few poems, family speakers and a key note speech. The idea was not to make it a political event, hence no politicians, although the political messages were obviously there. World renowned author and left wing peace activist David Grossman (who also recently lost his son, Uri, in the Lebanon 2 war) delivered a poetic, passionate and strong speech that attacked the Israeli leadership. I recommend the read. Although the papers afterwards were noting that Grossman's views have always been further left than Rabin in his time. Then there is the traditional Aviv Gefen (rock singer) ending with the unofficial anthem since Rabin's assasination of "Livkot Lecha".

So the thoughts flow through the mind, of who this person was, whats his legacy what has changed in eleven years, why are there not other leaders like him around. Rabin was special because he had reached the highest level of the army, he fought the fight and saw that this type of way cannot be sustainable or healthy for a nation, so he turned towards doves and olive branches and was that Israeli person that Israelis identified with, and he acted on what he said or made attempts to. Today the politicians are throwing out big statements that hit the front pages of talking with Syria and LEbanon, but you see nothing of it, why not present some strategy or plan, present it to the public so the nation actually knows what the leaders are trying to do. The country runs on a managing crisis's basis and putting out the next fires, while politicians try hold onto their political careers and lash out extreme statements which seems to promote them.

This post could go on forever, they are number of variables that fall into the equation of what has happened in the last 11 years, but in my view from on top of this world there has been little progress in this country's attempts to make peace since the assassination of its prime minister.

Crembo and Coobe - Winter arrives

I guess its my third winter here in Israel and it still surprises me when it rains. I could swear that the good Jewish education of mine taught me about the water crisis in Israel and how it is the desert and it never rains. Guess what, it's raining and it's raining hard with thunder and lightening here in Tel Aviv as I type this and the winter is colder than in Cape Town. Over here, it does not really drizzle, it just shoots down fat drops of water hard stopping and starting. There are not many drain experts here, when it rains things just flood. It will probably be hot tomorrow.

What makes it winter here:

1stly: socks and shoes, last week was the first time a few months that I put on socks and shoes. It is a strange feeling, and it takes one so long to get dressed now in the mornings.

Aside from that all the ice coffee and fresh fruit shops start selling soups and my two personal favourites spaza shops start selling Crembo and little neighbourhood spaza stores sell Coobe soup.

2ndly: Crembo, you know winter has arrived when shops start stocking Crembo because it would simply melt in the summer and would not last a second. Its like a Sweetie Pie which is a wafer at the bottom, sugary cream (see picture) on the inside and chooclate coating on the outside. THere is a whoel philosophy over how one eats the crembo - bite it, eat the chocolate first, wafer first then lick the cream? It facinates me how it is a product that can only run in the winter.

3rdly: Coobe - The corner spaza shops sometimes have different dishes on the weekends, orginally I thought who can eat a meal from a corner store? but soon I discovered that the winter special is a home cooked soup with coobe (pastry with meat inside) served with rice. Coming home on the weekend after a late night out in the cold winter, nothing goes down better than a good portion of coobe from the local corner cafe (or pitzutzia as they call it here).

So winter has arrived, and that's my view on top of this rainy world tonight in Tel Aviv.

The Reporter Is Real, but the World He Covers Isn’t

See also economist article: Living in a Second Life

October 16, 2006

NEW YORK TIMES By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN

In preparing to open a Reuters bureau on a bustling island, Adam Pasick has been introducing himself to residents and interviewing entrepreneurs. After finishing such interviews, Mr. Pasick often levitates for a moment, then flies over buildings.

Mr. Pasick, a Reuters technology reporter who was formerly earthbound with the news agency, is heading up Reuters’ first virtual news bureau inside the online role-playing game Second Life. While many independent journalists and bloggers have published inside such virtual worlds, Reuters is the first established news agency to dispatch a full-time reporter to do so.

Created by Linden Labs of San Francisco, Second Life is a realistic world where avatars — animated representations — for its more than 850,000 players interact. Avatars buy islands on which to build homes or businesses, and sell one another everything from homes designed by Adobe Photoshop to virtual sneakers. The currency is Linden dollars; $1 buys 280 of them. In September, user-to-user transactions totaled $7.1 million.

