I'm officially checking out of the Happiness Hotel. I signed a lease this morning for the next month and a half for a room in Talbieh. It's a very cute, very 1950's two-bedroom apartment, and my flatmate is an American named Jackie who I haven't met yet. I've already started moving my clothes in, and should be fully moved by the time I go to bed on Sunday.
This move can't come soon enough for me. Last night, right after I came back from viewing the apartment in Talbieh, the doorbell rang at the Happiness Hotel, and turned out to be yet another person claiming to be the landlord. This one seems to be the real landlord, though, and the first one was actually his agent. His agent, that is, who never bothered informing the landlord about all of the craziness with Cousin Ganif. So we had to go through the entire story all over again. The real landlord now wants to break the lease with Cousin Ganif, and is willing to discuss a new lease with us, but needs to check out what's been happening with the agent first. He says we'd know by Wednesday at the latest what the story is about the lease.
No thank you. I want out. So I signed my own lease at a totally different apartment. I'll move more clothes over motzei shabbat, and then move the last of it Sunday after work. My stay at the Happiness Hotel is almost over. Baruch Hashem.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
You Know You're A Psuedo-Israeli When...
* You can go into the bank and have an entire argument with the teller in Hebrew
* You actually get to celebrate Shushan Purim
* You accidently drop part of your Purim costume in a jar of schug
* You have no idea how to spell 'schug' in English
I'm getting good at this...
* You actually get to celebrate Shushan Purim
* You accidently drop part of your Purim costume in a jar of schug
* You have no idea how to spell 'schug' in English
I'm getting good at this...
My Problem After All
It's Shushan Purim here in the walled city of Yerushalayim. I slept in and woke up thinking, "Yay! Another day of chag!" I walk out of the bedroom and wish Frenchie a boker tov and chag sameach. She returns the greeting. Then she tells me, "I want to be out of this apartment by the beginning of April. I can't deal with Cousin Ganif anymore."
Now, I had stopped looking for another place because I thought we'd be staying here at least until May. So now I have half as much time to find a new place, either for all of us, or for just me. Frenchie did say that she had already spoken to a girl in her hiur program, and that there was room for me in that apartment as well. But O Canada is in Paris right now, so we can't make any decisions until we get ahold of her.
I'm really sick of this. To be completely honest, it makes me wonder if I should just go back to America early. At least then I could be with my family for Pesach. But then I think about having to leave Yerushalayim, and my heart just breaks. So I have no idea what I should do.
Now, I had stopped looking for another place because I thought we'd be staying here at least until May. So now I have half as much time to find a new place, either for all of us, or for just me. Frenchie did say that she had already spoken to a girl in her hiur program, and that there was room for me in that apartment as well. But O Canada is in Paris right now, so we can't make any decisions until we get ahold of her.
I'm really sick of this. To be completely honest, it makes me wonder if I should just go back to America early. At least then I could be with my family for Pesach. But then I think about having to leave Yerushalayim, and my heart just breaks. So I have no idea what I should do.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Someone Else's Problem
O Canada and Frenchie met with the manager of the Happiness Hotel this morning to discuss Cousin Ganif's recent display of hospitality and the possibility of a new lease. Apparently, the current lease can't be broken, but we don't have to check out just yet. We're also not getting a new lock on the door, so O Canada made it clear that if Cousin Ganif decides to let himself in while we're not home, she'll call the police.
Strangely, I don't care all that much. I don't have to move out by April 1, and probably won't have to move out before May. And, as we all know, I was planning on checking out by then anyway. So even if O Canada and Frenchie have to move in May or June, it doesn't affect me in the slightest.
Strangely, I don't care all that much. I don't have to move out by April 1, and probably won't have to move out before May. And, as we all know, I was planning on checking out by then anyway. So even if O Canada and Frenchie have to move in May or June, it doesn't affect me in the slightest.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Week Two With the Kashishim
After two days of embroidering with Orit, Anat, Esther and the Miryams, I was moved downstairs to the rehabilitation workshop, where I was told that the madricha needed more help. The Shikum also does sewing, but the people working there are more mentally and physically challenged. It's a better fit for my intended career as a geriatric social worker, except for one thing...the madricha doesn't seem to need my help.
