some inspiration

one of my good friends was reading a commencement speech and thought to send it to me as he was reading it. i talk a lot with my friends about making sure to continue to challenge ourselves and put ourselves in uncomfortable situations in order to grow as a person. i wish i could make a list (even more so KNEW) of set ways to make us grow as human beings so we continue to mold and change the world and ourselves for the better. it was refreshing and inspiring to wake up to this email in the morning...

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Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was the commencement speaker at BC Law this year, when I was reading his speech there was part that reminded me of you:

Our lack of control over what happens to us might be grounds for an attitude of resignation or fatalism, but I would urge you to take a very different lesson.  You may have limited control over the challenges and opportunities you will face, or the good fortune and trials that you will experience.  You have considerably more control, however, over how well prepared and open you are, personally and professionally, to make the most of the opportunities that life provides you.  Any time that you challenge yourself to undertake something worthwhile but difficult, a little out of your comfort zone--or any time that you put yourself in a position that challenges your preconceived sense of your own limits--you increase your capacity to make the most of the unexpected opportunities with which you will inevitably be presented.  Or, to borrow another aphorism, this one from Louis Pasteur:  "Chance favors the prepared mind."

slept on a bench

i'd like to start this post out with a story from a day of mine earlier in the week...

on wednesday daniel asked that i start work promptly at 8:00am to help cater a small breakfast at the owner of the hotel's home. the breakfast was for a little get together his wife was having for her charity group (aka rich housewives of tel aviv, israel). i woke up, hurried to get ready since my mom and dave said daniel seemed nervous that i wouldnt be downstairs on time when they saw him at the breakfast buffet at 7am.

at 8:00 i met him in the office and i followed him around as we went from point a to point b to point cdefg in the hotel to gather the food, cutlery, appliances, etc that we may need. it occurred to me as we were doing this that it was just daniel and i going to the house, to "cater" this event, when we arent even a catering company let alone 2 people who actually have EVER done this before.

by 9am we had everything packed in the car, inspected by the head of f&b, and headed on our way to north tel aviv in daniel's little ford focus (the ford focus isnt the kind of car he has but thats the closest thing that comes to mind at the moment). there was a lot of traffic, i kept commenting that i can't believe they were having daniel do this and he better be getting a nice bonus. daniel kept saying "i dont know why" in his israeli accent with an amusing smirk on his face. within 5 minutes in the car daniel hits the breaks and we hear some of the food crash somewhere.

"Oh my g-d"-me

"oh well, what are we going to do now?-daniel (think thick israeli accent) 

"hahaaaaa. this is a disaster"-me

"this is what she wanted, we do our best. if things all spill on the way there--what we going to do? lets listen to music"-daniel

then we sang along to nelly furtado's "say it right" together.

25 minutes later we arrive to the house. it was interesting being in an "upper class suburb" of tel aviv. the house's arent lavish or mouth dropping like they would be in the states, but you could tell the area was taken care of, it was so peaceful, and near enough to the city that it didnt have the stir crazy feel in the air. 

daniel kept dreading having to talk to the wife. i dont remember her name so i will call her W. to walk into the house there was a large gate, so we called her in the house, and she came out to let us in. i was holding this huge cake when she came out (i carried it on my lap to the house) and right away she started pointing at it and saying something to daniel in hebrew that i couldnt understand, but i could tell she wasn't happy.

she walked away and daniel mentioned that she thought the cake was too large. we began taking the food into the kitchen. the house was great inside, it was decorated in a very new age, laid back but put together away. there was sunlight every where so it had this relaxed, beautiful, calming feel through out it. it was as if you were in your own oasis but also knew the bustle and liveliness of the city wasn't too far away. 

at one point W came over saying something to me in hebrew in a serious tone....i interrupted her and said "ani lo medeberet ivrit" 

"ahhh. english?" then she had a huge smile on her face, and whenever she spoke to me she was very friendly, which resulted in me feeling quite bad for daniel. anyway, we set everything up and i kept thinking how ridiculous it was that we were here putting this food out that didnt even look that great after being tossed around in daniel's car. the ladies from the charity group started showing up (there were only about 10-15 coming), and daniel and i were in the little kitchen (it was the guest/preparation kitchen in the house) putzing around. i couldnt believe we had to stay there until they were done around 12 and i also was exhausted because i had not been sleeping much this week and i was starting to feel sick.

around 10am daniel came up to me....