“The fact that it’s in a virtual world doesn’t change things as much as you’d think,” said Mr. Pasick, 30, a Michigan native based in London. “It’s not any different than when Reuters opens up a bureau in a part of the world that has a fast-growing economy that we weren’t in before. The laws of supply and demand hold true, it has a currency exchange, people open businesses and get paid for goods and services.”

Mr. Pasick’s avatar, Adam Reuters, was modeled after the reporter, and sports a press pass so others know he buys his pixels by the barrel. He will set up shop in a virtual building made to look like a hybrid of Reuters’ London and Times Square buildings.

While players who drop in (flying is one of only a few superhuman aspects of Second Life) can access Reuters news from the real world, the articles Mr. Pasick files will be strictly about — and addressed to — Second World players. One of his first examines Second Life’s biggest lender, who charges 40 percent annual interest. His dispatches will be posted at secondlife.reuters.com.

“I’ve been playing in Second Life since it was a relatively small community,” said Thomas H. Glocer, Reuters’ chief executive. Mr. Glocer allowed that some might question the wisdom of parachuting the legendary 155-year-old news agency into such a geekfest.

“This is a very serious, old brand that stands for things and has principles, but that doesn’t take itself so seriously that it wouldn’t play in a gaming space,” Mr. Glocer said. “This appeals to a younger demographic. Even for people who don’t go in and play in Second Life, it shows Reuters has a certain with-it-ness.”

Edward Castronova, author of “Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games,” said it made sense for Reuters to hang a shingle in Second Life. “It’s an easy way for a blue-chip, traditional organization to get virtual world credibility,” he said.

Reuters would get more exposure in the most popular online fantasy game, World of Warcraft, which has more than seven million subscribers, but that game’s players are decidedly less civilized. “It would be more fun, but Reuters would be more likely to end up in a dragon’s belly,” Mr. Castronova said. ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN

Pricilia - Queen of the Middle Eastern Desert

Dynamite comes in small packages, the shining gun metal silver of her sleek design. The way she moves in and out of those traffic lanes among the wildest drivers in the world. The roar she makes as she manoeuvers those hills towards Jerusalem. Her patience when we drive around the neighbourhood looking for that open oasis space called a parking in Tel Aviv is uncanny. And her sheer beauty and she just sits in her parking space checking out the scene in the city.

Ladies and Gentleman as well as all my blog readers presenting to you Pricilia - Queen of the Desert -my little Fiat Punto - 1100.

Frantic Spontaneousness

Its not often you get 15 emails in one day from the same people, it all started from one of those group emails of remind you when nostalgia so the email reminding you about the eighties, for our generation when we were kids. You know when MC hammer dressed stylishly

and LA gear clothing was cool:

Then suddenly a frantic spontaneous thread list of our own memories was created by friends sending each other emails, here is what came out of it. Can you remember these? some of them have universal appeal others are classic South African products from our childhood:

The Voice of the Lion Lager advert; Zet; Liqui Fruit Banana Juice; Colin " Keep em Peeled " Fluxman from Police Files; Adrian Steed; Mina Moo and Kiem; Murder She Wrote; The Gods Must Be Crazy; Zandberg Jansen The deaf rugby analyst; Miss SA-it used to be big then; Heidi; Volkskas; Saambou; B+H Cricket; Camel adverts; Air Wolf;A Team; Monster Lace Ties; Lucky Packets; pink sweet bracelets;Mikes Kitchen; MC HAMMER; DALLAS; NIGHT RIDER; ATARI; GOOD MORNING SOUTH AFRICA; FRUITY LOOPS; IT (MOVIE WITH KILLER CLOWN); STEVE GUTTENBERG; POLARIOD; OHLSONNS; COMMODORE 64; FRISBE; DUNCAN FERNLEY; DOS; Hulk Hogan; Granadilla lollies (with the black pips inside); 2c chappies; BMX; George Michaels ‘Faith’;Saucony shoes; Mia the Bee; KTV on Saturday morning; No Jacket Required; Miranda; Staying in the sun the WHOLE day and not getting burned; Boogie boards; Zinc suncream (Allan Donald); The ice bell; The milk man; Wielie Walie; WP vs Northern Transvaal classic matches; Andre Agassi's fashion; Fat Albert; Macguyver; reebok pumps; steo hair cuts; block brick hair cuts; Spies and Plessis-brill afrikaans comedy on friday nights amazing; vintage schuster-when he was brilliant; rof-stoei sa wrestling; sticky stretch hands; caps with radios on them; sandy bay; Nigger balls and liquorice; Benny Boekwulm; Station Wagons; Tapes; Beta; Jive Bunny and the Master Mixers; Thunder Cats; Masters of the Universe; rat sweets; mallow fish; rick astley; swart kat; trompie en die boksom bend; The Real Milli Vanilli…; Marbles….; Waist jackets at barmi’s….; Ice Ice Baby…..; Snow/Informer; Island Boy; Leisure Suit Larry; Marco Polo; Muizenberg; Peeshooters; Panini (the make of soccer cards); Chocolate chip yoghurt; Chicco the Clown ice cream (in the metal dish); Simchat Torah flags; Rhythm is a dancer;Morf; Alf; Salusa 45; Old Spice adverts-the music; Monster Munch; Longhorn; Bubble mate bubble bath; Aca Joe;Ghost Pops; Bright Red Tomato Sauce (the one that stains your fingers red); Sports Day; Brian McMillan’s chin; Girls Just Wanna Have Fun;Kreol chips- smelled like vis; Pumpkin Patch; Rainbow- chocolate milk; Sterie Stumpie chocolate milk; That other drink that had a built in straw on the side; LOVING; CONCORD; JACK LEMKUS;Scope; running man dance move;Ruffles Chips - Beef flavour, Woolworths Prawn chips, Ribena, Zola Bud, The creepy magic man at parties, Samantha Fox, Milk bottles with the metal cap

To those that contributed good effort you put a smile on my face from my view from on top of the world today!

One for the sports fans!

There is nothing more that bugs me now in sport is cliched commentary and post-game interviews by players who read from a script. Let me focus my example on the great 15-man game of sport called, rugby (union).

Now to most people rugby looks like a game depicted in this classic picture on the right. In fact:

Rugby is the hooligan sport, played by gentleman, while soccer is the gentleman's sport played by hooligans.

Let me focus on the post-match interview, with the players. We all know that rugby players are not the sharpest tools in the shed, and we are told how aside from all their physical training they also get media and psychological training for all the pressures they face. So this is basically what they are taught about media training. When you get interviewed say it was a tough game, thank the opposition and commend their players, be humble about your own play and give the credit to your team mates then thank the crowd and the sponsors, if you have some religious belief don't forget to look to the heavens and biet (prayer) to God. BORING!

I propose to spice it up a bit more, start blogging some real behind the scenes info what the team was doing before (and after) the game (Tennis is doing this well lately i have noticed see this blog), call the game how it is, criticise mistakes in the game, go against referee decisions. Come on spice it up a bit, now I am not saying over the top WWF Wrestling style but I am saying give it more intellectual, real, analysis and interest for the viewer and supporter, because in my view from on top of this world, post-match sports interviews are a total waste of time and full of cliched crap.

Aside from players interviews, commentators are also bad sometimes. Every South African knows the classic Trevor Quirk (or Jerk to many) opening line "It's a glorious day here at Newlands today. That is a splendid shot through the covers for four."

However commentators can be original and often humorous. Now without choosing all the classic commentary quote with sexual connatations were are some of the more "clean" ones with a biased side towards classic New Zealand wise cracks:

• "He scored that try after only 22 seconds - totally against the run of play." (New Zealand Commentator - Murray Mexted)
• "We actually got the winning try three minutes from the end but then they scored." (Phil Waugh - New South Wales Warratah)
• "I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body." (Jerry Collins - NZ All Black)
• "That kick was absolutely unique, except for the one before it which was identical." (Tony Brown - NZ All Black)
• "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father." (Tana Umaga)
• "Well, either side could win it, or it could be a draw."(Murray Mexted)
• Murray Deaker: "Have you ever thought of writing your autobiography?"Tana Umaga: "On what ?"
• "Well, either side could win it, or it could be a draw."(Murray Mexted)
• "Strangely, in slow motion replay, the ball seemed to hang in the air for even longer."(Murray Mexted)
  
• "Both teams are here to play rugby today" -(Murray Mexted)

