Wednesday, August 20, 2003

I admit I'm jealous to see a relatively fresh Israeli blogger that has so much to say. I'm all out of words. I don't have an opinion about what should be done. Read Gil too. A caring person, who doesn't have a stake in all of this, says to me "Build the wall". But the wall that is really going up, big and strong, is the one in our hearts. Do you remember when that guy what's-his-name Van Kremschnitt something-or-other told us to build a wall so high that even the birds couldn't fly over? So up it goes.

Today I took the train to Netanya and back with the girls. Youngest had never taken a train. It was fun. In the middle we had lunch with Dad. It was like taking a train abroad. Clean, efficient, comfortable. Last time I took a train in Israel it was an old noisy, smelly affair from the British Mandate. It was desperately slow, the seats were uncomfortable, there was no air-conditioning, it rattled and the bathroom was a disgrace. Ah, but the view from the window. It rattled its way up to Jerusalem through breathtaking mountains and woods. It ended its trip in the picturesque little Jerusalem train station, dating back to I don't know when. The train doesn't go up to Jerusalem anymore, but the double-decker suburb train that serves commuters to Tel Aviv is quite impressive. Youngsters can complain all they like. Those of us who remember what train travel in Israel used to be, can only enjoy the experience.

Thus the wall. I will have a nice summer vacation with my girls. I will sit and watch the terrible pictures, all of them, right till the end. I won't look away. And then I will go to the beach, I will go out to buy the girls new sneakers, I will put Gaia on the CD and dance around the salon with Youngest.