The world is MY oyster

The best job

2012-02-07T19:06:00.001+01:00

It's challenging, it's tough. You have zero vacations. Zero. No sick days either. You're under payed, and that's an understatement. It's interesting and u always learn something new. You can't really be promoted, but you can make new clients. They are not easy though. They demand all your attention and energy and time. They don't take 'no' as an answer and they will let you know that wherever you are and whomever you're with.
But it's still the best job I've ever had.
I'm my own boss, and I decide today's program. I get to be with ppl I love and adore. I can use my creativity every day. And I have to.
I make the rules and have to make others follow them. I need to be reasonable and fair.
I get to sing, laugh, cry, smile, hug, kiss, play, cook & bake, go for walks, and teach every day.

Being a mom. Really the job I've enjoyed most.

Listen to me

2012-01-21T00:27:00.001+01:00

It's the same old cycle: I have an opinion, an instinct, about how to rase my child. The ppl around me have a different opinion. They sometimes let me know what it is, and sometimes just act differently. Sometimes they make a funny face and suggest a different way.
Then I start changing my ways a bit. I do my best to think and decide which way is best. I find myself thinking too much and doing everything wrong. I suffer. My child suffers.
I realize I've been trying to do something that contradicts my believes. I promise myself and my son that I wont do it again.

I do it again.

The most important tipp I've ever heard since I became a mother, was to get ear plugs. Not coz the kid will be loud. But because everyone will allways have something to say about your choises as a parent.
And unless you stop listening to them, and start following your instincts (in case you can recognize them, after years of ignoring them), you'll find yourself very stressed, trying to please everyone else but yourself, and that can make you very unhappy.

His first steps

2012-01-19T00:50:00.001+01:00

Were made to reach the plate of chocolates :-)

Back into me

2012-01-15T21:46:00.001+01:00

When you become a parent your priorities change completely. You start thinking about the well being of your kids and somewhere along the way you forget your own.
It's normal of course. But it's only when you do something for yourself again, that you realize that you've missed it.
It's when you suddenly look into yourself, and recognize an old friend you haven't seen in a long time. The deeper you go inside and the nicer what you're doing is, the more familiar and comfortable it gets.
You suddenly miss that person, that being, that feeling. You try to plan more time for yourself, more activities you enjoy doing alone, without your kids.

It's not easy for me to plan these things. I want to but I also want to continue breastfeeding (and I still do!), my son still doesn't go to a daycare for all kinds of reasons, and there is no family close enough to help be with him during the week.
That leaves me the weekends only, when Rob's home and can stay with him. Just that on the weekends I would like to spend time with my family, and so I usually don't plan anything else.

But I must. Because I enjoy it so much and it revives me.

The 52nd week

2011-12-01T21:12:00.001+01:00

Nobody counts a baby's age in weeks as soon as the baby is 2, 3 monthes old. However, one theory on babies' development describes the usual mood of a child in every week of his or her first year alive.
We've now entered week 52.
Soon it'll be a year since I went into labor, and thinking about that day makes me very excited and emotional. I can almost feel the thrill of that evening. It was one of the most amazing nights I've ever had, if not the most.
I would do it all over again.
And now, watching this baby grow, is not less exciting.
I can't wait for his birthday, I want him to feel the happiness we feel about him beeing in our lives.

By the way, these kitschi words were written after a few days of not much sleep, and an evening of trying to get this little one to go to bed on time, without success.

I still love it.

Like growing another body part

2011-11-11T00:13:00.001+01:00

Yes, I love my baby. And yes, I loved him before he was ever born. In a way. But what isn't obvious is learning to love your new born and leaving space for the other loved ones in your life.

They say the first year of the first born, and actualy of every new baby in the family, is very hard on the parent. The many changes in life, the responsibility, the tiredness, the life changing decisios they need to make, the uneven number 3 that comes in the place of the perfectly ballanced number 2.

They are all right. It's not easy.
The key word is communication. But it's easier said than done. When you don't have much time with your partner alone, the last thing you want to do is talk about the problems and going through them. Sitting together on the couch, watching your favorite tv show is much nicer. But that doesn't help, when the next arguement comes along. Then you tell yourself: why did I not share my feelings last time we disagreed about it?

It takes time to learn the new game's rules. It's a new land for both parents, and they both need to find their way in it and draw their own map. Then they both have to not forget eachother in this map, and learn from eachothers drawings. And third they need to remember that this map is very likely to be changed every day, by the baby, the other parent and by life itself, which brings a new challange on a regular basis.

And what does all this have to do with the titel?
So you love your baby. That's great. And your love grows every day. Every time you look at him. That's super. But the real task is to let your heart grow, so that you can have the same amount of love for both your partner and your baby. And that is like growing another body part. Or just like making your heat bigger. That's what it feels like to me.

It's amazing that ppl can do that.
And yes, we can.

What is work

2011-11-05T20:37:00.002+01:00

It's been a year since I stopped working. In Germany you go on maternity leave 6 weeks before your due date. In the end I gave birth about a month after leaving work.

It is kind of amazing that still nowadays ppl ask me "so... What do you do all day?" and it's not only men who ask that. Some friends also asked me if I don't go crazy at home with my son for so long.

Well. What do ppl who work in an office do all day? Sit on their chairs and stare at the computer? Talk on the phone? How is that more productive or worth more than taking care of a child? Let me ask something else: why do we call it a job, when a person gets money for it (nanny, kindergarten teacher, care taker) but a person who stays home with their child "doesn't work"?

Those were my thoughts for the anniversary of my maternal leave.

It's been one of the most exciting, exhausting, interesting, full of events years.

Not ready to let go

2011-09-17T19:49:00.000+02:00

I see now, that the last post I've published, was on February 23rd. Wow. That's a long long time ago. I'm really not ready to let go of this blog. Although I hardly write here.

So what's new?
My baby is growing and growing. He started crawling at 7 months. It was when we were in Israel for a few weeks. Since then he improved so much and is really quick.
We moved. To a new apartment, in the same area in Munich. This time there are no stairs to climb. It's on the ground floor.

Liya, my good friend, whom you might remember from my posts from Shanghai, also moved to Munich, and I really hope we'll see eachother often.

I'm writing this post from my ipod touch. Don't know if it's the 1st time I do this, but I hope I would use it more often for this purpose.

I'm now in Israel, came here for my friend's wedding. Going home tomorrow. We've been on the road a lot this summer, and with a baby it's not easy. Now all I have is the flight back home, and I'm hoping to not travel much in the next few months.

I got some really nice comments on the blog lately, and that gave me the push to write again. So thanks for that.

under the weahter

2011-02-23T11:52:00.000+01:00

Although the sun is shining at the moment, the weather is not great. It's really cold outside, and it seems like winter has decided to come back big time after not really doing a good job in February.
Taking the baby out in this weather is not really nice, I don't like packing him with a million layers, because he absolutely hates it, and going in and out of stores for example is a nightmare, since the difference in temperatures is way too big.
This doesn't agree with my need to go out and breath some fresh air once a day, see the world and go out of my cocoon. People I urge you to give birth in spring or summer!
My mood is also a bit swingy at the moment. Sometimes I feel really good and then it takes only one word from someone and I feel crappy again.
But the baby is sweet. It's hard being with him alone the whole day, but he's so cute and nice that I feel blesses with that.

knock on wood X 3

One hand wizard

2011-02-16T11:06:00.001+01:00

When you have a baby a lot of things in your life, things that were obvious, get a special meaning, and show you how easy you had it before.

The most known thing is your sleep: until you have to wake up 3-4 times a night (if you're lucky) you don't even think about how great it is to sleep for 6 hours straight. Hey, 6 hours were usually not enough! Now just give me 4 hours of sleep and I will be your biggest fan. Oh, and my baby is a really nice one, the kind that (usually, except for last night) falls asleep right away after eating.

Another thing that used to be obvious and taken for granted is having two hands to do all the things you do during the day. When your baby prefers being on you, and starts screaming when you leave him somewhere else, and putting the baby carrier on you is too much effort for the few things you want to do, that's how your life looks like.

Examples? Making breakfast with one hand. Imagine holding a baby (who's getting heavier by the day), and making porridge at the same time.
More examples? Doing and hanging the laundry, with only one hand. Folding it too.
Making tea.
Eating.
And hey, even writing this post!

So as you can understand, I've become a one hand wizard. Slowly but safely there will be nothing I can't do with only one hand!!! (and very little sleep).

Walking in the Air

2011-01-31T17:54:00.001+01:00

Dancing with my baby in the apartment, just to entertain him and have some fun together, fills me with such happiness, it feels like walking in the air.

Love

2010-12-29T08:02:00.001+01:00

People try to explaIn it, to research it, write books about it, poams, articles etc. But nothing can really make you understand what unconditional love is.
The kind you feel when your child is lying on your chest, sleeping and making little sweet sounds. The kind that makes you kiss him even when you're really tired, even when your body hurts from feeding him. The kind that makes you worried, every hour of the day, worried that he's doing well, breathing and feels good. The kind that makes you so unusually happy just looking into his big wide open curious eyes.

People say that kids are happiness (in Hebrew at least). At this point I do see what they mean.

Mother

2010-12-18T20:43:00.001+01:00

I am.

For the past 10 days I am a mother.

My son came to the world 10 days earlier than the estimated date. It was a quick birth, but was a surprising one, coz it was only in the last minute that the midwives realized that the baby is not coming to this world with his head first.... We had a lot of luck, and it all went well, and we both were fine and went home 4 hours after he was born. Going home right after it was amazing. There's nothing better than relaxing in your own bed, learning every detail of your new baby's features.

It's an amazing feeling to see this little man growing every day, just little by little. Looking into his eyes, and catching his glimpse, realizing that every day he looks with a bit more focus, and a bit more interest. Realizing that he can already recognize my voice, and his fathers, and that he relaxes just to the sound of it. Realizing that he's totally dependent on us, and almost totally dependent on me- for food. Realizing that he might sleep well in his bed next to us, but when he wakes up- there's nothing more comforting for him than to sleep right next to us on our bed.

I will probably write* more about this interesting experience of becoming a parent,

for now that's it

just wanted to update.

*thanks L for pointing that out! LOL

Pregnant thoughts

2010-11-15T20:30:00.001+01:00

1. Women will tell you that it looks like you've swallowed a watermelon. Men would say it looks like you have a basketball in your belly.
2. Things that fall on the floor were dropped there by the devil himself. Bending over when you have a watermelon (or basketball) in your belly is hell.
3. Watching the baby's kicks from the outside is even funnier and more exciting than feeling it from the inside. Imagine your belly moving in waves with sudden changes in it's size in certain places.
4. Being pregnant is a preparation for being a parent: you're tired ALL the time, you can't eat much (the space time continuum: now there's no space, when you're a parent- there's no time), you have a responsibility on the child's health, it prevents you from doing things you were used to (doing sports, going out late etc.).
5. 9 full months feels like FOREVER. At some point you forget the times you weren't pregnant.
6. Pregnancy stupidity can be funny at times, and can be embarrassing at others. Funny- when you realize that you've spent an hour looking online for the same wool you got for the the baby's blanket you're knitting, coz you think you don't have enough of it. Then you realize you have double the amount you thought (who would have thought to just count the rolls of wool that are lying right next to you in a plastic bag?!). Embarrassing - when you use the wrong terms in German, making the meaning of a sentence totally change, when chatting on Skype to fellow students, who don't even know you're pregnant.
7. The younger the baby in a stroller is- the nicer his or her mother would smile at you when seeing your big pregnant belly.
8. The bigger your belly is, the sadder the seller at a furniture store will look at you, when you ask "how long will it take to deliver?"
9. There are more baby stores online in Germany than online supermarkets that deliver. Although Germany definitely doesn't have a high birth rate.
10. You can guess in what part of town you are, according to the amount of fancy strollers you see in the streets.

Changes

2010-11-06T17:26:00.003+01:00

I hope that this post will be one out of many posts I write in the near future. Now, I have some more time.

Yesterday was my last day at work. Why? Because in Germany mothers have the luxury of staying at home starting from 6 weeks before the due date. This is a real blessing, since I am still studying at the open university (I think I forgot to mention here that I got a very good grade on my essay last semester :-)), and since with every day of pregnancy it gets harder and harder to rush to work and stay efficient there...

I must say, I have no clue how women in Israel work till the last day before they give birth. I'm only in the middle of the eighth month, and already feel how heavy it is and how complicated it is to move from one place to another. So as it sounds- I'm glad to have this chance to stay home now, focus on my studies and above all- focus on what's good for my body and for the baby. I guess it won't take long before I start nesting and taking care of everything for the little baby we're expecting. It's really exciting.

I have tons of little tasks I want to take care of, knowing that later I won't have time for. Like arranging the photo album from Argentina, finishing to knit my scarf, and starting to knit a nice blanket for the baby. I want to go over my closet and throw everything I haven't used in the last year or two, and I want to start reading more about the birth, although we just finished a preparation course for couples at the birth center I want to give birth in.

My mom is coming to be here for a month - she scheduled her flight for a week before the due date. In the beginning I thought it might be a long time- but with time and after a few talks with her, trying to be as open and honest as I can- I realized that she's really only coming to help us. We will just have to continue being honest with each other, telling one another exactly what we expect.

I'm quite excited about these first few weeks that we'll become a family, and I want it to stay our experience as a couple plus one as much as possible. I think it's important for the future.

So, hoping this is not the last post in a while,

have a good weekend everyone!

Growing

2010-07-17T15:34:00.000+02:00

So this post will be one that will be a compensation for all these days that I haven't written a word...

First I'll start with saying that it's so obvious that I come here to write as soon as I have some work to do for Uni. I keep looking for escape :-) I have an essay to hand in, and I have another 3 weeks or so to finish writing it. I've only read some literature so far and found some articles. So let's hope that I actually get to write this assay. I need to write 15 pages in German. Wish me luck.

Other than that, we had some nice activities lately, for example we went on a weekend with Rob's family, a bicycle tour that was dedicated to Rob's dad, who loves riding his bike. It was a birthday present from all the kids. I, of course, lazy me, didn't ride the bicycle, but I was in charge of the picnic car, so I met the happy family on the way each day bringing them some food. I also had all their belongings in the car- since we slept in 2 different hotels that weekend. It was a really beautiful weekend, I took amazing pictures, and it was honestly fun driving alone in this absolutely inspiring scenery. It was in the area of Stuttgart, in the Swabian Alb. I really recommend going there if you have the chance.

Other than that- I just had a tooth pulled out, one of my lower wisdom teeth, which has been there since I'm 18, so it was really hard to let go. I'm still recovering, but I didn't suffer from much pain since they took it out, so I guess I was lucky there. But the whole procedure was a bit complicated because........ well....... because...........

I'm pregnant :-)

yep.

And that's one of the reasons I haven't written here in a while. The first 3 months were horrible. I had sickness throughout the day, and lost 4kg just because of that. The last month was much better. I'm starting my fifth soon, and I feel ok.

Anyway, I wonder who of you is reading this and will now know the news. My Israeli friends all know already, but you guys around the world - I haven't had the chance to tell you, and was actually wondering if I should even write it here on the Blog or not. I decided that I should, I mean, at some point I would have written that I have a baby, and that would have been even funnier no?

Now I just hope and wish for, as they say, a "boring" pregnancy, and a healthy baby!

That's it for now, told you this will compensate for a long time not writing...

Paradox

2010-06-05T10:49:00.000+02:00

It's a really beautiful weekend. The weather is amazing. Especially after a month of rain and gray and cold weather. The sun is shining now, and it's getting warmer by the hour.

But I'm alone this weekend.

Rob went to Budapest for a stagdu of a friend that is getting married in August. I must admit, except for the fact that I'm spending this weekend alone in Munich, I'm jealous of him for being there with friends and having fun. I've never been there.

Sometimes it feels lonely, but not in the sense of being alone with yourself, rather not having anyone to do anything with. I've tried calling friends from here, but because I didn't want to make plans in advance (wasn't sure how I'd be feeling this weekend), I'm stuck.

Germans need to plan everything in advance. Being spontaneous is not really their thing. I really miss that about Israel. There I could have had plenty of plans made in the last minute. Just call a friend, and if their available you can join them in whatever they're doing.

