A trip to the shuk
I woke up early to go with a friend to Mahane Yehuda – truly the place to find rock bottom prices on fresh, high quality fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, baked goods, nuts, spices and halva. Yes, halva is its own food group in Israel – I bought a slab that was so fresh it was still jiggly and hot. As they say here, “Oooowah!” I found all the specialty items I’ve been looking for – freshly ground allspice, rose water and orange water (but they sold it to me without the water – in tiny vials, super concentrated), oot paste (also super concentrated), and the coup de grace – fresh ka’ak. Hamdallah.
A pit stop in Israel has a whole other purpose
When you drive in this country you see cars randomly pulled over on the side of the road (even alongside the ayalon – highway). The driver will be nearby and you don’t have to turn your head to avoid seeing what he’s doing. Go ahead and look - he’ll be facing Jerusalem, praying shaharit or minha, depending on the time of day.
Shakshuuka – there’s really nothing better – (except maybe Doda’s sugar cookies)
Today we took another trip to Tel Aviv – two more Dodas (aunts) and countless cousins – but alas the cycle of bar-b-q-ing has been broken. A dairy lunch in the sukkah (Israeli style with shakshuuka, borekas, cheeses, and vegetables) was a welcome and delicious change. After lunch the kids were glued to the Nickelodeon channel in Hebrew (“Ma? Einlach TV baBayit?” – “What? No TV in your house?”) until dessert. I got my first Israeli recipe today – Doda’s sugar cookies with a secret ingredient. We used an Avent baby bottle to figure out the ounces (or cc’s) of Doda’s drinking glasses since the entire recipe was given in cosot (glasses). I’ll try it out next week – stay tuned. The secret ingredient? A clue – it’s also in halva.
The holiday is like the rose water
Tomorrow night begins the ultimate “three-for-one” – in Israel, Simhat Torah and Shemini Atzeret are celebrated simultaneously. Since they fall out on Shabbat this potentially three day holiday (chutz l’aretz – outside of Israel) is combined into a tidy package – one day only. Still very festive – maybe even more so – super concentrated!
Free things
Sunday is probably the last free day my kids will have until Chanukah – it’s “Isru Chag” – the day after the holiday which is not a holiday so we are free to return to the beach one last time. Which will hopefully distract them (them being kids and Bob) from the free puppy I turned down today…
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Swirling Thoughts #53 - skewers of chicken, skewed language, a skewed shopping experience
Day 3 of the Sukkah Bar-b-q marathon…
Bob’s aunt has clear plastic bags of water hanging in her sukkah. Knowing why but needing to hear it from a real Israeli, we asked her why. She and her kids answered excitedly and with authority, “Zvoovim!” (flies). Okay, so we thought the bags of water were supposed to scare away bees – she’s using them to scare away flies. “Does it work?” we asked. With noticeably less excitement and authority they all shrugged their shoulders. “We don’t know.”
When they say everything is negotiable here, they are not kidding
On the way to Tel Aviv Bob told me a little about his visit to ACE Hardware in Jerusalem the day before. I sent him there to get me a normal trashcan (yes, I am still slow dancing with my trashcan liner each time I need to remove the bag) and a basic vacuum cleaner. Four hours later he returned, defeated. We’re sensing a common theme here – the problem is not so much that the stores don’t carry what you want. It’s not that the service is lacking. It’s not even that the prices are ridiculous. It’s that when you see a known name such as ACE you sort of (incorrectly!) expect the same level of quality and service you would get in such a store back in the states.
In addition to my requested items (neither of which were available), Bob had been looking for a Black & Decker drill to replace the one we brought which burned out the minute we got here. It is his favorite tool. He found it in ACE but the package was opened. He asked a salesperson for an unopened box. They gave him one that had clearly been opened but was now tightly closed with green tape. He asked for another one. Another opened box. The price was more than 450 NIS. The salesman told him “It’s fine, it’s good, I’ll give it to you for 400 NIS.” “What is this, the shuk?” Bob asked. The salesman said to call him when he’s in line and he’ll come to the register to confirm the discount. This gave Bob some time to think and get into negotiation mode. He decided he wasn’t paying an agarot over 350 NIS for this opened drill and when he called the guy over he told him as much. They agreed on 370 and so the deal was made. Not in the shuk. In ACE Hardware.
