The program was held in the gardens surrounding the Haifa Pilgrim House! It was a beautiful day, matched with a beautiful selection of prayers and readings and with smiling, beautiful, diverse people. This photo was snapped by Leila, my favorite photographer and blogger here (among other things). Follow the links to her flickr album of more photos she took this day. Then follow the link to her blog to see what I aspire to be.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/songtuyuri/sets/72157600155989068/
http://www.lovefromleila.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
The hush-hush dinner that went from a quiet party of three to a boisterous feast of 13
The story behind this not-so-secret-anymore Indian restaurant hidden away in a top-floor flat of a residential building is a classic tale of amazing coincidences. My friend John, speaker of approximately 72 1/2 languages and who is teaching himself Hebrew, received a flier the same day he just so happened to learn to read the words for "food" and "Indian". Understand that there are few to no places to find the delicious spiciness, the curries, the samosas, the naan and masala chai, so you can imagine John and his wife Natascha's gleefulness at their discovery. A common instinct upon finding one's self in this position, privy to a one-of-a-kind restaurant with only a handful of tables to seat guests (two in the living room, one where the dining table would go and one in each of the bedrooms), is to cherish the few days that it remains under the radar and you still can easily make reservations. This phenomenon was underscored by the fact that the restaurant is only opened on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Friday lunches. This is why I felt so privileged to have Ana (on the right in the photo) invite me along one evening and eagerly agreed to be sworn to secrecy. Come the Tuesday we had our reservation we find out in the table next to us would be 10 of our Baha'i World Centre friends. Of course when we arrived at the restaurant with Abi (on the left) we were quickly assimilated into the larger party and found our spots around the low table, sitting cross-legged on plush floor cushions. We dined with John and Natascha so Simon (that's the chef) showered us with special attention in addition to the yummy food. He even brought me dairy-free dessert and sage tea.
Naw Ruz 2007 (Dinner and games)
Roxanne and Anis slaved away in the kitchen to nourish hoardes of people hungry from circumabulating the Shrine of the Bab (among the many other Naw Ruz activities that day which spent energy that needed replenishing) especially considering that the breaking of the Fast induces a slight degree of over-indulgence in Baha'is revelling in the "Yawmullah" (Day of God). After our fill of Persian food and several rounds of extraordinary desserts (all deserving of a medal), the diverse invitees--- ranging from 3-day-visitors to pilgrims, rookie staff to seasoned staff, and even a few wise, long-surviving staff members--- enjoyed a classic ice-breaker game: Two Truths and a Lie. I am unhappy to report that no bought my lie that I'm a trophy-winning surfer....
Dinner celebration, Ridvan and Roxanne's birthday
Even in Haifa, Israel the adage rings true that the best restaurants are often in the sketchiest neighborhoods. Down by the port, among the abandoned warehouses, you'll find 24 Hamanal (both the address and the name of the restaurant.) You have to walk there, as the taxi drivers can't seem to navigate the maze of construction detours, and the chunky gravel road running in front of the building tells you this alley is not yet friendly to cars, much less high-heel shoes... but it's worth it once you walk up the steep, narrow staircase and find yourself transported somewhere... European.... From the Tuscany-inspired decor (note the window flower boxes, crumbling stone walls and wrought-iron railing in the background) to the absence of hummus and zataar in the fusion cuisine, you just don't feel like you are in Haifa anymore, or a back-alley restaurant in the dodgy wrong part of town, for that matter.
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