To end of on a more personal note, with limited coverage of rugby on Israeli sports channels, especially Currie Cup (local provincial rugby), I some how landed up "watching" a Currie Cup 2005 final last year. The Blue Bulls vs the Freestate Cheetahs played at Loftus Versveld in Pretoria. Now the Bulls were the favourites and had won the last 3 titles. I mean that I was "watching" the game on a line by line (minute by minute) typed out commentary from a website. A revolutionary new form of supporting a sport, but hey I had no other option, so the Bulls were winning comfortable with about 20 minutes to go and the website it was Mark Keohane's rugby blog site www.keo.co.za my loyal friend and fanatical Cheetah's supporter (he was born in this region) Wayne, who was at the game for a confirmation. I received an ecstatic was automatically updating itself every few minutes, when suddenly I noticed a few words in CAPTIAL LETTERS and a few exclamation marks!!!!!!, what was happening a cheetahs turn around? I became glued to the one line text on my screen for 20 minutes pressing the refresh button frantically, to get an update, blistering my finger just to get the latest kicks and passes, and yes it happened a magical sporting moment the underdogs clawed back and took the lead and it was over they had won 29 - 25, I could not believe it I had "watched" it with the passion and excitement (and imagination) I had to verify that this actually happened I did not believe it and smsed my loyal and die hard Cheetah supporter Wayne who replied with seer esctasy saying "The greatest moment in my sporting life - and that is no hyperbole" I then knew what I had witnessed and experienced had been true and one of those magical sporting moments...

"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."

A quick post from the humorous side from on top of my world.

He is the king of one liners, a subtle dry monotonous voice for an hour or so just the person and a microphone and sentences no longer than twenty words and this is the act.

Nothing like a good standup comedy show, just one person and a microphone - simple.

It has been a while since I discovered him but I always find myself quoting one of the classics.

So here are a few of my favourites:

• I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
• I can levitate birds but nobody cares.
  
• When I die I am going to leave my body for science - fiction.
• Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
• Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.
• I bought some batteries, but they weren't included.
• I invented the cordless extension cord.
• I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
• I was reading the dictionary. I thought it was a poem about everything.
• I was walking down the street wearing glasses when the prescription ran out.
• I wrote a few children's books... not on purpose.
• Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, "Did you sleep good?" I said "No, I made a few mistakes.
• Is "tired old cliche" one?
• Was it somebody's cruel idea to put an "S" in the word "LISP" ?
• My watch is three hours fast, and I can't fix it. So I'm going to move to New York.

This is my dedication to Steven Wright - The king of one liners.

Let me know what you think.

5767...

It's Jewish new year time, yes the 5767th one and Shana Tova to everybody.

Was it a good year, meaningful, challenging, interesting?

Its a time for reflections, introspections, new years resolutions, looking back and planning ahead. But does that really happen, who actually set their new goals aims and plans for the year, everyone tries but does not really do it. Well thats how I feel about it at the moment. I tried a little bit but never quiet finished off the list.

It is still strange and taking a bit of adapting to the festivals while being in Israel, you defintely see and feel it but it is far from the traditional routinely upbringing I have had my whole life in a diaspora Jewish community and being with my family.

I went to a couple of friends (SA, US friends) we did the full blessings and even organised the chopped liver, gefilte fish (packaged) and made the briscuit and tzimis ourselves (like good ashkanezi Jewish boys). So the effort was there the good food (the most important part of any Jewish celebration) was present. It was delicious meal and the theme of the evening pulled back to the past of what traditions we and our family did on the festivals. That's one of the main things for the chagim (Jewish festivals): Family. Everyone seems to fly home if they can for the chaggim, make some sort of effort to connect or be with family and in most Tel Avivian cases either drive north out of the city to their families in the suburbs. It is amazing how empty the city gets, its beautiful, quiet and lots of parking.

The rest of the weekend was just spent lying around, reading the papers Rosh Hashana editions and eating lots and hanging out with friends, (and also getting hooked on the 24 mini-series). Nothing much more than that. Back to work tomorrow, (we got today-Sunday- off which is usually a work day) and the start of a whoel new fresh Jewish year in another 33 years time for the big 5800 are people going to be celebrating the rounded figure like the millenium parties?

POP QUIZ:

What was the big Israeli story of the year: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/SurveyHaaretzEn.jhtml

My vote went towards Sharon's stroke - definitely in my opinion a historical event (although every event could be argued to be a histroical one) it changed the playing fields and created the what if questions we asking now when looking back on what has happened the past year in which the new leadership handled the Israeli politics and conflicts.