Is broken English the pathway to fluent Hebrew? I sure hope so...
After 3 skewers of pergiot (baby chicken) Rosie grabbed her stomach and exclaimed, “I am too much full!”
Hoshanah Rabbah - not just a calendar holiday
Tomorrow night starts Hoshanah Rabbah – the holiday marking the final sealing of our judgment after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There are shiurim (classes) being held in the evening and all day on Friday. What’s remarkable here is the universal awareness of this inherently significant and amazing day which, until now, used to just pass me by unless I happened to be looking at the calendar.
A yishuv tov
This is what people wish us constantly. “A good settlement.” In other words, we should have a good experience settling in. No settler pun intended. I have to go mix up the second round of my kids' antibiotics now - a service not provided in the pharmacy. I am running to Mahane Yehuda to buy meat for Shabbat early tomorrow morning since the butcher is closed for hol hamoed. Too bad I don't have Bob's bargaining skills! Overall, it's a process but i think we’re on track. I hear drilling sounds coming from the basement. That’s as good a sign as any.
Bob’s aunt has clear plastic bags of water hanging in her sukkah. Knowing why but needing to hear it from a real Israeli, we asked her why. She and her kids answered excitedly and with authority, “Zvoovim!” (flies). Okay, so we thought the bags of water were supposed to scare away bees – she’s using them to scare away flies. “Does it work?” we asked. With noticeably less excitement and authority they all shrugged their shoulders. “We don’t know.”
When they say everything is negotiable here, they are not kidding
On the way to Tel Aviv Bob told me a little about his visit to ACE Hardware in Jerusalem the day before. I sent him there to get me a normal trashcan (yes, I am still slow dancing with my trashcan liner each time I need to remove the bag) and a basic vacuum cleaner. Four hours later he returned, defeated. We’re sensing a common theme here – the problem is not so much that the stores don’t carry what you want. It’s not that the service is lacking. It’s not even that the prices are ridiculous. It’s that when you see a known name such as ACE you sort of (incorrectly!) expect the same level of quality and service you would get in such a store back in the states.
In addition to my requested items (neither of which were available), Bob had been looking for a Black & Decker drill to replace the one we brought which burned out the minute we got here. It is his favorite tool. He found it in ACE but the package was opened. He asked a salesperson for an unopened box. They gave him one that had clearly been opened but was now tightly closed with green tape. He asked for another one. Another opened box. The price was more than 450 NIS. The salesman told him “It’s fine, it’s good, I’ll give it to you for 400 NIS.” “What is this, the shuk?” Bob asked. The salesman said to call him when he’s in line and he’ll come to the register to confirm the discount. This gave Bob some time to think and get into negotiation mode. He decided he wasn’t paying an agarot over 350 NIS for this opened drill and when he called the guy over he told him as much. They agreed on 370 and so the deal was made. Not in the shuk. In ACE Hardware.
Is broken English the pathway to fluent Hebrew? I sure hope so...
After 3 skewers of pergiot (baby chicken) Rosie grabbed her stomach and exclaimed, “I am too much full!”
Hoshanah Rabbah - not just a calendar holiday
Tomorrow night starts Hoshanah Rabbah – the holiday marking the final sealing of our judgment after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There are shiurim (classes) being held in the evening and all day on Friday. What’s remarkable here is the universal awareness of this inherently significant and amazing day which, until now, used to just pass me by unless I happened to be looking at the calendar.
