A Failure to Communicate - The Wrath of the Resh

Let's travel back in time to a few weeks ago: 

I went to a Shabbat dinner at a family's house here in Eilat. This family couldn't have been nicer. The dad drove me and my friend from our apartment building to his house since we'd never been there before. There are four sons and one daughter in the family, and still they made room at their table for us :)

My friend and I get into the car and we start making conversation with our host. "Where are you from?" "Do you have any siblings?" "Why did you want to come to Israel?" "How are you liking Eilat?" When he asks me [in English] where in the hotel I work, I confidently answer back in Hebrew, "Ani ovedet ba cheder prachim." In Hebrew, this translates to, "I work in the flower room." 

Being the upbeat, friendly person that I am, I gave this answer with a smile on my face. Besides- it's not like we are talking about world famine... who doesn't find joy in flowers? The reactions I normally receive are either, "Wow! I'm jealous!," or, "So that means you get to work with flowers? Cool!" And then usually a conversation ensues about the subject.

But no, not this time. We quickly moved on to talking about something else. I didn't think much of it until last night.

It is now time to fast forward to last night.

Yesterday, this same family invited me to accompany them to a special Shabbat dinner 20 minutes outside of Eilat where we would be spending the evening with their extended family. I RSVP'd "YES" faster than a shooting star remembering back to the family's warmth and hospitality during the previous time I'd spent with them.

They picked me up and we arrive at our destination. It is a beautiful house in a gated neighborhood in the desert. No grass. No trees. No commercialism. Just dessert and the star-encrusted sky. We make introductions, mingle and then find our seats at the table. 

Eventually amidst conversation someone asks me where I work and what is my job. Being in my mind the Hebrew expert that I am I confidently say to them, "Ani ovedet ba cheder prachim." The father of my host family looks at me as if he has just had an epiphany of epic proportions.

"Wait - like flowers???," he asks me. I couldn't understand why he seemed so stunned since I told him what I did in the hotel at our last meeting.

"When you came to our house last time, it sounded like you said 'pachim,' not 'prachim,'" he began to explain. Subsequently I learned a new word! Apparently "pachim" means garbage. This man thought that with a big smile, I had told him I worked in the hotel's trash room. I'm guessing he was a bit relieved to find out that the foreign vegan girl isn't weirdly happy about garbage after all. :-p

The moral of the story is that pronunciation is key in the Hebrew language.

The Hebrew "R" is the letter "ר" (resh). It's not pronounced like the English "R." Instead, it is slightly rolled, but not like the Spanish "R." It's a bit more silent, but not as silent as the French "R." 

The letter "resh" in all it's glory.

For months I have been practicing my resh and I know now that it's going to take a lot more practice until I master the delicate balance between saying whether I work in the trash room, or the flower room.

I guess I do have an American accent after all...

My First Hanukkah in Israel

An Israeli dreidel. 

Before I dive into this post I want to highlight a small but key difference between Hanukkah in Israel and Hanukkah outside of Israel. To me picture the on the right symbolizes why spending Jewish holidays in Israel is so special.

Dreidels outside of Israel bear the letters: Nun, Gimel, Hay, Shin. Together they stand for, "Nes gadol hayah sham," meaning, "A great miracle happened there." In Israel, the Shin is replaced with a Pey to represent the word "Poh," which in Hebrew means, "Here." To put it simply, when you're in Israel, your standing on top of the roots of the very holiday you are commemorating. For lack of a better word, it's really "cool."

With that thought now out of the way let's move on...

Since the beginning of the month I haven't felt like it was December at all. Every time I check my watch for the date I am reminded that we are indeed in the twelfth month of the year. Why can't I get this in my head!?

Perhaps there are a two main reasons. The first and most obvious: the weather! I would have never dreamed that I would be able to enjoy a warm and sunny day on the beach in December. Where I'm from (Washington, D.C.) it often snows the first week of December.

The second and most primary reason is because I am in a country where the majority religion is not Christianity - it's Judaism! This translates to: no Christmas lights, no Santa Clauses outside the grocery store collecting donations for homeless shelters, no "All I Want for Christmas is You" on the radio, no red and green signs in storefronts, no White House Christmas tree, no eggnog, no "Merry Christmas" from passersby, no Rudolph, no elves, no Grinch, no stockings, no advent calendars, no tinsel. No Christmas.