I've asked one of my colleagues at work, the one I like most and get along with the most, what she's doing this weekend. I've mentioned that I have nothing to do... She told me what she's doing and didn't even think about asking me if I want to join. I know it's not personal, but it is quite annoying to always feel like a 3rd wheel, so I just didn't ask if I can join. Just didn't feel comfortable. That's Germany, and maybe also other places in Europe. People won't just invite you to do something with them. Even if you like each other and even meet sometimes outside of the work place.

So I'll try to do some things at home that I've planned on doing, like cleaning up a bit, washing the dishes, doing the laundry. Maybe start my new assignment for uni. I might take myself and some study books and go outside somewhere in the sun and read.

*sigh*

Remind me next time when Rob makes plans to go for a long weekend somewhere- to make my own plans. I should have gone somewhere too.

Resting in the holy land

2010-05-23T10:36:00.001+02:00

I haven't written in a long time.
There are a few reasons for that.
The first reason will be revealed some other time, I promise.
The second reason is my studying.
I've started studying for my masters course, at the open university of Germany, and next to reading a lot in German, I needed to hand in an assay today.
I actually needed to hand in two assays but the first reason for not writing kind of stopped me from doing that as well.
So, as understood from the title, I'm in Israel now, already almost 10 days, and I really enjoy it here. The only minus is that Rob isn't with me this time. Other than that- I would have stayed here much longer, if I could. The weather is really nice, not too warm and not too cold, my friends are really nice and I get to meet them (between one uni assignment to another), and in general, I really rest here and do absolutely nothing special, which is the perfect holiday. Thinking about going back to work in 2 days makes me really upset.
I'm in Haifa now, but going to Tel-Aviv this afternoon, going to see my brothers once more, and tomorrow mom is coming to TLV to spend the day with me and my sister. And then my nice holiday will be over.
Anyway, that's basically what's going on with me nowadays, I promise to write a bit more when I can and when I have the muse to write.
Have a nice weekend you all (especially whoever has Pentecost holidays)!

Numbers

2010-04-15T15:36:00.000+02:00

here are a few facts in numbers, about me:

2.5 was my age when we moved to the states
5 was my age when we moved back to Israel
10 is the amount of apartments / houses I've lived in till now
6 are the years that I spent in the scouts
21 months was the amount of time I served in the Israeli army as a guide
10 is the number of different jobs I had since I was 14 till now
5 is the number of languages I've learned in my life, from which:
3 is the number of languages I speak fluently
4 the amount of siblings I have, 1 sister and 3 half brothers
17 was my age when my parents split up
3 years of my life were spent studying for my B.A in Psychology and Communications
2 is the amount of pets I had, 1 cat (Toffi who got run over by our mean neighbors) and 1 dog (RIP Uggi who died at the age of 17)
22 is the estimated amount of pairs of shoes I have
24, almost 25, was my age when I met my husband for the very first time
18 is the amount of countries that I actually remember visiting (not including the countries my parents took me to as a really small kid)

Now I urge you to make a similar list :-) and I'll start with tagging Liat

Happiness is a warm gun

2010-03-26T15:32:00.000+01:00

I guess that I thought about the word "happiness" coz I don't really feel so happy now. Then the first song that came into my mind was this one.

It's funny. I wrote the last post about work in Germany and in Israel, coz I've started questioning my work place. Our conditions there keep getting worse. It happens very very slowly, so I can't really say that it's all so bad. But if you compare it to what it was about a year ago, and to other jobs, it's not that great.
I don't really want to go into details about it here, but I just wanted to write that my job is a bit annoying at the moment, and that I wish I had the language to just say "fuck it!" and go look for a new one. In today's situation, I can't do it. Not yet. First I need to realize where we're going to live in the next few years, what I want to do with my life and so on. Till then, I'm kinda stuck in this job.
It makes me a bit miserable, but I guess that I'll just have to cope... Maybe starting to study again now will help. I sure hope so.
So... till then, enjoy the Beatles. I'm home, trying to not let the strong winds banging on our crappy windows bother me. And that wasn't just a metaphor.
Have a nice weekend everyone, I'll be working tomorrow :-(

working in Germany vs. working in Israel

2010-03-19T22:08:00.005+01:00

I started writing this post at work, when I had a couple of minutes for myself (something that didn't really happen lately, since we're under staffed and it seems like we're working much harder than before...).
I will try to compare my working experience in Israel with the one in Germany, as well as comparing working with Germans vs. working with Israelis...

1. Payment:
Although living expenses are not much higher in Germany than in Israel (in average of course), the salary in Germany is much higher. In Israel, for example, I got about half as much as I'm getting now per hour, for the same job (in the same company). Oh, and what I'm getting now is lower than the average salary for this type of job in Germany.
On the other hand there is no minimum wage law in Germany, which leads to a lot of jobs that pay very little (especially students' jobs, what they call here "under 400€ jobs" - coz this amount is the amount ppl don't have to pay taxes for).

2. Holidays:
In Israel it works like in the USA: the law says that one should get a minimum of one day off per month, for a full time job. Therefore, most ppl have 12 days a year, that they can take off (not including the bank holidays of course). In certain cases, governmental offices give more days off every year of working, up to a certain maximum of course. My mother, who's been working for the same gov. office for more than 20 years now, has about 24 days a year, to take as holiday when she wants. Remember this number.
In Germany it's a bit different. The law is a bit more complicated. It basically says that the minimum of days off one should get is 1 and a half days per month of the year (that's the absolute minimum). That makes 18 days a year. It also says that for a normal 5 day week, one is entitled to at least 20 days off a year.
I got here 24 days off the first year that I worked here. Remember this number? Every year I get one day more till I'll reach 30 days.
I'm much younger than my mom, have much less work experience, and still have more days off a year than she does.
How does this effect one's life? In many, many ways.
Obviously, the more days off payed by your company, the more days you have to relax and go on vacation, meaning, doing everything else but working. Knowing that you have these days, and actually using them, makes you, as a worker, much happier, and of course much more satisfied in your job. It also allows ppl to have a life next to work. Helps develop hobbies, helps make ppl a bit more interesting and interested.
This brings me to the next point:

3. Working hours:
I only have experience working for this one company in Germany, but I do look around me, my husband works in a German company, and I have friends around. Here, although it's starting to change to the worst a bit, ppl work for money and for living, not the other way around. They go to work, most of them start around 8, they have lunch together, have a real break, and then they go home around 17:00. They have hobbies, do sports, take care of pets, or spend some time with their families.

In Israel I had a totally different experience.
Ppl are slaves to the job, answer phone calls on their cell phones at all hours, even if it's at 20:00 at home, whilst tucking your kid to bed. There are no borders about these things or limits, it's all Kosher.

I'm making a huge generalization here, I'm very well aware of the fact that there are both kinds of working ppl in Germany and Israel, but that's the big picture.

These were all just thoughts of mine lately at work, I must say that it's not all bad working in Israel. for example: ppl there are much more flexible, much much much more open to new ideas, and give you much more freedom in choosing your path, weather it's inside a company, or when hiring you. In Germany ppl are scared to death from "holes" in their CV (for example a year of traveling etc.). They are so afraid of that they never dare to go outside of the "path", of the "box". They try doing everything by the book, otherwise, they wont even be invited to the next interview. I miss being a bit more creative, having a bit more say about little things that make a difference. I miss the flexibility of the ppl, and their open mindedness.
Yeah, it seems as if in Germany ppl don't judge you for who you are or what you did (when you compare German reactions to stories with Israeli ones), but that's only coz the Germans would just not tell you their opinions right away. Inside, they would think: wow, she's too old for this job, and what a waste of time was her traveling around the world working here and there, and she doesn't have a diploma we know, how weird, we can't afford to take a chance on a person like that.

and yes, again, I know that I'm generalizing everything, but- these are just my impressions and experiences... I really hope that life would surprise me and show me how different things can be here :-)

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-15T22:41:00.005+01:00

The winter here this year is a real nice winter. It actually snowed so much that the streets are white for the past month or so (on and of with some rain sometimes, but basically snowy most of the time). I really like it.
There's nothing like the cleanliness of the snow. So pure. Makes the streets so quiet and calm.
The muddy snow that is left over after it melts a bit, isn't as nice, but as long as the temperatures stay under zero, it still looks like whipped cream that is covering everything. Like frosting on a cake.
We went skiing a few times already, once in the middle of the week and once for a weekend in Austria at Rob's grandma's. It was so much fun, I get better and enjoy it more and more every time. It's also really good sports.

Here are a few pics from the first time we went skiing this season:

that's me! look how amazing the view is

me next to a snow blower
(which is probably out of work this winter)

more amazing views.

It's so nice to ski down the hill and stop sometimes just for a quick look at the view. You breath in, breath out, and just enjoy that moment, that specific moment.
Skiing, you don't thing about anything. Your mind is a total blank. You just think about this moment you live- this second you need to ski down and look around and make sure you come down safe. You think about the white snow, the nice weather (when it's nice) and the bad weather (when it sucks). You think about the next turn you'll take, and then the next slope you'll choose. You think about your body, you think about the view, you think about today and now. Nothing else. It's so liberating. You feel so free of all the things that usually tie you down.

I feel the same doing Yoga sometimes, but not for such a long intensive time. Doing Yoga I can be relaxed and think about nothing else, for maybe half an hour. Skiing- you think about nothing else- for the whole day.

***

I got a flight ticket to Israel in May- going alone this time, and can't wait to be there- with no plans but to see my family and friends! only 3 months to go.

That's it for now, going to bed, really tired after a weekend of skiing and a day of work,
will try to write again soon!

Argentina part V and last

2010-01-23T22:24:00.005+01:00

Last thing I wrote was about the Peninsula Valdez. We drove there in the morning, and first of all went to get a room in the only town on it. So we got a room and headed to the dirt roads that we "love" so much in Argentina. We drove all day on the peninsula and saw all kinds of animals, like sea lions and sea elephants, penguins and other birds, sheep, an armadillo (which ran to us and tried eating our food!) capybaras running away from us on the road to the field, big guanacos also- crossing our way running so elegantly and more. We finished our round on the half island and went to the town where we slept. We had really good sea food for dinner, and a nice walk in sundown on the beach. It was really quiet and calm.
The next day we drove back to Puerto Madryn and tried to take advantage of the day. I must say that I don't really remember what we did that day :-) I guess that we just relaxed. I remember meeting a nice Argentine girl in the hostel, who was traveling alone. We had a chat over lunch.
From there we took a flight back to Buenos Aires, for a few last days in Argentina, in which we ate a lot of really good steak (got really good tips from a friend who lived there a couple of years ago), I especially recommend the restaurant La Cabrera, which makes steaks to almost gourmet food (their side dishes that come with the meal are amazing and the meat itself was the best we had in Argentina). We also shopped and bought some nice stuff for both of us (I could stay there and shop till I drop, but you know... my bank account is not unlimited... sadly!) There are such nice and original things in Buenos Aires. They really have nice taste in clothes, very individual but still stylish and up to date. It is really fun walking through the nice stores in Palermo, and browsing through the Argentine designers shops.
We enjoyed our last days there a lot, just a shame that on the last day our hostel experienced an exploded water pipe, which resulted in no water for more then 24 hours. we were sent to take a shower in their other branch 10 min walk away. But never mind. We felt as if it's a sign for us to leave, to make us a bit less sad that we have to go back home, from lovely summer to winter...

Argentina is a great place to go visit. It's different landscapes, it's amazingly nice people, it's really nice food, it's great shopping and huge variety of things to do that can fit just about any tourist... It's really a dream... Highly recommended!!!

I'll see how I put pictures, whether I just add some to the posts I wrote or give a link to an album.

That's it about Argentina, I still want to write a post of thoughts about it at some point, but not right now.

Argentina part IV

2010-01-10T15:08:00.003+01:00

So... where was I? I think we were on that Peninsula for a hike. Walking to the end of it was really nice. It´s 13km, that took us a bit less than 3 hours. We had a nice picnic in a nice quiet little place, and then headed back. On the way back, after about 2km of walking I realized that my hiking boots give me really bad blisters... the way back took about the same as the way there, although most was down hill. I got really bad blisters, that Rob had to pop open so I could even walk on my feet. But the next day we mostly drove, only walked a bit to see a cool glacier (black one), and so my feet heeled a bit.
We drove to a town called El Bolson, a small town in Patagonia, that is known for being a hippy town, but to me looked more touristic than cool. non the less it was really nice there. We did a short hike the next day, in the woods. After a while the scenerey all looks the same, and although it´s still really beautiful, we were really ready for a change. Luckily we were going back to Bariloche (were I wrote the last post), and took a night bus to Puerto Madryn, a small town on the Atlantic. It´s nice to be next to the beach :-)
Tomorrow we´ll be driving around the Peninsula Valdez, where we´re supposed to be able to see all kinds of animals. But I´ll tell you about it afterwards!

till then I´ll be enjoying the sun and the warm weather!!!

Argentina part III

2010-01-09T20:47:00.003+01:00

Where was I? I can´t remember when was the last time I posted, or rather, I can´t remember where I was the last time I posted something. Was I in Cordoba? Oh, yeah, we just arrived to Mendoza from Cordoba. So I can tell you a bit about Mendoza and the Andes, and then about what we´ve done in the last week.

Mendoza is a tricky city. It´s not the nicest one, but around it there´s a lot to do. We got there on new year´s eve, and in the evening we tried to find a nice restaurant to have dinner in, but since the Argentines, just like the Spanish, eat dinner on that evening with their families and then, after midnight, go out and party all night, there was maybe one restaurant open where we could eat. So we ate and then wondered the very empty streets of town, and then sat in one of the Plazas and watched the fireworks. It was nice, and we were already tired, so we didn´t stay in town to party, and just went back to our B&B (which was really not the best one in town).

On the first day of this year we got up late and then we went white water rafting. It was really great!!! This time, since we did that in Austria as well, I was really not nervus or afraid of falling into the water, although there were a lot more rapids than when we were in Austria, coz I knew what I have to do to get along. It was really fun! The river is really fast and brown from the soil there, and the mountains around it are all brown and dry, since it´s in the middle of the desert.

The next day we did a little trip with a group to the wineries around Mendoza, and we met two nice guys to spend the day with. The wine was nice, and we also visited an olive oil factory.

The last day in Mendoza we took another trip with a group and went towards the mountains, to see some known spots, and above all to see the Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas. It was a great day and a great trip, really worth it. The views were amazing, we went up to 3100 meters above see level, and altough in the middle of the desert, on the Chilian border in summer- it was really chilly.

After that we took a night bus to Bariloche, in Patagonia. The view change a lot on the way. At night, from the bus we saw an amazing thunder storm from far, and millions of stars.
Bariloche is a really nice town, with lots of good chocolate and ice cream and local beer. We spent the night in a really nice hostel on the lake, and the next day took our own car and drove around it all over the national park Nahuel Huapi. The amount of water around here is unbelievable, and the views are simply divine. So much green, and so much just nature.

On the next day, after driving around the whole park almost, we went for a hike on a peninsula, that took us the whole day. It was really nice walking in the woods on a half island.

I gotta go, so I´ll continue another time, promise!!!

Have a nice weekend!

Argentina Part II

2009-12-31T18:07:00.003+01:00

Hello again!
or shall I say Hola?

anyway, hello to you from Mendoza in Argentina, right next to the Andes.
We arrived here this morning, after a 10 hour bus ride from Cordoba. I slept 8 hours of it of course :-)
In the last few days we travelled around with a car in the Cordoba province which is in the Sierras. It was fantastic! So many beautiful sights, mountains of all kinds, animalls (Condors!), lovely little restaurants and a nice small B&B. The views were amazing, and we were really glad that we took a car for these days. The first day we had a walk in a national park for a few hours, was really really nice, although we both got a sun burn on our necks. We´re both red necked now. LOL
On the second day we wanted to go to some natural swimming pools, but the weather at night and in the early morning wasn´t the best for that. So we took the car and drove around the little towns there. Was worth it for sure. Long roads, big mountains on the one side, small hills on the other, everything here is amaizingly GREEN, everywhere. Totally looks like the promissed land.
Argentina has unbelievably nice landscapes and really nice people. Oh and of course, the food is great.
Today we´re having an easy day, and tomorrow we´re going white water rafting. I´ll let you know how it all went again in a few days.

Till then, have a happy new year you all, I wish you success and health in 2010.

Adios!

Argentina part I

2009-12-28T00:24:00.003+01:00

Hello you all!

