This is the first post on this blog that I write in English.
If you are not a hebrew speaker and this is the first time you encounter this blog, then I should tell you that this blog is about a journey of a human being (that I refer to as ME), around Israel and the human consiousness, in search of true freedom and peace on earth.
I started writing it when I decided to leave my rented house and become a nomad around june 2012. Half a year ago, me and few friends decided to create a nomad community on bicycle. Since then I am traveling together with other people. some left, some joined, and as for today, we are 3 friends - myself (Arni is the name), Hadasa (named usually Shluli), and Alessandra the Italian.
You can look at our facebook page (which is also in Hebrew) to see some photos of the journey, and get some notion of our vibe.
I also wish to note that I write with spelling mistakes and I am fine with that, and just hope I am understood.
The last week and a half we have been in Be'er-Sheva - the capital of the south of Israel. We have gotten to know some of the communities and social projects and centers in the city. We stayed at some friends that we met along the way, or along facebook, or couchsurfing. We went to work a little at the urban farm that is being built by an NGO called "Earth's Promise". We made a knitting workshop, we went to the city market (actually Alessandra went) to dumpster dive (which is pretty easy in the market, because they just give you the thrown away food), and we have been to local gatherings of singing, playing, acro-balancing and soup eating.
All in all we got to know some really beautiful good hearted people in Be'er-Sheva, but still i felt we are not completely fulfilling ourselves. There have been some challeges, of looking for a house every night, finding food, dealing with the unusual cold weather, and also with our own swings of mood. It is difficult to be with people, also in other's people's houses and not having time to yourself. At some point we just decided to cut from the city and go low - to the Dead Sea where the weather is warmer and the sky are clearer, and you dont have to walk on water, you can just float...
There, at the lowest point on the planet, me and Alessandra met an angel. She told us she is here to dance. She danced Gaga with the all the frozen people of Tel-Aviv city, and she went to the Contact Improvization dance festival in Misgav. When alesandra asked her what is it, I tried to describe myself - its a group of people falling on each other in an elegant way. The angel looked at me and half laughed half cried, because she was not used to cynical humor. I apologized and asked for her to explain. It is a method to get in contact with the other through body and movement, she explained. It can be by touching or taking distance, it can be with words or in silence, but the important thing is to stay in contact.
The angel told us about her own journey in Israel, about her making peace with her family, and wanting to go back to them to try this peace. To be in peace with another is to cooporate with him/her, not just to be OK with their existence while staying far away.
Next week we are going to volunteer in ECO-ME, next to Jericho, a peace initiative for sustainable society and environment, run by Israelis and Palestinians and international volunteers. The place tries to promote peace through workshops, meetings, cultural evenings. It is one of the only places for Israelis and Palestinians to meet together in a safe and supportive environment. It is a good place to get in contact with the other. I volunteered there last year, at a multi national Non Violent Communication workshop and it was amazing, and I am very happy to go back with friends this year.
In contact with the world
another issue that comes to my mind when I think of being in contact is my eager drive, and even addiction, to news, media, social networks. Of course big part of the world is addicted now to the smartphones, going around in the streets like zombies. I myself do this. But the thing with me is that I am not intrested so much with what is going on among my friends, but instead I want to know the big things that are happening - I am always looking for the sign of the global revolution.
I am always looking for new ideas to be spread around, for our joint mission of awakening:
I always had this attraction to news, media and information. but sometimes I feel this will to know, this desire to be informed, is just my fail attempt to try and control the situation. I want to know when the economy is about to collapse, and I want to know about weather extremes, and I am all the time seeking for answers in the news and the social networks, waiting for peaces of information that will wake me up from the half dormant state of being, that me, and great parts of humanity are experiencing at the moment.
I try to understand this fix of mine to look for answers in the internet. Some look for it in a Tibetan temple, some in a science lab. I do it on google and Facebook. A good explanation I found is that I wish to know the big picture, the whole story so I can fit better, so I can play my part in a better way.
But what is the big story?
how wide can my view of the world be?
My interest in social movements and ongoing processes of change are the same as looking for the change in someone outside you - a partner, a leader, a therapist. My therapist is the news anchor.
I wish to cut off from everything - computer, phone, newspaper - and to be in focus just on being present, with the people around me. But I find it difficult to be disconnected all together. My journey among communities, and my involvement in many people's lives require me to stay connected at some level. I hope that this level will get less mediated through appliances and instead will deepen with the people next to me, with the nature around me, with my inner self, with god which is everywhere, and all knowing without the need for Google.
fragile life
Last week a friend of mine lost her sister in a sudden and mysterious death. Another friend almost lost his house in a blizzard. And another found her cancer is back. All of them I have been told on the same day.
