Monday, May 10, 2010

La Ville S'endormait

I am sitting in an empty Jerusalem "sherut" van at 1:00 AM, waiting for it to fill up and take me to Tel-Aviv. It doesn't fill up, not even partially. I am the only one there, the last man in the city. The driver is smoking outside when I decide to leave on foot. Naturally, he begins yelling at me.

"Cities at night, I feel, contain men who cry in their sleep and then say nothing, it's nothing, just sad dreams, or something like that... Swing low in your weep ship, with your tear scans and your sob probes, and you would mark them." I've quoted these words of Martin Amis once before, blogging from an internet cafe in West Berlin. I'm crazy about daylight, make no mistake, but there's something about being stranded too late at night in a moody city with nowhere to sleep. You get a free, precious lesson in the blues, and what could be more precious?

Jerusalem by night. The "Bass" is closed. The "Uganda" is melancholic. The green neon lights of a mosque over Silwan distinguish a finger pointing to God from the darkness about it. At dawn the song will rise from its tip to mix with others in the brightening sky, but dawn is far.

Someone lets me into the old Ron Hotel, today the "Jerusalem Hostel". The staircase over reception is still stately and lavishly carpeted as in the glory days. Reception itself is closed. In the lobby sits a silvery-bearded American, clearly a religious eccentric, across from an attractive girl in her early twenties. She's his daughter. They couldn't get a bed and decided to sit the night out.

I remember doing the same at the Genoa railway station, talking to a crazy Canadian neurologist in a bright red nylon rainproof jacket about some scary research he was conducting. What was scary about it? Can't remember, but the old unease follows me outside to the silent roadwork barriers on Jaffa road.

This is only the beginning. The ghosts of other nocturnal towns will haunt me as I walk. Where was I? climbing up the silent hallway of Bulgakov's Moscow home with Vola, whom I had just met at a club, her pointing out the passages inscribed on them by his fans: a black painted cat, a love letter... Scaling the walls of the Foro Romano at 3:00 AM and bumping into two slum rascals who did the same, a drunken boy and girl. We wandered into a garden where huge roses grew. I picked one and presented it to the girl. She laughed and warned me not to approach a certain fallen pillar. "This is a cursed place" she said, "people who go by it later die in strange accidents."

And there was the cold night in Frankfurt, watching television through a shop window on the Zeil and shivering. I could not afford a hotel, having spent my last pfenning on airfare, but at sunrise the airplane was to take me Utah, where the most dramatic love story of my life was to begin in earnest.

This is how it works. The loneliest, awful wee hours sometimes remind us how rich life is, and if they don't, dawn would, and if dawn won't, maybe the morning's first coffee, in my friend Keren's kitchen, with Glenn Gould playing on the old boom box.

16 comments:

DCheslow said...

you are always welcome to radak street late at night. between apartment 7 and 9 there should be a bed for you!

יובל בן-עמי Yuval Ben-Ami said...

Cheers! I just didn't want to wake anyone up. I only called Keren after her boyfriend happened to give me a late night buzz from Tel-Aviv. He swore that she never sleeps, like the evil girl in "The Ring".

Cheap hotels Jerusalem said...

wow... youre post is amazing, i was totaly carried away.. i also got stuck with no place to stay one night at India, it was a crazy night but a good one.

Anonymous said...

LlrAkx [url=http://www.outletmonclerspacciopiumini.com/]Moncler Spaccio[/url] RuzYoa http://www.outletmonclerspacciopiumini.com/

ZnhTby [url=http://www.vnikefree.com/]Billige Nike Free Sko[/url] McbTnn http://www.vnikefree.com/

WcfKik [url=http://www.outletmonclerspaccio.com/]Moncler[/url] AlkIry http://www.outletmonclerspaccio.com/

HzgRsq [url=http://www.Jakker2canadagoose.com/]Canada Goose Jakke[/url] AqkBgc http://www.Jakker2canadagoose.com/

QagGvq [url=http://www.parkajakker4canadagoose.com/]Canada Goose[/url] BwrTcu http://www.parkajakker4canadagoose.com/

TpuTuw [url=http://www.jakke2canadagoose.com/]Canada Goose From Canada[/url] XfjSlw http://www.jakke2canadagoose.com/

RnmZzv [url=http://www.canadagoosefromcanada.com/]Goose Jakker[/url] KkyAyn http://www.canadagoosefromcanada.com/

Anonymous said...

If we glance at the purpose of the idea of really enjoy, not just in relation to its a captivating romantic relationship together with yet another, nevertheless like a sensing that is certainly engendered if you have miltchmonkey a greater marriage yourself very - or simply for a a feeling of larger unity with the family or human race - the idea becomes substantially more magnificent that every anybody is looking to get in your life is usually appreciate.

Anonymous said...

I received a few responses from people asking me how to prepare their photographs for approval and how to use keywords, so I decided to write an article on this topic as well. http://www.lateuggboots.com Drinking tea and coffee every morning is truly satisfying. http://www.softuggboots.com Grand goals aside, what is life like in grad school? The grand goal is the finish line, but the grander the goal, the harder it takes to get there. http://www.wellnorthface.com Hommels has a Swiss holding company that handles the technology backend and other administrative duties, for the 18 on-the-ground sites. ghd online And we'd love to hear from you -- what's your favorite field trip?].

Anonymous said...

