I wrote too much into one post so this is a hodpe podge of random thoughts

One funny unexpected outcome of working in agriculture is that I've begun to crave the foods I focus on. I've never been a regular coffee drinker, but after working on the development of a sustainable coffee growing and training program in Vietnam, I'm now having a daily cup of fine arabica. (Plus my office has a Lavazza espresso machine, which makes it easy!) I've never liked chocolate, but now that I'm on the team for global cocoa investment, I'm savoring the finest dark chocolate sourced from Ecuadorian cacao. And now that I've become acquainted with the mozzarella production process for a cheese plant in East Africa, I'm on the hunt for savory Italian buffalo mozzarella even though I'm lactose intolerant!

While we're on the topic of food: I recently discovered persimmons and I'm in love with them. They're sooo good here. When they ripen, they get these brown flecks that look and taste like cinnamon. Mmmm. I tried to smuggle some back to America for my family but I got caught in customs.

The other exciting work topic to share is that I recently went on a 9-day trip to Nigeria. The Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture has been developing a concept called Staple Crop Processing Zones (SCPZ), which designates specific areas with excellent infrastructure, transportation, logistics, and significant tax incentives, in order to attract investors. Agriculture is a huge part of Nigeria's economy, and the country used to be mainly self-sufficient in rice, cassava, and other staple grains. But since the oil boom, the country has become reliant on expensive imports of these grains. The aim of the SCPZ is to rectify this situation. The program has been lauded by international groups such as the World Bank.

LR Group's role, thus far, has been to establish the social enterprise element alongside the initial SCPZs, applying the Israeli Moshav concept to each area's unique circumstances. The objective is to involve smallholder farmers in the production of raw agricultural goods to be purchased by the SCPZs.

The trip was really incredible. It was my first time in Africa, and I wasn't sure what to expect from Nigeria, the #7 largest country in the world by population. We stayed in the Capital, Abuja, but we also went to meetings in Benue and Cross River. Callebaut, the capital city of Cross River, was especially cool. Staff from the Ministry of Agriculture took us on a tour of the area, and we got to see Tinapa, the main location of "Nollywood," the third-biggest movie production industry behind Hollywood and India's Bollywood. See photos below! It was fascinating to see the differences between the USA and Africa, especially in culture, business, and politics.

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I’m home in the States for the Christmas Holiday. Even though there’s no Christmas in Israel, most of the world is off at this time so there’s not a whole lot to do at the office. While here, I've been reading the latest biography of David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, because I know far too little about the great man who founded this incredible country. Also, Israeli politicians and pundits on the news often refer to "what the country's founders would have wanted." So I need to study up to understand what, exactly, this means.


I didn't realize Ben-Gurion was so secular. There is an oft-told joke that when Ben Gurion's son decided he was going to marry a British Gentile woman, he told his father, "I've fallen in love with a girl, but she's not one of us." To which Ben Gurion replied, "Don't worry, there are nice girls in Hashomer Hatzair too" (the opposition Labor Party at that time). Ben Gurion's attendance at his grandson's bar-mitzvah was, according to him, only the second time he'd been to Synagogue since first immigrating from Poland. (The other time was on the eve of Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948).

I am also impressed by the man's evolution from small-time labor activist to the founder of the State of Israel. Over time, his sense of urgency shifted from creating a communist utopia (one of his greatest heroes was Lenin), to a pragmatic yet iron-fisted leadership of the Jewish state. This can be seen during the 1948 war of independence when Ben-Gurion authorized the attack on the Irgun, one of the militia groups that was in the process of being absorbed into the newly-formed IDF, over the reception of a military cargo ship. This event, of Jews killing Jews, is cemented in Israeli memory as a point when the legitimacy of the State of Israel became paramount to loyalty to one's class, Kibbutz, or political party -- the point when a voluntary society transformed into a nation. Menachem Begin, the leader of the Irgun at the time and later the Prime Minister, was a strong proponent of guerrilla activities against the Arabs and the British military, but he refused to let his forces ever attack Jews. He has said, "My greatest accomplishment was not retaliating (against the IDF) and causing civil war".

This stuff is still so, so relevant in Israel today. As ultra-orthodox factions rise up against secular lifestyles, and as secular Jews demand that the ultra-orthodox serve in the military, the rift between secular and religious can be clearly seen. And as the IDF restrains the extremist settlers who perpetrate "price tag" attacks against Palestinians, the debate rages on about the validity of Israeli governmental force against these fringe Jewish elements within Israeli society.

And I'm only half-way through the book!

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Just a few days after I posted my last post, Adi was invited through her position in the Labor Party to participate in a seminar with Palestinians. The seminar took place over a 4 day weekend in Crete, with 20- and 30- somethings who generally participate in center-left politics. The idea is that those on the far left, on both sides, are already interacting with one another regularly. They spoke about a lot of issues, and there were a lot of insights gained, but the thing that struck me was how the Palestinians in the group didn't have to drum up grievances far in the past…they could provide a perfect example of their situation from the flight to Crete. The plane was held up because each one was interrogated, searched, and generally treated as a suspect. They felt embarrassed as the people in line behind them waited impatiently. Remember these are just normal law-abiding Palestinians who had already passed an investigation and already gained permission from the government to attend this seminar.

