Ok so I've lost count.
I gavn't posted in a while because i really havn't been doing much.
I have to admit i never left to go check out that tree and really i basically spent the last few days in the house. I would like to say i cleaned things or reorganized Guy's shit or invented new house hold luxerys and crochetted Guy some slippers or something......but i didn't. I sat and watched CNN for almost two days, come on CNN was on Democratic National Convention watch like 24/7. I kept wanting to turn off the tv and leave the house but then good ol' Barak would start talking again or his wife or his running mate or his former rival.......Anyway now that i am comletely cought up on world politics, the election, african headlines, and world sports.....i am ready to return to you with some interesting stuff to update on.
We've pushed my flight back by one day....let's see how much more we can delay Guy's and my good bye, no unfortunatly this will be as far back as it gets pushed. Guy has a test the day i fly and i would have to leave the night before at 8 or 9 to get to the airport for a 9am flight meaning i would be sitting in the airport for 8 or 9 hours on my own waiting for the flight. Basically that would suck. so we changed the flight 1 day later not that much more time together but at least we can say goodbye in a more relaxed manner.
As Guy gets used to life in a christian world...with classes on friday and the first day of the workign week being monday and not sunday anymore...we have been studying hungarian like maniacs, i think i might be learning more than i expected to just by helping guy but we are working hard for his first test which is on monday. We have been grocery shopping, went to a lovely shabbat dinner at the some of the friends that Guy came here with, it was a wonderful potluck shabbat dinner.
After having spent the day studying yesterday we decided to go out to a restaurant. We went to Palma over by where his school is. The restaurant was very nice. Wanting to order something special i skipped over the mexican food and the sandwhiches and the italian food and chose the rabbit leg dinner. Yes rabbit leg....i wasn't to keen on the idea of eating rabbit but it was the only thing i found that was really different and wasn't some weird discription like knuckle of ham ragut....no thank you. Guy ordered a spaghetti with meat suace zucchini and black olives. The rabbit was so good. I mean the first bite we said hmm tastes like chicken but the texture and the meat in side was so tasty and.....i didn't get a head ache ; ) The spaghetti was also really good. The we ordered a desert. Also wanting something a little different we ordered sweet gnocchi with some sort of jam in vanilla sauce....also suprisingly tasty. By the end of the evening we were ready to pop and just guess how much all of that cost.....you will not belive it....i didn't even realise how much it was until later when we were home and i was thinking about the price. in Forint it was 4915 about 5000 Forint basically that equals a whopping $30.38 yes my freinds and that includes tip. Let's all go to Hungary for our next meal out what do you think?
Also one day last week on my way back to the apartment (ok the only day last week that i left the apartment) I noticed a salon a couple of door down from Guy's building. I thought i would go in and see if i caould get anyone to understand me. Luckily there was a woman who spoke very good english in fact. I asked if they do waxing here and they did. So i also went and got waxed this weekend. Another adventure although one i had braved before. Anyway the nice lady did a lovely job and that and if we're coming here to eat out we might as well wait to get our next waxing done here too. It cost $13.30 after giving her a 10% tip too. It doesn't matter what i got waxed that is frigin cheap! (what i had done would probably have cost something like $60 in NY)
We also saw a couple of movies while we have been here. I havn't been keeping you all updated on the movies ive been watching my time away but needless to say a lot, some i've heard of and just never got around to watching and some i have never heard of but Guy wanted to see. Guy is a movie downloading guru so it has been quite nice. Since getting to hungary we watched Good Luck Chuck - cute but not Dane Cook at his best. The Bank Job - good british film. Batman (the first one) - fun to watch, old but nicholson is a stellar Joker. Last night we, well i poor Guy fell asleep, saw Definetly Maybe - never heard of it but a really cute chick flick that i think Guy would have enjoyed had he not slept through it and it has some pretty good not so known actors.
Interms of the must see list from the movies we watched in Israel Persuit of Happiness, Stranger than Fiction are at the top of the list. Both movies i hadn't seen yet and was really impressed with them. Big and Groundhogs Day were both better as nastalgia movies and no necessary to watch again. Guy also burned me some movies to watch while i am back in Israel with no boyfreind and nothing to do til my parents get there. i'll let you know how those go.
Other then all that I am doing well, not looking forward to going to back to Isreal to be on my own but there are friends there that i have not really been in tough with becuase of wanting to spend as much time with Guy as possible so i will probably see them in my week alone. Also Guy's family and freinds have invited me to hang with them whenever i want which was very nice and appreciated and will probably take them up on it as well. So far i havn't really missed the US since i've been away, the people in it are a different story, but i think i am starting to feel the need to get out there and start my life. I think its kind of time and as my parents said the traveling fund is running low. Basically i had a dream last night that kind of freaked me out. I was going up for some sort of audition or jury presentation infront of the faculty (thank you Marymount for the education and the nightmares) so of course Kevin was there (god love him) Liz and David are the faces i remember and right as i was put on deck i saw the list that itamized what i was supposed to have prepared. I nothing from the list prepared, i had a resume but no picture, i wasn't dressed apropriatly, i realised i had not prepared any material and had no idea what i was that was supposed to have prepared. Quickly i figured i could pull some old monologues out of my proverbial back pocket but even those weren't sitting well in my memory. And then i had to go infront of them all and tell them that no one informed me of the things that were asked of the actors and that i also didn't have a head shot from them. It was very embarrasing and pretty aweful to wake up from. Its like those showing up the cafeteria of your highschool naked dreams. Needless to say i think its time to go over my monologues and get my audition kit bag together. So i don't have a lack of things to do while i'm in israel on my own for a week or two.
As a last note, i think i have told most poeple over the past weeks, but i wanted to let everyone know that i have made the decision to go to Chicago to join Elie once i get back to the states. Not right away or anything i'll probably spend a week or so in NY before heading to the windy city. But i think its just the right time for me to give a different city a try. I have no obligations in NY as of now just a storage room filled with stuff so now is as good a time as any to go see what a different city has to offer me. The amount of time i will be there for or be with Elie for is still unknown i think i will just leave it open. I know what i want to do with myself just not where quite yet. So i figure i'll do a little exploring before i can't anymore. Just thought i would give the heads up.
Anyway thats really all i got here. Monday i will be enjoying another adventure, the boys have a meeting to go to after class so i will be the one wating at home for the internet guy to come and instal it. I look forward to haveing to deal with someone who doesn't speak a lick of english and i don't think my new found knawledge of hungarian words like colors and adjecives will really help in this case. I'll let you know how that goes.....
Yours no matter what country or state i'm in,
me
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Yesterady's Hungarian Adventures (aka #2)
Yesterday was a far more productive day than i have ever spent Hungary (6 days all together now). I wanted to get up early and see everything i circled in my handy dandy tourist brochure but instead slept till 11, sat on the computer for an hour or so, ate something, blah blah blah......
Either way i decided i was getting out of the house even if it was for just an hour so (baby steps right?) So i left the house around noon.
