Even though I have a very good understanding of Hebrew and my spoken Hebrew is getting better everyday, talking on the phone with Israelis can be a bit of a challenge. For one thing, many Israelis talk like they are racing the Grand Prix so by the time I hear and understand what was said, the person on the other end is already getting impatient. Israelis aren't renowned for having much patience, so if I'm struggling with my Hebrew that day, having a phone conversation can be pretty painful. One of the many times this happened, I was making an appointment to fix a badly chipped tooth. I told the receptionist in Hebrew what the appointment was for and all of a sudden she started yelling at me. I wasn't in the greatest mood to start with because my chipped tooth made me look like someone named Lakisha, so her yelling really upset me. I threw the phone to my husband who was half asleep and I left the room in tears. My husband later explained to me that I had slightly mispronounced the word tooth in Hebrew, making what I said the wrong word which is why the receptionist got upset.
My first time on the phone with the bank was an absolute disaster. I forgot how to say anything in Hebrew so I was stumbling all over myself while my husband watched me from the kitchen trying not to burst into laughter. When I asked him why he didn't help me he said the only way I'd learn to speak Hebrew was to try on my own, even if I made mistakes.
Other times when I'm doing well with my spoken Hebrew and I have to give the person on the other end my ID number and other contact info I always hope that I'm not giving them the wrong numbers since I'm rattling them off one after the other. As I say the numbers in Hebrew, my head translates what I'm saying into English which also makes me say the numbers in Hebrew a bit slower. Also, since Israel has socialized health care nothing is hardly ever one simple phone call, so I find myself having to repeat the same thing several times to different doctors offices. There are pros and cons to making several of the same calls. Pros: I can better my Hebrew and if the person on the other end actually has some patience, they correct me if I make a mistake. Con: I get nervous all over again because there are a million ways to screw up something so simple=0)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Terror attacks
I had just taken a banana cake out of the oven when I heard of tonight's attack in a yeshiva in Jerusalem. My heart stopped. The happy pre-shabbos feeling and yummy smell of cake faded from my mind as I rushed to find out what happened. After reading the news I felt sick to my stomach. This is the first terror attack Jerusalem has seen in years. Now that I live in Jerusalem, news of attacks anywhere in Israel hit closer to home. My husband and myself both take buses. It can't be avoided really. Every time I leave the house the thought of will everything be ok crosses my mind, but I quickly push it out of my head because you can't think like that, but I can't help it.
Questions of a 3rd intifadah starting are in the news. The terrorist that killed those 8 innocent students and wounded many others was the holder of a blue Israeli ID card, and he was also a driver for the yeshiva. A brutal attack is what Israeli's get from this murderer who was living under Israeli rule?! Enough is enough. From this attack it's seen that no Palestinian can be trusted. I never understood why Palestinian/Arabs were allowed a blue ID card. Do the Israeli's really think that if any one of them could kill an innocent civilian, they wouldn't jump at the chance?! Tonight's attack proved that. I think Israel needs to worry about their citizens first and foremost and forget about being humanitarian to the Palestinians and forget about the world's opinion. Time and time again Israel has given the Palestinians chance after chance, including providing them with water, electricity, health care, guns, training, education and even money. I think the only solution to this vicious circle is for Israel to bomb the hell out of Gaza once and for all. If Israel is really concerned about Palestinian civilian casualties, the army should give civilians notice that they have a certain amount of time to get out of Gaza and then they should let loose. Sure, maybe they'll cry that they have no place to go but that's no longer our concern and it doesn't change the fact that there's still only one Jewish State. Eight families will bury their children. How many more innocent people have to pay the ultimate price for this hatred?
