Stranger-friends in Monte Carlo… ready play the game?

 “When is your book coming out in English?” is probably the question I heard the most amount of times in the past three years since I left Hungary. And as much as I’d love to put effort in translating my short stories I have to admit: my mind is like it’s pulled by a bunch of wild horses. In my head I’m always involved with a next project, and I just can’t revisit a book I’m already “done with” in my head. But maybe now… This summer I’m bringing out a new book and in my opinion this is the One I should get done in English as well.

Can you imagine a guy going on a crazy adventure with a complete stranger? Well, now you can: that guy is me. I met my travel buddy, Mary trough Craigslist, where she advertised a rather peculiar opportunity. She needed company for a luxury cruise all over Europe. As we went trough a serious rough patch with my boyfriend back then I decided: it’s time for me to think outside the box… and inside a cabin of the Norwegian Jade. Mary and I spent together eight unforgettable days, and as I got to know more and more about her I found out: my heart wasn’t even broken, next to hers. Our adventures brought us to a fancy wedding on the street in Palma de Mallorca, Naples’s most famous pizza place, known from the bestseller Eat Pray Love, and to the shrine of the Casinos, Monte Carlo, where Mary won a small (well, a really small) fortune on the poker machine.

As I was dancing my nights away on the fancy dress parties with the retired couples and posh American tourists I quickly realized… I’m not so miserable after all, and by the time our ship returned to Barcelona my diary was filled with the most amazing memories a writer can dream of. And now I know how grateful I am for that “almost-break-up” what brought me to experience the ultimate journey of a heart in love. A 4 page story of our trip has been published in the Hungarian Marie Claire magazine, and this summer the best of the rest is hitting the bookstores. This will be my message in a bottle. I believe it can be a secret map to find the island of happiness for all of us.

MDNA promo shot by Mert & Marcus

Because for me this is what MDNA is. Madonna falling down – and here comes the twist – into Wonderland. I’m not afraid to say it: Madonna’s new record is not the new Ray of Light or Confessions, it’s not even the new Erotica. It’s BETTER then ANY of these. We have here the dance queen, the weirdo, the trash princess, the spiritual godess, the bitch, the sexual icon, fighter, the broken flower, the new yorker and the londoner, the mother and the daughter on ONE album. Finally on one album we see all the Madonnas we love or hate, but most importantly we all KNOW. And not surprisingly at all, we also have TOTALLY new sounds, what in some years the fans will refer to as “The MDNA Sound.” Unquestionably incredible.

I’m lucky enough to publish some reviews in the next few days, in English I’ll write for The Wild magazine, in Hungarian (if you’re interested but you don’t speek Hungarian you can always use Google translate ) for the Marie Claire blog and in print for the EXIT, one of Hungary’s best known weekly program magazines. As I live in Tel Aviv I already have my ticket for the opening night… so stay tuned for more. And for now, the lyrics of my favorite one… a song of Madonna, The Believer. A heartbreaking poem fit into tingling, crying, whispering classical music. Written by Madonna, Willian Orbit, and a Laurie Mayer, someone who I never heard of, but I think I should. Listen to the song here on SoundCloud.

When I move a certain way
I feel an ache I’d kept at bay
A hairline break that’s taking hold
A metal that I thought was gold

And pure so sure I’d struck a vein
I wanted you to feel the same
So when you did ignite a spark
Rescue me from all this dark
See our hearts are intertwined
Then I’m free, free of mine

I’m falling free

And see our hearts are intertwined
And then I’m free, I’m free of mine
Deep and pure our hearts align
And then I’m free, I’m free of mine

When I raise a certain wing
And crawl beneath that growing thing
It throws a shadow over time
And keeps yours falling next to mine

Your days were meant to fly and do
I fall and fold mine into you
And what you take is just enough
And what you give is what I love
And when you lift you raise the sail
And then I’m free, free to fail

I’m falling free

Deep and pure our hearts align
And then I’m free, I’m free of mine
When I let loose the need to know
Then we’re both free, we’re free to go

When I lose a certain claim
That tries to know and needs to blame
Whatever river runs aground
It turns my head and washes down

The face of God that stands above
Pouring over Hope and Love
That all of might, and life, and limb
Could turn around and love again
When I let loose the need to know
Then we’re both free, free to go

I’m falling free

Deep and pure our hearts align
And then I’m free, I’m free of mine
When I let loose the need to know
Then we’re both free, we’re free to go

UPDATE: Personal milestone. After I published my review on The Wild blog, Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary shared my link on his Twitter. One of  THOSE moments… thank You. 