I walked out side in with plans to find the theater. Instead i took my time wandering down different streets and into interesting looking shops. I never realised how much i love doing that until i got to new york and found myself with nothing to do in union square once a week. I forgot i love this until yesterday why didn't i think of it sooner? Anyway i found some clothes shopps with traditional hungarian garb, i found a beautiful little imported things shop (no idea what else to call it) with masks from venice little faries from Angol (which i later discvered meant england) and other such little gnomes and bears and sparkly things. I found a joke shop, and bought some fruite at a grocery store, a church, and eventaullay the theater as well.
I learned that people really do say what sounds like "see ya!" and really means "good day!" when they greet someone. The man in the pretty store confused me a little. I walked in he said "See ya" and when i walked out he said "Ha-lo" either i'm confused or this place is a little backwards hmmmm........
The grocery store was also an interesting experiance. we were out of fruite at home so i figured why not buy some. Guy taught me the numbers to ten the night before so i knew to ask for 3 and i figured i would just point to the peaches and nectarines. The lady i'm sure thought i was stupid. She looked at me and i followed my plan: pointing to the fruites and saying "Harom?" and showing 3 fingers. Of course i did not think any further than that and when she asked me something in fast hungarian i just kept smiling and pointing to the frute and saying "harom?" I'm sure the lady was thinking something a long the lines of ..."you stupid foreginer. great! you can say 3! what? you want a cookie or something?" The fruite was supposed to cost 521 forent i pulled 520 and she didn't bother about the last forent (nevermind the fact its not worth a goddamn thing, the price is about 2$). Your the ones who can't speak english! don't you be snooty with me! (i'm really not that elitest and intolerant of others)
The church was a random find. I was walking down a pedestrian street and saw above the trees these two yellow clock towers they were quite beautiful so i took a picture of them. As i walked closer i saw that they were connected to a church which was also rather gorgeouse inside. I took some pictures but had to jet out when i phone started to ring. of course.
The theater was also rather beautiful at first i couldn't figure out if it was a church or the theater, the outside was adorned with statutes, after reading my handy dandy tourist brochure i foud out that they are statues of the theater and dance muses (none that i have ever heard of mind you perhapse they are hungarian). I was excited to go inside and take pictures of this old theaters house but unfortunatly it wasn't open ot the public because there were people rehearsing in there. I thought maybe i would pull the American acting student card but that didn't work either. For about a second i thought maybe i would see a show but then the season doesn't start until september 19th. Oh well.
After that i figured i would go home. I didn't even get lost once!!!
Later in the afternoon after the boys came home a amn came by he we learned was from the internet company (this internet is stolen shhhh). We weren't exactly sure what he wanted and the fact that he didn't speak a lick of english didn't help him him explain himself. In the end he checked a couple of things after going back and forth from the car about 4 times, Guy signed something and he left. We learned that maybe we should be more careful about things we sign. anyway that was pretty much the day. I helped guy study his hungarian a little and then we went to sleep.
Today i plan to go out again, there is a tree listed in the handy dandy tourist brochure and i have no idea why, so i thought maybe i would check out what is just so fantastic about this tree. Also Guy's teacher mentioned that there is a Jewish music festival going on in Budapest so we might go there over the weekend.
Well i guess i will head out. I'll let you know how it goes.
Either way i decided i was getting out of the house even if it was for just an hour so (baby steps right?) So i left the house around noon.
I walked out side in with plans to find the theater. Instead i took my time wandering down different streets and into interesting looking shops. I never realised how much i love doing that until i got to new york and found myself with nothing to do in union square once a week. I forgot i love this until yesterday why didn't i think of it sooner? Anyway i found some clothes shopps with traditional hungarian garb, i found a beautiful little imported things shop (no idea what else to call it) with masks from venice little faries from Angol (which i later discvered meant england) and other such little gnomes and bears and sparkly things. I found a joke shop, and bought some fruite at a grocery store, a church, and eventaullay the theater as well.
I learned that people really do say what sounds like "see ya!" and really means "good day!" when they greet someone. The man in the pretty store confused me a little. I walked in he said "See ya" and when i walked out he said "Ha-lo" either i'm confused or this place is a little backwards hmmmm........
The grocery store was also an interesting experiance. we were out of fruite at home so i figured why not buy some. Guy taught me the numbers to ten the night before so i knew to ask for 3 and i figured i would just point to the peaches and nectarines. The lady i'm sure thought i was stupid. She looked at me and i followed my plan: pointing to the fruites and saying "Harom?" and showing 3 fingers. Of course i did not think any further than that and when she asked me something in fast hungarian i just kept smiling and pointing to the frute and saying "harom?" I'm sure the lady was thinking something a long the lines of ..."you stupid foreginer. great! you can say 3! what? you want a cookie or something?" The fruite was supposed to cost 521 forent i pulled 520 and she didn't bother about the last forent (nevermind the fact its not worth a goddamn thing, the price is about 2$). Your the ones who can't speak english! don't you be snooty with me! (i'm really not that elitest and intolerant of others)
The church was a random find. I was walking down a pedestrian street and saw above the trees these two yellow clock towers they were quite beautiful so i took a picture of them. As i walked closer i saw that they were connected to a church which was also rather gorgeouse inside. I took some pictures but had to jet out when i phone started to ring. of course.
The theater was also rather beautiful at first i couldn't figure out if it was a church or the theater, the outside was adorned with statutes, after reading my handy dandy tourist brochure i foud out that they are statues of the theater and dance muses (none that i have ever heard of mind you perhapse they are hungarian). I was excited to go inside and take pictures of this old theaters house but unfortunatly it wasn't open ot the public because there were people rehearsing in there. I thought maybe i would pull the American acting student card but that didn't work either. For about a second i thought maybe i would see a show but then the season doesn't start until september 19th. Oh well.
After that i figured i would go home. I didn't even get lost once!!!
Later in the afternoon after the boys came home a amn came by he we learned was from the internet company (this internet is stolen shhhh). We weren't exactly sure what he wanted and the fact that he didn't speak a lick of english didn't help him him explain himself. In the end he checked a couple of things after going back and forth from the car about 4 times, Guy signed something and he left. We learned that maybe we should be more careful about things we sign. anyway that was pretty much the day. I helped guy study his hungarian a little and then we went to sleep.
Today i plan to go out again, there is a tree listed in the handy dandy tourist brochure and i have no idea why, so i thought maybe i would check out what is just so fantastic about this tree. Also Guy's teacher mentioned that there is a Jewish music festival going on in Budapest so we might go there over the weekend.
Well i guess i will head out. I'll let you know how it goes.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Hungarian Adventure #1
Siya! (hungarian salutation)
So yesterday was an exciteing day. Having had the weekend to get settled and get the new apartment in order, after having said good bye to the variouse parents who had come to help Guy and his flat mate move in, and after having gotten used to what life might be like here for the boys it was time to leave the apartment and take care of some of the other arrangements the boys had to get settled in the city. The first order of buissness was to go to the school to register. Thinking this was only going to take about a half hour or so all three of us decided to take the Villamush (i have no idea if that is right or not) the hungarian electric trolly to the school and from there we would enjoy the day exploring the city.