I´m posting this from Cordoba, Argentina. The weather is great! it´s about 25 degrees here and it´s so cool to wear summer clothes in December!

We landed in Buenos Aires on Friday night, and spent Saturday there. The city is huge, so we didn´t get to see much, but we have another 3 days there in the end of our trip.

Today we flew to Cordoba, a nice city in the Sierras of Argentina. We saw some of the city today, which has a lot of cultural things to offer, and tomorrow we´ll do the same and just have fun and relax.

While walking the streets of Cordoba we bumped into a friend of Rob´s from Sweden, which was totally funny. We´re having dinner with him and his friends tonight.

It´s my first time on this side of the planet, so I´m excited about the fact that the water in the toilet flush swirling against the clock. hahaha

anyway, I´ll continue having fun, you take care

cheers!

Wasserburg am Inn

2009-12-17T22:36:00.011+01:00

On one of the last Saturdays we went to a lovely little town called Wasserburg am Inn (= Wasserburg on the river Inn). It is known for it's x-mas market so we went to check it out.

The town itself is a typical German little town, with nice houses and a river.
We parked next to the old train station, just in the entrance of the town, and walked in. I was sitting in the car for so long, not moving, that I really almost froze when we went out.
But after a walk through the really small but nice x-mas market, I warmed up a bit.

After looking around and seeing what's up, we stopped for lunch. We saw a fish stand, and had the most amazing fish sandwich I've ever eaten. I had a lightly fried trout in a baguette, with horse radish and cream spread and one lettuce leaf. Rob ate a Saibling tartar (it's a mouse from a kind of fish that is quite common here, in English it has two names that I don't really know: Fingerling & Samlet) and he also had the smoked salmon. The guy that sold it to us told us that he breeds the fish on his own, and also cooks them and everything. I wish I could eat at his stand every day. Yes. It was that good.

After that we were thirsty and went to the next stand that sells mulled wine and hot apple cider. We chose the cider. We got it in the most cute cup I've ever seen. It was a typicall blue glazed ceramic cup, but it looked like a little shoe! It looks like this one, but in blue with x-mas and snow painting on it: http://www.hood.de/img/thumbs/1828/18283360.jpg
I liked it so much, that I insisted on asking the lady if we could take it with us, in exchange of not getting the diposite back. I knew she's probably going to want a bit more for the cup, since it is such a nice one, and so she asked for an extra Euro and that's how I got the cuttest cup that ever entred my house.

That day ended in a really nice cafe, in the old city hall. We had the German Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) and then we went back home.

I really recomend a stroll in this x-mas market if you're in the area :-)

So here are a few pictures from there:

and a closer look:

NEW

2009-11-15T23:29:00.002+01:00

We got our couch!!!

It's actually a sofa-bed, but it's great. It's comfortable as a couch and as a bed (well, not from our own experience, but was the most comfortable one we tried in the stores). It's red and it's really nice! It's so nice to own your own couch, you can't believe it. We haven't had one since we were in China, there we had a really bad and ugly Ikea (we think) couch that used to sink in the middle, where ppl sat on it most of the time.

And what else is new?

We got tickets to Argentina!

We're going for a honeymoon there for 3 weeks! I'm so excited!
Now all we have to do is decide what we wanna see there and what we'll have to leave for the future, hoping we'll be back there at some point in our lives, coz Argentina is huge and seems like there's way too much to do there! Any tips will be appreciated.

So that's really nice, I wish you all a great week!

The return

2009-11-08T19:29:00.003+01:00

Hey!
Last night we got back from a 9 day visit in Israel, in which we had a big wedding celebration. The evening went really well, it was short and fun.
The week after that we spent with Rob's family traveling around Israel.
In the first few days the weather was just shit. really. It didn't stop raining, and the temperatures were really low for the season. I couldn't believe it. We were there on the only 4 days that it rained in this month. It was warm and sunny before and after we were there. That was really annoying.
At least we got about 2 nice days, and spent them on the dead sea and in Tel-Aviv.
We both feel like this visit was too short, and that we didn't get to do what we like doing when we're there. We were basically tour guides, and went from one place to another very often.
We were so busy all the time, it felt like we don't get to see or do anything. I would have loved to stay there for another few days, just in Haifa and in Tel-Aviv, enjoy the sun, the people, the food and all. But we had to go back home...
Hopefully we'll have a nice visit next time, which will really be considered as a holiday...

and to something totally different:

I have really happy news,

I passed the exam!!!

But since I already missed this semester, I guess I'll have to sign up to the next one and start one semester later than I wanted. On the one had I feel like it's a serious waste of time, and on the other hand I feel like it's going to be good for me to have a semester off of studying hard after a year like that. So I'll try to get the most out of this free semester.

Next week we're getting our new sofa bed, which we ordered more than 2 months ago. Everything takes ages in this country. really.

So have a great week you all,

it's always weird going back to work after so long that I haven't been there.

long time

2009-10-12T14:37:00.002+02:00

Wow it's been more than a month since last time I wrote here.
I guess that it means that life is boring :-)

There's really nothing new in my life. Well I signed up at a cheap gym,
and I hope that I'll be able to go there twice a week, on top of the once I go to Yoga classes.
Other than that I was a bit ill this weekend, but now I feel a bit better,
and since I'm not the only one at work that is ill- I'll go today for a few hours to help out.

Tomorrow is Rob's birthday! Can't tell you what I bought coz he might read it before ;-)

We're planning the wedding celebration in Israel, and the trip with Rob's family there.
Most of the stuff is already organized.

So just came in for a quick hello and to say that really, life is all the same and therefore there's no news!

Have a nice week everyone!

The world after the exam

2009-09-09T19:39:00.003+02:00

Yesterday I had my exam. Hopefully the last one on my way to a Masters... I have a good feeling about it, but you never know how petty people are about the answers, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see... I only need a bit more than 50% to pass it, and now I'm crossing my fingers, hoping I did...

Right now I'm so tired, so exhausted, I think I haven't felt so tired in months really... All the pressure of the wedding and this exam just comes out as if it were Lava from a volcano...
Tomorrow I plan on sleeping in as long as I want, since I'm only working in the evening. I hope that will be the solution to this tiredness.

Now we have to start taking care of things that we left for after my exam. Like writing thank you cards for all the people who came to celebrate our wedding and party with us, like planning the wedding party in Israel, which is getting closer and closer, like maybe even printing a small wedding album, like helping Rob's family plan their trip to Israel and so on... The list doesn't end.

So I'm still alive, didn't go anywhere :-)

Now that I have time (and went shopping and bought myself some after-exam-nice-clothes) I really feel like cooking and baking!!! The Jewish holidays are coming, and I hope I have someone to host here and cook for. After a few experiences of doing such holidays at Jewish communities, I realized that I prefer doing it with a small group of ppl, whom I love and enjoy being with, and I totally enjoy home made food better than the kind that ppl make in masses for a big holiday dinner at the community.

Anyone up for a Gefüllte Fish?

Mini honeymoon in Austria

2009-08-19T14:36:00.005+02:00

On Monday evening we came back from our little honeymoon weekend, which was GREAT!!!

We drove south on Friday afternoon, taking the old road (Roßfeldstraße) that used to connect Germany with Austria. Some of that road goes on the mountain range right on today's border. The views from there are amazing, really breathtaking.

On the way to Austria

You basically cross the border in a village called Halein, which some of it's houses are in Germany and some in Austria. Totally cool, but also a bit funny... Imagine that your neighbors that live just across from you live in a different country. Today with the EU there is no real border in between, but there used to be a check point there.

Bumblebee!

So we drove down to Salzburg (the region not the city) and ended up next to Abtenau (a small town), in a nice B&B that Rob's siblings booked for us as a wedding present. The B&B was really in the middle of a very small not-even-a-village, and the view from our balcony was so beautiful, it was nice just to sit there and stare.

The view from our balcony

The next day we went to some gorge in the area, and had a nice walk in it, next to the river Lammer. It was a really nice one and a half hour walk, very easy and pretty.

Lammerklamm

The Lammer

After that we drove to a lake (Halstättersee), and did a bicycle tour around it. Of course I was all tired when we had to go up hill (sometimes the path next to the lake went on the hills) and had to push my bike up...

Halstättersee

I managed to ride around 3/4 of the lake, and then we sat down on a nice beach and got a little bit of a tan.

Halstättersee

Rob went to get the car from where we left it, and we drove back to the B&B. In the evening we went to the "Big Festival" of Abtenau, only to see that a big festival in their eyes is the small pedestrian when it's full of ppl, and the choise between saussage and chicken in the food stands. It was really nice though, and we sat most of the time with the daughter of the owner of the B&B and her friends.

On Sunday Rob went up the Postalm (a mountain nearby) with his bicycle, and I met him afterwords in the parking lot (I came with the car).

On the Post alm

View from the Post alm

We walked up the mountain, had lunch on top, ran away from mad cows, went down and drove to a really nice lake to swim and catch a bit more tan.

View to Wolfgangsee

The weather in these few days was so amazing, the sun was always shining, and everything looked so clear that it was so tempting to take more and more pictures. I promise to add them to this post later, but now I don't have time to download them- and apperantely also no space on my hardrive...

On Monday morning we went white water rafting, which was also a part of the present from Rob's siblings. It was so much fun!!! I, of course, was a bit worried and afraid before that, but it was really not as chalanging as I thought it'll be, and I really enjoyed it.
After that we had lunch in Abtenau, and then we went to a Summerslide (which is actually called a Toboggan in English), we waited on top of the mountain for more than an hour in the sun, and in the end we both thought that it wasn't quite worth it. Anyway - it was a nice experience for me, since I never took one before...

We came home tired but really happy, we got to see so much in such little time, and also got to relax and really get away for 3 days. One really nice surprise that awaited us in our room in the B&B was a bottle of champagne with two glasses, on each the initials of one of our names. That was aranged by Rob's family of course, and was really really cool.

So, that's it- I really promise to put here some pictures as soon as I solve the capacity problem. I guess I'll have to start using my external hardrive only, when it comes to downloading pictured... bummer...

Wish you all a nice end of the week,

I have to continue studying now (exam in 2.5 weeks)...

Wedding update :-)

2009-08-08T18:35:00.008+02:00

Well... I sat down to write about our last 2 weeks, but it always seems so hard to start...

So I guess I'll start where I stopped last time:

My family started coming here on Wednesday, more than 2 weeks ago. My mom and sister landed in Munich and we spent the next 2 days here enjoying what Munich has to give. On Friday early in the morning came my aunt and 2 cousins, and then we headed all north to where our wedding took place.

On that weekend most of Rob's family came over from everywhere, and a lot of our friends. On Saturday night we celebrated our Polterabend, which is an evening in which the friends and family of the couple break a lot of China and make a lot of surprises. That evening was a lot of fun, and every member of Rob's family took part in amusing us with different games and music. After the tradition, we also had to clean the parking lot of the brewery in which the Polterabend took place, from all the China that was broken. This is supposed to show the others how we (the couple) work as a team. They tried to trick us in letting us think that they brought a truck load of porcelain, but inside was just a (relatively) small portion of it. Rob had the most fun looking at my face as I saw the big green truck coming over and reversing into the parking lot. We cleaned for about an hour, and amused our guests... After all that Rob's grandma told me that since we worked so good together, now I am allowed to marry him :-P

That evening passed really fast, and I hardly got to talk to all the people, who came from really everywhere: all over Germany (Dresden, Hamburg, Leipzig, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt, Essen and more), Austria, Spain, France, Belgium, Israel (of course), Estonia, Italy, Switzerland... It was very multi-cultural...

The day after some ppl went home and some spent the day in the area doing some nice stuff. I went with my mom, sis, aunt, 2 friends of my moms and 2 friends of mine to a ncie cafe in the middle of no-where, with really nice nature views. I'll never forget that day, coz my mom decided to fall into a little hole in the ground, covered with grass, getting herself poisened by some plant. It was much funnier than I can explain here, just thinking about her laying there, laughing about herself was the best part of the day!

A couple of days later, all of the girls met in Rob's parents' kitchen, to prepare for the little lunch of the wedding day. I mannaged to burn 2 of my fingers, which was really not funny at the moment. It really hurt!

The wedding day itself was one of the most relaxed and beautiful days I've ever had. I was really not too excited, was always just happy. Rob's family, and his mom especially, went through so much trouble, just so that day will be so special. It really was.

After the wedding we stayed there for another day and then headed back to Munich. On the weekend we drove with my dad and his family to Salzburg, which was really a lot of fun!!!
My brothers are so cute and nice and fun, and in general the scenery on the way and in Salzburg itself was amazing... Was a really fun weekend...

I guess I'll put some nice pictures at some point, just wanted to say hello, and tell a bit about my last 2 weeks.

Now I kinda have to go back to normal life, in one month I have my exam... I really hope that I have a chance to pass it. I don't need more than passing...

Will write soon with some pictures!

Have a wonderful week and weekend!

Towards happy days

2009-07-22T07:43:00.003+02:00

Hello to everyone!

In the last few days I've been up, I've been down....
I'll start with some bad news- Goni called me and told me that her daughter is really ill and therefore they wont be able to come to our wedding... Of course I was very disappointed, but that's the way it is when you have kids... I wish her daughter all the best and a lot of health now, that's for sure!

The day after that I decided that, that's it! no more blues!!! As from yesterday: I AM HAPPY!!!

Our wedding is in less than a week, and I decided to not let anything get in my way to being cheerful and excited. Well... I haven't started getting excited yet... But today I'm very excited about my mom and my sister who are coming in a few hours! I'm going to pick them up from the airport, and then take them to their hotel for a rest, in the meantime I'll go to work for a few hours and tomorrow I'm off!

In a very funny way- today and tomorrow are the warmest days of the year here, as if my mom and sis are bringing the weather with them... I like it!

So friends and readers, next time I'll write here I'll probably be married already :-)

I really never thought that a thing like this will make me feel so funny. How weird!

I wish you a very nice weekend and days,

See you soon

Yael

Breathe in, breathe out

2009-07-12T21:26:00.005+02:00

I guess that if I tell you that organizing a wedding is not the most fun thing in the world, I wont be telling you anything you haven't already heard.

But really- IT'S NO FUN AT ALL!!!

I find myself thinking if I'd even enjoy that day.

I'm more looking forward to the party we're organizing before the wedding, to which a lot more ppl are invited. A lot of friends I haven't seen in a while are coming to this party.

Unfortunately, since my grandpa died exactly 30 days before the wedding, my dad and his wife and my 3 brothers can't come to that event, but they're coming to the wedding itself- which makes me really happy.

My friends from Israel? only one couple is coming and even they said they might not be there for the first event. They might be traveling around the area with her parents instead. I mean. WTF?! they're coming to Germany especially for our wedding, and they're gonna be in the area on the date of that party, but they're not gonna come?! I sent them an e-mail saying that it's important for me that they're there. I hope they get the message.

I keep feeling like this wedding has nothing to do with me. All the ideas on how to do things and what to do weren't mine. I feel like I lost it somewhere and it became other ppl's event.

nowadays I'm doing my best to bring these little things that will make the difference, the ones I thought about- to make it come closer to how I imagined it to be. A bit more of "me" and "us" into this wedding, for the balance.

I really don't know who might be reading this- but I had the urge to spill it all out.

I want to feel comfortable on that day. I wanna feel like myself. I want to hear only music I like on that day, or that I chose. I want to be able to spend time with whoever I want whenever I want. I want to feel in my own skin, to be happy and relaxed, not to think all the time if the 30 ppl around me get along with each other...

I'll be glad when it's behind me and went well.

...

2009-06-28T14:39:00.006+02:00

I don't have a title for this post.

My grandpa past away this morning.

Just felt a real urge to post this.

Especially because I'm here and my whole family is there.

My dad and sister told me both that I really shouldn't come, or more accurate- there's no need for me to come to Israel now. As my dad said loving him from afar is the same as loving him from home. It still doesn't feel as if it's the right decision to make. But I guess that's the way it is. I'll have to deal with my sorrow here.

I can't tell you how sad I am. Losing such a grandpa is a real lost.

My grandpa.... Here I want to write "is". I guess I'll have to get used to saying "was".

