Tag Archives: travel

How Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

animal bridges
Norwegian wildlife crossing. Photo by Shira Tamir.

Some countries don’t question a chicken’s motives for crossing the road, but instead invest in ways to help the chicken cross it safely and more effectively.

#howdidthechickencrosstheroad #wildlifecrossing #animalbridge #animalwelfare #respectnature #theywereherefirst #whereareYOURtaxesgoing

Recommended Link: 12 Amazing Animal Bridges Around the World

They Just Stand There Shining

“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”
– Anne Lamott

Helpful Reminders Along My Path

The universe keeps speaking on my little journey, and I keep listening.

Found on the fridge of the house I'm staying at: "The clearer your vision of what you seek, the closer you are to finding it, for what you are seeking is also seeking you."
Found on the fridge of the house I’m staying at: “The clearer your vision of what you seek, the closer you are to finding it, for what you are seeking is also seeking you.”
The t-shirt of a traveling hippie/nurse I met tonight: "Life is good. Simple as that."
The t-shirt of a traveling hippie/nurse I met tonight: “Life is good. Simple as that.”
The sticker on a very weird and very cool instrument that the hippie nurse brought with her (which i totally rocked in an impromptu jam session): "Momentum is on our side.
The sticker on a very weird and very cool instrument that the hippie nurse brought with her (which i totally rocked in an impromptu jam session): “Momentum is on our side.”

Imagine If the World Had No Borders

imagine a world with no borders

Imagine if the world had no borders, and you didn’t need passports and visas and permits and all that crap, you could just go settle down wherever you felt you wanted to be, whenever you felt you wanted to be there. Farmers would go to the best farming land, surfers would follow the best waves, artists could chase their highest inspirations, hipsters would scope out the best cities for their hipster needs. You could live in whatever culture you resonated most with, speak among whatever languages wanted to roll off your tongue, follow whatever government or laws you agreed most with. You could choose your favorite climate, you could gaze out into your favorite night sky, you could connect with whatever fellow humans you wanted to connect with. The entire living, breathing being we call Earth would be your Mother and your Home. Imagine that. <3

No Offense to London

Dude at the passport check thingie: “Are you here for business or pleasure?”
Me: “Pleasure.”
Him: “Then why are you here for only 3 days?”
Me: “Because Im here for a seminar.”
Him: “So then its for business…”
Me: “No…its for pleasure….”
Him: (Blank stare) “What do you mean?”
Me: “I mean its a seminar im taking for pleasure…because i want to.”
Him: (Blank stare)
Me: (Blank stare)
Him: “Do you have your return flight details?”
Me: “Yes, here.” (Reaches for my phone)
Him: “Put your phone away, miss!”
Me: “Um, that’s where the details are…”
Him: “Why aren’t they printed?”
Me: “Because i haven’t checked in yet?”
Him: “Show me the flight details.”
Me: “Can i take out my phone?…”
Him: “OK. Have you been to London before?”
Me: “Nope.”
Him: “So how is it that you’re not staying longer?”
Me: “Because I’ve already been traveling for a month and I’m ready to go home.”
Him: (Blank stare)
Me: “No offense to London…..”
Him: “Enjoy your stay.”

@ Heathrow Airport

Enlightenment Is Like a Ladder

Enlightenment is like a ladder
Photo by Shira Tamir

The year was 2007. I found myself at a run-down internet cafe in Kashmir talking to a sweet, old man about enlightenment and the impending shift in human consciousness.

“It is like a ladder,” he explained in broken English. “Some people are lower, some are higher. But we all come from the same place and we are all going to the same place.”

Is Someone Trying To Tell Me Something?

I woke up this morning thanking the Universe “for the upcoming day, for the new opportunities that will open up for me, for the people that will cross my path and the coincidences or synchronicity of events that will help me to find my true purpose and higher Self.”  (It’s something new I decided to try…)

A couple of hours later, an old friend I used to work with suddenly messaged me asking how I was doing and what I have been up to lately.

I told him a quick overview of my situation, which right now consists basically of the fact that I recently returned from a very inspirational journey to India and that I am focusing on my writing, browsing new income options and slowly trying to find my place back on track in the “real” world.

“Yeah, but what about singing?”, he asked. “Are you singing??”

I was surprised by his question:

A) because I was surprised that he remembered how much I love singing and that he actually cared whether I was doing it or not
and B) because it was one of the things that had often crossed my mind (and my path) when I was in India.

