So many times.

There are sometimes when I read the news, that I can actually feel the world trembling. Then I think to myself "Wait, it's been like this for years and years."
There was another school shooting a day ago in Colorado (again). It was in this small Shtetl in Colo. How could such a small town, where everybody knew each other have such a catastrophe?! Shouldn't the smaller cities be safe? The same thing happened last year in a Minnesota Shtetl. Three weeks ago, some french Camadian loon decided to shoot 12 kids in Dawson College and kill one of them. I have friends that go to Dawson! It's crazy! The world is trembling. Not only in Iraq, Afghanistan and (Hashem Yishmor) Eretz Yisroel, but even in the 'west.' The land where nothing bad ever happens.
But then I realize that this has been happening for years already. It's just the situation in the world today that makes everything look that much more dangerous and magnified.
I don't know. Just finished reading an article on this shooting incident and I'm in a horrible mood now.

I went to Cincy today. That's pretty much my day!

Just one question... Does anyone know where in the world someone can actually say "I am totally safe" and be truthful?! Cause if you do, tell me so I can get my Ochur down there! (Or do we have to wait for Mashgiach for that?)

Just a thought... You know how there are all these questions as to how Moshiach is going to bring true and final peace to the world. Like, if Moshiach comes, aren't the Christians going to be ticked off that they were wrong all along. I know I know, they tell us that when Moshiach comes, then 'everyone' is going to see the truth and it won't be important anymore. But it's still missing a proper answer, something that settles everything.
The only answer which solves every problem, Lions sitting with lambs, swords looking like plowshares, Yoshke coming back to life, Moshiach coming, peace at its ultimate level, G-d seen in a very 'real' fashion, We see the truth! Mohammed coming and freeing all his people, 72 virgins, flying on clouds, Temple of fire coming down from heaven, ressurection... It's all there.

The only answer is weed! When the world is on weed, everything will fall in to place! Everything we want will come about.

Or perhaps Moshiach's coming is also going to be an illusion just like weed is an illusion! I'm mixed up. Someone help me. I have to stop eating this hummus now, put it back the fridge where it came from and go Davven Mincha.

SHPILLEN!!

Dedicated to a good friend of mine...

It was a great day!

So... today I woke up realatively early. I was under the impression that I would be going to Cincinnati again to check out the community etc...
Instead, my itinerary was conveniently switched to tommorrow Cincinnati. That gave me space for something to do today. So I decided that I'm finally going to check out the place that 'can't be missed' in Dayont. I went to the National Air Force Museum. It's in this really cool area of Dayton. Tons and tons of open area. It makes Dayton look like a small country town. But they have one of the biggest air firce bases in the US in this area of Dayton. Security like you wouldn't believe...

Anyways, so I borrowed Chabad's digital camera for the day and headed out. At first, there had been a fire-drill when I got there, so I had to wait outside for like fifteen minutes along with another thousand people who were chucked when the alarm first went off an hour before (Lucky me for being late). I ended up getting inside finally and was totally blown away. Fabulous place! It was unreal... Four Huge hangars filled with pretty much every plane ever invented throughout history. They went throughout the years. Above is a picture of one of the passageways, crossing into the world war II era planes. It was an entire room dedicated to the holocaust and the liberation. It was beautifully done. They had Dachau labor camp uniforms and American soldiers speaking about what they experienced during the liberation etc... Very moving and beautiful. People kept glancing at me so pitifully when I was in the room. It was almost as if they wanted to come over to me and apologize for my sorrows... It was an odd feeling.

This room pictured above, is me standing in front of an enormous Stealth b2 bomber. Gorgeous! I was blown away by these planes. I'm usually not amused of museums. But this was something else. They also had an incredible imax theater and some sort of simulator that I went on. Really cool.

Here's the b2 bomber from a different view.
This was in the rocket and space hangar room. They had some of the original rockets that were sent to space. This cone is one of the pieces that actually landed on the moon in '71 I think. It was really interesting.
Just a random picture of one of the hangars. It looks smallish. But it 'aint!
I think this is the biggest plane in the US Air Force. It went from one side of the hangar, all the way to the other. It was huge!! I don't remember what it's called though.

