WOOHU

I love this country...I mean I really really love this country.

Last night, Rena another friend and I went to a concert to see Shalom Hanoch...one of Israel's top music writers and performers.

Picture this: The performance was called to start at 10:00 in a place called The Labratory. Around the corner from the old train station, down a little alleyway, up the street from a major supermarket, next to a little restaurant music history is being made.

The place is nothing to write home about. Seats about 200 comfortably. Walls and stage are black. Movie seats are red. Little stage. Microphones and lights and that's it.

Small and intimate, the place was packed with three generations of Hanoch lovers and followers.

Out he comes at around 10:30...nu so what did you expect? Something would start on time in Israel? El Al stands for every landing always late :)))

Where was I? Oh, yes! Out he comes with his musical partner Moshe Levy who plays a huha piano, let me tell you! Both men are prematurely grey and were wearing old, faded jeans, dark T-shirts, rubber soled shoes. Israel, dontcha love it???

From the moment he opened his mouth the place went wild. Two kids in the front row who must have been 16-17 knew the words to every song. Us old-timers knew words and la-la-la. And for two solid hours everyone danced in their chairs, sang along, clapped like crazy and hollered out the names of their favourite songs for him to sing.

The fun part was that both the entertainers and the audience were having a great time and Hanoch said that he was coming back to Jerusalem soon and that he hadn't been with an audience like us for a long time.

We rocked!!!

Out to dinner and two hours with one of the top entertainers in the coutnry cost 40 shekels for dinner and 110 shekels for the ticket...all together $38!!! All I can say is Yahoooooooooooo!!!

On August 2nd we're going back to see Ninette. She won the first Israeli Star is Born singing contest five years ago (our version of American Idol) and she won my heart and vote with her rendition of Zohar Argov's Sea of Tears.

Isn't it fun to be able to have an evening of top entertainment in a place that is as welcoming as open arms; located fifteen minutes from your home; at a price that anyone can afford!!!

We got home around 1:00. After a couple of hours sleep I went to meet Rena for breakfast and a quick tour of our favourite museum (the supermarket). At around ten I phoned home and spoke to my Joe College. See he was asleep when Mommy got home and Mommy was gone before he woke up. I didn't want him to worry or think I didn't sleep in my bed last night. Good Mommy!

The old gray mar, she may not be what she used to be, but there's still some good mileage in the old dear yet. Yahooooooooooooo.

Shabbat shalom.

Have a great day...stay safe...and thanks for dropping in.