I've spent Tuesday, Wednesay, Thursday, and this morning sitting in the Shikum and working on my embroidered mezzuzah (which, btw, I've learned is an Ethiopian design). I sit next to an Israeli named Odel. She's from a chassidic family, butnever married, mostly due to her health complications. She has severe diabetes, and is in a motorized wheelchair. She loves to talk and sing and make jokes, and we have a great time. There's another Esther who sits at our table, who has decided that she wants to marry me off to her son.
The conversation is generally better in the Shikum, but I felt more useful in the embroidery workshop. I keep asking the madricha if there's something she wants me to do. She always says yes, and that she'll be right back with something for me...and then it's 12:00 and I've been sitting with Odel doing my embroidery the whole time.
I've spent Tuesday, Wednesay, Thursday, and this morning sitting in the Shikum and working on my embroidered mezzuzah (which, btw, I've learned is an Ethiopian design). I sit next to an Israeli named Odel. She's from a chassidic family, butnever married, mostly due to her health complications. She has severe diabetes, and is in a motorized wheelchair. She loves to talk and sing and make jokes, and we have a great time. There's another Esther who sits at our table, who has decided that she wants to marry me off to her son.
The conversation is generally better in the Shikum, but I felt more useful in the embroidery workshop. I keep asking the madricha if there's something she wants me to do. She always says yes, and that she'll be right back with something for me...and then it's 12:00 and I've been sitting with Odel doing my embroidery the whole time.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Shabbat in Efrat
Have I mentioned how gorgeous this part of the country is?
I'm sitting in the living room in Chez Treppenwitz, using Trep's laptop to both stay out of Mrs. Trep's hair and catch up on my blogging. The house smells amazing, mostly due to Trep's considerable skill with a grill. Well, it seems consdierable. We'll have to see if the hickory chicken tastes as good as it looks and smells. Even if it doesn't, I probably have to say nice things, because he reads my blog. (Just kidding). We're also going to be having sushi with shabbos dinner, and potatoes (or maybe they were sweet potatoes) roasted with bourbon. I'm already happy to be here, and that's not even taking the excellent coffee into account.
While Mrs. Trep is getting some work done, mini-Trep is going down for his nap, and Trep is doing his own pre-Shabbos preparations, I'm pretty much hanging out with the not-as-mini Treps. They're so much more fun than my roommates at the Happiness Hotel.
**Post-shabbos Update** As Trep has now heard me say approximately one gagillion times, I'm completely in love with Efrat. I want to move there and raise lots of mini-Caras. I think it's the most perfect spot in all of Israel.
For those of you wondering about shabbat itself, I had a delightful time. And yes, the chicken tasted as good as it smelled, and the sushi was great.
I'm sitting in the living room in Chez Treppenwitz, using Trep's laptop to both stay out of Mrs. Trep's hair and catch up on my blogging. The house smells amazing, mostly due to Trep's considerable skill with a grill. Well, it seems consdierable. We'll have to see if the hickory chicken tastes as good as it looks and smells. Even if it doesn't, I probably have to say nice things, because he reads my blog. (Just kidding). We're also going to be having sushi with shabbos dinner, and potatoes (or maybe they were sweet potatoes) roasted with bourbon. I'm already happy to be here, and that's not even taking the excellent coffee into account.
While Mrs. Trep is getting some work done, mini-Trep is going down for his nap, and Trep is doing his own pre-Shabbos preparations, I'm pretty much hanging out with the not-as-mini Treps. They're so much more fun than my roommates at the Happiness Hotel.
**Post-shabbos Update** As Trep has now heard me say approximately one gagillion times, I'm completely in love with Efrat. I want to move there and raise lots of mini-Caras. I think it's the most perfect spot in all of Israel.
For those of you wondering about shabbat itself, I had a delightful time. And yes, the chicken tasted as good as it smelled, and the sushi was great.
