“In preparing to engage with Israel’s complexity, I took particular pleasure in simplicity. I stuffed a backpack with two of each item of clothing. I checked that I had the basics: spectacles, credit card, and sun lotion. I charged my cell phone and promised to call home every night. I took a vacation from NBC. And then I set off on my journey of discovery, the adventure I had long imagined.”
I immediately imagined a lone person, walking down the coasts of Israel, accompanied by nothing but the waves of the sea, speaking to people only to find out their stories from below.. and probably, with a handy camera by his side.
And I thought, “Ahh… Bliss.”
And so I got the book.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from this book, its that news reports and analysis don’t represent what the people of the nation really feel or think – At all. They can represent the government, political representatives, a country’s official stand, but never really the people.
“…because news reporting demands clear story lines and simple narratives, truth is easily distorted.”
Israel is an amazing place.
While I’m in this literary mood, I’m also very excited to share that by a stroke of luck, I got selected to take part in the Singapore Writers’ Festival Microfiction Contest! Participants are randomly chosen, and once selected, you have to write a short story of up to 500 words, based on the National Museum’s historical items collection.
The first prize is an ipad!!!
I’m not having too high hopes, of course, but it doesn’t hurt to dream 🙂
Along Life's Path 