Consider these points on your next shopping adventure and remember that the changes you make don't have to be drastic. http://www.lateuggboots.com I a huge fan of blogging for your business. ugg boots on sale Ashish and I shared another daydream, which later became a wager: that our fathers would become Brain Drains. http://www.fitghdhair.com Eight years ago CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) teamed with Vogue Magazine to create a competition like any other you may see on TV. ugg boots I am super excited as we decided to go to New York and have a real cold, snowy and wonderful Christmas.

Anonymous said...

And if you don who takes care of the content models, delivery design, topics maps, localization, customization, standards, publishing pipelines, transformation guidelines, metadata, and all that other stuff that needs to be considered?. http://www.morenorthface.com Often you find the bags at low speed or in a discount. ugg It's hard for me to choose between Martín Palermo and Juan Román Riquelme, both club icons and legendary in their own way. http://www.manyghdhair.com While this example page was removed, during its existence, it created one outstanding example how tricky spammers can get. ugg You can prove it by visiting the site from this article; clicking the links here will directly send you to enter the biggest casino online in Europe.

Anonymous said...

The Regents. ugg You may want to go casual with the shoes. http://www.morenorthface.com Buying jewelry from local stores does not allocate to come across enough choices. cheap ghd It's an iconic brand and the likes of Justin Timberlake, David Beckham and Will Smith can't seem to get enough of the label's classic t-shirts and easy-to-wear sweaters. http://www.manyghdhair.com "Thank God for Katrina Kaif, who stepped forward and escorted him to meet Pamela.

Anonymous said...

gQrb michael kors
pRzl ghd moins cher
dBeh cheap north face
2yGcd ugg sale
3yDwm michael kors purses

Anonymous said...

gZaz cheap ghd australia
xUfk ugg boots uk
iYuo michael kors outlet
3pRwq cheap ugg boots
7cLzs chi iron
4cNtc ghd australia
7cXem cheap nfl jerseys
6dXyi ghd hair straighteners
9hTcl cheap north face
8bSgk botas ugg españa
7rXjg ghd for sale
0sBne michael kors outlet
8bWtu nike nfl jerseys
5jVjl ghd españa
0gAcr discount ugg boots

Anonymous said...

9jSjo ghd hair
kVsw ugg boots sale uk
pIac michael kors handbags
0bYiv GHD Australia
5gUfr burberry store
0fNnw ugg pas cher
2pVli ghd hair straighteners
5fDvc discount louis vuitton
5vMty michael kors sale
7vIai ghd straighteners
1oTgg ugg boots sale
5aWyc cheap nfl jerseys
2gLdo michael kors sale
7xMqu Lisseur GHD
0vJbb cheap ugg boots

Anonymous said...

nZdf coach
zBvx cheap ugg boots uk
pPum michael kors handbags
2yTyw cheap uggs
5oPoy chi hair straightener
6eAmv michael kors purses
8kXwd nfl football jerseys
0hKpm coach outlet online
6wAyp cheap north face
7hGcm ugg españa
0tOts ghd mk4
1nFlb michael kors bags
3xIly nfl shop canada
5lItz ghd baratas
9gZde discount ugg boots

Anonymous said...

YdsGdt http://kuroebaggu.com/ TrbGbs [url=http://kuroebaggu.com/]クロエ[/url] RqtGec http://saiyasunerubutan.com/ ZvzVah [url=http://saiyasunerubutan.com/]ルブタン パンプス[/url] NsgNgl http://mcmhannbai.com/ PmuHys [url=http://mcmhannbai.com/]mcm3806[/url] BisNnk http://vuittonkakaku.com/ UeuSci [url=http://vuittonkakaku.com/]ルイヴィトン 店舗[/url] LlaFhj http://chloenihon.com/ KzmUvb [url=http://chloenihon.com/]クロエ バッグ[/url] KhzFpn http://louboutindendou.com/ XcrRet [url=http://louboutindendou.com/]ルブタン 財布[/url] OyqAgu http://guccisenmon.com/ PsfNdp [url=http://guccisenmon.com/]GUCCI トートバッグ[/url] DzmPmu http://tuminihoo.com/ HvhUme [url=http://tuminihoo.com/]tumi 22117[/url]

Anonymous said...

Howdy! I could have sworn I've been to this blog before but after browsing through a few of the articles I realized it's new to me.
Anyhow, I'm definitely happy I came across it and I'll be book-marking it and checking back frequently!


Review my weblog - outlet Parndorf

Anonymous said...

Naturally came out to meet him![url=http://www.4dmv.com/oakley.php]cheap oakley sunglasses[/url], The Li Yun walked forward,[url=http://www.4dmv.com/montblanc.php]mont blanc refills[/url], the first to bend the bow, said: labor you with climate, cloud humility! Wang Yun laughed and stepped forward to hold up the hands of Li Yun said: Ziling This is to say where the words! Ziling the pillars of this country do not let [url=http://www.acelg.org.au/top.php]nike shoes[/url] climate, that [url=http://www.4dmv.com/toms.php]cheap toms shoes[/url] and other less defiant. To go fast with the [url=http://www.4dmv.com/rayban.php]cheap ray ban sunglasses[/url] ! Then go with Li Yun inside. Li Yun natural in front of everyone smiled and nodded while! Into the hall seated, the Li Yun sitting on the right Lu value Xiashou, sat down, Li Yun glanced seat, but it is two very Li Yun attention, a body wear costumes, very handsome young man, proud of his eyes is so that it dazzling!