First of all, I had been faced with certain social situations on the trip where I was challenged to overcome my shyness and so-called “stage fright” in order to enjoy the situations to their fullest. For example:

    • performing a Hebrew song for the beautiful Muslim family that hosted us on their houseboat in Kashmir (they insisted I sing!)
    • or learning to let go and sing freely in my room even after realizing that the acoustics in the guesthouse we were staying at were horrible and that everybody could hear everybody whether we liked it or not. This, by the way, I learned on my first day there after innocently singing to myself in my room only to have one of the guests who was staying one floor below me tell me I have a really nice voice..

So not only was I challenged to face my fears, but what was even more intense was the sudden deep calling I started feeling to somehow combine my love of singing with my spiritual path. I just wasn’t sure what that meant. And it was very “convenient” for me to simply forget all about it, especially when I returned home.

That is, until my old friend asked me the million dollar question above and I was instantly sucked back into pondering the whole thing again. The only answer that seemed to come out was, “Not yet, but I will.”

So that was that.

Later this evening, I went to try a Kundalini Yoga class for the first time in my life. The class was pretty interesting (though I don’t have much to compare it to) but what caught my attention most was a certain song that the teacher played at the end of the lesson. It was a mantra, a sort of prayer that repeated itself over and over, sung by a woman with a beautiful and angelic voice. Something about her instantly caught my attention and I was intrigued to find out who she was or what her name was. It also got me thinking once again about using singing as a form of getting spiritual messages across. I contemplated asking the teacher the name of the singer but for some reason, I just picked up my stuff and left, humming the song in my head.

Again, more “convenient.”

And back to my computer I went, only to find a random forwarded mail, waiting in my inbox. It read the following:

Recommended website: A singer who is all light and love.. Music for the soul:
http://www.snatamkaur.com/web10.html

I had the honor of discovering the singer Snatam Kaur earlier this week. She really is a channel of purity that connects to higher dimensions.

I clicked the link, and to my shock and delight, the song that started playing on her homepage was.. you guessed it.. the same exact song I had just heard at the class… the same angelic voice.

I was floored.

I was inspired.

And after reading about her life, I was even more inspired.

So anyway, I don’t know what to do with all this yet.

But I guess I can start by thanking the Universe for the upcoming day, for the new opportunities that will open up for me, for the people that will cross my path and the coincidences or synchronicity of events that will help me to find my true purpose and higher Self.

Where the Hell is Israel? Matt Harding Finds Out

YouTube legend Matt Harding(aka “Where The Hell is Matt”) dropped by Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv to film his Israeli fans dancing for his third YouTube clip. When my husband and I found out, we decided to join in, of course!

For those who still don’t know Matt’s story, here’s a rundown:

A few years back, Matt decided to screw everything, quit his 9 to 5 day job working with computer games and travel around the world. A friend of his came up with the idea to film Matt doing his “unique” dance at every location they went to and made the first “Where the Hell is Matt” video clip. The clip was an overnight YouTube success, which quickly got a chewing gum company called Stride to make Matt the following offer (more or less):

“Plan another trip around the world, anywhere you wantall expenses paid by us, and make a second clip for YouTube. All we want in return is that you write, “Thank you to Stride” at the end of the clip.”

Matt agreed. (Duh, you think?)

And so, here he is in the heart of Tel Aviv, filming yet another clip around the world, explaining how it is gonna work and demonstrating his infamous dance to the delight of the participants. I filmed this from inside the group of dancers:

For the record, Matt was charming and friendly (even in the scorching sun) and it was a pleasure making a fool out of myself for him:

Here Matt hands out Stride Gum bracelets to participants after they sign the release form:

Matt hands out Stride Gum bracelets to participants

Matt sneaks a peek at the camera before his girlfriend starts filming:

Matt Harding and his girlfriend sneak a peak at the dancers

Me, Matt and Niv (my hubby)

Me, Matt and Niv (my hubby)

You can see more video footage from the event on Ynet, (I’m the girl in the close-up at 1:01 being blinded by the sun).

This month alone, Matt has already managed to shoot his infamous dance in Portugal, France, Belgium, Sweden and now, Israel.

The final product is said to be up and running on the web in a couple of months.

Thanks, Matt, for spreading the love.

******************

UPDATE:

The finished video!