Gay Pride, Tel Aviv 2012

Drag queens, flamboyant dancers and vivacious topless joyful people partied through central Tel Aviv today as people packed the streets for the city’s annual gay pride parade. This year, thousands of tourists participated in the march, many of them destination gay travelers drawn in by Tel Aviv’s reputation for liberality and fun beach night life. It is a well known fact that Tel Aviv has become one of the main gay metropolitans of the world and one of the few places in the Middle East where gay people feel free to walk hand-in-hand and kiss in public.

Tel Aviv, the city that never sleeps, has become a popular gay destination, a city that attracts lots of gay and lesbian tourists worldwide. The big little city is a tolerant, gay friendly, warm and open minded city, but it hasn’t always been like that. The rise of its gay popularity has increased over the last decade, since the first gay pride parade in Tel Aviv was held in 1998 and it has only got bigger and stronger since then.

Today, the carnival began in the morning at Gan Meir with many performances and speeches. This was then followed by the painting of a pedestrian crossing at the corner of Bograshov and Shalom Aleichem in the rainbow colors of the gay pride flag (How fucking cool?). The parade, led by floats carrying dancers and drag queens, passed through the usual route along Tchernichovsky, Bograshov, Ben Yehuda, Arlozorov and Hayarkon streets, and culminated at Gordon Beach with a huge party in the scorching sun.

The party was awesome- Lots of booze, boobs and bums. Unfortunately, I am as straight as an arrow, so the only chance I actually got to experience some real gay fun was by dancing like a lunatic and celebrating amongst thousands of other gay, straight, lesbian, bi-sexual and transexual people. The parade and the day in general was truly beautiful, the colours were vibrant, people were beaming, drinks were flowing and love was all around. How fantastic?

The beauty of this event is that it brings all sorts of people from all over the world together with only one agenda on their mind.. fun!

Happy gay pride people,

– VOV

Moving On..

So many people find it close to impossible to be able to forget their past and forget regret. However, little do they know that this actually prevents them from concentrating on life that is now. They always remember the bad occurrences that happened once-upon-a-time. They remember their regrets and failures. They remember things that don’t help them move on or help them in anyway, shape or form. It can be said that those who really want to live a happy-go-lucky life, should actually just forget their past and move the hell on! Although, yes, it is easier said than done but it is still nonetheless doable.

“Light tomorrow with today”. Hope for the future starts today. You make the right choices today in order to have things in order tomorrow. If you waste your time today, you are wasting your destiny for tomorrow. You have to understand that your future is being created now!

So, as you can see time is going on even if we are not going with it. Time is probably the only thing that you cannot stop in life. You can do whatever you want but you will never stop time. So, would you rather use it wisely today or regret the fact that you have been wasting it by the time tomorrow comes? Hm.. thought so!

Well that was my thought for the day. Remember, never ever give up and please stop worrying about what happened yesterday. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody makes a lot of mistakes. But the people who don’t, are not those that never made mistakes to begin with, but are those people that learnt from their mistakes and can then shape their own future from them.

Forget Regret,
– VOV

The Night Owl

Many children have grown up with nursery stories of wise old owls. From the ancient Greek legends to the wise owl in Wini the Pooh, we have all seen images in folk tales and fairy tales of owls as the quintessential bearers of knowledge and wisdom.

Throughout history and across many cultures, people have regarded Owls with fascination and awe. Few other creatures have so many different and contradictory beliefs about them. Owls have been both feared and venerated, despised and admired, considered wise and foolish, and associated with witchcraft and medicine, the weather, birth and death.

Owls symbolize wisdom, the ability to see things that are hidden, stealth, swiftness, darkness, freedom, dreams, shape-shifting, secrets, omens, astral projection, magic, deception, observation, total truth, night, death and misfortune. They are connected to the Underworld and the Moon. And this is why I decided to purchase the Night Owl SpiritHood and bring it with me to the Indigo festival that most definitely attracted the happiest and most joyful of all the people at the festival.. Check it out!