Questions of a 3rd intifadah starting are in the news. The terrorist that killed those 8 innocent students and wounded many others was the holder of a blue Israeli ID card, and he was also a driver for the yeshiva. A brutal attack is what Israeli's get from this murderer who was living under Israeli rule?! Enough is enough. From this attack it's seen that no Palestinian can be trusted. I never understood why Palestinian/Arabs were allowed a blue ID card. Do the Israeli's really think that if any one of them could kill an innocent civilian, they wouldn't jump at the chance?! Tonight's attack proved that. I think Israel needs to worry about their citizens first and foremost and forget about being humanitarian to the Palestinians and forget about the world's opinion. Time and time again Israel has given the Palestinians chance after chance, including providing them with water, electricity, health care, guns, training, education and even money. I think the only solution to this vicious circle is for Israel to bomb the hell out of Gaza once and for all. If Israel is really concerned about Palestinian civilian casualties, the army should give civilians notice that they have a certain amount of time to get out of Gaza and then they should let loose. Sure, maybe they'll cry that they have no place to go but that's no longer our concern and it doesn't change the fact that there's still only one Jewish State. Eight families will bury their children. How many more innocent people have to pay the ultimate price for this hatred?
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Going to the supermarket in Israel
Shopping at supermarkets in Israel is anything but a normal experience. The first time I went to the supermarket alone, I figured no biggie. My Hebrew's ok. How hard can shopping alone be? I go to pull out a shopping cart and it doesn't budge. I try again, only to realize that the carts can only be released by putting a 5 shekel coin in the slot. Great. With no small change on me, I held my purchases in my hands until I got to the cashier. (no small feat for a person with Cerebral Palsy, but I managed). Gratefully, I unloaded the food onto the belt and waited as the cashier rang everything up. After paying her, I stood there waiting for my groceries to be bagged. The cashier looks at me and says "What are you waiting for?" Glancing around, I realized that everyone was bagging their own groceries so I quickly got to work. Things didn't go so smoothly. The plastic bags wouldn't open even after I wet my finger like ten times. With a growing line behind me and feeling embarrassed that I was taking forever, I hurried to get a move on, offering a silent 'thank god' after I managed to get all the groceries in the bags. I miss Publix, I thought. I longed for the supermarkets in the U.S., where bagging is done for you.
As I was leaving, the cashier said " wait, you don't want your gift"? I'm thinking what is she talking about? I go back to the cashier. She hands me a slip so I can collect my gift at the main cashier. Tired, a little frustrated and somewhat curious, I walk with my heavy bags to get my gift. I hand the cashier my slip and she hands me a plush doll. I looked at the doll and thought are they for real?! You get gifts or stamps toward gifts, for spending 100 shekels ($27 USD). Bring it on baby!
So, yea shopping can be frustrating but it literally pays!
As I was leaving, the cashier said " wait, you don't want your gift"? I'm thinking what is she talking about? I go back to the cashier. She hands me a slip so I can collect my gift at the main cashier. Tired, a little frustrated and somewhat curious, I walk with my heavy bags to get my gift. I hand the cashier my slip and she hands me a plush doll. I looked at the doll and thought are they for real?! You get gifts or stamps toward gifts, for spending 100 shekels ($27 USD). Bring it on baby!
So, yea shopping can be frustrating but it literally pays!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Moving to Israel
Moving to Israel was never on my agenda, but as they say, you make plans and God laughs! After meeting my husband in Jerusalem in late 2005, I made aliyah (immigrated) with Nefesh B’ Nefesh on Dec 26th, 2006. The aliyah experience was surreal to say the least. I had four months to pack up my life, graduate college and plan a wedding. The night before the flight to Israel I started getting massive butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t sleep a wink the entire night. Was I really leaving home, the U.S., and all my friends? Sure, my mother is Israeli so I have plenty family in Israel but was I really ready to move to Israel and get married?
The following night, as our ElAl charter flight rolled down the runway at JFK , everyone erupted into cheers and applause. I still had massive butterflies in my stomach. During our flight we got to meet and thank many of the people from Nefesh B’ Nefesh who had helped us for months with the aliyah process. (It was very nice to finally put faces to names)! There were also photographers and reporters on board. Being a writer, I planned on doing some of my own reporting, but I was so nervous that I was glued to my seat for most of the flight.
The most surprising and one of the most heartwarming parts of the flight was when I realized that the founder and co-founder of Nefesh B’ Nefesh were on board. I was astounded to find out that they have been on nearly every Nefesh flight since the program’s inception!