And The Plot Thickens
I went to look at an apartment in Rechavia on Wednesady night. It was a great place, but the timing isn't quite right. The room isn't available until March 24, and the lease goes until June 15. I want to move in sooner, and they're looking for someone who's staying a month longer. So we left it as a backup for each of us. If they can't find someone who can stay till mid-June, and I can't find a place before the end of March, we'll work something out.
I got back to my current apartment (hereby dubbed The Happiness Hotel) and heard O Canada saying, "Well, Cara just got home, so I need to get off the phone." She hangs up and says to me, "Ok, I have some bad news." I thought I was getting kicked out of the apartment. Instead, it turns out that all of us might have to move.
Frenchie's ganif cousin apparently came by while I was at work Wednesday afternoon. (Backstory- he subletted the apartment to us without informing the landlord, taking 2,000 Euros from Frenchie that he never gave to the landlord, to whom he owed four months rent and 1,000 shekalim for electricity, and kept telling the landlord that he was in Paris while he was really in J'lem) He told Frenchie and O Canada that he wanted to sublet the apartment to new people, and that we had to decide if we wanted to be out by April 1 or June 1. He also took his television and kitchen chairs.
O Canada and Frenchie will be meeting with the landlord on Monday morning while I'm embroidering my mezzuzah. Luckile, the landlord is a very decent man, and told us that he was willing to write a new lease with their names on it and get Cousin Ganif out of the picture. Of course, since Cousin Ganif doesn't own the apartment, he has no right to throw us out. I'm pretty sure we'll be able to stay. Besides, even if the landlord only lets us stay until May or June, it doesn't affect me too much. I'm leaving the Holy Land mid-May, and may go spend my last couple of weeks in Tel Aviv anyway.
In the meantime, this means that I can openly apartment hunt and not fear repercussions from the other inhabitants of the Happiness Hotel. O Canada will be leaving Tuesday morning for two weeks in Paris, and Frenchie's mooching boyfriend goes back to England in a week and a half. I think it will be a much more plessant place to live while half of the inhabitants are gone.
I got back to my current apartment (hereby dubbed The Happiness Hotel) and heard O Canada saying, "Well, Cara just got home, so I need to get off the phone." She hangs up and says to me, "Ok, I have some bad news." I thought I was getting kicked out of the apartment. Instead, it turns out that all of us might have to move.
Frenchie's ganif cousin apparently came by while I was at work Wednesday afternoon. (Backstory- he subletted the apartment to us without informing the landlord, taking 2,000 Euros from Frenchie that he never gave to the landlord, to whom he owed four months rent and 1,000 shekalim for electricity, and kept telling the landlord that he was in Paris while he was really in J'lem) He told Frenchie and O Canada that he wanted to sublet the apartment to new people, and that we had to decide if we wanted to be out by April 1 or June 1. He also took his television and kitchen chairs.
O Canada and Frenchie will be meeting with the landlord on Monday morning while I'm embroidering my mezzuzah. Luckile, the landlord is a very decent man, and told us that he was willing to write a new lease with their names on it and get Cousin Ganif out of the picture. Of course, since Cousin Ganif doesn't own the apartment, he has no right to throw us out. I'm pretty sure we'll be able to stay. Besides, even if the landlord only lets us stay until May or June, it doesn't affect me too much. I'm leaving the Holy Land mid-May, and may go spend my last couple of weeks in Tel Aviv anyway.
In the meantime, this means that I can openly apartment hunt and not fear repercussions from the other inhabitants of the Happiness Hotel. O Canada will be leaving Tuesday morning for two weeks in Paris, and Frenchie's mooching boyfriend goes back to England in a week and a half. I think it will be a much more plessant place to live while half of the inhabitants are gone.
Answers to Previous Questions
1) I learned how to use that blasted can opener...with help from my ex-boyfriend in London. And if you think it's a little pathetic that I needed overseas assistance to open a can of mushrooms, you're absolutely right.
2) The ancient lady who lead exercises on Sunday is also named Miryam. I don't know how old she is though...I still think she's 92,000.