We got there and stood with all the other students waiting to register as well. We stood around for about 20 minutes, no one having any idea how this all works. We chit chatted about new apartments and things with the other israelis Guy had taken his premed class with back in Israel when all of a sudden a bunch of teachers came out of the building. They collected 20 kids at a time and took them inside. We figured it wouldn't be right for me to take someone's spot in the group so we decided i would sit on the bench outside and wait for Guy to be done with registration.
So i sat down and pulled out my phone and began to play solitare. I turned around and there was Guy "so aparently we start hungarian classes today" Guy gave me his keys, a 5000 forent (hungarian currency) bill (equal to less than 40$) and said ill call you when we get out.
And so this was my first adventure in hungary. On my own i had to find my way back to the apartment. We all know how great i am with trains so you can understand my concern. What i was not aware of was that there is only one train that runs through the city, and i only realised this after trying to ask several hungarians which direction i need. My kind of city don't you think?
After getting on the train i tried to pay for my 250 forent ticket and my money was too large so i got off at one of the stops where i saw a bank out the window. I went inside and again proceeded to talk to non english speaking hungarians. they were rather patient and in the end i got the money changed and got back on the train. I wasn't sure what stop to get off at so the first thing i recognized i got off. Then the rest of my walk home consisted of me saying the name of the street i was looking for with some upward inflection in hope that people would point me in the right direction. I started to feel rather confident in my self once i realised i was on the right street so i started to enjoy the sun and the beauty of the city. I took some pictures, enjoyed a tasty pastry and succeeded in buying a bottle of water and finding the tourist info center. There i got a map and some brochures of what to do in the city. and there they spoke english!
Debrecen is quite the beautiful city really. Its so old and european so its really neat to see the old meat the modern. While i was on the trolly i saw an older woman who was carring her groceries in a wooden basket. Quaint things like that are all around....the old buildigns or old churches sitting right next to the electic trolly tracks and just in site from the mall. Some of the buildings have these elegent fronts and some just look like modern office buildings. I also got to take some pictures of the school before getting back on the train. So green and tree filled. Also there, old buildings that look like something out of hogwarts out door campus next to the sicence labs building. i'll load the pictures soon.
I got home and spent the rest of the day inside. I have also had a couple of cooking adventures here too. Remember the condensed milk i was trying to buy in the store? Well i tryed to make dulce du leche by caramilizing it in the oven. It didn't exactly come out how i wanted it too, kind of runny and leaky all over the place. and the cookies didn't come out as tasty as when i made them in israel, but in the end they weren't all that bad. I also decided to make something yesterday - i still have no idea what it was or what to call it. I took some plain yogurt added sugar and a little bit of flour and egg whites. I put that on top of crushed chocolate waffer cookie crumbs and then put some fruite on top and cookied it in the oven. It came out as this kind of cream meringue pie thing. surprisingly tasty.
Today i thought i would go out and explore the sites of the city but instead stayed home and cought up on my democratic convention news. CNN is the only channel in english here. And also update the blog, of course.
The only other thing i want to mention about strange livings in strange lands is the toilet. The toilets here are quite bizzarre. There is a large bowl with a little whole where the water sits so basically your buisness sits in the bowl until the water pushes it down the whole. That my friends is the ultimate adventure. Guy and I can not get over it.
So yesterday was an exciteing day. Having had the weekend to get settled and get the new apartment in order, after having said good bye to the variouse parents who had come to help Guy and his flat mate move in, and after having gotten used to what life might be like here for the boys it was time to leave the apartment and take care of some of the other arrangements the boys had to get settled in the city. The first order of buissness was to go to the school to register. Thinking this was only going to take about a half hour or so all three of us decided to take the Villamush (i have no idea if that is right or not) the hungarian electric trolly to the school and from there we would enjoy the day exploring the city.
We got there and stood with all the other students waiting to register as well. We stood around for about 20 minutes, no one having any idea how this all works. We chit chatted about new apartments and things with the other israelis Guy had taken his premed class with back in Israel when all of a sudden a bunch of teachers came out of the building. They collected 20 kids at a time and took them inside. We figured it wouldn't be right for me to take someone's spot in the group so we decided i would sit on the bench outside and wait for Guy to be done with registration.
So i sat down and pulled out my phone and began to play solitare. I turned around and there was Guy "so aparently we start hungarian classes today" Guy gave me his keys, a 5000 forent (hungarian currency) bill (equal to less than 40$) and said ill call you when we get out.
And so this was my first adventure in hungary. On my own i had to find my way back to the apartment. We all know how great i am with trains so you can understand my concern. What i was not aware of was that there is only one train that runs through the city, and i only realised this after trying to ask several hungarians which direction i need. My kind of city don't you think?
After getting on the train i tried to pay for my 250 forent ticket and my money was too large so i got off at one of the stops where i saw a bank out the window. I went inside and again proceeded to talk to non english speaking hungarians. they were rather patient and in the end i got the money changed and got back on the train. I wasn't sure what stop to get off at so the first thing i recognized i got off. Then the rest of my walk home consisted of me saying the name of the street i was looking for with some upward inflection in hope that people would point me in the right direction. I started to feel rather confident in my self once i realised i was on the right street so i started to enjoy the sun and the beauty of the city. I took some pictures, enjoyed a tasty pastry and succeeded in buying a bottle of water and finding the tourist info center. There i got a map and some brochures of what to do in the city. and there they spoke english!
Debrecen is quite the beautiful city really. Its so old and european so its really neat to see the old meat the modern. While i was on the trolly i saw an older woman who was carring her groceries in a wooden basket. Quaint things like that are all around....the old buildigns or old churches sitting right next to the electic trolly tracks and just in site from the mall. Some of the buildings have these elegent fronts and some just look like modern office buildings. I also got to take some pictures of the school before getting back on the train. So green and tree filled. Also there, old buildings that look like something out of hogwarts out door campus next to the sicence labs building. i'll load the pictures soon.
I got home and spent the rest of the day inside. I have also had a couple of cooking adventures here too. Remember the condensed milk i was trying to buy in the store? Well i tryed to make dulce du leche by caramilizing it in the oven. It didn't exactly come out how i wanted it too, kind of runny and leaky all over the place. and the cookies didn't come out as tasty as when i made them in israel, but in the end they weren't all that bad. I also decided to make something yesterday - i still have no idea what it was or what to call it. I took some plain yogurt added sugar and a little bit of flour and egg whites. I put that on top of crushed chocolate waffer cookie crumbs and then put some fruite on top and cookied it in the oven. It came out as this kind of cream meringue pie thing. surprisingly tasty.
Today i thought i would go out and explore the sites of the city but instead stayed home and cought up on my democratic convention news. CNN is the only channel in english here. And also update the blog, of course.
The only other thing i want to mention about strange livings in strange lands is the toilet. The toilets here are quite bizzarre. There is a large bowl with a little whole where the water sits so basically your buisness sits in the bowl until the water pushes it down the whole. That my friends is the ultimate adventure. Guy and I can not get over it.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Hungary Anyone?