This reminded me even more how important it is to take good care of our loved ones, to be in awareness and appreciation to each moment and encounter, because life is so sacred and miraculous. We tend to forget this, especially when we are living a routine, even a routine of a nomad. There is so much magnificence in this world and in this life, and I want to experience it to the fullest.
So after publishing this blog I am taking myself a week off Facebook and news fasting. It will probably be difficult, but I hope it will clear my sight, my attention. purify my feelings and thoughts, encourage inner peace, for the long way ahead.
I'll tell how it was next week :)
Meanwhile here is an idea worth spreading
There, at the lowest point on the planet, me and Alessandra met an angel. She told us she is here to dance. She danced Gaga with the all the frozen people of Tel-Aviv city, and she went to the Contact Improvization dance festival in Misgav. When alesandra asked her what is it, I tried to describe myself - its a group of people falling on each other in an elegant way. The angel looked at me and half laughed half cried, because she was not used to cynical humor. I apologized and asked for her to explain. It is a method to get in contact with the other through body and movement, she explained. It can be by touching or taking distance, it can be with words or in silence, but the important thing is to stay in contact.
The angel told us about her own journey in Israel, about her making peace with her family, and wanting to go back to them to try this peace. To be in peace with another is to cooporate with him/her, not just to be OK with their existence while staying far away.
Next week we are going to volunteer in ECO-ME, next to Jericho, a peace initiative for sustainable society and environment, run by Israelis and Palestinians and international volunteers. The place tries to promote peace through workshops, meetings, cultural evenings. It is one of the only places for Israelis and Palestinians to meet together in a safe and supportive environment. It is a good place to get in contact with the other. I volunteered there last year, at a multi national Non Violent Communication workshop and it was amazing, and I am very happy to go back with friends this year.
In contact with the world
another issue that comes to my mind when I think of being in contact is my eager drive, and even addiction, to news, media, social networks. Of course big part of the world is addicted now to the smartphones, going around in the streets like zombies. I myself do this. But the thing with me is that I am not intrested so much with what is going on among my friends, but instead I want to know the big things that are happening - I am always looking for the sign of the global revolution.
I am always looking for new ideas to be spread around, for our joint mission of awakening:
I always had this attraction to news, media and information. but sometimes I feel this will to know, this desire to be informed, is just my fail attempt to try and control the situation. I want to know when the economy is about to collapse, and I want to know about weather extremes, and I am all the time seeking for answers in the news and the social networks, waiting for peaces of information that will wake me up from the half dormant state of being, that me, and great parts of humanity are experiencing at the moment.
I try to understand this fix of mine to look for answers in the internet. Some look for it in a Tibetan temple, some in a science lab. I do it on google and Facebook. A good explanation I found is that I wish to know the big picture, the whole story so I can fit better, so I can play my part in a better way.
But what is the big story?
how wide can my view of the world be?
My interest in social movements and ongoing processes of change are the same as looking for the change in someone outside you - a partner, a leader, a therapist. My therapist is the news anchor.
I wish to cut off from everything - computer, phone, newspaper - and to be in focus just on being present, with the people around me. But I find it difficult to be disconnected all together. My journey among communities, and my involvement in many people's lives require me to stay connected at some level. I hope that this level will get less mediated through appliances and instead will deepen with the people next to me, with the nature around me, with my inner self, with god which is everywhere, and all knowing without the need for Google.
fragile life
Last week a friend of mine lost her sister in a sudden and mysterious death. Another friend almost lost his house in a blizzard. And another found her cancer is back. All of them I have been told on the same day.
This reminded me even more how important it is to take good care of our loved ones, to be in awareness and appreciation to each moment and encounter, because life is so sacred and miraculous. We tend to forget this, especially when we are living a routine, even a routine of a nomad. There is so much magnificence in this world and in this life, and I want to experience it to the fullest.
So after publishing this blog I am taking myself a week off Facebook and news fasting. It will probably be difficult, but I hope it will clear my sight, my attention. purify my feelings and thoughts, encourage inner peace, for the long way ahead.
I'll tell how it was next week :)
Meanwhile here is an idea worth spreading
BE - LIVE
in in
love peace
If we want...
in in
love peace
If we want...
Oh Arni, I love you so so very much.
השבמחקyou made me cry... again!
(In A good, connected way, you know)
~It's Michali, by the way