Tonight it was decided that I would learn an Israeli game called Yaniv. We sat down to play the game and the rules were explained in detail for me. Like every good kiwi I took note of the rules, asked the appropriate questions and set out to play the game. It was relatively simple and I caught on quickly. However there was one thing I was not told....
As the game progressed I noticed a surprising amount of people knew each others cards. I assumed this was due to extreme attention being paid (the sort I can't be bothered giving to a card game). I naively continued to play and was surprised that people appeared to also know a large amount about my cards. Then as the game was coming to a close I noticed people were actually willingly showing each other their cards and there was no need for subtlety before looking at someones cards. I have never been the best at hiding my cards but I have this innocent expectation that people don't actually try and look at them. The entire game I avoided looking at other peoples cards meanwhile everyone else knew at the very least what the people on either side of them had. Finally after the points had been scored people started to share other information. Not only had everyone looked at each others cards, cards has also been slipped to one another and who knows what else!
I have learned a vital lesson for future card games, cheating is not only allowed but encouraged and if I want to lose every single card game I should continue to be honest. Oy the moral decay has begun! However, really I will hold onto my ideal of cards. It's really not the same when everyone cheats! No one truly wins which is a very disappointing end to the game.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Itchy feet
I have been here for three months, I am settled, I enjoy my work, my friends, my shul etc etc. I was concerned that I would reach this point and forget I was ever going to leave. Maybe it's my age or just me being me, but now I am bored of Melbourne and I'm ready to start planning my escape to Israel. To be fair this time last year I was also thinking about going to Israel, Kristi can vouch for that! I decided to go with logic and follow my Rabbi's advice. I made a small move and of course now the excitement of that move has passed I still want to make the big move.
The little terrified child inside of me wants to go and lie on mum's couch for the rest of my life. The adventurous, dominant version of myself would like to be in Israel already. Of course being a planner I am screaming "THIS WASN'T THE PLAN" but if I could be there already I would be.
I have also just discovered if I go with Korean Airlines I can fly there and back for around AUD$2000, about half the price of the others. I'm really not looking forward to the idea of flying that far, but it's a little shorter than 40 years so I guess I should be happy :) So there's my pondering for the night, whether it materialises into concrete plans remains to be seen but it certainly makes this world a little more interesting. Shabbat Shalom everyone!
The little terrified child inside of me wants to go and lie on mum's couch for the rest of my life. The adventurous, dominant version of myself would like to be in Israel already. Of course being a planner I am screaming "THIS WASN'T THE PLAN" but if I could be there already I would be.
I have also just discovered if I go with Korean Airlines I can fly there and back for around AUD$2000, about half the price of the others. I'm really not looking forward to the idea of flying that far, but it's a little shorter than 40 years so I guess I should be happy :) So there's my pondering for the night, whether it materialises into concrete plans remains to be seen but it certainly makes this world a little more interesting. Shabbat Shalom everyone!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Hello again
I currently have not spoken to any Israeli's since I woke up so I thought I should blog while I can still speak English.
I think the hardest thing about writing a blog is actually picking a title. You guys don't actually care because the only people reading this are those who care enough about me to want to know I am alive. So really I could just write yes I'm still alive every time and not write anything else. However, for some reason I have this need to sit and ponder the theme of my blog, and the theme of my last week, all just to write a title. Now that I have outlined my dilemma maybe I should actually write a blog :P
This week we have had tisha b'av, which is the day the temple in Yerushalayim was destroyed amidst other things. It's one of those days when I love living in a Jewish community. (I do all the time, but sometimes I REALLY do) We had the day off work and those of us that were going to be fasting were allowed to leave work early the day before. Unfortunately I was sick but had I been well there were various classes to go to and services everywhere. Even better than all of this though; when I walked to my friends to break the fast everyone in the neighbourhood was out and about buying food also. It's so nice to live in an area where every time of joy and every time of sorrow is celebrated communally.
I honestly feel sometimes like I live in a small town, I walk down the street and know most of the people. I know almost everyone in my apartment complex and have a couple of good friends in my apartment complex. I am always being invited everywhere and everyone is in my business. Also, if I am sick about 5 pots of chicken soup will somehow appear on my doorstep. On Shabbat you can walk down the road and greet everyone with Shabbat Shalom. At the time when meals usually finish on Friday night there will be Jew's EVERWHERE. It's a custom not to do washing during the 9 days leading up tisha b'av so suddenly this afternoon the washing lines will be full of everyones washing. On Friday when I go to buy challot the place is full, we have to take numbers and wait for our number to be called. Yet everyone is happy they are preparing for Shabbat. No one cares that they will be waiting for the next half an hour, everyone stands and chats.
