Paralell Universes

My office is not directly in Bnei Brak, but on the border to Ramat Gan, one of the more affluent areas north of Tel Aviv. Where these two merge is where I move around. The area is somewhat surrealistic.

Jabotinsky Street, the place I get off the bus and find myself in a forest of donation boxes (see previous post) is loud, crowded and dirty. There must be about 50 different bus lines going along this route, which leads out of Tel Aviv into the towns on the north-eastern side of the city. The street is aligned with shops, mainly outlets and stock sales, bakeries or coffee shops. One of the street lanes is ripped open. They are putting down the infrastructure for a light train. Huge construction equipment is moving around behind long fences of sheet metal, contribution to the noise. There are people everywhere and unfortunately their garbage piles up in several locations on the side of the pavement.

Differences

Bnei Brak is a different story. O.k. let me rephrase that: it is yet another cultural experience in Israel.

The way it looks here is different from any other place I have come to know in Israel. The amazing thing is that considering the size of this tiny country you would expect it to look pretty much the same everywhere. I am not talking about the landscape or the view, but the urban character. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are worlds apart, yet less than an hours drive separates them. The towns in the northern part have their own flair and so do the ones in the desert areas. Eilat is a story in its own. And now I am discovering that there is still more.

Sunrise over Jerusalem

While I am walking my dog in the wake of a new day, the sun rises over Jerusalem.

What a way to start the day!