1984-1985 Rothberg Yearbook

" T o o t h b r u s h ” ? “ C h e c k .”
" U n d e r w e a r ” ? “ C h e c k .”
“ P a s s p o r t” ? " C h e c k .”
“ T ra v e lle rs c h e q u e s ” ? “ C h e q u e .”
“ B a n d -A id s ” ? B a rb a ra a s k e d . “ B a n d -A id s ” ?
s c re a m e d .
“ F o r b lis te r s ,” s a id s h e , w ith th e p a s s iv ity o f a w o r ld
tra v e lle r . " C h e c k ,” I c o n c e d e d .
A n d so g o e s th e la s t-m in u te in s p e c tio n o f m y p a c k .
T o m o r r o w , 6 a .m . P A R IS . N erv e s? T h e s to m a c h . E x c ite ­
m e n t? E y e b a lls, p a lm s , k n e e s.
T h e f ir s t m a jo r e x c u rs io n o u ts id e o f Israel s in c e m y
a rriv a l in J u ly , s ix m o n th s e a rlie r. H E L P !
“ D o y o u th i n k t h e p la n e w ill ta k e o f f o n tim e ” ?
“ I’ve n e v e r h e a rd o f a p la n e n o t ta k in g o f f o n tim e
b e c a u s e it w a s c o ld in T e l-A v iv ,” a n s w e rs th e w o rld
tra v e lle r.
T h is is lu d ic ro u s . I k n o w plenty a b o u t p la n e s , a n d
p a c in g , a n d a ir p o r ts , a n d c u s to m s o ffic ia ls . I’v e b e e n
a r o u n d . S o w h y a m I b e h a v in g lik e a 3 -y e a r-o ld ? B e c a u se
I’m e g o in g t o P a ris to m o r r o w . G o t o s le e p . T h e n to m o r r o w
w ill b e to d a y .
T o d a y . W h e re is t h a t sherutl In th e b a c k s e a t, I a m
c o n s id e rin g fo rg iv in g 3 5 s e c o n d s la te . D o e s h e d e s ire m y
fo rg iv e n e ss ? N o w a y . T h r e e to u r is ts w e a rin g “ S h a lo m
Is ra e l” h a ts p ilin g in f r o n t o f th e I n te r C o n tin e n ta l H o te l.
T w o H a sid s g o in g t o N ew Y o r k . A m y s te r io u s m a n w ith a
b r ie fc a s e , m o s t d e f in ite ly c o n ta in in g a b o m b , a n d m y s e lf —
B e n -G u rio n b o u n d .
A ir p o r t. In lin e f o r s e c u r ity c h e c k . C ro w d s o f g ig a n tic
p r o p o r tio n s . “ E x c u s e m e , s ir, c o u ld y o u p le a s e lift y o u r
lu g g age c a r t o f f m y t o e s ” ? " M a d a m e , w o u ld y o u re m o v e
y o u r u m b re lla f r o m m y d e r r iè r e ? ” T h a n k y o u . W h e re a re
F r e d ie a n d J e a n - F ra n c o is ? " D e b !
M y f a v o r ite C a n a d ia n
g irl,” I h e a r in h is c h a rm in g F re n c h a c c e n t. M y f a v o r ite
fro g g y a n d h is b e s t f r ie n d a r e m y tra v e lin g c o m p a n io n s f o r
th e f lig h t. W e h a v e n ’t liv ed in th is c o u n t r y f o r h a lf a y e a r
f o r n o th in g . U sin g o u r b a n k a n d p o s t o ffic e s tra te g ie s w e
s u rv iv e th e im m e n s e lin e u p a n d e m e rg e h a g g a rd b u t in ta c t.
T h e p la n e . W e a r e f in a lly o n th e w a y . I m im ic th e
“ flig h t a t t e n d e n t " as s h e in s t r u f - th e p a s s e n g e rs in th e
e m e rg e n c y p r o c e d u r e s . I a m a p r o . I’v e h e a rd it a h u n d r e d
tim e s . T h e m o u n ta in s o f Y u g o sla v ia r e s t m a je s tic a lly
b e n e a th F r e d d ie a n d m e as w e s p e a k F r e n c h . I n e e d
p r a c tic e d e s p e r a te ly . It h a s b e e n w ell o v e r a y e a r s in c e I
u tte r e d un mot. B re a k fa s t. G ro ss . " H e r e , J e a n -F ra n c o is .