A yishuv tov
This is what people wish us constantly. “A good settlement.” In other words, we should have a good experience settling in. No settler pun intended. I have to go mix up the second round of my kids' antibiotics now - a service not provided in the pharmacy. I am running to Mahane Yehuda to buy meat for Shabbat early tomorrow morning since the butcher is closed for hol hamoed. Too bad I don't have Bob's bargaining skills! Overall, it's a process but i think we’re on track. I hear drilling sounds coming from the basement. That’s as good a sign as any.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Swirling Thoughts #52 - i can sure tell it
Wildlife in the aretz – and some advice – do NOT walk barefoot after dark.
This would probably go under the heading of “things nobody has ever told you about Israel” but let me please be the first. I opened my door to shake out a tablecloth in front of my house and saw no less than 6 gigantic slugs on my front porch. By gigantic I mean absolutely huge. Each one was almost the size of a cigar. I photographed each one, partly for posterity and partly because I knew Bob would think I was exaggerating when I said six. Now he can examine the distinct (and huge) features of each one via my photography.
Why doesn’t Obama just ask me?
I can tell you all about socialized medicine. It’s bottom line care with no service whatsoever. Lots of sign this and go here and wait for this and then go there. Need bloodwork? Take this scrip, have it re-written on your insurance paper by a doctor that you may have to officially switch to for the next three months, then take the paper to the nurse in the clinic. Let her draw blood and come back to the clinic for the results. Or you can call the lab. We did this tonight – the calling. Not for bloodwork but for my strep culture. I had my husband’s cousin call. She’s lived here since childhood. She’s raised four kids here and made plenty of calls here. Her Hebrew is immaculate. I gave her the required paperwork and documentation in preparation for “the call”. My strep culture’s bar code. My teudat zechut (Israeli ID number). And the phone number for the automated lab results. It took her four calls to get through the menu, the data entry and finally to the results (normali, Baruch Hashem). On with my life. My next medical adventure will be after the holiday when I register at the hospital (I’ve heard a range of views on this practice – ranging from ‘you must’ to ‘you don’t have to but they’ll yell at you in Hebrew when you show up in labor unregistered’ to ‘I’ve never registered ever and it totally doesn’t matter’) and go for my next sonogram/doctor’s visit (at which she will prescribe bloodwork for which I will have to go to the clinic, have the scrip re-written….). I’m seeing this very nice private doctor at my own expense and will be paying her to deliver me, Be’H, when the time comes. As Israeli as I am trying to be, I couldn’t wrap my brain around a delivery sans doctor (yes, midwives deliver you here) although if my private doctor can’t make it to the hospital when I am actually delivering I may get a chance to be so Israeli after all. Stay tuned…
This would probably go under the heading of “things nobody has ever told you about Israel” but let me please be the first. I opened my door to shake out a tablecloth in front of my house and saw no less than 6 gigantic slugs on my front porch. By gigantic I mean absolutely huge. Each one was almost the size of a cigar. I photographed each one, partly for posterity and partly because I knew Bob would think I was exaggerating when I said six. Now he can examine the distinct (and huge) features of each one via my photography.
Why doesn’t Obama just ask me?
I can tell you all about socialized medicine. It’s bottom line care with no service whatsoever. Lots of sign this and go here and wait for this and then go there. Need bloodwork? Take this scrip, have it re-written on your insurance paper by a doctor that you may have to officially switch to for the next three months, then take the paper to the nurse in the clinic. Let her draw blood and come back to the clinic for the results. Or you can call the lab. We did this tonight – the calling. Not for bloodwork but for my strep culture. I had my husband’s cousin call. She’s lived here since childhood. She’s raised four kids here and made plenty of calls here. Her Hebrew is immaculate. I gave her the required paperwork and documentation in preparation for “the call”. My strep culture’s bar code. My teudat zechut (Israeli ID number). And the phone number for the automated lab results. It took her four calls to get through the menu, the data entry and finally to the results (normali, Baruch Hashem). On with my life. My next medical adventure will be after the holiday when I register at the hospital (I’ve heard a range of views on this practice – ranging from ‘you must’ to ‘you don’t have to but they’ll yell at you in Hebrew when you show up in labor unregistered’ to ‘I’ve never registered ever and it totally doesn’t matter’) and go for my next sonogram/doctor’s visit (at which she will prescribe bloodwork for which I will have to go to the clinic, have the scrip re-written….). I’m seeing this very nice private doctor at my own expense and will be paying her to deliver me, Be’H, when the time comes. As Israeli as I am trying to be, I couldn’t wrap my brain around a delivery sans doctor (yes, midwives deliver you here) although if my private doctor can’t make it to the hospital when I am actually delivering I may get a chance to be so Israeli after all. Stay tuned…
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Swirling Thoughts #51 - ulpan and tradition
In ulpan we have the makings of an opener for Middle East peace – our teacher pointed out that Ivrit (Hebrew) and Aravit (Arabic) are essentially the same word with two letters inverted. She reviewed some Aravit words that have been absorbed into the Ivrit (Kef (fun), Yalla (come on now), Sababa (okay, cool)) and said, “See - cousins!”