3) Embroidering a mezzuzah cover takes a really long time. I've been working on it for about 18 hours and I'm still not done. But I'm getting less bad at it.
4) I have not yet found another apartment. More on that in the next post.
2) The ancient lady who lead exercises on Sunday is also named Miryam. I don't know how old she is though...I still think she's 92,000.
3) Embroidering a mezzuzah cover takes a really long time. I've been working on it for about 18 hours and I'm still not done. But I'm getting less bad at it.
4) I have not yet found another apartment. More on that in the next post.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
A Skill I'm Lacking
I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to use the can opener in this apartment. It's not supposed to take 10 minutes to get a can 1/4 open. I wish I'd known this before I'd gone grocery shopping after work this afternoon.
Who wants to send me an American can opener?
Who wants to send me an American can opener?
Mornings With Bubbes
Today was my first day at Yad L'Kashish. I got there on time at 8:30am, and was taken to the Embroidery and Weaving workshop. The head of the workshop is named Anat. For some reason, she reminds me a lot of someone I know, but I can't quite place her. Her second in command is a very pregant woman named Yulia. Everyone in this workshop is female. The men seem go for metalwork and book binding.
I was handed over to one of the workers, an Israeli named Orit. she started to teach me how to embroider. I had a piece of white cloth with straight lines drawn on with a pencil and ruler, a needle, and some lime green thread. My job: emroider straight lines. After I mastered that, I was set to the task of embroidering straight lines with smaller stitches. Then I learned how to make little round daisies (still using lime green thread). My first attempts weren't exactly circular, but my fifth attempt was perfect. This meant that I was ready for a real project. I'm now in the middle of embroidering a mezzuzah case. So far it just involves embroidering black lines. Later I'll get to fill in spaces with colors. Who knows? Maybe, eventually I'll be able to embroider tallaisim, like Esther and Orit, using gold and silver thread on ivory colored silk. At least I have something to aspire to.
Pretty much, I get to sit and embroider with smeet little old ladies all morning. Actually, Orit doesn't seem like she's over 45, but the others are ancient. Here are my two favorite moments from Day One:
1) Miriam, who's hard of hearing and knits something blue all morning, learning my name and immediately asking, "Are you married?" (All in Hebrew...I don't speak English there. They call me Naama, since Cara is too difficult for Israelis) When I respond in the negative, she replies without hesitation, "May Hashem soon send you a mazel tov."
2) A little old lady, whose name I didn't learn and who appears to be about 92,000 years old, coming into our workhop to lead us in 10 minutes of arm and leg exercises. She's just too cute for words.
After one day, I really like this internship.
I was handed over to one of the workers, an Israeli named Orit. she started to teach me how to embroider. I had a piece of white cloth with straight lines drawn on with a pencil and ruler, a needle, and some lime green thread. My job: emroider straight lines. After I mastered that, I was set to the task of embroidering straight lines with smaller stitches. Then I learned how to make little round daisies (still using lime green thread). My first attempts weren't exactly circular, but my fifth attempt was perfect. This meant that I was ready for a real project. I'm now in the middle of embroidering a mezzuzah case. So far it just involves embroidering black lines. Later I'll get to fill in spaces with colors. Who knows? Maybe, eventually I'll be able to embroider tallaisim, like Esther and Orit, using gold and silver thread on ivory colored silk. At least I have something to aspire to.
Pretty much, I get to sit and embroider with smeet little old ladies all morning. Actually, Orit doesn't seem like she's over 45, but the others are ancient. Here are my two favorite moments from Day One:
1) Miriam, who's hard of hearing and knits something blue all morning, learning my name and immediately asking, "Are you married?" (All in Hebrew...I don't speak English there. They call me Naama, since Cara is too difficult for Israelis) When I respond in the negative, she replies without hesitation, "May Hashem soon send you a mazel tov."
2) A little old lady, whose name I didn't learn and who appears to be about 92,000 years old, coming into our workhop to lead us in 10 minutes of arm and leg exercises. She's just too cute for words.
After one day, I really like this internship.