"have you been to kikar ____ (i dont remember the name)?"-daniel

"nope. whats that?"-me

"it isss down the street. high end stores. want to go for an hour or so?"-daniel

"not really, i dont mind staying here and helping you"-me

"no you should go"-daniel

"what? are you sure? ill stay here and help"-me thinking "the last thing i want to do is go walk around outside in my suit, in the heat, and go "shopping" and i dont even have my wallet on me.

"W said she only wants one of us here for at least the next hour"-daniel

"are you serious?"-me

"yes"-daniel

"wow ok"-me

and off i went into this wealthy neighborhood of tel aviv, in my suit, in the heat, to try and distract myself for at least an hour. i walked past the house and to an area that had a bunch of apt buildings, but the street was lined with trees, it was quiet, and had a bunch of park benches. I was so exhausted and sick to my stomach (i was getting sick) so instantly i thought "i dont care, i am going to take a nap on this bench".

i took off my jacket, laid down on my back and closed my eyes. it actually felt great and i didnt feel strange about it. i felt like i was in a park, the breeze was blowing, the birds were chirping and quickly i fell into a light sleep.

the next thing i know i feel some one's presence over me...

"slicha?"-taxi driver/nice man (excuse me?)

i open my eyes to see a cab driver standing over me.

"kol beseder?"-taxi driver/nice man (everything ok?)

"ooo ken ken. i am on a break from work"-me

"tov"-taxi driver/nice man (good).

and he walked back to his cab. 

i ended up staying on the bench until 11:15 and finally i decided to call daniel to see if i could come back--his answer was in 10 minutes.

by the time i got back they were starting to clear out but of course there were still a few stragglers and we had to wait until they all cleared. daniel and i just sat in the kitchen (with no air conditioning for some strange reason) and waited and waited. finally around 12:30 we were able to pack up the car and get out of there.

i also made $200 sheckles in a tip!! ($50). I started kissing the money in front of daniel and offered to take him out for frozen yogurt because we were passing the street where my favorite place was. however, we just went back to work because he was panicking about getting back to the hotel for an event that was going on although i swear he was just in a pissy mood again--rightly so after that experience.

i ended up getting back to the hotel and feeling so sick so i went upstairs to my mom and daves room and ended up not leaving the couch bed for 24 hours. i am not sure what i had, either just exhaustion or something crept up on me but i felt so nauseous. by friday i felt much much better so i took my mom and dave around the artists market and for some shopping on sheinken. 

that night we had a shabbat dinner with the boy's upstairs. my mom came over early to help us cook and get ready. it was such a blast. i missed times like that. here are a couple pictures of us at dinner pre the 9 bottles of wine we drank...

i have so much more to write about but i have to go. my mom and dave left just a bit ago. it was really amazing to have them here. now that they are gone though i am back to resuming my regular life...the girls and i are going out dancing tonight.

xx

days and life

since daniel was so gracious to give me the night off, i was able to go out to dinner and celebrate my mom's birthday! below is a picture of her and i are dinner when her surprise dessert came out. we went to an outdoor patio restaurant in neve tzedek. it was so charming and beautiful that night. we had a long dinner and arrived back at the hotel around 12:30. We just so happened to run into daniel at the elevators so he took the 3 of us, wine happy people, downstairs to see the russian 50th birthday party. it was a great set up-- HUGE red curtain formed into a circle to create a warmth within the ballroom and some crazy israeli singer was running around the dance floor entertaining everyone.

I had to wake up at 7:30 to get to work. today was a brit milah celebration for one of the head of events at the hotel. the picture once again doesn't show the room as it should be shown. the lighting in the room is a light blue throughout so it gave this trendy, new age feel.

