tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45814280149580478502024-03-13T22:26:40.491+02:00Gingit- A Ginger Tries Out Tel Avivthe Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-26269653424414908512017-02-20T04:39:00.002+02:002017-02-20T04:48:21.163+02:00Kyle's Yahrzeit<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHUtCkwakPcBBf2nL4A0-fAaYT-TWl7U7_oOQp6CEWNEII36RrENTwhUPCjOVQDjzPd1XLWKNT8KgqlQoaeP84cBi5nnTPife_-9lI_5AGhvCis4lVzxKQAjkBMrZbPZRQysA9KJVg8Av/s1600/Kyle+and+Jenna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHUtCkwakPcBBf2nL4A0-fAaYT-TWl7U7_oOQp6CEWNEII36RrENTwhUPCjOVQDjzPd1XLWKNT8KgqlQoaeP84cBi5nnTPife_-9lI_5AGhvCis4lVzxKQAjkBMrZbPZRQysA9KJVg8Av/s640/Kyle+and+Jenna.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Written Saturday, Feb 18, 2017.</i><br />
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I have been asked about my love for Israel, the Jewish people, and Judaism more times than I can remember. The reasons being manifold, the answer changes depending on the context of the question. This morning one of those reasons stands out more than others. </div>
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<span style="color: #454545;">I grew up in a Christian home, my parents each came to a deep faith in their adulthood, specifically when their youngest child, my brother Kyle, was diagnosed with leukemia at the tender age of 18 months. My family grappled with this heartbreak and his disease for 7.5 more years before the cancer won its final battle with his little body. My parents sought support through faith and a church community. That February 18th was a Sunday, and I remember every moment like it was yesterday, hardly two decades ago. Every year since, this day has brought me face to face with that loss, left to reexamine my grief through the new knowledge and experience brought by the passage of time, every year it changes. As I grew, I never had a way to really explain to my friends why this day was hard, I didn't have a word for what it was. It felt clumsy to say "today is the anniversary of my brothers death." It was hard to talk to my parents, unbearable to see their immense pain magnified by the anniversary. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545;">So I carried it, choosing to process my grief on my own (and with the help of a string of great therapists). My parents leaned on their faith to work through the grief and depression, we all did, but our religious traditions offered little in the way of a prescribed structure for that struggle. Eventually, I could feel the awkwardness that prevailed when it was brought up or acknowledged at church or in public. What resulted was a solitary experience of that loss, each of us dealt with it in our own time and in our own way. Even now, the scars on my family are visible, palpable in every moment together. </span></div>
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When I landed at a Christian liberal arts college my first class was a required course in the Hebrew bible, particularly the Jewish roots of Christianity. It was in that class that I learned about the tri-fold role a synagogue serves in Jewish life- a place of worship, a place of learning/education, and a place of community and personal connection. I learned about the role of the faith community in every part of life- celebrating together, and grieving together. And then I learned the word "<i>yahrzeit</i>"- the anniversary of one's passing. I finally had a word for February 18th. I learned about how every year a bereaved family observes this day by reciting the Mourner's Kaddish, a prayer of remembrance, in a service surrounded and supported by their community. This prayer doesn't mention death, but rather extols the Almighty- a powerful act in the face of one's grief. </div>
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I know my parents and my church did the best they could in the face of a tragic and inexplicable loss. But I wish my Christian tradition had retained the structure for the process of grief. A place to recognize and honor the void left in my family's life which, after awhile became the elephant in the room instead of a wound flushed out and sanitized by sunlight, by honoring the Almighty when we felt the crushing pain of death. No one ever said to us "you should be over this by now" but without a place to take that grief every year on that day, my parents' depression intensified, and to this day I can see that my parents feel the pain of Kyle's death every day as acutely as they did that Sunday morning two decades ago. In this way, I feel our faith failed us. My family has come a long way since then, but it has been arduous, and the work continues. </div>
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This morning I woke up to a phone call from my friend Libbie in Israel- someone I met after college when I got my first job at a Jewish non-profit, one of my first Jewish friends. All I had to say to her was "today is my brother's <i>yahrzeit</i>" and she knew immediately what that meant. She asked me to tell her about him, and I was able to talk about him with someone who never met him for the first time in almost two decades. She encouraged me to reach out to my parents and my sister, and I felt better once I had. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It felt healthy, I felt supported, and I didn't feel alone.</span></div>
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There are lots of reasons that I support the state of Israel with my vote, why I moved there for graduate school, many reasons why I love my Jewish friends and neighbors, and believe my own life and my faith are richer for learning about Jewish history and tradition and culture. But on this day, February 18th, Kyle's <i>yahrzeit</i>, I love Judaism because it has given me the words I never had before to explain the pain I'm feeling, and to honor the Almighty from that place when my own words have failed time and time again.</div>
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<i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Glorified and sanctified be G-d’s great name throughout the world</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;"><i>which He has created according to His will.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;"><i>May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days,</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;">and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon;</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;">and say, Amen.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;"><i>Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored,</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;">adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;">beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;"><i>May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;"><i>and for all Israel; and say, Amen.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;"><i>He who creates peace in His celestial heights,</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;">may He create peace for us and for all Israel;</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 12.8px;">and say, Amen."</span></div>
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the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-35723614507199178152013-07-01T14:45:00.002+03:002013-07-01T14:45:20.904+03:00Hydrate your situation...preserve your sexy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Tel%20Aviv%20Misc/DSCN0794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Tel%20Aviv%20Misc/DSCN0794.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think pretty much everyone knows that you should drink more water. But I have to say, hydration never really seemed like a truly crucial issue to me, until I got the stomach flu in the middle of a Middle East summer.</div>
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Last week I caught a bug (or ate something bad) and spent three days in bed/the bathroom. Now, if you've ever been stricken with food poisoning/stomach flu, you know that water does NOT help things. The only thing I really 'consumed' was Coke, and after 48 hours small bits of bread. </div>
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You don't need all the details, but the new experience I had in all of this was being severely dehydrated.</div>
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On Wednesday, when my troubles began, I went to work in the morning. This means that I left my house at 8am (when it's already 75 degrees and humid) and immediately began sweating. But I couldn't drink water. It did not sit well. By 11am when I called it, left work, and headed home I had a fever, so I was cold, but it was 90 degrees outside, so I was sweating. I got home and took a shower, nursed a bottle of Coke, but all I wanted was water. <i>I have never been more thirsty in my life.</i></div>
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Granted, this situation is far from an emergency, I was not dying of thirst in the Sahara. But I wanted water like I was, and I knew I couldn't drink any. </div>
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The long and short of it is, now that my body is back to normal, I'm drinking as much water as I can at every opportunity I get. I have never (not even after almost 2 years here in Israel) been more aware that hydration is key. It is basic. It is the number one need any of us have. </div>
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So folks, wherever you are...take a sip of water. Be grateful that you have enough whenever you want it, and keep your situation hydrated.</div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-25820526220881201862013-06-24T14:53:00.000+03:002013-06-24T14:53:54.796+03:00Why can't every weekend be like this?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130620_153704_zps2771cca6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130620_153704_zps2771cca6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The way every day should end...</i></td></tr>
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In the last two weeks the weather here in Tel Aviv has shifted from "summer" to "I'm melting."</div>
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Which basically means that you sweat standing still in the shade at 8am.</div>
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So, to beat the heat and mark the arrival of real summer in Israel...</div>
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we went camping on the beach last weekend.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The tent city.</i></td></tr>