Weekend Report
I realize that there really is no such thing as the weekend here in Israel, since we work on Sundays, so this weekend report is really an Erev Shabbos/Shabbos report. Today's report will be in the next post.
I woke up Friday morning in time to throw shabbos clothes into my backpack, dress somewhat presentably, and run down the street a couple of blocks to meet up with fellow bloggers Steg and Treppenwitz. 'Trep' picked us up in his minivan, with adorable mini-Trep in the backseat, and drove us to his home for a lovely brunch with the entire Mishpachat Treppenwitz. This was my first visit to Gush Etzion, and I'm definitely going to be back. (Next shabbos, actually. I really like Mishpachat Treppenwitz, and they're not sick of me yet.) Gush Etzion, for those not used to the real names of places in this part of the world, is sometimes referred to as the West Bank or the Occupied Territories.
I'm going to interject here with a comment of Trep's, which more people should hear. At one point, we were driving on a road through their town, which was bordered by Arab vineyards on the left and Arab vineyards on the right. Yes, that's right, folks. Arab-owned land in the middle of a Jewish "settlement". If, as Trep so rightly says, we Jews were really just interested in a land-grab, don't you think we'd have seized those vineyards, rather than let the Arabs border a frequently used road that runs through a Jewish town?
Back to Erev shabbos. After an extremely enjoyable brunch, Trep was kind enough to drive me back to J'lem, so I could catch a bus to Tel Aviv. I spent my shabbos with Eli and Miryam, which is always fantastic. I've been there enough times that I'm comfortable with their friends. I'll probably go to them for Purim, since these are very funny, entertaining people and Purim is a funny, entertaining chag. Miryam and I caught up on a lot of girl talk, which was wonderful. I don't have any really close female friends here in J'lem. The closest I get is my employer, and that's kind of sad (even though she's fantastic and treats me like a friend, rather than her household help).
I got back to J'lem around midnight, motzei shabbos. Just in time to find another irritant about this apartment (French girl is in Ashdod with her family for the night. So what the devil is her boyfriend doing sleeping on our sofa?!), and go to bed.
I woke up Friday morning in time to throw shabbos clothes into my backpack, dress somewhat presentably, and run down the street a couple of blocks to meet up with fellow bloggers Steg and Treppenwitz. 'Trep' picked us up in his minivan, with adorable mini-Trep in the backseat, and drove us to his home for a lovely brunch with the entire Mishpachat Treppenwitz. This was my first visit to Gush Etzion, and I'm definitely going to be back. (Next shabbos, actually. I really like Mishpachat Treppenwitz, and they're not sick of me yet.) Gush Etzion, for those not used to the real names of places in this part of the world, is sometimes referred to as the West Bank or the Occupied Territories.
I'm going to interject here with a comment of Trep's, which more people should hear. At one point, we were driving on a road through their town, which was bordered by Arab vineyards on the left and Arab vineyards on the right. Yes, that's right, folks. Arab-owned land in the middle of a Jewish "settlement". If, as Trep so rightly says, we Jews were really just interested in a land-grab, don't you think we'd have seized those vineyards, rather than let the Arabs border a frequently used road that runs through a Jewish town?
Back to Erev shabbos. After an extremely enjoyable brunch, Trep was kind enough to drive me back to J'lem, so I could catch a bus to Tel Aviv. I spent my shabbos with Eli and Miryam, which is always fantastic. I've been there enough times that I'm comfortable with their friends. I'll probably go to them for Purim, since these are very funny, entertaining people and Purim is a funny, entertaining chag. Miryam and I caught up on a lot of girl talk, which was wonderful. I don't have any really close female friends here in J'lem. The closest I get is my employer, and that's kind of sad (even though she's fantastic and treats me like a friend, rather than her household help).
