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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

... because there's pretty in its ugliness

I love this city, but I have to admit - it could appear pretty ugly to an untrained eye. The building on the picture (on a prestigious Nordau ave.) represents a standard city architecture - not the best, but also not the worst that Tel Aviv can show:
- Unmatched plastic windows' shutters - some (the newest) still white, other in all shades of stale beige and grey and yellow
- Air conditioners' bodies hang outside of the apartments
- Wires, cables and pipes, installed on the walls instead of inside them
... and so on and so forth...
When I first came to live in Tel Aviv's area (from Jerusalem, which is so different and much more aesthetically appealing), this was quite a shock for me. Since then, I've adjusted, and found a good deal of things to like about Tel Aviv, and today I won't change it for any other place, but sometimes I just look around - and this ugliness hits me once again. Usually I find it familiar and almost cute, especially when there are decorations that soften the overall look, like these nice wind vanes.

This is a part of my world; take a look on other worlds at That's My World.

11 comments:

antigoni said...

Every place on earth has good and bad things to show. The important thing is the people who live there to live in piece and love.
By the way, you have my daughter's name and in Orthodox church we celebrate St.Olga's name in July
11th.

Dina said...

Olga, you lived in Jerusalem and moved to the coast?? Ech efshar?!

But I admit, at least those colored thingies you spotted on the trissim are a good addition. Good eyes, blogger eyes, you have. :)

SandyCarlson said...

Clearly, somebody wants a better view!

B SQUARED said...

So true of every city. They all have warts.

chrome3d said...

Prettiness is almost everywhere once you get used to it.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

It is what it is. For those of us that don't know what's where posts like yours are wonderful.
I guess the architecture and design are very functional. Combining the functional with the looks is a trick sometimes.

dianasfaria.com said...

I can say the exact same thing about Long Island, NY! What I love about doing my daily photo page is that it forces me to look for the beauty around me. Now as a result that is what I notice more often than not.
Great post. To me the decorations are symbolic of great spirit.

Louise said...

I like your attitude. It DOES look a bit depressing, but someone is making their corner prettier, and you find the beauty in all of it.

Arija said...

Once we have found the gentle soul in a person, their outer ugliness becmes immaterial. The same with our surroundings. We an live with a certain amount of shoddiness when the essence of our surroundings has redeeming features.
A nice and honest post.

Lowell said...

I think you have taken to heart the motto: "Bloom where you are planted."

And that's often a good thing to do if for no other reason than maintaining your own sanity.

Merisi said...

When one recognizes the beauty where other see only ugliness, you are beginning to "own" the place and it becomes "home" - at least that is my experience.