A man who seemed to catch languages as if from the air. A man who accepted the people he loved with a big hug and no judgments. A man who believed that work is all we have and without work a man is not a man. A man who told me in our last conversation on the phone, that a husband is a present one should be thankful for... An old fashioned man, with a huge heart and a lot of life wisdom. A man who never stopped learning. A man who was never afraid of telling me that he loves me. A man who took care of his wife although it was already hard for him as well. A man who was modest and generous at the same time. A man who never got stuck in the past, and learned from his life experiences. A very beloved man and a very special grandpa to his 7 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter.

I will never forget the times we went to visit him as kids. Going to my grandpa always meant being treated like birthday girls, no matter the time of the year. He loved sweets, and always gave us birthday bags with sweets and candy in them as we left his apartment. His wife would cook the most delicious food for us. The kind of food one yearns for. Visiting my grandpa was always a celebration.

He used to always have Mentos candy in his car.

When we came to his shop he would urge us to take with us more and more clothes.

Every time I was there, in his shop, there would be somebody coming in, trying something on and saying later that they can't pay for it. My grandpa would write down in his little notebook the amount and name and let the person pay whenever they could.

He had a small bag of money in a drawer, with just a few coins in it. It was there to give to the beggars and religious guys coming to collect donations. He always gave a Shekel or two. He said the reason he has this little bag is that this way they can't see all the money he has in his cashier.

He would let women take mans pants with them home to let their sons and husbands try it for free at home and bring it back if the size was wrong.

He could always put himself in other peoples shoes.

I already miss him.

Praying for my grandpa....

2009-06-24T10:56:00.003+02:00

I'm lying in bed, Rob is holding me tight, pressing my head to his chest, stroking my hair with his hand and letting me know that it's ok that I'm crying. The tears fall spontaneously down on my cheeks, and drop down slowly, one by one on the pillow.
It's late and I should already be sleeping but I can't. Every night the image of my grandpa lying in a hospital bed, connected to machines and being vulnerable and helpless, makes me sad really deep inside.
My grandpa is the most independent person I know. Just until about a month ago he still went to his clothing shop to work every day. He's 81 years old.
And then in bed, I close my eyes and imagine a long long ray of warm light coming out of my heart and beaming itself all the way to my grandpa in Israel. This ray of light, of energy that I send, is supposed to make him feel how much I love and appreciate him.
I tell him quietly: Be strong! we know you are strong. Show us all how strong you are! and I repeat these words till I fall asleep.

Birthday cake

2009-06-16T09:54:00.003+02:00

Yesterday was my birthday!

So I baked myself a cake (filled with wild berries) and got up early to celebrate it with Rob before he went to work :-) I got all kinds of cool presents as well!

So, now I've officially started the 30th year of my life, or like Goni my friend told me on the phone yesterday: from now on you can start saying that your next birthday is your 30th.

scary!

I also spent the day shopping with a new cool friend that I met here lately- and we get along really well (always nice to meet ppl that understand what you want to say before you opened your mouth) and then went for Sushi after work. Was a really nice day!

So! till next time!

It's time to share some big news

2009-05-18T20:38:00.002+02:00

So! The time has come!
Remember I said that when the time will come I'll share some news?

So here it comes:

Rob and I are getting married this summer :-)

Just wanted to share, since now all the ppl that are supposed to hear it from us already did...

It's a big headache, we're planning also a celebration in Israel, on top of the one here in Germany, so we have a lot to organize...

Hope it all goes well with no troubles!

***
My dad visited us last weekend - which was very short but also very nice. He met Rob's parents and it was a nice dinner. I'm lucky to have such a dad and such people around me :-)

Other than that it's all normal, we're going to Dresden this weekend for a short visit - which makes me very happy! I miss my friends from there a lot. Although I did see Paula last Easter here in Munich, which was great. Now I have about 4 more friends to visit there and catch up with.

After that we'll go to Amberg and have an appointment in the city hall to set up some details about are wedding (we're getting married there).

And that's it I guess...

Have a great week you all!

Bestanden

2009-04-29T11:34:00.001+02:00

That means: "Passed".

I passed the exam!!!!

YAY!!!!

Now it means that I have to start studying for my next one.... oh well....

Happy holidays!

2009-04-08T13:46:00.002+02:00

Tonight is Passover eve- one of the most important holidays for us. Usually ppl gather together, family and sometimes also friends and have a big dinner. The thing about this holiday is that you're not allowed to eat bread and anything else that has regular flour in it. If you're interested in more details here is the Wiki for Passover.
So... you're asking what I'm doing tonight? Well- that's a good question- coz I'm working!
Since I don't really have who to celebrate with here- and I really believe in celebrating with ppl you love, not just with anyone to say that you're celebrating, then I didn't change my shift. And so this is just another day...

This weekend Rob's Erasmus friends from all over Europe are coming for the Easter holiday. I hope we'll have lots of fun- I guess we'll basically wonder with them around town a bit, maybe go to the mountains for a day and enjoy some Bavarian food. Oh and of course- drink a lot- coz that's especially what they like doing (especially the Irish and Swedish...) Cross your fingers for me that this weekend will pass with no alcohol poisoning... LOL

I wish you all very happy holidays!!!

Uggi 1992-2009

2009-03-30T14:46:00.005+02:00

We got him when I was 12. Mom heard at her hair dresser that someone saw some very cute puppies in a pet store. Although my dad always said no to taking a dog, she went to look at them. She fell in love immediately with one of them and went straight home to us to tell us about it.
We all called dad at work and begged him to let us take a dog. After a long conversation he finally agreed.
We went to the pet store with a little straw picnic basket and a blanket. We went back to the car with the cutest puppy ever. We didn't really know how to name him, till my aunt came to see the wonder and as they were all outside with the new puppy playing with him she called him "Uggi" (the cookie monster in Hebrew) and he came to her, "choosing" his name.
We had so many good times with him. He was a really smart dog, half cocker spaniel half terrier. He was very protective over us, so that when we took him for a walk he would bark at people at whom he wouldn't bark when we weren't around...
In the last few years my mom was alone with him at home. He got really really old and the vets said that he probably has all kinds of diseases and maybe even cancer. But he still ate and wanted to go outside. Slowly slowly he stayed in one room and could hardly walk anymore. I saw all that especially in the last week now, when Rob and I were there for 10 days.

Yesterday, just before our flight back to Germany, I went to see him and said goodbye. I knew it'll be the last time.

Today as my mom came back home from work, he cried a lot and shivered. It happened before already, and broke my mothers heart every time. This time she knew that she should take him to the vet. And so she did. And they put him to sleep.

My mom thought to wait and wait till nature takes him- but his dying was slow and cruel. She decided to help him and not let him suffer too much.

This is a very sad day for me. I grew up with him.
He was my first and only and best dog.

May he rest in peace.

I'm a bad blogger. I know.

2009-03-10T13:32:00.007+01:00

Here I am sitting at home, not doing much, cleaning the house a bit (finally), backing cookies (will put pictures too), eating too many cookies, planning stuff (will tell you about at some point, not the time yet), and basically just doing nothing. Oh yeah, I also go to work everyday... lol...
It's unbelievable how easy it is to do nothing all morning. Just do nothing special. Just waste time...

The exam was ok... Rob sat with me the whole weekend before it, and helped me recite it all a million times. In the end of the day- he was so exhausted! I can't blame him... I awe him at least half of my points, that's for sure! and now all I have to do is wait for about 2 months and see if I actually passed. I only need over 50% to pass- so lets all cross our fingers very tight and hope for the best!

So... other than that nothing new. Rob and I are going to Israel in 10 days, for 9 days. We're gonna be at Nadav's wedding- and just see family and friends. Haven't been there in 6 months, and I feel like it's really about time I go...

Here are some pictures of the cookies I made- it's the easiest cookies to make in the world, and they are so dangerous! I can't stop eating them! All you need is puff pastry dough (like in this link) and sugar. Nothing else. I also added cinnamon to half of it, but you don't have to.

In German they're called "Pigs ears"

In Hebrew some call them the same

But some call them "Elephant ears".
(Pigs aren't Kosher! lol)

Worth more than Gold

2009-02-28T22:59:00.000+01:00

She's one of the things that made me really smile, jump around and dance lately.

Applause to Santogold (or Satnigold as she is called nowadays)

It's REALLY hard to chose one so I'll just put two:
(would put more but don't really wanna put music videos that aren't official...)

Enjoy!!!

What a headache

2009-02-22T22:28:00.002+01:00

Literally. I have a headache. I guess it's from studying for my exam, which is in a week from now. I can't start explaining how much it makes me stressed. Writing a whole exam in German seems way beyond my abilities.

Anyway- that's the reason I'm not writing here so much, but after the exam I promise to give a nice update.

Till then- diving back to my books,

wish me luck.

Nerval Security

2009-02-04T09:34:00.008+01:00

I'll start with an update but first I'd like to give Rob the credit for inventing the idiom in the title. I will explain it all later (that means you have to keep on reading till the end!)

So... What have we here?

Since last time I wrote I was especially trying to study, which only started being a bit effective after Rob sat down with me and helped me build a plan, and explained some of the stuff to me. I'm really trying to give it a few hours everyday, I only have 3 and a half weeks till the exam, which isn't much for me. I hope it'll turn out fine.

We went skiing a couple of times- once just like that on a nice Sunday, and last week we took Monday off and went for a long weekend to Rob's grandma in Austria, to ski in the area. It was really good! The first 2 days were really great (although the weather wasn't the best- but was alright) and on the third day the weather was really bad in that area so we headed a bit north, found a place with better weather, but I was a bit scared for at least half of the time, and especially tired from skiing for 3 days in a row (who said I'm in shape?!) that it was a bit hmmm.. not as nice as the other 2 days. But still left with a good feeling. I really like my new skiing boots, which I bought in Austria about a month ago, and my new skis are also pretty nice and good.

Me with my new boots and skis

The beautiful view on our lunch break

Deer right next to the skiing run

The view from the house

So as you can see we had some really nice snow, and some really good views in the last 2 weeks. I must say that in this way- we're really taking advantage of living in Munich, compared with Dresden for instance. It's great to live so close to the action.

and now- to The Full Rob-English Dictionary.

Lately he says the funniest things, such idioms and phrases, as if he's at least a philosopher. So I have to share these things with you, since I'm sure you'll use at least one in your daily life. Just remember who thought about it first when you do!

Nervel Security- let me explain this one in a sentence:
"I decided to check once more whether I turned off the stove before leaving home, just for my nervel security." meaning- in order not to worry later, I did this and that.

38 types of tiredness- this one I'll explain in the context it came up in:
- me: "I'm so tired, I can't believe it"
- rob: "you're always tired"
- me: "no but this time it's a different kind of tiredness. It's that time of the month and it's very different than the tiredness I feel after a long day. Now I'm just all smooshed".
- rob: "you know what, just like the Eskimos have 38 different words for snow, you have 38 types of tiredness."
That's it for the dictionary today, I'll add it to the labels and you'll be able to reach this very important dictionary at any time! I also promise to enrich the dictionary whenever there's something new coming up.

Throws at you Til

2009-01-17T18:41:00.002+01:00

(If the closed captioning are not shown automatically, turn them on by clicking the upwards arrow and then the CC icon.)

This made me laugh and laugh and laugh!!!

The best Breakfast

2009-01-11T22:25:00.008+01:00

Today I made us an Iraqi breakfast (the Jewish Iraqi kind).
I baked Pita bread (from spelt flour) and fried eggplant and made brown eggs and a salad.

It was GREAT!

But pictures will always be better than words:

The Pitas in the oven

The table is set!

Sympathy pains

2009-01-07T20:57:00.007+01:00

I'm having sympathy pains. For my computer. Apparently it's really sick. And so am I.
Let's start with my computer: My display is Kaput. We went to the shop today (yes, although I'm sick, I just really wanted to know what's wrong with it and to get fuxed already) and they told us as following:
The company that makes my computer doens't send the parts anywhere. They only take repairs in certain places. That means that I'll have to send it to Holland or to the Czeck Republic. That will cost 135€. Just for sending the damn thing! Then, for the check up, just to let me know what exactly is wrong with it, they're going to charge 110€. Just to check it! Then, each working hour will cost 150€. A persons hourly wage! Then since it'll take way too much time and money to fix it, they will probably just put a new screen. Which costs about 400€. Just the screen!

Do the math. It adds up to at least 795€. With that money I can get the best lap-top in the world. That's bullshit!!!!!
So I might have to wait till I'm in Israel to fix it (my computer guy told me that he might be able to do it, and obviously for about less than 10th the price) and use an external screen until then.

That sucks.

On top of all that I'm sick. But really sick. The whole shabang. I have an infection in my throat and my tonsils hurt just about all the time. I've been in bed for about 3 days in a row, and I'm not going to work nor to German lessons for the whole week. The worst part is that it actually really hurts all the time. grrrrr.....

So that's my update. Not very happy but well... I will survive.

Let's put it this way: I'm better off than a lot of poor ppl that live where I come from. And I'm not only talking about Israelis. Also.

Stupid country of mine.

Haven't they realzied in the past few years that:

WAR DOESN'T SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS!!!

I'm not saying that they shouldn't have reacted in some way to the missiles that were being shot at Israel in the past 8 years constantly, but it seems like they know no other way than the violent kind. And that's even sadder than the war itself.

Farewell. Be good. Don't start any wars.

Peace.

Computer says noooo

2009-01-04T20:05:00.005+01:00

My computer screen went crazy... The light wont go on, and although I see the shadows of what's on it, it's totally dark. I'm writing now from Rob's computer, hoping I'd get mine fixed quickly, knowing that here in Germany everything takes a long time and costs a lot of money.

Since this isn't my computer I'll be short and just say that x-mas was really nice, the wedding in Austria was nice and very long (was a whole festival) and that Goni and Amir were here in the last few days for a visit with their really cute daughter, which was a lot of fun although we didn't do much with them (every day someone else was sick...). One thing that is worth mentioning is new year's eve- we had it in our apartment- I made a spanish dinner with Tapas and Tortilla and we watched the fireworks from here- which was so great!!! Sixth floor rules!!! It looked as if the city is jumping! We could see fireworks from all of our wondows (and we have quite a few of them) and it was a real show.

Today I'm not feeling at my best, and I hope that by tomorrow I'll feel better coz I need to go back to work!

Oh, and I got myself new ski boots and new skis! yey! Haven't tried them yet, so I'm waiting for next weekend- we want to go skiing if the weather allows it.

Will update soon!

As promised- Alfajores

2008-12-22T00:04:00.002+01:00

So here's a picture of the real-pain-in-the-a&%*ss-cookies, which taste like a piece of heaven on earth (this picture is from the first batch I made last week, but let's face it- they all look the same!)

Yum!!!

Live report from my kitchen

2008-12-21T15:35:00.004+01:00

This is a live report from my kitchen. I've been trying to make Alfajores cookies for the second time. The first time they turned out to be really good, and now I'm interested in making them again for the holidays at Rob's parents. The first time I made them I accidentally put a bit too much butter, but they still tasted really good. This time I wanted to put as much butter as the recipe says to put, and well... Big Fiasco. The dough was too dry and started breaking.

I got really upset because it's hard work to make these cookies, and it needs a lot of eggs, butter, flour and corn flour. Luckily I still have enough of everything to make another batch, but the disappointment of making it all over again after standing in the kitchen for an hour and using a lot of ingredients is really big. Throwing so much stuff to the garbage after working on it so hard is a bitch.

So this is a live report. I will send an update later how it all worked out (if it ever will, I still have lots of work to do....)

Peace out.

Shopping-mania

2008-12-10T15:17:00.003+01:00

You wouldn't imagine how many ppl are everyday in the center of Munich. Since I work there- I see it every day. It started about a month ago, as December and the holidays started to show around the corner. Slowly slowly the main streets got fuller and fuller with ppl. Then they opened the X-Mass market, which as it is- takes a lot of space, in which I used to walk to go to work. So there's less walking space, and also a lot more ppl. After emerging out from underground (after taking the metro), I spend twice the time to go to work than just less than a month ago when I started. It's like swimming in oil! You have to really push your way, and move a lot in order to find your way in the crowd.

I promise that at some point I'll take some pictures of what's going on there in the middle of the week in a normal afternoon. You will not believe it. Really.

One more thing you notice when living in Munich, is the amount of money that ppl spend. Everybody's walking around with tons of bags from all shops. It's been like that for weeks already- and the 2 most busy weeks of the year are still to come! It's incredible!