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I have to say, Israelis just get how to do summer.</div>
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After a quick drive to less-crowded beaches north of Tel Aviv, Itzik and his man-friends took less than 30 min to set up a large common tent, a kitchen, a small tent city, and the relaxing began.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Not bad for the first thing you see when you wake up on a Saturday morning...</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130620_153235_zps75747783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130620_153235_zps75747783.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Waitin' for Mom to wake up.</i></td></tr>
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We spent Friday night and Saturday grilling, drinking, swimming, drinking, eating, drinking...you get it.</div>
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It never ceases to amaze me how remarkably peaceful it is if you just get a stone's throw outside of Tel Aviv.</div>
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Steak, drinks, bonfires, friends, soft sand, and the Mediterranean Sea...</div>
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this is summer done right.</div>
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the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-51413150180503323652013-06-16T23:21:00.003+03:002013-06-17T17:21:40.036+03:00I'm obsessed with my dad.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/77fdef7a-e85d-4713-81b0-0a17518fa054_zpscc98f08d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/77fdef7a-e85d-4713-81b0-0a17518fa054_zpscc98f08d.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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There are few relationships more special than that of a father and daughter.</div>
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I tried to write something which accurately captured just how important and special my dad is to me</div>
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but nothing really seemed right-</div>
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there aren't words true or unique or beautiful enough.</div>
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<i>Pop,</i></div>
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<i>You're my best friend, a tough teacher, </i></div>
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<i>and a living example of what it means to do your best </i></div>
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<i>and love with everything you've got. </i></div>
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<i>Thanks for your sense of humor, for your forgiveness, for your unwavering belief in me.</i></div>
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<i>You are everything to me.</i></div>
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<i>I miss you every day I'm not with you</i></div>
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<i> and I love you more than you'll ever know.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Love,</i></div>
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<i>Nenna</i></div>
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<br /></div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-81865425924691193222013-06-12T15:04:00.002+03:002013-06-12T15:04:50.624+03:00Owning #catsonwheels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130610_202101_zps91993550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130610_202101_zps91993550.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A few months ago I shared with you my love of Instagram </div>
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and my fear/disdain/fascination with the <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.co.il/2013/01/catsonwheels.html"><span style="font-size: large;">cats</span></a> which rule the streets of Tel Aviv.</div>
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Well, nothing's changed. The little buggers are as strong as ever and today</div>
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I'm sharing some of my favortie <span style="font-size: large;">#catsonwheels</span> moments as of late.</div>
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Saw this guy twice.</div>
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...and this is just a sampling. </div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-44767335805160340782013-06-09T15:12:00.001+03:002013-06-09T15:25:56.002+03:00Israeli pride.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend marked the summit of Gay Pride celebrations in cities around the world, and while Tel Aviv is no exception...I believe that Israel's Gay Pride celebration is exceptional. </div>
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Exceptional because Tel Aviv is one of the hottest party cities on the globe, </div>
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and when the gays get involved it only turns the party volume up. </div>
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Noteworthy because Israel is <i>the only</i> country in the whole of the Middle East where it is legal to be gay- where you can be a gay individual openly and not fear for your life. </div>
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Remember that next time you hear Israel called an 'apartheid state.' </div>
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Friday's Pride Parade and subsequent four-hour beach party drew tens of thousands of people from around the world into this little city. They all marched past my apartment around 1pm, and straight down to Gordon Beach where they partied and celebrated the human rights haven that Israel's democracy (the only democracy in this part of the world) promises to minorities of every ilk. </div>
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It makes me straight up proud to be living in Israel. </div>
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Oh, and I have to show you how my favorite bakery celebrated Gay Pride: a funfetti cupcake.</div>
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NOLA American Bakery on Dizengoff- always a good decision.</div>
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the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-68434062281008598712013-06-06T15:20:00.000+03:002013-06-06T15:20:08.356+03:00Starting over. Daily.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently found a message in my inbox from someone I knew last year at Tel Aviv University, a friend of a friend who has since left Israel. She was asking to 'play matchmaker' and put me in touch with a friend of hers who is moving to Israel, hoping I might be able to give this young woman advice, maybe give her a lead or two for babysitting work, and in general just be a point of contact for someone who will soon be wearing the shoes I donned back in 2011. I remember being that girl, moving to a foreign country, with only a few loose contacts (and one or two strong ones) and the hope that I could build a life somewhere else. I also remember feeling totally grateful anytime someone could advise me on what bus to take, or how to ask for the coffee I like in Hebrew, or what the Israeli equivalent of sour cream was in a sea of mystery dairy products at the grocery store. I still am that girl, more frequently than I would like.<div>
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It feels strange to be the person that someone might look to to answer those questions now- simultaneously like I've accomplished something in my time here, and like I haven't accomplished quite enough. Two years ago I was living a very comfortable life. There were things I wanted to change (obviously, I moved across the globe) but I could do my own banking, talk to the cable company (what I wouldn't give to be able to sit on hold waiting for an inept Comcast customer service rep <i>who speaks English</i>), and navigate public transportation with ease. Those are the little things that are so hard for me here, that make every day just a little bit (a LOT) harder here than I ever could have prepared myself for. And now I find myself advising people who have just arrived in Israel on the few things I have figured out, and feeling like a total fraud/a little proud of myself for what I have managed to pick up along the way. </div>
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I won't lie to you, there have been moments (and maybe there always will be) where I consider just throwing up my hands and moving back to the US. Usually I feel the most like that when Itzik and I argue, or I have to do any type of banking (you really have NO idea how good you have it in the States), or I think about the average salary prospects for someone with an MA (half the average of the US). It can be easy to become discouraged. But something I was taught at an early age is that love is a choice- one that you have to renew within yourself every day. I love Israel. And every day I have to renew the choice to give this everything I have.</div>
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I knew this would be hard. But I'm doing it. I don't always feel successful, but I haven't given up. I love (hate) the challenges, and the little victories (like learning a new word and using it appropriately). I'm doing something I dreamed of doing, and I'm trying to do it the best that I can. I need to seriously work on my Hebrew (which will relieve a lot of frustration), and I need to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I need to continue to work on the friendships I have here and build a fulfilling social life (your boyfriend cannot be your whole world...at least not MINE). But I'm working on it. And I'm working on it in a place that is steps from the Mediterranean Sea, in land of the Bible, and in an age that I can talk to my parents and friends back home as much as I please (time difference be damned!). </div>
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So, it could be worse. And it will get better. One day at a time.</div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-60749901236592501092013-05-05T15:43:00.000+03:002013-05-07T15:43:06.053+03:00Lately.<div style="text-align: center;">
There have been so many things I wanted to write about but I really haven't had much energy left over after trying to live my life this last month to write about it. So, here's a quick update:</div>
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A month ago I started a new job, </div>