Low class.
When I asked her about some of the words I know that she wasn’t teaching (I thought “where are you from?” was “m’eyfo ata?” as opposed to “m’ayin ata?”) she gave a quick but clear explanation. “There is Shakespeare…” (she held her hand all the way up high) “…and there is Kveesh (street)!” (hand held way down low). Seems much of the Ivrit I’ve picked up along the way is kveesh.
Sakana! (Danger!)
We learned about the otiot garon – throat letters – which, if used in conjunction with the wrong prefix can cause you to choke (choking demonstrated by our instructor) and which, if used with a dagesh or a shvah become lethal. (I don't even know what that means but we'd best be careful!) We learned about the counterintuitive nature of Israeli double negatives. ‘Nobody doesn’t understand’ is the literal translation of a sentence that actually means, ‘Nobody understands.’ He doesn’t understand anything? He doesn’t understand nothing! My inner grammar freak is quivering.
Existentialism in ulpan – “Why?”
When someone asked about the double negatives the answer came in the form of a musical interlude. “Masoret!” she answered and then in her best Tevya, she belted out “Tradition… tradition! Tradition!”
The weather here is a blessing – and not just when it’s good for beach days and bar-b-q’s!
We’re finding ourselves caught up in another Israeli tradition. Tomorrow will be our third consecutive hol hamoed bar-b-q. As for something a little more meaningful…it rained this morning – something even the kids know to appreciate here and at this time of year. I received the following note from my friend Shelomo, a learned historian:
In the old days, when it would not rain, the Sephardic rabbis would all gather in the lower portion of the courtyard of the "Four Synagogues" near the Rova HaYehudi parking lot. There, they would sit for 24 hours - while they would fast, as they prayed for rain.
Low class.
When I asked her about some of the words I know that she wasn’t teaching (I thought “where are you from?” was “m’eyfo ata?” as opposed to “m’ayin ata?”) she gave a quick but clear explanation. “There is Shakespeare…” (she held her hand all the way up high) “…and there is Kveesh (street)!” (hand held way down low). Seems much of the Ivrit I’ve picked up along the way is kveesh.
Sakana! (Danger!)
We learned about the otiot garon – throat letters – which, if used in conjunction with the wrong prefix can cause you to choke (choking demonstrated by our instructor) and which, if used with a dagesh or a shvah become lethal. (I don't even know what that means but we'd best be careful!) We learned about the counterintuitive nature of Israeli double negatives. ‘Nobody doesn’t understand’ is the literal translation of a sentence that actually means, ‘Nobody understands.’ He doesn’t understand anything? He doesn’t understand nothing! My inner grammar freak is quivering.
Existentialism in ulpan – “Why?”
When someone asked about the double negatives the answer came in the form of a musical interlude. “Masoret!” she answered and then in her best Tevya, she belted out “Tradition… tradition! Tradition!”
The weather here is a blessing – and not just when it’s good for beach days and bar-b-q’s!