Unconsciously over time I have built the association in my head between December and Christmas. Christmas has seeped into everyday life in mainstream America. It's unavoidable, kind of like those BP commercials following the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill :-0

Do I miss December in the U.S.? I would be lying if I said "no." It's not the actual traditions of commercial Christmas that I miss, it's the familiarity and the culture of the American holiday season.

But in Israel I have found a different kind of familiarity. I grew up celebrating Hanukkah with my family and friends, and Hanukkah is Israel's Christmas. However it's not exactly celebrated in the same sense of the word.

The main difference is that here, the majority holiday (Hanukkah) is not an overwhelming commercial empire like Christmas is in the U.S. Much like Israel, Hanukkah is humble. It's about the people and not the stuff.

Instead of Christmas lights, we light menorahs. Instead of hearing holiday music on the radio, we sing Hanukkah songs with our friends. Instead of drinking eggnog, everyone eats jelly-filled donuts (though I've yet to find any vegan ones in small-town Eilat, so I haven't gotten to partake in the magic). Instead of "Merry Christmas," everyone says "Chanukah Sahmeach (Happy Hanukkah)" Instead of writing letters to Santa, people play Dreidel and compete to win gelt (chocolate-filled gold coins). Instead of Christmas signage, individual shops display menorahs in their storefronts. Instead of baking tree-shaped cookies, moms take to their potato peelers and fry latkes. Kids get off from school and families go on vacations.

To be quite honest, in Israel being Jewish feels less special since almost everyone around me is also Jewish. It's not a bad thing - it makes me forget how far away I am from home.

It's an amazing feeling to celebrate Hanukkah with people from France, Ukraine and Israel and to all be able to sing from memory for the first time together the same Hanukkah songs. I guess I did learn something in all those years of Hebrew school after all ;)

And with that it is time to transition to the Hanukkah photo shoot portion of this holiday special:

DAY ONE

Spending our first night of Hanukkah on the beach!

It got dark early!

DAY TWO

My hotel (Royal Beach) hosted a special lunch for the employees in the guest dining room. We felt really special!

It was yummy!

My work supervisor prepared special flowers for the hotel's lobby. And check out the menorah in the back left!

Later we went to one of the malls for a special candle lighting and outside I spotted the Hanukkah mobile! A rabbi and his family tour the city each night of Hanukkah to ensure everyone gets a chance to light candles and share in the spirit of the holiday. It's the closest we'll get to Santa and his sleigh ;-)

The rabbi and his two children lead the candle lighting on the ice at the ice rink inside of Eilat's Ice Mall.

And afterward what did they do... you guessed it, they handed out free doughnuts!

Look what were hanging from the ceiling!

DAY THREE

Lighting a menorah with actual oil for the first time ever! My roommate and I got excited and probably poured too much oil into the little glasses... :)

We decided to check out the competition... check out the menorah and candle lighting in the Herods Hotel in Eilat!

DAYS 4-8 ... haven't happened yet!

__________________

And lastly, I think my favorite picture has to be this one:

A gelt wrapper on the ground of a public high school in Eilat. It's a small reminder that I'm living in the only Jewish country in the world.

Happy Hanukkah from Israel!

A Family Reunion and a Jewish Identity Crisis Solved

For me, coming to Israel has in [big] part been about rediscovering my roots. During my recent trip to Jerusalem I had the opportunity to do just this. Reconnecting with cousins after spending generations divided by an ocean is a magical feeling. 

Thanks to my father, Leon Taranto, who for years has been conducting extensive genealogical research, this glorious meeting of long-lost family members was made possible.

Left to right: Cousin Graziella, me and Cousin Natan! I am meeting them for the first time ever!

Natan and his daughter Ela (my seventh (Dad is this correct?) cousins) scooped me up from my hotel, which they informed me is in a new neighborhood in Jerusalem, and brought me closer in to the city to take a walk back in time. Our destination was a Jerusalem neighborhood called Ohel Moshe. 

Entrance to Ohel Moshe neighborhood.

