3 Weeks in Israel or What I Know So Far

It has already been 3 weeks since we arrived in Tel Aviv.  Amazing how fast it has gone.  It feels as though we have been here forever.  That being said, it has been the most boring 3 weeks of my life.  Just after we arrived, all the other Americans began returning to the U.S. for the summer.  That means no kids for the girls to play with.  On top of that, it is hot here.....really hot.  Who knew?  I was prepared for hot, just not the heat with the humidity preventing you from leaving the house between 10am and 4 pm.  And, it is even too hot to go to the beach.  The beach in the photo is the closest to our house. It is beautiful and perfect.  The sand is like silk and it is only a few minutes walk from the house.  However, between the heat and the jellyfish it is just easier to stay home.

We finally saw the jellyfish everyone has been talking about.  They are HUGE.  This is not an exaggeration. They are the size of a persons head.  In France, they were tiny, kind of pretty, little purple things.  In Israel, they are giant white blobs that break into smaller pieces on the beach.  After a few minutes of yelling at the kids to watch where they step, I just had them put their shoes back on.  The big Duck took the Ducklings in the water, and we luckily avoided any stings, but just in case, apple cider vinegar and baking soda are now normal items in my beach bag.

Away from the beach, there has been much to learn about and much to explore.  So far, this is what I know for sure.

1-Hebrew is hard.  It is hard to read, hard to speak and hard to write.  There are no vowels, just little dots and slashes that make a vowelish-like sounds.  Several letters are silent.  I still cannot figure out why an alphabet needs silent letters, but whatever.

2-The people here are really nice.  Everyone is willing to help, and many people speak or at least will try and speak English.  Handy since my Hebrew is still in its formative stage.

3-The drivers are crazy.  Crazy like they are in Naples, Italy.  If you have ever been to Naples, you know what I mean.  They honk like crazy the moment a light changes, and apparently lane lines are just a suggestion.

4-The bread is awesome.  There are all kinds of fresh yummy bread.....whole wheat, with seeds, baguette.  So, so good.  And, I say this in a whisper as I want to be allowed back in France some day, I think the bread here is better.  But, don't tell anyone I said so.

5-The most beautiful sunsets and moonrises I have ever seen.  I will try and get some photos, but trust me.....BEAUTIFUL.

6-Don't go to the beach on Saturday.....Shabbat here.  It is everyones day off, so everyone goes to the beach.  There is a saying here...."all any good jew in Tel Aviv wants is a place in Heaven and a spot on the beach on Shabbat."  I have never seen a beach as crowded as it is here on Shabbat.  On top of all the people, every restaurant is trying to lure people by playing the LOUDEST music, which competes with all the boom boxes.  Finally, there are the life guards.  All the people on the beach are corralled into marked swimming areas.  These areas are marked off by colored flags.  If you swim outside the swimming area they whistle at you.  If you don't heed the whistle, they use a giant loudspeaker to yell at you.  The result of this is all the thousands of people at the beach are sharing a 50 foot stretch of water and all the rest of the water is empty.  It is very strange.

7-The next year will be very, very fun.  How can it not be with all the action around us?

                                       The first of what, I am sure, will be many sand castles.