I felt half asleep almost all day and i kept trying to escape up to my mom's room. the first task of the day was putting some chair covers over the chairs, then i met my mom and dave at the breakfast buffet, then i walked with some waiters to bring flowers up to the reception area, then i went up to my mom's room for a little, then i cut 20 limes for the mojitos at the event, then i talked to daniel, then i talked to peter, etc etc. around 1pm i went back up to my moms room and took a 20 minute power nap. my work ethic today was truly extraordinary. 

After work my mom and i went to the artist's fair, hung out at my apt while i got ready for dinner then went back to the hotel (and i had my first fight with a cab driver because he went the long way but barely spoke any english. he called me crazy in sign language and i tried being assertive and confidant with the little hebrew i know).

We went to dinner tonight to mike's place which is a very american bar and then went across the street to one of my favorite beach bars for mojitos. 

our night on the beach was so relaxing and fun. 

so tired and throat hurts.

must sleep now.

lyla tov.

more, more, give me more

i did it. i extended my stay in israel to august 10th! i called british airways and waited for awhile, and for some reason the date august 12th was speaking to me. the agent looked it up (nice guy from florida) and i decided that august 14th may be better because why not leave on a friday instead? he almost booked it, but then i started sweating and feeling a bit of anxiety. i was thinking that it would then be a little over a month without the program and what if life isnt as good? for some reason, i then felt much more comfortable with the 10th instead of the 14th even though it is a 4 difference. 

"oh shit. im sorry. can we look up august 10th instead? im sorry i just cursed!"

"its ok, no problem"

"im just making my life plan with you while i am on the phone"

"no worries, ma'm"

I pretty much sounded crazy. Finally, 30 minutes and $280 later i have an extra month in israel!

i feel much more motivated to study hebrew, see sights, etc. its strange how once i have MORE time i feel like i want to do MORE instead of less since i am stressed and sad time is running out.

OH and also daniel let me off work tonight. full of surprises.

xx

home sweet home in tel aviv

my mom and dave landed in israel today! i woke up this morning to go to work after going out last night with the girls. i had 5.5 hours of sleep, but i need at least 6.5 hours to function normally. it especially does not make a pretty picture in the morning if i only have 5.5 hours, plus a few drinks containing alcohol earlier in the night, plus a slice of pizza at 12:30am.

i pulled my butt out of bed, dressed, went to the cafe across the street for my favorite iced coffee (here iced coffee is like a frappucino) and walked the 25 min. walk to work. today was a business seminar for 1,200 people. daniel came back today after his 3 weeks vacation. there are parts of daniel i really like, but he also is a hard ass when it comes to making sure i am "working". working aka somewhere in his sight or doing tasks such as going to find peter, so peter can open the drink room, so i can grab 2 coco colas to bring to the office (no joke, this really happened today). i go and grab the cokes with a biting smile. part of me, which i need, finds it amusing that i am even doing this and i roll my eyes at daniel when he asks me to, and then i go up to peter and say in a very sarcastic "i am sounding peppy but this is ridiculous and i know it" tone that he needs to open the room so i can get daniel a soda.

anyway, i tried to hang out with nataly as much as possible (who is the f&b manager's secretary) by helping her count lunch tickets and doing other various tasks. we talked about men most of the day which is one of my favorite topics. she knew all about my date with Y, and how great it was, and how he texted me the night after to say hello and that i havent heard from him since (which was a week ago). my friends and i are quite baffled by this as it seemed as though he had an amazing time as well (by making sure after dinner we continued to hang out when he took me to the view of the city on his scooter, but was a gentleman the entire time and for various other reasons). anyway, nataly decided we should call him from the hotel phone since it is a private number to see if he picks up and didnt lose his phone (i know i know....an episode of "hes just not that into you" but i swear he was into me. ill be the first to admit if a guy isnt). Sure enough, ring ring 