We’re finding ourselves caught up in another Israeli tradition. Tomorrow will be our third consecutive hol hamoed bar-b-q. As for something a little more meaningful…it rained this morning – something even the kids know to appreciate here and at this time of year. I received the following note from my friend Shelomo, a learned historian:
In the old days, when it would not rain, the Sephardic rabbis would all gather in the lower portion of the courtyard of the "Four Synagogues" near the Rova HaYehudi parking lot. There, they would sit for 24 hours - while they would fast, as they prayed for rain.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Swirling Thoughts #50 –sukkot, togetherness, language
Sukkah hopping
From Friday morning my kids were asking when they could go sukkah hopping. By the time the actual “hopping” from sukkah to sukkah began, dinner was eaten and 3 out of 4 kids were asleep on the couch. Giddy and euphoric, Barbara went with her friends from house to house, collecting candy. Meanwhile, as we enjoyed dessert with our guests, we were the recipients of a variety of sukkah hopping guests, most under the age of 10. Candy was flying (literally – Bob was tossing it out) as they shared divrei Torah, stories about ushpizin (Sukkot guests), and pizmonim (songs).
Kulam B’yachad – everyone together…
After just one day of Yom Tov we began our 6 full days of hol hamoed with a trip to the beach at Herziliya. On the radio in the car, the DJ was playing music by which to enjoy our hol hamoed and wishing everyone a hag sameach. Everyone in the entire country. Hol hamoed is a time for family trips. The entire country is involved on some level with tiyulim – trips ranging from daylong excursions to the beach, olive picking, orange picking, dune buggy riding, kite festivals, music festivals, hikes, forest bike rides, etc. to overnight vacations to the Dead Sea, the north, the coast. And it’s a great time for – what else – sukkah bar-b-q’s. We have 3 scheduled.
Before the breathtaking Herziliya sunset and after the arctic man (ice ice!) we caught a glimpse of an army training exercise – about 40 young men running with two different stretchers on their shoulders, each loaded up with sandbags. We cheered them on and I later explained to the kids how they prepare for any possible scenario, including, Gd forbid, injury to one of their own.
Before we left the beach my phone rang. It was the pediatrician. The strep throat we had cultured for 3 days earlier had come up positive. For all three girls. I would have forgotten about it completely if Bob and I hadn’t woken up that morning with burning throats ourselves…
There’s a reason 3 year olds don’t go to ulpan…
My Rosie, who didn’t say a word before she turned two and who hasn’t stopped talking since she turned three, has started to babble in Hebrew. She’s in the habit of talking to herself anyway but now, if you listen you hear her talking about a Chamudi (cutie) and singing about the Shemayim and the Aretz (heaven and earth). She counts everything around her (in Hebrew) and even makes up Hebrew-sounding gibberish names for the new baby. She’s ahead of me on multiple fronts.
From Friday morning my kids were asking when they could go sukkah hopping. By the time the actual “hopping” from sukkah to sukkah began, dinner was eaten and 3 out of 4 kids were asleep on the couch. Giddy and euphoric, Barbara went with her friends from house to house, collecting candy. Meanwhile, as we enjoyed dessert with our guests, we were the recipients of a variety of sukkah hopping guests, most under the age of 10. Candy was flying (literally – Bob was tossing it out) as they shared divrei Torah, stories about ushpizin (Sukkot guests), and pizmonim (songs).
Kulam B’yachad – everyone together…
After just one day of Yom Tov we began our 6 full days of hol hamoed with a trip to the beach at Herziliya. On the radio in the car, the DJ was playing music by which to enjoy our hol hamoed and wishing everyone a hag sameach. Everyone in the entire country. Hol hamoed is a time for family trips. The entire country is involved on some level with tiyulim – trips ranging from daylong excursions to the beach, olive picking, orange picking, dune buggy riding, kite festivals, music festivals, hikes, forest bike rides, etc. to overnight vacations to the Dead Sea, the north, the coast. And it’s a great time for – what else – sukkah bar-b-q’s. We have 3 scheduled.
