Still takes my breath away

The opening ceremony of the 18th Maccabiah was a site to be seen. I can't upload pictures right now because the hotel internet is being cranky, but you can just imagine what it was like to be in the staging area and in the stadium as all the insanity consumes you. Even though this is my second Games in Israel, I was so moved as we walked into the stadium with all the cheering spectators and the music and the “pomp and circumstance” that accompanies an event like this.

Like most things, the “hurry up and wait” mentality really applied. We stood in “rows of eight” for more than an hour and then just mulled around the athlete’s area on the field with no real sense of direction until the formal ceremony began. Even so, you get wrapped up in the energy of it all and those things don’t seem like such a big nuisance in perspective.

Our “issues” with the bowl continued today. After Sunday’s phone calls from the center management to all the team management saying there was money due for our games, the team managers met in the morning to discuss how to handle things. They had found out that it would be 20 shekels a game (about $5), with no free third game and 15 minutes of practice. Everyone who bowled would have to pay in advance and was strongly encouraged to get a receipt.

While getting a receipt is always a good practice no matter where you are, this kind of mistreatment is unacceptable. I decided not to bowl – lest I should give that center any of my money – and have consciously decided not to spend any money there at all. Call it a silent protest, though I haven’t been so silent about it. This is supposed to be a world-class athletic event, and this is not how you treat athlete, whether they are bowlers or swimmers or thumb wrestlers. Hopefully, we’ll be able to make inroads so that these things don’t continue to impede on the focus and enjoyment of future bowlers at future Maccabiah events.

Now the real fun begins, as we kick off with an Official Practice session and Ten-Pin Bowling Opening Ceremony tomorrow … and then we get down to business with Singles on Wednesday and Doubles on Tuesday. See you at the bowl.

Can a hotel earn zero stars?

I know I said that the Galil Hotel was “adequate.” The longer we’ve been here the less the term “adequate” properly describes our lovely accommodations.

Thankfully, nothing in my room has been too earth shattering. But between the broken air conditioner, the cockroaches, the mold, and the fact that the food has been less then stellar, our outlook on this hotel is declining rapidly. If any of the Maccabi USA people are reading this, I’ll be happy to share with you my full report of the hotel … and trust me, there’ll be a line of people there to support me.

But I don’t want to spend all my time complaining about the hotel. I’ll briefly complain about the bowl and then get to the fun stuff. I wrote earlier about how the bowl wouldn’t give us a reduced rate for bowling … but now they are trying to charge us for stuff that they had said they wouldn’t charge us for. Today, the center staff called every delegation to say they owed money for the games that accumulated during the practice time that we get beforehand. They even tried to pit us against one another, but we know the time really is and our team managers will be meeting tomorrow to try and rectify the situation.

Personally, I’m happy not practicing anymore on our own and not buying anything at the bowling center just to prove a point. There is a golden opportunity to make friends who will buy things at the snack bar and bowl extra games and now all that is almost gone. Way to go, Einstein!

Ok, now onto the fun stuff! We’ve had a busy 24 hours since Shabbat ended. First, we got all the bowlers together for a fun dinner at London, a restaurant in the main square of Netanya. While they were a little surprised when we rolled in with about 50 people (between Maccabi bowlers, Australian team management, and Israeli friends), they did a great job to serve us and make us all smile. Kol HaKavod to the London Restaurant.

Then, myself and four of my teammates went with our Sport Coordinator to a bar in Tel Aviv, Clara. We were joined by a few members of the Water Polo team, who have the (dis)pleasure of sharing the lovely Galil Hotel with us. The bar was a blast … there are probably pictures on Facebook to prove it. And on the way home, we had a rip-roaring time in the taxi with the Water Polo boys. USA Bowling … woohoo!

