....when you're having fun.

Time really has flown by the last couple of months...I've been so busy living life that I've neglected writing about it for a little while.
I feel like an apology is in order, although it seems a little self-involved to assume that anyone has been really bothered by my recent blogging hiatus. However, I know there are a handful of you out there who have noticed (and not just the ten Norwegians who the stats tool in blogger tells me have been reading this month),
so- Mom, Dad, Ellen and Holly...you have my apologies.

That being said...what's happening in Tel Aviv? A lot. So much, in fact, that I'm not quite sure where to begin. I also haven't been using my camera quite as much lately (the zoom is broken) and I've felt bad assaulting you guys with prose void of any photographic/aesthetic component. I'll try to keep this post as succinct as possible.

April and May have been beautiful. It's already summer in my book (the weather lately has been about as hot as it ever really gets in PA or Boston) and it's only going to get worse. I'm actually a little anxious about summer in the Middle East- soon it will be almost impossible to be outside for very long during the day unless you're at the beach, nay... in the water.

The thing is, I'd rather suffer intense summer than this type of winter...

Can you blame me?

I spent a lot of time in at the end of April and beginning of May on schoolwork- I had two really big papers for school due, so a lot of my time was spent in seclusion writing (academic writing, less fun than blogging...for sure.) Being a student isn't my favorite thing, I'll be honest, I haven't been thrilled with my program, but I appreciate the opportunity to learn and meet new and interesting people...essentially, I am so happy to be in Israel that I am willing to put up with the frustrations of school.

When I'm not trying to keep up with my studies, I'm just trying to figure out what will happen when school is over, and to enjoy myself (I do live in paradise, after all). I've discovered recently Sunday mornings on the beach. The weather has been so beautiful that the beaches are now packed all weekend long. Its really quite amazing to see, but I'm also naturally averse to crowds. I've mentioned before that Sunday is the Israeli Monday, but I don't have classes on Sundays this semester, so I have the incredible opportunity to spend my Sunday mornings on almost empty Mediterranean beaches.

.
You'll hear no complaints from me.

I've also been spending a lot of time with my boyfriend (it still feels strange saying that, when does that go away?), Itzik. I am still trying to figure out how much I want to share about it here on the interwebs- its no secret or anything, but this week I had views from Brazil, Norway, Germany, Ireland, Russia, Costa Rica, and Hong Kong...so, you know. Its hard to know where to draw the line. I will tell you that I was beginning to think if I got any better at being single there wouldn't be any room for a real partner in my life. At least not at this point. But we don't get to choose where and when these things happen sometimes, do we? To move abraod I had to make a choice that I would live every day here like I was staying forever, so that I wouldn't miss out on what real life here is like. Cause that's the point right? Live your life the best way you can today, cause who knows what will happen tomorrow. And in doing that, I was given the gift of someone who makes it easy for me to be the version of myself I like the most- and who loves me even when I'm at my worst. 

And he makes me laugh. What more could a girl ask for?

One of the best parts is getting to see Israel from an Israeli's perspective. He and his friends are really cool people, I'm seeing new areas of the country (we camp on the beaches north of Tel Aviv sometimes, and I've gotten to visit his hometown a few times), and I'm getting a lot of exposure to Hebrew. Itzik's English is stellar, so we don't have trouble communicating, but I'm working hard on absorbing as much of the language as possible...slowly slowly. It will come.

Nothing is perfect however. It's strange getting into a relationship in a world that is not my own, not having my people around to share it with. I have friends here, even one or two who have known me longer than 9 months, but it's still hard sometimes. After our last camping weekend I was thinking about how much I wished I could just hang out (in English) with someone from home. Itzik's friends are great, but when I'm with a group of people who are communicating only in Hebrew for a whole weekend, eventually I just kind of tune out and retreat to that quiet place in my own thoughts- often those thoughts are of my friends and family back home. So after camping we came home and I was missing my friends and all of a sudden....Ilya was here.

I know, right? What? How? The long and short of it is that he came for a few days unexpectedly to visit an ill family member, and I got to hang out with him for a few hours on his way in and out of the country. Literally, one second I was missing my friends back home, and the next I was sitting at a bar with one. It was fantastic! A little surreal, but still so comforting to be with someone from my world, you know?

Yeah, this happened.
A little DP reunion was just what the doctor ordered! We had dinner with Libbie and got all caught up!

So, that's a little bit of an update, dear readers. Again, my apologies for the recent truancy. I'll make more of an effort to keep you guys updated more efficiently. Thanks for hanging in with me.

This weekend I am nursing a cold and looking forward to Shabbat dinner with Itzik's family. His cousins from the US are in town for a few weeks and tonight I get to hang out with their adorable kids...including a 3 month old little girl named Libby! I met her older brother, Gur (which means "puppy"), earlier this week. He's five, and we are pretty into each other. I mean, both of us have sisters named Libby- that's a bond that can't be broken. I can't wait to hold the baby, squeeze her chunky little thighs and eat her face (can you tell I miss nannying a little bit??). I'll try and get some photos to share, if I can put the baby down long enough to pick up a camera.