Before the breathtaking Herziliya sunset and after the arctic man (ice ice!) we caught a glimpse of an army training exercise – about 40 young men running with two different stretchers on their shoulders, each loaded up with sandbags. We cheered them on and I later explained to the kids how they prepare for any possible scenario, including, Gd forbid, injury to one of their own.
Before we left the beach my phone rang. It was the pediatrician. The strep throat we had cultured for 3 days earlier had come up positive. For all three girls. I would have forgotten about it completely if Bob and I hadn’t woken up that morning with burning throats ourselves…
There’s a reason 3 year olds don’t go to ulpan…
My Rosie, who didn’t say a word before she turned two and who hasn’t stopped talking since she turned three, has started to babble in Hebrew. She’s in the habit of talking to herself anyway but now, if you listen you hear her talking about a Chamudi (cutie) and singing about the Shemayim and the Aretz (heaven and earth). She counts everything around her (in Hebrew) and even makes up Hebrew-sounding gibberish names for the new baby. She’s ahead of me on multiple fronts.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Swirling Thoughts #49 – a new skill set
It happened! Just like they said it would!
I feel like I just got initiated to some sort of club – satisfied at my efficiency, I looked at my stovetop thinking about our delicious dinner in the works (gefilte fish, soup with gundi, fasoulia, string beans with meat) – and wondered why the pots were no longer giving off steam. I peeked underneath the pots and could only laugh at my fate. The gas balloon ran out! Since these things are known to happen erev hag I was not surprised when I called the gas balloon people and got a busy signal. Four different times. B”H, I have a second balloon and so I turned it on (I now know how to do this!!!) and continued cooking. Note to self: call gas balloon people during hol hamoed (reality check: there is NO WAY they will be open until acharay haHagim).
Life experience
I am now an experienced medical specimen courier. I set my alarm for 7am and had my children’s throat cultures at the Kupat Cholim office well before the real lab courier showed up at 8:30. I was given a series of barcodes, a phone number, a username and a password. By hook or by crook I will be able to access the results sometime on Sunday. Here’s hoping I can understand them.
My gardener and I were reviewing which southern California plants would thrive in my garden when the Lice Lady ran in, between appointments, to check my kids because I had begged, begged, begged her to come. When she left, he asked me what she gets per head – I told him the money is good – maybe his daughters should train as lice ladies. He laughed and said, “They should train?!? They are already trained! They grew up here!”
Hag Sameah!
I feel like I just got initiated to some sort of club – satisfied at my efficiency, I looked at my stovetop thinking about our delicious dinner in the works (gefilte fish, soup with gundi, fasoulia, string beans with meat) – and wondered why the pots were no longer giving off steam. I peeked underneath the pots and could only laugh at my fate. The gas balloon ran out! Since these things are known to happen erev hag I was not surprised when I called the gas balloon people and got a busy signal. Four different times. B”H, I have a second balloon and so I turned it on (I now know how to do this!!!) and continued cooking. Note to self: call gas balloon people during hol hamoed (reality check: there is NO WAY they will be open until acharay haHagim).
Life experience
I am now an experienced medical specimen courier. I set my alarm for 7am and had my children’s throat cultures at the Kupat Cholim office well before the real lab courier showed up at 8:30. I was given a series of barcodes, a phone number, a username and a password. By hook or by crook I will be able to access the results sometime on Sunday. Here’s hoping I can understand them.
My gardener and I were reviewing which southern California plants would thrive in my garden when the Lice Lady ran in, between appointments, to check my kids because I had begged, begged, begged her to come. When she left, he asked me what she gets per head – I told him the money is good – maybe his daughters should train as lice ladies. He laughed and said, “They should train?!? They are already trained! They grew up here!”