G iv e m in e t o th e m a n b e s id e y o u . H e s till lo o k s h u n g r y .” I
f in is h m y b o o k . T w o h o u r s b e f o r e w e re a c h o u r fin a l
d e s tin a tio n , a n d I’m b o r e d . F r e d d ie is a s le e p a n d J e a n -
F ra n c o is is p ic k in g u p a girl in th e s m o k in g s e c tio n . I h a v e
re a d th e in -flig h t m a g a z in e a d o z e n tim e s . I d e c id e to p la y
w ith m y c u tic le s . I flip a im le ss ly th r o u g h m y p a s s p o rt. M y
U .C ./S a n D ie g o s t u d e n t v isa is th e r e . J a p a n . H o n g K o n g .
M e x ic o . S in g a p o re . T h a ila n d . S in a i. Isra e l. It is all h e re .
S o o n , F r a n c e w ill o c c u p y a s p a c e o n a p in k p ag e.
B lin k . O f f g o e s th e s e a t b e lt sign. “ W a k e u p F re d d ie ,
w e ’re h e r e ! ” W e s c ra m b le t o c o lle c t o u r b e lo n g in g s a n d
p lu n g e o u rs e lv e s in to th e lin e to d is e m b a r k . S tra n g e ly , th e s e
s a m e p e o p le w h o p u s h e d a n d f o r c e d th e ir w a y o n to th e
p la n e s e e m f a r m o re ta m e a n d h u m a n e o n th is E u r o p e a n
tu r f . T h r o u g h a n e n d le s s c o r r id o r t o c u s to m s a n d im m ig ra ­
tio n . P age e le v e n re c e iv e s th e b lo w o f F r e n c h r u b b e r . W hy
c a n th e s e o f fic e rs n o t c h o o s e a b la n k p a g e ? W o u ld O rly
I n te r n a tio n a l a n d T a b a b o r d e r s ta tio n m a k e a g o o d
p a r tn e r s h ip ?
W h e re is h e ? !? L a z y Israeli c o u l d n ’t e v e n d ra g h is b u t t
to th e a i r p o r t to p ic k m e u p ? S p o k e n to o s o o n . R e lie f.
T h e r e h e is, w a itin g , re d ro s e in h a n d . G r e e tin g c e re m o n ie s
c o m p le te d , w e p ic k u p m y p a c k a n d h e a d f o r th e re v o lv in g
d o o rs .
H ey ! I t ’s w a rm a n d s u n n y h e re ! N ice c h a n g e fro m th e
c h illin g , m o n s o o n ic c o n d itio n s I h a d le f t b e h in d in
J e ru s a le m .
W arm w e a th e r a n d s u n d o e s n o t la s t lo n g in P aris, in
F e b r u a r y . N ig h tfa ll. R a in . C o ld . B la h . B la h ? N e v e r in P aris.
F irs t ‘ n ig h t. E v e n in g s tr o ll d o w n C h a m p s-E ly s é e s .
M a g n ifiq u e ! T o m y s u r p ris e (a n d G a d i’s ), I re a lly c a n s p e a k
F r e n c h . I s u p p o s e all th o s e y e a rs o f d e d ic a tio n a n d
p e rs e v e ra n c e (o r f o r c e d s u p p r e s s io n b y a C a n a d ia n s c h o o l
b o a r d ) p a id o ff.
W e ek o n e . N o tr e D a m e , S a c re C o e u r, M o n tm a r tre ,
V e rs a ille s , S t. G e r m a in d e s P res, P ig alle, P lac e d u T e r tr e ,
O p e ra , L o u v re . H o w ? H o w H o w !! In c re d ib le a r c h i te c tu r e
a b o u n d s e v e ry w h e re . W e c lim b b ell to w e r a f t e r b e ll to w e r
u n til all b e g in t o lo o k lik e g ia n t b a g e tte s , s tr e tc h in g
o m in o u s ly t o t h e c lo u d s a b o v e . W e w itn e s s a s o m b re m a ss
in a n a m e le s s C a th e d r a l. T h e c o n t r a s t in r e lig io u s s ig n ific
a n c e , to se v e n m o n th s o f J u d a is m is a lm o s t o v e rw h e lm in g .
