Blogs from Ra'anana, Center District, Israel, Middle East - page 2

Advertisement

Middle East » Israel » Center District » Ra'anana March 4th 2007

So I almost died last night. And not from gunshots or rockets. From the highway. Trying to get to the bar. For real. This all innocently started out as an fun trip to the Temple Bar, in Cinema City, which is a healthy 1/2 hour bus ride for me to get to anyways. The last time I went, it happened to be in a car, so I didn't have to experience the highway of death before. I saw the highway in all it's glory from the relative safety of my friends car. I say "relatively" because if you think that New York and New Jersey drivers are bad, I invite you to come driving or riding in Israel. 100mph is about the norm. The "oh shit handle" becomes your friend (if it even exists) or you ... read more
Itai's Face Painting
Itan and I
Dublin Pub in Jerusalem

Middle East » Israel » Center District » Ra'anana March 2nd 2007

Prelude: I just posted 2 entries at once, so read the other one as well...sorry been quite busy and no internet in the room kinda kills it. I'm having a bit of a dilemma. The problem is this. I've only been here a week and I'm already feeling bogged down by what I have to do as far as ulpan and work. It's not necessarily the fact that I can't handle it, but I keep having to take days off to do the basic oleh chadasha (new immigrant) stuff, such as opening up a bank account, going to misrad haklita (Office of Immigrant Absorption) and such things like that. I still have to make my way to Tel Aviv and meet up with the people in Misrad HaStudentim (Office of Student Affairs to get set up ... read more
Maayan
Mega Event in Jerusalem
Tel Aviv Beaches

Middle East » Israel » Center District » Ra'anana March 2nd 2007

Od rega (hold on a minute). Apparently my Hebrew is much more limited than I thought it was. Not that I was anywhere near fluent anyways, but holy shit. Let's just put it this way. If someone is speaking to me, like my super nice hamorah (female teacher) and goes slowly enough, I can grasp the basic meaning. However....and this is where the big however plays in, my reading and writing sucks. As in by the time I'm done actually phonetically sounding it out like some deaf person and then trying to translate, my homorah is wayyyyy onto the next subject. I feel like a deer caught in the headlights when she calls on me to read. I just freeze and go "Oh shit. Ani lo bevakasha!" (Not me please!) After playing musical ulpan, I finally ... read more
Our Hearts Lay Here...
Stupid Lizard!
I know how you feel....

Middle East » Israel » Center District » Ra'anana February 24th 2007

So turns out....Ika's son is gorgeous. Enough said about that because I'll just sound like a girl. :) We're hanging out later this week. Their house is amazing. It's this Spanish style villa in a moshav (gated community). They have 4 floors to it and it has vaulted ceilings. The backyard has fresh mint, thyme, jasmine, lemon and banana trees. Ika actually gave me some fresh herbs to use in my tea which make tea out of this world! Each one of their sons rooms has a LCD flat monitor screen with a new computer, new stereos and big TV. It's like luxury living in Israel basically compared to most houses I have been in since coming here and it's certainly big time compared to where I am staying! Dinner was delicious...and in classic Jewish mother ... read more
Behind the Mercaz
Random Beautiful Flower
Apartment Buildings

Middle East » Israel » Center District » Ra'anana February 22nd 2007

So the craziness continued today. Of course. I mean becoming a new immigrant in any country is an adventure in of itself. But this country is famous for its quirks...or as they say an "Only in Israel Moment" I promised pictures and I took some of the lovely great city of Ra'anana where I am living and of my room. I am staying in what's called a mercaz klita (absorption center) which is basically just a dorm room with a kitchen, bathroom and dining room area. The friggen doves or pigeons or whatever they are need to die. They're my new morning wakeup call much like roosters are to Americans. I'm thinking of slowly poisoning them or something. Or just beating them with a broom. Either or. Just to get them away from my window. Let ... read more
Millions of Koi
My New Home
My Room

Middle East » Israel » Center District » Ra'anana February 21st 2007

So to start off this blog....I have a promise to make....a promise is that I will update this blog as often as I can and also have pictures when I can as well. Today there are no pictures as I ran out of batteries for my camera. But there will be. Now with that out of the way, let's continue shall we? "Shalom. At oleh chadasha? Shalom Eretz Y'Israel! B'Hatzlacha" Since my Hebrew deficient friends (not like I'm any better myself haha) are reading this, that translates into "Hello! Are you a new immigrant? Welcome to Israel! Good luck!" But let's back up to the actual ride over here itself. Packing everything that you'll need for a new life in a new country is a harrowing enough job as it is. Let me put it to ... read more




Tot: 0.118s; Tpl: 0.006s; cc: 6; qc: 47; dbt: 0.0506s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb