Tu-Bishvat: Trees, its your birfday, we gonna party like its your birfday

Hope someone gets that bad song refrence.







Finally a few pictures and none are from the Kibbutz.

I put the picture of the map so you can try to find where I have moved. Here's a hint: Ma-Agan Michael is on the left on the coast and En Ha-Shofet is in the right top corner of the picture.

The other pictures are from our trip on Tu-Bishvat. The one of me and my two friends we are showing our dead branch that we planted cuz there were not enough trees for everyone. The vistas were amazing. One is looking over the Sea of Galilee and another, if you could see, in the distance on the mountains is Tzfat. I love the spring beauty in this country.

Shabbat Shalom in Hebrew

Sorry I have not written in a bit. Tomorrow I promise, no matter what I will figure out how to upload pictures. I think that I can actually use my computer here. But either was I will put something up so you can see my pretty Israel.

Some wonderful things happened this week. First was I got a bit homesick! Wonderful you ask? You can't live on this high cloud all the time. One must come down. And for some reason, this week I was a bit blue. But it is good. It made me examine the people in my life and what I am doing about my relationships. I wrote a lot of letters and such.

Another great thing. Tu-Bishvat. That is Hebrew. That is a holiday. Only to celebrate the trees. Israelis are crazy about the nature and trees. So on Sunday, or Yom Rishon, the first day, we went to an army base and planted some trees and then we went all around the Sea of Galilee and saw some of the most beautiful views. It was great to get out of the butz and have some fun.

I had a wonderful phone call with Nancy too. It was so good to catch up, since we really had not talked since God knows when. I hope to make my rounds and call a few people that I have neglected a bit.

So that is all. The weather is freezing and I miss the sun. This week there has been no sun and only rain and even hail. In Jerusalem it snowed! Life without the sun can make you pretty sad. Today I cleaned the room and the bathrooms and kitchen so they are all nice for Shabbat. I went for a run and then took a nap. Probably tomorrow will be just as quite.

Wishing you all a peaceful weekend.

Oh, by the way. One of the greatest things about living in Israel in the modern age. Right before Shabbat begins, everyone text messages "Shabbat Shalom" in Hebrew to everyone. It is great!

This Life

So first off, I just need to make a shout out to my buddy Lerone, who lives in Petach Tikva right now. And rides the mini buses on line 51. Hell, when I stayed with her we rode them togther. So here is the deal. Lerones parents told here how much they would rather she ride the mini buses called Moneit Sherut than the big bus. Technically the Sherut is safer, and better yet, quicker. But as you can see by a crazy feak stabbing on one today, you never know. I think when God or whatever you want to call that force that gives and takes, is ready for you, there is no stopping it. So she is safe, her family is safe, and I am safe.

The "butz" as some old Ulpanist liked to call the kibbutz, is treating me well. I like the food a lot more here. (Really, lets talk about the important things first!) On Fridays they make this huge breakfast with scrambled eggs and burekas and pasteries. It was really special. I think the food quality is better because they can cook on a smaller scale.

This butz is so quiet. It is far from any roads and highways. It is so peaceful and at times a bit too quiet. There is talk, through the ulpan that kibbutzim are just "funny farms". I hope it is just a joke, hee hee.

My friend Roie, from Ma-Agan Michael (yes Hugh, I have friends) came to visit on his way home for Shabbat dinner. We walked around and he pointed out all the places I should know about. Did you know that I am about as close as I could get to the mountain they talk about in the bible as Mount. Arrmagedon. So guess who goes first guys? In the distance I can see the place Jesus was born and Jennin. What history.

I am actually studying a lot so far. Slowly slowly things are starting to sink in. I am really paying attention to the songs on the radio at work to understand the lyrics. Work is fine too. Today I worked in the clothes store and folded and straightened everything. It took about 4 hours, but it sure looked nice.