I would say hello in hungarian if i knew how, but i don't, not yet. this place is crazy, excuse me for being totally steryotypically american but.....no one, and i mean no one, can speak english here, its insane! we went grocery shopping, to the bank in the mall, ate at a restaurant where in true rahamim fashion i learned some vegitables
slonka = ham (thats always the first)
gomba = mushroom
viz = water
sajt = cheese (that one also some how always ends up on the list too)
anyway i am here and safe so all is well. in the next two weeks i look forward to organizing guys life for him while he is at his orientation crash course to learn some hungarian and making alfajores for him as well. we bought what we think are the ingrediants for the cookies. yay fun adventures in a land that seems to have a language that is not connected to any other what so ever! It is quite hard to guess here. it looks like german with long words and umlouts everywhere but there is no connection to any german i know, not saying i know a lot but really.....also the money here is so week its like 160 forent to 1 doller. so like lets say i want to buy something and its 20bucks i am looking at 3000 forent......its just so bizzare you can't even comprihend what the hell your trying to buy.....maybe this is a good place for me. I walked up to a pair of shoes and the price was like 9956 i got so overwhelmed i just walked away. also in the grocery store we were looking for certain foods we know the boys like and it was so complicated to figure out what the things said on them we gave up.....i said maybe this is a good place for a diet. eventually we started just going by pictures and looking for clear packaging. the hardest i spent looking doe something was for the dulce du leche for the alfojores cookies. First i found nuttella so i looked in that area and where the jams were to find maybe just some in a jar like a spread- they have that in israel- nope. Then i decided maybe i would be able to find condensed milk so i looked in the cooking section and the canned goods section - nope. then i took a break. finally i started asking a few people if they spoke english - also nope. took another break. then i decided to check the same aisles i had been to again, maybe i just wasn't looking hard enough you know? when i felt i had trully exauhsted that angle and decided i wasn't going to get any where with out help i started asking for english speakers again. one couple - nope - random guy -also nope - another couple - nope as well.....then i decided i had nothing to lose and i was going to try and get what i want any way. I picked up the caramel syrup i found and a jar of chocolate spread and pointed them. The couple confired for a moment and then started searching the jams. still nothing. then i said ok lets try something else. We learned earlier that milk was tej when we were trying to buy some. so i took a can pointed to it and milk - tej. they confired, quite the think-before-you-do kind of couple. and then they walked up to their friend that worked there (???wtf???) and then finally they walked down this aisle and pointed to whipping cream. that was written in english - great. i said thank you to them for the help, which by the way is very similar to the slang word that mean pussy (excuse my language) in hebrew, and then noticed what seemed like condensed milk in a tube! woo hoo! i'll let you know how the cookies come out.
The end
more on Hungary later
slonka = ham (thats always the first)
gomba = mushroom
viz = water
sajt = cheese (that one also some how always ends up on the list too)
anyway i am here and safe so all is well. in the next two weeks i look forward to organizing guys life for him while he is at his orientation crash course to learn some hungarian and making alfajores for him as well. we bought what we think are the ingrediants for the cookies. yay fun adventures in a land that seems to have a language that is not connected to any other what so ever! It is quite hard to guess here. it looks like german with long words and umlouts everywhere but there is no connection to any german i know, not saying i know a lot but really.....also the money here is so week its like 160 forent to 1 doller. so like lets say i want to buy something and its 20bucks i am looking at 3000 forent......its just so bizzare you can't even comprihend what the hell your trying to buy.....maybe this is a good place for me. I walked up to a pair of shoes and the price was like 9956 i got so overwhelmed i just walked away. also in the grocery store we were looking for certain foods we know the boys like and it was so complicated to figure out what the things said on them we gave up.....i said maybe this is a good place for a diet. eventually we started just going by pictures and looking for clear packaging. the hardest i spent looking doe something was for the dulce du leche for the alfojores cookies. First i found nuttella so i looked in that area and where the jams were to find maybe just some in a jar like a spread- they have that in israel- nope. Then i decided maybe i would be able to find condensed milk so i looked in the cooking section and the canned goods section - nope. then i took a break. finally i started asking a few people if they spoke english - also nope. took another break. then i decided to check the same aisles i had been to again, maybe i just wasn't looking hard enough you know? when i felt i had trully exauhsted that angle and decided i wasn't going to get any where with out help i started asking for english speakers again. one couple - nope - random guy -also nope - another couple - nope as well.....then i decided i had nothing to lose and i was going to try and get what i want any way. I picked up the caramel syrup i found and a jar of chocolate spread and pointed them. The couple confired for a moment and then started searching the jams. still nothing. then i said ok lets try something else. We learned earlier that milk was tej when we were trying to buy some. so i took a can pointed to it and milk - tej. they confired, quite the think-before-you-do kind of couple. and then they walked up to their friend that worked there (???wtf???) and then finally they walked down this aisle and pointed to whipping cream. that was written in english - great. i said thank you to them for the help, which by the way is very similar to the slang word that mean pussy (excuse my language) in hebrew, and then noticed what seemed like condensed milk in a tube! woo hoo! i'll let you know how the cookies come out.
The end
more on Hungary later
Monday, August 11, 2008
wow am i behind....
Ok lots to tell here, i sort of got backed up i have to admit.
So lets make a little to do list:
water skiing (last weekend)
my birthday
my last week of work
parties and other such nonsence
So lets make a little to do list:
water skiing (last weekend)
my birthday
my last week of work
parties and other such nonsence
WATER SKIING (two weekends ago now, i am behind)
So we didn't end up going repelling, the trip got cancled, but since i didn't know anything about it, i don't really know what i've missed, so no big deal really.....
Water skiing was fun. It wasn't like i pictured as i assume all of you are picturing. With a boat in a beautiful blue body of water......nope, no boat, and the water was not even close to blue. We really did have a lot of fun, but the place we were at was really a rather small lake in the middle of a large park. Grassy hills and stuff, kind of reminds me of shorline park. The lake was sort of this milky brown color, mmm mmm good, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves so we said why not. it was really ok in the end, except now i have a little cold so i think there might have been something israeli in that water that i am not immune to but everyone else is. this is the third time i am sick in israel in the past 6 months....hmmm...those israelis and their viruses. Anyway, instead of a boat that pulls you they has this machine-pully system, and in the water there were ramps and jumps and things (kind of like a stunt park for water skiiing). Very smart really because that means many people could be in the water at the same time, but it also mean that when you fall you get out of the water and wait another pully to pully you out to the water. So basically it most of the hour we paid for was spent standing in line but we still got a good amount of chances to get out there.
When we got there we watched a pretty lame breifing video and then chose between wake boarding or water skiing. We decided why don't we try the wake board. I figured i switched to snow board a long time ago, so i could probably handel this......i tried it once couldn't get past the loading station and decided to brave their "i told you so" faces and switch to the skies. In the end a good choice. Guy - this being his second time - was able to get out there pretty quickly going off in the distance where once he met the first turn he swiming for shore. Me on the other hand had a harder time of it. It took me a few trys to be able to think about all the different things your supposed to do at once. Hold your arms out, don't lean on the pully, stay squated as long as you can, don't stretch your legs out too soon.........once i was starting to get the hang of it, classic roneet, i fall over and hit my head on of the skiies and quickly grow a tumor like growth on the side of my fourhead. i have come to the conclusion that i can not do anything with out getting hurt quite stupidly or getting sick afterwards, here i did both. three cheers for me!
all is ok now, a week later, you can't even tell, the scab from the scratch is gone the bruse only hurts teeny tiny bit if you push on it. No worries, in the end i was eventually able to get all the way to the first bend. But they told us that we needed to pass between two bouies there and if we see that its not going to happen to let go. As i was coming up to the bend i was looking for the bouies but of course with out my glasses i realised too late that i was significantly far away from the bouies so i let go. Doesn't really matter i am still proud of my self and we had fun and that's the most important part. Also just inc ase your were worries, there are some pretty sweet pictures and funny videos to document the event so you can enjoy the experiance as well.
