Anti-Social No More!

Everyone who knows me, knows that, for the past 10 or so years, I have avoided any event that attracts a lot of people. Everything ranging from concerts to crowded bars has given me a chance to utilize my hyperactive imagination to come up with excuses that sound better than: "I don't want to go".

Also, I do suffer from social anxiety. I generally feel endlessly uncomfortable in a crowd of people, unless it is a yoga class. For some reason, even walking into a studio where English is, at best, a second language, has never given me the willies. But a packed bar full of native-English speakers? Totally terrifying.

As you have read before, I was unable to resist the call to be at Kikar Rabin for the Independence Day celebration/fireworks/freak show. And I had a great time. Of course, it is always much easier to do things when you have the protection of a circle of friends around you.

Today, I got a call from Vered, telling me that there was an event at Kikar Dizengoff, and I should check it out and then come see her at her shop. It being Friday, the equivalent of an American Saturday, and, since I had no paperwork obligations to tend to (hallelujah!), I decided to go.

Vered failed to tell me the scale of the event at Kikar Dizengoff. It was a festival that blocked off traffic on Dizengoff Street (a major roadway here) from King George to Frischmann, about 8 city blocks. The street, which also contains the Dizengoff Mall, which has levels of walkways crossing over the road itself, was PACKED with people. The first thing I saw was a fenced-in area where men were playing basketball. I could hear loud and familiar music playing from nearby, so, after checking out the game, I walked 20 meters further and found another fenced-in area that had several ramps on which people were doing bike jumps and tricks. There was a DJ playing hip hop that I actually knew. I muscled my way to the front so I could watch and take a few photos.

Moving ahead through the crowd, I stopped in to visit Liat at Jungle, a pet store where I like to visit with the chinchillas. I had never held a chinchilla before, and the first thing I said as one began to nuzzle me was "I can understand why people make coats out of you, even though it's mean". Those things are SOFT. If you have an opportunity to cuddle a chinchilla, take it. Fortunately for me, cats are notorious chinchilla-hunters, so I have no risk of wanting to bring one home. I can already picture Isabelle licking her chops and trying to look innocent while belching ultra-soft gray fur. The whole staff of Jungle gathered around today to watch my video of Avi walking towards the camera. No one here had ever heard of a Munchkin cat, and they have now asked me to send the video to them so they can post it on their website. Although they only sell small pets (chinchillas, guinea pigs, rabbits, and fish), I think they are interested in the Munchkin market now. Avi is, after all, a small pet.

I then walked past a stage where an Israeli hip-hop group was performing. I think I've heard them before, but I have, evidently, walked past many famous people in my neighborhood, and I just don't recognize them. The lack of "US Weekly Israel" and "Israeli PEOPLE" has given celebrities here a certain amount of privacy. There is already a Cosmopolitan Israel, so we can help spread American body-image issues throughout the world. It is a perfect match with America's other great gift to Israel: McDonald's. Really. It is disturbing to see that word spelled phonetically in Hebrew.

But I digress. About a block further down the street was another stage where an Israeli rock band was performing. The singer was female, and was kicking ass. All around me, people were passing out little Israeli flags. I love that about this country. They are always celebrating their country, always proud, and always having fun. There were stands on the street selling jewelry, purses, and even beer. On the street. Shabat Shalom indeed.

The crowd began to look a little different. It was pure American 80s punk: colorful spiked hair, black eyeliner centimeters thick, Doc Martens, ripped jeans or tights, and safety pins everywhere. The next stage was an Israeli punk band. They were, evidently, on a break, because I didn't hear them. But their fans were waiting.

By the time I got to Vered's shop to say hello, I was reeling from the energy of this street festival. I stayed there for coffee, then went back out to see more. By this point, most shops were closing for Shabat, but the festival looked far-from-over. The street vendors were still out, and the beer was still flowing. I even watched a group of kids in a mosh pit 6 lanes wide rocking out to the very American, proudly Irish-in-heritage rap band House of Pain. It was a recording of the song "Jump Around", which, if you were alive in the early 90s and going to the bars, you must admit that you, too, put your arms in the air and jumped in unison with the rest of the drunks as Everlast shouts "jump!jump!jump!jump!" Admit it. I saw you.

So I have found myself embracing more social activity here. I want to see and experience as much as I can. Granted, I didn't know what I was getting into when I set out on my walk this morning, but I'm glad I did. The energy was infectious, and it put me in a very good mood. And anyone who knows me, knows that it is not always easy to do that, either...