We did find a nice surprise when we returned around 2:30 a.m. … eight Water Polo members were stuck in the elevator. Apparently, one of them had the bright idea of jumping as the elevators was moving down. Now the elevators are only supposed to hold five people and no more than 400kg, and Water Polo guys are not known for their svelte figures. But being that as it may, they rang the alarm that fell on deaf ears, literally. The Fire Department was called and they let them out only after we tried to pry to doors open ourselves with the hi-tech equipment that only exists at the Galil Hotel. Everyone was safe and got back to their room in one piece, but the incident is just one more crazy adventure and another reason why the Galil Hotel earns a raving zero star review.

Tonight, we enjoyed the athlete’s reception/party at Kfar Maccabiah. Besides the fact it was so nice to be back at the Kfar after spending a few days at the Galil Hotel, it was a fun night with lots of music and entertainment. We danced a lot on the tennis court as Israel’s finest in dance and music took the stage. My camera is upstairs and I’ll upload a few pictures tomorrow (I know I say that a lot, but this time I mean it).

And tomorrow, after the big meeting of team leaders, we may practice … though I’d be happy not if it means we can make a point with the center’s management. Then, it’s off to the Opening Ceremony in Ramat Gan. If you have Direct TV, check it out on JLTV or just go JLTV’s website and enjoy the festivities with us.

Settling in to Netanya

There is a distinct change that takes place when we move from Kfar Maccabiah to our accommodation site, this year in Netanya. It’s not just the physical location (though the difference between Ramat Gan and Netanya is not lost on anyone); it’s also about our focus and the pace that we keep.

Our week at the Kfar is jam packed with activities, touring, meetings, and getting to know each other. We were up early for practice and got back late after a full day of touring and had few precious hours for sleep. It was a great opportunity to see and experience Israel, but the pace was fast to say the least. But once the team disperses across Israel, our focus is pretty singular: preparing for competition. Yes there will be fun and enjoyment but it is the quest for gold that moves us all.

So our schedule here is much different. We were fortunate to wake up late (it’s been a rare thing to do that, so you enjoy it while you can) and then enjoyed a lovely hour ride to the bowl … which shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. Apparently, when your driver says he knows where he is going, that doesn’t really mean crap. Essentially, it’s a crap-shoot.

The shot at the bowl was still around third arrow. For the three games I bowled, I was 600 even (stupid 173 game in the middle really fouled things up). I’m still having some trouble getting my feet and sliding under me but I know that will come and it gets better each game. I’ll practice again on Monday and then Tuesday is when we have our official practice.

Besides the slick approaches, the bowl is a little on the warm side. When you walk in, you feel a breeze of cool air, but it’s not overpowering. In general, bowling centers should be cold to spectators so it’s comfortable for the bowlers. We’re going to have quite a time dealing with the heat (and the accompanying sweat) but it’ll be a universal hazard of the game for everyone. Hopefully my little personal fan will serve me well (it may be the best $1.99 I’ve ever spent).

Our day ended with a quick jaunt to the beach, where there was a big Maccabiah Beach Party in Progress. There were a few others going on at the same time and it was good to take a dip into the Mediterranean Sea (even with the little jellyfish bites).

Now, Shabbat is about to begin. Shabbat Shalom l’kulam.

Moving on out …

Our Pre-camp has ended and it’s time to move from Kfar Maccabiah to Netanya as the next chapter in this journey begins. It’s a pretty big ordeal trying to move more than 1,000 people in and out of one hotel. For what it’s worth, things did move pretty smoothly today, even as our luggage was loaded onto a different bus than we were riding on. (Big thanks to the Field Hockey Team, who were patient as we checked and rechecked to make sure all our luggage make it to Netanya, only to find out that some stuff actually got moved onto their bus and wasn’t underneath.)

Our hotel in Netanya, the Galil Hotel is … well … adequate. That’s the word we’ve chosen to describe this place. I wholeheartedly miss our lovely accommodations from four years ago at the Optima Hotel but this will do. I just keep reminding myself that this is much better than the Swan Lake Resort!