So we didn't end up going repelling, the trip got cancled, but since i didn't know anything about it, i don't really know what i've missed, so no big deal really.....
Water skiing was fun. It wasn't like i pictured as i assume all of you are picturing. With a boat in a beautiful blue body of water......nope, no boat, and the water was not even close to blue. We really did have a lot of fun, but the place we were at was really a rather small lake in the middle of a large park. Grassy hills and stuff, kind of reminds me of shorline park. The lake was sort of this milky brown color, mmm mmm good, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves so we said why not. it was really ok in the end, except now i have a little cold so i think there might have been something israeli in that water that i am not immune to but everyone else is. this is the third time i am sick in israel in the past 6 months....hmmm...those israelis and their viruses. Anyway, instead of a boat that pulls you they has this machine-pully system, and in the water there were ramps and jumps and things (kind of like a stunt park for water skiiing). Very smart really because that means many people could be in the water at the same time, but it also mean that when you fall you get out of the water and wait another pully to pully you out to the water. So basically it most of the hour we paid for was spent standing in line but we still got a good amount of chances to get out there.
When we got there we watched a pretty lame breifing video and then chose between wake boarding or water skiing. We decided why don't we try the wake board. I figured i switched to snow board a long time ago, so i could probably handel this......i tried it once couldn't get past the loading station and decided to brave their "i told you so" faces and switch to the skies. In the end a good choice. Guy - this being his second time - was able to get out there pretty quickly going off in the distance where once he met the first turn he swiming for shore. Me on the other hand had a harder time of it. It took me a few trys to be able to think about all the different things your supposed to do at once. Hold your arms out, don't lean on the pully, stay squated as long as you can, don't stretch your legs out too soon.........once i was starting to get the hang of it, classic roneet, i fall over and hit my head on of the skiies and quickly grow a tumor like growth on the side of my fourhead. i have come to the conclusion that i can not do anything with out getting hurt quite stupidly or getting sick afterwards, here i did both. three cheers for me!
all is ok now, a week later, you can't even tell, the scab from the scratch is gone the bruse only hurts teeny tiny bit if you push on it. No worries, in the end i was eventually able to get all the way to the first bend. But they told us that we needed to pass between two bouies there and if we see that its not going to happen to let go. As i was coming up to the bend i was looking for the bouies but of course with out my glasses i realised too late that i was significantly far away from the bouies so i let go. Doesn't really matter i am still proud of my self and we had fun and that's the most important part. Also just inc ase your were worries, there are some pretty sweet pictures and funny videos to document the event so you can enjoy the experiance as well.
MY BIRTHDAY
My birthday was really the ebst birthday i could have asked for away from all those i love and hold dear to my heart. It was hard not getting to celebrate with everyone. And i didn't realize just how hard it would be becuase normally i am without half of my freinds (living on two coasts is not easy sometimes) but as hard as it is i always make do. But here i am without any of you!
Guy really tried to make up for me being so far away from home. At midnight i got several calls from his freinds that i have met over time here. I asked him later if he told his freinds to call me he said no that he simply gave out my cell phone number.....either way it was cute and nice to know i'm being thought of.
I took the day off from work so i wouldn't have to deal with snotty nosed kids on my special day. That being said i had no idea what i was taking the day off for. I knew that Guy had some secret plans but he was very good about keeping them that way. I knew we were going to some where for breakfast and then we had evening plans.
I woke up on my day and Guy and i got ready to go. We got to quite the deserted dump of an area. Dirt road, dumpsters on the side of the parking area, and it seemed like we were passing the back enterances of a restaurant strip. I wasn't totally sure about the area but i just put my trust in Guy and hoped for the best. Once we got to the place, it still seemed like we were coming in the back enterance, there was an elevator that wasn't working and stairs. As we took the stairs i saw the words written on the glass doors. LUXOR SPA. We walked through the doors and immediatly we were zen-ififed. Insence and music and the sounds of trickling water. it was easy to forget how gross it was outside. Anyway we had our own private room for 3 hours. The room had a jacousi, a sauna, a little pattio with table and chairs, a couch area, of course zen music and insense, and a bed room with a nice big bead covered in flower petals. We were given robes and slippers, a 50 minute massage, breakfast with wine, and leasure time. it was so relaxing and great, we really had fun. that was the first surprise of the day.
The second surprise of the day was that i got to sit at home for a good 6 or 7 hours while Guy finished all the arrangments for the evening. ; ) Actually i came home to a room filled with ballons and a big Happy Birthday Roneet sign. Funded by him and excuted by his younger brother and sister
At about 10pm Guy came to get me. he took me to the beach near his house but to a much more secluded area than we had been. we walked up to like this gate and when i passed through the door there were candles in the sand lighting the way to a blanket laid out by the water. We sat and enjoyed dinner together, Guy had spent the whole day learning how to make mushroom rizotto, and he brought my favorite kind of ice cream. We enjoyed ourselves eating, laying under the stars, and even a little night swimming. It was really great.
AND IT DOESN'T STOP THERE......
Once we got home there was also my present waiting for me. AFTER ALL THAT THERE WAS STILL A PRESENT. The gift was a video of all our pictures put together in a slide show, the pictures from the states, pictures from our time and travels here, and also a Happy Birthday video he put together with videos from freinds and family from home (as some of you may already know....thanks!) It was a perfect birthday away from home.
Now there will be an easy way to show you all what my last 3 months have been like.
LAST WEEK OF WORK
Work is fine, kind of lame, basically babysitting and making sure no one kills anybody else. The kids eat, and play, and then eat, and then play some more, then they have a snack and play until their parents come. Sometimes people come and do little presentations for them or shows or activities but basically thats the schedule. So as you may be able to tell i am not really fullfilling my full potential at the moment but it is something to do. And i am finishing two days early. So tomorrow will be my last day. The kids are cute and the poeple i work with are really nice, so its not terrible all day long, they even got me a gift for my birthday it was very sweet of them. Also i only work 4 hours a day but feels like so, so much more.
