frgdr.com Blog

In light of the 2007 Israeli Pride Parade, commencing today at noon in Tel-Aviv, and later this month in Jerusalem (God willing), and in light of two recent articles discussing the ‘Glass Closet’ (Michael Musto for Out Magazine, Gal Uchovsky for Time Out Tel-Aviv), I just wanted to convey it is a shame that successful people in the media cannot summon up the courage it takes to come out of the closet, and become a role model for teenagers struggling in life. Izhar Cohen missed the opportunity to tackle gay invisibility in the seventies, Ofra Haza missed the opportunity to raise AIDS awareness in the nineties, but it is never too late to be a hero in the eyes of Israeli teens. I reckon that singers with sold-out events and songwriters who write hit songs about love, have no business avoiding what everyone in this tiny country already knows.

Here are some positive role models:

And others who can be positive role models:

In a changing world
There’s so much you could be
Why can’t you choose your self
Like your enemy?
Have you ever imagined
A new you?
I could be someone else
Somebody new.

I want a positive role model

– From The Musical ‘Closer To Heaven’ by the Pet Shop Boys

We say Kassam - we don’t say rocket,
Mukataa - instead of compound,
Shahid - not Martyr,
Tahadiya or Hudna - and not ceasefire -

Why do we so easily adopt Arabic terms when speaking Hebrew?

[05/05/2002 21:00 Bangkok, Thailand]

Hey everybody!

On a whim, I decided to skip a return to the northern part of India and fly from Nepal to Thailand.
I arrived here two days ago and I have been floating on air ever since.

It's everything.
The people are beautiful (unlike my first choice of India) and the taxi drivers don't try to scam you and beg for more money.
They sing here on the street, you know.
Well… they told me they don't really sing for me, it's just that the intonation is so very strange and funny.

It's impossible to explain in an email, but whoever has been here knows _exactly_ what I'm talking about.
([Name redacted], it's _exactly_ how you said it will be).

They linger at the end of each word, and it sounds just like singing.

Sawatdee kaa

Kop khun kaa

And their English! Oh, their English.

Cannot, Misteeeer. Cannoooot.

Losing money.

No hab.

Two days here, and I'm already in love.

Whoever said Khaosan Road is dirty - whoever said Bangkok is stinky, obviously never been to India.
In my eyes, it is heaven.

THEY HAVE SIDEWALK HERE!

Lots of BKK smiles,
Shahar.

One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a God in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then the God's a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me

"One Night in Bangkok"  — Murray Head  — The musical "Chess"

[28/04/2002 16:30 - Kathmandu, Nepal]

Hi everyone!

My feet have swollen, my back is aching and I am so very tired, but after 12 days, I came back from the Everest Base Camp.
I apologize for being absent, but I have been trekking here in Nepal in the Sagarmatha National Park, where Mount Everest lies.
Words cannot express the beauty of the scenery I have seen so I will not even try.

Instead I will just lay some facts on you:
1. This has been, by far, the most difficult thing I have ever done, except my army basic training.
2. I trekked with Eli Ha Mem-Pey (also known as Eliezer and the Glacier) and with Avi Ha Katach.
You may assume this was as close to reserve duty as it gets.
3. We ascended in 9 days (as a precaution due to AMS or Heights Disease). We descended in 2 days (about 30 km per day).
4. We used Diamox pills to help us get used to the heights.
5. This is the route we took, you can follow it using the following map:

Day	Date	Route
Saturday	13/4/2002	Flight from KATHMANDU (1,300m) to LUKLA (2,840m)
Sunday	14/4/2002	Trekking from LUKLA to JORSALE (2,805m)
Monday	15/4/2002	Trekking from JORSALE to NAMCHE BAZAR (3,440m)
Tuesday	16/4/2002	Trekking from NAMCHE BAZAR to KHUMJUNG (3,780m)
Wednesday	17/4/2002	Trekking from KHUMJUNG to PANGBOCHE (3,930m)
Thursday	18/4/2002	Trekking from PANGBOCHE to PHERICHE (4,240m)
Friday	19/4/2002	Acclimatization at PHERICHE
Saturday	20/4/2002	Trekking from PHERICHE to DUGHLA (4,620m)
Sunday	21/4/2002	Trekking from DUGHLA to GORAK SHEP (5,140m)
Monday	22/4/2002	Trekking from GORAK SHEP to EVEREST BASE CAMP (5,364m) and back to GORAK SHEP
Tuesday	23/4/2002	Hiking from GORAK SHEP to KALA PATTHAR (5,545m) and returning back until TENGBOCHE (3,860m)
Wednesday	24/4/2002	Finishing the route from TENGBOCHE to LUKLA
Thursday	25/4/2002	Staying at LUKLA
Friday	26/4/2002	Flight from LUKLA to KATHMANDU

6. The first picture attached is of me, Eli and Avi at Everest Base Camp.
This is the highest place trekkers can reach and the starting point for professional mountaineering expeditions.

7. The second picture attached is of the gang at the peak of Kala Patthar, which is the mountain opposing Everest, where you get a good view of the highest mountain in the world.

8. The third picture attached is of me and Mount Everest.

As mentioned before, words cannot describe the actual experience, and even pictures show only a vague resemblance to the actual reality.

As always, more pictures are available at:
[redacted]

Lots of love from the beautiful country of Nepal,
Shahar.

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Shahar’s trek to the Everest Base Camp was sponsored by Yahoo! Travel.
If you want to see more pictures of the gang trekking, go to:
[redacted]

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