I'm generally an optimistic person. I need to be - I throw myself into new situations all the time. Without optimism I'd quickly give up, because adaptation can be mind-blowingly difficult. New challenges pop up each day, from homesickness, to cancelled bus routes, to bureaucracy mind-melts, to the ever-persistent language barriers. And yet, I still keep … Continue reading Escaping the Rat Race
I am so depressed. Working in Israel feels futile. If I were in the U.S., I could make twice as much at a minimum-wage job. I'm working at least 50-hour weeks. I'm getting paid about $5 per hour (before taxes). I am stuck on a kibbutz 1.5 hours from the nearest good-sized city, which means … Continue reading Israel: The Fount of Self-Despair and Poverty
I want to introduce all of you non-Israelis to some Israeli music. Welcome to Israeli Song of the Day! Today's selection is from 1983. It's called "It's Cold Out There," by the singer Rami Kleinstein. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae3MahlYW3s I dive again into your eyes, I press your hand once more. If only your dreams one day would … Continue reading Song of the Day – קר שם בחוץ (It’s Cold Out There)
In Israel, you hear a lot of strange noises. Sonic booms that rattle the windows (air force training runs), missile sirens (thank you, Operation Protective Edge), the roar of low-flying military jets. Hey, it's a militarized country. This evening I hear a pop-boom outside. I ask the boyfriend what it is. "Fireworks," he says. "Hamas. Maybe … Continue reading Pop-BOOM
The Hebrew Word of the Day is a feature on Haaretz, a major Israeli newspaper. It's all written in English (the Hebrew is transliterated), and traces the history of certain Hebrew words. The words picked by journalists Shoshana Kordova and Elon Gilad are unique, interesting, and quite clever. Many of their journeys begin with Jewish linguists … Continue reading Hebrew Word of the Day – Haaretz
It's been nearly a year since I moved to Israel, and I'm finally receiving compliments on my Hebrew. The past few months have seen a major improvement in my level of speaking, reading, and writing, which I think is due to my immersion in Israeli daily life. In November I started my paramedic course, and … Continue reading Hebrew Language Resources
For the past 2 weeks, I've been enrolled in a medics' course in Tel Aviv. It took me ages to get here due to bureaucracy in the registration process, but I made it. Volunteering for the Magen David Adom (MDA, like Israel's Red Cross) is popular among both Israelis and tourists. If you want to … Continue reading Becoming a(n Israeli) Medic
There's a reason for prayer: to acknowledge the community inherent in solitude. Today is Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. A time to eat sweet things, to reflect upon the fullness of the past year and plan the fullness of the next. And the year is always full. Today is Talia Goldenberg's birthday. 24 years on … Continue reading Grateful
My schedule's disappeared, the seasons have stopped changing. I quit my au pair job two weeks back, and since then have enjoyed a stay-cation on the kibbutz, interspersing books with lap swims and waves. Now, even as October stretches on, I feel suspended in June - the last time I lived on the kibbutz, before … Continue reading Time’s Stopped
Once again, absent for a while from the WWW world. This has been because, 1) I'm extremely busy with ulpan, and 2) I'm feeling ambivalent about social media. I'm already a self-critical person, and I'm finally noticing that I doubt myself more when I'm on facebook. And to try to quell that self-doubt, I'm tempted … Continue reading After-Ulpan Plans
In Mutual Weirdness 