PARTIES AND OTHER SUCH NONSENSE
This week has also been Guys last week in Israel. He threw a get together for all his freinds to come by and spend some time with him and say good bye. His parents also held an evening for all of the family freinds to come and say good bye. And tomorrow he is haveing one last bbq at the beach for all of his closest freinds. I remember what is was like leaving home and getting to new york and feeling all alone. Guy is going with a couple of freinds as well as living with a good freind from the army so i hope that will help. But it is hard to watch someone go through all of this. I wonder what our parents felt like watching us say goodbye. I mean its different in the states where we all kind of leave at the same time. Guy is leaving and the majority of his life is staying right where its been the whole time, where as mine left to go on its own adventures as well. And even though the east coast is like another country, they actually speak english there so thats also not the same. I do hear that Hungary has McDonalds though, right by Guys apartment too. i am truly happy for Guy that he is starting his life and hitting the ground running really. Its about time i start mine too i guess.....I am also excited to go to Hungary it will be another cool adventure to add to my list, its the leaving Hungary part that i am not too excited to check off.
PARTIES AND OTHER SUCH NONSENSE
This week has also been Guys last week in Israel. He threw a get together for all his freinds to come by and spend some time with him and say good bye. His parents also held an evening for all of the family freinds to come and say good bye. And tomorrow he is haveing one last bbq at the beach for all of his closest freinds. I remember what is was like leaving home and getting to new york and feeling all alone. Guy is going with a couple of freinds as well as living with a good freind from the army so i hope that will help. But it is hard to watch someone go through all of this. I wonder what our parents felt like watching us say goodbye. I mean its different in the states where we all kind of leave at the same time. Guy is leaving and the majority of his life is staying right where its been the whole time, where as mine left to go on its own adventures as well. And even though the east coast is like another country, they actually speak english there so thats also not the same. I do hear that Hungary has McDonalds though, right by Guys apartment too. i am truly happy for Guy that he is starting his life and hitting the ground running really. Its about time i start mine too i guess.....I am also excited to go to Hungary it will be another cool adventure to add to my list, its the leaving Hungary part that i am not too excited to check off.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
More Israeli children and somehow i am still standing.
Three days in on the second job, and I am still alive.
Its actually really simple, not like the first one. These kids are younger so its more like babysitting really. I don't do much but repeatedly tell children that if someone hits them on the head by accident it is not the end of the world. I forgot how rough it is to be a child.
The kids come at 8 and hang out and play until either an activity is set up or someone comes to do a presentation. The first day a man came to do a little play about the Mefoozar mi cfar azar which means something like the messy person from messy town but it sounds much better in hebrew. Anyway the kids loved it. Second day the head lady did an "art project" with them. I put it in quotes becuase the kids were given neon colored circular stickers, a sheet of black construction paper, and scissors. Not too complicated, nothing like the kind of stuff we did with the kids at the Jr. Museum i can say that for sure. And today Bruce Willice's Isreali twin brother came in with some fish and a guitar and talked to the kids about the ocean. Then the kids eat breakfast, go out to play till lunch, come in and eat (and this is real food too, their parents must pay alot: Day 1: Schnitzel (breaded chicken breast) and spaghetti, Day 2: a sort of pasta rice and rosted chicken, Day 3: cous cous and meat balls with vegitables), and then play some more until the end of the day. Camp ends at 1:00 and then 1-4 there is day care. They also eat during day care, chocolate spread sadwhiches and cookies. SO pretty much i am eating, cleaning up after kids who don't know how to eat yet, and watching kids play all day long. It is quite the long day 8-4 but i have only done that once so far. Basically all the Israeli woman who work there told me i shouldn't let people walk all over me and that as a volunteer i don't owe anyone anything and to only come 4 or 5 hours a day. So now i am working from 10-2 which is less hours than the other camp. Tomorrow one woman will be missing the whole day (her son is joining the army) so one of the other girls who works only during the day care is coming to replace her, thus leaving her by herself durring day care hours so i am going in from 12-4 tomorrow. No biggie. The kids are rather cute and cuddley, some of them have some behavior problems and i am quickly learning how to deal with them the Israeli way.
My second day, there was a boy, Elad, who generally has a behavioral problem (calling kids retarded and stupid all the time, useing his body instead of his words and other basic bully type behavior) was kicking another boy in the back. I asked him why he was doing that and Elad said because the other boy was sitting in the chair and wouldn't let him pass. I told Elad that chairs are for sitting in and not for playing on and that the boy had every right to sit in the chair. Elad didn't like this very much so he stood on the chair. I told him to get down several times, he wasn't listening, i asked him if he needed me to take him down, he still didn't budge, and so i picked him up off the chair told him that he needed to listen and went about my busness. All of a sudden i turn around and he is up on the chair again, so i tell him to get down and he doesn't so i tell him maybe he needs to sit in the corner, this was the mistake. I picked him up and took him over to a bench against the wall and he flipped out, screaming crying hitting scratching kicking.....someone else came over to see what was the problem i expleained the story, and the others dealt with him. I asked later if i did something or said something wrong and learned that in israel you are not aloud, there is a law within the school system, that you are not aloud to put a child in time out. The other woman said that you use other words like "you need to go over there and think about your behavior" things like that, but you don't say the words "go sit in the corner" that is like a punishment and as i learned does not go very well with the kids.
I am gaining worlds of life experiance here.
In general its a little symple but the people i work with are quite nice and the kids can be cute so no big deal.
Today we went to a place called Mini Israel. Apparently there is also Mini Holland and Mini England and perhaps others. Basically its a bunch of models of places in Israel, cities, mountains, tourist attractions, governmental buildigs, factories, everything really. Rather cute, kind of boring, nice to see once. I'll post some pictures when i get a chance. Guy said the size ratio is like 1/150 or something. Interesting, nice, nothing more.
Then we stoped by the place that Guy used to take his soldiers to do practices with the dogs becuase they happen to be having one tonight. Basically its a big forest, the soldiers hide things or send someone out on a trail and then they hide in a tree or something and the dog and his or her soldier has to go on the trail and find it. Pretty darn cool, also pretty darn scary in the dark. The dogs wear a vest with a glow stick in it. We saw two practices where the dog was on the leash. The dog was looking for something called a Puppy Roll, basically a stuffed peice of fire fighter's hose. The dog started going on the trail through a dirt feild and we walked, briscally, behind the soldier and his comandors. Then the dog really cought on and started to move a little faster, this time up a hill in the woods. So Guy grabs my hand and we start racing through bushes, over rocks, through tall grass, and that nasty plant with all the spirs on it, in the dark. I was sure I was going to break an ankle or something. Thank god one of Guy's soldiers lent me an extra pair of uniform pants, smelly as they were I was glad to be wearing them. Then we watched a dog go off and kind of lose the trail, they had quite a hard time with her actually. Guy said that sometimes they can just get lost with all the smells and the signals from the soldiers can be confusing as well. Also at one point they told us that we were standing rather close to the Puppy Roll, so we moved over. Basically the dogs are trained to attack anything that isn't wearing a uniform, this meant us. I asked Guy what we should do if the dog starts to come at us. He of course said the heroic, and correct, answer, "i would push you aside and bring the dog to me becuase i know how to recive them, I'd rather the dog bite me than you" It was all really interesting and i got the full army experince because i also enjoyed some army style coffee and cake with the boys. It was a pretty fun evening.
Thats basically all thats new. This weekend we are going to go water skiing and what they call here snapling, we call it spelunking or repelling i believe. I am looking forward to it and will tell you those stories once they happen.
