Toby and Gabriella have really grown on this trip. From the start they have been willing to try new things, foods, experiences without the histrionics that I recall from years (even months) past. This past weekend for example, Toby went with a school friend on the Israeli equivalent of an overnight Outward Bound. He had half a day to decide whether to go and went for it. He did not know anyone other than his buddy. Gets on a bus with 50 other kids, building fires, cooking food, sleeping under the stars on the beach at Ein Gedi, hiking 8 miles round trip up the wadi to the oasis. And he took it totally in stride and had a great time.
Then today he went to a small group jazz band workshop at the conservatory where he is taking clarinet lessons. Again, he walked into the room not knowing anybody, with a sax player, drummer and bass player and the teacher on keyboard and fit right in and had a lot of fun. They are playing blues and jazz and learning to improvise. I was totally impressed with him.
As for Ms Gabriella, she is starting to speak some Hebrew and is taking piano with a Russian teacher who speaks no English at all. (Those are interesting lessons :) ) But her playing sounds great.
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| Crusader Church, Abu Gosh |
Of course now that I post this, I am sure we will observe a partial regression to the goofball/kucklehead behavior we all know and love :)
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| Crusader Church Interior, Abu Gosh |
As for us, we get to do more pedestrian things, like visit Abu Gosh, a small Arab village outside of Jerusalem that is famous for its humus restaurants but also has a well preserved 12th century Crusader Church. We heard some great Baroque music on old instruments in the church crypt.
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