Where in the World is M.F. the Website?

Hello, "readers" (aka people who googled Dogtanian and somehow reached my blog),

The tides of summer have crashed into the glass- and plastic-bag-infested shore, and a new autumn of non-foliage and non-cold is upon us. I, M.F., of M.F. the Website, have a few questions on the eve of this here autumn:

1. Why is M.F. the Website missing its proper punctuation? M.F.: the Website, or M.F., the Website, would have been lovely.

2. How come I haven't yet discussed the new season of Israeli Survivor? (Because it's boring.)

3. When will I have more guests visit me from the US? (Nevar. Hostel o' F. '09 has left me seeking alone time in my apartment by myself forever! Though Hostel o' F. time was lovely.)

4. How excited am I for all the Jewish holidays coming up? (Not very.)

5. When will I finally rename this blog so that it's not the first thing that comes up when you google my name? (I dunno.)

6. When will I actually show up to a Peace Now protest on the other side of the green line? (I'm scared!)

7. Why am I going on vintage shopping sprees 2 months before I go to the vintage retail heaven that is Austin/New York?

8. How awesome is it that all these good indie bands are coming to Tel Aviv these days? Yippee!

9. How did I ever live without watching Seinfeld every single day?

10. How glad am I to not be in a country that would ever argue about giving all its citizens health insurance?

100 Posts

I usually love summer, but am so glad this one is ending. I decided to buy a ticket to the US of A for late November/early December. So I'll be in the US just in time for Christmas madness, and you know how much I hate Christmas. But it's fine. I've realized that the religious/capitalistic fanaticism is not something I can escape from, at least not in Israel (successful kibbutzim excluded). When I walk around on the UT campus, I won't mind the Christian proselytizing, now that I spend a couple of hours every day sitting by crazy people murmuring into their Jewish prayer books on the bus. Anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself. What I meant to say is: I can't wait to go vintage shopping, to eat Mexican food, to see my dog Phoebs, to see real hipsters, to watch people do real drugs, to feel like I know people and they know me, to be treated weirdly for being Jewish, to not hear sexist remarks all the time, and to hug all my loved ones. I'm going to America, bitches! (in a while) (and for only three weeks) (but still)

I'm sleepy so I guess I won't write about the shooting at the gay gathering-place by my house, or all these summer-madness murders, or the fact that Tel Aviv is insanely hot right now and I want to GET OUT and go to New England or Canada or somethin'.

Blargh. Let's hope that at least my plants will survive this summer!

This Isn't America's Next Top Best Friend

Hello there,

So I've been thinking that when I first got to Israel (7 months ago--can you believe it?), I thought I'd finally have to stop living my life on two different continents, stop the yearning for secular Zion and all that. Instead, my life has gotten even more fragmented--with my F.mily and platonic life partners all being in the US, I feel like I'm in a gajillion long distance relationships.

This summer, The Summer of Guests, has led many a friend and family member to an Israeli pilgrimage to visit ME. Last week, three of my closest friends were here, and after they left, I got all sadsies thinking about how much loved ones are all so far away. Good thing that I didn't move to Israel to make no friends--I came here to be #1!

I've been noticing that the number of visits on my blogs substantially decreases on Shabbat. Are mitzvah-keeping Jews really my audience? Who knew?


And by the way, mfthewebsite will be back with regular posting soon enough.

Is it just me or does the Old City of Jerusalem look kind of fake? How is it thousands of years old? It was probably built by Disney in the 1950's.

Sing Me a Sad Song