"alo? alo? alo???" i was laughing and had my head on natalys shoulder and she was cracking up as well. it was extremely high school but i was loving every minute of it. after talks and talks and talks endlessly with my girlfriends about the seriousness of the date, the humor of the date, and the analyzation of the date, it was freeing to do something so immature.

needless to say, i still want some romance in my life. i am craving romance--i always crave romance. 

alas it is not here. it doesnt mean i am not happy without it. i love being on my own as well and i try and embrace this time on my own but that doesnt keep a girl from wishing a man would look into her eyes, and hold her face, and feel the presence of that strength, and aching want. 

whew.

anyway, the day continued and i helped with the lunch, walked around a bit, made sure the reservation was set etc. at around 3:30 my mom called to say she was in the lobby. i was so excited for her and dave to come but i didn't realize HOW happy i was until she ran up to me and we hugged for what felt like a long time but not enough time. it felt SO good to have family here. its hard to explain, but until now living my life here feels real, it feels empowering, it feels lonely at times, it feels lovely, it feels like my life. seeing my mom and dave here made it feel SO much more real and i wasn't even sure if that was possible. i felt like this was my city and here is part of my family to see my city, and this country and experience a place that has become a huge part of me that i know will never leave. to know that i can share this really is indescribable and i am not even sure if i am describing this emotion accurately as i type.

they checked in and i escaped from work for an hour and hung out in their room. peter sent up a few bottles of wine so we had a cheers to them being here and then i went back down to work for another 30 minutes. after that, i brought them to my apt to show them where i lived, then we went to dinner at one of my favorite cafes (olive), and then came back here to hang out a bit. they are going to jerusalem tomorrow for a day tour and i am supposed to work from 5-midnight. tomorrow is my moms birthday and i REALLY want to ask daniel for the day off but i "have to work 3 days a week" and i have only worked one so far (i already lied and said i worked half a day on sunday so i'd only have to work a half day on friday). aw well. life is life and work is work. 

i felt a surge of emotion when i started this entry but then i went on gchat and also changed the music i was listening to. change of music=loss of inspiration at times.

thats it for now. i lnost my voice today as well so i didnt go out to king george (a great bar across the street) tonight with the girls. its oly 12:40am and there is a high probability i could be asleep before 2am. inconceivable. 

lyla tov 

Moroccan Bar Mitzah, Ein Gedi, IDF, thoughts thought thoughts

Moroccan Bar Mitzvah

4 days feels like 1 month here (I wish it felt like a year). It could be because there are so many experiences that happen each day that boggle my mind, or because time and life feels slower. Anyway, the moroccan bar mitzvah does not feel like it was just last Thursday. This bar mitzvah belonged on an episode of my super sweet 16--so of course I took pictures.

Picture Alex took of me (even though I was saying "no no, I want a picture of the event)

This picture does not do the room justice. Seating for 450 people, 2 huge screens, stage, dance floor, HUGE bar in the middle of the room, soccer field, and a "video game station" for the kids.

Part of the "soccer field"

Ilya, the banquet manager, put me in charge of canapes for the start of the night. I was in the kitchen working with the head chef, taking the canapes as they came out and setting them up properly on the waiter's tray as they stood there, then sent them out into the event. It was actually kind of fun because I got to interact with the kitchen and the waiters, and work the back of the house. However, once the canapes were done I didn't have anything to do so I just walked around and tried to find things to do, but there wasn't much. I ended up just talking to guests, walking some more, and wishing it was time to go. Overall though, glad I was there because it was a great experience to see this in person.

Dancing

I stayed at the event until 11:30 and then rushed home to meet up with everyone because they were partying on the roof and I had serious FOMO (fear of missing out). That night the girls and a couple of our guy friends went to Villa. Here we are pre dancing in our apt per usual...

Ein Gedi

The next morning we woke up to go to Ein Gedi for a dialogue seminar. The program invited 100 Israelis so we could have discussion groups on everything from what it means to be jewish, to how Israelis view the diaspora moving to Israel, to stereotypes of Americans, etc, etc. Some of the conversations were great, sometimes all I wanted to do was be back in Tel Aviv. Talia met one guy who lives his life by the roll of his dice. He keeps a dice in his pocket, and then when he needs to make a decision he will roll it and if it is 1-3 go with one choice and 4-6 make the other choice.