Thats my festive view of the festivals from on top of the world.

Understanding the Psyche of this interesting place

The Middle Eastern region is by far different to the mannerisms and behaviour to the rest of the world which I and most of my blog readers are used to. The punctuality and etiquette of Europe and the political correctness and fake friendliness of the US cannot compare to the impatient, stress, cheek and behaviour of those in the region in which I live. Let me narrow it down to more of Israel than the region, although there are similar characteristics throughout the region, although I am more familiar with the ones just here.

The question is why are people acting like this? what does it come down to? what are the factors that make people behave like this? Is it rude in our eyes or just honest and confrontational? Are people here just telling it how it is being frank and upfront?

There is a definite attitude here of living life, to the fullest, as if it is your last. Coffee shops are always packed late at night, bars are full (I am always wondering when I am in a full bar at 2 in the morning what these people do the next day, do they just get up and go to work, work later hours? how do they function like this?), the smoking culture is plentiful, being in debt is the right way to financially plan and holidays are plentiful with lots of overseas travel.

Two things I guess first come to mind when looking at this behaviour on a simple level:

The situation of Israel, the stresses under security threat, terror, wars, cold relations with its neighbours.Surely a more founded education or focus on certain things could improve the situation. Smoking education around the world and restriction have made an impact. The school of thought is place a law and Israelis will still do what they want, eg smoking in malls etc...
Now the example which inspired this piece, came the other day I was driving (yes I bought a car, special blog post on this to follow shortly) back to my apartment and needed to look for a parking space. Now, anyone who has been to Tel Aviv knows that a parking space marked by blue and white paint on the sidewalk is a goldmine in this over-car populated city, so luck had it I saw something five minutes into looking for a parking, I drove a bit too far and then reversed to make a right turn to get into the side street, I made the right turn with car behind me but I came up a bit short and needed to reverse to complete the turn into the road with the parking, as I did this the car behind me took the inside gap and got in front of me and proceeded to take the parking. I hooted stopped him from getting in, and did the window pulldown to shout a few words at each other. He seemed pretty angry and my shouting, swearing and pressurised Hebrew could not match his, at the end his car was half in the pakring and what was I going to do to get his car out. Answer: nothing. so what are the rule? I saw this parking first, I was trying to turn, he got in before me, he was more agressive and fuming than me while I thought I was in the right, and hence I left it and it took me anouther 45 minutes to find a spot. Moral of a story: Make sure of your turns and dont fall short otherwise someone will slip in front of you and take the opportunity. A good typical story to sum up attitudes over here.

But hey whats wrong with a live life to the fullest attitude, it has its advantages, you appreciate things, enjoy your time and surroundings, make sure you only go to the best places, eat the best humus, take the best holidays and always screw somebody over to benefit yourself!

This post must arise some thoughts and opinions I would like to hear your analysis in the comment section.

שחמט shehmat - or Chess in English

People love coincidences, so here is one that just crossed my path.

Just when I restarted playing chess with some friends including online chess with Jake (who lives 10 minutes from my place), there just happens to be the world Blitz chess tournament taking place in Rishon Letzion (Israeli city jsut outside Tel Aviv). What a coincidence.


See the Haaretz article below about it:

The most interesting fact to note and its a great general knowledge question and fact to impress your friends: "The city with the largest number of grandmasters is not Moscow, St. Petersburg or New York, but the southern Israeli desert town of Be'er Sheva (not in relative but absolute terms) Facinating stuff!

Chess masters set to compete in world blitz championship

_{By Eitan Bekerman, Haaretz Correspondent}

Five hundred high-powered minds will convene this evening at Heichal Hatarbut in Rishon Letzion for the opening of the World Blitz Championship, a chess tournament with a purse totaling $100,000.

Participants will include the Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, ranked number two in the world; the world's best woman player, Hungarian grandmaster Judit Polgar, who competes in men's competitions; the child prodigy of world chess, 14-year-old Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen; and several other giants of the game, such as grandmasters Peter Svidler of Russia, Boris Gelfand of Israel and Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan.

