Jaffa Festival 2006

I love my neighbourhood!

Could this be a recurring theme? I love (fill in the blank)!

Maybe it is just a sign of my overall enthusiasm for all things life? Who knows? I have been saying 'I love XYZ' pretty consistently since I moved to Jaffa. I love my teeny tiny mouse house, I love Fridays, I love Saturdays, quiet, quiet Saturdays...

I love my neighbourhood...

I guess this must mean that I am pretty darn content with my overall existence.

Be that as it may, the Jaffa Festival is on this week and gives me another reason to be able to say I love my neighbourhood. This is a link to the official site (in Hebrew), and this is a menu, also in Hebrew, from La Gueta, a local Tripolitan style restaurant. The pictures of the food, call the dishes what you will, explain it all, but the basics are couscous, stuffed things, stew and mafroum with a great selection of salads, pickles and olives. It is one of my favourite winter restaurants.

What goes on at the festival is: tours given by the city, including "tasting" tours where you get to stop off at about 4 restaurants; special theatre performances; street theatre - the Florentine Circus (Florentine is a very bohemian neighbourhood just around the corner from Jaffa, had workshops on juggling, unicycling, clowning and various other circus skills, and a performance in the evening at Kidumim Square (in the old city); open houses at local artists studios and residences, and of course special Festival Menus at a number of restaurants. I have mentioned Jaffa Bar and La Gueta, but there are also fish restaurants, Romanian and Bulgarian restaurants - including Monka, my local "I'm too tired to contemplate cleaning after cooking, I'm going out..." place, restaurants that have serious attitude and food problems but that are frequented by posers and wannabe cool people from the suburbs, and good solid local hangouts. I always plan to go out to dinner at least 3 times and get at least 2 tours in during the festival - the lady at the municipalities registration service even recognizes my voice now! It is alot of fun.

This year, finally, the pottery studio where I play with mud, is registered for the festival. I'm rather excited about this because my teacher, Ayelet, has let me put out some of my stuff, to see if I can sell it. If I can sell anything I will be rather pleased with myself. If I can sell anything it means I am making a little bit more space at home! If I sell anything it means I can do a Sally Field - "they like me, they really like me!"

I have been going to the studio once a week for almost 4 years now. I would do this every day if I had the chance. Not that I have any illusions about being able to make a living, I don't think I am that good (yet?). I even have a wheel and kiln (a permanent loan/gift from SistR as she no longer uses them), but my mouse house is not large enough for them and me at the same time. I need to find a VERY inexpensive studio space to rent, but that is in the future - I still have alot to learn and am happy that I have such a great teacher.

Click here for more pictures