December (Lt. ‘gruodis’) is named after harsh, dry frost (‘gruodas’). After several global-warming type of winters, it’s already the second which is exceptionally cold. It is -13 at the moment, and if it goes down even more, it seems that eyelids will freeze together after every blink. Like any stronger weather-related phenomenon, snow exposes the mismanagement of Vilnius’ streets. Sloping, …
Visit to Ramleh + some reflections on Lithuania
Some Israeli friends invited me to visit an unrecognised village in Ramleh, where they took part in an artistic protest. They told me that the families that live there were expelled from their original villages after the Independence of Israel was announced and in a period of rather lawless situation many Arab residents were forced to leave their homes. Many …
Nightlife in Lithuania: call it night, but life???
When you go out in Lithuania in summer, prepare to dance in plenty of space and give yourself a moment to carefully pick your shoes! Adequate shoes may be key to a good party. I know all too well that after returning from Tel Aviv, where everything is open all night long and summer stands for more clubbing and better …
Visszontlatasra Tel Aviv, and shalom Budapest
So, just as you know, I continue to move around. Greetings from Budapest this time! One week in advance I was already worried: I’ll be travelling with lots of things, including books, notes in a rare language, and so on. I had heard legends of Israeli border controls, but only my small luggage had previously aroused their suspicion.
No peace for Abraham to rest
The ancient town of Hebron (West Bank) once looked very promising. Its ancient Jewish community, more or less continuously living in the city, which claims to host the tomb of Abraham (considered both the first Jew and the first Muslim in history), had many things to share with its Arab neighbors. For example, one prayer house, built by Herod, used …
Behind the Green Line
Thanks to I. I had a rare opportunity to celebrate Passover in a settlement called Efrata (or Efrat), which is in the Gush Etzion territory (West Bank).
Tel Aviv Drum beach
Dozens of drummers showing what they can without any coordination, sharing the joy of music and togetherness until the sun sets and Shabbat descends – this is what the Drum Beach in Tel Aviv is about. The beach is on the southern part of the city’s coastline, and it’s proud to be the capital of musical, dance and acrobatic improvisation …
Graffiti and other street art in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is a very colourful city with various spaces. Some of these spaces feel more bourgeois, others feel cosy and simple. Therefore the city is a good playground for people who like to make some kind of contribution to the way the city looks like. South Tel Aviv, where I live, is especially rich in street art.
Tartu: small but dynamic
It’s a bit more than an hour since I returned from a lovely trip to Estonia, and I want to start from the freshest impressions. Those come from Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia. Tartu is known as a student city with a laid-back character. Everything is more or less within a walking distance, so Tartu people consider everything …
Post-conflict, multicultural and other landscapes in Novi Sad and Belgrade
I’m back from Serbia, where I went for my summer school (it was a part of the programme). We went there to study how various aid from international donors impacts (or not) media development. What we saw was, however, different than expected. Most of donor support went to Belgrade. Many people we interviewed in the public radio never had any …