A Gypsy

These days I feel like a gypsy. It is strange to move from place to place with little worldly belongings (although I must say I have more stuff than when I came here!) It's funny how stuff adds up. But you don't move to Israel with peanut butter, cereal, an extra coat, all the beauty products I inherited from my old roommates (I look like a Supper-Pharm **Israeli drug store chain**).

I am more a modern day gypsy who can't carry everything I own on my back, but compared to everyone but Jonathan I have less stuff than the rest of you. It actually feels really good to have such a small amount of "crap" as Hugh would say. It makes you love the things you do have more.

Good idea, bad idea. I got two posters since I came to Israel. Now I had a few really nice posters in the US, but I never framed them, so I never put them up. So once I got these I framed them. Good idea. Moving around the country with two glass frames. Bad idea. But oh well.

One is a cool old poster from the days of Palestine. It says come to Palestine and has a verse from the Song of Songs. I got that with mom, somewhere around the Dead Sea. The other is a stolen item and I have no shame what so ever. In November I went with friends to an Idan Raichel concert. He is so good. I think most everyone in the world would like his music. He mixes Hebrew with the most used Ethiopian language, I am so bad at remembering what it is called. He has many other singers on his albums and he is one of the most popular in Israel. The music is so beautiful. Anyway I stole a poster off the wall after the concert. My friend Lerone covered me with her jacket and I pulled out the tacks. But now it has a better home ....mine. And he is so beautiful also.

Today I went to Hadera, a near by city, the one that was bombed in September I think. I went to the unemployment office. It made me think of Ed and the Everclear song "Unemployed Boyfriend" So yes I am collecting. It was a dilemma for me at first because I figured of course I could use the money, but there are others who need it more than me. But after speaking with some folks here I decided to take it. I will be paying really high taxes here once I start working to help others like me. So that's the store. I can collect for the next 6 months while I am in another Ulpan. Which is great because that means money that I am just putting away and it is about 200 US dollars a month.

Speaking of another ulpan. I took a trip later today to Kibbutz En Hasofet. It is about a 20 minute drive east of my current kibbutz. It is smaller and has a smaller Ulpan. What is unique about it is this. All the Ulpanist are new immigrants and it is actually a 10 month Ulpan. I am just starting half way through. I didn't see much of the kibbutz because it was night once I arrived. It is a bit out of the way. There are only two buses a day that go by. So once you get to a certain junction, its time to use the finger and hitch a ride. The good thing is that there are about 4 kibbutzim in that area, so it shouldn't be to hard to get a ride.

The Ulpanists and volunteers I met seemed really nice. Very friendly and a bit older. Most were in their late 20s instead of late teens. And to my surprise the Americans also seemed really nice. Sarah a girl from Wisconsin and another girl from Belgium took me around. They told me all about everything. The rooms are bigger. And I might not have to share a room for a while, which would be wonderful.

I will work in the laundry again on this kibbutz. And classes start on the first of February. The classes are one full day of class, one day of work. So that is a bit different. The rooms are right behind the cows, so they smell a bit. That is all I know so far. I will go there on Monday. The director seems really nice and helpful. He is willing to pick me up and shlep all my shit to the kibbutz, which is really generous.

And thats the story. Morning Glory.

Another Smorgusborg

More picture that I found that didn't make the first cut. Ok some of them have nothing to do with the cut. Some are new pictures and some I just forgot to put on the site.

For the past week I have shared my room with Noa and Iris. It has been a lot of fun to really get to know these two girls. Noa had the good idea to push two of the beds together to make a big one that we hang out in. It is very cozy and it makes the the room feel a lot bigger.

I love this picture it looks very fall (eventhough it is winter) and very 70s eventhough.....

Puppies!!!!! These are Kibbutznik dogs. They are so cute. They are always together and when they walk around their tails are high in the air. You can hardly see their eyes.


This is Eviva from Holland. I think she is so beautiful.

Stunning sunset in Druze village, Daliah.



Views from the bus.

In Tzfat with my mom, she loved this and told me to take a picture. It is kind of a strange juxtapostion of ancient building and modern internet cafe.

