Bignaf Life Update

[bignaf]

Hi!
I guess I'm down to an annual visit now, I haven't visited since a little before my wedding.
here's a life update for me, much has changed and occurred!
The wedding was awesome, and my wife is more so.
We decided to spend a year in Israel so that my wife can learn and so that I could serve in the army. why the army, you ask? because I'm an Israeli citizen, and I felt guilty for not having done what everyone else has to do.
I finished my studies at Yale successfully earning an MMA in composition and we flew to Israel. There we found out that I was considered a draft dodger, so I got to sit in jail for 3 months. It was a military jail, and I sat mostly with other draft dodgers and deserters. In court I tried arguing that "hey, I came back to serve, pretty much volunteering..." so they said, "OK, you'll sit only three months" (after good behavior deduction). So I have a good excuse for not posting, I was in jail with no electronic devices allowed.
Anyway, I'm now out, and appreciate freedom that much more. I'm now serving in the army, with a nice cushy role of army cantor (part time) and musical assistant to the chief army cantor. I get to go home every day. We might decide to stay in Israel too, because we really like it here (gov't bureaucracy and army insanity aside).

Musical update:

Please check out my music and critique/comment!

Since my last post I wrote a solo piano piece - Le Tombeau de..., a solo trombone piece - Two-eyed Elk, and a piece for string quartet, water sound samples, and me throat singing and playing exotic percussion (no link yet, recording was awful).

[Shapley]

Bignaf,

Great to hear from you. Sorry to hear about your confinement, glad to see that it seems not have carried too much of a negative impact on your career. Congratulations on the wedding, too, if I haven't said so already.

I'll check out your music page a bit later, as time permits.

Take care,

Shapley

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Oh, dear. Well, I'm glad you worked out the details with the insane bureaucrat army types - how on earth did you get posted as a cantor? In the US military, one is usually posted to every conceivable position except the one for which one is actually prequalified. It's a classic joke, like the uniform sizes (there are two: "too big" and "too small") and the bucket of plaid paint, and the barrel of propwash, and the lefthanded crescent wrench.

I'm delighted to hear from you. Keep us updated from time to time, eh? Oh, and my best to your wife. Congratulations to you and felicitations to her and blessings to you both.

[jamiebk]

Wow...that's quite an adventure for such a short period of time. I am glad that the jail time didn't (seem) to impact you too much. Good luck on your stint in Israel. Things seem kind of dicey in that part of the world right now. Stay safe.

[Schmeelkie]

So I guess it's congrats and I'm sorry. I have a friend who spent a semester abroad in Israel duing our Junior year. She liked lots of things, just not the dreary winters - she grew up in Texas, but liked our winters in NY state too....Israel's winter was sort of in between - cold and rainy...

[piqaboo]

Wow, quite the immersion course for your wife too!
Hi honey, lets move to MY old stomping ground, and then I'll just go away for three months while you figure it all out, 'kay?
Oh yeah, and I'll go away to someplace that makes you worry a lot. On a charge that means you cant even ask the neighbors to commiserate!

If she still thinks you are wonderful, then she's a reallio trulio keeper indeed!
Congrats, feliciations, to you both, and one very respectful handshake from me to your wife.

Stay safe, stay happy.

[BigJon]

Great to hear from you, other Big. Military logic is an oxymoron.

[OperaTenor]

*ignaf, were you away?

[GreatCarouser]

Well the 'Assassination Express' has certainly taken the scenic route out to CA to take care of business. I assume you'll be better trained for the task once (if) you arrive?..Congratulations on straightening out these little bumps in life's road. For those readers who don't know why I refer to *ig as the 'Assassination Express' he or OT can explain it better than I.
Oh...and a (slightly premature) Happy Hanukkah to you!

[bignaf]

Oh, dear. Well, I'm glad you worked out the details with the insane bureaucrat army types - how on earth did you get posted as a cantor? In the US military, one is usually posted to every conceivable position except the one for which one is actually prequalified. It's a classic joke, like the uniform sizes (there are two: "too big" and "too small")

I was also really surprised when the sorting officer (he's not a hat...) steered me towards a musical role. Gotta thank God I guess. I actually spent my jail time trying to find people who could help me get a musical role, and finally I got the phone number of the Chief cantor, who turned out to be a super-nice down-to-earth guy. So that helped.
I got the "too big" size BTW (except for third sock)

[bignaf]

Wow...that's quite an adventure for such a short period of time. I am glad that the jail time didn't (seem) to impact you too much. Good luck on your stint in Israel. Things seem kind of dicey in that part of the world right now. Stay safe.

I've already lived there for 14 years during dicier times (when there was a suicide bomber every week or so), so I'm not too concerned. controversy aside, the security fence has really increased security.

[bignaf]

Wow, quite the immersion course for your wife too!
Hi honey, lets move to MY old stomping ground, and then I'll just go away for three months while you figure it all out, 'kay?
Oh yeah, and I'll go away to someplace that makes you worry a lot. On a charge that means you cant even ask the neighbors to commiserate!

If she still thinks you are wonderful, then she's a reallio trulio keeper indeed!

lolz. nice way of putting it. I actually had to stop her from blaming herself, because she considered the whole Israel move her idea (she really wanted to learn there for a year), but it really was our idea together. Also the neighbors were really nice and commiserating, after all, I did come back in order to serve. She lived at my aunt's house (in a town full of expats) which helped the acclimation process. Obviously, it was still very tough for her (definitely tougher on her than me, but then it was tough for me that she was having a tough time...).

[bignaf]

Well the 'Assassination Express' has certainly taken the scenic route out to CA to take care of business. I assume you'll be better trained for the task once (if) you arrive?..Congratulations on straightening out these little bumps in life's road. For those readers who don't know why I refer to *ig as the 'Assassination Express' he or OT can explain it better than I.
Oh...and a (slightly premature) Happy Hanukkah to you!

I'm not sure "express" is the right word. I was taking so long, that OT came to visit me in CT and I still didn't manage the assassination. Maybe my lately acquired M-16 shooting skills will help. unfortunately, they didn't let me take the M-16 home from basic training...

[shostakovich]

Hi Naf. I've been a sometimes visitor to the BBB, but, as an annual visitor, you get the prize (whatever it is). My wife and I have been in New Haven several times. Whenever we passed yale we wondered how you are doing. I just told my wife the Yalebird became a jailbird as well as the rest of the story. Congratulations are in order: marriage, the move, the release from jail, the fortunate position in the army. Where are you located?
Shos

[Shapley]

Hello, Shos. Welcome back! It's always nice to hear from you.

V/R
Shapley

[bignaf]

Hi Naf. I've been a sometimes visitor to the BBB, but, as an annual visitor, you get the prize (whatever it is). My wife and I have been in New Haven several times. Whenever we passed yale we wondered how you are doing. I just told my wife the Yalebird became a jailbird as well as the rest of the story. Congratulations are in order: marriage, the move, the release from jail, the fortunate position in the army. Where are you located?
Shos

we live in El'azar (googlemap it!), and that pretty much where I'm based (at home, i.e.), though my official base is the Kiryah, which is pretty much the Israeli equivalent of the pentagon, but a little more mundane.

[GreatCarouser]

I think David S is from Israel. Have you two met/corresponded?...Now it's timely to wish all a Happy Hanukkah!

[bignaf]

He is, I haven't corresponded with him in about 3 years. is he still active?

[Shapley]

His last post was December 3. So, yes, I would call that still active.