I got back to J'lem around midnight, motzei shabbos. Just in time to find another irritant about this apartment (French girl is in Ashdod with her family for the night. So what the devil is her boyfriend doing sleeping on our sofa?!), and go to bed.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Honey, I'm Home...Sort of
Well, that week went by rather quickly. Paris was unbelievable. I'm completely in love with that city. I spent the first two nights on my own in a hostel in district 10, where I made friends with people from all sorts of interesting places, and learned how to say 'I don't speak French" in French. I wandered around during my one day flying solo, finding kosher sushi, the Picasso Museum (note to Picasso fans: this one is a huge disappointment. Not worth the admission fee if you don't speak French) and the Jewish History Museum. The latter was amazing. It starts with Jewish life in Europe from the Middle Ages and goes all the way to the 20th century. Anyone in Paris with a couple of hours to spare should make a point of going.
Then I met up with Big Brother. We spent the next four days or so going to the Rodin Museum, D'Orsay Museum (Impressionist and Post-Impressionist), the Louvre, Notre Dame, Saint Sulpice, Saint Germain Des-Pres, the Middle Ages Museum, the Latin Quarter, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph, the Champs Elysee, etc. Bee-you-ti-ful! We did a lot of wandering and exploring, and I did a lot of picture taking. I'm hoping to create some online photo albums this week.
Then Big Brother returned to the States, and I went on to London for two days. To be honest, I prefer Paris. But London was phenomenal (especially stopping in a different pub every couple of hours for a pint), and it was great to spend a couple days with Jacques.
Now I'm back in Yerushalayim, with mixed feelings. I'm thrilled to be back, and to still be able to call it home, but I find myself in a less than ideal situation. I'm looking for a new apartment. My roommate situation just isn't working out. I came back after a week to find my bedroom entirely rearranged with no regard whatsoever for my opinion (and the new arrangement sucks, to put it mildly). Plus, my roommates have decided that they want to rent out the apartment for Pesach. The only problem is that I was planning on being there for the chag. Would I be willing to move out for that week, they ask? After all, it's a great financial opportunity for them to make some easy money. I think this is incredibly chutzpadik, to say the least. They expect me to just pack up so that they can make money...and not even offer to include me in on the plan? I don't think so! So I'm now looking for either a new roommate situation or a studio apartment. Let them pay extra rent without me to cut costs. I'd rather not live with people like this.
Anyone in J'lem looking for a personable, responsible, considerate Jewish girl to live with? Yeah, me too.
Then I met up with Big Brother. We spent the next four days or so going to the Rodin Museum, D'Orsay Museum (Impressionist and Post-Impressionist), the Louvre, Notre Dame, Saint Sulpice, Saint Germain Des-Pres, the Middle Ages Museum, the Latin Quarter, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph, the Champs Elysee, etc. Bee-you-ti-ful! We did a lot of wandering and exploring, and I did a lot of picture taking. I'm hoping to create some online photo albums this week.
Then Big Brother returned to the States, and I went on to London for two days. To be honest, I prefer Paris. But London was phenomenal (especially stopping in a different pub every couple of hours for a pint), and it was great to spend a couple days with Jacques.
Now I'm back in Yerushalayim, with mixed feelings. I'm thrilled to be back, and to still be able to call it home, but I find myself in a less than ideal situation. I'm looking for a new apartment. My roommate situation just isn't working out. I came back after a week to find my bedroom entirely rearranged with no regard whatsoever for my opinion (and the new arrangement sucks, to put it mildly). Plus, my roommates have decided that they want to rent out the apartment for Pesach. The only problem is that I was planning on being there for the chag. Would I be willing to move out for that week, they ask? After all, it's a great financial opportunity for them to make some easy money. I think this is incredibly chutzpadik, to say the least. They expect me to just pack up so that they can make money...and not even offer to include me in on the plan? I don't think so! So I'm now looking for either a new roommate situation or a studio apartment. Let them pay extra rent without me to cut costs. I'd rather not live with people like this.
Anyone in J'lem looking for a personable, responsible, considerate Jewish girl to live with? Yeah, me too.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Travel Advisory
In about 10 minutes, I'm leaving Israel.
This is the first time in my life that the thought doesn't make me cry. That's probably because I'll be back in a week.
I'm off to Paris to meet Big Brother. Then it'll be London for 2 days, and then I'll return home to J'lem to start my internship.