I don't think I can convey the joy of living with people like me, people who understand my train of thought, or the problem I am trying to get around. When someone offers me a cup of tea here I don't have to try and figure out if it can be made kosherly, and when someone offers me a cake I can take it. I'm no longer the annoying person at work or uni who has to have specific days off. More importantly everyone know's why it matters. Torah isn't seen as some ancient outdated set of rules that we should give up because we are now 'modern.' I don't have to explain why I do what I do. Everyone understands the beauty of torah to one extent to or another. They intrinsically understand what it means to me, I am respected for the things I am ridiculed for in other groups.
Of course after all my rambling about being in a community I still want to be in Israel. It's great that we have these communities around the world, but it's time to move back to our country. Sapir's ima made my day yesterday and probably my whole week. She said I have a family in Israel and always a room in their house. :D Honestly anyone know a quick way to make money so I can say goodbye to my student loan and get on a plane to ISRAEL? I am currently contemplating becoming an author, however I think that is actually a slow way to make money and I don't actually know if I want to open myself up to so much ridicule. Also, there is cotton picking in summer here which I could always go and do. Sucks as a job and I would have to learn to deal with serious heat, however very very good money. Enough to pay off a reasonable amount of my student loan and go to Israel.
I think the hardest thing about writing a blog is actually picking a title. You guys don't actually care because the only people reading this are those who care enough about me to want to know I am alive. So really I could just write yes I'm still alive every time and not write anything else. However, for some reason I have this need to sit and ponder the theme of my blog, and the theme of my last week, all just to write a title. Now that I have outlined my dilemma maybe I should actually write a blog :P
This week we have had tisha b'av, which is the day the temple in Yerushalayim was destroyed amidst other things. It's one of those days when I love living in a Jewish community. (I do all the time, but sometimes I REALLY do) We had the day off work and those of us that were going to be fasting were allowed to leave work early the day before. Unfortunately I was sick but had I been well there were various classes to go to and services everywhere. Even better than all of this though; when I walked to my friends to break the fast everyone in the neighbourhood was out and about buying food also. It's so nice to live in an area where every time of joy and every time of sorrow is celebrated communally.
I honestly feel sometimes like I live in a small town, I walk down the street and know most of the people. I know almost everyone in my apartment complex and have a couple of good friends in my apartment complex. I am always being invited everywhere and everyone is in my business. Also, if I am sick about 5 pots of chicken soup will somehow appear on my doorstep. On Shabbat you can walk down the road and greet everyone with Shabbat Shalom. At the time when meals usually finish on Friday night there will be Jew's EVERWHERE. It's a custom not to do washing during the 9 days leading up tisha b'av so suddenly this afternoon the washing lines will be full of everyones washing. On Friday when I go to buy challot the place is full, we have to take numbers and wait for our number to be called. Yet everyone is happy they are preparing for Shabbat. No one cares that they will be waiting for the next half an hour, everyone stands and chats.
I don't think I can convey the joy of living with people like me, people who understand my train of thought, or the problem I am trying to get around. When someone offers me a cup of tea here I don't have to try and figure out if it can be made kosherly, and when someone offers me a cake I can take it. I'm no longer the annoying person at work or uni who has to have specific days off. More importantly everyone know's why it matters. Torah isn't seen as some ancient outdated set of rules that we should give up because we are now 'modern.' I don't have to explain why I do what I do. Everyone understands the beauty of torah to one extent to or another. They intrinsically understand what it means to me, I am respected for the things I am ridiculed for in other groups.
Of course after all my rambling about being in a community I still want to be in Israel. It's great that we have these communities around the world, but it's time to move back to our country. Sapir's ima made my day yesterday and probably my whole week. She said I have a family in Israel and always a room in their house. :D Honestly anyone know a quick way to make money so I can say goodbye to my student loan and get on a plane to ISRAEL? I am currently contemplating becoming an author, however I think that is actually a slow way to make money and I don't actually know if I want to open myself up to so much ridicule. Also, there is cotton picking in summer here which I could always go and do. Sucks as a job and I would have to learn to deal with serious heat, however very very good money. Enough to pay off a reasonable amount of my student loan and go to Israel.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sapir is HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
She came on Thursday night. Sadly my Hebrew had disappeared. I couldn't understand anything. Now I can but I really have to work to understand the conversation. I dreamt in Hebrew on Friday night which was very exciting, well in my dream I spoke Hebrew and everyone else spoke English but still I was speaking in full sentences. Also Shannon came earlier this week, so I have had a big friends week. Shannon has disappeared now but Sapir is here for another two weeks. Apparently according to my awful friends I now have a bit of an australian accent, and with Sapir here I have begun dropping my h. Which makes me want to keep typing ere instead of here.