Off the grid.

So, as usual, it's holiday season again in Israel.
I've been on break from school for about two weeks (Happy Passover!) and the holiday seemed to magically bring with it the beginning of summer- the weather has been beautiful (warm enough to go to the beach!!!!) but not too hot yet.

For the last weekend of vacation I was lucky enough to be invited to a "canta"- which means a bunch of Israelis camping out on the beach, eating tons of meat, drinking tons of alcohol, and chilling out hardcore- this is my scene. My phone died, and for three days I was completely off the grid (and totally happy).

the men TCOBing

the tent city in the dunes (the guys in the corner are grilling meat. this picture was taken approximately 30 min after arriving to the beach)

this kite was helpful for finding your way back to the tent city

yes. someone brought an inflatable couch. these people meant business.

you have to be serious about sun protection.

matcot at the sea (matcot is a paddle/tennis situation)

I'll take my coffee on a sand dune any day.

The weekend was exactly my speed. We went to a beach north of Tel Aviv that was so beautiful and MUCH less crowded than the beaches near my house. The speed of life slowed down for a few days and I could've stayed forever. I loved not checking my phone or email or blog for a little while. 90% of the weekend was in Hebrew, which was overwhelming at times, but most everyone spoke some English, so I wasn't isolated by any means, and it was really good exposure to the language.

I've made a point to not discuss my dating life on this blog because some things are private, and because there hasn't really been anyone worth introducing all of you too. However, things have changed a bit. I would be remiss if I went on and on about how great this weekend was without telling you about the part I liked the most- this kid:

I would like to introduce my public to the new man in my life- Itzik. His friends organized the canta. He's so cute, right? I know. Trust me, he's worth introducing to you. He's my new best friend, and he makes me so happy... (and between you and me? when he kisses me I can feel it all the way into my toes).

!!!חג פורים שמח

Anyway, for those of you who cannot read it, the title of this post is "Happy Purim!"

Purim is my new favorite Jewish holiday (click the link to learn more about the meaning of the holiday).

Aside from the theological reason for the holiday, Purim is essentially the Israeli Halloween- and it lasts for days.

I don't know these people...is this illegal?

Purim Eve was Wednesday this week, so school was cancelled Thursday for the national holiday. That means this is what happened over the weekend in Tel Aviv:

Wednesday (through Saturday)- everyone in costume. Children. Adults. Bus drivers. Everyone.

Wednesday night- street parties and bar parties. many parties.

Thursday night- same.

Friday (Shabbat) afternoon- giant street party downtown during the day.

Friday night- giant street party elsewhere downtown. 

All weekend- pandemonium. 

Last week my second semester of classes began but it was a short week, and there was palpable merriment in the air by Wednesday afternoon so Daniel and I had a beer between classes to kick off the long-weekend. The picture on the bottom right is just to prove these pictures were taken at school.

Wednesday night I didn't have a real costume so I just went crazy with my make-up (like I always secretly wish I could for real life) and met Minnie Mouse (aka Libbie) to walk around and people-watch/drink in the streets. At one point Libbie saw another Minnie walk by who (upon noticing similar costumes) promptly said in Hebrew "Mine is better than yours." and keep strolling. We decided the best response would've been "Well at least I'm a better person than you," but she was already gone.

Thursday night I went out with my friend Aviva who is an olah (new immigrant) from London (she's also got an incredible beauty therapy business in Tel Aviv, if you're here and looking for a massage or manicure or eyebrow wax...). We went to a party some of her Israeli friends were throwing. As you can see above, my comrades' costumes we're stellar. I sported bunny ears and painted whiskers with the same eyemake up from the night before...I was the foreigner who half-assed the costume. And I was cool with it.

Friday was an epic Tel Aviv day. One of my favorites so far. In the morning I walked around with Rose, did a little shopping and a LOT of walking and just enough lunching. Then I walked to Shmuel Hamelech, a main street in TA that was shut completely down for a giant street party all day from 12-5pm. It was phenomenal- thousands of people, day drinking, partying, dancing, people-watching, chilling. There was a stage set up at one end of the street near the art museum and there were even more just packed in dancing to trance music and having fun. 

In case you don't already know how I feel about mascots...it isn't "warm" and "fuzzy".

My favorite South Park character- Towlie!

After the street party ended, I spent the evening with Daniel and some other friends just chilling out- we went out for drinks and dinner (maybe eventually dessert, too. Well, definitely dessert- this is the hot cider I had with apple crumble....mmmm delicious):

The evening was spent making new friends, eating, drinking, laughing and dancing until somewhere near 5am.

Today (Shabbat/Saturday) was lovely- one of the warmest days so far (summer will be here soon! in a couple of weeks!) and the weather was perfect for strolling along the beach. At least that's what my friends all said. I slept till 2:30pm and wasn't functional until at least 4pm. After cleaning a bit and getting some things in order Nicole and I had a lovely dinner date and then spent the evening out hobnobbing in TA. At one point I was at a birthday party for someone I've never met. This is what happens here. Tomorrow will be Sunday (aka Monday), and real life will start again. Hopefully I'll wake up before noon (it's 4:30am, so chances aren't great).