Cara's European Adventure begins...now.
Au revoir!
This is the first time in my life that the thought doesn't make me cry. That's probably because I'll be back in a week.
I'm off to Paris to meet Big Brother. Then it'll be London for 2 days, and then I'll return home to J'lem to start my internship.
Cara's European Adventure begins...now.
Au revoir!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
This Just In...
I've been accepted to the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work. This would be pretty cool news at any time, but Loyola also happens to be my first choice for grad school, which makes this news very cool.
I'm still waiting for word on 2 other schools. One is just a backup, and the other no longer interests me all that much, so I'm not too concerned with whether or not I get in. I'm also still considering grad school in Israel, but I have to do more research on Israeli MSW programs and transfering my American non-social work bachelors degree.
However, as much as I don't want to leave Israel, I have a feeling that I'll be back in Chicago for the next couple of years, and going to Loyola. So it's a damn good thing that they accepted me.
I'm still waiting for word on 2 other schools. One is just a backup, and the other no longer interests me all that much, so I'm not too concerned with whether or not I get in. I'm also still considering grad school in Israel, but I have to do more research on Israeli MSW programs and transfering my American non-social work bachelors degree.
However, as much as I don't want to leave Israel, I have a feeling that I'll be back in Chicago for the next couple of years, and going to Loyola. So it's a damn good thing that they accepted me.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
I Heart My Life
Every day since moving to J'lem, I've found myself smiling, whistling; or humming a happy tune for no particular reason. I'm just happy to be here. Walking to the bank makes me happy, because I'm walking to the branch in my neighborhood in Yerushalayim. Grocery shopping makes me happy, because I'm stocking up the refridgerator in my apartment in Yerushalayim. Everything makes me happy.
So here are some detailes about the Happy Life of Me. I live in a two bedroom, first floor apartment in the Talpiyot-Baka area. I have two roomates, both of whom made aliyah and were in my ulpan. Jill is 18 and French, and Esther is 26 and Canadian-born Morrocan. Pesach should be interesting, since I'll be sharing a kitchen with two Sephardic girls, and I'm as Ashkenazi as they come. Jill and I share a bedroom. We occassionally hit a language barrier, but overall we manage to communicate just fine. The apartment is big and bright, with a large living room, separate kitchen and balcony.
Though I don't have much to do at the moment, I will soon be very busy. At the end of February, I will be spending every morning volunteering with Yad L'Kashish (Lifeline for the Aged). I've recently landed a babaysitting job for a family in my neighborhood, so my afternoons will also be full. All that remains is to find some shiurim, and I don't think that will be a problem. After all, this is Yerushalayim.
Before my busy work schedule begins, however, I'll be temporarily leaving this marvelous city. I'm meeting up with Big Brother in Paris for 4-5 days, and then going on to London for 2 days to visit a friend.
So, right now, my life is about as perfect as it can be. It's good to be me.
So here are some detailes about the Happy Life of Me. I live in a two bedroom, first floor apartment in the Talpiyot-Baka area. I have two roomates, both of whom made aliyah and were in my ulpan. Jill is 18 and French, and Esther is 26 and Canadian-born Morrocan. Pesach should be interesting, since I'll be sharing a kitchen with two Sephardic girls, and I'm as Ashkenazi as they come. Jill and I share a bedroom. We occassionally hit a language barrier, but overall we manage to communicate just fine. The apartment is big and bright, with a large living room, separate kitchen and balcony.
Though I don't have much to do at the moment, I will soon be very busy. At the end of February, I will be spending every morning volunteering with Yad L'Kashish (Lifeline for the Aged). I've recently landed a babaysitting job for a family in my neighborhood, so my afternoons will also be full. All that remains is to find some shiurim, and I don't think that will be a problem. After all, this is Yerushalayim.
Before my busy work schedule begins, however, I'll be temporarily leaving this marvelous city. I'm meeting up with Big Brother in Paris for 4-5 days, and then going on to London for 2 days to visit a friend.
So, right now, my life is about as perfect as it can be. It's good to be me.
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