Ohel Moshe is special to my family because there my family has a synagogue that bears the great Taranto name ;-). Once of my patrilineal uncles was the synagogue’s founder in the late 1800s. It is called the Yom Tov Taranto synagogue in his name.

Ela and me in front of the synagogue! That plaque up top says my last name in Hebrew!

Yom Tov (my uncle from way back when) never had any sons, or perhaps any children at all. Instead of bequeathing the synagogue unto a person, he mandated that the synagogue be forever existing as a synagogue. 

Standing in the very room that I know in which one of my family members more than 100 years ago stood is a weird feeling. There is almost a forced sense of familiarity. I should add that it is slightly troubling when I ponder about whether Uncle Yom Tov would approve of my lifestyle and way of thinking… not that I need his approval. 

The synagogue consists of one small room and lacks a place inside for women to worship. Instead there is a bench outside for the women. I respect that orthodox congregations separate men and women - however I do believe in the availability equal worshipping facilities. I am of an egalitarian mind. (So I guess I am saying I do not approve of the lack of availability of indoor seating for women at my family’s congregation.)

Seen on the right - the bench from where women are welcome to worship.

Following the our visit to the synagogue Natan and Ela took me for some yummy vegan eats at a nearby natural bakery where my eyes and nose were aroused like never before. We picked up a few different pastries and then headed a few shops down to sit and sip homemade apple and pear cider. Public Service Announcement: If you have not yet tried pear cider, you need to jump on the bandwagon immediately!

Inside the bakery. (Just had a thought: why is she touching her hair? That's a bit unsanitary....)

YUM!

Left to right: green apple cider, pear cider, red apple cider.

Then on the way back to the hotel I got to meet Natan's mother Graziella who was born in Greece and later lived in Italy. We communicated in multiple different languages, it was amazing!

After my mini family reunion I returned to the leadership conference I had been attending in Jerusalem. Speaker after speaker, we as participants were challenged to answer the question: What does being a Jew mean to you?

To me, being Jewish is not about the religion or any type of spiritual connection with a god. Rather, to me, being Jewish is about my heritage and family. I believe that Judaism just so happens to also be a religion, a governing system, a set of guidelines for eating, etc… In my opinion, to be Jewish one does not need to subscribe to the religion and rules of Judaism.

(And I must add: by the word “family” I am not just talking about my family. In my opinion  just by being born unto someone Jewish you are automatically a part of the Jewish family. It is a worldwide family- Kazakhstan, Australia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Chile, Bolivia, Sweden, France, India, China, and the list goes on… As a Jewish person, I know that if I was in one of these countries and there were some kind of emergency I would automatically have somewhere to stay, just in knowing there is a Jewish community in existence.)

Participants from my summit. The people pictured are from Russia, the U.S., Poland and Israel; at the conference there were also people from Argentina, Ukraine, Sweden, France, Bulgaria, South Africa, England, Canada, Chile, Venezuela, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Italy, Romania, Spain and Australia, and probably more that I am forgetting!

However — when I think about calling myself “Jewish,” in my head I am divided. In general when I think about religions I feel that religions divide people, which is why religion is a tough topic for me to think about. I wonder, am I being a hypocrite by putting religion down but then also calling myself “Jewish” and associating with “the Jewish people?”

I struggle with this thought. And then I remind myself that there can be two types of Judaism  ethnic Judaism as a race and ideologic Judaism as a religion. 

Anyone can be a Jew in ideology. However not everyone can be a Jew ethnically. I am an ethnic Jew but I am not an ideologic Jew. Every ancestor before me has been Jewish. Because of this I can't make myself un-Jewish. I do not need to practice Judaism to be Jewish. The thoughts in my head are not necessarily in line with the tenets of the religion of Judaism, and that is okay.

For me the phenomenon of meeting my long-lost cousins coupled with my attendance of the convention has assisted me in defining what Judaism is to me specifically: It’s not a religion, it’s a family.

Another cousin, Tal, from the same branch of the family. I wasn't sure where to include this picture in this post so I am including it here! We are the same age!

Time to Re-Lod!

Did I mean to say “re-load” instead of "Re-Lod?" No, I did not! Lod (pronounced “load”) is a city in Israel and Re-Lod is the name of a project whose mission is to revitalize the city through the power of the people.

