Relaxing day yesterday, still getting over my jet lag. Visited the Israeli-Roths in the late
afternoon at their new pad - nothing beats hanging out at the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
A Day at the Beach
DAN
Relaxing day yesterday, still getting over my jet lag. Visited the Israeli-Roths in the late
afternoon at their new pad - nothing beats hanging out at the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean.
Relaxing day yesterday, still getting over my jet lag. Visited the Israeli-Roths in the late
afternoon at their new pad - nothing beats hanging out at the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
The Acclimation Continues
DAN:
Everyone continues to acclimate. It has been pretty hot so we've been following the early morning activity, mid afternoon siesta and late afternoon activity model. Although today we deviated somewhat. This morning Michelle and Susan went to register for Hebrew classes at an Ulpan, while I stayed home with the kids to wait for the exterminator - I must say, I have stayed in my share of roach motels but American roaches have nothing on their Israeli cousins - some grande sized bugs in the house had Gabriella pretty freaked out but hopefully we have it under control!
In the afternoon we headed to the Mahaneh Yehuda neighborhood for a short virtual film history of Jerusalem ala Soaring Over California at California Adventure. Kind of hoaky and simplistic to be honest, with some propaganda thrown in for good measure - they compress the entire history of Jerusalem into 25 minutes and skip from the Constantinople emperor declaring Christianity the official religion of the realm to the '67 war, but hey, the kids loved the special effects.
Then a stroll through the Shuk for some treats - nothing like Halvah and eggs...
Before I arrived Michelle, Susan and the kids visited the Israeli Museum. Susan's shoulder is much better, thank goodness!
Of course a shopping trip through the stalls of the Old City stalls is a must also. We continue to try to figure out this crazy, wonderful place - the diversity is striking, from black hats to tank tops and everything in between...more in awhile.
Everyone continues to acclimate. It has been pretty hot so we've been following the early morning activity, mid afternoon siesta and late afternoon activity model. Although today we deviated somewhat. This morning Michelle and Susan went to register for Hebrew classes at an Ulpan, while I stayed home with the kids to wait for the exterminator - I must say, I have stayed in my share of roach motels but American roaches have nothing on their Israeli cousins - some grande sized bugs in the house had Gabriella pretty freaked out but hopefully we have it under control!
In the afternoon we headed to the Mahaneh Yehuda neighborhood for a short virtual film history of Jerusalem ala Soaring Over California at California Adventure. Kind of hoaky and simplistic to be honest, with some propaganda thrown in for good measure - they compress the entire history of Jerusalem into 25 minutes and skip from the Constantinople emperor declaring Christianity the official religion of the realm to the '67 war, but hey, the kids loved the special effects.
Before I arrived Michelle, Susan and the kids visited the Israeli Museum. Susan's shoulder is much better, thank goodness!
Of course a shopping trip through the stalls of the Old City stalls is a must also. We continue to try to figure out this crazy, wonderful place - the diversity is striking, from black hats to tank tops and everything in between...more in awhile.
Monday, July 22, 2013
With Toby in the Old City
DAN
Great morning with Toby in the Old City. Put two prayers in the wall and bargained for Bedouin knives at several stalls in the market. Too pricey but we did get some great, fresh squeezed orange juice. :)
I was up at 0400 with jet lag and took an early morning walk to the Jaffa Gate. Magical in the morning as the sun comes up.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Finally to the Promised Land
DAN:
Well, I finally arrived in Israel on 7/21!! So fantastic to finally be here. As some of you know, I was homeless starting on 7/2, crashing first with Bonni and Jon and then with Mika and Jonathan. (Five star accommodations both, btw and it was great to have company while I was separated from my family). The family is doing great, although Michelle and the kids are a bit under the weather with a stomach virus. Our house is very well situated - 1 Rashbag in Gonen Katamon.
My trip was uneventful but I did get grilled at the El Al check-in by this 20 year old Israeli - Gal told me he thinks the kid just wanted to hassle the short jewish guy from NY. The conversation went like this:
El Al: What is your name (as he is looking at my passport)
Me: Daniel Abram Meer
EA: What is your Hebrew name?
Me: I don't have one but Daniel Abram Meer is my given name.
EA: Why did you study Hebrew? (After I greeted him with Shalom)
Me: I wanted to learn a few Hebrew phrases to be polite when I got to Israel.
EA: Where did you study?
Me: With tapes from the library.
EA: By yourself?
Me: Yes
EA: Why would you do that?
Me: As I said, to be polite.
EA: Were you ever in Israel before?
Me: Yes, but way before you were born.
Anyway it was amusing and they let me in. The adventure can now begin.
Well, I finally arrived in Israel on 7/21!! So fantastic to finally be here. As some of you know, I was homeless starting on 7/2, crashing first with Bonni and Jon and then with Mika and Jonathan. (Five star accommodations both, btw and it was great to have company while I was separated from my family). The family is doing great, although Michelle and the kids are a bit under the weather with a stomach virus. Our house is very well situated - 1 Rashbag in Gonen Katamon. My trip was uneventful but I did get grilled at the El Al check-in by this 20 year old Israeli - Gal told me he thinks the kid just wanted to hassle the short jewish guy from NY. The conversation went like this:
El Al: What is your name (as he is looking at my passport)
Me: Daniel Abram Meer
EA: What is your Hebrew name?
Me: I don't have one but Daniel Abram Meer is my given name.
EA: Why did you study Hebrew? (After I greeted him with Shalom)
Me: I wanted to learn a few Hebrew phrases to be polite when I got to Israel.
EA: Where did you study?
Me: With tapes from the library.
EA: By yourself?
Me: Yes
EA: Why would you do that?
Me: As I said, to be polite.
EA: Were you ever in Israel before?
Me: Yes, but way before you were born.
Anyway it was amusing and they let me in. The adventure can now begin.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
The End of the Beginning
DAN:
Well some of us are almost there. Michelle, Susan, Toby and Gabriella fly tomorrow from JFK to Tel Aviv. I follow in two weeks. Susan's trip has been hampered by a fall in San Francisco before she left that resulted in a fractured right scapula. Talk about bad timing!! But she is a trooper.
I met our house swappers this week and they are totally nice people, very happy with our house. Shmuel Goldberg is a pediatric lung specialist who will be working in the Stanford sleep clinic. Shmuel and his wife Chana have four adult children in Jerusalem who may visit during their stay in SF.
I would guess that for the Toby and Gabriella the anticipatory anxiety is probably building, if not in full swing. (And I have been in a state of high anxiety for months :) ) But we are all looking forward to a novel and exciting experience as a family.
Well some of us are almost there. Michelle, Susan, Toby and Gabriella fly tomorrow from JFK to Tel Aviv. I follow in two weeks. Susan's trip has been hampered by a fall in San Francisco before she left that resulted in a fractured right scapula. Talk about bad timing!! But she is a trooper.
I met our house swappers this week and they are totally nice people, very happy with our house. Shmuel Goldberg is a pediatric lung specialist who will be working in the Stanford sleep clinic. Shmuel and his wife Chana have four adult children in Jerusalem who may visit during their stay in SF.
I would guess that for the Toby and Gabriella the anticipatory anxiety is probably building, if not in full swing. (And I have been in a state of high anxiety for months :) ) But we are all looking forward to a novel and exciting experience as a family.
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