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.”

Kabbalah does not offer an opinion on the issue, quite simply because Kabbalah is not a religion or a philosophy with opinions about sexual orientation. Kabbalah is a blueprint, a technology based on the energy of life. It allows us to have more Light in our lives, to strengthen our connection to that 99 Percent Reality of spirituality from which we all derive.

Kabbalah explains that the ultimate purpose of life is to transform our selfish desires and learn to share with people. As we discussed earlier, relationships are the major part of this process. Everyone, gay or not, faces the tough task of learning to resist the overwhelmingly selfish behaviors the Adversary proposes. When any two people commit to taking that journey together, to being sharing and conscious of the effect their actions have on the world, they reveal great Light in the world.

When speaking with my gay students, I find that they easily connect to the idea of male and female energies. Remember, these are the positive and negative charges that exist in the unified soul. In fact, Kabbalah explains that male and female energies, or male and female souls, can be drawn into a body of the opposite sex. People can even have a combination of both these energies, which can affect their sexuality.

Ultimately, the soul of a person chooses the body it will inhabit before entering the physical world. And we are all here for the same reason: To learn to be more sharing, to become more like the Light, and to ignite the Law of Attraction in our lives. So whatever combination of soul and body we may have, we are all exactly who we need to be in order to accomplish this mission. Kabbalah explains that wherever the fantastic voyage may take us, we are all sparks of the Divine, of the Creator, and the Creator does not make mistakes.

Treating all people with human dignity is an essential tool of Kabbalah. Not because it is morally correct, but because judgment and hatred are tools of our Adversary and they immediately disconnect us from the Light. Treating everyone with kindness, compassion, and sharing connects us to the Light that will infuse our own lives with passion and excitement.

“There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” – William Shakespeare, Hamlet

It is important that we understand the concept of male and female as they are defined kabbalistically. Male and female do not necessarily refer to a physical male and female body. Kabbalah deals with forces of energy that have nothing to do with materiality. There is male energy and female energy, and these two particular forces can be found in either a man’s or a woman’s physical body, in varying proportions. In gay relationships, it’s not unusual to find that one partner expresses more female qualities and the other more male ones. This is a direct result of the particular male or female energy that shines in each person’s soul.

Rachel is gay, and she has been a student of Kabbalah for three years. Before Kabbalah, Rachel was constantly filled with a fear of rejection. She had no idea what her purpose in life was, or how her sexuality fit into the scheme of things.

“Studying Kabbalah helped me realize that it isn’t about whether you’re gay or straight; it’s about understanding that every single person has something to contribute to life. We’re all responsible for the amount of negativity or Light in the world. When you learn to resist the ego, it’s like finding a new treasure every day. Instead of being bogged down by guilt and shame, boredom and emptiness, you’re inspired to write the book you always dreamed of, volunteer to help abused kids like you’ve always meant to, or even just let go of grudges and pain you’ve carried around for years. It’s not about what you want; it’s about who you are.

A lot of times people focus on the sex part of homosexuality, which is understandable when you learn how much we all focus on the 1 percent of reality. But being gay is about a lot more than just sex. No one has a monopoly on being selfish in sex and relationships. We all do it. I realized that life is about making the effort to see that spark of the Creator in someone else and to really appreciate it. Especially in the people I disagree with the most, those who really push my buttons.”

As a final thought on this subject, suppose we have a heterosexual couple that treats each other abusively. They mistreat their friends and business colleagues, and their behavior lacks any form of human decency.

Suppose we have a gay couple that shares a life distinguished by a constant striving to be kind toward others. They make an effort to treat people with human dignity. Which couple, according to the teachings of Kabbalah, reveals greater Light in the world?

Answer? (No surprise here.) The gay couple.

Allow me to paraphrase a teaching of the great kabbalistic sage known as Hillel:

The sole purpose of Bible study is to achieve the ability to love one’s neighbor as oneself. All the rest of the learning is mere commentary. Now go and learn.

My question appears around 6.38… and the answer goes on, and on!

The cherry on the top is that my question is already history! British paper, The Sun reveals her answer to my question: “Did your strong spiritual foundation help you to stay calm at the darkest hours?” The Queen of Pop held court during a post-screening news conference where she explained how she drew on her ‘strong spiritual foundation,’ to find time to work on the film project, including the writing the screenplay – a process that took three years. “Making films is really hard in the first place. You have to believe in your subject matter and be passionate about it because there will be challenges along the way. You have to be prepared like the captain of a ship, no matter what happens you have got to keep going. So your spiritual foundation has to be strong.”