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so Itzik and I decided that it was time to start looking for a new place to live.</div>
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Both of these things sound exciting, but turned out to be real trials for our relationship.</div>
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The bad news is that it caused so many arguments I wasn't sure we'd make it to a new place.</div>
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The good news is that we found a place, and moved this weekend.</div>
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We made it.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Beach Season</span></div>
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Maggy and Kurt came to Tel Aviv to celebrate their anniversary a couple of weeks ago, </div>
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and we spent an afternoon on the beach together. </div>
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Their visit coincided with a 'heat wave' which marked the beginning of summer (it was 90 degrees all week), and it felt so good to swim in the sea and relax in the hot sun (...under an umbrella with lots of SPF). </div>
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Summer here makes me feel simultaneously excited and terrified. The weather now is so beautiful- 85 during the day, 70 at night) but come June/July/August it will be too hot to function. It's almost like winter, in that you don't leave the comfort of temperature controlled indoors unless you are going from A to B...or to the beach. In any case...I'm bathing in sunscreen these days.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Moving</span></div>
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<i>Balagan.</i></div>
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It's no secret that moving is one of the most stressful life events there is.</div>
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Add to that the language barrier (not being able to read online apt postings, needing a translator at the bank, feeling generally useless and making your partner feel <i>totally</i> burdened...) </div>
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well...you can imagine how fun the process has been. </div>
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Itzik has been incredible, and done so much work to find a new home for us.</div>
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I've done as much as possible, and tried to be patient and understanding when he felt (understandably) overwhelmed.</div>
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Now that I'm not living there anymore, I can say openly how wretched our old place was.</div>
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It was Itzik's bachelor pad, and I felt like I was squatting there for the last 8 months.</div>
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The landlord was a jerk, the plumbing backed up into our bathroom, there were bugs, loud neighbors, zero storage, less space, one window, and was far from where we both work and play. </div>
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We had no elbow room, felt claustrophobic, and it was not good for either of us as individuals or a couple.</div>
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But now we have a much bigger place, in the middle of Tel Aviv, with a real kitchen, a huge living room, big windows, and landlords who are friends of Itzik's family. And I can walk to work in less than 15 minutes.</div>
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I really feel like this is the beginning of a new phase for us.</div>
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I'll post pictures after we've really unpacked...</div>
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This is the first time I ever had movers (cause I never had much furniture before...)</div>
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and it was the best ever. These two dudes came in at 6:30am on Friday (Itzik and I pulled an all-nighter on Thursday after work) and in less than two hours had moved ALL of our stuff out of the old place, onto a truck, and into the new place. Amazing. </div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130503_080125_zps23b616fc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130503_080125_zps23b616fc.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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They did the heavy lifting, and I was still exhausted, but my back wasn't destroyed and it was so quick!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
These guys were amazing, but truly, that must be the <u>worst job ever</u>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To celebrate the move we went out for dinner on Friday night.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130504_113537_zpsa04cfcaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130504_113537_zpsa04cfcaf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130504_113629_zpsd1058604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130504_113629_zpsd1058604.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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We happen to live a block from the only Pizza Hut in Tel Aviv, and I could not have been happier.</div>
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We stuffed ourselves and fell asleep fat and happy amidst a pile of boxes...a perfect shabbat.</div>
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the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-36473301049309580822013-04-17T19:07:00.000+03:002013-04-17T23:25:03.502+03:00My heart is in Boston.<br />
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Boston%20landscape%20shots/DSCN0614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Boston%20landscape%20shots/DSCN0614.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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On Monday evening Itzik and I went out for dinner with
friends to a lovely Italian restaurant to celebrate Israel’s <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.co.il/2013/04/more-holidays-more-holidays.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Independence Day</span></a>. Libbie and her
husband Tzahi joined us and we all made merry. That is, until Libbie and I
received news alerts on our phone about the Boston Bombing. Libbie and I met
(and fell in love) in Boston, and we both immediately began scouring the
interwebs for information about what happened, and for word from our friends
and families there. I had been following updates all day from friends of mine
who were in Boston to run the marathon, and when I heard about two bombs
detonating near the finish line I felt my heart drop into my stomach. The rest
of my evening was spent making calls and checking Facebook in an effort to
account for anyone who may have been downtown that day (thankfully, most of my
friends in Boston usually avoid the shitshow that is downtown Boston on Marathon
Monday) and I was grateful to learn quickly that my loved ones were safe.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It is hard to put into words the feelings I experienced
after learning about this. Confused. Sad. Scared. Homesick. Sick. Worried. When I lived in Boston and followed Israeli news
(esp after Libbie moved to Tel Aviv) it was always upsetting to learn about
terrorism happening here. But it was never altogether surprising. It is, after
all, the Middle East. These things have a context here. That context never
mitigates the horror and sadness of terrorism, but there’s a frame of reference
and usually there’s never any doubt about the motive. </div>
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<br /></div>
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When it comes to Monday’s events in Boston, however, there
is no context. And for me to be living here, in Israel- where a certain level
of violence is expected on occasion- and to watch bombs exploding in Boston? It
was surreal. Videos of the explosions were online before we even paid the bill,
and I watched in horror on my phone as buildings I used to walk by daily were
torn apart. The Boston setting was familiar, and the scene of terror was
familiar- but I could not wrap my head around the two together….and it made me
homesick in a way I haven’t experienced until now. Knowing how 'commonplace' things like this are for my Israeli friends deepens my respect for the Israeli experience. It also makes me hope that those in Boston effected by this tragedy can rebound from their pain, and stand strong against whomever is to blame.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When Israel and Hamas went to <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.co.il/2012/11/blog-post.html"><span style="font-size: large;">war</span></a> a few months ago, I had an experience of war and terrorism that was new for me. And the biggest lesson I learned from Israelis was this: if the fear prevents you from living your life, the terrorists have won. You must press on, you must garner strength from the knowledge that life will always conquer death, good will prevail over evil.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So, to my friends and loved ones in Boston- my heart is with
you. I am overjoyed and utterly relieved that you are all ok, and I wish so
much that I could be there with you right now. My heart breaks for our city,
and for those who were affected by this tragedy. I pray that whomever is to blame will not be allowed a victory of fear. May justice be swift, and
recovery short. <br />
<br />
UPDATE: my friend Jen lives in Boston and wrote an account of her experience <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://blog.wiisisrael.com/2013/04/lights-camera-action-are-we-playing-a-part-in-a-terrorist-movie/">here</a></span>. Jen and I worked together at the David Project, and she moved to Israel a year before me. She's an American-Israeli who has studied counter-terrorism, and the article is excellent. Check it out.</div>
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<br /></div>
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------------------------</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><b><i>A quick (but nonetheless important) aside:</i></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Boston%20Babies/DSCN0318-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Boston%20Babies/DSCN0318-1.jpg" width="576" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">Four years ago, I drove a new little family home from Mass
General Hospital, and was introduced to a little girl who would change my world