Tonight, the semi-finals of the Israeli National Bowling Championships were taking place at the bowling center in Netanya. It gave us a chance to see some of the Israeli Maccabi athletes, check out the competition and the shot, move our equipment to the bowl, and maybe get in some practice. The bowling center is above a Mega supermarket (yes, that really is the name). It’s a nice, modern AMF center.

The scores were pretty mixed in the Championships and some of the men were averaging well over 200. It was nice to connect with some of the people I met in Israel in 2005 and in Australia in 2006 and I’m looking forward to seeing them more over the next two weeks.

As for practice, well that almost didn’t happen. The going rate at the bowling center after 5 p.m. is 25 shekels (about $6.25) per game. Even by U.S. standards, that is pretty steep. We tried to negotiate on our own with the center and they wouldn’t budge. We had our Maccabiah Sport Coordinator try on our behalf and nothing changed. We even had an official from the IBF (Israeli Bowling Federation) and the ETBF (European Tenpin Bowling Federation) try to work their magic but they also came up empty-handed.

In the end, we paid the 25 shekels a game and each only bowled one game (which also came with 15 minutes of practice which was a nice addition), but it was the principle that burned us all. Here we are, athletes coming to Israel for the Maccabiah, and they can’t even give us some kind of break? Surely they would make it up in volume with all the athletes who will be practicing, on their own dime (or shekel in this case) over the next few days. To me, that’s just being pretty shortsighted, but if I ruled the world there would be plenty of things done differently … that’s a soapbox for another time.

Tomorrow our friends from Great Britain, Australia, and Canada are scheduled to arrive and we’ll be checking out the finals of the National Championships. It’s really starting to look like the Maccabiah! Laila tov.

Moving on up …

I decided not to practice this morning. We’d been getting back to Kfar Maccabiah later and later each night and while it wasn’t adversely affecting me yet, I didn’t want to reach that point. So I gladly sat out (along with Meryl) and instead watched my teammates take to the lanes, offering some coaching and words of encouragement. We forget sometimes how important that role is: we can all use another set (or two) of eyes watching out for us and giving us helpful advice to make us better.

As I said, each day we’ve been getting back later than the night before and the trend would continue as we drove up to the Golan Heights (about two hours from our base) to learn about this strategic area in Israel’s north, to enjoy some outdoor fun and games (like biking and rappelling), and swim in the fresh, warm water of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). The biking was a challenge (I don’t profess to be Lance Armstrong, but those ascents on uneven terrain will kill anyone’s knees) and the long walks in the hot sun were draining, but to come to Tzemach Beach and just watch the sun set over the Sea of Galilee as we relax and enjoy the time in Israel was our just dessert.

During our time here, I’ve introduced my teammates to some of Israel’s finer things in life. One of those is the Magnum Ice Cream bar. The name aside, this is one of the best treats you can enjoy. Yes, ice cream in Israel just tastes better (my mother will attest to that … ice cream shops in Netanya are awaiting her arrival). And Magnum bars are just little pieces of heaven on a stick. So anywhere we stop, someone is buying a Magnum.



If only we had them in the United States, we’d probably have many more smiling faces. I guess the only way to taste it for yourself is to come to Israel and grab yourself a Magnum (ok, stop with the silly jokes, we’ve been making them all the past few days).

Is it really different bowling in Israel?

Somehow, I managed to bowl plus for the day (more than 200 per game is considered “plus). In this bowling center, that’s a big accomplishment. Even in Israel, Ramat Gan Bowling is now known as a great center to bowl in; when we would tell other bowlers (especially Israelis) that we are practicing there, they had very few nice things to say.

