A wrong turn!

This morning I set out to see Oscar Schindler's grave. I wanted to pay my respects to a brave man that saved hundreds of Jews during WWII. I did my homework before I left my house. I looked up the location of the cemetary and set off. The cemetary, according to my source, was located across from the Damascus Gate in the old city. Furthermore it was located near a bus parking lot there. So how hard could it be?

For those of you who do not understand the set up of Jerusalem, the old city is in the heart of Jerusalem. The old city area is surrounded by high walls so you must enter the area through gates that date back to the time of the crusaders. I usually enter through the Jaffa Gate. There is a beautiful shopping area prior to the gate and it is generally the area that the tourists use. So for the first time I went to the Damascus Gate. This is in the Arab quarters and I found myself clearly a minority on the streets. I felt perfectly safe though. It was broad daylight, a beautiful day in the mid 60's (sorry for those of you suffering in the cold) and the area was very busy and well travelled.

So first I walked along the street in front of the Damascus Gate in one direction looking for Schindler's grave and then turned around and walked far in the other direction and still did not find it. I asked several people along the way but nobody spoke English. Finally I passed a hotel and thought that they might be able to help. I went in and asked and was directed to a place about 2 blocks further. Great! I arrived at a sign for the tomb only to discover that they were now closed for a 2 hour lunch. Okay, at least I found it.

So, having time to kill, I went into the old city through the Damascus Gate. It was somehat different then I've seen before. This was not at all touristy. This area was filled with Arab merchants and shoppers. There were stands filled with fruit and vegetables, carcasses of animals hanging on hooks as well as clothing and household items. I had a falafel sandwich and wandered around.

At the appointed time I returned to the gate. Waiting outside were about 30 Nigerian citizens, all in their national clothing also waiting to get in. The doors opened and I followed the Nigerians in and asked the gatekeeper how to get to Schindler's grave. He said "Schindler's grave, I don't know where that is; you've arrived at Jesus's tomb". So that is how I, and 30 Nigerians, spent the next hour. I got to see where Jesus was crucified and I got to enter his tomb. I never did find Schindler's grave, that will be for another day I guess. It was all kind of funny in the end.

The pictures above are as follows: A UN van which I thought was interesting. The rest are from Jesus's tomb. The top 3 are the tomb (sorry it's sideways), the courtyard in front of the tomb and the guide discussing the tomb. The last picture is the area (skull mountain) where Jesus was crucified.

Lastly, my random observation. Young people actually get up and give their seats on the bus to older people. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you'd like to view it, nobody has relinquished their seat for me yet!

Another busy week

I have had another wonderful week. On Wednesday I got together with some friends from Maryland that are spending a month in Israel. I met Karen, Barry, and Barry's 88 year old mother Caroline at my house and we had a great lunch nearby. From there we took a ride around the entire circumference of the old city (ok, that was not planned but it was nice anyway). Our destination was the Hurva Synagogue in the old city. This synagogue has a very long history but suffice it to say that it has been torn down by various enemies and re-built many times. It is once again intact and we had a wonderful and enthusiastic tour guide who gave us much history. There is an amazing view of the old city from the catwalk at the top of the synagogue.

One of the resasons that the Fierst family wanted to go to this synagogue was because Barry's uncle had his bar mitzvah there in 1927 and he was the first American to do so. Barry brought a copy of the invitation. The tour guide was excited to have it and I was excited to be part of the moment. As we were leaving the synagogue we heard a commotion with singing and a drumbeing pounded. There was a group of children celebrating something and walking through the old city. It was fun to watch (see top picture). After the tour we went back to the Fierst's home for dinner. It was a great day. On the way home, I met a woman from NY who recently made aliyah after both her daughters did so and we exchanged phone numbers and will hopefully get together soon. It is very easy to strike up conversations here.

Friday evening I was invited for Shabbat dinner at the home of some distant cousins of Brinda's. I got to meet Elan and Nami and their children. Elan's brother Erez (who also works at the hospital where I am a volunteer) also came along with his wife and children. They were very warm and hospitable and we are hoping to get together again soon. Elan has been very active in all things Jerusalem and was a great tour guide when bringing me to their home. Nami is the Dean of Hebrew Union College. When she heard that I was a geriatric nurse, she popped me into her car to meet her 86 year old mother who is living in assisted living and was recently hospitalized with CHF. I got to feel her ankles and review her meds! She was very sweet and I am glad I got to meet them all.

Yesterday, I went back to the old city to tour the Tower of David museum. I took a 2 hour guided tour. During the tour I met a family visiting from California and we chatted for a few minutes. I have been on a quest to find the best hummus (chick pea) restaurant in Jerusalem in preparation for Zach's arrival in March and decided to check out a place recommended on the Internet in the Arab shuk. I sat down in the restaurant and in walked the family from California! They invited me to join them and even bought me my lunch. It was very kind of them.

