February 19, 2013

Ho Hey. Shazam!

I call these 'friendship benches'. They're all over Tel Aviv. 
They are totally unrelated to this post.


Ok, technically I first heard this weeks featured song on SNL, not Shazam.
But, it is currently my favorite song.
Ellie and I have been dancing our hearts out to it this week.
Honestly, the first time I heard this song (and no one ever sounds their best on SNL) I just knew.
Something about it strikes a chord that resonates in my core.
This song makes me feel like dancing, so don't be afraid to just go with it if you feel the same.

No ones watching...go for it.

The Lumineers
Ho Hey



It's nice, right?
SHAZAM

February 14, 2013

What more could a girl ask for?


This is the first year I've had a Valentine!
Our celebration of Valentine's Day has been a bit unorthodox.
This morning, Itzik got me a B1 Working Visa for the State of Israel.
I gave him a photo and homemade chocolate-covered strawberries...


His gift was better.

Yep- I am now a legal resident of the State of Israel...with permission to work!
As I've mentioned before, if you aren't Jewish but are dating an Israeli you can apply for the "girlfriend visa".
This morning, Itzik and I went to the Ministry of the Interior for our interviews, the final stage of the process.
So, on Valentine's Day, I was interrogated about my relationship to prove its legitimacy in order to receive working papers.
You know, average V-Day stuff.


All kidding aside, this is a huge moment for us. It's not every day that you can actually feel the gears of your life shifting. We climbed the mountain of Israeli bureaucracy and emerged victorious. And, I have to admit that its seriously cool to have a working visa in another country...the novelty is still there for me sometimes.

And lest we forget Valentines' past...I stumbled upon some familiar (yet apropos) graffiti the other day...


Remember this?
I see these hearts all the time, but rarely stop to photograph them anymore.
How crazy that last year at this time I was avoiding finals by chasing hearts around the city, and I was about a month away from meeting the love of my life. 
What a difference a year makes.


February 12, 2013

Your weekly dose of SHAZAM


The weather has been strange here the last couple of days- sunny, cloudy, cold, warm, rainy. 
That was all yesterday.
It does make for some beautiful scenery, though.


Not a bad view for a bus ride home...huh?
What was a listening to this week as I gazed out at a choppy Mediterranean from the bus?

Wye Oak
Civilian



I tagged this song in one of the dozens of Walking Dead episodes I tore through last week.
Do you watch that show? Its messed up.
The first episode took me a couple of tries to finish, it's so scary.
But, the music is perfect for a cold(ish), wet, winter week.
Hope you enjoy it, too.

Shazam!

February 11, 2013

Henry.


This week Itzik and I have a very special house guest named Henry.

Henry is an 11 yr-old Yorkie who wriggled his way into our hearts when his family went to France for a week. He's old, and chill, and doesn't shed. He's the perfect temporary pet. 


He's also quirky.
For instance- he likes to push food out of his bowl with his face and then pick up the pieces one by one and return them to the bowl. So silly.

I know Henry because his mom, Sarah, sends her kids to school with the kids I babysit for.
I actually have a friend crush on Sarah, cause we have a lot in common- she's from Boston, is with an Israeli, watches Fringe...but this is neither the time nor the place to discuss how cool Henry's family is. 
This is about Henry.

He pushes this ball under the couch so I have to get it for him. 

Henry arrived on Wednesday when I was in the middle of a week home sick. 
We spent the whole day together couching and watching The Walking Dead. It was fab.
I've never been a dog owner, but I've watched enough of Caesar Milan to know that probably Henry figured he was the alpha in his temporary home.
Unfortunately, that illusion was shattered around 2am when Itzik came home from poker.
Henry went apeshit...
In order to establish dominance, Henry immediately began humping me.
To make a long story shorter...the established pack dynamic is now as follows:
Itzik is the alpha male, dominating Henry.
Henry (all 10 lbs of him) dominates me.
I am the alpha female...so I dominate Itzik, completing the cycle.
 
Once order was established Itzik and Henry quickly fell in love with one another
and I now have been left feeling jealous of a Yorkie.



But...really. He's so cute that it doesn't matter anyway.
We want Henry to stay.

Itzik took this. This is how Henry gazes at my boyfriend.

A small aside: Do you know what your dog's human voice would sound like? We think Henry's would be something similar to Ted (the bear). Boston accent, foul vocabulary. But cute as a button.

February 5, 2013

Shazam! I'm sick

This Tuesday afternoon I find myself battling yet another cold.
I'm really sick of being sick, and I'm in a place where the music I'm choosing reflects my mood.

Here is one of the songs I'm listening to this week:

Reckoning Song (One Day)


He is an Israeli artist Itzik introduced me to recently.
He has an incredible voice, and I have a soft spot for folk music.
Perfect for a sick day reading the news and drinking tea.

Shazam!