loveliness verses taxstration

    

i got two letters from Mr.postman yesterday. one was from the loveliest lycke in the world. with amazing treasures and this awesome, crocheted hat she made, oh i love it! thanks for this breeze of northern air, female warmth and care that came through the envelope, you saved me, since….

…the second letter was a fine from the tax office. a fine of 1400 euro’s. ha! to laugh or to cry?! it takes me a little bit more than two months to earn 1400 euro’s, now, i can’t even be angry at myself for having done something wrong, because this time i haven’t and believe me i easily could have, since dealing with bureaucracy and taxes in hebrew is not that easy. no, the responsibility is someone else's, but i am the one who ends up being screwed. taxstrated let’s call it. chop chop. anyone that wants to buy an arm or a leg? i decided not to cry, yet.

here some tunes for you: let me back in and human qualities, i hope you will like them as much as i do.

alive and silent

  

i baked a huge batch of poppy seed and chocolate buns for the new year and then i went into a silent vipassana retreat for a little eternity. and with all that stillness around, you can’t but notice the extreme volume in your head. there are so many things i would like to tell you about; a few newly found friends including the turkish woman who told me a fascinating life story on her balcony and the speedy rat who snuck up behind the teacher while she was quoting buddha and the magic winter home *with curtains and all* that i built for a washing machine and how i drilled screws and played a carpenter for a day which might result in me not being able to lift my arms tomorrow and how i walked alone in the dark not fearing wild boars nor serial killers but it will have to wait cause my eyes can’t stay open much longer. thank you all for leaving your thoughts and kind words here, they always make me very, very happy!

september’s

     

september has been very adventurous the last couple of years. for instance, some of my most memorable tours happened in september: seoul, shanghai, bangkok, tokyo, sydney and new york. this years september i am traveling internally instead of geographically… how was your september like?

wishing us all a fabulous fall! ♥

we all do

         

2. i need therapy (we all do sometimes)

3. the garden of eden is here

5. how good it is to be

peace and independency. inshallah.

3 people, 2 cameras and a little bit about transportation

 

we are soon starting to tour again. usually it is almost like being in a summer camp with a bunch of naughty kids; lots of fun and giggles in other words. the third person and second camera in this story stays invisible.  

the biggest downside to touring must be all the flying. the one thing i really need and would like to change (from an environmental perspective) is this copious amount of flying. which brings me back to the idea of a portable home, a camper/minibus/van (which i have nagged about a few times already...)

and you know what, i had an in-official driving lesson the other day. it went pretty well until i drove the car into the barbed wire fence surrounding the kibbutz and the car had to pulled out by a truck. but just like when you fall of a horse i was right back behind the wheel again to avoid any traumatic memories. it made me wonder if i have the right skills for driving though, perhaps i should stick to biking?!

and on the beach

        

sleeping on the beach is heaven, need i say more? *and that even when i forgot to bring the mosquito net* you wake up at sunrise just to listen to the sound of waves and a few screaming crows, and right in front of you is the huge sea, nothing more, nothing less. i dreamt of wheelchairs and logistics and in daily life i dream of learning any language instantly, just to get over that communication barrier.

and we had our first autumn rainfall. could see the storm as it entered from the sea. colors changed and the air got crispy. then it poured down for about an hour, to be followed by that hot, burning sun and you could hardly remember it rained to begin with.

have a wonderful week, wonderful blog-readers!

in the city

    

a little bit of distance and it seemed like i hadn’t been there for years. and since one of my last impression making experiences in the city was someone trying to rob me, i realize i feel more fearful there. the incident left me with a bruised arm, a broken bag and a little bit less confident (but with all my belongings he went for, including my most important-the camera!), while it most likely left him with a darker karma.

these days i have plenty of time to think and feel again. how overwhelming that is, thinking and feeling. give me 16 boys to care for and thinking and feeling becomes more of a side affect of life itself, rather than being the main activity. does that make any sense?

water fight and puddles

little gypsy savages.

the other day, when i was trying to speak to a mother of three girls (while two of the three are screaming like madmen in the background), the mother told me with a deep sigh: ‘so sara, do think twice before becoming a parent’. and yesterday, she came to apologize for having said that.

at least i will never blame anyone for having tricked me to believe that it is peaches and cream, being a parent.

the good life

    

sleeping long hours. dreaming funky dreams. drinking homemade beers. cooking for and talking with wonderful people. all while wearing my pajama. lucky bastard.

kiss and goodnight to you.

outside the bubble

      

the team has left and the european championship is over (with the british men and the german women as gold winners). i have met so many wonderful people these past two weeks and experienced an innumerable amount of new things that i feel my heart is almost bursting from all the love and good vibes. and now my body is giving in to the exhaustion. another great bonus is that i have had a complete break from myself, no time whatsoever to think about any personal dramas. bliss!

the incredible amount of work hours, the stress, the frustrations, the unorganized organization, the impossible logistics and the too long meetings are all balanced out by many warm hugs, nights of dancing, lots of laughter and special connections.

how do you like my sunglasses btw? i think they suit macho (but oh so soft) sports men way better!