Istanbul!

Another wonderful trip. I was a little worried about getting to the airport for the trip. My plane left from the airport in Tel Aviv at 6:15am on Saturday morning. As you know from my previous blog, getting around without a car on Shabbat in this country can be tricky. I was going to have to leave my house at about 3:15am in order to be at the airport 2 hours in advance of the flight. I thought about renting a car or about staying at a hotel near the airport because I did not want to rely on a taxi or a sherut. In an extraordinary stroke of luck, I found out that Tal and Yaacov were leaving on a business trip and their plane was taking off from the same airport 5 minutes after mine! So, I left work Friday at about 2:00pm and was able to take the bus to their home before it stopped running for Shabbat. I felt like I started my vacation a day early. I spent the evening with Tal and his family. Dan and Tanya came over for dinner and we had a great time. I slept in Bar and Nofar's room and Tal woke me up at 3:00 and the 3 of us hopped in the car and went to the airport- no drama, worry or expense!

Unfortunately for Zach his travel was not as easy. He ended up at a lousy hotel the night before because of a pending snow storm. He travelled 9 hours one way, through 7 time zones and 11 hours back and into another snow storm. I kept reminding him to be wary of women he meets on the Internet. There was also a bomb scare on his plane that required them to go back to the gate and claim all their carryone luggage while the plane was searched.

So we both arrived in Istanbul within 90 minutes of each other and took a taxi to the old city where the hotel was located. I was very much surprised at how modern Istanbul really is. I had expected to see camels and and goats on the runway but all was clean, modern and efficient. The hotel was ideally situated, about a 5 minute walk to the blue mosque. We awoke every morning to the sound of the first of 5 calls to prayer which is broadcast throughout the city. We got to the hotel at about 10:00am and had breakfast then set out to see the city. We went to the Grand Bazaar. It is huge, encompasing about 60 city blocks filled with all kinds of crafts, jewelry and clothing. We wandered around and bought a few things. After a while all the things started looking the same. The merchants were not very aggressive which was nice. You could really shop without being too bombarded. From there we went to the spice market which sold spices (of course) along with cheeses, olives, fresh fish, meat and produce. To me it was similar to the shuk here in Israel. It was crowded with Turks doing their shopping.

The next day we went to the Blue Mosque, about 400 years old and a beautiful centerpiece to the city. Then we went to the Hagia Sofia museum which was quite an experience. First of all, it was massive. There were different buildings on the grounds of the museum so we wandered in and out of them. We saw jewels (an 86 carot necklace), the footprint of Muhamed and, to me, the most amazing thing- the staff of Moses. I know this sounds hard to believe but according to legend, there was a clear lineage for the staff until there was a fire in one of the places where it was being kept. It resurfaced eventually and is in this museum. It really captured my imagination thinking that this was the exact staff held high as the Red Sea parted. Whether true or not I found it fascinating to see. There were also the buildings where the sultans lived as well as his harems. I think that captured Zach's imagination!

We toured a church that was built 1500 years ago- that's history! The church eventually was converted to a mosque and is now open to the public for tours. Lastly we took a ride across the Bosphorus River to the new section of Istanbul. When you cross the river you are on the continent of Asia so I can now say I have been there too. This area has the Jewish quarter and we tracked down the synagogue that was bombed about 10-15 years ago. Zach's grandfather spent several years in Istanbul (then Constantinople) on his way to the US from Russia. It was nice for him to think that he was strolling the same streets that his family walked. On several occasions he was mistaken for a Turk. His daughters refer to him as the "universal ethnic" which I think is true. We also strolled along a modern shopping pedestrian mall looking at the stores and sights. We went up the Galata Tower and I discovered Zach's fear of heights when I saw him plastered against the wall. It was 1500 years old also and so the floor was not exactly level but it did have beautiful views of the city.

We found the food to be delicious and reasonably priced. We ate kebabs (although they call it kebap), eggplant, stuffed vine leaves, baklava and Turkish delight (a delicious gelatin dessert). We also drank strong Turkish tea and coffee and great Turkish wine. We found the people to be extremely nice. Service was great and accomodations good. The only problem was the weather which was a bit cold and rainy but we came prepared (at least I did) and we did fine. When we got cold we simply ducked into the 4 Seasons Hotel for a cup of tea and some ambiance. Not a bad place to fritter away some time.

I think we would both recommend travel to Turkey. It really was a great few days in a very interesting city.

The pictures are of the Hagia Sofia museum, the synagogue in the Jewish quarters, me in the Grand Bazaar, a view of the city from the museum, us (sideways sorry), me with Turkish tea and Turkish delight and the Blue Mosque. Enjoy!

Getting around on Shabbat

I was invited to a birthday brunch for my nephew Dan at the home of his father. They all live in the suburbs of Tel Aviv. When I take the bus, it is no problem. From the central bus station I take a bus to a stop that is a 5 minute walk to their home. The bus takes about an hour and costs about $8 each way. No problem- except when the party is on Saturday. The buses don't run from about 2 hours before sunset on Friday until about 2 hours after sunset on Saturday.