Happy Friday,

– VOV

Indigo Festival 2012

As a newbie to the Indigo festival, I hadn’t really known what to expect. However, it ended up being one of the best festivals I have ever been to and one of the most special three days that I have ever had. Undoubtedly one of the most magical festivals in all the land, the Indigo Festival overflows with creativity, colour and mystery. Set in the perfect location, on the Kinneret, it is a true escape from normality and reality, with surprises and new experiences around every corner.

Having looked at pictures from the previous years and spoken to some incredibly creative friends of mine before going, I thought I knew what to expect; A music festival where everyone wears crazy face paints, costumes, smiles and lots of energy. Although that would have been more than enough to satisfy a fantastic time, what I actually experienced was on a different spectrum to my expectations and was indescribably euphoric.

After a long, but scenic drive from Tel Aviv to the festival we finally arrived in good spirits and found a place to pitch up our tents and make an area comfortable enough to call home for the next 3 days.The craziness pretty much began from the second we arrived at 8:30pm and this was my first glimpse of the magical and previously unknown territory I’d tried so hard to investigate.

There’s really no point in telling you just how many things exist at the festival to blow your mind. You’ll need to go next year to see, but you really need to prepare yourself for your existence there because you’ll encounter something at every second that will make you smile and question the world outside. Talking to everyone, dancing with everyone, smiling that knowing smile to beautiful strangers that tells them just how happy you are and how much you love them.

There were hammock tents for chill time, laughter yoga, beautiful stilt walkers, glitter fairies (yup, I was one of them), a beautiful lake, the Bubble man who stands on his plinth triumphantly blowing gigantic bubbles, the drum circle, amazing dubstep at 5am, owl costumes, 24/7 trance, paint guns and water guns (the friendliest guns you will ever encounter), chai tea, face painters and the many faces of the happy people from all over the world all coming together in perfect harmony.

Until next year my dear,

– VOV

Thursday Inspiration.

On the surface of the world right now
There Is war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time,
Something else is happening Underground.
An inner revolution is taking place
And certain individuals
Are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution,
From the inside out,
From the ground up.

It is time for me to reveal myself,
I am an embedded agent of a secret,
Undercover, clandestine, global operation
A spiritual conspiracy
We have sleeper cells in every nation on the planet

You won’t see us on the TV.
You won’t read about us in the newspaper.
You won’t hear about us on the radio.

We don’t seek any glory.
We don’t wear any uniform.
We come in all shapes and sizes,
Colors and styles

Most of us work anonymously.
We are quietly working behind the scenes
In every country and culture of the world,
Cities big and small, mountains and Valleys,
In farms and villages, tribes
And remote islands.

You could pass by one of us on the street
And not even notice.
We go undercover.
We remain behind the scenes.
It is of no concern to us
Who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done.

Occasionally we spot each other on the street.
We give a quiet nod
And continue on our way
So no one will notice.

During the day many of us pretend
We have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night
Is where the real work takes place.

Some call us the “Conscious Army”
We are slowly creating a new world
With the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy.
Our orders from the Central Command
The Spiritual Intelligence Agency.

We are dropping soft, secret love bombs
When no one is looking
Poems, Hugs, Music, Photography,
Movies, Kind words, Smiles
Meditation and prayer
Dance, Social activism
Websites, Blogs
Random acts of kindness.

We each express ourselves
In our own unique ways
With our own unique gifts and talents.

“Be the change you want to see In the world”
That is the motto that fills our hearts.
We know it is the only way real Transformation takes place.
We know that quietly and humbly,
We have The power of all the oceans combined.

Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains.
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates
Shall be moved in the centuries to come.

Love is the new religion of the 21st century
You don’t have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it,
It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary Pulse of all human beings.

Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you!
We are now recruiting..
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have….
All are welcome…
The door is open

– Brian Piergrossi

In A Dream World..

This Friday, the 25th, I am heading off to the Indigo Music Festival, which is taking place in the north of Israel. Indigo is “a gathering that is dedicated to all free spirits”. It is known to be a pure global reunion where one gets re-born again into a state of reality, where all is possible and where the universe is “at our fingertips”.

This magical creation started in 2009 during a blissful moment of desert travelers dreaming of gathering worldly freedom lovers. Their sole goal was (and is) to provide individuals with the tools to allow learning of a different way of life, and respect for one another.

