Thinking Allowed: Initiation back to the holy land

Going from Ireland to Israel wass an extreme shift. Gone was the cool serenity and in its place clammy exuberance. I wonder what it is about warmer climates that leads to a cultural tendency towards fiery temperament? We felt like we had already made it to Israel just waiting in line for our airplane. While the queues around us were true to geometry ours was more amoebic and changeable and had its own soundtrack. Our flight was one of the loudest I have been on in my adult life. It was full to the max with families returning home before school began. I imagine it was at least 25% children which was sort of exciting for us. People debated, people milled about, people threw things over heads to family members, babies screamed, adults spoke even louder to be heard over screaming, the line to the bathroom consistently wait a third of the way down the aisle. The seatbelt sign went on numerous times but no one ever paid it any attention and the flight attendants gave up trying to enforce any rules. Most of my children were sitting 20 rows ahead of me so I had time to read, but, the noise level was so high it was hard to focus on my plot so I mostly just watched in odd fascination and listened to the myriad of conversations flung around me. I really felt for the nun across the way as she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but stuck in window seat on a scene of a comedy. I hope her colleagues had a strong cup of tea and a slice of cake waiting for her. Delayed three hours we arrived into Jerusalem at 1am so I was surprised by how busy the streets were for a Wednesday evening. This wasn't the young hip crown either - there were families strolling down the streets chatting, couples with babies bathed in lamplight at the park, throngs of people of various age groups at the bus stops. Seems while we all lead a life half dazed Israel is living life to the fullest.

Always one to try and fit in we all slept a few hours and then woke up and bathed and dressed to make it to a family event. Unfortunately, we were still a little dazed for this pace of living and we showed up to my cousins' sons' bar mitzvah so fashionably late the door was held open for us by a departing guest and it appalled the Australian part of me. Gracious as ever though my cousin welcomed us and fed and entertained us long after the last guests had left. My children met so many family members they never knew existed. And because they speak not a word of Hebrew they probably only partly realised many of them were family. We left the bar mitzvah boy to recover from the mornings efforts of transformation and headed for a beach. Tova was so excited about the beach. The sand was carpeted with humans which was a complete novelty from our usual beach experiences but she didn't notice as she beelined for the water. The kids had no bathing suits so they charged into the waves in party dresses or underwear. Tova looked like a happy puppy frolicking in the water and spent the rest of our stay in Israel trying to get back to the beach.