I've learned one lesson in life.  Maybe I've learned a few more, but I certainly have learned that it never hurts to ask.  Frequently the questions are ignored.  All too often, the answer is no (if I get one).  But, on those wondrous, rare occasions, sometimes you get a yes!

While I was trapped in Ohio with no summer plans, I decided it was time to do some asking.  I've never painted a mural in Asia.  That's a situation that needs to be checked off of my list.  And, I have had one destination in Asia where I've wanted to paint murals for such a long time.  Israel.  Yes, I know they've had a war going on for more than a year.  I'm not worried about the "what ifs" that could happen to me if I paint there.  Hey, when it's your time to go, it's your time to go.  I want to bring some cheer to everyone who has been so very stressed living with this war.  I want to paint with Jews, Arabs, and Christians.

With no real personal connections in the area, I went to my friend Google and started searching any and all schools, hospitals, churches, colleges, NGOs, and charities that I could find.  I'm confident that I wrote to at least 30 of them.  I think it's safe to say that two-thirds of them never even bothered to reply.  Okay, I kind of understand it.  I sent a strange request.  I offered to paint a community mural for free, but there was an "if" with the request.  I'd paint if they could put me up for ten days.  This plan would give me a week to paint the mural and then three days to be a tourist.  While serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I lived in a mud block home in Africa with no electricity or running water.  I'm not picky.  They could put me up in a hotel, guesthouse, or with a family.  (I'd actually prefer the family, so I'd have a cultural exchange.)

Like I said, there were lots of no replies to my offer.

I received possibly ten answers, nine including a very polite no.  But, there was one maybe!   And, after 20 no replies and a whole bunch of rejection letters, a tentative maybe was worth dancing around my computer.  Yes, it was from Bethlehem, THE BETHLEHEM!

Bethlehem Bible College  The city where Jesus was born is in the West Bank/Palestine.  When I first visited the place, so very long ago, there was no wall around the place and Jews were permitted entry.  There is now a wall and it's my understanding that Jews can't enter the city.  But, there is a Bible College in Bethlehem, so I'm guessing there is not so much difficulty between Christians and Muslims.  

Bethlehem Bible College has a guest house.  In the summer, it was not available.  Alas, there was no room in the inn.  Not the first time to happen in Bethlehem, I hear.  Yes, sadly, there were no travel plans to Asia after receiving that bit of information.  However, a few weeks ago, I finally heard from the college once again.  The guest house was available, and they still wanted a mural.  So, very merrily, I started my plans for a trip to the Holy Land somewhere around Christmas.

El Al Airlines  The national airline for Israel is El Al.  In another situation where it doesn't hurt to ask, I contacted them.  I wanted to know if they might be interested in a mural at the airport in exchange for a free ticket.  A win-win, right? It was actually quite a series of hurdles to speak to an actual human in Tel Aviv.  Their call center is in the Philippines.  The online AI computer program would never complete the process without an error.  I had frequent text messages from El Al that informed me that my request was cancelled due to inactivity.   And, I couldn't call Israel from my telephone.  It took a week to actually find a way to connect with a human in Israel.  Of course, anyone who picks up the phones is not in the position to answer my question.   He could only pass the request further up the chain of command.  There were no promises.  There have been no email messages or phone calls from Israel. 

I'm still waiting for a Christmas miracle.

The U.S. Embassy  I have written to every United States Embassy in the world, around five times, informing them about my murals.  It hasn't generated nearly as much attention as I'd hoped.  Yes, I'm thankful for every mural I've painted with them, but I'm not sending out those requests anymore.  However, out of all the embassies, I potentially made the best new contact with someone I've never met in Israel.  No, they didn't want to bring me over for murals.  They use an organization with the State Department that relies upon young, hip artists.  I'm not young.  I'm not hip.  I have two hips, but they don't always work the way I'd like.  I am not the kind of artist that they want.  But, I still have good communication with one person at the embassy.

I sent a surprise email to Jerusalem informing my contact that I was coming to Israel.  Of course, more information was requested.  No promises were made, but I was told that my connection would put out feelers for any contacts who might want a mural.

Fareed  As a result of the U.S. Embassy, I was contacted by an Arab man named Fareed.  His email began, "Morning of Jasmine Scent dearest Phillip."  I knew I was going to like the message.  It continued, "Wow!  Such amazing work!!  It is not just a community mural that you are painting.  It is also the community's moral, soul, and spirit!"  Needless to say, I liked the guy immediately, and we are going to work together.  