forever- Liron Etta. I watched my good friends Sasha and Ellen become exemplary parents overnight, and I
hope that one day my family will be half as happy as theirs. I had the
privelage of becoming a part of their family, and the memories we made together
are precious to me.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">You guys are my family, and today I wish more than ever that
I could be with you to celebrate. I miss you every day, and I can’t wait to be
back this summer to make more memories together. Keep a place for me at the
table, and in your hearts. </span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"></span></i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Happy birthday,
Liron!! I love you so much.</span></div>
</span></i></span>the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-82830241143557855032013-04-15T17:18:00.001+03:002013-04-15T17:21:01.629+03:00More holidays? More holidays!<div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>
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<a href="http://distilleryimage10.s3.amazonaws.com/a1b5be88a58c11e2ba2422000a1f9376_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://distilleryimage10.s3.amazonaws.com/a1b5be88a58c11e2ba2422000a1f9376_7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I am constantly asking myself (and my boyfriend) "what holiday(s) is Israel observing this week?"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cause, yeah, there are almost weekly holidays here.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Well, yesterday at sundown began <i>Yom HaZikaron</i> (Memorial Day).<br />
When that ends (at sundown today...sensing a pattern?) <i>Yom Hatzma'ut</i> (Independence Day) begins.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I love this time of year, because the holidays Israel observes are simultaneously somber and celebratory </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Passover, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I love about these two days in particular is how meaningful and present these days are for the people of Israel as a collective, and the significance found in observing them side by side.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yesterday, at 8pm, a siren rang out across the country (just like on <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.co.il/2013/04/never-forget-never-again.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Yom HaShoah</span></a>), and again, the entire nation paused and remembered those 23,085 lives lost in service to the Jewish State. Another siren was heard this morning at 11am to mark the 'end' of the holiday.<br />
Here's a video from this morning in Jerusalem. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10151541748774281" width="226"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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In such a tiny and new nation (only 65 years old today!)- not to mention one with such a bloody history- every Israeli knows someone who died in war. Memorial Day here is a somber day- television is filled with documentaries and special programming about individuals who died in battle, families telling of their sons and daughters whose lives were given so that a nation might live. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Itzik asked me this morning "does America have a day like this?"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sadly, no. For me, Memorial Day back home was only sad because I usually didn't have the day off of work. Only government employees and really lucky people got the day. Maybe there are some sales at the mall. But it's really more of an afterthought- a day imbued with half-significance. Also, the US is so <i>big</i>. You could go your whole life and not know one person who served in the military. People have lost touch with the fact that freedom comes at a price, a heavy price. And those who have paid it are all too easily forgotten.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But here in Israel, forgetting is not easily done. Nor should it be.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And then, Independence Day. This is truly a festive day.<br />
Flags galore, roof parties, beaching, picnics (and alcohol)...<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130328_182013_zps9df5b077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130328_182013_zps9df5b077.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It is a lot like the 4th of July back home, but what I really love about Israel's Independence Day celebration is the fact that it comes IMMEDIATELY after Memorial Day.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Because in order to truly appreciate the freedom we have, we have to remember (and thank) those who fought for us to be free.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><b>So, to Israel (my home away from home)</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><b>I wish you a very Happy 65th Birthday!</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><b>May you go from strength to strength. </b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i><b>I'm proud to live here, and grateful you exist.</b></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-78009122752415902052013-04-08T21:50:00.003+03:002013-04-08T21:50:50.209+03:00Never forget. Never again.<br />
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</div>
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I want to dedicate this post to a woman who, before she passed away two years ago, </div>
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survived the Holocaust and spent the rest of her life bearing witness to the unthinkable. </div>
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Sonia Schreiber Weitz was a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, Plaszow, Mathausen, Bergen Belsen, and Auschwitz. Of her 84 family members in Poland before WWII, Sonia and her sister Blanca were the sole survivors. Through her poetry, courage, humility, and generosity Sonia taught me what love really is. Despite all of the evil she endured, she came out on the other side a teacher, a mother, a poet, and a friend. How can someone look evil in the face and still be capable of such love and warmth? It is unimaginable to me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I had the pleasure of working with Sonia for 3 years when I was in college, and not once did I ever hear her utter a bitter word against God (surely something she would have been allowed). </div>
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Whenever Sonia was asked if she ever felt abandoned by God, her reply came without hesitation: </div>
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“I never wondered where God was, but where was man?”</div>
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I miss her deeply, especially today.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For <i>Yom HaShoah</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">By Sonia Schreiber Weitz</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Come, take this giant leap with me</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">into the other world...the other place</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">where language fails and imagery defies,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">denies man's consciousness...and dies</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">upon the altar of insanity.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Come, take this giant leap with me into the other world...the other place</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">and trace the eclipse of humanity...</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">where children burned while mankind stood by,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">and the universe has yet to learn why</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">...has yet to learn why.</span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">~</span></div>
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Today (starting at sundown Sunday) is <i>Yom HaShoah</i> or
Holocaust Remembrance day in Israel. </div>
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This is, in my humble opinion, one of the
most special of all the Israeli holidays. </div>
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For 24
hours the mood of (it seems) the whole country shifts, and the lives of the 6
million who perished at the hands of the Nazis are honored. </div>
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At 10am this
morning, a siren was sounded across the whole country; everything and
everyone was<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-stops-to-remember-6-million-killed-in-shoah/">still for an entire minute</a></span>. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://cdn.timesofisrael.com/uploads/2013/04/F130408ns03-e1365407605867-635x357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://cdn.timesofisrael.com/uploads/2013/04/F130408ns03-e1365407605867-635x357.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Photo from The Times of Israel</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Literally. Traffic on every road came
to a halt. People stopped walking, drivers stepped out of their cars, and an
entire nation was united for 60 seconds of remembering why and how this country
came into existence- as a place of refuge for the remaining few Jews who had
escaped the grasp of death and returned to the land that the God of the Bible
promised to them. Israel exists as a beacon of hope, a reminder that once, the
world turned away and allowed evil to take the reins.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, spoke last night at the
Israeli Holocaust Memorial <i>Yad V’Shem</i>, saying that the Holocaust is
still with us. His words were a reminder to us all that the evil which
extinguished 6 million souls in Nazi Europe is alive and well in the
supremacist, hate-filled ideology known as radical Islam. And, as if to prove
his point, those extremists launched attacks on Israel, timed to coincide with
this solemn day, and showed the world the true face of Israel’s enemies. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Yesterday, Anonymous, a hacker group who lives up to its
name, coordinated with Arab terror organizations around the Middle East to
launch a <a href="http://www.timesofisrael.com/as-cyber-war-begins-israeli-hackers-hit-back/"><span style="font-size: large;">cyber attack</span></a> on Israeli businesses, banks, and government institutions.