Goodbye, Purim. We'll meet again, one day. Hopefully by then I'll have an MA.

Guest blog: a new Israeli's perspective on Israelis...

I've mentioned once or twice my dear friend Libbie Snyder Sagiv, and I want to introduce her now as Gingit's first-ever guest blogger!! 

For those of you who don't know our history, it's worth mentioning here that Libbie and I met in Boston, where she was born and raised. She made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) a couple of years ago, and is my go-to adviser when I have questions about how to be a real person here. Her Hebrew is excellent, she married an Israeli, and is herself an Israeli now...but that doesn't mean she doesn't still notice (and get frustrated by) some of the quirkier aspects of Israeli life. I want you guys to hear her unique (and hilarious) perspective.

*****

Most immigrants to Israel complain about the usual Irksome Israeli behavior – Israelis’ rudeness, impatience, their inability to wait in line, their constant efforts to rip you off, the completely illogical bureaucracy, the list goes on and on.

But in my experience, there are two aspects of Israeli behavior that absolutely drive me nuts, and yet I never hear anyone talk about them. So I just have to get it out of my system, and see if anyone out there agrees with me.

Elevators. Now, elevators seem like a fairly straightforward concept. You use them in buildings to go up and down to different floors. It’s a concept that I always took for granted that everyone just understood. But living here in Israel, I’ve come to discover – to my horror – that many Israelis have absolutely no comprehension of or respect for the function of elevators.

The only way an elevator can be useful and do its intended job is if people ride it for the purpose that they need. That means, if you need to go up, you should only get in an elevator that is going up, and vice versa. So what happens in Israel? When Israelis need an elevator, they either don’t care or don’t pay attention to which direction the elevator is traveling – they simply get in. Always. 

So what happens is, elevators are constantly packed, no one can get to the floor they need, and there is sheer chaos every time the doors open. The people at the underground and high floors get stuck there for excessive amounts of time.

I think there is a lot of national psychological baggage underpinning this behavioral trend. It’s as if Israelis think, if they don’t act aggressively and get into the elevator while they have their opportunity, they’ll miss out on that chance for the foreseeable time to come, because they know that the other Israelis will act similarly selfishly. It’s a vicious cycle (pun intended).

This is an experience I go through every time I want to work out, because my gym is only accessible via the elevator in the Givatayim mall. Which has an underground parking garage.

This brings me to my second point of contention – the girls at Holmes Place. (Holmes Place is my gym.) I don’t know if the most appropriate comparison to accurately depict the girls would be roosters, monkeys or hyenas, but I can tell you that anyone who has witnessed the opening of the studio doors to a weeknight Zumba class can testify that I’m not exaggerating.  

A quarter of an hour before a class is due to start – whether it’s kickboxing, Zumba, or Step – the girls start hovering in their Spandex-clad circles, all eyes flickering about, as they passively-aggressively mark their little areas outside the studio doors. I try to make a point of looking nonchalant, like I’m not concerned about what’s about to happen when the clock hits the hour and the doors open. The poor people inside from the previous class, who are just sitting up from their relaxed Savasana poses, barely avoid a full-out stampede as the lights go on and the waiting girls charge in to claim their desired spot. (If that means stepping on people who are trying to get up, they do it – I’ve seen it.)

This is about when I stop feeling like I’m in a gym and start feeling like somehow I wound up at the zoo. The sounds these girls make as they squawk and run about, I swear to Gd, would make a henhouse sound like a museum. 

The rooster-girls don’t even pause to put their bags along the periphery of the room – they drop their belongings right in the middle of the room. Then their friends take turns guarding their territory while they THEN bring their stuff to the sidelines. If you leave your spot unattended, you can guarantee it won’t be there 5 seconds later no matter how many girls saw you standing there beforehand. 

And if you need a drink of water during class – ha, forget it. I one time made that mistake, and when I came back to continue my workout, I found myself pushed all the way to the back of the room. (And no one wants to be at the back of the room – that’s where any remaining concept of personal space goes out the window.)

I’ve also been in classes where halfway through the instructor pauses and tells everyone to get a mat and come back, and it simply leads to chaos. It’s not like the instructor is going to start until everyone has a mat, but Israelis don’t think that way; they run, push and grab to get a mat, with no semblance of a line. It takes everything in me to stay calm and not scream, “You’re all going to get a fucking mat! Chill! This is not a battlefield, it’s fucking Zumba!” (excuse my French).

Alas, this is the reality of the world I live in, and as my darling husband loves to say, “These muscles aren’t just for looking good, they’re for survival.” So, up the elevator and to kickboxing I continue to go. Last night I actually rode the elevator down to the parking garage, squeezed between a baby carriage and my kickboxing instructor, and when I finally got to the class the first thing I did was drop my jacket and purse in the middle of the studio floor. Hey, I want to have a good workout too.

The real horror of horrors about living in Israeli society? I’m becoming just like them.