Blitz chess is played by the usual chess rules, but instead of taking hours, each contestant is allotted just five minutes total for all of his moves. More than half of all games are decided because a player's time is up, not because of any move on the board (however, in most cases the player who stalled is also the one whose pieces were in an inferior position). Each player has a stop watch, which he hits immediately after moving one of his pieces. Because the competition takes place at an especially fast pace, it seems to the spectator that he is watching a sped up tape of a regular chess game.

Some term blitz chess championships "marathon runners competing in a hundred-meter dash," but while athletic competitions require completely different physical capabilities from short- and long-distance runners, in chess competitions, brain muscles display great flexibility. There is therefore considerable overlap between the list of great chess players and the list of great blitz players, many of whom will be competing this week.

The world championship in Rishon Letzion, under the auspices of the world chess federation (FIDE), is the main event of a larger "chess festival" that includes the Israeli blitz chess open championship, the Israel Defense Forces' championship, a mass simultaneous game, a world children's championship and a particularly exciting duel between man and machine: Israel's national chess team in a series of games against the legendary Junior, the top-flight Israeli computer program that previously won the Computer Chess World Championship.

Israel's human team also has reason to be proud. Israel is considered a chess superpower, largely thanks to the massive immigration from eastern Europe, which brought some of the best players and coaches in the world. And the vast chess knowledge now in Israel makes it possible to nurture new generations of excellent players. Just a couple of months ago, the Israeli team shared third/fourth place with another team in the Chess Olympiad - an achievement of which most Israeli sports teams can only dream.

The highest rank in chess play is grandmaster. The city with the largest number of grandmasters is not Moscow, St. Petersburg or New York, but Be'er Sheva. And not relatively speaking; in absolute terms. Yet despite being one of the chess capitals of the world, Israel's chess life is conducted in an almost underground fashion.

Normal day at work followed by country's plea for release of captured soldiers

Yesterday (Thursday) all started like normal, rise and shine at about 8:30am get dressed, freshen up have a bite to eat and catch the five minute bus to work. Thursdays are always exciting cause its the last day of the week here, (get Friday and Saturday off) so its that end of week feeling looking forward to the weekend. Work is fine, fixing a few systems, updating a couple of websites and doing a few technical things. Last few hours of the day at work before the weekend starts are always difficult. Finally, I finish up work and take a minibus taxi to the gym (10 minutes away), do a bit of excercise, renew my gym contract and then around 7:30pm head down to the Kikar Rabin, main square outside the city hall in Tel Aviv.

Todays rally at the Kikar is one of solidarity and support for the three kidnapped IDF soldiers. Gilad Shalit (captured and taken into Gaza), Udi Goldwasser and Eldad Regev (captured and taken into Lebanon).

Under the banner of the Jeremiah biblical text: "thy children shall come again to their own border" (see picture of the banner above), Israeli musicians poured out their emotional songs related to the army, country and unity. From hearing Udi's wife who have been married for a year, read out a personal letter to 60,000 in attendance she wrote for her husband the night before, from hearing Eldad's brother talk about his passion for everything, music, politics, culture his love of sport and soccer. From Gilads, group of girlfriends aged between 18 - 20 yrs old standing on stage and reading a message of support and hope.The same emotional, logical questions get thrown out and go through everyones mind.

Where are these 3 men now, what are they doing, what are they thinking, how are they being looked after, what do they think of Israel and what it is doing to get them back. My fustration stems from the fact of these people deserve a normal life, Shalit just turned 20 why should a 20 year old be carrying a gun wearing the green uniform and standing at border posts, Ehud just got married, pictures of his travels abroad were displayed and his wife met with Kofi Annan this week, why should a person in the peak of his live who has found his love and starting his family and future, be summoned to go fight in a war. It is a terrible age, Gilad to me is too young to experience these things, Ehud too me is too much in the peak of his lfe to have to go through this. I guess no age is a good age for this.

So from the ordinary day at the office, the week ends with the realisation of the non-normality of the country the issues it faces and a sense of togetherness and support the country showed last night as they rallied together apolitically, religious, secular, east and west together to support the families and push the government to come up with the solution. Its not normal but its the reality this place faces.

Lets hope a solution is found soon.

Thats my view from on top of this world and Kikar Rabin yesterday.

Addition: I attended the rally with a friend Amir who reported for the Jerusalem Post on the event. See his article here.

Wearing the Whites

So as most of my friends, collegues and family know I had the honour of representing the country in the European Cricket Championships and gained my first international cap for cricket. A dream come true for any sportsman!