The media hyped the event as an impending catastrophe, and we in the Israeli
public were advised to reset passwords, avoid online banking, and told to
expect slower web speed. All in all, this ‘cyber war’ was more like a dry run
for the security community here, to see how their protections and security
systems would withstand such an attack. It was a blip on the radar (although I
have to say I was really frustrated that it took me an hour to download an
episode of ‘Californication’).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Additionally, terrorists in the Gaza Strip<a href="http://www.timesofisrael.com/missiles-fired-from-gaza-strip/"> <span style="font-size: large;">launched rocketsinto Israel</span></a> on Sunday evening, yet another violation of the ceasefire
established after the mini-war which took place last winter. There have been
several rockets fired at Israel in the last 2 weeks, incrementally more each
time, and chatter about another defensive operation from the Israelis has
already begun. Who knows what will happen, but the rockets fired yesterday sent
a clear message of disrespect, and ongoing aggression from Israel’s enemies.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>I find yesterday’s attacks against Israel to be despicable,
but am unwilling to waste any more time on them today- the day when the world
must remember what happened 70 years ago, if we are to prevent it from happening
again.</i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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In honor of Sonia, and all those whose lives were forever marred by hate and supremacism, I say loudly:</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Never again.</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-19982490089117038522013-03-16T02:53:00.001+02:002013-03-16T04:01:14.571+02:00the killer marathon<p>This morning I woke up sweating for the first time since, well...October. Here, that's a significant stretch. Tel Aviv experienced a heat wave that happened to fall on the same day as the annual marathon which attracts tens of thousands of runners every year. </p>
<p>In anticipation of the heat, the municipality postponed the full marathon, and scheduled the 10K and 22K routes to begin before dawn. Despite that effort, one person died and over ten were hospitalized with heat related health problems. Oops. </p>
<p>The municipality was reportedly warned about the risks and critics are now saying that appropriate measures were not taken to protect public health. </p>
<p>I live in Yafo, which is South Tel Aviv, and the start/finish lines have been set up for two weeks on the main road that I travel to get from Yafo to downtown TA. This afternoon when I left my apartment it was 92°F so I decided to use public transit. Point being, I snapped the photo below from the air conditioned comfort of the number 18 bus. In case you were thinking I ran. </p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkABFKVamlIwkseHpwa63WgWbqJPp_OQYfD42BZnq5AzFPCPH7R4latUcEBuPqu6oQyAdZleN5cyVd9R9MvXO2iRfdLyC-y1K84oxpkWMQA8WGLeyiVMF1d-c6h_Xa5DLS1tWWk-4waBY/s1600/20130315_112953.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkABFKVamlIwkseHpwa63WgWbqJPp_OQYfD42BZnq5AzFPCPH7R4latUcEBuPqu6oQyAdZleN5cyVd9R9MvXO2iRfdLyC-y1K84oxpkWMQA8WGLeyiVMF1d-c6h_Xa5DLS1tWWk-4waBY/s640/20130315_112953.jpg' /> </a> </div>the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-46559537208103905542013-03-10T10:54:00.001+02:002013-03-10T10:54:20.294+02:00Oh yeah, Israel.<div style="text-align: center;">
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Life in Israel is very hard. I think maybe my recent posts have displayed some of that.</div>
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But this weekend Itzik and I drove North with friends for a weekend in the <i>Kineret </i>(or Sea of Galilee),</div>
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and I remembered the that life here can also be very special, peaceful, and completely beautiful.</div>
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The four of us (Michal, Asaf, Itzik and I) drove about two hours North, </div>
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rode around the Galilee region and the Golan Heights, </div>
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and stopped in a nature reserve to sit and enjoy the scenery.<br />
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<i>Have I mentioned Itzik cut his hair?</i><br />
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There were cattle from nearby farmers wandering freely through the parking lot. </div>
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The last time I was in this area was during summer months, when it is hot and dry and brown.</div>
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In the spring the wilderness is still intimidatingly beautiful, but in a completely different way.</div>
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Each time I come here, I am struck with the knowledge that I am experiencing something rare and special.</div>
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This time of year the hills and mountains surrounding the Sea of Galilee are bursting with lush wildlife, the hillsides are jagged rocks coated with soft grass, flowers, cacti, and trees.</div>
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The colors are vivid, and the landscape is vast.</div>
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It's truly breathtaking.</div>
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We stayed on a <i>moshav</i> (similar to a kibbutz- an intentional gated community, but without communal living practices) and walked out of our <i>tsimmer </i>(bungalow? cabin?) to a view from the hills North of the Sea of Galilee. Unfortunately the<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.co.il/2013/03/sandstorms-locusts-shazam.html">recent dust storm</a> </span>moved North with us,<br />
so we couldn't see the water very often, but the dust did give the scenery an odd haze that really made you feel like you were walking through a dream.<br />
A dry, hot dream.<br />
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What does a sunset look like in a dust storm? Like this:<br />
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<i>photo credit to Michal for this incredible shot</i><br />
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<i>These are the clouds of dust on Saturday, moving North and reflecting the setting sun.</i><br />
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We woke up early on Saturday, ate breakfast, and then spent the day driving around the Golan Heights<br />
(only a few miles from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/world/middleeast/syria-rebels-say-un-peacekeepers-have-been-released-to-jordan.html?pagewanted=all"><span style="font-size: large;">Syria</span></a>, by the way).<br />
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<i>This is the border fence and Syria on the other side.</i><br />
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We stopped at a few roadside attractions (like mini waterfalls and artist colonies).<br />
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<i>Sandals! In March! Yes please.</i><br />
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After taking in the landscape we went to a place called <i>Nahal El Al, </i>a deep crevasse of a riverbed that in the winter is a legit river, but in the summer a dry canyon. This time of year, its a garden. </div>
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We hiked for about three hours (an hour down, a little more than an hour up, and some time at the bottom for a quick dip and a cup of coffee near the waterfall).<br />
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<i>The water was freezing cold. I did not join them. This looks lovely but its actually <b>c</b>-<b>r</b>-<b>a</b>-<b>z</b>-<b>y</b>.</i><br />
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I even had time for some yoga along the way.</div>
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I love my life.<br />
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Honestly, this weekend I fell in love with Israel all over again.</div>
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I remembered what it is like to be in the land of the Bible. </div>
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To hike the hills where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob struggled and met G-d. </div>
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What a gift that I can meet Him here too,<br />
and somehow I think it's easier here than anywhere else I've ever been. </div>
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It was equally amazing to me how all of this is just outside my back door,</div>
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and how easy it has become to forget.</div>
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the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-32558012008784074392013-03-06T20:55:00.002+02:002013-03-06T20:56:34.771+02:00Sandstorms. Locusts. Shazam!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Photo pulled from The Times of Israel (http://www.timesofisrael.com/millions-of-locusts-chow-down-on-israeli-crops/)</i></div>
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Yesterday millions of locusts took to the skies from just south of Israel's border with Egypt, </div>
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and flew north to wreak havoc on the crops of southern Israel's farmlands.</div>
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Things just got <i>biblical</i> over here.</div>
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The plague of locusts is making headlines due to its size (the largest in decades) but still,</div>
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I get the sense that this is old hat for Israelis.</div>
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It's funny the things that seem so foreign to me still- plagues of locusts,<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.co.il/2012/02/weathercom-fail.html">annual sandstorms</a></span>...</div>
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these are the things that remind me I'm not in my American bubble anymore.</div>
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I live in the Middle East.</div>
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<i>A view of the sandstorm in Tel Aviv over the weekend.</i><br />
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Oh, and I know I missed Shazam last week. Sorry! I didn't have anything new for you, but here is my favorite song of the moment:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of Monsters and Men</span><br />
<b><i>Little Talks</i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ghb6eDopW8I?list=FLFQfWNHHIJ71Poes8XtG_tg" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Shazam!</span></div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-27919402146369855382013-03-03T01:25:00.000+02:002013-03-03T16:30:03.934+02:00Why is there so much shit?<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>(I apologize in advance to the more delicate readers out there (Mom) for the crass language and subject matter of the forthcoming post...</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>but not unlike poop, sometimes you just have to let the words out.)</b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/156416_666628499665_1009358555_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/156416_666628499665_1009358555_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Sometimes I find horse manure on the sidewalks because this happens in my neighborhood frequently.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There is a lot of shit in my life at the moment. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I suppose, when I read that back to myself, that I mean it figuratively, but what prompted this post is all of the literal, physical, smelly shit that I find at every turn. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I guess the breaking point for me was when I found actual human feces on my doorstep this weekend....but we'll get back to that.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I just <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.co.il/2013/02/what-more-could-girl-ask-for.html">received my visa</a> to work in Israel, so my job these days when I'm not babysitting is finding a job. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As I'm sure many of you can relate to, this is not easy. Anywhere. And babysitting is a hard job, it can be exhausting. I love it, and there are new rewards all the time. But there's also a lot of shit. Ellie is the cutest little baby, but she is quickly become a little girl...and let me tell you, her "cacki" (as its referred to here) is smelling more and more adult by the day. I'm no novice. I've changed countless diapers. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But the god's honest truth of the matter is that cacki smells. </div>