On Saturday we went hiking through Ein Gedi. I went on this hike during birthright and it was by far one of my favorites. We came to a waterfall/spring and jumped right in. I wish I could live my life hiking and jumping into springs and waterfalls.

One interesting discussion we had is where we come from. We had jews there from ALL over the world but majority of us either traced our ancestors back to eastern europe or north africa. It really was a dose of reality how we are all so closely tied to each other--which was moving and paradigm shifting. All of the discussions in my group took place outside under a tree and our view was the dead sea. It doesn't need more words.

Back in Tel Aviv

We came back Saturday night. Sunday I met Mia for coffee, did laundry, went to spin class, and then went out for mojitos with a group of friends and met the one Israeli celebrity/actor we know of. He gave us his number, but we think it was fake because he didn't pick when we called later on haha.

Tonight is Lag BaOmer so after a lecture the girls and I went to meet friends at a party down by the beach, where we knew there would be fire so we brought marshmallows to roast. One Israeli kept insisting on roasting mine and showing me how she does it, and kept taking my stick from me. Typical here.

IDF

On a serious note (I know this post is very long but I have a lot to say and I am still cutting it short) as the program comes to end and all of us need to decide what we are doing with our lives a lot of friends are deciding to make aliyah and a handful of my guy friends are making aliyah and joining the IDF. For some reason, hearing that close friends of mine are joining the army makes me really sad inside. It isnt that I don't think this is what they should be doing, because if anything it is admirable and I am proud to know them for doing it. Yet, at the same time it makes the conflict and everything that Israel needs to do in order to exist seem so much more real, and it makes the situation, or an event here very personal when I picture dear friends of mine becoming a part of it all. 

Tonight I went to a lecture at Tel Aviv University to hear Neil Lazarus speak. He spoke about Israel and the media (hasbara) and the reasons it is misrepresented a lot of the time. I can't shake the images of some slides during a protest in San Francisco where people held up signs saying Jews are like Nazis because of the conflict, or Jews are terrorists, or Israel likes killing kids. How the hell can there be peace when messages are being spread like this about us? This isnt the case at all, and to think that my friends will be in the IDF trying to keep some sort of order in Israel and some sort of safety so Neil Lazarus's children do not get blown up at the bus stop on their way to school, makes me sickened and sad that this is the way it has to be right now. Besides my friends joining the army in Israel, it sickens and saddens me that there has to be the kind of army there is in Israel, and that this is even an option for my friend's lives.  It sickens and saddens me that people would participate in a protest and hold signs like they did in San Francisco when they obviously do not know a fraction of what is really going on here. A lie repeated is a lie remembered. 

My good friend Brian is joining and he wants to join the combat forces, so to think of him out there if another war does break out is really making me emotional which is probably where all of this is coming from.

Future

Tomorrow I am volunteering for a few hours and cleaning apartment because my mom and dave will be here on wednesday! Of course my work schedule this week is wednesday, thursday, and friday. Joy of joys. I plan on sneaking away from work and hanging out in my mom's room as much as possible. 

lyla tov

p.s. i had this moment today when i was walking onto the beach with zo and talia about how lucky i am that this is my life right now. i dont think i could have ever appreciated where i am, the freedom i have, the time i have, the friends i have, or the opportunity to learn that i have, if i had not spent the last 2 years doing corporate work and living my life 9-5. i'm getting a sliver of time in my life to break away from it all and i realized that coming here is one of the best choices i could have ever made.

Hate thinking up titles #2

I feel like I have so much to write about and not enough time. There are two things I want to talk about first: volunteer and work. Mia and I went to volunteer for the first time on Monday morning. I woke up at 8:30am, got ready, and went outside at 9:30 to meet Mia. I opened the door to the outside and was blasted by air so hot and humid I could barely breathe. It was overcast outside, but so hot and muggy it honestly felt like hell. Of course, in this weather Mia and I got a little lost trying to find the apartment we were going to, but finally at 10:15ish we got there.