I will write more later, it is rather difficult to write in english while communicating in Hebrew.
She came on Thursday night. Sadly my Hebrew had disappeared. I couldn't understand anything. Now I can but I really have to work to understand the conversation. I dreamt in Hebrew on Friday night which was very exciting, well in my dream I spoke Hebrew and everyone else spoke English but still I was speaking in full sentences. Also Shannon came earlier this week, so I have had a big friends week. Shannon has disappeared now but Sapir is here for another two weeks. Apparently according to my awful friends I now have a bit of an australian accent, and with Sapir here I have begun dropping my h. Which makes me want to keep typing ere instead of here.
I will write more later, it is rather difficult to write in english while communicating in Hebrew.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Home time :)
Today I accidentally went back to NZ. It cost me $3.80 for a return ticket and took approximately 15 minutes to get there. Yup I finally found a mall :) :) :)
I was expecting the mall to be a bit different from NZ. I must admit it did have a few more stories to it than the chch ones, and the train station at the bottom was a novelty. Beyond that, the shops were pretty much identical. There was even a NZ Natural stall!!!! I honestly felt like I was home. Aus is missing one important red shop...I had to go on a very big walk outside the mall to find an equivalent. Now I truly feel like I have found my feet!
Combined with this I had an amazing Friday! I ran the room in the afternoon, the children didn't get enough sleep and it was a short day...In other words everything should have fallen to pieces but IT DIDN'T! The children were calm and happy, everything got done on time, my mat session went well and they all went home smiling. I even got a hug from my boss at the end of the day!
I was expecting the mall to be a bit different from NZ. I must admit it did have a few more stories to it than the chch ones, and the train station at the bottom was a novelty. Beyond that, the shops were pretty much identical. There was even a NZ Natural stall!!!! I honestly felt like I was home. Aus is missing one important red shop...I had to go on a very big walk outside the mall to find an equivalent. Now I truly feel like I have found my feet!
Combined with this I had an amazing Friday! I ran the room in the afternoon, the children didn't get enough sleep and it was a short day...In other words everything should have fallen to pieces but IT DIDN'T! The children were calm and happy, everything got done on time, my mat session went well and they all went home smiling. I even got a hug from my boss at the end of the day!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The zoo aka work
My life is incredibly interesting, so interesting this blog is being devoted to work.
For the last two weeks work has been reasonably calm and relaxing. The two directors of the creche are like extreme balls of energy buzzing around the place. One of these balls is a tad more extreme than the other and she has been in the states for two weeks. Today she came buzzing back in. Suddenly everything needed to be cleaned, systems were changed, jobs were given out. On a normal day this would be ok, on parents visiting day it is insane! The children were late to bed because of their parents and they were so hyped up after all the visitors that each child was another bubbly little energy ball.
After sleep time things appeared calm until the director decided to clean the lizard cage. The poor lizard was left to ammuse itself on the floor. Unfortunately someone (called me) taught the children that you are supposed to scream when you see a lizard. From this point on there was a general chorus of children screaming, teacher's yelling at said children to go back to the table, and then the occasional adult scream as they realised there was a lizard under or near their feet.
For the last two weeks work has been reasonably calm and relaxing. The two directors of the creche are like extreme balls of energy buzzing around the place. One of these balls is a tad more extreme than the other and she has been in the states for two weeks. Today she came buzzing back in. Suddenly everything needed to be cleaned, systems were changed, jobs were given out. On a normal day this would be ok, on parents visiting day it is insane! The children were late to bed because of their parents and they were so hyped up after all the visitors that each child was another bubbly little energy ball.
After sleep time things appeared calm until the director decided to clean the lizard cage. The poor lizard was left to ammuse itself on the floor. Unfortunately someone (called me) taught the children that you are supposed to scream when you see a lizard. From this point on there was a general chorus of children screaming, teacher's yelling at said children to go back to the table, and then the occasional adult scream as they realised there was a lizard under or near their feet.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Internet addiction
I realised tonight that had i enabled the internet on my phone then my mum's inability to bring the map would no longer be an issue. 4 hours have passed and i have downloaded ebuddy, set up fb, surfed and now i am blogging. At least my internet usage was limited by my laptop being off. Now my cellphone is lying by my bed whenever i want to use it. Meaning if i decide i just must email someone or google something i no longer have to move. So probably expect more blogs since i can now write them while i walk.
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