My Shabbat was peaceful. There was a party at the pub here. It is a lot smaller than at Ma-Agan Michael. They had free alcohol too. I danced till about 2:30 and then was tired. On Saturday I slept till 10 and then read for about two hours. I am almost finish with "Narssicus and Goldmund" by Hearmann Hesse. I really love it. My mom gave it to me when she was here and I would really recommend it too. I found a copy of "Sihdartha" also by the same author and that is next. Then I ate lunch, studied for a while, took a nap and then went for a run. That is how a weekend should be, nice and easy.

My mom told me in an email that she saw two movies that I actually just saw last weekend. I was staying with Lerone till I came here. And one day she had to work so I spent the day in Tel Aviv and saw "Memoirs of a Geisha" and that night saw "Brokeback Mountain" with Lerone.

Memoirs was beautiful, but really not as beautiful as the book. I think the book is so much more rich and visual. In the book you learn so much about their culture and ritual. And also the romantic story in the book is better. It seemed to me that the characters in the movie didn't really love each other, that much. But the movie is good at demonstrating how being a geisha before was not a kind of prostitution. And it showed how it changed. The woman are so beautiful in the movie, especially in all their costumes. But I think I would call it a rental.

And Har Brokeback, as it is called in Herbrew. Wow. I think it was an amazing story. I don't think it was exicuted as well as it could have been, but it still was amazing. I think all the isssues it brought into the open about forbidden love and unhappiness, was stunning. There was something very raw about how no one had a happy ending. The scenary was amazingly beautiful. And I think the acting was good. One of my biggest problems was the characters were supposed to be aging, but they never did. And that was a bit distracting. The two main characters are such young guys in real life. And I could totally see Monty Clift in one of the roles!! But it still is a beautiful and powerful movie and I would recommend it.

Ok Ebert, the balcony is closed.

This Life

So first off, I just need to make a shout out to my buddy Lerone, who lives in Petach Tikva right now. And rides the mini buses on line 51. Hell, when I stayed with her we rode them togther. So here is the deal. Lerones parents told here how much they would rather she ride the mini buses called Moneit Sherut than the big bus. Technically the Sherut is safer, and better yet, quicker. But as you can see by a crazy feak stabbing on one today, you never know. I think when God or whatever you want to call that force that gives and takes, is ready for you, there is no stopping it. So she is safe, her family is safe, and I am safe.

The "butz" as some old Ulpanist liked to call the kibbutz, is treating me well. I like the food a lot more here. (Really, lets talk about the important things first!) On Fridays they make this huge breakfast with scrambled eggs and burekas and pasteries. It was really special. I think the food quality is better because they can cook on a smaller scale.

This butz is so quiet. It is far from any roads and highways. It is so peaceful and at times a bit too quiet. There is talk, through the ulpan that kibbutzim are just "funny farms". I hope it is just a joke, hee hee.

My friend Roie, from Ma-Agan Michael (yes Hugh, I have friends) came to visit on his way home for Shabbat dinner. We walked around and he pointed out all the places I should know about. Did you know that I am about as close as I could get to the mountain they talk about in the bible as Mount. Arrmagedon. So guess who goes first guys? In the distance I can see the place Jesus was born and Jennin. What history.

I am actually studying a lot so far. Slowly slowly things are starting to sink in. I am really paying attention to the songs on the radio at work to understand the lyrics. Work is fine too. Today I worked in the clothes store and folded and straightened everything. It took about 4 hours, but it sure looked nice.

My Shabbat was peaceful. There was a party at the pub here. It is a lot smaller than at Ma-Agan Michael. They had free alcohol too. I danced till about 2:30 and then was tired. On Saturday I slept till 10 and then read for about two hours. I am almost finish with "Narssicus and Goldmund" by Hearmann Hesse. I really love it. My mom gave it to me when she was here and I would really recommend it too. I found a copy of "Sihdartha" also by the same author and that is next. Then I ate lunch, studied for a while, took a nap and then went for a run. That is how a weekend should be, nice and easy.