This apartment was much different than the one I went to with Brian. We walked up some stairs and came to a large metal sliding door. Knocked on the door, and a woman opened it who I think is from Sudan. We told her we were with Mesila so she let us in, said welcome, and we walked into the entry way which is also the kitchen. Right away about 4 kids around 2 years old came running over to us. After saying hello to them we walked into the other room (there is only one medium size room in the apartment besides the kitchen) which was where everyone sits all day long.

The room is lined with ten cribs, and about 5 had babies in them and there were some babies lying on the floor as well. Its funny how maternal instincts all of a sudden just naturally kick in. Mia and I went over and each picked up a baby that was on the floor. It was hard because we would each be holding a baby, and then another in a crib would start crying so we would go over and try and hold two babies (sitting down). 

At one point, Mia and were holding 2 babies each (while sitting on the floor) that couldn't have been older than 8 months when the women who runs the "day care center" put 2 others right next to us because they were crying, and then the 2 year olds ran over. We were surrounded. Mia and were laughing "what do we do?" but inside it is also heartbreaking because there just isn't enough people to take care of these children. This is just ONE apartment like this out of supposedly at least 50 in Israel, and this one has MUCH better conditions then majority of the others (like the first one I went to with Brian).

We stayed for 2 hours and when we were leaving the head of the day care (there are 3 women that work there) said "leaving already? please come back whenever you can. we need as much help as we can get". It was heartbreaking and I really did not want to leave. We went back on Tuesday afternoon (the next day) as well. 

Mia and I were discussing how much fun it is for us to hold the babies, and how comforting it is for us personally. It reminded me of how I always say that volunteering is such a selfish act. Its selfish because when people do it, and when I do it, it is because I feel good after the fact or it makes me feel like I am leading my way in a life I should--which in turn is selfish because I am getting something out of this.  

Anyway, Mia and I may go back more often than our scheduled Mon, Tues, time slot. I also want to see if I can work at other apartments too. 

On the volunteer note, I just received an email from another organization I have been trying to do work for. They found a placement for me! A man from the Darfuri refugee community here is looking for someone to teach english to his wife and child (his english is good). I am going to call today and set something up. I wish I could just quit my job and do work like this all the time. 

Speaking of work, I had work on Monday night and all day yesterday. It was a skin care conference which was kind of boring because there were only 200 people but I did score a beach bag and a beach towel from one of the exhibitors. I also took some pictures of where I work finally! 

When I first get into work I go into the dreaded, musty locker room. Surprisingly this picture does not do it justice as to how much it smells inside. ha. My locker is the the last one on the bottom right corner.

After I drop of my things, I go to the office...

Here is the office. Sometimes people will be in here so I dont have to go running around trying to find Daniel. The best part about this office is if I am doing a late shift and most of the managers are gone so I can come in and sneak onto the computer to check my email. This is also where I folded 200 napkins yesterday. EXCITING.When I walk out of the office, here is what I see to walk into the conference center. The elevators are on the sides, and in front is the large foyer area with all of the entrances to the different meeting rooms and the ballroom.This is a picture of the foyer but you can't really see much because the skin care event set up some exhibitors here and cocktail rounds, but it gives you an idea. The foyer is quite large. The start of the exhibitors is only about half way down the foyer.
Tonight I am working from 5pm-midnight for a Moroccan bar mitzvah. There are 450 guests coming and supposedly this guy is in some kind of mafia and his pockets are DEEP. They are having a SOCCER FIELD put in to a part of the ballroom for the kids at the party. I am def. going to try and take pictures of this one. One of the great things about work is seeing the different clientele that come in. I was talking to the head chef yesterday (who is from the States but has lived ALL of the world and has now been in Israel 10 years) and he was telling me all about Moroccan events, how particular they are, and if something goes wrong how bad their temper is. It struck me that I talk about cultural differences with so many people at the hotel, all the time. I am not stuck in this US bubble, and the world opens up into what it really is, and its discussed over and over. I can't get enough of it.