Yesterday with the conference I am currently attending I and about 30 others visited Lod as part of a guided service-learning tour. Our tour guide was Yuval Bdolach, CEO of the Re-Lod Project. The Re-Lod project facilitates student villages in Lod where university students can have a more unique student community experience, dedicating part of their time to servicing their community.

First stop on our tour: some really old ruins in Lod! Circa 1000 years ago I think?

Bdolach told us that Lod is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, having been resided in, to this day, for 8,000 years. Lod is one of the only cities in the world where the same building houses Jewish religious services and Islamic religious services. It serves as a working model for coexistence. (Side note: this theme of coexistence in Lod reminds me of the same in Haifa. Remember this?)

Thirty minutes southeast of Tel-Aviv and about one hour northwest of Jerusalem, you would think that because of its central location in Israel, Lod would be full of young professionals and middle-to-upper class families. This is not the case.

In Israel Lod is known for being a more run-down area and is comprised approximately of 70% Jewish Israelis and of 30% Arab Israelis. 

Anthropologists and sociologists often theorize that a city will prosper when a strong population moves in. This theory is the basis for the Re-Lod project and for an organized network of orthodox religious families who believe that just by living in Lod they are helping to strengthen the community and the city. The families think that just by demanding more out of their everyday services and schools they can make a tangible difference in the quality of life in Lod. 

They claim it’s working. One woman told us that in the last three years the cost of housing in Lod has increased by 300 percent. (Wow! Right?)

This orthodox woman has a well-paying job as a scientist. She and her husband can afford to live in a "better" area but they would rather be the change they wish to see in Lod. She told us that by calling to complain when the trash removal crew is late, and by demanding for better education for her children in public schools she can help make Lod better for everyone.

Rather than a trickle-down system that focuses first on getting more government funding to revamp the city’s infrastructure, the individuals we met practice a trickle-up system that starts with Lod’s residents and its youth.

Bdolach chose four sites in the city that he wanted to show us. He didn’t ask for our money. All he asked is that we tell people about Lod.

We visited two community centers, the site of an excavated building and the first and only Cafe Cafe (like an Israeli Panera) in Lod.

The Chicago Community Center is one site where Re-Lod houses its student volunteers. The students are comprised 70% of Jewish Israelis and 30% of Arab Israelis in order to proportionately represent the city’s demographics. The students host events for school children in the neighborhood, they watch movies and play games - it’s really up to the kids to decide what they want to do. 

About to enter the Chicago Community Center in Lod!

A few years ago (I’m not exactly sure of the exact year) when the project first opened its doors there was not an immediate success. Five students came at first, and then those five brought another five and so on, until eventually the project was well known around town.

But there have been bumps in the road. One of the participants in my group asked Bdolach: How did the Summer 2014 Operation Protective Edge affect the Re-Lod project?

Bdolach’s answer: Initially it raised tensions between the two factions. Many of the Arab residents have family living in Gaza, and many of the Jewish residents have friends and/ or family serving in the IDF. During the operation, Re-Lod did not cease its programming. Instead it kept its doors open, a symbol of hope that there is a chance for the community to stay united even in challenging times. 

The last stop on our tour (and the yummiest) was the Cafe Cafe in Lod. This particular Cafe Cafe isn’t just a Cafe Cafe. It’s the red ribbon symbol of what is yet to come in Lod as a result of the blood, sweat and tears contributed by Re-Lod and the Lod community.

The only coffeeshop in Lod.

I am excited to visit Lod in five or 10 years (probably sooner though…) and see how the city has changed. After meeting such committed and invested community members, I believe in Lod. 

Staging a Silent Protest; This Vegan is in Jerusalem

Yesterday I arrived to Jerusalem for a five-day leadership conference sponsored and organized by an organization called Masa Israel. I have met people from all over the world here. I'm guessing there are about 200 participants. But more on that in a later post.

One of the planned activities for today is taking place in the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo right now as I write this. Instead I am in the hotel. Yesterday I mentioned to one of the staff members that I didn't feel comfortable going to the Zoo. He told me that at the Zoo we wouldn't see the animals, we would just be going to use the space for our activities.

The Zoo is less than a mile from our hotel. I joined the group for the walk to the Zoo, but when I got close to the entry gates, I simply couldn't enter. There were banners in the front of the Zoo with pictures of nonhuman animals' faces. I couldn't go in.

