Iraqi chicken soup

I woke up this morning still feeling quite sick. But another round of OJ and pomegranate juice, plus more grapefruits the size of my head, seem to have done the trick and am feeling better. No more T3s. (Hello Jenn)

Really fresh pomegranate juice

Yesterday my body decided for me to take it easy, but I had several commitments I did not want to get out of, so I slept till noon and then went with Avigdor to Petach Tikvah, a city close to Tel Aviv, to do a workshop with a high tech start-up I have been talking to. It is very exciting (and humbling) to work with really smart people.

From there, Avigdor and I went to dinner at the best restaurant I have been to so far (but to be fair, I really haven't gone out to a lot of fancy restaurants... I am waiting for Rafi for that). It is called Raphael (haha), located on the waterfront. The food and ambiance were fabulous. Major difference with similar restaurants back home: the portion size. I had lamb chops that were exquisitely prepared. The quantity served would make any Jewish mother proud (literally, I could not finish the dish).

After that, Avigdor had called David Assia who had invited us to have a glass of wine as his home in Savyon, a local council close to Tel Aviv, so off we went (after a stop over for some Tylenol).

I was in awe: David is one of the preeminent investors and entrepreneurs in Israel today and is featured in the media all the time.  He was extremely hospitable and gracious and, even though I was on T3s, I enjoyed meeting him immensely. The stories he shared go to the root of Israel's high tech history (with Avigdor, he co-founded Magic Software, Israel's first IPO on Nasdaq).

But not only was David Assia hospitable and gracious, he was as generous as so many of the people I have encountered so far.  After we spoke for about an hour, he offered to introduce me to a few start-ups and invited me to a meeting of Angel investors and start-ups on Monday. What could I say, but "I think I am free then.”

By the time I got to my apartment, I was beat.

This morning I slept late again and then drove up to Haifa with Avigdor for another business meeting with A. Sitting in the lounge of the Dan Panorama hotel (seems recently renovated, very swanky), overlooking the immense Haifa Bay, it is easy to forget we were close to the Lebanese border.

View of Haifa Bay (and not Lebanon)

 Apparently you can "see" Lebanon from here ONLY on a very clear day. In a past post I wrote "you can see Lebanon from here", implying always. A few Israeli friends reading my blog have (laughed and) pointed out my error, so I stand corrected (I feel much better now).

I took the train back to Tel Aviv and tried to get the iPad working, but there was no Wi-Fi on the train. I am spoiled now. If the bus to Jerusalem had Wi-Fi, why not the train to Tel Aviv? (and, more importantly, am I going native, starting to complain already?)

On the train I sat next to a businessman from China. He had scribbled the name of the train station he needed but was having a hard time getting that question across; his handwriting looked more Chinese than English. Of course I didn't know the answer but asked around for him.  While I couldn't help him directly, he was now my captive audience for a few questions.

Turns out he was here for two weeks on business selling shoe wear and showed me the catalogue. He told me that Tevah was his client and that he came to Israel often and that it was ‘very nice, very nice.’ I wish the train ride had been longer, but I had reached my destination and had to get off. So many questions for him still in my head.

As I headed to the apartment I walked past my little Kubeh restaurant and realized THIS was how I was going to end my flu:  some Iraqi chicken soup!

Kubeh again: Iraqi chicken soup