Cha, cha, changin....

I decided, since I'm making a lot of life changes (ie, going on a trip to India for two months and then going back to the US to study Nursing) that it was time for a physical change as well. It has been a fantasy of mine to cut off all my hair. After high school I cut my hair very short and donated it to a charity called Locks of Love.But I didn't go all the way in the cutting department. I still had hair, and I still had curls.

After much thinking about packing for my trip to India, I got stressed out thinking about bringing shampoo, conditioner, cream for my frizzy curls, a brush, etc, etc. I want my trip to be as light and easy as possible. So there was only one thing to do. Cut it all off...




















I really can't tell you how much I love it!!! I am now one week without hair and it is fantastic. I think it looks really becoming, maybe even prettier cuz I can see my face and not just hair, hair, HAIR!!!!

I am saving the world, one shower at a time. Showering has went from at least 15 minutes to maximum 5 minutes. Its amazing. And for the time being I don't miss it one bit. I am sure its not the last time I will ever have curls, but this is a welcomed blissful break after years curls.

And I can worry less about a heavy bag on my travels. Worry less about lice. And the heat seems just a little cooler without a sheep on top of my head!!!!!

Nothing Really Matters

Hello?...

...

Does anyone even know, or care, that Israel just lifted 10 road blocks in the West Bank. In one day, boom, 10 check points are gone. And they also eliminated 50 dirt blocks too.

Is the world interested to hear the good things Israel does?

She also gave moneys (millions of sheckels) to build 5,000-8,000 homes for Palestinians in the West Bank.

(sigh)

Spring here in the north of Israel is the most beautiful time of year.



Iris came back to Israel!!! This is my friend for Holland. She came to study at University Haifa for a semester.


















The following pictures are from Purim. We had so much fun, lots of friends and a good time had by all.


Those two picture were taken at work. The first one with the head chief and my friend Lilach.

That's Eyal and Lichah goofing around.






I work with the two on the far right. Iyelet and Leebi, they are really fun.

Our Heart

I think it is interesting to note that probably in the rest of the world what just happened this weekend in Gaza is not considered the start of a war, but here everyone is talking about it, worrying about it and do feel that a war has begun once again against Gaza.

Two soldiers were killed Eran Dan Gur and Doron Asulin. And our hearts go out to the families that have had such a tragedy happen. Bombs have been falling for days in Southern Israel and Israel has had little or no reponse until recently.

How can Israel be held to such an unthinkable standard in times of attack?

Just in case.

I have heard some complaining that I don't post enough pictures of myself, so...
These were all taken this last summer (2207) by my friend Noa.
So now you know what I look like (and how tan I got!!!)

thoughts from a spotted mind

If I say I am a bit lost in myself, my life, my next step, where I should be, what I should do, it would probably be a bit of an understatment. What I know is this: That I am ready to start a new chapter of my life. I had a mission. Come to Israel. Learn the language, the culture, and serve in the army. Mission completed. Now what?

It may seem very strange\ funny to anyone reading this that is older than me, but I am starting to feel old. Not old. But maybe, I feel ready to not be a young adult and I want to start turning into an adult. I want to start making choices that will affect me in the long term. I want to start looking for the right guy for me. I want to start thinking of having a husband, family in the years to come. Time goes so fast. And I don't want to be one of the people I have seen to often, that is 30-35 and still is living like they are 20-25.


Shiran is going to be leaving in a month-month and a half to go on a trip to South America (like all the Israelis do after the army). What count me by suprises is he will be going for about a year. I expected a big trip, I didn't expect a years time. I am sad he is going. I don't feel ready to break-up with him, but there is nothing I can do about it. It is an important thing in his life to go travel with his friends and "find himself".

I am reading an excellent book called "A Pigeon and A Boy" by Meir Shalev. It is an Israeli novel that has been translated and it is very interesting. And a bit sentimental since my grandpa flew racing pigeons.

Now for some pictures:

These first four are very old. The first one is an ad I saw in Tel Aviv for a newspaper. But I thought it was lovely with the sunset and the text reading: THERE IS ONLY ONE





Poor cows waiting in the trucks.


Lerone and Amitai on a walk.


Just thought it would make a cool picture.

I played hooky one day this week and took a trip with Shiran to the Gilboa Mountain. It was a stormy day so we couldn't really get out much, but it was still breath-takingly beautiful up there. We drove from one side to the other and started driving down to Jerusalem. Maybe if I didn't have to work that night we could have went to Jerusalem.






This is the most current picture of me. Taken last night before we went to the pub in the kibbutz.

I Am

I think I should start writing on this thing again, even if it feels like it is turning into something just for me. It is cool to look back on past posts and see what I was doing and pictures. Maybe some day I will make this into a little book for me.

First off, for anyone who wants it my new and current address is as follows:

Elizabeth Schecter
Kibbutz En HaShofet
19237
Israel

Time is passing by so quickly and I am sure I have tons of things to write about, but somehow nothing is coming to mind. I am working in the dinning room of the kibbutz. Ben thought this meant I am a waitress, but that's not it at all. I am a cafeteria worker. No, thank god I don't have to wear a hair net!!!

I get to work everyday at 6:30 a.m. We prepare for breakfast. The job mostly entails cleaning. I don't do any of the cooking because I don't work in the kitchen.

Because the dinning room of the kibbutz is privatized, the members can't take food freely like in the old days. Now they have to pay for the meals, so I also work at the register. Everyone has a number for their account and now after a month and a half working there I would say I know 50% of the regulars numbers!! People really like it when you remember their number.

I finish work at 2:30 eveyday. I few days a week I babysit after work. I am regularly babysitting an eight month old, who's parents want her to learn English. I am convinced that right now it is doing nothing, she can't even speak Hebrew, but its not my call. She is a really charming little baby.

In a month I will probably start caring of an old woman on a daily basis. She is from England and doesn't speak Hebrew at all. She is the mother-in-law of one of my bosses. I worked with her, Frida, for a few days last week. I just do simple things; bring her laundry, make her bed, cook a little supper, or heat something up, take out the trash. She seems pretty content and friendly. I think its strange though that people that live in the kibbutz would hire someone to do this. She lives 5 minutes walk from me and even closer to her son. Even if she was the craziest person in the world (which she is not) it would only be 30 minutes a day that her family would have to go over and care for her.Why would you move your mother to be so close, but not want to see her?

I did get my own room, had it for about a month. I will have to post pictures. I got a nice table from Shiran's mom and I have a nice eating table that I found. Shiran found a bed frame and brought it over and then a week or so later found a matress in the garbage! Not the most luxuary matress, but it gets the job done.

Well I got my first full pay check today! This is crazy but after everything has been taken out, I am left with more than 500 dollars to put to savings!! And I only make 1000 dollars. Crazy that here I can make far less money than I was making in the US but save more. Of course if I was living in Tel Aviv so I wouldn't be able to save anything. But my rent is more than half of what people pay in the city, my laundry is washed for free, food is a little cheaper here.

It is really cold here now. Probably in the 30s-40s. Last night some places got below zero. I was walking back with Shiran from his parents house last night and it was so cold and I just said how happy I was not to be in the army anymore and how can soldiers have to sleep outside in even colder temperatures than this. And he said: I had to do it...but I don't remember how I think I blocked it out.

I saw a really cute movie this weekend called "The Band Visit" It is so cute, if you have netflicks you should order it. Its about this Egyptian band who comes it Israel to play for some opening and they get lost and stuck. It is very dry humor and the cimematography is really cute.

I will stop writing for now, but hope to pick this thing up on a daily basis.
Cheers