What am I doing here?

So...I'm going to a take a break from my theories and proselytizing and do something more basic. I figure some of you might be interested in what I'm actually doing here as opposed to all my feeeeeelings.

Me, Maor and Tal all wearing the incredible top hats we made

I am here to do a 5 month internship doing costume design for theatre. The internship is amazing. I am working for Maor Zabar (go to his site...it's beautiful maorzabar.com ) and working on incredible work. The hardest part about being on the road as I have been so much this past year is that I couldn't bring my crafty things along with me (I am constantly fantasizing about my boxes of costumes, fabric and unusual things I have collected over the years spread throughout New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and California). Without the tools and materials it's very hard to make things. It has been such a joy to create again. I get to do so many different things, and I'm learning new skills all the time. I've made wings of yarn for a stork who loses her feathers when she moves to the city. I've taken steel brushes and paint to a finely made corset until it's red threads hung out in clumps. I've beaded the grass for a whimsical playground for a cat. I've stabbed a leather needle the non-pointy direction straight up under my nail. And, for the first time in over a year, I made a pattern. It was frustrating and challenging and I forgot how much I missed that visual puzzle. I love making things and working with my hands. It is so wonderful to be back.

A glove I was responsible for that was sent
for an exhibition at Musee d'Art Moderne
de la Ville de Paris. The latticed piece makes
a cuff that flares out away from the elbow. 

My other boss is named Tal, and she has given me an exquisite gift. When I moved to Tel Aviv I was given a space in the equivalent of a dorm, our whole internship program (95 or so) as well as other programs that bring foreigners to Israel live there. The rooms range from singles to quads, I am in a double and have one roommate. Our beds, kitchen and closets are all in one room and our bathroom (like many in the building) reeks of mildew and ickiness. I have a pretty high tolerance for filth and unappetizing living conditions, so it isn't really that bothersome to me, but I still complained about it. Tal thought it sounded pretty bad and decided to invite me to live with her. I felt shy and strange about it but she told me just to come for one night and see how I like it and I couldn't say no. She showed me to a beautiful room that takes up the entire top floor of her beautiful four-story house. The room is massive, with a large and soft (oh my god you guys...Israeli beds are so hard) bed, a bathroom of its own and a jacuzzi on the roof. I pretty much decided to accept her offer immediately. I have been living here for about a  couple months or so and it has been great. I live with Tal, her husband and her three kids...which has been good for my hebrew. I hear it much more now and the youngest girl (who is smart and funny and very, very sweet) is only just learning English so I try as best I can to communicate with her in hebrew.

So obviously this is all great. It was made even better when last month they offered me a job. I will now be coming back here in September to work (and get paid this time!) doing what I love. Tal has also

A satyr we did made painstakingly out
foam. Look at those hooves. Amazing.

 offered to let me stay at her house as long as I need to, so I will have time to save up money and find the perfect living situation for me. What this means is that I will be making aliyah. Making aliyah means moving to Israel and getting Israeli citizenship while maintaining my original citizenship. They offer small amounts of money to help at first, as well as Hebrew classes. I love it here and I look forward to properly living here. Learning Hebrew is a daunting task and a bit scary, but it will come. I look forward to being sassy with Hebrew, I enjoy it as a language when it's slow enough that I can understand parts.

Social-wise...I have, of course, been hanging out with the burners...but I'll leave all of that for my next post when I discuss the epicness of Midburn.

So...what else has been going on?

I've been eating mostly vegetarian. I've apparently reached the limit of how tan my skin can get, and it's not that tan. My hair is too long, but it also fits in well here. I've installed a Hebrew keyboard on my laptop and cell phone. I've eaten poyke and misabacha and schnitzel and salads made of tiny little cut up pieces of vegetables. I've drank mud and Arak (though not together). I've chosen a playa name - מלכה (Malka, which means Queen). I have pirated on the Jordan river and become a big fan of large, lightweight, flowing pants.

In two weeks I have spent lots of time in both the desert and then also in the North of Israel and gone from dusty white-outs to luscious greenery and cool water. Israel is amazing. I am hooked and in love.


Next post I will tell you all about Midburn, I'm just waiting to compile some pictures....then I will return to my theories about life and whatnot...because it's my blog and I'll do what I want to.