After the museum, I went outside and did my Davvening (No, I'm not saying what time that was). Here's a view of two of the hangars of the museum. All the way on the right hand side, you can see a bit of the Presidential Hangars and the Wright Patterson air force base. The Presidential hangars is where every single 'air force one' is kept. I was told that now only veterans and military personnel can visit them. It's some seriously tightened security.

I finished Davvening in this beautiful park right at the front of the museum, with all these plaques, remembering and honoring tons of different pilots that died in combat etc etc...

On my way home, I decided to follow a windy road which led to some airfield. I don't remember the name. But it's the first airfield in the world. It's where the Wright brothers did their first flight on their invention. I drove about three miles, then I came to this. It was a sign that said that the air field is closed for today. Taking the hint, I snapped a picture and went on my merry wayback home.

Leaving back home, I was able to snap a photo of this 'army plane' after take off from the base.

That was my day. I came home, had supper, learned a bit and got onto the computer. How fortunate I am that I have a computer with internet... Otherwise I would have taken up 'suicide' as a career long ago.

... Just Kidding

... Okay, that WAS a horrible joke.

Steve! Where are you when I need you (See last post)...

Sorry to say...

I feel compelled to admit to all the viewers of this blog a horrible crime which I've commited.

When I was packing my bags before coming here, I looked down at the bed where my few meager belongings were strewn about. I saw several pairs of socks, underwear, shirts, pants, my suit, toothbrush, deodorant (Which was thrown out at the airport), Ipod (Not belonging to www.noamland.blogspot.com), hat in the box and the other few things of mine. Beneath everything lay a very dear friend of mine. Someone who's been beside me throughout the last ten months since I've acquired him. Yes, Steve was lying there quietly and respectfully, waiting for me to lovingly and gently place him in 'his spot of the handbag,' beside the Sudoku' book which is underneath my deodorant spray can.
I looked at him and the horrible Mah-Sho-vah Zor-uh crossed my mind. "I'm too old for this Steve nonsense! I should just leave Steve here and not bring him with me to Ohio! Afer all, he probably wants to rest up anyways from Yeka and HK."
I tried shooing away this horrible thought and thinking positively, but it kept coming back and bothering me. For some sick reason I decided in the end that I would follow through with this cruel thought.
I left Steve on the bed in my room and took everything else with me.

That's the reason I haven't had any pictures of Steve in Ohio. He's never going to see the beauty of Ohio, of Dayton, of Cincinnati, of Colombus, or of the National Air Force Museum which I've been to today. I feel so bad about this all now. I regret wholeheartedly the action that I've taken against all the blog's viewers, as well and most importantly against Steve.
I do honestly and truly hope and pray that Steve understands the foolishness which temporarily entered into my heart and caused me to do such a mean thing. I hope he can find it in his heart to forgive my wrong which I've done.

It's before Yom Kippur. I hope I'm forgiven by everyone for this. THIS WILL IY"H NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!

Gutt Yohr and gutt Yom Tov!

So... today was interesting. Woke up and got ready for my day (I'm too embarrassed to let everyone know what time that was).
Joined the Rabbi in his Lunch & Learn. Lunch was great, learn was also cool. Like I said in a previous post, The Rabbi here is the absolute bomb! He crax me up!
After the lunch and learn, I drove down to Cincinnati to pick up the Rabbi's kids from school there. Every morning, the kids make the hour long commute to Cincinnati to study over there. Then they get driven back home. That's 2 hours of travelling every single day!
But I wanted to check out the city, so I went. I'll probably go again tommorrow. Spend some time there, buy some Kosher food etc... It gives me something to do during my very "busy" schedule here.

Can't wait till YK is over. I'll be back with the family. It's kind of upsetting watching all these families coming to Shul together, spending all the 'quality' time as a family and knowing that I could've been in the same situation but chose not to.

You know when you enjoy going somewhere to visit, but would hate to be there for an extended period of time? (Sort of like New York.) Well, I have the same feelings about Ohio. Too drabby to be here for long. I haven't lost anything here and therefore am not sad about leaving soon enough.


