The Beach

Don't let the images above fool you. They are of the Kibbutz beach where we usually hang out when on vacation. It's a stretch of some 5 kilometers of untouched nature which used to be frequented by few naked souls from the Kibbutz.

Early this morning, my son Ben (8) and I went to the beach in the hope of finding a quiet spot where he could play and I could do my Qi Gong. The scene there was quite shocking: a city of tents and 4x4s with all the mod cons as far as the eye could see. The best kept secret in Israel is out and the urbanites are coming in their thousands.

The same could be said of Zichron Yaakov, the sleepy neighboring village of my childhood. Everyone wants to come and live in this bubble of tranquility and sanity and as a result the whole place seems to be under construction. How long can it retain those unique features which are attracting everyone? What is drawing so many people here? Escaping the harsh Israeli reality for a better life or wanting to be part of a community and make a difference?

Qi Gong on the beach this morning was still magical!

One week and one day

since we arrived and we are slowly finding a rhythm more in tune with the season. Summer is beautiful here, but we have been rather busy navigating the bureaucratic maze (schools for the children, health insurance, telephone and Internet services, ID cards etc.) though still finding time everyday for the beach or kibbutz swimming pool.

I have been in touch with Thabet Abu Rass from New Horizon, a new NGO and think tank working to promote coexistence in Israel and hope to meet him next month to hear more about their work.

On the whole it seems that there will be no shortage of work to do here- I keep being approached by friends asking when I'm planning on starting my acupuncture practice (everyone knows someone who needs treatment...)- the challenge will be to make sure I don't over commit myself. This is a sabbatical after all...

We have had our ups and downs already. Maya (11 years old) is missing her friends and cousins, often saying she wants to go home. All of us are gradually getting used to having much less personal space (moving from a spacious 5 bedroom house to a small 2 bedroom apartment) and the children are learning to cooperate and share more.

The Party

A few snaps from the party. Thank you Samantha for arranging and insisting we do this. Around 70 of or closest friends came to 'send us off'. One Love.

4 days to go!

And it's getting emotional. As the cards and calls from friends, family,
patients and colleagues keep pouring in and our house gets emptied and
readied for being let out, it's starting to feel strange; a kind of
reality check; now our excitement about the impending journey is mixed
with sadness and anxiety: letting go of everything you know (even if
just for one year) can be unsettling. But on the positive side, this is
highlighting how much love we have here and how connected we are. When
you're in the midst of a very busy life, losing sight of this is very easy.

Looking forward to the party tonight!

Clare now... looks like there will be 70 friends and family to wish us on our way. Friendship is so central to our lives here in the UK. We have always had an open house, even in our small first flat - so I guess that Derech Sara will too attract new friends and old. I've been far too busy in recent months to internalise the sabbatical. It may hit me tonight or perhaps when we actually arrive. Either way, I am as ready as I will ever be on a practical level. Considering that this all began when we returned from Israel at Pesach and I felt a great need to 'clear out' the house, I suppose that on some levels I have already achieved this aim - the house feels wonderfully uncluttered.