So, as I've said, another busy week. On top of it all, I woke up one morning with pink eye. I went across the street to the hospital, cornered one of the doctors who took one look at me and wrote a perscription. One of the hospital van drivers took me to the pharmacy where I got some eye drops in about 1 minute for a cost of $3. My eye is now much better. It was much easier then being home and having a problem!

I've decided to end each blog with a random observation since I am constantly noticing differences here. In Israel, you can buy vodka at any local grocery store but you can't buy Tylenol. For that, you need to go to a pharmacy. There are no medicinces whatsoever in a grocery store. I find that odd and inconvienent but it is their way of life!

All is well. I miss everyone but would not miss this opportunity.

Hanukkah

I am so grateful that I got to experience Hanukkah here. It is such a happy time. All through the city you see Menorahs in the windows. It is hard to describe how pretty it is. There are Menorahs on the sidewalks, in virtually every window and business and on all the streetlights. People have parties and invite their friends. My friend Jackie was visiting and we had dinner together. While eating, the waitress came to our table and told us that they were lighting a Menorah and would we like to join them? When has that ever happened to me before? I am posting that picture, along with Jackie. A co-worker also invited me to her home for dinner. I was one of 3 women she and her husband entertained. The food was delicious and the company very interesting. We sang songs, lit 4 Menorahs and ate and ate. It was such a nice night!

At the school within the hospital where I work, there was a Hanukkah party for the children. A big Menorah was lit, all the children were given gifts and they put on plays. It is a little hard to watch the children on the stage in their wheelchairs with their ventilators strapped on but they all had a great time and that is the important thing.

For Shabbat this week I met Brinda and Ami in Tel Aviv. There is a port with a boardwalk, shops and restaurants. We ate a typical Israeli breakfast (eggs, salads, dips, coffee, breads etc) overlooking the sea. It was very relaxing and we had a great time. After that we wandered through some shops and then stopped at a farmer's market and picked up some fruit and bread. While we were there a storm (predicted) hit. There was thunder and lightening and instead of grumbling, the Israeli's started clapping and cheering. It is hard to describe how important rain is here. There has not been much rain since I've arrived and agriculture is such an important thing here that all rain is appreciated and celebrated. So we ran for the car and I went to their home overnight. I got to visit with Avital (Brinda's grandson) and he helped me with my Hebrew homework. We went to the movies and had a very nice visit.

I am now back in Jerusalem. I had my second Hebrew lesson and things are starting to make some sense. It is worth the money to have private lessons. Tomorrow I am not working. I will be meeting some other friends from Maryland who are here for the month. We are going to meet in the old city area. I am looking forward to the day. Friday evening I am invited to have dinner with some distant cousins of Brinda's. It should be a nice evening. So as you can see I remain busy and happy. All is well and I am thrilled that I am having this experience.

I realized today that Christmas is almost here. There is certainly no indication of it here. For those of you in blogland that celebrate, I wish you a wonderful holiday.

Geneva!

I have had a great week! First of all, Hanukkah is really nice here. People put Menorahs in their windows and outside of their homes and it is beautiful to see. I have a picture of a public bus that says happy holidays on the front. The first night of Hanukkah I went out with the girls from my house. The girl from Finland was returning home so we all went out for dinner and walked around the German quarter. It was nice being with everyone.

The next morning I took the bus to the airport to meet Zach in Geneva. He was flying from Newark to London and then on to Geneva. I was literally on the jetway stepping on to the plane when he called me to tell me that his flight to Geneva was cancelled because of snow and he was not sure when or if he could get out of London. He and his friend were scouring the Internet to find a flight or train to Geneva. So, I boarded the plane not sure if I was going to be spending the weekend in Geneva alone or not. What a time I had on the flight! First, it was the first full day of Hanukkah and, unlike in the US, the children have Hanukkah vacation, not Christmas vacation. It was like being on a flight to Disney. I really do believe that there were more children on the plane then adults. I saw 2 families with 9 children each. What a commotion. Add to that, a 3 hour delay and only 1 working bathroom on the plane and you can just imagine. I ended up sitting between a husband and wife and their 2 children across the aisle. They played musical chairs all flight and I spent a good deal of time passing lasagna, sandwiches, sliced tomatoes and assorted drinks back and forth. There was a family in front of me and there was some turbulance. The mother was vomiting and one of the kids had a nosebleed. I could not wait to get off the plane. With the help of some kind strangers, I managed to get to the hotel with little trouble. I checked in and went across the street for some crepes. It was nice but I was sorry that Zach was stuck in London.

Zach managed to find a flight out the next afternoon so I amused myself by doing some of the things that I knew would be of no interest to him. I shopped and I went to the Red Cross Museum (everything you've always wanted to know about Florence Nightingdale, and Clara Barton). Shopping in Geneva is really an experience. I have never seen things so expensive. Vinyl boots $350, T shirts $65, cartigan sweaters $500. Really crazy so needless to say, I bought nothing but it was fun to look around. I couldn't understand how everyone is not naked and barefoot. I was finally talking to someone who told me that they go to the French side of Lake Geneva to shop where prices are much less.