I have been looking forward to this weekend since the Moksha Purim Party (in March) and as the festival is finally approaching, I find myself trying to manifest my dream festival items such as…

1. My dream Teepee

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2. My dream Costume

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3. My dream bumbag

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4. My dream bracelet collection

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5. My dream festival friend (or just my dream in general)

6. My dream crowd

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7. My dream chiller

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8. My dream cosy corner

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9. My dream moment

.

Hm, yeah you’re right! I should keep dreaming and I will continue to do so. However, I will give you all an update (when I get back) as to how my festival turned out and how close I actually got to my dream manifestations. Nonetheless, I’m sure my weekend is going to be magical.

Do you ever imagine your dream festivals? If so, how would yours turn out?

Keep dreaming,

– VOV

City Cool

As Tel Aviv gets ready for the gay pride parade on June 8th, the city’s sidewalks are getting a new look.. rainbow bright!

The parade, which has become one of Tel Aviv’s biggest annual events, in conjunction with Tel Aviv’s growing reputation as one of the worlds top destination for gay tourism, culminates Gay Pride Week in Israel’s second most populated city.

Over 100,000 people are expected to attend the parade, which will be kicked off by by Tel Aviv’s mayor, Ron Huldai.. How fucking cool is that?

I’m so proud to be living in a city that is so accepting of everyone no matter who, what or where they might be! So awesome!

City cool,

– VOV

This Woman’s Work

A friend of mine showed me a video last week that literally sent chills down my spine. No matter how many times I listen to it, I’m still in absolute awe of this 16 year old hopeful from Essex. Hope Murphy auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent with a song called ‘This Woman’s Work’, which has actually blown everyone away.

Let me know what you think..

– VOV

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

As many of you know I’m currently in London visiting family, friends and most importantly I’m here for my best friends engagement party. I’ve traveled across the pond and have been stuck with the most dreadful weather – it is cold, raining and gross! Pretty miserable stuff but nonetheless I’m still very much enjoying my trip.

During my time here, I’ve been able to really sit back and reevaluate this whole long-distance, Israel vs. London scenario. As I’ve told you before (and I’m sure most of you have read) that my love for Israel is inevitable. However, being at home (or away from home) this past week has been incredible. So, I’m sure most of you can imagine how difficult my decision is whether to leave the life that I have created in the land that I love or to come back to the life that I love but I left 3 and a half years ago..

The thing is, is that I like to live every day to the full and take each day as it is. So when people ask me, “What are you going to do after uni?” or “Are you going to move back to London?” etc. I honestly don’t have a clue. I know that there are multiple decisions to be made right now in my life and I feel like I am bang in the middle of the crossroads but yet, I’m not really panicked about anything.. I think that must be partly because I have adapted to the Israeli ‘Give-A-Shit’ culture but also because I know that everything falls into place eventually and whatever happens, will happen! And I’m totally OK with that.

Anyway, that’s enough mumble jumble for now. I just thought I’d fill you in on what’s going in my life. So much is changing and I suddenly feel a bit disoriented! Does anyone have any advice?

– VOV

YOLO.

By now, you’ve all probably seen the acronym ‘YOLO’ meaning ‘you only live once.’ You may use it yourself or you may see it used on Facebook or on Twitter. You’ve probably also seen it criticized as being short sighted, useless, misused, or overused. People seem to have strong reactions to “yolo” and rightfully so.. it’s a pretty profound statement!

Personally, I love yolo. I believe the concept of having only one chance at life is the simplest and most profound way to encapsulate the essence of humanity in all its marvelous complexity into one, stupid sounding acronym. And I love that. But when you use ‘YOLO’ to explain a stupid, potentially harmful, short sighted farce, then I immediately lose a ton of respect for you. When you justify doing something completely stupid by saying ‘you only live once’, you show me that you don’t actually understand what living really is at all. And that’s pretty shitty.

I truly believe that ‘YOLO’ should be restated more clearly instead to ‘YOGOCTL’ meaning ‘You only get one chance to live”. Obviously, it won’t be as fun to say (and Drake didn’t coin the term either) but I think it has more of a meaning behind it; You only get one chance to make an impact, so make it count.

Anyway, I’m off to London tomorrow. Peace out.

YOLO,

– VOV