Lizrael Update: babbling about the expat life since 2004
-
Underground Israel.
Cute tourist attraction for kids… or even adults who miss going on school field trips. We’ve been there twice now in both formats (which, admittedly, is enough). The stalactite cave at Avshalom Reserve, or Soreq Cave, is located right outside Beit Shemesh. It’s about an hour tour including a slideshow beforehand which will teach you…
-
A day for (small-town) democracy.
It’s a day for democracy everywhere, isn’t it? I know what you think I mean, but actually I’m talking about the Matte Yehuda Regional Council and Tzur Hadassah local council elections held today. Who knew that such a little town could make such a big deal out of its leadership? Apparently Tzur Hadassah is the…
-
To the pain.
It’s been six months… do you know where your gall bladder is? These days, I’m nostalgic for the time in my life when I didn’t think the gall bladder was a real organ, just a body part for use in a humorous rant. Apparently not. It’s a real organ, like the rest of my organs which…
-
Tracking Jerusalem.
The light rail project for Jerusalem has been underway for some time, as anyone who has been through town lately can attest. I rarely go to town anymore; last night was the first time in a while, long enough for me to be shocked by seeing Yaffo street covered in braces: It’s exciting to see an…
-
Baby has its uses.
In the last couple days, a blast from the dramatic past and I came into fairly close contact in yet a very distant manner. I realize how frustratingly vague that sounds, and I don’t care much to expand. But what I am interested in is not that I avoided encountering the drama head-on, but what…
-
Drama of a dual citizen.
A key element of being a dual citizen is the dual drama. I always get homesick with these bouts of New York City drama: Investigators believe all passengers and crew, more than 150 people, survive a plane crashing into New York’s Hudson River. I prefer NYC drama to the Israel brand these days… Report: Israel,…
-
What I like today.
I like that my company is sending gift baskets to two of our employees who are currently serving in the reserves. I like that the card made for them on behalf of the office is signed, “with love, from (the company) family.” I like that there’s this familyness to Israeli companies, Israeli society.
-
Today's word: אעזקה
So. That dysfunctional red alert siren (אעזקה) today in Jerusalem. Not cool, siren-maintance man. Not cool. I was sitting in my office and it very s l o w l y dawned on me that I was hearing a siren in the back of my head. I put my head to the window and realized…
-
Bladder speaks louder than words.
Today I experienced another pregnancy first: it was the first time I got the special pregnancy treatment from a stranger in a public place. No, not the bus passenger offering me their seat on a crowded bus… Not a fellow pedestrian offering to help me carry my bags… No, it was the best kind of…
-
Security in confirmation.
We went over to Shufersal the other night and while walking up to the security guard in front of the store, I finally got what I’ve been waiting to hear: “Miss, are you pregnant? You don’t need to go through the metal detector.” Call me crazy, but until that moment, I just could not believe…
-
What's been going on.
The past week and a half has been intense, painful, busy, impatient, energetic, emotional, nerve-wracking and exciting. And it’s not only for the reason you’re probably assuming. I haven’t been able to get all my thoughts out in an organized manner, so instead I’ll spew them in bullet form. People will ask what gender your…
-
Support from the inside.
Since motzei Shabbat, I, like everyone else, have been watching as Gaza, the news and – at least my – inbox have exploded. And by inbox, I really mean all forms of electric communication. I’m getting messaged, emailed, SMS’d, tweeted: Help organize food and supplies to Israeli border towns! Host a family from the south!…
Questions? Comments? Advice?