It isn't quite determined where we will be working.  Plan A is to have me stay at a remote Bedouin village in the Negev Desert.  There are no facilities which I imagine means no running water or electricity.  It would be like my Peace Corps days, so I'd be thrilled.  However, there is a teensy-weensy problem.  In a traditional Bedouin village, you just can't have an alien American man stay at your home.  You have to be careful about the reputation of each and every female in the household.  So, if that doesn't work, Plan B is to stay in a large Arab city with Fareed's family.  It's a win-win no matter what happens.

Zipi  Another contact through the embassy is a Jewish artist in Jerusalem.  (My kind of people.)  Zipi's studio is located next to a school for at-risk youth.  It's my kind of place to bring a community together.  The principal is very interested in a mural at the school.  They are trying to figure out housing before any kind of commitment can be made.  Again, I lived in a mud block home in Africa.  A manger might be a little too small, but anything that they offer me will be just fine.  Still, the project is not a go until they say, "We have a place for you to put your head." So, I remain hopeful and wait for yet another Christmas miracle.  After all, it is the season for them.

Back to the Embassy  My contact at the embassy sent out my information to all colleagues to see if anyone else might have connections.  One more person wrote to me to gather information.  This person's contacts are with Palestinians.  So, it appears that I have good possibilities for painting with Christians, Jews, and Arabs, just as I had hoped.

When am I going exactly?  Well, that hasn't exactly been determined.  I'm hoping to go sooner rather than later.  It would be nice to know that I have three or four murals lined up in advance.  That may not happen.  I may have to just feel things out and make connections in Israel after people see my first murals.  But, I am going to try and get an open-ended ticket.  If I can get one of those, then there is no idea how many murals I might paint or how long I might be on this mission.  

Who knows what might happen on the planet in these crazy times?  All plans could be tossed aside if something terrible pops up in the headlines.  As for me, however, I'm hoping for some Peace on Earth.  After all, it really is the season for that.  Yes, Peace on Earth!  Good will to men!  And, Merry Christmas!

What do I want for Christmas?  A very positive message from El Al would fit nicely in my stocking.

This trip to Alaska was not as easy or adventurous as you might imagine.  Right after I arrived, I was sick in bed for four days.  I don’t know if I caught some bug on the airline or upon arrival in King Salmon.  I do know I was healthy in Ohio.  But, when I arrived, I soon had a cough, fever, headache, and body aches.  It was not a fun time.

When I was nearly recovered, I went to work in the kitchen at my sister's fishing lodge.  I worked every day, every meal, 60-hour weeks, for the next five or six weeks.  And, I quickly found out that I was not cut out for work in a kitchen.  In the past, dishes were scrubbed in a device with brushes on both sides.  Then, they were washed as usual in a sink.  That method has been set aside for a new, speedy, dishwasher.  However, I discovered very quickly that my back does not like lifting trays of dishes, bowls, and everything else for three meals a day.  I do not usually have back problems, but my back ached -- day and night -- the entire time I worked in Alaska.

After six weeks, all of the guests finally left and there was a week to pack up the camp for the long winter that is just unimaginable this far north.  But, on one of those days, I was asked if I wanted to go to Katmai National Park for the day.  If you’ve ever seen photos of bears in Alaska fishing for salmon in a shallow waterfall, that is Brooks Falls at KNP.  Of course, I wanted to go!
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The Northern Lights as seen from my sister's balcony at Lake House.

Who knew that there were celebrities living in the vicinity of King Salmon, Alaska?  I certainly had no idea.  Have you ever heard of 32 Chunk, 128 Grazer, 151 Walker, 164, 435 Holly, 480 Otis, or 747?  If you haven’t, like me, you don’t know about Fat Bear Week at Katmai National Park.  It’s a celebration of the strength, success, resilience, adaptability, and survival of the bears that live around the park.  With live-feed camera monitors, visitors to the park as well as an online audience vote on which bear is the biggest and best of them all.  747, a twenty-year-old critter not quite as big as a jetliner, won the competition in 2020 and 2022.  Not to be outdone by that, Otis won in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2021.

Like any good beauty contest, Fat Bear Week has requirements.  The bears must be seen in both Summer and Fall fishing for sockeye salmon at Brooks Falls at Katmai National Park.  This park in southwest Alaska is huge, 6,391 square miles, and is home to approximately 2,200 bears.  These brown bears eat as many 30 fish a day, which can be as much as 120 pounds.  And, with that diet, they may gain up to four pounds a day as they prepare for hibernation beginning in October or November.  By the time Spring rolls around, the bears will lose about one third of their body fat. 
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If the contest really interests you, you can get the full scoop online and watch live bear cams as well.  The way it works is each day two bears are pitted against each other in a daily vote.  Voters may choose any criteria they want to cast their ballots.  It’s a single elimination event.  Lose once and you’re out until the following year when you can feast on salmon all over again.  At the end of all voting, on Fat Bear Tuesday, the final winner is announced.