After the incredible experience I had a few more days in the Italian city of love. Wondering around the old city I felt like I’m one of the weird characters from Woody Allen’s infamous neo-musical, Everyone Says I Love You, and enjoying the view from my fancy little hotel on the corner of a canal i kept pinching myself if this is only a dream. Well if it is, I still didn’t wake up yet. I’ll be grateful forever for my Kabbalah teachers for pushing me, and for making it sure that I’m always following my dreams. And – from a “material girl” point of view, I’ll always be grateful for this amazing website, where I found my “home in Venice”, this perfect little castello.

My article will premier in the December issue of the Hungarian Elle magazine.  More great hotel deals at www.szallodak.hu.

Kabbalah isn’t what most people think it is. It isn’t a Jewish thing. It isn’t a Madonna thing. It isn’t a self-help thing. It’s not a religion, and in truth, it’s not even spirituality. Kabbalah is a 2000-year-old wisdom for change that over a million people around the world are learning. It is the same wisdom that was once taught and understood only by thought leaders throughout history, including Plato, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein, all of whom used it to uncover the fundamental nature of this world—ahead of their time. Today, because of modern technology the wisdom of Kabbalah is available to anyone who wants to learn.

A bestselling author and luminary authority on Kabbalah, Yehuda Berg is part of a long line of Kabbalistic masters, and the son of Rav and Karen Berg. Recognized as “the world’s leading authority on the Kabbalah movement” by Newsweek, the magazine named him as one of the top five rabbis in the U.S. in 2007. In 2009, GQ magazine’s The Gentlemen’s Fund honored him for being an Agent of Change in the field of Education. Yehuda has authored more than 30 books on topics ranging from self-empowerment and depression to sex and the Bible. His bestsellers are “The Power of Kabbalah” and “The 72 Names of God”, which have been translated into 20 and 14 languages respectively. His daily Tune-ups are sent to more than 200,000 fans, and he contributes regularly to Huffington Post. Yehuda speaks internationally and teaches thousands of people from all walks of life. He believes in the power of human consciousness and personal transformation, and utilizes Kabbalah as a tool for change.

Each and every one of us has a Divine spark of potential inside, a purpose to fulfill in this lifetime. If we are alive, we are here on earth for a reason and we are capable of more. The reason our lives are filled with confusion, uncertainty and fear is because we are not on the path towards achieving our potential. But learning the wisdom of Kabbalah rouses us from our sleep, awakening us to our greater potential, activating our inner compass, and pointing us in the direction of what we came here to do—to shift our mindset and awaken consciousness on a personal level so that we can achieve lasting global change. This is the purpose of studying Kabbalah… and that is why you can’t miss this opportunity to meet Yehuda in Hungary, on the 19th of May, 6 pm sharp, at the Alexandra Bookstore, Andrassy avenue, Budapest. To register for the event, please click here.

Happy Holidays from Palestine…

During this holiday season, I’m hoping my friends and family will join me to raise $500 for Kids Creating Peace. It’s a great cause that teaches children all over the world the universal tools to make conscious choices and overcome challenges, KCP applies the principles of tolerance and human dignity to children caught in real-world conflicts, enabling them to create change for themselves and future generations. Since its launch, KCP has brought together thousands of Arab and Israeli children for special programs, events and summer camp experiences, in order to nourish bonds of friendship and tolerance.

I chose Kids Creating Peace because I want to end the abuse, the conflict and the cycle. But without you our goals will stay a dream. Your support can make it happen. and it must happen. That is why I supported KCP with 10% of the income of my book in 2009.

Please consider giving to my Holiday Wish, and together we can make the world a better place. If you can’t afford to donate, I’d really appreciate if you’d share this page with your friends.

Thanks so much, wish you love, peace and very happy holidays.

Because they worth it!

Staying Alive is an MTV international initiative to encourage HIV prevention, promote safer lifestyle choices and fight the stigma and discrimination which fuels the HIV epidemic. Staying Alive is now the world’s largest HIV mass media awareness and prevention campaign. It features the world’s biggest stars from Beyonce to Justin Timberlake, Mary J Blige, Diddy, Kanye West, Kelly Rowland, to Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton. I was honoured and happy when the MTV Hungary asked me to be the ambassador of the campaign, and on the side of many other Hungarian artist, promote health and safe sex in the form of concerts, documentaries, public service announcements, TV film, film competitions and many others.

Staying Alive began in 1998 as a one off award winning documentary, of the same name, about six young people from around the world and how their lives were affected by HIV and AIDS and hosted by George Michael. Now, a bit more than decade later we’ve been hosting an amazing, all day event in the heart of Budapest, with free and anonimus HIV testing, exhibition, a press conference, and an all night long party with top bands and singers. Just one sentence from my speech in front of the crowd: let’s not call the people “sick”, or “ill”, who suffering from HIV. Let’s call them “healing people”.

There are so many people out there who are terrified of not being able to celebrate Christmas with us next year. You… we are capable of giving them a gift. The same way,as Dorothy needed all her friends to be able to get back to Kansas, the same way as Santa needs Christmas spirit to fly on his sleigh, they need us to believe. The cure is here with us! With the power of collective consciousness we are capable of changing our reality into a world where we all take care of each other. The Bible says, love your neighbour as you love yourself… well I say, sometimes it’s okay to love them even a bit more.

Perfection with a twist…

“Life is a work of art you gotta paint it colorful,
Can make it anything u want don’t have to stick to any rules
You don’t need a high IQ to succeed in what you do,
You just gotta have no doubt just believe in yourself.

Doubters, non-believers.. once were dreamers.
One of these days you’ll open up your eyes… and you’ll realize:

That girl was a one time teenage drama queen
A hot, tough everyday wannabe…
but she’ll have changed her destiny.. now she’s a somebody.
That girl was a wild child dreamer but she found herself.
Cuz she believes in nothin else and you’ll look back and you wont believe that girl was me.”

I might be in an all-girlie-pinky mood, but this is ssso kabbalistic for me! It’s all about certainty. Whatever you guys might say, LiLo rocks!

“Love your neighbor…”

Don’t get me wrong, I love the silly soap operas. But after reading Yehuda Berg’s weekly connection letter, I started to think: we wouldn’t follow our selfish desires if the right path would be clear. So why do we read and watch and listen to all these trendy pop-cult sparkles, when it seems like they are only setting up bad examples for us. Why are we not watching the stars on the sky instead of the telly?

Well, in my opinion to go wrong with this is for our own good. We can’t make all the mistakes in the world, what people do in the series: cheat on each other, lie, gossip or even kill, but because of our inner Satan, we do want to. These bad girls, these evil guys just do the job for us, so we can remember we are messengers, or angels – and not whores or sluts. We need to feel like we can do anything – and for this we watch these fictional vixens.

Yehuda says: “Because everyone affects someone else, imagine multiplying this effect by 1000. Perhaps you meditated on an ill family member, and they recovered. Perhaps you reasoned with a friend on the verge of a breakdown, and they are still here today because of words you spoke. Each of us has at least one story like this. Multiply it by tens of thousands, or even a million people. This is the true affect we have.” That’s why we have to remember, that Cruel Intentions is a fun movie, but the film of our faith is more like The Wonderful Life.

There are so many more blessings we are capable of giving the world except “xoxo”… Let’s start it today!

Aint it fun?…

My online Kabbalistic Astrology teacher, Yeal made me feel so much better about this strange anti-party mood of mine. Turns out, all the fights, all the moods, even the depressed hysteria was totally predictable. This NYE’s week’s survival kit is called: communication, communication, communication, according to Yael. “Mercury is already retrograde as you know and will be until January 15th. So remember to double and triple check everything we do.” she sais.  You might think you hear something clearly but rest assured there will either be confusion on one end or the other. This month of the Capricorn energy is also in full swing so what I need you to do is fight the urge to get back into bed and under the covers. Did you know that Marilyn Monroe almost never took showers when she was depressed? Yuck, right? Well I guess “some like it stinky”… but if you are not one of them, start your exercise program early, use a ginger-lemon body scrub, start that damn South Beach Diet, or get that extra shot in your mochaccino.  ”You will want to throw your hands up and call it quits but keep going.  Just know that all the effort that you put in now will be rewarded later!” says Yael.

“So this week keep moving forward, start making your goals and putting effort towards them for next year.” If you don’t feel like throwing a fancy party, putting on your chic makeup and wearing that silly, pink Britney wig what you bough ages ago, so forget it, but do not forget to live! New Year’s Eve is not a bit more special then any other day, but whatever day it is, you always have to “fight for your right: the party”… the greatest ball, which is called LIFE.