Entry gates to the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem

I found a staff member and she tried to assure me that a lot of the animals are either in the process of being rehabilitated before being reintroduced to the wild, or, they are on the brink of becoming extinct. I haven't decided how I feel about human animals intervening in the existence of other animals- BUT I do know that I don't believe nonhuman animals should be forced to exist to serve as a form of entertainment for human animals. Perhaps if they were able to give consent then I would not be opposed ... but who knows if we will ever be able to communicate with nonhuman animals in the same way that we communicate with human animals.

The point is: I would not want someone to take me away from everything I know as normal and then put me in a confined area where I can't leave, with little-to-no privacy. I'd feel like I was living in a glass house. What kind of life is that?

So alone, I walked back to the hotel and, silently, I protested.

And though my protest is silent in decibels, it will be heard with more strength than a loud revolt. I am getting inside people's brains. Other participants at this convention are are probably wondering, where is Rebecca? And when they ask me later tonight where I was, I will have the opportunity to explain to them why I didn't feel it was appropriate for me to enter into a this type of 'prison.' And so the seed is planted.

The seeds in their heads will grow. They will ask more and more questions. We will have a dialogue, and not because I brought it up in conversation (I will never bring up my views on this subject out of the blue), but because they did - they want to know. People are intrigued by other people who break from the norm - especially when the norm is their norm.

Later in the week or the month I imagine that at least one person from this convention will in their own time look more into veganism and the movement for recognizing the inalienable rights of nonhuman animals. And to me, if I can just spark a little interest in one person, I, along with others who are doing the same, can change the world. We may be small, but we are mighty. Rome wasn't built in a day ... right?

It would have been easier for me to turn a blind eye and say, I am just one person - what does it matter if I go in there? But that is the problem, I would know. And I would not be able to forgive myself. And I am not just one person, I am my person, and so I have to do right by me.

So I didn't go to the Zoo.

The Iron Dome is in My Backyard!

Having a stress fracture of the foot in Eilat has been quite challenging considering I have to use public transportation to get anywhere (my dear car, how I miss you!), BUT I would say I am now 85% of the way to being fully recovered from my injury with just a two to three weeks to go until I can kick back into running and hiking.

Speaking of hiking... this week my group went on an organized hike of one of Eilat's tallest mountains, which just so happens to be directly behind my apartment building. I had to sit out :( However, rest assured that I made sure to find some sort of adventure. I waited for the group at the base of the mountain. And this mountain wasn't just any old mountain. This mountain houses the IRON DOME!!! That's right, the Iron Dome is in my backyard!

That small brown square on the bottom left base of the mountain is the Iron Dome. There are about 12 of them spread all over Israel. Eilat has two.

So while my group climbed, I sat about 100 feet away from one of Israel's most famous defense devices. Is this real life?

The soldiers who guard this particular Iron Dome battery told us we could not take any pictures of the machinery from up close, otherwise I would have posted a much better picture! Up close it looks SO COOL! For the hour or so that my group hiked I sat and conversed with one of the soldiers in Hebrish/Engbrew about what life is like for him now that he is in the army. He has been in the army for about a year, so I would guess he is 19 years old. Let's call him "Shmuel."

Shmuel's diet while on base consists mainly of bread, cheese and boxed tuna. Shmuel stands guard for four hours, and then has eight hours off, and then repeats this schedule again and again. Shmuel has never left Israel despite having family in a a couple other countries. Shmuel gets bored quite often because his post is not frequented at all, with the exception of occasional hikers. Shmuel and his fellow soldiers like to give the hikers a small scare, [harmlessly] questioning them and their motives, when they get close to the guarded area, since he said it is so boring to stand guard all day. I laughed but told him I wouldn't find it very funny if I was on the other side of the joke... Shmuel couldn't remember the word in Hebrew for "cable car" despite being a native Israeli - I knew it though! It's: Ra-kev-el :)

There they go!

They are as small as ants up there!

Some cool facts about the Iron Dome here.

You can now all rest assured knowing I am neighbors with the Iron Dome and that my neighbor is protecting my friends and I 24/7 from any and all airborne threats that could potentially be posed. Because that's the reality of the situation...