I will never forget our landing in Israel on December 27th. There was turbulence as we descended into heavy clouds and pouring rain. Everyone was silent, many were gripping the arms of their seats. I shared a nervous smile with the woman sitting next to me. As I felt us getting closer to touch down, my heart started beating at a million miles an hour and I said out loud “This is it!” This is it!” Upon touchdown all 220 of us, wearing our Nefesh Aliyah hats and an immigrant sticker on our shirts, began to clap, cheer and sing. Everyone was on such a high that no one seemed to mind getting off the plane into freezing cold rain. Photographers from various press agencies stood on the runway oblivious to the rain, smiling as they took pictures of us as we disembarked . I was exhausted and confused about where I was supposed to go in the middle of all the celebration. Part of me wished everyone would hurry up a little so we could get on the bus to the warm, and dry terminal. Despite the horrible weather, an urgent need to use the bathroom and desperately wanting to see my fiancé whom I hadn’t seen in four months, I enjoyed the few minutes of picture taking and feeling like a celebrity.
The happiness on the runway paled in comparison to the welcoming we got at the terminal. Dozens upon dozens of people welcomed us singing and dancing in the pouring rain. While that was all incredibly beautiful, I groaned to myself thinking, I’d never make it inside to the bathroom and my fiancé. After what seemed like an interminable amount of time celebrating some more, I finally made it into the terminal and the bathroom. I didn’t see my fiancé right away. As time went on and I still didn’t see him, I got very sad thinking he forgot I was making aliyah that day. We finally saw each other and I flew straight into his arms. When I asked where he’d been and if he forgot I was making aliyah he looked at me as if I had grown a third eye and said, “Of course I didn’t forget. I’ve been here for hours!”
My fiancé told me that when my plane landed he went back and forth outside in the pouring rain looking for me, not thinking that I would be on the first bus into the terminal...neither did I.
Making aliyah was truly a day I will never forget.
The following night, as our ElAl charter flight rolled down the runway at JFK , everyone erupted into cheers and applause. I still had massive butterflies in my stomach. During our flight we got to meet and thank many of the people from Nefesh B’ Nefesh who had helped us for months with the aliyah process. (It was very nice to finally put faces to names)! There were also photographers and reporters on board. Being a writer, I planned on doing some of my own reporting, but I was so nervous that I was glued to my seat for most of the flight.
The most surprising and one of the most heartwarming parts of the flight was when I realized that the founder and co-founder of Nefesh B’ Nefesh were on board. I was astounded to find out that they have been on nearly every Nefesh flight since the program’s inception!
I will never forget our landing in Israel on December 27th. There was turbulence as we descended into heavy clouds and pouring rain. Everyone was silent, many were gripping the arms of their seats. I shared a nervous smile with the woman sitting next to me. As I felt us getting closer to touch down, my heart started beating at a million miles an hour and I said out loud “This is it!” This is it!” Upon touchdown all 220 of us, wearing our Nefesh Aliyah hats and an immigrant sticker on our shirts, began to clap, cheer and sing. Everyone was on such a high that no one seemed to mind getting off the plane into freezing cold rain. Photographers from various press agencies stood on the runway oblivious to the rain, smiling as they took pictures of us as we disembarked . I was exhausted and confused about where I was supposed to go in the middle of all the celebration. Part of me wished everyone would hurry up a little so we could get on the bus to the warm, and dry terminal. Despite the horrible weather, an urgent need to use the bathroom and desperately wanting to see my fiancé whom I hadn’t seen in four months, I enjoyed the few minutes of picture taking and feeling like a celebrity.
The happiness on the runway paled in comparison to the welcoming we got at the terminal. Dozens upon dozens of people welcomed us singing and dancing in the pouring rain. While that was all incredibly beautiful, I groaned to myself thinking, I’d never make it inside to the bathroom and my fiancé. After what seemed like an interminable amount of time celebrating some more, I finally made it into the terminal and the bathroom. I didn’t see my fiancé right away. As time went on and I still didn’t see him, I got very sad thinking he forgot I was making aliyah that day. We finally saw each other and I flew straight into his arms. When I asked where he’d been and if he forgot I was making aliyah he looked at me as if I had grown a third eye and said, “Of course I didn’t forget. I’ve been here for hours!”
My fiancé told me that when my plane landed he went back and forth outside in the pouring rain looking for me, not thinking that I would be on the first bus into the terminal...neither did I.
Making aliyah was truly a day I will never forget.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