In Jerusalem at the Kotel soldiers come and visit all the time. It looks like these are younger cadets.

And this is Roie. Noa took this some time in the summer.


Aughhhhh the Israeli Army:
I went back to the draft office this morning, waited a very long time, got an eye exam and left. It is frustrating how slow things are moving.

Radio

This morning at work I heard that dumb song from so many years ago about "Don't forget to where sunscreen. And and other lessons not to life by." It was funny cuz I haven't heard it in so long. The radio in Israel is cool, because the stations change there music depending on the time of day. In the morning it is mellow older stuff. In the afternoon it is more up beat and at night it is usually party music. Also depending on the weather they play songs to go with it. If it is sunny happy sun songs. When it rains they play rain songs. Now in the winter they are playing a lot of "California Dreaming"

There was a Bomb, I am OK

It is one of those things that I hate about being here. But I tell you I am fine and safe and warm. There was a suicide attack in the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv. No one except the bomber died. I bit scary when you know that that is a place you pass through all the time. But I am fine. I love you all.

Just A Bit Of News

I am sorry that it has been a while since I have made any real posts. Things are good here. My month of working as a volunteer is really coming to an end. This is a bit scary because now I have to shlep all my crap to another place. It is hard not having a REAL home. Probably for the first few years I won't have a permanent home. This can be good and bad. I know I can learn a lot about myself and what is important (ie, not so much material stuff). But on the other hand it is hard. Moving every few months will not be a big joy in my life.

But, forward and up I go.

On Sunday I will go to another Kibbutz that is near by and check out another Ulpan. It doesn't make sense for me to just "sit" around working 10 hours a day and not study. I think if I have the opportunity I should grab it. So this Kibbutz is called En Ha-shoved and is in the Carmel mountains. I would be enrolled in another 5 month Ulpan. It sounds more serious to me. Almost all of the people on the Ulpan are Russian immigrants who have to learn Hebrew. It would be the same deal of working and studying. And it would only be equal to $100 dollars for 5 months study.

I assume if I get processed in the army before the end of the 5 months then I will be gone. Army processing takes a long time here. It is not like the US were you sign and then that day you go in. This is Israel my friends. Nothing is fast and organized here. Next week I go for a complete physical. Someone told me that after the physical, things should start to move a little quicker. After these tests I should get a letter with job choices. They base what you can to in the army off your health and an interview and phycotecnial exams I took.

The weather here is very cold actually. But the sea in the winter is even more beautiful than in the summer. Everyday it look so different and the clouds are amazing. Today at breakfast we saw a rainbow over the sea. It was my first time in Israel. It has been raining a lot. Almost everyday it is raining. All all the prayers of the Jewish people are working.

I feel bad I have not written in a while, but the true is is nothing much is going on. Ulpan is over and I am working all day in the laundry. 6 am to 4 pam is a long day of folding and ironing. But it isn't all bad. I have my friends and my music.

The weather is cold here although somedays I am suprised at how warm it gets for a few hours. We are getting a lot of rain which is nice.

And finally as far as the army, I go at the end of the month for physical testing. I am not so sure what this is, but I go again. I am also finding out if I can stay on the Kibbutz as a volunteer before the army. And even in the army if I can live here. it is such a nice place and a great location. I know in the summers I will really enjoy going to the beach. Plus I am starting to get a circle of friends here.

So that is about it. I will post some pictures again soon. All my love......

www.jonathansojourn.blogspot.com

This has been such an amazing New Year. It was so emotional and fun. I cooked in the evening at Tsofit's house. I made lentil soup, which is a tradition of my German family. Then my phone was ringing and I didn't know who it was so I didn't answer, only to get a message from my older brother Jonathan. He has been living in isolation for the past 3 months. I was so happy he called back and I got to speak with him about all his new life stories. I was blown away by the pictures and at fist I was thinking that isn't my brother!!! he looks so different.

Please check out his website. It is wonderful. And if ever you hear people saying that own generation is doing nothing with our lives, show them my brothers and ny blog.

ps check out Ben too.

Jonathan : www.jonathansojourn.blogspot.com
Ben: www.kingschecter.blogspot.com