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You don't develop a resistance to it, just coping mechanisms. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/577423_667633375885_771813939_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/577423_667633375885_771813939_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>WHAT is she eating? The smell is unreal. But look at that face.</b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I also get sick a lot because of my job, and my immune system took a beating this winter. Kids = germ city. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Since September I have contracted countless colds (they just bleed into one another), chest colds, strep throat, and last week...the stomach flu. I'll spare you the details, it will suffice to say I felt pretty shitty.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In any case, after the visa hurdle, and the job hurdle, the next obstacle is my shitty apartment. Literally. I found mouse droppings under the sink the other day. And then people droppings on my way out of the building Friday morning. Oh, and did I mention our place smells like poop sometimes because a pipe outside broke and is leaking raw sewage onto a ledge a few floors below our only windows? Yeah.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When it comes to the mice...whatever. I don't like it. But I've come to accept it as an inevitable reality when you live in a city. And, to be honest, I've killed more cockroaches in the last year than I ever saw in my first 27 years so, I guess at some point you just develop...again, coping mechanisms. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But even the best coping skills are stretched thin when you find human poop on your doorstep.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I love the kids and families I babysit for, </div>
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but no one has ever been more motivated than yours truly to find a job. </div>
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I just need to clear my life of a little literal shit, so that I can make room for the figurative stuff, cause it's more exciting, and makes for better instagramming...</div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-72370839122452998792013-02-19T22:40:00.000+02:002013-02-19T22:40:38.374+02:00Ho Hey. Shazam!<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130128_145544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130128_145544.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<i>I call these 'friendship benches'. They're all over Tel Aviv. </i><br />
<i>They are totally unrelated to this post.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Ok, technically I first heard this weeks featured song on SNL, not Shazam.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But, it is currently my <u>favorite </u>song.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ellie and I have been dancing our hearts out to it this week.</div>
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Honestly, the first time I heard this song (and <i>no one</i> ever sounds their best on SNL) I just knew.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Something about it strikes a chord that resonates in my core.<br />
This song makes me feel like dancing, so don't be afraid to just go with it if you feel the same.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No ones watching...go for it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Lumineers</span></div>
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<b><i>Ho Hey</i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zvCBSSwgtg4?list=FLFQfWNHHIJ71Poes8XtG_tg" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
It's nice, right?<br />
<i style="font-size: xx-large;">SHAZAM</i></div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-2355905285750452372013-02-14T23:42:00.001+02:002013-02-15T00:10:19.128+02:00What more could a girl ask for?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/2bf1d624-ebfe-4113-906d-f85fc805fa5c_zps1df70fe0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/2bf1d624-ebfe-4113-906d-f85fc805fa5c_zps1df70fe0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the first year I've had a Valentine!</div>
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Our celebration of Valentine's Day has been a bit unorthodox.</div>
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This morning, Itzik got me a B1 Working Visa for the State of Israel.</div>
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I gave him a photo and homemade chocolate-covered strawberries...</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130214_221431_zpseac27662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130214_221431_zpseac27662.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130214_221543_zps8b560407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130214_221543_zps8b560407.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>His gift was better.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yep- I am now a legal resident of the State of Israel...with permission to work!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As I've mentioned before, if you aren't Jewish but are dating an Israeli you can apply for the "girlfriend visa".</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This morning, Itzik and I went to the Ministry of the Interior for our interviews, the final stage of the process.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So, on Valentine's Day, I was interrogated about my relationship to prove its legitimacy in order to receive working papers.<br />
You know, average V-Day stuff.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130214_232621_zpse198aced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130214_232621_zpse198aced.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And lest we forget Valentines' past...I stumbled upon some familiar (yet apropos)<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>graffiti the other day...</div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20121202_102159_zps6417abe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20121202_102159_zps6417abe1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Remember<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.co.il/2012/02/i-should-be-writing-paper-right-now.html">this</a></span>?</div>
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I see these hearts all the time, but rarely stop to photograph them anymore.</div>
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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. </div>
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What a difference a year makes.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-52795087296179274842013-02-12T22:22:00.000+02:002013-02-12T22:23:27.979+02:00Your weekly dose of SHAZAM<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130211_151449_zps28f0878c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130211_151449_zps28f0878c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The weather has been strange here the last couple of days- sunny, cloudy, cold, warm, rainy. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
That was all yesterday.</div>
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It does make for some beautiful scenery, though.</div>
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<br />
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130211_151439_zps707bf0d7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/20130211_151439_zps707bf0d7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Not a bad view for a bus ride home...huh?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What was a listening to this week as I gazed out at a choppy Mediterranean from the bus?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Wye Oak</span></b><br />
<i><b>Civilian</b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Mssm8Ml5sOo?list=FLFQfWNHHIJ71Poes8XtG_tg" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
I tagged this song in one of the dozens of <i>Walking Dead</i> episodes I tore through last week.<br />
Do you watch that show? Its messed up.<br />
The first episode took me a couple of tries to finish, it's <i>so </i>scary.<br />
But, the music is perfect for a cold(ish), wet, winter week.<br />
Hope you enjoy it, too.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Shazam</b>!</span></div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-10649638601445647202013-02-11T11:24:00.001+02:002013-02-11T11:24:27.142+02:00Henry.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130207_173715_zps541475b8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130207_173715_zps541475b8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This week Itzik and I have a very special house guest named Henry.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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. </div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130210_220917_zpsea098534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130210_220917_zpsea098534.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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He's also quirky.</div>
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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.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I know Henry because his mom, Sarah, sends her kids to school with the kids I babysit for.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is about Henry.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130210_220756_zps4aba7769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130210_220756_zps4aba7769.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He pushes this ball under the couch so I have to get it for him. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Henry arrived on Wednesday when I was in the middle of a week home sick. </div>
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We spent the whole day together couching and watching The Walking Dead. It was fab.</div>
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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.</div>
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Unfortunately, that illusion was shattered around 2am when Itzik came home from poker.</div>
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Henry went apeshit...</div>
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In order to establish dominance, Henry immediately began humping me.</div>
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To make a long story shorter...the established pack dynamic is now as follows:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Itzik is the alpha male, dominating Henry.</div>
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Henry (all 10 lbs of him) dominates me.</div>
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I am the alpha female...so I dominate Itzik, completing the cycle.</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Once order was established Itzik and Henry quickly fell in love with one another</div>