Hag Sameah!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Swirling Thoughts #48 – small victories – fish, bees, hot water, lice – and a nighttime trip to the doctor
Fish pond clearing up
Until today I thought we had two fish. One orange and one white living in really murky water. When I returned from ulpan this afternoon I saw Bob and Barbara sitting outside watching our cascading waterfall running (through the home-made-by-Bob filter) into the fish pond. I took one look and saw no less than 6 fish plus in almost crystal clear water. Unbelievable!
If Bob can make a fishpond filter, surely I can commission a bee trap!
I hoped Bob would find a bee trap when shopping for sechach yesterday but alas, none was to be found. Last Friday when I didn’t know how to operate my new Gold Line crock pot (it has a mysterious third setting called ‘auto’) I posted a question on the Efrat chat list about it. I got maybe 45 responses with all sorts of instructions and tips. It was really remarkable. And so again, I took my query to the chat list. How to make a bee trap? I got about 6 responses within the first hour with varying levels of detail (including this one: Hang bags of water and the bees see themselves in the reflection and leave!). Fortunately my seminary guests walked in (ready for a project) just as I was reviewing the bee trap responses. I now have a coke bottle bee trap (thanks, girls!) ready to be set up outside my sukkah tomorrow.
Ouch! Burning hot water
Suddenly the dud shemesh is giving us hot water. Seemingly ample amounts of burning hot water. We don’t know what to make of this, after exactly 2 months of NOT HOT WATER. We’re holding our breath and waiting – for what I’m not sure – but it seems too hot to be true.
It’s lice season in the aretz
3 of my children’s friends have nits – so I call the lice lady (who is booked solid) and BEG for a pre-emptive check. Baruch Hashem the lice lady came AND found nothing. Did I say Baruch Hashem? Baruch Hashem!!!
I’m so American it’s embarrassing sometimes. Need a doctor? Better to time your illness.
When Barbara came downstairs yesterday morning complaining of a sore throat I encouraged her to go to school, explaining that I’d take her to the doctor that evening. Because as far as I knew the doctor only has hours in the evening. As in you call at 4:30pm and they tell you when to come. Same day service. And so I called the doctor at 4:30pm hoping to get in quickly. I left a message. By now Becky was complaining of a sore throat and I didn’t much care for the way Asher was coughing. After a half hour I called again. Another message. A while later the doctor called me. Very apologetically and gently, with patience, he explained to me in English what I must have been missing each time I heard his answering machine. Seems he had hours the evening before, he’d had hours that morning and he was having hours again the next evening. A quick mental calculation told me it’s best to time an illness to fall out on a Tuesday evening. He apologized further for not having his diary with him and advised me to call his office the next day at 4:30pm to schedule an appointment. There are people who predicted my aliyah would fail based on the high level of medical pampering I was used to in New York. They are laughing now.
I kept Barbara home today and brought all four of them (Rose was now also complaining of a sore throat) to our 7pm appointment this evening. Three sore throats and one cough. For the cough – tea with honey. For the sore throats, B’H, he had the throat culture kits in his office (I was dreading waiting another day to take them to the kupat cholim just to culture them). So as I see him wrapping up the cultures and labeling them I ask (in shocked dismay), “They don’t have rapid strep tests here?” He assured me they do and if I don’t want to wait (the wait is a whole other story) I can go to the pharmacy in the morning, buy the rapid tests, go to the kupat cholim and have the nurse administer them. Okay… So now my advice to anyone planning on needing a strep test in Israel is to need it early in the week. A Thursday night test gets to the lab (this is a whole other story as well) Friday. It cooks overnight but the lab is closed for Shabbat. So the test is first looked at Sunday morning. Okay…So as the doctor hands ME the strep cultures I look at him sort of funny. He says they need to get to the kupat cholim before the 8:30 lab pickup tomorrow morning. I am wondering why he is sharing this detail with me. Of course there is some medical service that picks up the cultures and brings them to the lab. Right? Ha! I am the medical courier! I will wake up early tomorrow morning, deliver 3 cultures and then wait until Sunday for the results. The doctor was amazing and thorough, there is no question. The level of medical pampering, however, was less than zero.