So many people ask, “What’s the difference between different bowling centers? Why do you travel with so many bowling balls?” At its base level, bowling is a simple sport: take a round ball, roll it down a flat lane toward ten pins and hope for a strike. At a more competitive level – whether in league or competition – bowlers are thinking about so much more: cover stock, oil pattern, axis of rotation, revs, break point, and more. Those who are students of the game are constantly thinking about the physics and geometry of the game. To really understand all aspects of the game, it takes a lot of thought off the lanes. By the time you step onto the approach, all your thinking should be done and muscle memory should take over.

For some reason, at Ramat Gan Bowling, my muscle memory ceases to exist. If I’m lucky, I’ll get on a stretch of a few frames and ride out the smooth motion. We all went through it many times over during the practice time at Ramat Gan – one shot you could be in a groove and the next shot you are just scratching your head, wondering where your smooth shot went. It’s all part of the fun, I guess. So to bowl plus for my two games I was pretty happy.

Our day of touring included our trek to the Dead Sea, Masada, and dinner at the Bedouin tent. All three are interesting for their own reason. There is nothing better than watching a bunch of people slather mud all over themselves and then float in the Dead Sea. For the record, I neither slathered nor floated – the mud thing doesn’t interest me much and I find the water gross to the touch. It has a viscous feel to it because of the salt and all the minerals in it. So, I was content putting in my feet and just sitting on a chair for a while. It did wonders for the callous on my toe.

From there, we ascended Masada and took in the glorious views of the entire area, where you can see clear across to Jordan and all the way to the edge of the Judean Mountains. Masada has become one of those “go-to” places on any organized trip – aside from the incredible story of what took place there with King Herod and our ancestors hundreds of years ago, there is the sheer accomplishment of just ascending the mountain and making the trip back down. As has become tradition, we rode the cable car up and took the path down near twilight. Watching then entire Team USA snake down the path was a truly amazing site. (Note: pictures will be posted tomorrow … my camera is upstairs and I don’t have those pictures downloaded onto the laptop yet).

Finally, we gorged on delicious vittles prepared by our Bedouin hosts, complete with homemade pita bread and chicken kabobs. These are people that can cook and entertain! Martha Steward has nothing on them.

Tomorrow, we go in the other direction, up north to the Golan Heights and the Kinneret.

Discovering Jerusalem’s Old City

Yerushalyim Shel Zahav, Jerusalem of Gold. Today’s itinerary for pre-camp – The City of David, the Water Tunnels, The Western Wall, and the Old City (including the Cardo) – is one of my favorites. It was a long day that concluded the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony and a celebratory dinner at Hebrew University. Incidentally, I'm still not a fan of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony but that's a "me" thing I guess; it was quite uplifting and we were all very proud of Jara for choosing to become a Bat Mitzvah at the ceremony.

In Jerusalem’s Old City, everywhere you look is a piece of history and everything you see is a picture of beauty. As we walked all throughout the city (both aboveground and under it) my eyes kept darting everywhere, soaking in new little visuals of life past and present.

It was also our chance to ascend to the Western Wall. When we came to Israel four years ago, I ended up not going to the wall because I didn’t have the proper clothing. This time, I wasn’t going to make that mistake and I came ready to go. The wall – it’s sheer size, the feel of the rocks on your fingers, the rush of activity that takes place all around – always moves me to tears and this time was no different.

While we were at the wall, we took an obligatory team picture. Here you can check out all our smiling faces: Jim, Jara, Andy, Bobby, me, Eric, and Meryl. I think Uri was taking off his t’fillin at the time and almost missed the bus!

As for the morning’s practice, things thankfully went better today. I knew that one day wasn’t a good test and while it was still a challenge (190 on the short oil, 184 on the long oil), I felt much better when I left. Ramat Gan is known for being a very challenging house and I can live with scores like that, especially knowing that overall, I was throwing quality shots and making (some of) my spares … that’s where I need to make some improvement, but all in due time.

Tomorrow is our day at the Dead Sea, Masada, and the Bedouin hospitality. It’s another long day full of lots of fun and excitement. Off to bed ….