Luckily I'm done with my presents shopping - got something for everyone! Now I just have to wrap it all nicely and that's it. Maybe make some nice cards. But I'm definitely not putting as much effort in them as I did last year. It's way too much work, and takes way too long (and I don't really have much time right now) and in the end ppl don't fully appreciate it. So only something symbolic this year.

Ok, kinda have to get ready for work now.

Till next time!

What do you want from me?

2008-11-26T14:11:00.003+01:00

Was reminded of this song today, used to be my absolute favorite... Used to listen to it in repeat for hours, and write down its lyrics over and over again. Just listening to it makes me shiver.

enjoy.

Pink Floyd - What do you want from me.

Dried fruit cupcakes

2008-11-20T23:17:00.008+01:00

You'll need:

1.5 cups of dried fruit cut to small pieces (about 1 square cm). You can use dried figs, apricots, raisins, cranberries, dry chopped coconut etc.

half a cup of chopped nuts (can be walnuts, pecans, and / or any nut you like)

half a cup brown sugar

3 eggs

You'll have to work just a little bit:

Whisk all three eggs with the brown sugar until you get a fluffy mixture.

Add the dried fruit to the mixture, and stir.

Add the nuts and stir.

Set paper cupcake cups on a big oven tray. (this amount will make about 20 cupcakes)

Pour about one table spoon of mixture into each cupcake cup.

Bake in a preheated oven (180c, or less if using the fan) for about 20 minutes, or until cupcakes turn gold on top.

Cool down completely!!! before eating.

They are perfect as a small filling snack!

Originally from this link:
http://www.matkonim.net/cookies/fruit.html

Getting busy

2008-11-20T22:51:00.004+01:00

I started working this week. I work in an English Language school, My job title is the same as it was in Israel, but here the actual work is different. We sit quite a lot of time in reception, and do a lot of office work. I look at this job as an opportunity to make some money and make my way up the ladder a bit. I hope that I'll be able to teach some activities too. I really hope so- coz all I can think about when I see the teachers of the center teaching is: I wanna be there- with the students, and explain to them and talk to them about more than booking them the next lesson.

Other than that, next week, I'm starting with my German course. I really hope it'll be nice, and that I'll meet some nice ppl. I decided that I'm not going to take the one that comes right after it- I'll try to solve that bureaucratic problem next week. This way I'll only take one intensive course, which ends around the middle of January. Till then I'll be very busy.

I got some contact with ppl I'd like to meet here in Munich, but since I started working- I didn't have the time to call and make an appointment to meet them. I should do that tomorrow- if I ever want to make any friends here.

Last Saturday I had a meeting/lesson from the uni, and the teacher was a really nice woman (she's in charge of our courses), who made all the pressure go away (ok not all of it but at least half of it). I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing ;-) At least she is really nice and does everything for us to feel better about these studies.

Still haven't registered in any sports gym, thought I might see how it goes learning German and working at the same time- how much time does it leave me for sports. Worse case I only start doing something like that on January some time- then I'll have time for it and wont feel bad about having a subscription and not using it (plus I'd be able to save a small amount of money by then, and maybe even have some other recommendations about other gyms).

So that's my boring update!

Oh and maybe I should put here a really nice recipe I found online, for the easiest cookies (more like cup cakes) in the world, so... you know what? I'll do it in a new post!

The ability to LIVE

2008-11-14T13:08:00.003+01:00

Guess what?

I got the job!!! They're still working on the contract, so I'll only see it next week, but they offered me the job- which is the whole point!

Today I was also given a new visa, for almost a year, and was also told that if I find a job- I can change my visa to a working visa- and work as much as I want!!!

This is so great, it's just such a relief! and it just gives me the ability to actually live here, like any other normal person.

So I'll see how it goes with the new job and the German course that starts in 10 days, and after the first course I might change the second one with a less intensive course- and work more. We'll see.

So happy!!!

Oh and I went shopping this week- for some clothes (to wear at work of course) and I spent a nice amount of money on really great basic stuff, and on my dream boots (from this website), which cost me a lot- but they are just perfect!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Active and Passive

2008-11-11T15:51:00.005+01:00

Last week I was starting to get really frustrated from being alone at home all day. Studying alone with correspondence university books can drive almost anyone crazy. Let alone when they're written in German, by a professor who is already dead. I thought I'm going to get out of my mind, and then in the middle of the week decided that that's it! Enough! No more of these 4 walls around me, I don't care how long it'll take me to finish these courses, I need to find me a job! I want to earn my own money!

Since I already sent quite a few CV's online to several ppl, and got no answers, I decided that I'll do it the Israeli way- I'll just turn up on their doorstep and demand attention. I also planned on looking for a gym while looking for work possibilities.

So I got out of the house with a list of addresses and ideas where to go to, and started looking around. Luckily Rob convinced me the day before (which will always be remembered as the day I went lunatic and started to scream that I need a life) to get my own monthly ticket for the public transportation. It definitely pays off.

I went to the Jewish community and went to see the Rabbi and went to a few gyms and then on the way saw a branch of a company I used to work for in Israel. I decided to go inside and ask if they need workers. I got an appointment for an interview already on the same day in the afternoon, and another interview, this time with the director on Monday (yesterday). I think both went pretty well, and they're supposed to give me an answer about it till tomorrow. I have a good feeling, but I can still not tell whether it's going to work out. If not, at least I know that I did my best to try and grab this job.

I still haven't decided what gym I'll go to, it's all kinda expensive, but in the end you do get what pay for... They are all very nice. I haven't found a place that offers only Yoga (I have but it's either private teachers, who give lessons in their own place, or places, which are open only when there are classes, and therefore I didn't find anyone to talk to there). So I was thinking about joining one of the many Women's Gyms around town. These things are so popular here that Rob is really annoyed that he can't find a normal gym around home coz they're all for women!!! They offer classes and a gym and I think that's good for me. I might wait till I get an answer about this job, and then decide what makes more sense. It's the usual circle of whoever has a job has money to spend on these things, but no time, and whoever has no job has time for it but no money.... The irony of life.

So I'll keep you posted about my job situation,

Till then

Have a good week!

Breaking the girl

2008-11-02T16:21:00.002+01:00

In the past two weeks, since last time I wrote here, I've been especially trying to study from my correspondence university books. It's all in German, and it's really really hard for me. In the beginning it felt totally impossible, and slowly slowly it got a bit better. Now I can read about 8 pages a day. Which is obviously nothing!!! But it's a progress. I guess I'll have to let go of the dream of starting the Masters program in the next semester. There goes another 6 months of my life...

Last Friday we went to pick up our new closet. We got two two-doors closets and one commode (chest of drawers). We already built the one closet and the commode, and started building the second closet. The time was around 23:00. We wanted to quickly finish and finally have our own place to put clothes in. We started tilting the closet from the floor, in order to stand it up. We did it wrong, and the whole thing collapsed on the floor, making a huge mess and noise. The shelves broke the little holes they were in, making it impossible to rebuild it in the same way. The nice bar that it supposed to be in the bottom of the closet, just to make it look nice- broke to two pieces. Damn! it was a new closet!!! And it took so much time and energy to bring the things upstairs 6 floors!!!

I started crying. What else can go wrong in the place?! I felt nothing is going right here. I was totally devastated. Yes. Because of a damn closet. Sometimes it takes just one small thing to break the girl.

We build it again, using the "floor" and "ceiling" shelves as normal shelves, which resulted in a closet with no floor or ceiling. If you open it you see only 4 shelves in it, the ceiling of the room and the floor of the room. I really don't think it looks so nice. After a good night sleep, and a nice dream, in which I found the solution to the problem (get nice boxes to put on top of the higher shelf and under the lowest one), I felt a bit better about it.

Now I have to get used to opening a closet and choosing what to wear.

Some impressions from Bavaria

2008-10-19T20:23:00.023+02:00

As I promised, here are some stories about my travels with Yifat around Munich and Bavaria.

Lets start with a picture from our apartment, from the day Yifat came,
a day in which you could see the Alps (it was such a clear day):

On Sunday when Yifat landed, we went home for a bit and then wanted to take advantage of the beautiful day it was outside. The temperature was really high (relatively of course) and the sun shone in the blue blue sky. We went to the Olympia tower which is right in the Olympia park (where the notorious Olympics in 1972 took place), watched the views all the way up to the Alps, and looked at the whole city.

After that we went straight to the last day of Oktoberfest, which was really great, and we really understood why ppl from all over the world go there. Well... I guess once or twice is enough though...

In the next days we walked around Munich a lot, and saw quite a lot of it, which was really good for me, coz I wouldn't have learnd the streets so fast after moving unless Yifat came. Since she took most of the pictures in Munich, I'm not going to put any here, but I guess I'm going to put pictures from here in the future, concidering the fact that I'm going to live here in the next few years.

After wondering in Munich, we took two days to travel in Bavaria a bit, on the one day we went south to the famous castle Neuschwanstein, which was the inspiration to the Disney caslte:

The caslte in very nice Autumn colors

View from one of the windows in the caslte (yes, WOW!!!)

We actually drove there through the town Garmisch, a very posh ski area, and the views there were really breath-taking:

The middle of town: Garmisch

In the evening after the castle we drove back to Munich, stopping in lake Starnberg. On the way there we took these really nice country roads Bavaria has to offer, and got stuck in traffic. Not normal traffic, but this kind of traffic:

You see, there was a whole heard of cows walking back to their stable, after a day of eating and walking in the sun. We had to drive really slowly behind them, until they reached their goal. Was really funny!!!

We only got to the lake in the evening, to have a drink on the shore, in a nice Beer-Garten, but it was still very nice:

The next day we got up early and went east to Chiemsee. It has two islands in it (well two big ones, it actually has a few other smaller ones), on which there's a lot to see. Here are some pictures from the way (it was a very misty morning, which reminds me of the song with the same name, by Bob Marley), and I got some really nice pictures from a rest area on the way:

Driving to the lake we realized that our day is going to be very hazy and cloudy and grey. Nevertheless, we had a nice day (even if it was cold) on the islands:

On the next weekend we drove to Rob's parents to walk in the old town there, and on Sunday we drove home through Regensburg, which is a really nice town.

I hope you enjoyed our little travels in Bavaria, lets hope that there are going to be a lot more!

Short update

2008-10-15T15:35:00.004+02:00

Last week Yifat was here, and we saw a lot of Munich, and also quite a bit of Bavaria. I'll tell all about it in a different post (I hope), but now I just wanted to sum up and update:

so... What do we have here:

1 apartment in Munich
6 floors above ground
0 elevator
102 stairs
2 German courses in the next future, which means:
487€ less in my bank account
15 days till my visa is not valid anymore, which means:
less than 15 days to fix it
4 different means of public transportation next to where we live (tram, bus, train and metro)
19°c in the middle of October
1 broken kettle (my fault) which means:
1 new kettle, which means:
15€ less in my bank account
6 trips to furniture stores, which ended up in buying:
2 closets with:
2 doors each, and also:
1 chest of drawers (commode) (I tell you there's no real word for it in English!!!), which means:
360€ less in Rob's bank account
1 big headache from moving
lots of motivation to find a job.

Till next time!

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto..."

2008-10-04T23:11:00.004+02:00

In the last weekend, as I wrote in my last post, I tried to meet all of my friends in Dresden. I wanted to see them all to say goodbye. I gave them some presents (that I brought from Israel) and promised to stay in touch. I really hope that I'll be able to keep my promise. Rob and I thought that we should come visit in Dresden every few months, something I would love to do, just that I know that it's not going to happen as often as we'd like.

On Monday Rob defended his thesis, and got a very good grade for it. His parents came to Dresden especially for that, and we spent the afternoon with them.

Our last night at the apartment was very weird. It was almost totally empty, except for our suitcases, an inflatable mattress and some other stuff that Rob left behind for us to use till we leave.

We left early on Tuesday morning (after sleeping for just a few hours, since I really wanted to see Andrea one more time the night before), knowing that we'll never go back to that place again. It's so weird leaving a place that you really liked, but I think I've talked about it enough already.

We got to Munich on Tuesday night, after stopping at Rob's parents for lunch. We had a carload of stuff to bring upstairs (I'm reminding you that our place is on the 6th floor with no elevator), which made Rob go up the 102 stairs 9 times, and me 6 times. I was so tired at night, but still didn't sleep that well. I still need to get used to this place.

We had quite a few problems here since we moved in, in the beginning the fridge door refused to close (that was already fixed), then the washing machine wouldn't turn and suck the water out (which was a mistake in the connection in the end, and was fixed by Rob), the lights in our bedroom don't work now, coz the fuse there burnt (going to be fixed, hopefully in the next few days) and finally: we haven't found a closet yet, that fits the size of our bedroom (since this is the attic the ceiling is tilted, and there's also a window in the middle of the only wall that can take the closet). I've been living in my suitcase for more than a month now, and I don't like it. Oh, and the bathroom mirror that we had in Dresden, broke while Rob was trying to take it off the wall, since we glued it too strongly.

The weather here is really cold (maybe in other places too, just my impression is that it's really cold here), winter decided to come early, and it's already 5 degrees outside (at night). I hope next week is gonna look nicer (the temperature is suppose to rise) coz Yifat is coming tomorrow for a week!!! This will be great! I can't wait till she's here.

I still have a lot to do, like sign up for a German course (coz I have to- for my visa), and then get my visa longer, and register here in Munich, and next Saturday I have an introduction day to the open university program that I signed up for. I still have to look for a job too (have to sit down and write applications, coz in Germany everything is complicated, and just sending your CV is not enough). I don't know how I'll do all that- learn German, study alone in German, for a Masters, and have a job, but I guess I'll just have to figure it all out.

Here's to new beginnings! The day we moved to Munich was the Jewish New year- so... I hope it'll symbolize a good new beginning for us.

Till next time from Munich...

Our trip to Spain

2008-10-03T18:34:00.022+02:00

(this post was written a few days ago, but due to the lack of internet connection is being posted only now)

Madrid

We got to Madrid on a Tuesday in the evening. We flew with Easy Jet, therefore our flight was obviously late in one hour. In the airport in Berling Rob worked on his thesis presentation, while I just slept.

Charles and Ana were great: they came to pick us up from the airport. There's nothing nicer than someone picking you up from the airport! Meeting them again was so nice. I really misses them. We went straight to have dinner, knowing that if we go home we'll never want to go out again. They took us ti the center, where there's a lot of Tapas bars. Of course we ate Tapas - and it was really good food. We realized that the food in Spain is going to be really expensive, and so it was.

When we got to their apartment they continued the good hospitality with giving us their own bed while they slept on the sofa.

The next day Rob and I just walked around Madrid (ALL DAY LONG!!!) and saw quite a lot of things. Madrid is a really nice city, but I must say, in the end it is just another beautiful capital city in Europe.

Madrid

We got to the palace,

and realized that the guards are changing.

It was a really nice little ceremony with horses.

I love these Facades.

It makes the city so special.

Toledo

On the second day in Spain we took Ana and Charles's car (have I mentioned that they were really good hosts?) and drove to Toledo. The drive took about an hour and we were there. Luckily we had a GPS in the car, which made things much easier, even though it wasn't so hard to get there.

Toledo is a really nice old city, that used to be the capital of Spain hundreds of years ago. We went to the old city which is still surrounded with walls. It was a really beautiful place, and you could really feel the history in it. Toledo also has a long and cast history of Jewish people that lived there, sinice they held high positions, of course, until they were exiled from Spain. Because of that there are two synagogues in Toledo, though one was transformed into a church at some point. The big one was actually kept almost as it was, except for the fact that it's empty nowm the walls are covered with the decorations from then- which was a few hundred years ago. It was really ineteresting for me to go see such an old synagogue, especially coz there's really old churches and cathedrals everywhere, but synagogues dodn't always survive.We came back to Madrid in the evening, and brought some food to eat at home- which was really ncie coz Ana got lots of good food too and together it made into a really nice dinner.

On our third day we went to the Art Museum Prado in Madrid, which if considered to be one of the best ones in the World.. It contains of mainly paintings from really famous artists, such as Velazques, Rubens, El Greco, Goya etc. I must admit that both Rob and I decided that we're not fans of paintings from that time.

We went home in the afternoon since we all took a flight to Barcelona in the early evening.

The gate to the old city in Toledo

In Toledo there was a really nice mixture

between Judaism and Christianity.

You can see it until today.