(In Israel, I just told people I was a national sportsman, without the cricket part, sounded better to them)

So already before we left as the war with Hezbollah in northern Israel and southern Lebanon escalated, there were threats against us and doubts whether our games would be organised.
Our team was ready after months of practising over the hot weekends. We had received our track suits, badges and sharpened our spikes and ironed the whites (long white cricket pants). In last minute style, we got the go ahead a day before that we were travelling.

So we embarked to Glasgow on August 2, to try keep it short interesting and to the point here were the highlights (see past email pasted below to get some more backgorund to the story):

• Being met at the aeroplane door by Scottish policeman and escorted to baggage claim to be met by photographers and cameramen. Later that day we were mentioned briefly on BBC Scotland. Aside from this we got lots of press coverage in the UK press as well as some Hebrew papers as well.
  
• I am sure you understood that it has to do with us being an Israeli side and the ME situation and not the enthuasiastic interest in the great game of cricket and us as quality players.
• Our first game as most the papers were reporting against Jersey was cancelled because they failed to find us a secure venue to play at and Scottish protestors (a few luny leftys and some of the Muslim community) were threatening to protest against the game. They threatened a few thousand people.
• Instead we had a practise, everytime we went on the bus we got escorted by police motorcade and had strong security at our venues.
• Finally the first game arrived against Norway - Just to explain the security again (this will be the last time I promise) two buses of police plus motorbikes escorted us to the ground as we arrived near the ground you could see luminous yellow jackets of the police everywhere in the area. Finally arriving at the ground we were greated by a sea of yellow, about 500 police, horses, mobile cameras and yes even a helicopter in the sky in the beginning. After the warm up we had a group picture see above and took the field to to the site of around 50 protestors in the parking lot of the ground waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags.
• The protestors were singing songs to the tune of: "Stop the cricket, Stop the hate, Israel is a terrorist State", "Free, Free Lebanon! Free Free Palestine", "Who let the bombs out? Bush, Blair Olmert!"
• I had the privilege of fielding on the boundary close to them, so I imagined it like playing at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), it was quiet an atmosphere.
• Ironically, we definitely pulled the biggest crowds to the game between all the police and the protestors. Funniest moment was the day after, same ground against France, a few less protestors and somewhere with thier ignorant cricket knowledge they thought Israel with our blue hats in the field were the French and proceed to try root for us and try put the french batsman off thinking they were Israel, after an hour of this they still had not worked it out!
• Anyway onto the more important part the cricket, Norway beats us well they put on 280 runs we managed 180. But we came back strong the next day to beat the French (Its amazing how many people were so happy we beat the French) they managed 180 odd and we chased the runs well. Both games I opened the batting taking that first ball and wearing off the shine, I managed to hang around and play defensively. On both occasions I made 14 runs and got stumped in similar manner off slow bowlers. So I did the hard work was set up but did not manage to get that big total.
• Then we went four hours up north of Scotland to the Highlands to play at an RAF airforce base. We played Guernsey in the rain of the lovely Scottish summer. (I injured my rib muscles so did not play the game). We batted first this time and only managed 130 odd (one of the bowlers got a hatrick). We did quiet well to get a few quick wickets off them but it did not help they got the runs easily. The final game was not played due to tournament becoming messed up with Greece fielding two unofficial players and getting all their points deducted for that. So we played the airforce base a fun game of 20-20 overs. This time it not only rained it hailed as well. Tough for us Middle Eastern desert people to handle.
  
• At the closing ceremony at the Glasgow City Hall, we received the prize for the best team spirit and sportsmanship award, not too surprising after all the issues we dealt with an had to do to play a game of cricket.
• Overall, with all the protests, teams getting points deducted, Norway won our division and we remain in the second division until the next Eurochamps in two years time.

Pic 1: Me forgetting which sport I went there to play Pic2: Me and the boys up at the RAF airforce base cricket ground

Thanks for the support and interest thats my take over the last two weeks from on top of this world,

Dovi

• THIS WAS MY EMAIL I SENT OUT BEFORE MY TRIP, THANKS TO ALL THE RESPONSES AND GOOD LUCK WISHES, I APPRECIATED THEM.
  