Goodnight from Israel 8-)

My New Job: The Flower Girl

This week I began a new job at the Royal Beach.

Flower Selfie!

But before I continue, a little backstory: I had been working for a week in the VIP lounge at the hotel until the doctor told me I had a stress fracture in my right foot. I rested for a week and then hooray - my program coordinator found me a new job that is less demanding for the legs. I am back to work! Though it's a different kind of work...

I now work in the flower studio at the Royal Beach. We are a back-of-house team, which means we have zero interactions with the guests. There are only two or three of us working at a time so I have already gotten to know my two wonderful trainers quite well.

Gale made Aliyah more than 30 years ago from England and Ruti is a native Israeli. They are both very warm and maternal, constantly reminding me I should be sitting more. They are wonderful teachers in the art of floral design.

I love my new job! This is what I see every day:

A panoramic view of the work counter inside the flower studio.

Yesterday was only my second day and already they let me make arrangements from roses!

Before... (that green sponge is about to disappear!)

After!

Here's another one I did! Made from the same kind of roses lying on the counter.

Making the arrangements is quite therapeutic. It almost is like putting together a puzzle, only the puzzle has about six different dimensions - appearance, smell, cleanliness, size, feel, age (probably I am leaving something out...).

It is also nice to be learning something new, outside of the hospitality umbrella. And though the change is refreshing, I do miss service. To me there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the smile on a guest's face after you have made him or her feel cared-for. 

Eventually after my foot heals I think I will probably return to service, but for now I am so happy to be the newest flower girl at the Royal Beach! Who knows, maybe this'll even add a line to my resume... My flower mentors say that if you have the skills to work with flowers you can get a job anywhere in the world.

Ruti making a beautiful arrangement for [I think?] the lobby. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of Gale... yet! ;) 

I am amazed by all of the arrangements we make for the hotel. I don't think I have ever stayed in a hotel with such nice vegetation. Where do all of these bouquets and vases go? Every single room in the hotel gets at least one arrangement, some get three, some get more.

Another nice thing about my new job is that I don't have to wear a uniform - though I'm not sure if it actually is nice because it takes me longer to get ready when I have to decide what to wear ;) And not to mention more laundry for me :'(

I am excited to see what is to come in this new job and hope every day brings something new and beautiful.

Thank You to the Good People :)

I have a stress fracture in my right foot. The doctor found it on an X-ray last week. Since my foot will not heal for a month I've had to literally take a step back.

I didn't want to post a blog without a photo... so here is one of the subject matter!

In the couple weeks where I've been less than mobile I've really felt the warmth of other people. It is now time to acknowledge everyone for reminding me that people are good.

Thank you to:

Maîlyss, my French friend, who taught me to play the French card game Tarot, something I can do while sitting. If you hadn't invited me to play cards those few nights I would have been stuck in my apartment unsuccessfully trying to find a bootlegged version of Mockingjay online.

Ruslan, my French-Ukrainian friend who the other day carried not only my groceries from the grocery store to our apartment, but also his own. You saved me from making a whole other trip to the store by the amount of items you carried for me.

Dana, my Israeli vegan work friend who came to visit me where I live after hearing the news that I was injured. You made me feel really special, venturing all the way out to Beit Isrotel just to see little old me!

Raluca, my Romanian friend, who asked if she could run any errands for me. Thank you also for walking in the back with me and for the halva on my birthday :)

Scott, my American friend, who helped me up the hill in the park when we had a group activity. Without you there would have been no hope for me to get up that Everest-like mound!

My parents for putting up with my 73,324,723,023,443 phone calls. I bet you only really do it because you have to :]

Li, my birthright tourguide who I saw the other day, for offering special healing to my foot. Your positive energy lifted up my day!

My roommates, for checking in periodically to see how I am doing. Thanks guys!

To random people in passing for asking me why I am limping, recognizing that I am not okay. You, in particular, remind me that people are inherently good and we all have the power to make another person's day. 

To Rami, my program leader, for arranging a new job for me so that I can continue in the program. Thank you, a lot! I know it would have been easier to take "no" for an answer from the higher ups but you found away to make it work for me.