Anyways, signing off for today.

p.s. One of the pictures shown is of Cincinnati (Guess which one!). The other one I also found on Google images.com when I typed in Cincinnati. The bowl of Spaghetti looked so lonely that I decided to take it too. It's also partly because I ate Spaghetti and meat for supper tonight at the Rabbi's house.

Ciao!

AAAAAAAH!

Would you look at that. In the words of somebody I know. He tried to describe my new neice "Tziporah Malka."

He told me "You know the way new infants are all ugly and deformed... Well, this baby happens to not be ugly or deformed. She's actually exremely cute for a newborn baby." 9lbs. and cute as Hecht (No offense Aybei :-)).

G-d she's so adorable. Looking at the bright side of things. I guess it's Hashgocho Protis that Hashem made that I shouldn't be in town when the baby is born to see this cutie-pie. Otherwise I would have eaten her up (Chas VeShalom!)

MAZEL TOV TO ME!! MAZEL TOV TO ME!!

Rosh Hashana went awesome here. The place is so cool. But that's not why I'm writing this post. I woke up this morning with a knock from the Rabbi, telling me that I have to call home asap. I knew what the call was about and I promptly jumped out of bed. I've been waiting a week for this news.

My brother just had his first baby. A 9lb. girl!! How thrilled I was to hear the news. The entire Rosh Hashana, I was Davvening and thinking "What if I am an uncle again and I won't even know until after the Holiday."

Well, that's all I'm posting for now. The name will be given this afternoon by Mincha Kriah.
I will keep the blog posted about that.

Other random cool update info's:

1 - I Davvened Ma'ariv, Shacharis and Mussaf of both days. It was tough, but I got through it and now I'm dreading Yom Kippur.
2 - The Chabad House here is huge. I love it. The Shliach also totally rox casa! I'm so in love with him. He crax me up all the time. I wish I could only describe it.
3 - My fast is going pretty easy. Only like 7 hours left. I drove the Rabbi's 12 year old son to Colombus this morning (After the good news). I thought Colombus would be alot further than it actually was. It's only like an hour and twenty minute drive to Colombus. It's also only a fifty minute drive to Cincinatti. It's really cool. I'm probably going back to Colombus to pick up the boy on Friday. I'll get a chance to check out the community... Eat in some restaurants etc... I would also like to try and get to Cincinatti during my 'time' here.
4 - Another cool thing that folks from the community here told me not to miss is the world class Air force museum that they have here. They have every fighter plane in the world, Every single Air force one that any president ever used (Except the current one)... You can even tour the inside of it. Then they also have an f16 flight simulator that you can ride. I'm SO in! I was told that it's like the biggest attraction here in Dayton. So I guess I'll be updating everyone with that stuff.

Anyways, I'm off to Davven (With Slichos)... Sheesh! now I'm getting hungry.

I MA CANADIAN!!

How lucky and fortunate am I to have been born in Canada. I always have an excuse for not knowing basic American history and such. I can say "Oh, I never learned that stuff. I'm from Canada!"
I mean, there's only like 20 million people in the world that can use that excuse. I'm so lucky!
Today that actually came into good use, when on the way back from the airport, I ignorantly asked the Rabbi here of Dayton Ohio "So, is Dayton a big and famous city?" He looked at me as if I fell off the moon. "What do you mean big and famous city?? This is the city that invented car starters!! This is the city that the Wreight brothers lived in when they invented the first airplane!! This is one of the top cities that the Russian's wanted to bomb because of their active involvement in the "Manhattan project" (Which I didn't know what that was either and required more information on)!!"
So I came up with the lame but valid excuse of "Oh yeah, I'm Canadian. So I guess I never learned that stuff." It worked.


But anyways, Dayton is cool. It's also home to a big and beautiful Chabad House. Really big and beautiful. It was some sort of former community center bought and transformed into a warm Jewish homy atmosphere.
I'm dead tired from the trip and I'll be signing off now. Good night and a K'Siva V'Chasima tova to all.
I probably will not be adding any more posts until Nexteh Yohr. So... Hope I'm forgiven for all the naughty things that I've commited this past year. (How many things were there already... 6... 7...) I hope Hashem gazes down upon me with mercy and nothing else BUT MERCY!!
I have this urge to promise G-d that this coming year will be better. But you know... I know... I mean... It's just that... Well, it will be infinitly better.