The view over the roofs of Toledo

One of the cathedrals

Barcelona

When we landed in Barcelona, Ana's father came to pick us up from the airport. He took us to their house, and Ana's parents did everything to make us feel comfertable in their home. They live just outside of Barcelona, on the other side of the mountains, which really reminded me of the Carmel Mountains in Israel. We spent the weekend there, enjoying Ana's mother's great Spanish cooking. We took the train to Barcelon on Saturday and walked in the city and saw a lot of it. In the evening we went out. It wasw a special weekend in Barcelonam called La Merce, and there were a lot of concerts, street performances, and so on. The main event was on Saturday night: a fire parade.

The Catalan Government building in Barcelona

We walked into this church,

which was really really beautiful,

and suddenly we saw that there's a wedding going on!

We stayed till it was over, of course.

Fire fire fire!!!

A fire blowing dragon

It was a lot of fun, and only small damages were reported by Charles, who spoted some holes in his shirt...

The next day, Sunday, Ana spent with her dad at the Bull Fights (it was his favorite bull-fighter and Ana's first time there) so we spent the afternoon with Charles in Barcelona. It was a really nice day, and we walked along the beach, had a typical Spanish Paella for lunch, and enjoyed the sun.

The port of Barcelona

Beautiful beach of the Mediterranean

Paella, the Spanish specialty.

Jamon (ham).

The main dish in every Tapas Bar.

Early on the next day Charles and Ana left to Madrid, back home to work. Her mom took us in the morning to Barcelona (which was really nice of her) and there we stayed in a small hotel (which was right in the center, but ther street next to us was occupied by hookers the whole day!!! vert inetersting experience I tell you!) We stayed there till the end of our trip. We planned on going somewhere nice and warm in the last two days, to just lie on the beach, and get a tan and relax, but the weather..... OOOOOF!!! The stupid weahter decided that we don't deserve a real relaxation, and it was raining the whole time! Sp we walked a lot in Barcelona, and saw quite a lot of it. Wednesday was a holiday there, of the saint of Barcelona Santa Eulalia. They had a parade and in general the streets were full of ppl. On one of the dats we webt ti see the Picasso Museum, which was really nice, really really nice. The food was good, but again- really expensive. In general I think we really liked Spain, though we would have loved to have a few nice sunny days in the end...

In the last two days we went to see a lot of buildings

that were designed by Gaudi.

I like his designs, it makes the whole area much happier.

Park Güell

also designed by Gaudi.

Last picture:

the view from our airplane,

as we took of on our way back...

We went back to Dresden on a Thursday, and then started the marathon of me seeing everyone I wanna say goodbye to, and Rob preparing his presentation, that took place on Monday.

About that and more on my next post.

Empty house

2008-09-15T11:55:00.005+02:00

Last night I got back to Dresden after almost two weeks in Israel.
It was a really nice visit this time, got to see almost everyone I wanted to see, didn't force myself to eat anything (so didn't get to eat most of the things I don't have here) but I still got the stomach flew for 24 hours... It happened in the only day I actually ate more than I should have. I guess I'm not used to that anymore.
I saw my family a lot (which was really the best part of it) and saw all my friends at least once. Was at Tali's wedding, which was the most special wedding I've ever been to (in the middle of the mountains with great view to the valley and hills) and even though it was the hottest day ever- we managed to dance and have fun (it was an afternoon wedding).
Now she's in Nepal with her new husband, they were supposed to go on a trek but he doesn't feel so good (problems with his back) so they're kinda stuck. I'm waiting for another e-mail from her telling us what they did in the end...

I got back to Dresden last night, to an empty house- empty of people and empty of things. Rob took all of our things to Munich this weekend, and is only coming back from there today. It's so weird to be in such an empty place... Luckily- we're going to Spain tomorrow for a holiday (meeting Charles and Ana finally!!! YEY!!!), and when we'll be back we'll have exactly 5 days here and then- we're moving to Munich.

So... I guess I'll have a lot more to tell after Spain,
Have a good week everyone!

Beautiful Dresden

2008-08-17T20:53:00.014+02:00

Last weekend Rob's older brother and his girlfriend were here. It was really fun!!! They came here on Thursday evening, we had dinner at home together and then we went to the old city to wonder around a bit. The next day we spent the whole day around town- and we got to see a lot of what this beautiful city has to offer. The next morning they had an event far away so they had to get up early and drive.

Here are pictures from that weekend-

one photo is worth a 1000 words...

(click pictures to see them in a normal size)

This is the Zwinger
Was build by Augustus the Strong
and today houses several art collections.
This is its Crown Gate.

The Frauenkirche
(the Women's Church)
Was rebuild in the last 10 years,
after it was almost totally ruined
in the bombings of February 1945.
It's pretty impressive (and huge!)

Blaues Wunder
(the Blue Wonder)
Said to be the first bridge in the world
to be build without any constructions in the water itself.
We crossed it from the side you see in the picture,
and took a cable car up on the hills.

Here it is again with some more view.

and again.

(these pictures were taken
from a really nice restaurant
on top of the hill
that has the nicest view in Dresden)

Here is the view to the other side-
The Elbe river and it's amazing valley.

On this side of Dresden
there is some of the nicest and
most expensive houses in town.
Even Putin himself used to own a house there
while living in Dresden
when it was still DDR (GDR).

Last picture- from Neustadt
the cool side of town.
We went to have dinner there,
and this is just a nice picture of the sunset.

Hope you enjoyed!!!
I'll sure miss this city...

A leaf in the wind

2008-08-06T01:29:00.005+02:00

There's a song like that in Hebrew.

That's how I feel right now.

I need to decide what to do with my life.

And I have a deadline to decide that.

I don't have any energies to decide that so fast.

I'm too depressed to decide life decisions right now.

I need my friends.

Yifat is there for me and Tali too.
My sister and parents are there for me.

But its not the same.

I need Rob to be here- but he still has one and a half weeks till he's done where he's doing his experiments. Until then he has to listen to me every night till really late. To me complaining and being sad.

I need to clear my head.

I need to clear my head.

I need to clear my head.

Isn't it ironic???

2008-08-05T16:57:00.005+02:00

Tell me, isn't this ironic?

There's one master program that I wanted to get in to. It's in Munich, and it's in a direction that really interests me. I decided with Rob that no matter what we'll move there. We were naive to think that I'll get in, and that if not- I'll find what to do. That we'll find a solution that is good for both of us.

There's one master program that I don't really wanna study, but signed up to coz it's almost interesting, and it gave me a free German course at the uni here in Dresden.

I didn't get in to the program I wanted in Munich, although they take 30 people every year, there are quite a few foreigners there, and that it's in English.
But still, Rob already found a good job in Munich- so we're definitely moving there. We even got an apartment.

I did get in to the program here in Dresden, the one I don't really know if I like, although it's in German (and my German is worse than my English), and they take only 20 people every year.
I was told I'm the only foreigner there.

I hate this. And I don't know what to do anymore.

It's becoming a reality

2008-08-04T11:17:00.003+02:00

This weekend we did nothing really. But the weekend before that- we were in Munich. We looked at 5 apartments. out of them there were only 2 that I would really move in to. One of them was too small and there were many people looking at it- so we had less chances to take it anyway. The second one was really nice. Big, airy, with lots of light, full and big kitchen, big bathroom, little storage room, big bedroom and a nice big living room. It's in a good location- right next to a subway station and next to a train station, the tram goes just on the road and there's everything we need in the area. It's in the attic of a building- which makes it really cosy too. But there's one catch. It's on the sixth floor. No elevator.

If you know me you're probably thinking to yourself: so she probably didn't take it. She wont take a place that's in the 4th floor without an elevator- so sixth???

Wrong. I did.

We liked it so much that we decided to do the deed. We'll take the chance.

Going up there three times showed me that it's possible. Just that it'll take me much longer to get home from the moment I got in the building, compared to this apartment that's in the second floor. And hey, worse case I'll be in better shape!

We thought that if we really hate it and can't do that anymore- then we'll look for a new place in a year or so. For now we like it.

***

Other than that there's nothing new. I still don't know how I'll get a visa after this one is done- but I guess I'll just take more German courses. That will give me some air for another 4-5 months.

Oh and I obviously passed my German exam- and got in to the university here in Dresden, which is really ironic- coz I don't really wanna study here, rather don't really wanna study this masters. I'm going to sign up anyway- coz this is what I have in my hands now, and I have time until the 30th of September to decide what to do with it.

so... Have a nice week you all,

I'm here- not doing much.

Love is all you need

2008-07-23T23:06:00.004+02:00

Yesterday evening I was sitting at home after coming back from Yoga, eating my dinner and chatting to my sister online. Rob wasn't online, so I thought he's still in the lab and that I'll get to talk to him a bit later. Suddenly I heard a key in the door. My heart dropped. I thought it's somebody breaking in, but who would break in with a key??? And who has a key to our place other than us (no one...)???

I went slowly to the entrance, scared to see who it is, what it is, and then....

I saw Rob opening the door...

He wanted to come home to be with me, simple as that.

Be with me when it's all sad.

He even came with me to the ultimate chick flick: "Sex and the City - the Movie". I was supposed to see it with a friend, but when he came I convinced him to come along, coz I really wanted to see it, but at the same time didn't wanna leave him at home when he came all the way for me.

So... nothing changed really, I'm still all confused, still sad, still feel insecure.
But.... I feel much more relaxed knowing he's there.

Why am I so sad?

2008-07-22T13:36:00.003+02:00

I have the answers to this question.

Not getting in to the program I wanted puts me in a very hard place.
First of all, I have to re-think about what I want to do with my life.
I thought that this program is what I wanted to do.
I thought that this program will make me what I want to become.
I thought that this is what I am interested in.
I thought that this is what is good for me.
I thought that this is what I'm going to be good at.
I thought that this is what I'm going to be.
I thought that this is what I am.

On top of that now, I have to figure out how I'm going to be able to stay here in Germany.
Without studying I'm not going to have a visa.
According to the law I am allowed to learn German one more year, and stay here with that visa.
The problem is that I did already almost all the German levels offered and I only have one more left to do. After that who knows what I'll do.

I hate being hung in the air like that. High and dry.

Don't know who I am anymore.
What I wanna do.
How I'm going to stay in the place I call home?

I'm (left) out

2008-07-21T09:40:00.006+02:00

I didn't get in.

This is one of the saddest moments of my life.

The university in Munich didn't accept me.
They said there were many more high qualified applicants.
About a 100. And they only take 30.

This is one of the saddest moments of my life.

I'm so disappointed.

And we have to move there anyway.
Because of me Rob signed a contract for three years to do a PhD there.
I have to move, and I don't want to.
And it's all because of me.

This is one of the saddest moments of my life.

This weekend we're going to look at apartments in Munich.
And I didn't get in.
But I have to move anyway.
And have to find a place to live there anyway.
And have to leave this place in Dresden, which I love so much.

This is one of the saddest moments of my life.

Discovering the value of time

2008-07-12T19:35:00.010+02:00

Yesterday I had to do a presentation in my German class. Each one of us had to do one, about something that has something to do with what they're going to study next year. I had to choose a subject in "Education" and I chose "Motivation". I prepared for it quite well and it went really nicely too. I realized (already when I did my first one in the other class I have) that the fact that I have so much experience in teaching and standing in front of a group really helps in life, and not just in these situations.

Since I had to prepare for this, I didn't meet all my girlfriends this week, so I had some time to spend alone. Which was really nice too. Just to realize that I actually do have time to do things, and only coz I insist on meeting 2-3 friends a week (sometimes more) on top of going to yoga twice, on top of uni- that's what makes life so exhausting. But it also helps life look much much nicer.

So now, a week before my German exam (which I'm doing nothing to study for) not having anymore Hebrew lessons (last Sunday was the last one, it's the summer vacation now) I had time to do some arts and crafts, and here's what came out of it:

It's a newspaper holder.

I bought the wooden naked thing in the hobby shop and decorated it myself

and here it is in more details:

and from on top:

Hope I'll do some more things like that in the time I'll have after the exam...

Oh and I still didn't get the answer from Munich.... Hope it gets here next week...

Have a great weekend and week everyone!

Insight about soccer and bikes

2008-06-30T23:51:00.003+02:00

I read here on one of the newspapers that there were 13.33 million women who watched the soccer game between Germany and Portugal. This fact is even more interesting when you read the number of male watchers of the same game: 12.81 million. More woman in Germany have watched this game. Isn't that amazing?
When we went to watch a game (usually in pubs or beer gardens) we could see just as many women wearing all kinds of soccer gadgets as men. Women were wearing the German flag on them selves, painted their faces with the flag's colors, and went everywhere to watch the games- just like men did.
Do I sound old and chauvinistic saying that? coz only when I read those numbers I realized how important it became for women. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that the whole country is in it- and there's this hype around the "Us" in Germany (and in every country I guess). Women want to be a part of the society, and nowadays - this is a way to become one.

About a week ago I rode my bicycle for the first time wearing a skirt. I guess that the male readers just asked themselves: so what??? well, I'll tell you what- it's weird!!! But it felt very free, I must say...

2.5 weeks to go till the end of my stupid German exam (but who's counting?), and I still haven't gotten an answer from the uni in Munich... I'm starting to get nervous. I was never nervous about anything like that in my life (as much as I remember). When???

Nice to write again. Even if it's not much.

one more visit to the stack

2008-06-18T14:28:00.003+02:00

I came back from Israel yesterday.
Rob and I flew there together 10 days ago. He went back one day before me.
It was a busy week there, including my grandpa's 80th birthday party (with 100 of his family members), my cousins wedding (with 350 ppl: family and friends), my birthday (with presents friends and so many times in which I forgot that it's my birthday), one holiday (with my dad's family) and a lot of meeting friends (but not enough). I obviously ate too much (Rob calls it the Israel-sickness) and now I need a vacation from this vacation.

Going back to my German class today was really not that great- it's hard to go back on track, especially when you do something just for doing it with no real goal (to remind you I want to study in Munich next year, in English, but don't know if I got in yet- which drives me crazy...)

anyways... I know I'm not the best blogger - but I guess I'm just too tired, and don't have much to say. You know that when I have something to say- I do.

So.... till next time...

Hot Hot Hot

2008-05-30T18:28:00.004+02:00

It's 30°c outside. Just thought I should share this piece of information.

Last weekend we were at Rob's parents. His best friend from high-school got married.
His girlfriend (now wife) came from China- and it was really nice to see her again after more than a year.

It was a traditional Polterabend- that's the party the evening before the wedding, and it's called that because 'poltern' means to rumble, to make a lot of noise.

It was a surprise for the couple, and you guys should have seen their faces as they came to the driveway and saw us all there throwing ceramic plates all over the place.

We weren't crazy or anything- it's just the tradition- to break ceramic dishes and make noise. It's suppose to bring good luck. The couple is suppose to clean it all up until the morning of the wedding.

The party was great, lots of nice people, lots of broken dishes, lots of beer and Bavarian food. It was really fun.

The next morning we surprised the couple again- this time Rob's dad came to their house with his old Mercedes, that we decorated before. He was their Chauffeur, and took them to and from city hall. The ceremony itself was normal- but even though it looked exactly like what we imagined it to be- it was very moving.

So now we lost another couple of friends to married life, it seems like it never ends...

This week at school past normally, nothing special. The sun is shining here now, I'm just making a quiche to Rob's request (he's coming home soon) and I hope that I'll be able to take advantage of the hot weather outside.

I'll tell you one thing- when it gets warm in Germany- it gets warm!!!

The worst show in town

2008-05-17T16:42:00.007+02:00

Last night we went to the opera.

The opera house here in Dresden is one of the most famous ones, and it's one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been to. It has been destroyed and renovated a few times because of nature catastrophes, fires and bombing.
So... We had tickets to go next week, to the known opera: "The marriage of Figaro", but then because of the wedding party of Rob's best friend, which is taking place next week at the same day- we had to change the tickets.
I was very disappointed with changing the tickets coz it's known that it's very hard to get them- coz it's always so full. The woman at the desk told us that there's good seats for a modern opera on Friday, and a few other tickets to other operas- but not in very good places. We decided to go to the modern one on Friday (although I wasn't sure it's the best idea- to go to this opera as the first real opera in my life) and so we went yesterday.

