10 days down...
So, this is going to be a longer post than most because Rhona left tonight and I'm alone...me and my computer.
So I will talk...
It was a rough couple of days that started with Rhona puking her guts out. And then Sivan joined in.
Then I took both of them to Urgent Care, and felt sick managing healthcare in a foreign country. There are instances when israel is "home" (like anything Jewish) and then instances when Israel becomes a foreign country (managing health care or a laundry machine).
Anyway, I was a mess the rest of that day barely eating, figuring it was my nerves. But by Friday night, when Matan threw up in the middle of the night, we realized, this was not food poisoning, but rather a virus. Fortunately, I have not thrown up (yet) and hope to avoid it. But overall, I'd say between the four of us, in about 3 days, we've eaten what one healthy person eats in a day. It's hard for me to watch my children not eat. I feel like they will whither away.
But alas, we are all on the rebound.
So, Rhona left and I'm in a bit of a panic. I gotta manage my two kids by myself. For anyone who has ever tried this, you know that that can be hard enough. But, this is coupled with certain insecurity about grandma leaving, aba still not being with us, and starting camp in a foreign country (yes, Israel is "foreign" when it comes to schools and camps also)...this, will clearly yield an even more complicated situation.
Without Rhona, I will have to tuck them both into bed by myself, hold them on one side of the car while I walk around to manually lock the other side, and most of all, hold on to my own parking garage tickets (Rhona kindly always takes them from me, because we both know I can't hold on to my own head if it weren't attached to my neck).
But, I can do this!
I have learned some very important things this past 10 days!!
I will share some of them with you.
1) NEVER EVER make a right turn on red.
In Israel, one does not ever make a right on red. When I did this, without even realizing it, because it is so damn natural and logical, I got yelled at for about 10 minutes by some parking lot attendant (to whose lot I was pulling in). He asked me if I knew how to drive, then answered that clearly I did not know how to drive, then continued to tell me how I could have been filmed, and where did I learn to drive? and they could take away my license....
Okay okay! I get it!
But just to make sure I asked my cousin Yaara about this.
Her eyes widened! A red is a red! And something about them taking away my children if I ever made a right on red. Okay lesson learned.
2) STOP SIGNS--they are not nearly as noticeable as the States. But I'm starting to see them now :)
3) Israelis don't seem to really be pressed for details or schedules. Anyone who knows my personality can imagine how I feel about still not knowing what building I'm dropping my daughter off at camp tomorrow!
4) When driving, lanes can suddenly end or merge...and there is NO warning. None. It just happens. Your lane has ended and you are slamming up against the car next to you.
5) The APN settings on your phone will need to be adjusted to get data in Israel if you are coming in with a droid on cellcom. I finally have data.
**I must pause to say that outside in the amphitheatre near my house is some big gathering, concert, singalong thing...I'm very curious**
6) shopping carts require a deposit.
7) I learned that there is a code to get into my building so I don't have to struggle with the key like I was for the first few days.
8) If I get 50 liters worth of gas at Paz, I can get an iced coffee. It took me awhile to understand why the guy filling up my car was talking to me about coffee. Turns out I had like 48 liters or something.
9) People will help you jump your car if you forget to turn your headlights off. Which of course, I did. People will really help you with anything here if you ask.
10) I now know where urgent care is, but pray I never have to go back.
11) I learned how to manually move my laundry machine to spin cycle.
12) I learned that I have to push really hard to get the dishwasher door to close to run it.
13) I learned that Anabe park in Modiin has no shade and feels like the middle of a desert if you go there midday which I will never do again.
14) I got lost this week about 20 times driving, which means I know have finally learned my way around relatively well.
15) I learned that with time, all new things get easier.
Mom, thanks for coming with me for the first 10 days. It would have been insanely hard.
In the next few days, I'm hoping my kids get accustomed to camp a little...and that with my "free time" I keep up with my domestic responsibilities, catch up on some work, and also maybe get a haircut. But we'll see if I can keep my kids in camp 3 hours/day first.
Israel, this way, has been a great experience. I feel like I'm definitely not getting some illusion of this place, that you can get as a tourist. Well, no, I shouldn't say it like that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you see only one side as a tourist. It includes everything handed to you on a silver platter (yes, I felt that at the hotel this weekend when we visited Adam) and you get to see all the awesome sights knowing a bus is picking you up and dropping you off. It's definitely the way to fall in love with Israel and see the best of the best! However, I feel that given that that option for weeks is unaffordable (honestly, I would not turn down hotel stays for weeks and a bus and tourguide at my disposal), I think this way of doing Israel has the amazing benefit of really being able to feel like you are living in the country and experiencing day-to-day life and culture.
Rhona had such a "picture" of Israel that few American tourists get (including the urgent care of course), but I hope that she got to experience some of the beauty, philosophy, history and culture in a tiny time she was hear.
My dad and mom are in Jerusalem and I'm really proud of my dad who, at over the age of 70, is doing Ulpan--studying Hebrew for hours a day in an intensive manner. It's kicking his tuchus, but I think he's enjoying it too.
Well, that's enough for tonight. Everyone is singing at this thing out my window...really curious.
here's some pictures...
So I will talk...
It was a rough couple of days that started with Rhona puking her guts out. And then Sivan joined in.