Miss you all lots. Hope all is well.
Its actually really simple, not like the first one. These kids are younger so its more like babysitting really. I don't do much but repeatedly tell children that if someone hits them on the head by accident it is not the end of the world. I forgot how rough it is to be a child.
The kids come at 8 and hang out and play until either an activity is set up or someone comes to do a presentation. The first day a man came to do a little play about the Mefoozar mi cfar azar which means something like the messy person from messy town but it sounds much better in hebrew. Anyway the kids loved it. Second day the head lady did an "art project" with them. I put it in quotes becuase the kids were given neon colored circular stickers, a sheet of black construction paper, and scissors. Not too complicated, nothing like the kind of stuff we did with the kids at the Jr. Museum i can say that for sure. And today Bruce Willice's Isreali twin brother came in with some fish and a guitar and talked to the kids about the ocean. Then the kids eat breakfast, go out to play till lunch, come in and eat (and this is real food too, their parents must pay alot: Day 1: Schnitzel (breaded chicken breast) and spaghetti, Day 2: a sort of pasta rice and rosted chicken, Day 3: cous cous and meat balls with vegitables), and then play some more until the end of the day. Camp ends at 1:00 and then 1-4 there is day care. They also eat during day care, chocolate spread sadwhiches and cookies. SO pretty much i am eating, cleaning up after kids who don't know how to eat yet, and watching kids play all day long. It is quite the long day 8-4 but i have only done that once so far. Basically all the Israeli woman who work there told me i shouldn't let people walk all over me and that as a volunteer i don't owe anyone anything and to only come 4 or 5 hours a day. So now i am working from 10-2 which is less hours than the other camp. Tomorrow one woman will be missing the whole day (her son is joining the army) so one of the other girls who works only during the day care is coming to replace her, thus leaving her by herself durring day care hours so i am going in from 12-4 tomorrow. No biggie. The kids are rather cute and cuddley, some of them have some behavior problems and i am quickly learning how to deal with them the Israeli way.
My second day, there was a boy, Elad, who generally has a behavioral problem (calling kids retarded and stupid all the time, useing his body instead of his words and other basic bully type behavior) was kicking another boy in the back. I asked him why he was doing that and Elad said because the other boy was sitting in the chair and wouldn't let him pass. I told Elad that chairs are for sitting in and not for playing on and that the boy had every right to sit in the chair. Elad didn't like this very much so he stood on the chair. I told him to get down several times, he wasn't listening, i asked him if he needed me to take him down, he still didn't budge, and so i picked him up off the chair told him that he needed to listen and went about my busness. All of a sudden i turn around and he is up on the chair again, so i tell him to get down and he doesn't so i tell him maybe he needs to sit in the corner, this was the mistake. I picked him up and took him over to a bench against the wall and he flipped out, screaming crying hitting scratching kicking.....someone else came over to see what was the problem i expleained the story, and the others dealt with him. I asked later if i did something or said something wrong and learned that in israel you are not aloud, there is a law within the school system, that you are not aloud to put a child in time out. The other woman said that you use other words like "you need to go over there and think about your behavior" things like that, but you don't say the words "go sit in the corner" that is like a punishment and as i learned does not go very well with the kids.
I am gaining worlds of life experiance here.
In general its a little symple but the people i work with are quite nice and the kids can be cute so no big deal.
Today we went to a place called Mini Israel. Apparently there is also Mini Holland and Mini England and perhaps others. Basically its a bunch of models of places in Israel, cities, mountains, tourist attractions, governmental buildigs, factories, everything really. Rather cute, kind of boring, nice to see once. I'll post some pictures when i get a chance. Guy said the size ratio is like 1/150 or something. Interesting, nice, nothing more.
Then we stoped by the place that Guy used to take his soldiers to do practices with the dogs becuase they happen to be having one tonight. Basically its a big forest, the soldiers hide things or send someone out on a trail and then they hide in a tree or something and the dog and his or her soldier has to go on the trail and find it. Pretty darn cool, also pretty darn scary in the dark. The dogs wear a vest with a glow stick in it. We saw two practices where the dog was on the leash. The dog was looking for something called a Puppy Roll, basically a stuffed peice of fire fighter's hose. The dog started going on the trail through a dirt feild and we walked, briscally, behind the soldier and his comandors. Then the dog really cought on and started to move a little faster, this time up a hill in the woods. So Guy grabs my hand and we start racing through bushes, over rocks, through tall grass, and that nasty plant with all the spirs on it, in the dark. I was sure I was going to break an ankle or something. Thank god one of Guy's soldiers lent me an extra pair of uniform pants, smelly as they were I was glad to be wearing them. Then we watched a dog go off and kind of lose the trail, they had quite a hard time with her actually. Guy said that sometimes they can just get lost with all the smells and the signals from the soldiers can be confusing as well. Also at one point they told us that we were standing rather close to the Puppy Roll, so we moved over. Basically the dogs are trained to attack anything that isn't wearing a uniform, this meant us. I asked Guy what we should do if the dog starts to come at us. He of course said the heroic, and correct, answer, "i would push you aside and bring the dog to me becuase i know how to recive them, I'd rather the dog bite me than you" It was all really interesting and i got the full army experince because i also enjoyed some army style coffee and cake with the boys. It was a pretty fun evening.
Thats basically all thats new. This weekend we are going to go water skiing and what they call here snapling, we call it spelunking or repelling i believe. I am looking forward to it and will tell you those stories once they happen.
Miss you all lots. Hope all is well.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
We embark on our last trip before i start work again...
We decided to go visit the north. In the North there are many nice things. The Kineret, a lot of Kibbutzim, Haifa, The Joradan River and many ruins and other interesting things to see. The North, if i am correct in remembering all of the fantistic history i learned while i was here on taglit, is where the first bits and peices of the land are that the Jews were given to live in by the arabs in the begining. The Kineret is special because basically its a big lake where Israel gets most of its water from. Also, FIF, (Fun Israel Fact) because of how preciouse water is here in this giant state of desert there are a lot of advertisements to remind Israelis to concerve water, they are quite dramatic. In big red and blck letters the ominouse message is written "Israel is moving from red to black!" Anyway back to our trip.......
So we left today, Guy and I found ourselves once again, in a car just us, the open road, the radio, and some frosted flakes we packed for the ride. Except this time the music was in Hebrew, the car belonged to us, and the frosted flakes were a little less frosted than we Americans are used to. Also (FIF) the ride cross country here would only take about 3 hours, maybe less. And for kicks, let's say we are talking north to south. about 7 hours, maybe less. Not in anyway close to the 312 hours we took to cross the USA.
So, first stop was some roman ruins in Bet She'an. There was a roman theater, a little brush-up on my theater history knowledge, some bath houses, a main street, a street named after Guy (he eventually told me that his name means valley in Hebrew and so Guy Street was in truth Valley Street. Go figure it was between two mountains....), a market place, and temple, etc. Even though it was rather deathly hot it was quite nice and rather beautiful, those romans were quite genius i would have to say. The latrine in the bathhouse, absolutely remarkable, with a sewage system and a wall with wooden slats that stuck out with space between for your bottom.....(i am sure you can imagine yourselves how it all worked out)
Second stop, i was a little skeptical of at first.
