Nicholas Croce's Blog

While I've been here, I've developed a major problem, and I thought it was time to tell all of you... I have been, well, it's hard to put it — how do I put it? To put it plainly (the only way to ever put anything), folks: I have a book-buying problem. When my mother came to visit me in Jerusalem back in January, we were fairly certain I would be coming home with her. Of course, neither of us expected the last-minute phone call from Amnesty International Israel. So, I recall, our last day or two, composed mainly of shipping books back to either my grandmother or to my mom's house. Oh, and no, no no, when we talk about shipping books, we are most definitely not talking about throwing them in a box and slapping some tape on the seam, no no no. Optimally, to ship a book, books should be protected with cardboard on the front and back, overlapping the sides. Then, the book should be placed into a bubble-envelope, sealed using the self-seal tab, and why not, some extra...

I haven't written anything, on here, for quite a while. The public space is always an interesting one to interact in, yet there are times where a more private and intimate space are desired, in which to discuss and be with one's own feelings and experiences. Living here in Yafo/Yaffa, Tel Aviv has been a mixed-bag. Every morning, a bit after 5 A.M, the voice of the minaret, the azan, Calls me to Prayer, even though getting back to sleep is a much more interesting prospect. Besides a mitigated yet ongoing mold problem, my accommodations here in the Ajami neighborhood have served me well. All the amenities, too! Hot water, a gas range, two desks. If only you can look past the thirty-minute-plus water-heating time, it's practically the Garden of Eden, right? Amnesty International Israel and the Occupied Territories has been an extremely intriguing experience. My two main responsibilities, working on grantmaker research and "Resolution Consolidation" can get a bit...

Tomorrow is Halloween. Since I was a child, I have always loved Halloween. Every year, I would prepare for weeks in advance for the night. Our home on South Lincoln Road would be covered with all kinds of decorations, and the lawn full of all kinds of ghouls and 'spirits'. My grandmother bought me one of those lawn inflatables that are many feet tall: I remember it, a large pumpkin with three ghosts flying out of it. It was a lot of fun, and when the night finally came, the lawn of my house filled with neat decorations was such a happy sight.  Perhaps the height of my decorating career was harkened by the arrival of the police. You see, one autumn, my mother bought me a new fog machine, a special  fog machine. Unlike the other ones that could only run in intervals, this one could run continuously. So, when Halloween came, a thick mist hung over not only our home's front yard, but over the street as well. Of course, the source of this manmade weather manipulation was ...

September 26, 2012 The reaction makes it all worthwhile.

Before I post something from what I wrote during the journey back to Jerusalem, please enjoy: So, our quaint little apartment here in Jerusalem — 5 P.M or so. We are all sitting in our rooms, listening to music, simply relaxing. Suddenly... An odd sound fills the air, something like a chime, definitely meant to capture one's attention. I run out of my room, thinking, 'Oh no, here we go! Code red!' Thankfully, it wasn't that, but... A voice appears, and I open the door to the hallway, looking for the voice's source. Finding it not in the hallway, my attention is directed back towards a speaker in our apartment. Unrecognized until this moment by any of us, it appears to be some kind of intercom system. The voice is now speaking in very fast Hebrew, too fast for any of us to make much of anything out of it. Then... There is a pause. The voice says something like this: '... Attention... Attention... Beginning at 9 P.M to 5 A.M, there will be... ... The...

Had a chance to write a few things here in the airport. Finally! Will post when I arrive in Tel Aviv. הרבה שלום לך...