So Zach finally arrived and we went out for Fondue for dinner. The hotel was nicely situated and we could walk to many places. The buses and trains within the city were free and ran frequently which made getting around easy.

Saturday we took the train around Lake Geneva and got off in several quaint cities. Montreux was having a Christmas market with many crafts and local artists and merchants. We wandered around there and then had lunch at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the lake with the Alps as a backdrop.

Sunday we went back to the old city of Geneva and wandered around, had coffee with the locals and relaxed. It was very nice spending time together and seeing a great city. I found myself slightly off balance having just adjusted to Israel, the celebration of Hanukkah, the currency and the language. I was always calculating between dollars, shekels and Swiff francs. I never knew if I should say "thank you", "toda" or "merci". I was confused as to the time in Switzerland, Israel and the US. It was odd going from Hanukkah to Christmas so abruptly but these are the things that keep life interesting.

I returned to Israel today. As many of you have heard, there was a national tragedy while I was gone. A fire took the lives of 41 people. For a country this small, the pain is felt throughout and it has dominated the news. There is an investigation that is brewing about the adequacy of the fire departments here and I am sure there will be changes.

A friend from home (Jackie) is in town this week and I am having dinner with her and her daughter tomorrow night. A co-worker has invited me for a Hanukkah dinner at her house Wednesday night and I am spending Shabbat with my family here so I am busy, safe and happy. I hope everyone at home is well too and look forward to hearing from my friends and family!

Medical stuff

This posting is for the nurses and doctors that are following my blog.

It has been interesting to see the differences in caring for the chronically ill in Israel and in the US. Things here are pretty lax. As I have mentioned, I am working in the "Bayit Cham" which means "warm home". We are caring for 7 children between the ages of 2-12. All of the children, except the 12 year old are tube fed. The responsibility for the feedings fall with the volunteers and other, non licensed personnel. The "orientation" to tube feeding consisted of showing me the feeding schedule and a very rudimentary explanation of what needed to be done. This was not because I am a nurse, this is how they do it. So several times each shift I prepare and administer the tube feedings. One of the biggest challenges in "feeding" the kids, is to keep them from disconnecting the feeding and leaving a mess all over them and their environment. If it happens though, there is no one to report it to and no one seems to be concerned if a feeding is missing, they just clean the kid and continue on with their day. One day I came in and noticed that someone had switched feedings and Chezi got Muhammed's feeding and visa versa. Again, it was no big deal to the staff even though they receive different supplements. I was thinking about all the phone calls and paperwork that would have transpired if it had happened at home.

The other thing that I find amazing about the tube feedings is how they really don't worry about the prescribed amounts. One child is suppose to receive 216cc of Nutren at each feeding along with 80cc of water. The cup used to measure is in 50cc increments making 16cc just a good guess. Again, no big deal here! I was told to fill the cup "a little over the 200cc mark. All I kept thinking about is the surveyors at home and how they would shut us down!

There doesn't seem to be much infection control concern here either. After nap time, all the kids come into the sunroom and play with the toys. All toys end up in mouths, on the floor etc. The first evening I worked I asked if we wipe down the toys at the end of the night and I was told no. All the kids live together and I guess share germs as they would in a home with a large family. All the trachs and gastrostomies seem okay and although there was one "cold" that spread to a couple of kids, none were worse for it. Suction machines go from child to child without being wiped down between and all is well. I kept thinking about how we are supposed to wipe down the bingo chips at work and how there must be a middle ground somewhere.

We had one emergency since I have arrived. There are several children that are completely dependent on ventilators 24/7. The other trached kids can go on and off to varying degrees. The other morning the physical therapist was working with one of the dependent kids and his trach cannula came out. The pulse ox began to alarm and his saturation began dropping quickly. It took the PT a minute or so to realize that there was a problem. I started to come over and he said everything was ok (the alarms sound fairly frequently when the connection is lost so I was not concerned at first). Then I went over as the alarm was persistent and the nurse also came over and noticed that the cannula was out. She pushed it back in and I started bagging the child and the PT paged the doctor stat but by the time the doc arrived, all was fine. This was an unusual event but thank goodness he was fine.

I don't want you to think that the care is bad though. The kids really do fine which should be a lesson for those of us practicing in the US. They receive a tremendous amount of love and attention. They are constantly being hugged and kissed. There is a school within the hospital and there is one teacher and at least 2 aides for each 6 kids. There are also 4 nurses in the school. None of the trached kids are more then a few feet from their ambu bags at any time and there is a real effort to provide education and physical therapy for even the most compromised child. There is a pool and each child also goes swimming, vent and all. It is all done very lovingly.

There is not much in terms of amenities. The hospital receives funds for caring for the children but the extras come from fund raising. Much of the equipment is old, wheelchairs are in need of repair etc., but nobody seems to worry about these things, they keep soldiering on. It is a very dedicated group of people caring for the kids. It is inspiring.