A rt? A d r e a m . A d a y in th e L o u v re m a d e lig itim a te b y
th e " S u r v e y o f R e n a is s a n c e A r t in E u r o p e ” ta k e n la s t
W in te r Q u a r te r .
N ig h t life? S p e c ta c u la r! W e s tro ll a lo n g s tr e e ts b u r s tin g
w ith lig h t, s o u n d , la u g h te r a n d e n e rg y . W h a t d o y o u
s u p p o s e th e m o n th ly e le c tr ic ity b ill is fo r th is c ity ? P e o p le
sp ill o u t o f c r o w d e d r e s ta u r a n ts a n d b a rs . W e jo in th e flo w
a n d a re c a p tiv a te d b y its m a g ic.
W e a r e in a v e ry c u t e little r e s ta u r a n t in th e L a tin
Q u a r te r w ith C h e ry l a n d f r ie n d s . T h e s m o k e is th ic k . T h e
d e c ib e l level p e a k s . W a ite rs a n d w a itr e s s e s s c u rry a r o u n d
lik e m ic e , c o n f i d e n t w ith th e ir te r r ito r y . A n o th e r r o u n d o f
K irs b e f o r e d in n e r? C o u ld I re fu s e ? G a d i p o u r s t h e w in e
d e f tly . H e lo v e s b e in g t h e o n ly m a le a t th e ta b le . D e s e rt. A
se x u a l jo k e w ith a n in v e rte d c o n e a n d tw o s c o o p s o f ice
c re a m . S p e c ia lity o f th e h o u s e . S e rv e d to la d ie s o n ly .
S e c o n d w e e k . S id e trip t o N e u c h a te l, S w itz e r la n d to
v isit R o c h . S n o w w a rm s m y C a n a d ia n h e a rt. “ D e a r e s t G a d i,
th a n k s f o r th e h a n d f u l d o w n m y b a c k .” R o c h e lle is in
c h o c o la te h e a v e n . R e m e m b e r th e S u c h a r d f a c to r y ? P riv a te ,
c la n d e s tin e to u r . H o w m a n y a s h tr a y s c a n w e a d o p t fro m
e a c h r a c l e tt e r e s ta u r a n t w e v isit? S w iss a rm y k n iv e s a n d
C o u p e D e n m a rk s , w e th r e e “ d o ” th e to w n . H e a d lin e :
“ H e b re w U . in v a d e s N e u c h a te l! ” O u r la st n ig h t w e c e le b r a te
in a d a r k little p u b . T h e b e e r s te in c o v e rs m y fa c e . G o o d b y e
R o c h . N e x t w e e k in J e ru s a le m .
W e a re b a c k in P a ris f o r la s t- m in u te s ig h ts a n d
s h o p p in g . G e o rg e P o m p id o u C e n tre , M u se e J e u d e P a u m e .
W a lk s a lo n g th e S e in e , la T o u r E iffe l. I s a tis fy m y c ra v in g
f o r n e w c lo th e s . It is f u n n y h o w th o s e th in g s s e e m so
u n i m p o r ta n t in Israel. W e d a s h t o all th o s e p la c e s w e d re a d
t o m iss a n d re v isit th o s e w e lo v e m o s t. M y f a v o r ite s p o t? S t.
M ich e l, th e S o r b o n n e , C a fe S e le c t ( H e m ’s h a n g o u t) .
O u r n e w S w a tc h e s tic k in u n is o n as w e re a liz e t h a t o u r
s o jo u rn is c o m in g to a n e n d . W e a re q u ie t fo r a fe w
m o m e n ts as w e r e f le c t o n all t h a t w e h a v e s e e n , h e a rd ,
s m e lle d a n d e x p e rie n c e d . W e a b s o r b th e la s t s n a tc h e s o f
P a ris ia n life. I a m sad . I d o n ’t w a n t to le av e th is p la c e . I w ill
b e h o m e to m o r r o w . H o m e ? D id I say h o m e ? I m e a n
J e ru s a le m . Is t h a t h o m e ? W ell, w ith p rid e a b o u n d in g , I c a n
a s s e rtiv e ly a n s w e r in th e p o s itiv e . T h a t is a b r ig h t th o u g h t.
Y e s, I w ill b e in o n e o f m y tw o h o m e s to m o r r o w , a n d t h a t
m a k e s le av in g fa r m o r e p le a s a n t.
D E B R A A . K A R P
T o r o n t o , C a n a d a
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