Roneet: Guy where are we going now?
Guy: to Gesher Hayashan (the old bridge)
Roneet: what are we going to do there?
Guy: I'm not really sure, there's like a tour and then we make fuccacia bread and its like 3 hours....
A little vague, but in the end rather accurate. But there was much more to it than that.
Gesher Hayashan used to be the only place called Gesher. There was a kibbutz ((FIF) Kibbutz: is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The kibbutz is a form of communal living that combines socialism and Zionism but most of them have stopped functioning in the way they were originally started) , a transportation center (the last stop in Israel before traveling to Jordan, when the two countries were at peace of course), and a huge electricity dam. This was all before Israel became a state. (Please note i learned about all these things in Hebrew so if the wording sounds a little awkward please forgive my English as i do believe it is getting worse and worse as the days pass.)
This place is literally right on the border of Jordan and Israel. So we learned all about the people living there and how they came to live there and how they came to be evacuated during the war of independence. We learned about the dam and its builder and how during the British mandate it powered 90% of Israel. We learned about the bridges built by the Romans and the British giving the place its name. And we also learned how to make fuccacia bread, as was promised by Guy from the beginning. All in all quite the family attraction but we had a nice time anyway. When the people who were evacuated during various wars and open fire, decided to finally return home they decided to rebuild their Kibbutz a little farther from the border and thus it is called Old Gesher, across the street from New Gesher.
From there we moved on to Guy's friends dorm room in a kibbutz next to the Kineret. The room was basically a small room with kitchen and bathroom, large enough, nice really. We went out with some friends of Guy's from the army and then slept the night there. The next day we went swimming in the Jordan River visited Guy's friend that we stayed with in Vegas and ate a wonderful lunch by him. Then it was off to Haifa to visit the Technion exchange students that stayed in my house for the past few summers. We had a nice time with them, a nice dinner, a night walk on campus to a hill where we sat, drank wine and looked out over the city. It was totally beautiful with all the lights, it looked exactly like the emerald city or something accept bright white or silver. Too bad all the lights are from a plant and glow so beautifully because of all the pollution in the air.
The next day we met with another student who, since her stay with my family, has graduated. Then we went to some view points in a Druz city (i have no idea how to say that, where Druz (the religion? this may not even be the name in english) live). An Arabic area anyway, not dangerous though, no worries.
And that was it, we headed home.
I would like you all to know that i no longer have my iphone, yes i have sold my baby. It was a sad moment but the kid with the lame Mohawk-like hair-cut and shaved shapes on the side of his head seemed very happy, and i got the 1550 shekels for it. so if i wait until the dollar goes down again it will equal close to $500. The dollar is now at 3.5 shekels/$ so its just under $450. Not bad.
Anyway thats the exciting life that i have been leading, and tomorrow i go back to Israeli children and bus rides. I am interested to see what tomorrow will be like, what the kids will be like, and what the hell i will be doing there. We shall see.
Hope this blog post finds you well.
Good night Lilah Tov לילה טוב
So we left today, Guy and I found ourselves once again, in a car just us, the open road, the radio, and some frosted flakes we packed for the ride. Except this time the music was in Hebrew, the car belonged to us, and the frosted flakes were a little less frosted than we Americans are used to. Also (FIF) the ride cross country here would only take about 3 hours, maybe less. And for kicks, let's say we are talking north to south. about 7 hours, maybe less. Not in anyway close to the 312 hours we took to cross the USA.
So, first stop was some roman ruins in Bet She'an. There was a roman theater, a little brush-up on my theater history knowledge, some bath houses, a main street, a street named after Guy (he eventually told me that his name means valley in Hebrew and so Guy Street was in truth Valley Street. Go figure it was between two mountains....), a market place, and temple, etc. Even though it was rather deathly hot it was quite nice and rather beautiful, those romans were quite genius i would have to say. The latrine in the bathhouse, absolutely remarkable, with a sewage system and a wall with wooden slats that stuck out with space between for your bottom.....(i am sure you can imagine yourselves how it all worked out)
Second stop, i was a little skeptical of at first.
Roneet: Guy where are we going now?
Guy: to Gesher Hayashan (the old bridge)
Roneet: what are we going to do there?
Guy: I'm not really sure, there's like a tour and then we make fuccacia bread and its like 3 hours....
A little vague, but in the end rather accurate. But there was much more to it than that.
Gesher Hayashan used to be the only place called Gesher. There was a kibbutz ((FIF) Kibbutz: is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The kibbutz is a form of communal living that combines socialism and Zionism but most of them have stopped functioning in the way they were originally started) , a transportation center (the last stop in Israel before traveling to Jordan, when the two countries were at peace of course), and a huge electricity dam. This was all before Israel became a state. (Please note i learned about all these things in Hebrew so if the wording sounds a little awkward please forgive my English as i do believe it is getting worse and worse as the days pass.)
This place is literally right on the border of Jordan and Israel. So we learned all about the people living there and how they came to live there and how they came to be evacuated during the war of independence. We learned about the dam and its builder and how during the British mandate it powered 90% of Israel. We learned about the bridges built by the Romans and the British giving the place its name. And we also learned how to make fuccacia bread, as was promised by Guy from the beginning. All in all quite the family attraction but we had a nice time anyway. When the people who were evacuated during various wars and open fire, decided to finally return home they decided to rebuild their Kibbutz a little farther from the border and thus it is called Old Gesher, across the street from New Gesher.
From there we moved on to Guy's friends dorm room in a kibbutz next to the Kineret. The room was basically a small room with kitchen and bathroom, large enough, nice really. We went out with some friends of Guy's from the army and then slept the night there. The next day we went swimming in the Jordan River visited Guy's friend that we stayed with in Vegas and ate a wonderful lunch by him. Then it was off to Haifa to visit the Technion exchange students that stayed in my house for the past few summers. We had a nice time with them, a nice dinner, a night walk on campus to a hill where we sat, drank wine and looked out over the city. It was totally beautiful with all the lights, it looked exactly like the emerald city or something accept bright white or silver. Too bad all the lights are from a plant and glow so beautifully because of all the pollution in the air.
The next day we met with another student who, since her stay with my family, has graduated. Then we went to some view points in a Druz city (i have no idea how to say that, where Druz (the religion? this may not even be the name in english) live). An Arabic area anyway, not dangerous though, no worries.
And that was it, we headed home.
I would like you all to know that i no longer have my iphone, yes i have sold my baby. It was a sad moment but the kid with the lame Mohawk-like hair-cut and shaved shapes on the side of his head seemed very happy, and i got the 1550 shekels for it. so if i wait until the dollar goes down again it will equal close to $500. The dollar is now at 3.5 shekels/$ so its just under $450. Not bad.
Anyway thats the exciting life that i have been leading, and tomorrow i go back to Israeli children and bus rides. I am interested to see what tomorrow will be like, what the kids will be like, and what the hell i will be doing there. We shall see.
Hope this blog post finds you well.
Good night Lilah Tov לילה טוב
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