May we all be inscribed for a sweet new year B'Gashmius U'Vruchnius together, that my Davvening should be blessed (Because with no practice, that's all I'm counting on!) and with the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days.


Gutt Yohr!

p.s. This time, I decided that I'm not going to put the drabby old apple and honey picture, or normal photo of a Lubavicher guy blowing shofar as the photo heading this article. I wanted something different. So, I googled Rosh Hashana and found this "insane" picture. Happy new year!

Back home... for another day!

The trips don't stop and it's beginning to wear me down.

Just got back home for a day. Thursday I'm off again to Dayton Ohio for RH and YK.... Ask me if I'm interested in doing this. No seriously, ask me. Oh come on, I won't look. There you go, thanks for asking. The answer is NO!! I'm sick and tired of all the travel'age.
I could elaborate on that, but I'm just so not in the mood.

Anyways, so there's this theory that was developed yesterday. I heard someone make a comment on the fact that we should always smile at those working folk who have jobs like 'cleaning the streets,' or 'toll booth operators on the highway.' "After all" I was told, "you might make their depressing days somewhat happy."
That got me thinking, this is the difference between Misnagdim who do Kiruv work and Chabad Mivtzoim.
Someone who smiles at a hard working, minimum wage citizen only because that person has a hard life and your smile might make or brake their day, automatically acknowledges the fact that they are a lower classed individual. Nor-vos-den that YOU'RE smiling at them to make their boring life exciting. But they are still identified as lowlifes.
Mah-She-Ain-Kein if you approach the toll booth on the highway and greet the person working the booth as an honorable man, with the wonderful job of ensuring that you support the highway which you are driving on by paying your dues. That's a totally different approach. That shows that this hard working man is not a lowlife who needs the mercy of others.

Same is the difference between Chabad and Misnagdim. The Misnagid smiles and warmly greets the people he does his Kiruv with. The Lubavicher Chassid doesn't even blink twice at the "not so observant" Jew who he deals with.
The reason: Misnagdim see the Jewish person standing before them as a pitiful, sinful Jew who needs tons of Rachmonus in order to save his/her life (And his/her world to come). So they smile at him/her and hug him/her warmly... Letting him/her know that they are going to help him/her and pull him/her out of the Kak hole he/she has dug him/herself into. But HIM/HER??!! He/She's just a lowlife Jew.
The Chassid looks at this holy Neshama standing before him and says "Wow! Look at that holiness!!! This guy is the real deal. I'm going to smile in order to make him/her feel good??!! Why in fact, He/She should be smiling at me and making my sorry self feel worth something."

That is Chassidus. Be rude... But be real!!

2 comments on this last post:
1) The last line that I said is not necessarily the opinion of Chassidus. It's just a line that I seem to like.
2) I wrote alot of he/she's in this post. Sorry!



RANDOM GOOD QUOTE I HEARD FROM BRUCY-PIE: "We should all have a happy and sweetified new year" (Outcome - Sweetified is a cool word)
ANOTHER RANDOM QUOTE FROM L.A.: "If evolution is true, then I honestly believe that we are turning back into animals." (Comment on the Dawson College shooting in Montreal this past week)

Just some random pictures

Minyan for Mincha with Lev Leviev in the Conrad hotel's presidential suite. Oh the view!

The new "Chabad Kowloon" look. The Aron Kodesh and the Bimah have been done over beautifully

While I have fast connection in NY, I may as well quckly upload some pictures I meant to post for awhile already.

Ahhhh, it's tiring

I think I forgot to mention that Steve came on the New York trip. I brought him with me. It was tough explaining to the border guard why there was a Lion buckled up in the back seat of the car. But after awhile, the guard understood and allowed Steve entry into the United States.

IY"H I'll be back home tonight. A tiring two days here it's been. I'm still a bit jetlagged.

Nothing else to write.

Am I homesick!