It was awful! It was the worst thing I ever watched in my entire life!!! The set of the stage was ugly, the whole thing was too modern (who wants to watch regular people in an opera? isn't the whole idea that the characters are special???) the music hurt my ears and isn't worth enough to be called music, I thought it'll be in Italian coz the woman who sold us the tickets said it's an Italian story, but it was in German, and excuse me - that just sounded terrible! I actually understood a lot of the words (they screen the words on top of the stage) but still didn't get the story, and what I did understand was just so boring and so dry!!!

Of course we left in the middle. It was a waste of time.

Hence, I'll take advantage of the fact that this blog is online and write the following:

"La Grande Magia" - is the worst opera on earth, it's the worst show in town and a waste of your money!!!

That's it. Sometimes writing thing down is such a catharsis!!!

Out of breath

2008-05-06T21:00:00.003+02:00

Last week I was sick. I think in the last year in Germany I was sick more times than I've been in the last 5 years all together.

Today we got homework to do- to read the next text in the study book.

It's about stress.

It gives examples how stress can make people sick. It says that there's two kinds of stress: acute stress- that makes us nervous for a short period of time, but can also have effects on us after the stress is over, and chronic stress, which slowly slowly eats us up and ruins our immune system.

I think I'm suffering from the second kind of stress.

I must admit that I don't know why I'm stressed, I mean, I've already decided that I'm not going to study a master program in German, and that I'm only doing this course to get myself a certificate that says that I know German well enough.

So Why does it get to me so much? is it the long hours I spend on sitting in a classroom and feeling that I learn nothing new? Is it the annoying people in class- which I don't really like, coz most of them (not all) are too young and know nothing about life and ask stupid questions? Is it coz my teacher is nice sometimes but sometimes I feel like biting her head off coz she speaks to us as if we're dumb kids?

I don't know why I feel stressed, but I know that I am- by the symptoms: I'm always tired, no matter how much I slept, and I'm really not concentrated in class. I find it really hard to learn something new, and even words I've heard a million times do not stay in my head.

I don't know how to solve this, I hope I won't get too sick. I try to rest as much as I can. I go to yoga twice a week at least (today I canceled coz I was just too tired to go, but went yesterday and going tomorrow), and try to remind myself why I'm doing this at all.

I think that the fact that Rob isn't here half of the week doesn't really help me, coz I don't really have anyone to talk to (on the phone or on skype isn't the same) and tell him how I feel (but if you ask him he'll tell you that we talk about it all day long)...

Hope I'll be better, any suggestions will be blessed.

Busy busy busy

2008-04-23T23:32:00.005+02:00

I only found time to write now, after so long that I haven't written, and still I don't have much time now- coz I'd like to go to bed early...

Last week I started my new course at the uni. I must say that I'm not loving it... But I'll still try to give it a chance. One of the things that are hard is the fact that I run around all day everyday almost, and that really makes me tired. As I said before, I have classes every morning and three times in the afternoon.

I got my visa prolonged last week too, it took 5 min, 35€, and one bitch who yelled at me saying: "do I need to speak Chinese to you so you'd understand???" only coz she had my passport in her hands and the power to decide what to do with me I didn't answer her: "well just try speaking Chinese to me- coz I would actually understand what you're saying- if you just dare!!!"

On the weekend we drove west to Rob's grandma's bday weekend. "On the way" we visited Kevin in Trier, and had a nice trip next to the Mosel river, and also met Liya in Düsseldorf. Meeting Liya was great- but was so short... I wish we could have stayed there for a few days... Anyway- she knows (hint hint) that she's more than invited to visit me here in Dresden!!!

Burg Eltz

One of the most beautiful castles I've ever seen

I calculated it and we drove around 1600 km in one weekend! That's crazy. I can't wait to have a weekend where I stay at home and sleep in every day... Coming soon!

Anyway, I'd like to go to sleep now coz I have to get up in 7 hours (I need my beauty sleep),

Will try to write here again soon!

Oh, and Happy Pessach (Passover) to whoever celebrates it!!!

I'm in

2008-04-11T20:08:00.003+02:00

Yes! I passed this exam!!! and got in to the free course that the uni here offers!!!
This saves me a lot of money and makes me a student of the uni! I'm really glad about it...

Next Monday I start- and it's a really full plan... 5 days a week the whole morning and three times in the afternoons. I'm lucky that the afternoon classes don't clash with my Yoga...

So here I am, gonna be really busy from next week, not sure if I love the idea of not having time for anything, but I'm waiting to see how my teachers are, if they're nice or not...

That's it, nothing else is new,

Have a great weekend ppl!

Home is where? (the heart is)

2008-04-03T16:30:00.002+02:00

Have you ever been in your own house,
but really wanted to go home?

I'm not in a down period- so relax, that's not what I'm trying to say. But even though I feel quite ok about myself right now, and where I am (wouldn't want to be anywhere else) I still find myself sometimes feeling that I wanna go home.

And there the problem starts.

Coz where is home? what is home?

I even find myself thinking that when I'm home. I mean in my own apartment (which I love). I sit at home and want to go home. It's a very weird feeling coz I can't fix this feeling. What am I suppose to do? Where am I suppose to go?

Just wanted to share that one with you guys.

Data protection

2008-03-31T23:58:00.004+02:00

I wanted to write about Easter and what we did. I wanted to write about what I thought about it. I wanted to write about how it ended. I wanted to write about how it made me feel.

But I lost my will at some point. The will to tell.

Don't worry. It'll all come back to me. I promise.

As soon as I start making my own decisions about my life and taking chances and as soon as I realize that I'm the only one that is entitled to decide what I tell and to whom.

Just don't know if it's the right point of view.

You probably don't even know what I'm talking about. Well I'll just say that it has something to do with putting your life online for everyone to see.

Still don't know if I really care about it. I mean, if it bothers me or not.

Especially coz I like writing so much. It's really liberating. And there's something about the fact that other people wait for what I write and actually read it that makes me write at all.

Coz before I started this blog- I loved writing- but never really had one notebook where I gathered it all in. I always had a million pieces of paper on them I wrote stuff in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. I started thousands of these notebooks. And here, in this blog it's the first time it's all in the same place. And I like it.

Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm fine. "Learning" for an exam I have this week. If I pass I save a lot of money. Cross your fingers please. Hard to sit down and study alone without a class and a teacher...

Back from Israel

2008-03-19T16:18:00.006+01:00

so... Let's start with the list I made in Istanbul at the airport, let's see what I did and what not:

See my dad and his wife and my little brothers.
Did that but felt like it was the shortest visit in the world... Came back home wanting more, and didn't get to see them again. I miss them a lot!
See my grandma.
Did that- and got to eat so much of her nice food... Just forgot the cookies she gave me to take with, but at least I got to eat some of them there...
See my grandpa.
Saw him and his wife, was a nice visit, haven't been in their house for ages. I always go to my grandpas clothes store when he's working (yes yes he's more than 75 and still working) and I see his wife when they come to my dad's when I'm there. Their house didn't change much. His wife, which is a really lovely and funny lady, is really old now, and can't work at all anymore (she is a housewife but her food- was the best!!!). It's sad...
See my aunt and cousins (from both sides)
Only saw my aunt from my moms side... didn't get to see any cousins...
Spend time with my mom and sister.
Spent! was really nice with both of them!
Celebrate my moms birthday with her.
We hung out all day together, my sister came to Haifa too, but I had the stomach flu so I didn't really feel great that day... It past after 24 hours (which was really lucky coz having an aching stomach in Israel is like going to the toy store and not being aloud to play with the toys!!!)
Get a haircut.
Got one! really nice!
Go to the dentist.
Went. Got a filling in a cavity which I think was there more than a year ago but none of the dentists I went to ever saw it. It's the same one that the dentist in China said I should kill (root canal) - stupid dentist - it was a cavity for god's sake!!! Anyway now I have to go there again to put in the new filling (since the one I have now is temporary)...
Go to the doctor.
Went! got everything I needed.
See all my friends: including: Yifat, Adi (and her new baby), Goni (and her new baby), Tali (and her new husband to be).
Saw them all and it was great! Saw Yifat (but only for one evening and one afternoon), saw Adi and her baby twice (he's the cutest and most beautiful of them all!!! I totally fell in love), saw Goni and her baby a few times (she is definitely adorable and sweet and cute and and and), saw Tali twice and once with her boyfriend, she told me when they're getting married. And- I also saw Anat which I haven't seen in ages, and Nadav- twice- which was great, and also a new friend from one of the forums I participate in- always nice to find out who's behind a nickname.
Eat Humus.
Did that with my new friend, in the best place in Israel (to my opinion).
Go to the beach whatever weather it is.
Had a walk (well it's more of a walk with my mom than a jog) on the beach, and it was great, even though the weather was the worst (foggy - it looked as if hell came over, we could look at the sun right though it without blinking, it looked more like the moon).

I also spent time with my cute dog (took his pictures- but it's on the film camera so till it's ready to put here it'll be irrelevant already).

Now I'm back in Dresden, it's 2 degrees, it was 20 in Israel... But it's fine, I know that soon enough it'll get warmer here too. Today is Purim- our costume and fun and getting drunk holiday- I'm celebrating it tomorrow with the community (where I teach Hebrew) the kids are giving a play (which I wrote according to the holiday story) and it's gonna be fun.

This weekend is Easter, and Rob's friends from all over Europe are coming over for a yearly reunion, I'm really glad coz I really like them all... 2 of them are gonna stay over here on our floor- and on Friday we're inviting them all for dinner!!! It's gonna be a cool weekend.

I really need to start studying to my German exam, I haven't studied one bit in Israel (big surprise) and now I really need to do something about it... hmmm... Hard to get back on track...

That's the update for now, happy Purim and Happy Easter to all of you!

The Story of Stuff

2008-03-19T15:36:00.006+01:00

Watch it and pass it on....

This video was downloaded from this website:

http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html

If you thought it's interesting and you want to be a part of it- there's a lot more information on the website. And most important - if you want to know what you can do to make things better, click this link:

http://www.storyofstuff.com/anotherway.html

A post from an airport

2008-03-11T21:34:00.002+01:00

I'm in Istanbul. At the airport. There's free internet which is great- helps me pass the time. The flight here was ok, I read my new book the whole time (I'll put it on the list on the right soon). There was an old fat Turkish lady next to me, which totally took half of my space... But the flight really passed fine.

I'm on my way to the shortest visit I ever payed Israel. In total- not including the flight times- it's gonna be only 6 days. In these 6 days I'd like to:
See my dad and his wife and my little brothers.
See my grandma.
See my grandpa (they're divorced).
See my aunt and cousins (from both sides)
Spend time with my mom and sister.
Celebrate my moms birthday in 2 days, with her.
Get a haircut.
Go to the dentist.
Go to the doctor.
See all my friends: including: Yifat, Adi (and her new baby), Goni (and her new baby), Tali (and her new husband to be).
Eat Humus.
Go to the beach whatever weather it is.

Well if I think of something else I'll let you know...

Anyway- wish me a good flight,

Will write again from the holy land!

10 minut episodes

2008-03-02T21:51:00.005+01:00

It's amazing how time passes really fast when we divide it to small pieces.

I'm not sure where this thought is going to, but it crossed my mind while watching a series online called quarterlife. It's definitely not the most brilliant show, but it's interesting enough to get hooked on it. The big advantage of it is that it's aired only online, and I don't need a TV to watch it, and don't need to download anything illegally for that (and if you ask me it's the future of TV shows). anyway, each chapter is about 10 minutes (well each one is divided to 10 minute parts) and while watching it i noticed that 10 minutes pass really fast, and 10 min plus 10 min plus 10 etc. can really become a long time if one doesn't pay attention.

I can also say that about normal life- lets say that every period of time in life is a 10 min chapter. For example: my first course of German in the summer is one, the second chapter is my time in Israel in between, the third one is my second course that ended in January, the fourth chapter is the second course (which I'm ending on Friday) and the fifth chapter will be my week in Israel next week. When I booked this ticket to Israel, in September, and thought about this week I'm going to stay in Israel, it looked so far away, but now- looking back the time passed really fast. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I had so many "chapters" in between, which made life more interesting. When I come to think about it- there were much more chapters than what I listed here: there was x-mass, there was my mom and sister's visit, there was Yifat's visit...

Rob is at his parents now for a week. They're actually on holiday abroad for a few weeks, but his little brother is home alone, so he went to spend some time with him. He finished his last exams ever this week, and it seemed like a big burden fell off of his shoulders. Now he only has to do a diploma theses. He's gonna do it in a different town, and gonna stay there 3 nights a week (at least) starting in April. It's gonna be in a really good institute, and it's something he's really interested in. I was very supportive that he does what's best for him. I still am. Just gonna be a bit weird being here alone most of the week. I guess I'll get used to it.

What makes me a bit insecure is especially the fact that I don't know what I'll be doing in April. I'm going to try to get into this free course that the uni is offering here, to the 60 best ppl who pass their German exam. Since I don't know if I have a chance to be one of the best 60, I'm not really putting much hopes on this course, but I would really love to take it- coz it's for free, and money as you know is something I don't really have right now. I know that I just need to sit on my ass and study a lot for it, and I will study, for sure, just the thing is... It's really hard for me to make myself study. It comes in periods for me. Sometimes I just get into this big motivation to study and sometimes I just feel like it's the last thing I wanna do. It never really correlates with the importance of an exam. Only with something inside that I haven't figured out what drives it yet. It's obviously all psychological, but it's way too deep to fix it alone.

Oh well...

Yoga is great, I've already been there 3 times this week and 2 the first week I signed in. This week I signed up for 3 classes as well. I just love it. I already feel a difference in my body, and in my soul.

Last week of this course. I must say that I'm glad. I'm sick of it. I don't suffer in class, but don't have much more energy for it. My male teacher (as apposed to my female teacher which is great) is driving me crazy. He thinks he is our mentor to religion subjects (he's an x-Tunisian) and it really makes me mad that he takes advantage of his position to let us know what he thinks. He was a really good teacher for a beginners class, but now when we actually know a lot more, I feel bored with him and sick of being in his lessons. Oh well. Only 3 more days with him. My other teacher, she's great, I love her, she really wants us to just simply learn the language, and even if it's in a fun way. Fun. A word my other teacher doesn't know...

Ok, it's late, and I still have homework to do,
Have a really good week you all.

111

2008-02-26T22:52:00.001+01:00

111 out of 120!!!

That's how much I scored on the Toefl test.

YEY!!!

SO HAPPY!!!

It was worth doing it!

Yoga!!!

2008-02-19T19:49:00.001+01:00

Signed up for Yoga today!!! In a really nice place, a place only for Yoga, it looks like a million dollars, and I got a fair price (they even gave me a discount coz I'm a student, even though I didn't ask for one). I just finished one class, and it was great, I understood almost everything the teacher said- which was really nice too, gave me a boost and a smile about my German...

Really happy about it!!!

Family visit

2008-02-17T21:42:00.005+01:00

Last week, as I told here before, my mom and sis were here for a visit. They arrived on Friday night and left a week later on Friday afternoon. How can I sum it up? It was great, it was tiring, it was fun and it was really full of sight seeing. We were in Berlin for the first 3 days, and we saw a whole lot of it, we met Rob's parents and sister there too, we had a really cool apartment in a hostel called Alcatraz that we all shared (Rob and I and my mom and sis), we had great weather there (blue sky all the time) and basically it was really nice.
Then we drove back to Dresden, and spent 3 days here, saw almost everything there is to see (didn't have great weather but was still nice). I would put pictures but I don't have all of them yet.
On the day that they arrived I did a Toefl test which was one of the most exhausting experiences of my life, I'll get the results in about 3 weeks and we'll see how it went...
Last Friday I drove my sister and mom to the airport (I drove alone to Berlin and back!!!), and after I dropped them off, I met some friends in Berlin and also stayed to watch one of them give his Radio show in Hebrew. It was cool to sit in the studio and see them talk...
Today I had a Hebrew lesson again (the last two weeks were winter break) and it was nice, got some more things to do for them, and hopefully it'll become something regular- and this way I can make some more money every month.
After work I went to meet Cecilia, my Mexican friend, she came back from there a week ago. It was fun seeing her after a long time (almost 3 months).
Now I'm in bed, feel a bit yucky, hope I'll feel better tomorrow, coz I have to go to school after missing more than a week. I feel bad about missing so much, but to be honest, I didn't feel bad about it even for a second for the past week so... why start feeling bad about it now? maybe coz I'm a bit worried that I feel so far away from it now. Hopefully I'll go right in to it again...
This coming weekend my friend Yifat is coming for a visit, almost spontaneously (she told me she might come a few weeks ago, but only decided to really do it today) and it's gonna be a lot of fun!
Tali- my sweet friend- is getting married, she waited all week to tell me that in person on skype and not via e-mail. I told her that I have a phone (!!!) and that she could have called. She said she didn't know... LOL typical Tali! Anyway - it's very exciting and I wish her and her boyfriend (or shall I call him her husband to be?) a big Mazal Tov!!!
Oh and by the way, my cute amazing cell phone from China died totally last week, and now I have a simple Nokia that is ok but is about 10 generations of cell phones back in time... Troubles of the rich...
Have a good week everyone!!!