I have to go to the gym before work but before I end this entry, I need some nightlife/social updates. The guy I met at the bar invited me and my girlfriends Monday night to the bar for his birthday. We had serious VIP treatment all night. Champagne was flowing endlessly, and better than that the company from the girlfriends and Y (I dont want to write his full name) was amazing.

Here is Talia and I on our way home. The girls and I (Rach, Talia, Zo, Mia) laughed and danced our way home. It was a glorious night out.

The next night Y took me out for a scooter ride (!!), amazing dinner, and a view of the city. It was probably one of the best dates I have been on in a long time. Perhaps I shall have an entry next about dating in Israel. Some romance! This could all end in a day, but for now I am eating it up.

I've Been Out Walking...These Days....These Days....

I went to the french store to buy the dress, tried it on and it wasnt that great. As i was walking out of the dressing room the sales woman was carrying one around and i knew i had to try it on. It fit perfectly, it was different, it was sexy, it was classy, it was everything i have ever wanted in a dress. Of course, i go into the store to buy one dress and come out with another that was slightly more expensive. I now need to find a cocktail party to go to...if only there wasn't a lack of men to date in israel. im going to take a picture of me in the dress soon to post. 

after dress shopping rachel, mia and i went out for a great lunch at a little cafe down the street. Heres Mia and I....

After that we went to the shuk for some last minute food shopping and to get some gummies (which mia is obsessed with). look at this mound of beautiful gumminess...

on thursday i went back to work after a week off due to being sick. work was fine and i shadowed peter (who is my age) most of the time since daniel is away for three weeks on vacation. peter knew i had been really sick so i was able to sit down most of the time and just hang out. the only event was a georgian bar mitzvah. georgian bar mitzvah=an extremely loud band with a singer that looks like he walked out of 1979, bad outfits, and barely anyone dancing on the dance floor but drinking a lot at their tables.

That night Zo, Alex, Adam, and I went to a club in the namal (the port) to go dancing.  

On Friday, the girls and I went to our regular spot for shakshuka, then talia and i went to the shuk to get some food for shabbat. I actually learned how to bake eggplant that night (this is huge considering i typically turn on the oven or stove once a year). We had shabbat dinner with the guys upstairs. it was a wonderful, long dinner and by the time we were finished it was already past 1am. we played poker for a little bit, but i was exhausted so i came back downstairs and fell asleep.

The next day we played volleyball on the beach. I must say that I really hate volleyball, which I already knew because I remember playing it in PE in middle school and high school and how much it hurt my wrists. Most of the time when the ball came to me I just stood there and put out my wrists but I wouldnt really go for it and then yell that I was scared or "sorry, i knew should have gotten that one". It felt great to be on the court though haha. I think I'll stick to soccer next week.

That night Rachel's parents (who were visiting for the week) took the girls and I out to an AMAZING dinner at a restaurant called Manta Ray that is on the tayelet. To be around parents was one of the most comforting feelings. In a way it felt really grounding and it brings you back to reality. It's as if you feel the parental, family love again in your present moment instead of trying to obtain it over the phone, or email, which is never as satisfying as you want it to be. The night was really amazing.

After dinner we all walked back to the apt together along the tayelet. Around 1am Mia, Talia and I decided to go to this wine bar that is a few streets down from us. The wine bar is very NYC and I have found that nothing beats going out for a late night drink with girlfriends here. I met a guy there I really like as well, and he asked for my number (he owns the bar...what luck). Who knows if he will call since dating seems to be non existent for the most part in Israel, but it was a nice refresher.

Tomorrow I am volunteering in the morning for 2 hours, then working in the afternoon and into the evening. I feel like I am hurriedly typing away at what has happened this past week instead of taking the time to explain my feelings, but its almost 2am and I have to wake up early tomorrow.

Next post I really want to write about how I view life differently after living here.

Time for sleep

lyla tov