Some people will say that this picture expresses the inner Tshukois which I have to come back to the town that I love. Others might think that I'm just posting this picture to show my support and excitement that Chabad of Hong Kong is taken care of with these wonderful Bochurim who - just by the way - are doing a great job so far...

... I'm just going to sit back and keep munching on the bagel and cream cheese that I have here.

Back home finally.

So... I'm back home. Finally spending Shabbos with family.
The next couple of months ahead promise to be extremely difficult. I've devoted myself to an extremely busy and intense task. Don't want to discuss it now. Because after all, "Al tif tach palace otin"...

After coming home from five months in HK...
I finally get to taste Milchig's and... It is good.
I finally get to drive on the right side of the road (pun intended) and... It is good.
I finally get to be able to open the fridge at any time and find food ready to eat and... It is good.
I finally get to hear French being spoken all over and... It is horrible!!!
I finally get to sleep in until all hours of the day and... It is good.

So much has happened during this past week. Stressful things, happy things, Roommates ditching off and getting engaged... MAZEL TOV AYBEI! (I sound like a major onlysimchas fan), shootings in Dawson school in Montreal, Pre season training for the Canadiens beginning, New York going next week, Oh! did I mention my birthday this past week. The day I flew out of Hong Kong! What a fabulous birthday present. But it felt good. My flight wasn't neccessarily the most Jewish one. You'd think that I Chazzered my Ma'amor on the plane, made a Farbrengen with fellow passengers, did Tehillim three times, Chita's Ramba'm and all that stuph... Ummm right!! I got to go.

IY"H I'll be driving up to NY tommorrow night for two days. Lots to be discussed and arranged. No! It's not for what you're thinking about!

Good Shabbos.

p.s. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I'm using dial up connection here at home and don't have the patience for this.

One more day and I'll be free...

Oe, wut thu past siks munths hav bin. I had thu graydest taim heer.


... This place wears down on a person. Eventually.
The past two weeks that I've been here, believe it or not I've been extremely busy. It's like, when you're the only guy helping out in town and you're not with 5 other Bochurim, you begin to realize how busy this place can get.

Lev Leviev was in town yesterday. He came in his private jet to the Hong Kong Business Aviation airport. About five minutes after he landed, another two billionaires arrived in their private jet from Moscow. Both of them were Jewish. Big time folks. I was there together with another 6 people to greet them and help make a Minyan for Shacharis so that Lev would be able to say Kaddish for his mothers Yahrtzeit yesterday.
While we were leaving, we saw the President of some African Country arrive in his private jet as well. Apparently, they were all having a meeting for some oil/gas multi-billion dollar deal.
In the afternoon, we once again gathered for Mincha. This time in Lev's Presidential Suite in the Conrad. WOW!! Eizeh yofi! The place is huge. 61 floors up and you're on top of the world.

Anyways, today they all went off to Guangzhou for a day. Someone told me that they're buying some four star hotel there for about 68 Million dollars. I guess that's just small business that they're dealing with.


So you see... Chabad of Hong Kong is a wonderful place after all. Yet the curtains slowly close. I gulp in horror, as another chapter of my life becomes history.

NOOOOO! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACKSTAGE AND EAT DONUTS!!

STEEEEEVV!!

Thank G-d for our Mercedes Busses.

The picture below could have been our alternative. So there Zalmy!

A commercial from yeka!

JOE! YOU DA' MAWN!

Staff of Yeka foe-toe

First photo publishing!

This picture is making its debut on my blog as the first camp picture published (I think). How exciting!!

Awesome video of IDF.

A great email link I got.

Finally, I get some good, pro-Israeli video!

http://switch248-01.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=209947&ak=63628786

Found this from a link on Shmais!

Funny new edition!

(Side note: The picture was downloaded from google images. I typed in "Cartoon bus" and somewhere along those pages that popped up, I found this picture. It doesn't have much to do with the article I'm writing, but it's cute, so...)


I just saw this funny idea that was written on another blog and I'm posting it on my blog now for two reasons.
1 - I'm bored and want to type someting. Being out of ideas myself, I'm just going to copy the idea of someone else.
2 - I thought the idea that I read was brilliant. That's why I want to publicize it as much as possible.