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and I now have been left feeling jealous of a Yorkie.</div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130210_221221_zps32597a43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130210_221221_zps32597a43.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But...really. He's so cute that it doesn't matter anyway.</div>
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We want Henry to stay.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130210_221006_zpsc442fde4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20130210_221006_zpsc442fde4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Itzik took this. This is how Henry gazes at </i>my <i>boyfriend.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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.</div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-43669582988191234092013-02-05T12:58:00.000+02:002013-02-05T13:00:03.473+02:00Shazam! I'm sick<div style="text-align: center;">
This Tuesday afternoon I find myself battling yet <i>another</i> cold.</div>
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I'm really sick of being sick, and I'm in a place where the music I'm choosing reflects my mood.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here is one of the songs I'm listening to this week:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.asafavidanmusic.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">Asaf Avidan</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Reckoning Song (One Day)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A16VcQdTL80?list=FLFQfWNHHIJ71Poes8XtG_tg" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He is an Israeli artist Itzik introduced me to recently.<br />
He has an incredible voice, and I have a soft spot for folk music.<br />
Perfect for a sick day reading the news and drinking tea.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Shazam!</span></div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-82826110206081785202013-01-31T22:57:00.000+02:002013-01-31T22:57:19.876+02:00#catsonwheels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20121223_164149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/mobile%20uploads/IMG_20121223_164149.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Fact: There are cats all over Israel.</span></div>
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Roving gangs of street cats.</div>
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They are territorial, fight and mate loudly, and are in all places at all times.</div>
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Sometimes people feed them (like the mental giant pictured above).</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fact: I love Instagram.</span></div>
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Currently, I have a series on Instagram that I call #catsonwheels.</div>
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I think its self-explanatory.</div>
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I walk around a lot with a stroller. I see this all the time.</div>
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the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-69985425855981773302013-01-29T12:04:00.001+02:002013-01-29T13:05:06.897+02:00Shazam!<div style="text-align: center;">
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Welcome to the inaugural Tuesday edition of <span style="font-size: large;">Shazam!</span></div>
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where I give you a glimpse into the soundtrack of my Tel Aviv experience.</div>
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Have you ever been watching TV, sitting in a restaurant or cafe, or listening to the radio and heard a snippit of a song that grabs you? or maybe that you recognize but cant place? Well, in these moments I reach for my phone and Shazam the shit out of it (translation- I use an application called Shazam to identify the song in question). Then, when I'm on the bus (which happens a lot these days) I listen to the songs I've recently tagged. And now, you will reap the rewards every Tuesday afternoon as I share with you my favorite song of the week. Hopefully we can open some new musical doors! Let me know what you think!</div>
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This week, as a first time bonus, I'm going to share three of the songs that I've been listening to as of late:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keren_Ann">Karen Ann</a>- <i>My Name is Trouble</i></span><br />
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I heard this song on the radio awhile ago, and loved it immediately. There's something wild and dark about her voice that I really love. She's an Israeli artist who apparently has been making mainstream music for quite sometime. Check out the link to her wiki article (click on her name above) to see some of the stuff shes done. Heard this already? Leave a comment and let me know!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. The Piano Guys- <i>One Direction Cover</i></span><br />
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Itzik and I found this group on YouTube, and they do some really incredible and creative things. They perform original music, and (like this video) re-tool pop and classical music in ways you never really expect. This video is by far my favorite to watch- 5 guys and 1 piano covering a cheezy pop song and making something phenomenal.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Motopony- <i>King of Diamonds</i></span><br />
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I think I heard this in an episode of <i>Hung</i> last month (I watched a lot of TV when I was sick, a side effect of this exercise might be that you learn what my television tastes are...). HBO shows are usually a gold mine of interesting and lower-profile artists. I like listening to this while I'm doing domestic chores. I'm not sure why but it makes me feel less annoyed by dirty dishes and straggler socks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Shazam!</span><br />
Tuesdays will never be the same.</div>
the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-74256217457196169642013-01-26T22:58:00.002+02:002013-01-26T23:13:31.010+02:00An afternoon with Ellie.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the comments I recieved regarding my <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.com/2013/01/catching-upand-other-news.html">last post</a> was:</div>
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"More pics of Ellie!"</div>
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Your wish is my command.</div>
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I haven't blogged much about the families I babysit for- mostly an effort to respect others' privacy- but Ellie's parents get how cute she and her sister are, and totally get that an adoring public cannot be left wanting.</div>
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This weekend I found the perfect opportunity to share with you guys a little bit of how I spend my working hours...in a magical land of princesses and babies. Ellie's big sister, Emma, recently turned five (going on seventeen...) and Friday afternoon her parents threw a birthday party for 30 of her closest friends. I hung out with Ellie during the thick of it. We went to the park during prep-time, came home and noshed on the abundant fruit and snacks moving between the kitchen and the party, and (she) took a solid nap.</div>
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Let me tell you, once she woke up, Ellie (who <i>worships </i>Emma and won't tolerate missing out on any fun) was NOT pleased to be kept from the festivities for things like naps and snacks. The looks that little angel was shooting my way could kill. So, towards cake-time we finally went up to the roof and joined in the fun.</div>
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<i>Popcorn and cotton candy machines. Duh.</i></div>
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If I'm being totally honest, Ellie and I were both happy to go upstairs in the end. </div>
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This party was the princess extravaganza of my childhood dreams. I mean, cotton candy? Stop it. </div>
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And the cake...you'd have been drooling too.</div>
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<i>Yeah- I had some.</i></div>
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<i>Just stop. 5-yr-old me was green with envy.</i></div>
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Everyone enjoyed cake while the party wound down, and slowly Ellie cruised her way on over to the cake table after the crowd thinned, and dove right into the chocolate-y princess-y goodness--her mom and I were ready with smartphone in-hand. </div>
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All in all, it was a lovely day at work. My job doesn't suck.</div>
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the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-49608911575708138322013-01-24T14:58:00.000+02:002013-01-24T14:58:47.044+02:00Catching up...and other news.<div style="text-align: center;">
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How often do you feel like you're playing catch-up? Lately, I feel like that most of the time.</div>
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Today, I'm catching up on blogging.</div>
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I logged on and realized I haven't posted since Christmas? Oy. My apologies.</div>
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I was going to post awesome pics of the New Year's party that Itzik and I had tickets for, but then I caught strep throat, missed the party...and almost two weeks of my life. Now I'm playing catch up at that (life), too. So, let me catch <i>you </i>up a little bit about the goings-on in my corner of the world:</div>
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At some point (after the penicillin kicked in, methinks) I realized that I needed to make some serious changes, restore my health and officially move from the nomadic, transient head-space I've been inhabiting since I graduated from TAU (yes, thats right, I actually finished my MA! <i>Baruch HaShem</i>!)<br />
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But which changes? First and foremost- yoga. Yoga is an expensive habit I picked up in Boston. Only, in Boston I was volunteering at a studio and was getting my fix for free. When I left for an adventure in the Middle East I let my student-budget put my practice on hold. However, I am no longer a student, I've been sick all winter, I've put on a few lbs, my face has been breaking out for four months, and in general I haven't been feeling at my physical peak. So, this week, I made the executive decision that yoga can no longer be classified as a 'want' rather than a 'need,' and I forked over the cash for a membership at a studio. I've been to several classes, and I can already feel myself returning. My skin is clearing, my thoughts are clearing, and my muscles are shouting at me for more. I have found great value in a habit which works my body, and lets my mind rest for a few hours every week.<br />
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<i>Sometimes I go to the beach in the morning to do a little yoga. </i><br />
<i>It could be worse.</i><br />
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Until I receive my working visa, my employment options are a bit limited,<br />
so I've been babysitting (what any recent MA grad wants to do) and enjoying the opportunities to get outside, play with children, and walk around Tel Aviv.<br />
Every day I fall more in love with this place. Ellie (the 1-yr-old I pass the time with) and I have been on a mission to find the best playground in Tel Aviv. It's grueling work. We both really hate it.<br />
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Also, I experienced my first Israeli election this week. Did you hear about it in the news? If you don't live here, it's likely that you didn't hear much. The outcomes were, politically, a bit unexpected, and interesting (at least to me). But what I want to highlight about Israeli elections, what surprised and delighted me, was the incredible sense of unity and community that comes with an election here. The population is small, and voter turnout was at an all-time high - around 65%. That's a big deal.<br />