Until today I thought we had two fish. One orange and one white living in really murky water. When I returned from ulpan this afternoon I saw Bob and Barbara sitting outside watching our cascading waterfall running (through the home-made-by-Bob filter) into the fish pond. I took one look and saw no less than 6 fish plus in almost crystal clear water. Unbelievable!
If Bob can make a fishpond filter, surely I can commission a bee trap!
I hoped Bob would find a bee trap when shopping for sechach yesterday but alas, none was to be found. Last Friday when I didn’t know how to operate my new Gold Line crock pot (it has a mysterious third setting called ‘auto’) I posted a question on the Efrat chat list about it. I got maybe 45 responses with all sorts of instructions and tips. It was really remarkable. And so again, I took my query to the chat list. How to make a bee trap? I got about 6 responses within the first hour with varying levels of detail (including this one: Hang bags of water and the bees see themselves in the reflection and leave!). Fortunately my seminary guests walked in (ready for a project) just as I was reviewing the bee trap responses. I now have a coke bottle bee trap (thanks, girls!) ready to be set up outside my sukkah tomorrow.
Ouch! Burning hot water
Suddenly the dud shemesh is giving us hot water. Seemingly ample amounts of burning hot water. We don’t know what to make of this, after exactly 2 months of NOT HOT WATER. We’re holding our breath and waiting – for what I’m not sure – but it seems too hot to be true.
It’s lice season in the aretz
3 of my children’s friends have nits – so I call the lice lady (who is booked solid) and BEG for a pre-emptive check. Baruch Hashem the lice lady came AND found nothing. Did I say Baruch Hashem? Baruch Hashem!!!
I’m so American it’s embarrassing sometimes. Need a doctor? Better to time your illness.
When Barbara came downstairs yesterday morning complaining of a sore throat I encouraged her to go to school, explaining that I’d take her to the doctor that evening. Because as far as I knew the doctor only has hours in the evening. As in you call at 4:30pm and they tell you when to come. Same day service. And so I called the doctor at 4:30pm hoping to get in quickly. I left a message. By now Becky was complaining of a sore throat and I didn’t much care for the way Asher was coughing. After a half hour I called again. Another message. A while later the doctor called me. Very apologetically and gently, with patience, he explained to me in English what I must have been missing each time I heard his answering machine. Seems he had hours the evening before, he’d had hours that morning and he was having hours again the next evening. A quick mental calculation told me it’s best to time an illness to fall out on a Tuesday evening. He apologized further for not having his diary with him and advised me to call his office the next day at 4:30pm to schedule an appointment. There are people who predicted my aliyah would fail based on the high level of medical pampering I was used to in New York. They are laughing now.
I kept Barbara home today and brought all four of them (Rose was now also complaining of a sore throat) to our 7pm appointment this evening. Three sore throats and one cough. For the cough – tea with honey. For the sore throats, B’H, he had the throat culture kits in his office (I was dreading waiting another day to take them to the kupat cholim just to culture them). So as I see him wrapping up the cultures and labeling them I ask (in shocked dismay), “They don’t have rapid strep tests here?” He assured me they do and if I don’t want to wait (the wait is a whole other story) I can go to the pharmacy in the morning, buy the rapid tests, go to the kupat cholim and have the nurse administer them. Okay… So now my advice to anyone planning on needing a strep test in Israel is to need it early in the week. A Thursday night test gets to the lab (this is a whole other story as well) Friday. It cooks overnight but the lab is closed for Shabbat. So the test is first looked at Sunday morning. Okay…So as the doctor hands ME the strep cultures I look at him sort of funny. He says they need to get to the kupat cholim before the 8:30 lab pickup tomorrow morning. I am wondering why he is sharing this detail with me. Of course there is some medical service that picks up the cultures and brings them to the lab. Right? Ha! I am the medical courier! I will wake up early tomorrow morning, deliver 3 cultures and then wait until Sunday for the results. The doctor was amazing and thorough, there is no question. The level of medical pampering, however, was less than zero.
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