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My Grandmother's Yard
This house was one of the first buildings constructed in Ra'annana. I arrived in Israel after 8 long hours in the Charles DeGaulle airport. All I really have to say about that experience is that you better have two hours in between your flights because getting from terminal to terminal is a job and a half, and you also better figure out a way to smuggle your own water, because the freaking French try and charge you 4 euros for a bottle of water. And it's not even a good ole 20 oz American size bottle of water. It's one of those socialist bottles of water that is in some metric weight that I don't even know how to read. And they don't have any restaurants in the "secure" terminal. My four and a half hour flight from Paris to Israel was aboard some crappy Airbus plane (sorry I don't know the number of this one, Matt...once I saw it was European, I decided to hell with that) that didn't even have televisions for a movie, and I decided to just try and sleep it off. I was starving, needless to say, by the time I got to Israel.
The first night I was in Israel I crashed pretty hard, due
to the fact that I slept little on all of my flights. Friday was my first full day in Israel. My grandmother woke me up around 10, and after a shower, we headed off to the grocery store. Grocery stores in Israel are an experience. People in Israel don't seem to have the same social graces as they do in America, though I admit that people in America can be pretty classless. If someone doesn't like where you've put your cart, then they will just go ahead and move it for you. I spent a good deal of time chasing down my cart, but then ultimately got the hang of it. The great thing about the grocery stores here is that all the produce is grown locally, so it's basically a farmer's market in every grocery store. You can smell the produce when you walk in; it's not like the waxed fruit from Mexico and Peru that's sitting in the Publix in Florida. The bread section too is great, with all sorts of pitas and rye breads baking at all hours of the day. Although Fridays are the busiest days in the grocery stores in Israel, due to the Sabbath,
they are arguably the best day to go, because all the freshest breads, meats, etc. are there for people to purchase for Friday night dinner.
After the grocery store, my grandmother and I took a trip down to the Marina in Herzliya (a city a little bit north of Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean). The weather was amazing: warm, with a breeze coming in off the sea. The Mediterranean is such a beautiful blue, the smell of the sea is really something special. The Marina has received a considerable upgrade since the last time I was there about five years ago, and now there is a huge mall next to the harbor. My grandmother and I went into the mall, and walked around a bit, but I have to say that Israeli fashion leaves something to be desired. Muffin tops abound. Because it was Friday, there was a large outdoor market that had assembled in the Marina area, and people were selling dried fruits, breads, tapestries, cheap jewelery, etc. It was nice to see, but I lived here too long to get caught up in buying stuff like that.
The last notable thing for Friday was my meal at Kipah Adumah (The Red Hat). This restaurant has been a staple in my neighborhood since I was at least 3 years old, and my father and I have shared many a meal there. It's very special to me, and has the best falafel and shawarma I've ever tasted. It may have been because I was hungry, but the meal I had on Friday at Kipa Adumah was probably the best I've ever had there. Of course, this is the kind of place that would never stand up to health inspections in the US, but I think that adds more flavor.
That was pretty much it for Friday...today, my cousins, uncle and aunt came over to my grandmother's house for Saturday lunch. My grandmother made all of my favorite foods, including stuffed peppers, chicken soup with matzah balls, baked chicken, and tongue (I know it sounds gross but until you try it, you don't know how amazing it is). Now, I'm at my aunt and uncle's house pirating their internet, but since I can't actually get my computer to work, I can't post any of the pictures I've taken so far. I promise I'll edit later.
Later this week I should be seeing some of my father's friends, and maybe a few of my high school friends. I will update as I can!
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Jana
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Mazel Tov!
Hey Shylie! I am so happy to hear that you made it out of CDG alive...I hope my experience is not as terrible. At least you are with your family (which I am sure means yummy food and good times). When do you make your way to South Africa? Enjoy Isreal!