Leseratte

2008-02-05T21:50:00.000+01:00

As I wrote here yesterday, I made bookmarks for my Chinese classmates (I actually made enough for everyone in the class coz the Chinese are already more than half...), and coz M had asked to see pictures- here are they in all their glory:

On this side it says:
'Leseratte'.
Which means in German:
Bookworm,
but literally it means:
Reading rat.

On this side
(sorry for the bad quality picture)
it says:
新年快乐
(xin nian kuai le)
which means in Chinese:
Happy new year.

I hope they like it!!!

Writers block

2008-02-04T23:01:00.002+01:00

Well I don't really have a block... or do I? Anyways, I just don't feel like writing...

In short- last weekend we were at Rob's parents, to see a concert that his little brother was a part of. It was a really cool concert, of his school big band (121 ppl on stage), they played all instruments, and all kinds of new music. It was really fun to watch and to hear.

We took one of the cars to Dresden, coz on Friday- my mom and sis are coming!!! They're landing in Berlin, we're gonna be there with them for 3 really busy days, (I'm also taking a Toefl test that day, wish me luck), they're gonna meet Rob's parents (everybody is quite indifferent about it except for Rob's father- who can't stop talking about it), and then we're gonna drive back to Dresden for another 3 days of tourism and fun!

I really need this break from the studies, it's not harder now, but it's too monotonous, we keep training the same things (which is exactly the purpose of this course) and I'm getting tired of it.

Rob and I started today a new thing: German Mondays. We decided that every Monday we only speak German with each other- and so far (it's close to midnight) it worked very well.

This week it's Chinese new year, I'm making something cute for the 5 ppl in my class who celebrate it (a book mark in the shape of a Rat - the animal of the new Chinese year. It fits perfectly to the German word for "book worm" - Leseratte = a reading rat).

Ok, getting too late for me, hope I'll get to write again soon, before my mom and sis are here,
if not- I promise a full report in less than 2 weeks!

Inscapism

2008-01-24T14:48:00.000+01:00

I went to the movies last night with my German friend. It was an Israeli movie called: "The Bubble". I don't wanna tell you exactly what it is about, but in short it's about love between a Jewish Israeli man and a Palestinian man. It's about impossible love. Politically and Socially. It was a good film, not the best I ever watched, but a good one that makes you think. Well... It makes ppl that are not Israeli's think. Me? I just got depressed.
Usually ppl who go to the movies want their good nice piece of escapism. They want to run away for 2 hours. Get away from normal life. This movie for me, as an Israeli, especially one that lives abroad, was a lot more inscapism than escapism. It totally drew me back to the problems there. Took me there by force, like there was a vacuum there that just sucked me back in. I tried to resist but it just didn't work, the force was much stronger than me. It pulled me in like a black hole, and really, there was nothing I could do. It started taking me back to the sad reality. It was worse than reading the news. I can't stop thinking about it. I went to sleep thinking about it. The first thing that crossed my mind when I opened my eyes this morning- was the ending of the movie. Again- I don't wanna spoil it for you- but I'll just say that I got so depressed. The whole day in school today I couldn't think about anything else. And it's not like there's not nice and happy things going on in the movie. There are! But the sad things... And these sad things- they're not even that realistic (to my opinion) they are a bit exaggerated, but still, they made their point. And it did it's job- it made me sad.
The last thing someone says in the movie is something like:

"Maybe one day ppl will see that fighting in wars is so stupid, and loving is so much better.

Nahhh.... No one will."

And on this happy note-
I'll just wish a happy birthday to my cute brother Daniel: he's 7 years old today!!!

Arts & Crafts

2008-01-21T22:11:00.000+01:00

Hello you all!
Last Friday I got the results to my exam. As I expected, I passed, I even got a "2" which is like the American "B" (well, kind of). I'm happy with it, and now I started the second course (with the same teachers and except for 3 ppl- the same students). My Chilean friend passed as well- and now she's in my class, and I'm really happy for her, coz she used to be in my old class, and as you already know- it sucked. Not surprisingly, most of the ppl who didn't pass the exam were from that class. I really feel bad for them coz I know it's mainly the fault of their pathetic bad teachers... Oh well, being a real Israeli (who fights for her rights) did pay off!

I finally finished the baby blanket I made for Adi's baby
(who looks so cute in the pictures she sends me),
it took me a few months to knit it, and here are the results:

Baby blanket - over view

Baby blanket - closeup 1

Baby blanket - closeup2

Baby blanket - closeup 3

I'm going to send it to her tomorrow via post, and since she doesn't have any time to read my blog nowadays (having a baby might do that to you...) I feel free to put the pictures here before she even gets it.

P.S Liya! you see? I made it bigger, babies, as you mentioned, do grow fast!!!

Till next time!

A time to relax

2008-01-17T12:51:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I had an exam. It was coz we finished a level, and we have to take it and pass it in order to go to the next level. My teachers really prepared us well- we practiced a lot, and in the end the exam was much easier than what they prepared us for. The other groups, including my old group, didn't think it was so easy. So again I thank myself for changing the group. Today, while the teachers are checking our exams, we have a day off, and tomorrow we'll get the answers.

I made friends with a real nice girl, who joined my old group the day I left. She's from Chile, and she's cool and fun. She's here coz her boyfriend is from here, so naturally we have a lot to talk about (and complain about..).

Other than that nothing too exciting is going on in my life, Goni had her baby (girl!), Adi's baby is home now after being in the hospital for the first 3 months of his life. I wish them both all the health and sleep and happiness in the world! It's a bit weird that two of my best friends are mothers now... Especially coz it's two girls (are they already women? hmmm...) who were the ones I would guess last to become parents. The one was always late in doing everything everybody else does, plus she's a real researcher, who's doing her PhD now (but on a maternity break). The other... Her I met about 7 years ago, in those days the last thing she wanted was to have kids, and in general she hated those little creatures (even though where we met was in a job of teaching kids hahaha). But life has it's own way of biting you you know where, and even though I was always the one (and still am) that loves kids and almost everything that has to do with them, the one that works with kids, and sees her self doing that for the rest of her life, those friends are still first in line.
At least I know what the reason is... These girls were always the ones that will do things the way they're suppose to be done. I'm, how to say, not really like that... I'm not a crazy person, I'm not a 'real' rebel, not from the outside. I look totally conventional, and if you just see me in the street, you'll never guess exactly what kind of person I am. But if you look at my life you can see, that I'm not necessarily the person who does what everyone expects her to do. Well, that's just me.

I'm knitting a lot lately! I love it! I'm knitting a baby cover for Adi's son, and a scarf for my sister. She's coming in about 3 weeks with my mom!!! YEY!!! I'm so excited about it! Already booked a place for all of us in Berlin (where we'll be for the first 3 days) and a place for them to stay close to where we live in Dresden (for the last 3 days). Now all I have to do is make a list of places in both cities we want to see, and that's it. I miss them a lot, my mom and sis, and it's gonna be great!

Anyway, I really don't have anything exciting to tell,
wish you all a great weekend,

American History - the south park version

2008-01-07T15:30:00.001+01:00

A dark fairy tale

2008-01-04T12:21:00.000+01:00

The next pictures were taken in the little forest

on the hill close to where Rob's parents live.
We took a walk there on x-mas eve,
in the early afternoon.
Because of the frost on the trees
(it's not snow!)
everything looked as if it froze while growing,
as if time stopped,
and it gave the feeling of being in a dark fairy tale.
If you look really close-
you might see the white witch...
(you can click the pictures to make them larger)

The next picture was taken on a frozen lake,
we wanted to ice skate
but there were no more skates for rent in the shop.

In this one you can see me standing on my skies,
waiting for Rob to take my picture,
not noticing he already did...
Look at the nice view,
and what beautiful days we had.

And here is one picture of the x-mas tree,
with most of the presents around it.

A post from the 29th of December

2008-01-03T18:19:00.000+01:00

(Most of this post was written in a nice cabin up in the Austrian mountains, in a restaurant of a ski resort).

First I'll start with telling you how I got here. Just a bit more than a week ago Rob & I left Dresden and went to his parents. His dad actually came all the way to our place to pick us up, which was great! (Have I told you that already? I don't remember...). We spent a nice weekend at his parents, met some of his friends and spent time with his family. Then Monday night came really quickly! It was x-mas eve, my first real one. I helped to decorate the tree and asked Rob's mom when did this tradition start. She told me that the whole thing started with just a green twig they used to put in the house at this time of year, to represent growth and new beginnings. They used to hang apples on it to wish for always having food on the table. Only about 150 years ago they started to put a real big tree at home, instead of the twig, and continued to decorate it with apples which eventually changed and nowadays look like the x-mas nice decoration balls you all know.
After decorating the tree we had a nice afternoon with tea and cookies (including the ones I made, who got some compliments) and then Rob's mom prepared a game for us all- she asked us trivia questions about x-mas (I obviously didn't know most of the answers) and whoever said a wrong answer had to chose a note with a chore on it. Some of the chores were just something nice to say or to do- like what I got: to tell about a nice encounter that I had this year. I told them about my language exchange partner.
After that we had a nice dinner, with a Raclette, on it you can grill your own food- which makes it very social and fun. After food was the presents opening. Rob totally bombarded me with presents, he got me: a jumping bread toaster, a cool key chain and a really nice designed notebook (both I was checking out in the stores when we were there together), money to buy in Zara, a book by Mark Twain called "The awful German Language" (it's a great book, who knew Mark Twain learned German???) and to top it all: my own laminating machine!
I also got a hot water bottle with the swiss flag on it from Rob's sister, and really really nice earing, a booklet with all German bad words from his little brother, and we both got from his older brother- his clothes dryer - which is already in our apartment - coz we were suppose to have temporarily until he finds a new place - now we get to keep it! His parents gave me a few nice little things, amongst them a good thermos, a nice calender, and a voucher to buy in a really good clothes store. It was a really nice evening with his family.

On Wednesday we drove to Austria to Rob's grandma's. I haven't been there since I started writing this blog, so I'll just tell you that she lives in the south part of Austria, in a beautiful area, just like Austria is suppose to look like. His mom grew up there, between the white mountains and blue sky. we skied for 5 days of the week we were there, in the beginning I was obviously very rusty and terrified, after not skiing for more than 9 months, but gradually I got over it and at some points it was pure fun. At the day before last on snowboarder crashed in to me, and totally flattened me on the slope, I have a huge ugly black bruise on the back of my shin to prove it, but I didn't break anything and as you can see I'm still alive. The only thing it really did is make me paranoid of the ppl coming from on top of the mountain, at the next and last day of skiing. Mostly the sky was blue and the views were amazing, and in general the more I skied the more I liked it and got better... Most of the days I got a half day ticket, and after I was all tired of skiing, while the rest of the guys were still fit, I sat down in a nice restaurant like this one, had a hot chocolate or just a cup of tea and relaxed...

So you can see that I had a really nice vacation, shame that it's all gonna be over soon,
in two days I'm going back to Dresden (alone coz Rob has something to do in Munich on Monday), on Sunday I'm working and on Monday - back to the routine... Must admit that I'm not too keen on going back to school, but... It's gonna be alright, I'm sure.

Have to go now, we're meeting some friends in town for a drink, will put some pictures here in my next post.

Guten Appetit!

2007-12-20T21:40:00.000+01:00

Today is a busy day: went to school in the morning (after going to the doctor to get some medicine for the weekly illness) then went to buy things to make these cookies, then finished my x-mass cards, then made cookies, and now I'm on a break from packing my stuff (hate packing, somehow it doesn't get better every time). Tomorrow Rob's dad is picking us up from here to take us to their place for the holidays. Picking up did I say? He's driving all the way to here from their home (about 2.5-3 hours drive) and taking us there. Nice ha? He's already on vacation and wanted to do something. anyways. as you can see I made these cookies- the recipe I found in the book of x-mass cookies I got from Rob's mom for Nikolaus (on December 6th the kids get sweets and presents from Nikolaus, and so did I).
So, might write again before the holiday, if not- have a Frohe Weihnachten! or in English: Merry x-mass!!!

look!

2007-12-17T18:34:00.000+01:00

It's gonna be my first real x-mas with a family, and I prepared it all!
look at the presents I got for Rob's family:
aren't they wrapped so nice???

I also made nice cards, all by myself, I might put some pics of them here later some time...

New friends

2007-12-09T16:47:00.000+01:00

I have so much to tell that I don't even know where to start.
Last week started like all the other weeks... Nothing special... I had my Hebrew class on Sunday, and then on Tuesday we went to a Hanuka celebration only for Israelis and their partners. I met some ppl I already know, and also a nice Israeli guy, who lives here with his German girlfriend. It was nice to meet new ppl, and make friends. On Thursday he called and we met for a coffee, and it was so weird for me to talk in Hebrew in a public place! (first time for me here to do that). While we talked I got an SMS from my Tandem partner. I'm not sure I wrote about it here, but I was looking for a Tandem partner in the last few weeks, someone local I can practice my German with, someone that is interested in learning and practicing Hebrew. I was surprised to even get an e-mail back from this girl (girl? she's not a girl anymore... how would you call a young woman of 30? woman sounds so old to me...). Anyway to get to the point: she SMSed me on Thursday, asking if I can meet her the same evening, I obviously said yes, what else do I have to do??? I met her in a really nice cafe and it was so great! She's a really interesting and nice person. She just finished her med studies and now she's specializing in psychiatry. She spent 2 years of her life volunteering in Israel as a nurse, and learned Hebrew. We talked the whole time only in German, which was really really nice, and I was so proud of myself... The thing that was funny was that even though usually I speak better German when I'm drunk, this time this wasn't the case... As I drank more I made more mistakes... And that helped me feel more relaxed about talking with mistakes. It was the first time I realized, or better say: felt, that I can make mistakes in German and the world will not fall apart. It was not just an exercise for my language skills, but also a lesson in perfectionism, or rather- against it.
So that was Thursday, and then came Friday, as usual I went to school and at night we went to a party at the dorms. Was a boring party, and in the end we found ourselves in the dorms' club, which as usual was way too loud and way too smelly from cigarettes... After an hour or two I was dying to go home and breath some normal air...
On Saturday we went to Königstein which is a castle not far from here, in Sächsische Schweiz (swiss Saxony in German). There's a mid-evil x-mas market on top of the hill in the castle, and it was a nice experience, even though we already attended the mid-evil x-mas market here in Dresden. Of course we mostly ate there all kinds of "mid-evil" food, and drank some nice Glühwein (hot wine with fruit and spices). In the evening we went to the mall, not to shop but to watch the Hanuka candle lightning of the Jewish community, met some more ppl, and went with A the Israeli, his German girlfriend J and a couple of new guys (E the Israeli and M the Italian) to a cool Italian chain restaurant. The concept of this restaurant is that you get a plastic card, on which you charge everything you order, you serve yourself, and in the end you pay at the cashier at the exit. The food there is really good, especially the Pizzas, only the drinks are a bit too expensive...
That's it for now, I really need to study, but have no Lust (passion in German, they use to say that they feel or don't feel like doing something, I have Lust for... or I have no Lust for...). I ate 3 Sufganiyot (the Jewish donuts for Hanuka) already, I never eat more than one a year, and 3- that's really too much! oh well, it's not like I eat these things on a regular basis.
Still don't know what to buy for Rob's brothers and dad for x-mas (I have to think about something for him too...) it's so hard to buy for men!!! Any ideas will be welcomed...
Suppose to get my first paycheck from the Hebrew lessons kinda soon, it's not much money- but it's something and it's nice :-)
Hope to have another nice week now, wish you all a good one too...