Basically the idea is to start writing up articles about trips on Heiman's bus tours. Calling them "My Heiman's experience."
It's nice to take a ride on a plane, a train or a Greyhound bus. But taking a trip on THE Heiman's bus is Ingantzen Andersh. They are exciting, edge of the seat thrillers. You have babies crying, Honkies smuggling, Cholent flying around. There's always the one non religious person on the bus to add flavor. He's the one always grumbling and giving the orthodox Jews sitting around the "I-knew-you-were-always-crazy-...-but-this-????!!!!!" look.
Border stops are untold horror stories. I have a theory that the reason stories from the Heiman's never get around, is only because the passengers on the bus usually swear their excursions to utter secrecy among each other. They are either too traumatized to discuss their trip after they arrive, or things went so bad, that everyone unanimously agreed to keep their mouths sealed on what happened.
Therefore, www.yamlive.blogspot.com has finally come out in the open and urged all passengers of Heiman's bus trips (New York - Montreal - Tash - Monsey - New Square) to publicize their accounts and let everyone know the stories and their lessons that come out in a new article series on yamlive titled: "My Heimans Experience."

I think that it's a fabulous idea. I support it fully and encourage all t help them out.

Ottawa in Yeka

Man, I was typing the heading to this post and I was thinking how horrible a post-header I am. But anyways, this is a picture of the five Ottawa Bochurim who made it to Yeka this summer. I was the only X-Ottawa Bochur in the group as I was one of the few (!many!) who abandoned the Yeshiva midyear. I couldn't handle the pressure (For more info, check post from before Pesach time).
Unbelievable summer dudes. As I download more pictures Metchem, I will post them. This one is all credit to Brucy-pie who posted this picture on his blog. www.bruce66.blogspot.com... Sorry for publicizing that Brucy!

Check out the intelectually stimulating article about yeka which he wrote on his blog. Well done Bruce. Benjy sends regards!

Budweiser commercials

Hillarious!!! I cannot begin to explain this!

Israeli phone scam... These guys beat any other ones I've seen. They can't even stay serious! Very pertinent.

Gutt Voch!

A glimpse at my Beinuni's.




#98 is signing off

I need to post, so this boring article is inserted.

... And I thought I'd be busy throughout these three weeks here!

Yesterday was my first full day here and it was a total bore. I learned and ate throughout most of the day. The afternoon was eventful, as I headed off to Kowloon Chabad to help gather a new set of Lekutei Sichos for Rabbi Chazan in Shenzhen to bring back with him. The set was too heavy to Schlep back so it stayed in HK Chabad for further discussion... The usual procedures in Chabad HK.
After that, I went out to Kowloon again. This time, I went to the ladies market, followed by a long walk to T.S.T. where I witnessed the light show over the Hong Kong skyline... It's not really worth all the publicity they throw on it. But we did meet a family of four from California and invited them to Chabad of Kowloon's Shabbat meals and services. So Hashe'um didn't make me suffer on that Avenue of the Stars after all.

Nostalgic memories are filling up inside me, as Juanito pleasantly calls me and lets me know that there's a whole freeking bowl of lettuce to be checked...

Good Shabbos to all... Even to Steve.

A few minutes before Shabbos today I will make my own private Bein hashmoshos. I will say a L'chaim this Shabbos to all those Yekoids with whom I spent the summer. We had an amazing time together. I will say L'Chaim to all the children who partook in 'the greatest camp on planet earth!' They really touched me.
Matisyahu was a Ukrainian boy named Motta, who was 6'4 at least. Huge 16 years old kid. Well, this summer he boldly got a Bris in camp. His counselor lovingly gave him one of the most prized possesions that he owned... His first guitar. Motta was extremely excited about it.
Before the bus ride home, I asked Motta if I can borrow it to sing several camp melodies. During one of the songs, as luck would have it, the string popped on the already messed up guitar. I felt so bad for Motta and promised him that I would give him money for new strings when we arrive back to Dnyeper. But when the bus arrived, it was already too late. He had already gone home one of the first.

I feel really bad about it, so I will say a L'Chaim for Matisyahu and his guitar.