My mom told me in an email that she saw two movies that I actually just saw last weekend. I was staying with Lerone till I came here. And one day she had to work so I spent the day in Tel Aviv and saw "Memoirs of a Geisha" and that night saw "Brokeback Mountain" with Lerone.

Memoirs was beautiful, but really not as beautiful as the book. I think the book is so much more rich and visual. In the book you learn so much about their culture and ritual. And also the romantic story in the book is better. It seemed to me that the characters in the movie didn't really love each other, that much. But the movie is good at demonstrating how being a geisha before was not a kind of prostitution. And it showed how it changed. The woman are so beautiful in the movie, especially in all their costumes. But I think I would call it a rental.

And Har Brokeback, as it is called in Herbrew. Wow. I think it was an amazing story. I don't think it was exicuted as well as it could have been, but it still was amazing. I think all the isssues it brought into the open about forbidden love and unhappiness, was stunning. There was something very raw about how no one had a happy ending. The scenary was amazingly beautiful. And I think the acting was good. One of my biggest problems was the characters were supposed to be aging, but they never did. And that was a bit distracting. The two main characters are such young guys in real life. And I could totally see Monty Clift in one of the roles!! But it still is a beautiful and powerful movie and I would recommend it.

Ok Ebert, the balcony is closed.

When It Rains, It Pores

So I got to my new kibbutz less than 72 hours ago. I have been warmly welcomed by the Ulpanists and volunteers. They are a tight bunch of people. There are maybe 60 people all together. And again they are from all over the world.

This Kibbutz is different but beautiful. I will take some pictures soon. If you were to find Ma-Agan Michael on a map (that was my former kibbutz) and follow in a straight line east, just a few centimeters you would find Kibbutz En Hashofet. It is much colder here because there are no warm sea breazes to warm the land. This kibbutz is in the mountains and looks out over everything. It is stunning. My room is right in front of the ref-et (open dairy barns) and the zoo. So in case you were wondering there is a lovely smell coming through my windows. I can't imagine how bad it will be in July!!

My cousin Dawn sent me an email that En Hashofet was the kibbutz that she did her summer ulpan may years ago and fell in love with Israel. She ended up married to a wonderful Israeli, named Yoram and they lived in Israel for something like 15 years. Had a daughter, Noa and now are living in Oregon. So I wonder what she will think when she sees the pictures. Probabaly not much has changed since then.

I am again working in the laundry. It is much smaller here. There are maybe only 600 people on the kibbutz as oppossed to 1500 in Ma-Agan Michael. Also they don't iron all the pants and sheets and pillow cases and they just throw the baby clothes into bags and let the parents fold it. So that makes for less work.

I have had one class already and it seems right. It is hard to follow, but good. I got homework and am studying, so far so good. The teacher is beautiful. She must be close to 50 and has 4 children and has the most beautiful body and face I have ever seen. She is Yeminite, I think and in my opinion Yemini people are some of the most beautiful in the world. My friend Daniel and I used to call them "Yummy-Yemmies" when we would see a cute one!! She is a good teacher. She speaks at a normal pace and has a wonderful pronunciation (I probabaly butchered that word, right? SOrry no spell checker).

So again 72 hours here and I get a letter from the draft office. I am to show up for the army on September 11, 2006 in Haifa. Wow. or as Israeli's say :OOuu-aWOW. Thats right. I have a little bit more than 7 months of freedom. But it is all good. I am happy. And very motivated to learn. I feel like I need to verbally and physically get in shape. I know I will be hearing more in the coming months but as of right now, you know what I know.

So just in case someone out there would like to send me a letter. I post my address for you:

Elizabeth Schecter
Ulpan
Kibbutz En Hashofet
19237
Israel

Well that is about it. I will write in a few more days and hope fully have some pictures to show you all. All my love.
Cheers.