To Carmen, my ulpan teacher, for teaching me the Hebrew words for "broken" and "clinic." Even when I am stuttering over words that I didn't know existed a few days ago you are determined to cement them into my brain.

To everyone else on my program whose name wasn't specifically mentioned, for continuing to check in with me and make sure I am still alive. Robyn, Kitty, Dakota, Kostia, Maksym, Perla and Dima.

When you are in another country it's hard to feel like you have anyone that cares about you, especially when you do not have family around. Each and every small offering of help and well wishes has meant the world to me and though this isn't even the most serious injury in the world, it's no picnic either.

(Also - I would be a terrible American if I submitted this post without mentioning that Thanksgiving was yesterday... Happy Thanksgiving everyone!)

With that, Shabbat Shalom ya'll!

What to Do When You're Bored

In the past few days I feel I have truly become an expert on how to fill hours in which you are forced to be sedentary. While I would much rather be exploring the city or working in my new job, I am stuck at home with a bad foot...

If you ever find yourself trapped in the same boat (hopefully not), here are 10 things you can do to help occupy your time:

1) Annoy your closest relatives with likes and comments on either old or embarrassing pictures/ posts on Facebook.

2) Find a movie to watch that epitomizes the downward spiral that is Shannon Doherty's acting career. Warning: it will be highly nap-inducing.

3) Become friends with your shoes! (That's Harry on the left, and Sally on the right.)

4) Learn the magic of Osem soup packets! It doesn't quite look like the picture but it sure does taste like the stuff of powdery goodness I've read about on other Israel blogs...

5) Catch up on all those dumb TV shows you wouldn't otherwise have time for :) And also discover that neither HuluPlus nor HBOgo work outside of the US :( So much for catching up on Blackish...

6) Learn how to grow an avocado tree. Yes, this is definitely useful knowledge to have so don't question it! Just watch.

7) Rediscover the greatness of Beyonce.

8) Pester your roommates nonstop about what they did all day in an effort to live vicariously through them:

9) Eat almost all of your food and then realize you didn't plan well enough for your resting time because all you have left to eat is a can of peas and a mango... great... now I have to interrupt the resting and go to the store...

10) Attempt to learn a foreign language by trying to decipher the characters in your doctor's note. Wait... when am I supposed to return to work?

By the time you have completed this list you will realize that people in America are finally waking up and you can now harass everyone you know overseas on Skype!

Going to the Doctor in Israel

Well... my right foot started hurting a bit more than a week ago. Like any other stubborn human being, I told myself to ignore it. It's not like my knees are hurting, foot pain will go away - I don't need to rest. Two morning jogs later, and it got a lot worse. It hurt to do anything, at all. Having a job where I am always on my feet did not make anything better.

After some good old Google research I decided that I probably had a small stress fracture in my foot. But without an x-ray of any sort I couldn't really be sure what it was.

So what was a girl to do? After a couple days I came to my senses and decided to ask my program leader to coordinate for me a visit to a doctor here in Israel. For me this was a last resort - I hate more than anything to be restricted and I knew a doctor would probably tell me I needed to be off my feet and rest. Not knowing when the next time I will be able to go for a leisurely walk or jog is a terrible feeling. I can't imagine how people who are wheelchair-bound cope.

But the worst part is not working for two days. I had just gotten over my streak of boredom after not working for more than a month. This was the last thing I wanted.

Now, for the nitty gritty on the actual visit:

I had a 12:30 p.m. appointment with a Dr. Sergei. My bus to the clinic was running about 10 minutes late so in turn I was a few minutes late to my appointment. To the clinic in I walked and was immediately unsure of what to do. All instructive lettering was in Hebrew with the exception of a poster on the wall advertising for some kind of prescription drug.

Immediately I turned to the most maternal-looking person in the room and asked her if she spoke English. She told me I needed to get a ticket (and helped me get one since the machine was all in Hebrew) and then to wait until they called my number.

If you have an appointment you shouldn't have to take a number... what's the point of having an appointment?

About 10 minutes later my number was called. "Do you speak English," I asked the woman at the reception desk. She told me there is a special clinic at another location where they treat English speakers and that I was in the wrong place but that if I waited 20 minutes they would send for a doctor from said other clinic. This did not seem right to me. I felt a little segregated for some reason... I still haven't fully deciphered the emotion.