  Dear Friends and Family,
  
  I am sure you all know what is currently going on in Israel and with Lebanon and Hezbollah, it is pretty hard to miss, just look on the internet, see a paper or turn on a TV and its right on front of you. I am sure you have also thought about friends and family living in the region during this time.
  As much of the time as this place feels like a normal country, acts like one and is one, a different reality always sneaks up and arises. There is certainly never a dull moment, the countries mixed with contradictions, complexities and meaning.
  Perhaps my example can epitomise the extreme stark contrasts of this place. As the rockets continue to fall (average a hundred a day) in the north of Israel and operations continue in Lebanon and world leader continue to hold meetings and the media world evolves just around this issue, I will be neatly folding my white pants, white shirt, cleaning my kit and heading off to the airport on Wednesday morning to represent the country at the ICC European Division 2 Cricket tournament in Glasgow. I wrote this two days ago, meantime since then in the last twenty four hours, there have been negotiations between police and the muslim community in Glasgow who plan to protest our arrival. Not too surprising, but very dissapointing although we have been given the go clear to play. We w ill be under tight security and not be able to wear our Israeli cricket badges and uniform while we travel. But for me as a sportsman, it is a dream come true in many ways.
  For those more enthuasistic follows you can see details of the tournament and match reports on this website,
  http://www.cricketeurope.net/ECC/DATABASE/2006/TOURNAMENTS/EURODIV2/about.shtml
  Emails of support and encouragement will obviously be appreciated
  
  I hope my average will be as high as the number of Katyusha rocket attacks being fired on northern Israel everyday.
  Hope all are well,
  Be in touch,
  

If he can do it so can I

Well, after setting this blog thing up and posted my first blog "the most exciting moment in my life" after 4 months ago I return back to my blog set up.

It definitely is blog season, blogs have just hit me where ever I go and just like a sucker for conformity I have decided to start my own blog, do a bit of writing, update people on happenings in my life and add some of my thoughts and experiences from my place "on top of the world".

So the blog fashion started when a I received a very touching, sad email from a friend about a person we knew from Habonim Machaneh that had recently passed away from testicular cancer. His name was Barak Ben Nathan he kept a blog of the last view months since being diagnosed (http://myhealth.blog.com/). He was a simply one of those guys, who was just a good guy, I only knew him for about a month, but the story and outcome really touched me. I realised the power of a blog, this technology were its personal you write it yourself and create information. And unfortunately Barak's illness beat him and someone else had to finish his blog for him. Powerful, tragic and sad. I visited the blog a few times, just to see further updates and think about it a lot and even posted a personal comment on it because I was deeply touched by it.

Next my friend Jake started blogging just for his mother (http://ontopofthehill.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/) entitled, "boring crap", then realised the power of it because two of his friends read it so he realised he had friends. Anyway Jake chronicled a bit of my life on his blog (on my recent cricket tour to Glasgow representing the country) and some of his readers contacted me to wish me luck. I felt special and had this idea to be different and outsource my stuff on Jake's blog. But its actually quite fun making your own blog so I am going solo and following the main stream yet again. Thanks Jakie keep blogging away.

I also read blogs of two friends I spent a summer with in Vancouver and did a summer camp with Zac (epichorus.blogspot.com) and Gil (http://gbrowdy.blogspot.com/). Zach gives analytical interesting, intellectual discussions of his life and thoughts evolving around being Canadian, interest in Israel and the Middle East and political hip hop. Gil a linguist, has a flow of words and gives personal intimate account of his life which has been interesting to read and catch up on.

Finally the Latest blog that hit me in the face is that of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (www.ahmadinejad.ir) its hit the main news outlets lately and is certainly interesting to take a look at. This controversial outspoken leader is suddenly using the latest trend and technology to write personally about himself and this thoughts, amazing fascinating, you can just go to a website and read the personal thoughts of the Iranian leader (assuming he writes it himself or has a say in it). What I like about the site is the development, you can change colours etc..., maybe I should offer my services to world leaders to create their own personalised blog page.

So if he can do it then I can

hopefully will be updating this space regularly, but I want and need viewer readership (just to boost my blog ego) so please comment on my posts so I know I have fans and friends.


That is my view today from on top of this world,

Nahamste,

Dovi
Tel Aviv, Israel

Dovi's First Blog entry

What an exciting moment in one's life.