I began my adventure after leaving work on Saturday morning at 10:00 am. Brunch was called for 12:30. I walked about a mile straight uphill (I am always walking uphill- I haven't figured out how that keeps happening!) until I found a taxi to take me to center city for a price of about $10. From there, I took a sherut. A sherut is a loosely organized private bus/taxi service. There is a meeting place and once the sherut is full, they will take off to some of the popular destinations. I easily found a sherut going to Tel Aviv and left within minutes of my arrival at the corner of center city Jerusalem. Once I got to Tel Aviv I had 2 choices to get me to their little town. I could hire a private taxi for a cost of $47 or I could take another sherut for $4. The problem was that they would not leave until the sherut was full and not many people were going to this small town. So I cooled my heels in Tel Aviv for an hour until the sherut filled. From there I walked to their home. The whole process took me about 3.5 hours- a lot longer then a weekday but I made it without problems and was proud of myself in the process. I arrived about an hour late but, in typical Israeli fashion, it had gotten underway late too. Yaacov served wonderful salads and egg dishes and freshly made apple juice which was delicious. It was so much fun being with the family.

After brunch, the 4 year old son of Tal and Natalie approached me. He does not speak a word of English. I was told that he asked me if I wanted to play with him. He is so cute, of course I said yes. So he took me by the hand and led me across the drive from his grandfather's home to his home. We went into his room and found a common language in play figures such as his Superman, Batman and Spiderman. So we were playing alone in his home for about 15 minutes when he mentioned that he had to go to the bathroom (I understood that) and off he went. When he returned, he said something about a bulbul. I had no idea what he was saying so I asked him "Mah ze bulbul?", what's a bulbul? He then proceeded to pull down his pants and show me his "bulbul"- so I learned a new word! I started laughing hysterically because I was caught by surprise. He of course started laughing too. I said "lo, lo bulbul" (no, no penis)! It was very funny.

After the party, I went to Brinda's home and spent the night. Today we went shopping and had a nice lunch out. From there I hopped the bus and was back in Jerusalem in no time. It was a great weekend and I loved being able to share Dan's birthday with him.

The pictures are as follows: Me and the birthday boy Dan, then Dan and his new wife Tanya, Yaacov and Edna and Natalie and Tal.

I am leaving on Saturday to meet Zach in Istanbul. I am very excited about the trip. I will post my adventures in Turkey when I return.

My interesting observation of Israel: The movie theaters have assigned seats. When you buy a ticket you are given a choice of available seats and must sit in the assigned one as though you are at a broadway show. They also have an intermission. In the middle of the movie the lights go on and the movie stops for 10 minutes so you can get snacks. It is odd and disruptive to me.

Entertaining

I decided to host a little dinner party. I always enjoyed having friends over for dinner at home and thought it would be fun to do it here. As with everything in Israel, it was different and exciting.

I invited Brinda, Ami and Brinda's grandson Avital for dinner on New Year's eve which was also Shabbat here, For many years at home I had hosted a "bring your own lobster" party. I suppose that somewhere in this country, if you looked hard enough, you could find a lobster but I certainly did not know where. I decided to make a Shabbat dinner however when I really looked at my kitchen, I realized that my oven would not be big enough, my microwave not powerful enough and my 2 burner hot plate, inadequate. I briefly toyed with the idea of buying an already prepared meal, but as you all know, I rarely do things the easy way!

So Thursday I set off for the shuk, an open air market where many Israeli's do their shopping. There are grocery stores in every community here. They typically are much smaller then I am used to and they are much more expensive. So I took the bus to the shuk and plunged in. As I have said, it is an open air market. Vendors hawk their foods, people are pushing and shoving and the sights and sounds are amazing. It is like a series of roadside stands all pushed against each other and set in a maze of ancient Jerusalem streets. I bought all the fixing for chicken soup, a beautiful crusty olive bread and ingredients for an avocado and tomato salad. I also bought a package of matzah ball mix only to discover that the directions are in Hebrew!
I packed everything in my backpack and returned home to cook on my little burner.

I have to say that it turned out well. I enjoyed entertaining once again and we all had a nice time. Avital has been taking his role as my Hebrew teacher very seriously and he brought me a notebook for my lessons and tested me on my vocabulary words.

When all was done and my guests left, I came down with a bit of a flu bug that is going around our house. 4 of the 5 of us have been sick. When I am back on my feet the girls are going to discover what it is really like to live with a middle aged nurse. The clorox is coming out! I don't know if it's the kids I am around, or the fact that I am living in close quarters, but this is the 2nd cold I have gotten here in addition to my eye infection. For someone who is rarely sick this has been shocking. But I am on the road to recovery!

I addition to the pictures of the shuk, I am posting a picture of a dinner I made with some of my roommates. I am also posting a picture of some friends of Zach's that came to Israel for their son's Bar Mitzvah. I went to their hotel and visited with them and then tagged along with their group for a walking tour in the old city and lunch. It was a nice day.

I wish all of my friends and family a wonderful new year. I am confident that 2011 is going to be a great year and I am looking toward the future with great expectations.

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!