The four days were emotionally trying, but over the course of discussion the group bonded and departed as friends. They recently had a followup meeting and lunch in Jericho (because the Palestinians would not be allowed to come to Tel Aviv), and each original participant brought a friend to be part of the conversation. I’m sad that I was in the States so I couldn't go.

I think it was Adi's first time in Area A (cities controlled by the Palestinian Authority, where Israelis are usually forbidden to enter). I was somewhat concerned for her and the other Israelis' safety, but they were well-taken care of and there were no issues.

The important thing here is the simple reminder that most Palestinians are just normal people who want to live a life in peace and quiet. Some media portrayals would have you think they are all vicious anti-Israel terrorist-sympathizers. (Ariel Sharon famously used the two words, "Palestinians" and "terrorists," interchangeably.) The first step to restoring trust is to realize the other side is a lot like you.

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What else is going on? Well, Adi and I recently signed up for a service called Car2Go, which lets us reserve a car on the internet, walk outside my building, and get into one of several parked cards to drive wherever I want. Believe me when I say this is a GAME CHANGER for my lifestyle in Israel. No longer am I a prisoner of Shabbat!

A few weeks ago, Adi and I went on a brisk hike in the hills near Jerusalem. Last weekend, we spontaneously booked a Zimmer (mountain guest-house) in Daliyat Al-Carmel, a Druze Arab village not far from Haifa. The restaurant where we ate dinner invited us for tea and cake in their attached lounge area, where we warmed ourselves next to the wood-burning oven and chatted with an Israeli family from Haifa celebrating a child's birthday. They explained that this restaurant is their go-to spot to escape the oppressing atmosphere of Shabbat in Haifa. I smiled, feeling empowered that now I too have this ability to escape.

Unfortunately the Car2Go ended up being very expensive for long rides, since they charge by the kilometer. So now we're going to start a routine with a nearby car rental shop, renting a car for the entire weekend a couple times a month, which will probably be cheaper. Adi and I are not giving up!

My favorite part of the trip to Nigeria was the 5-hour drive from Abuja to Benue State. (there were no direct flights and no modern highways, so we had to take country roads.) At every stop, salespeople with all sorts of goodies came to the car window. Everybody was balancing baskets on their heads! 

Hundreds of schoolchildren walking the several miles back to their villages, all in uniform 

On the way to Benue in the outskirts of Abuja, it was miles and miles of dense markets, crowds, and chaos. I've never seen so many people! 

"No Parking: Be law-abiding." I thought the wording of this sign was cool. 

We flew to Calibar, the capital city of Cross River, on the Nigerian national carrier, Arik Air. You have to walk out onto the tarmac to get on the plane, just like in the old fashioned movies. Abi and Marrouf got me a hat earlier in the day at the market we toured. Don't I look debonair? 

I wanted to try traditional Nigerian food in Benue, but our hosts cautioned me and told me I should order from the other part of the menu (the section with burgers and chicken fingers). But I said hell no! This meal is a spicy melon stew with fish stock and beef, served with cassava. Even though Abi and our hosts were eating with their hands, they said I should use a fork...but I would have none of it! I waited anxiously for a few hours afterward, but no stomach issues :) Well worth the risk.

It took me a while to realize that nobody smiles in photos here. So in the first few meetings, everyone was looking serious and stern but I was flashing a huge smile. Unfortunately I haven't gotten my hands on any of these photos yet. 

Adi and I recently took an Israeli cooking class. It was really fun. 

The Memorial Ceremony for Yitzhak Rabin, taking place, of course, at Rabin Square. Former President Shimon Peres spoke and many top Israeli musicians performed. It's interesting - there are two memorials: one political, and one governmental. The political memorial, which is this one pictured, is run by the leftwing parties Labor and Meretz, and it focuses on what Rabin would have wanted and what he tried to achieve before he was assassinated. Meanwhile, the governmental memorial, which took place a week later, is more geared toward commemorating his greatness as a person. 

We went to the wedding of Adi's friends, which took place at a Kibbutz in the north. It was so beautiful! It was my first Israeli wedding and a memorable experience. 

We recently ventured up to my rooftop and found a top-notch yoga spot! 

Tel Aviv at sunset seen from my rooftop 

I recently accompanied a couple of our project managers to Beit She'an, a small town in the North on the border with Jordan, to look at innovative greenhouse technologies. Check out this frickin' greenhouse! Football fields worth of basil, most of which is exported to Europe during the winter. 

Awesome new sculptures that protect bicycle parking in Tel Aviv. This one is right near my house! 

It's been super stormy the past week. Jerusalem got hit with a lot of snow and ice, and Tel Aviv has been flooding. It wasn't a great day to ride my bike to work...but at least I got to see this beautiful rainbow! 

Hiking in the Carmel Mountains

Cool Hannukah Decorations at the port. 

New Year's Eve is fairly small-scale here. We just went out to our new favorite bar, the House of Spice, where the bartenders dress like pharmacists and make all sorts of yummy concoctions.