So I go reclaim my chair in the waiting area and about 30 minutes later the woman calls me back. She pulls my name back up in the computer database and goes, "It looks like you have an appointment at 12:30 p.m." I thought to myself, DUH woman! But instead what came out was, "Yes, it is with Dr. Sergei, an orthopedist, for my foot." I already told you this the first time I came to your desk! She replied, "You are an hour late, here, go to the waiting area for exam room four," and handed me another ticket. I wouldn't have been so late if I had been able to sign in for the appointment when I first arrived! Also.. looking back.. she never explained why I wasn't seeing the special doctor who she earlier had said was coming specially for me.

Anyway... I waited another 15 minutes to see the doctor who ended up not being Dr. Sergei. Dr. Galina is an Israeli woman probably in her 60s with a slightly rough tone to her voice. There is not much else I have to say about her. We spent all of five minutes together. She wrote me two prescriptions- one for an ointment and another for anti-inflammatory pills. She also told me to rest for three days and if the problem persists to come back. She did not provide any sort of diagnosis or attempt to determine with me the cause.

Later when I went to the pharmacy I had to get yet another number from a machine to wait in line. Today I felt like I was literally just a number all day...

All in all, as a foreigner in a country where you do not speak the official language, I do not recommend visiting the doctor alone (or at all if avoidable). The visit was a lot more stressful than it needed to be. But at least I am well prepared in case there is a next time!

(As I write this post the affected foot has't made contact with the ground for about four hours. I'm not exactly sure how showering is going to work, but I do love a good challenge ;)

I Work at the Royal Beach Hotel

Two days so far I have spent working in the hotel industry in Eilat. For those of you who do not know, Eilat is Israel's resort town. The beach is lined with hotel after hotel and the almost-year-round beach weather brings in many tourists from all over Israel, Russia, France and many other countries. 

The program I am on has a partnership with the Isrotel hotel chain where the participants of my program work in the hotels. The hotel where I am working is the Royal Beach. Many Eilat-ians have told me that the Royal Beach is the most luxurious of Isrotel's nine hotels in Eilat. I work in the VIP lounge, or in Hebrew: the טרקלין (tarkleen). 

Only guests who are staying in special suites or who have paid an extra fee have access to the tarkleen. The tarkleen is open from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. There is an all-you-can-eat buffet that is changed four times throughout the day. In keeping with with the laws of kashrut the buffet is pescetarian (there are milk and fish but no other meats). 

In my two days of work most of the guests who have come into the tarkleen have been either Israeli or French, with a small sprinkling of Russians, British people and one man from Switzerland who had nearly accent-less English. Usually the guests approach me with their queries in Hebrew and 90% of the time I have no idea what they're saying. Nearly everyone is able to speak English though. The guests have been very patient with me when I try to practice my Hebrew on them. A lot of the Israeli guests tell me there are too many problems in Israel and don't understand why I came here.

In terms of the work I am not exactly a waitress. I do not take any orders since the tarkleen employs a self-serve buffet. Most of the time I am either bussing tables, polishing silverware or chinaware, or restocking miscellaneous items. Because of my prior experience in the food service biz, it was very easy for me to jump right in. The concept of hospitality here is almost the same, but the company culture is quite different. In order not to violate either company's confidentiality, all I will say is that to me it seems the work culture in Israel is a bit more laid back. I haven't decided yet whether I like it or not. At times it can be a smidgeon bit frustrating. 

The tarkleen usually has three of us "waitresses" working the room at one time, and an additional person is stationed at a desk at the entry to assist VIP guests with checking into the hotel and to ensure guests are properly clothed prior to entering the room. This additional person is called the "secretary." Maybe if I can get my Hebrew up to a higher par I can earn this role before my time in the program expires!

Working alongside me, my trainer Dana coincidentally is also a vegan. When I discovered this it was such a feeling of relief. FINALLY - another person who gets it! I am not alone anymore :) She tells me which foods in the work cafeteria are vegan and helps me with my Hebrew.

My vegan buddy Dana with one of the chefs!

It has been great to finally begin working and I am beginning to actually feel immersed in Israeli life. Maybe soon I will be able to help every guest only in Hebrew!