Then I took both of them to Urgent Care, and felt sick managing healthcare in a foreign country. There are instances when israel is "home" (like anything Jewish) and then instances when Israel becomes a foreign country (managing health care or a laundry machine).
Anyway, I was a mess the rest of that day barely eating, figuring it was my nerves. But by Friday night, when Matan threw up in the middle of the night, we realized, this was not food poisoning, but rather a virus. Fortunately, I have not thrown up (yet) and hope to avoid it. But overall, I'd say between the four of us, in about 3 days, we've eaten what one healthy person eats in a day. It's hard for me to watch my children not eat. I feel like they will whither away.
But alas, we are all on the rebound.
So, Rhona left and I'm in a bit of a panic. I gotta manage my two kids by myself. For anyone who has ever tried this, you know that that can be hard enough. But, this is coupled with certain insecurity about grandma leaving, aba still not being with us, and starting camp in a foreign country (yes, Israel is "foreign" when it comes to schools and camps also)...this, will clearly yield an even more complicated situation.
Without Rhona, I will have to tuck them both into bed by myself, hold them on one side of the car while I walk around to manually lock the other side, and most of all, hold on to my own parking garage tickets (Rhona kindly always takes them from me, because we both know I can't hold on to my own head if it weren't attached to my neck).
But, I can do this!
I have learned some very important things this past 10 days!!
I will share some of them with you.
1) NEVER EVER make a right turn on red.
In Israel, one does not ever make a right on red. When I did this, without even realizing it, because it is so damn natural and logical, I got yelled at for about 10 minutes by some parking lot attendant (to whose lot I was pulling in). He asked me if I knew how to drive, then answered that clearly I did not know how to drive, then continued to tell me how I could have been filmed, and where did I learn to drive? and they could take away my license....
Okay okay! I get it!
But just to make sure I asked my cousin Yaara about this.
Her eyes widened! A red is a red! And something about them taking away my children if I ever made a right on red. Okay lesson learned.
2) STOP SIGNS--they are not nearly as noticeable as the States. But I'm starting to see them now :)
3) Israelis don't seem to really be pressed for details or schedules. Anyone who knows my personality can imagine how I feel about still not knowing what building I'm dropping my daughter off at camp tomorrow!
4) When driving, lanes can suddenly end or merge...and there is NO warning. None. It just happens. Your lane has ended and you are slamming up against the car next to you.
5) The APN settings on your phone will need to be adjusted to get data in Israel if you are coming in with a droid on cellcom. I finally have data.
**I must pause to say that outside in the amphitheatre near my house is some big gathering, concert, singalong thing...I'm very curious**
6) shopping carts require a deposit.
7) I learned that there is a code to get into my building so I don't have to struggle with the key like I was for the first few days.
8) If I get 50 liters worth of gas at Paz, I can get an iced coffee. It took me awhile to understand why the guy filling up my car was talking to me about coffee. Turns out I had like 48 liters or something.
9) People will help you jump your car if you forget to turn your headlights off. Which of course, I did. People will really help you with anything here if you ask.
10) I now know where urgent care is, but pray I never have to go back.
11) I learned how to manually move my laundry machine to spin cycle.
12) I learned that I have to push really hard to get the dishwasher door to close to run it.
13) I learned that Anabe park in Modiin has no shade and feels like the middle of a desert if you go there midday which I will never do again.
14) I got lost this week about 20 times driving, which means I know have finally learned my way around relatively well.
15) I learned that with time, all new things get easier.
Mom, thanks for coming with me for the first 10 days. It would have been insanely hard.
In the next few days, I'm hoping my kids get accustomed to camp a little...and that with my "free time" I keep up with my domestic responsibilities, catch up on some work, and also maybe get a haircut. But we'll see if I can keep my kids in camp 3 hours/day first.
Israel, this way, has been a great experience. I feel like I'm definitely not getting some illusion of this place, that you can get as a tourist. Well, no, I shouldn't say it like that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you see only one side as a tourist. It includes everything handed to you on a silver platter (yes, I felt that at the hotel this weekend when we visited Adam) and you get to see all the awesome sights knowing a bus is picking you up and dropping you off. It's definitely the way to fall in love with Israel and see the best of the best! However, I feel that given that that option for weeks is unaffordable (honestly, I would not turn down hotel stays for weeks and a bus and tourguide at my disposal), I think this way of doing Israel has the amazing benefit of really being able to feel like you are living in the country and experiencing day-to-day life and culture.
Rhona had such a "picture" of Israel that few American tourists get (including the urgent care of course), but I hope that she got to experience some of the beauty, philosophy, history and culture in a tiny time she was hear.
My dad and mom are in Jerusalem and I'm really proud of my dad who, at over the age of 70, is doing Ulpan--studying Hebrew for hours a day in an intensive manner. It's kicking his tuchus, but I think he's enjoying it too.
Well, that's enough for tonight. Everyone is singing at this thing out my window...really curious.
here's some pictures...
(Matan dancing)
park in Modiin, Israel (Anabe park)
Sivan lost her second tooth in Jerusalem! How special!
on balcony in jerusalem hotel during our "sick" weekend.
With Shir's kids, Noam and Hadar.
One girl can't speak Hebrew and the other can't speak English, yet they have moments of communication!
Crepe is a new favotie food.
Matan loves the camera.
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