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One difference between elections in the US and here is that in Israel, Election Day is a bank holiday. Everything is closed. Public transportation runs, but by making Election Day a holiday, the election itself becomes something that you can't ignore. Parents take their children, who see that citizenship is something important and worthwhile. Families spend time together. And it felt to me like everyone had a stake in what was happening that day.<br />
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Itzik and I visited his mother outside of Tel Aviv so he could vote, and on the way there it seemed that all of Israel was out and about. We actually cut through the market on foot cause it was faster than sitting on a bus in traffic (I, of course, took the opportunity to grab a smoothie and a donut).<br />
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<i>Yes, moving through this crowd was faster than the bus.</i></div>
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<i>Love the shuk. It's never dull.</i><br />
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Itzik's brothers and sister all joined us at their mom's place, and we all walked over to their old elementary school so they could vote. I kept high-fiving Itzik (which he hates) and shouting "citizenship!". I wasn't even voting, but I felt like I was a part of something important.<br />
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Afterwards, his mom rewarded me by showing us old family photos.<br />
It would be a shame not to share these:<br />
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<i>Itzik (the baby) is now the spitting image of his father (the adult)</i><br />
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<i>Playing dress-up for Purim</i><br />
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In other news...<br />
I've also been making a concerted effort to catch-up with friends and family from back home. My old boss from The David Project, Charles, and his family were in Israel last month and the opportunity was seized to have a DP reunion!<br />
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<i>Charles, Libbie, and I</i><br />
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<i>CJ trying to Skype someone in from back home</i><br />
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One of the best parts of the evening was welcoming <a href="http://maggylivingtall.blogspot.co.il/"><span style="font-size: large;">Maggy and Kurt</span></a> back to Israel.<i>for good</i>!<br />
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They flew in a couple of days prior, and I am LOVING having so many people from home around these days.<br />
More on Maggy's return in a later post.<br />
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Okay, I think this is a pretty good catch-up for the time being. We have covered a lot of ground. What do you think? Have any thoughts about the election? Want more pics of Ellie? Into the street art?<br />
Hit me with some feedback, I'd love your thoughts.<br />
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It is my solemn vow to you, dear reader, that I won't let so much time pass anymore between posts, so that they are not as jam-packed moving forward.<br />
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the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4581428014958047850.post-43526437042036489672012-12-16T22:00:00.002+02:002012-12-16T22:04:54.307+02:00Merry Christmas! Love, The Israeli Government<br />
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I haven't really gone into detail here about that visa complications that go along with being a gentile in Israel, have I? Last year when I came here to study, I applied for (and was granted) a one-year student visa. But that expired when my program ended, and currently I'm in the country (legally) on a tourist visa. Tourist visas are issued at passport control when you land in the airport (unless you are suspicious) and are valid for three months.<br />
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My plan after returning from my<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://gingitjenna.blogspot.co.il/2012/08/without-skipping-beat.html">trip home</a></span> this summer was to spend those three months pulling together the documents required to apply for my 'girlfriend visa'. Yes, that's right. If I were Jewish I could just decide I wanted to be Israeli and apply for citizenship. But I'm not, which complicates things for me a bit. It complicates a LOT of things for me actually, but we're gonna focus on the citizenship/immigration side of things for now. Anyway, it turns out that if you're a non-Jew dating an Israeli, and you live together and want to stay here, the Israeli government will let you apply for permanent residence. You just have to prove that you are a real couple. So, I'm applying for a girlfriend visa with Itzik. It's a little complicated, full of bureaucracy, and the instructions are all in Hebrew so figuring out the do's and don'ts of the process has proven arduous.<br />
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The long and short of this is that my tourist visa expired last Tuesday. The week prior Itzik and I spent a lot of time waiting in the Ministry of the Interior only to be told in the end that there was ONE document which was insufficient and in order to actually submit the application I would need to procure additional (internationally certified) documents from the US government. Shoot. Me.<br />
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That takes time. And time was something we didn't have. What to do???<br />
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My only option (besides just staying in the country illegally and hoping they wouldn't notice) was to exit the country and come back in to procure a new three-month tourist visa. Sometimes people will just take a bus south to Jordan and visit Petra for a day, but considering the recent war and the fact that Itzik can't go to Jordan with an Israeli passport... I wasn't so keen on that idea. So...Itzik and I flew to Berlin last Saturday. I know, right? <i>What</i>? It was a whirlwind. One second I was crying cause I was scared of being deported, and the next moment I was in a hotel in Europe with my boyfriend looking at snow falling softly outside my window. My life is the worst.<br />
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<i>Not really. It's the best.</i></div>
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At first I was stressed about it- travelling is expensive and I am not really in a place in my life where I have tons of expendable cash. But, Itzik calmly reminded me that you save money for emergencies, and this situation qualified. The truth of the matter is that Itzik and I have been together for about nine months, I moved in with him pretty much after two, for a month this summer I was in America, and I've been finishing my MA and trying to find work. To say things have been intense for us would be an understatement. We love each other, and we're both happy to be together, but (individually and as a couple) we needed some R & R. It wasn't gonna happen, though, unless something forced it to happen...thank you Israeli immigration balagan.<br />
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<i>I have no idea how to pronounce this properly. Or any German words, really.</i></div>
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So, what followed was an unexpected week in Berlin- touring, museum-ing, sleeping, eating, drinking, laughing, and shivering (winter in Germany is COLD!!). Itzik had an introduction to a white Christmas, efficient public transportation ("<i>subways are amazing, you can get to the other side of the city in 20 minutes!</i>"), and had his fill of bratwurst and beer. I soaked in the Christmas spirit (l've really missed Christmas), did a little shopping, stopped at every Dunkin' Donuts we saw, and was reminded why I moved to the Middle East (I really hate being cold). We explored a new city together, and spent some stress-free, quality time with one another. It really was JUST what the doctor ordered.<br />
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<i>I want to go to there.</i></div>
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<i>I might not speak German, but I'm fluent in Dunkin.</i></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Berlin2012/DSC_0382_zps3f1cf979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Berlin2012/DSC_0382_zps3f1cf979.jpg" width="394" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkpoint_Charlie"><span style="font-size: large;">Checkpoint Charlie</span></a></i></div>
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<i>Berlin's <a href="http://www.berlinischegalerie.de/"><span style="font-size: large;">Modern Art</span></a> museum</i></div>
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<i>Three guesses where the latte is from.</i></div>
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<i>Of course, I was the one to insist on going to the <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jmberlin.de/main/EN/homepage-EN.php">Jewish History</a> </span>museum.</i></div>
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<i>One of the many Christmas markets in Berlin- spiced wine, gift vendors, bratwurst...amazing.</i></div>
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I want to take a moment and publicly state how <i>wonderful</i> my boyfriend is. On top of the whole spontaneous-trip-to-Europe thing, Itzik weathered what is possibly the most horrible activity in all of boyfriend-dom (especially if you're <u>my</u> boyfriend)...jeans shopping. I cried. I laughed. I cried more. I was my most insane self. And he didn't even flinch. He just held my hand, told me I'm beautiful, and waited outside of countless fitting rooms with all of our bags until I found the perfect pair. Then he told me to get two. Cause he's just that amazing. I love him so much.<br />
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Berlin2012/DSC_0048_zpsd8c550dc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Berlin2012/DSC_0048_zpsd8c550dc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>He's all mine. WINNING.</i></div>
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So now we are back, refreshed (better dressed) and ready to move forward to wherever the winds may blow (also, we're happy that the winds in Israel are a little warmer than in Berlin...)</div>
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Here are a few more pictures from the trip as a reward for reading all of that mushy stuff (this is for you, Mary...)<br />
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<i>Itzik playing modern-artist at the museum.</i></div>
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<i>Inside the Jewish History museum.</i></div>
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<i>What it's all about.</i></div>
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<i>Stairway to...?</i></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Berlin2012/DSC_0053_zps34a691b1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Berlin2012/DSC_0053_zps34a691b1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>They have Claire's!</i></div>
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Berlin2012/DSC_0065_zps2e7af3dd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc462/gingitjenna/Berlin2012/DSC_0065_zps2e7af3dd.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Urban art.</i></div>
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So, in sum, I would like to thank the Israeli government for making paperwork that is so confusing it takes several tries to finally get it right. Happy Christmukah to everyone!!!</div>
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the Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13334359098797522901noreply@blogger.com1