This morning when Armi, our babysitter, arrived I decided to venture out to the Mehane Yehuda Market or otherwise known as the shuk. I think that I could walk there from our place but today, because I didn't know exactly where it was, I took a taxi for about $7. I wasn't going for anything in particular and I just wanted the experience of shopping with the locals. It's Friday so it was busy with people stocking up for Shabbat.
The shuk is stuffed. Vendors fill any available space with something to sell. I think I could find almost anything there. The market's more than 250 vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, fish, meat, cheeses, nuts, spices, wines, clothing, and almost anything you could need for your house. In and around the market are falafel and shawarma stands, juice bars, cafes and meat restaurants. I found a stand that sold something that looked like tall circles of cheese. The guy gave me a taste and it was very sweet and had a hint of chocolate. There were many different varieties - some with pistachios, cinnamon, chocolate, and so many that I couldn't figure out what flavor they were. I came home and found it on Wikipedia and it is called Halva. No wonder it was so good - the main ingredients are butter and sugar. There were also tons of vendors selling dried fruit. Some fruit I could identify but others I couldn't. I asked for a mixed bag to bring home and Julia and I have been trying them this afternoon. I even gave Thomas a piece of dried mango and he loved sucking on it. I tried to give him "Country Vegetable Chicken Soup" afterwards for lunch and he was not excited about it. I don't blame him - dried mango sounds much better.
I've been told by a friend that his favorite restaurant from New York to London to Jerusalem is somewhere in the Shuk. It isn't fancy he says but it serves an awesome 6 course meal for 210 NIS (about $60). I definitely didn't find any restaurant that serves a 6 course meal today but maybe we'll try it out later next month.
To those of you on the East coast - I hope you all stay dry as hurricane Irene comes tumbling through!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Miscellaneous
Hi. It's been a few days since I posted anything. So what have we been up to? Brian and I went out last Thursday to a wine tasting at the Israeli Museum. It is beautiful! It was an outdoor wine tasting with nice music and we had great company. We didn't get a chance to explore the museum but we tasted a few Israeli wines and then left for a quick bite to eat. The "quick bite to eat" turned into quite a meal. We went to the center of Jerusalem and decided to try Katy's. It is a non-Kosher restaurant that a coworker of Brian's had raved about. The woman who owns it has been here for 40 some years and is from Morocco. She sat down with us and told us her story while we drank more wine and then she offered us Cognac and dessert, etc. It was all great food but it became more than a "quick bite". Next time anyone wants to visit and have a nice meal out, we'll try Katy's again.
On Saturday, Brian and I went up to Tel Aviv to visit a friend who is in Israel for the summer. We grilled out at his place which overlooks the Mediterranean. He lives in Yaffo and weather was quite warmer and much more humid than Jerusalem obviously. It was another great night of food and company. We talked a lot about the politics and tense situation in Israel but I have to admit that besides these conversations, I don't feel the effects of the events in southern Israel and Gaza.
On a totally different subject, we have been dealing with, as some of you know, some intermittent middle of the night vomiting with Julia. It started almost 2 weeks ago and we have seen two doctors including a pediatric gastroenterologist. No one knows why she is vomiting at 3am every other night but the latest diagnosis from the peds gastro doc was "behaviorial". He thinks it is from the stress of the move. After visiting 2 docs on Monday, Julia said that her "sick was all gone". So far we are now 72+ hours without vomiting which is a record. I hope Julia is right because I was getting sick myself of baths and changing sheets every other night at 3am. If we didn't tell any of you it was because we didn't want you to worry. Don't be mad. It seems to be all over and I am more than relieved. I don't care we really don't know why it happened.
We heard about the earthquake yesterday and I hope none of you were effected much. Keep in touch and let us know when you'd like to come visit!!
On Saturday, Brian and I went up to Tel Aviv to visit a friend who is in Israel for the summer. We grilled out at his place which overlooks the Mediterranean. He lives in Yaffo and weather was quite warmer and much more humid than Jerusalem obviously. It was another great night of food and company. We talked a lot about the politics and tense situation in Israel but I have to admit that besides these conversations, I don't feel the effects of the events in southern Israel and Gaza.
On a totally different subject, we have been dealing with, as some of you know, some intermittent middle of the night vomiting with Julia. It started almost 2 weeks ago and we have seen two doctors including a pediatric gastroenterologist. No one knows why she is vomiting at 3am every other night but the latest diagnosis from the peds gastro doc was "behaviorial". He thinks it is from the stress of the move. After visiting 2 docs on Monday, Julia said that her "sick was all gone". So far we are now 72+ hours without vomiting which is a record. I hope Julia is right because I was getting sick myself of baths and changing sheets every other night at 3am. If we didn't tell any of you it was because we didn't want you to worry. Don't be mad. It seems to be all over and I am more than relieved. I don't care we really don't know why it happened.
We heard about the earthquake yesterday and I hope none of you were effected much. Keep in touch and let us know when you'd like to come visit!!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Old City
Last weekend, Brian and I took the kids to visit the Old City. It is an amazing place and I can't believe I'm in the middle of all this history. The night before we went, we were getting Julia excited about going and told her we were going to something that looked like a castle. The made the conversation move onto princesses and then to Cinderella and then to Disney World and maybe going to Cinderella's castle, etc. Needless to say, when we got the the Old City, Julia asked where Cinderella was. Oops. I can see the confusion.
We started at Jaffa Gate which is about a 35 minute walk from our apartment. It was warm and just outside we got a glass of fresh pomegranate juice. Then we walked into the Old City in the Armenian quarter and then into the Jewish quarter. It was Saturday (shabbat) so everything was closed but we made it to the Western Wall - the remaining wall of the second temple. Just next to it is the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. At some point, I'll get a more official tour of the places but it was nice to see some of Jerusalem's amazing and oldest sites. Next, we wove in and out of the streets in the Muslim quarter. This is a little tricky going up and down stairs with a little umbrella stroller. By this time, the kids had had enough and we figured out how to get back to Jaffa gate.
It wasn't a trip where I learned a lot of details of all the sights - mostly just taking in the views and letting it sink in that I am now living here so close to some of the most important religious sites.
We started at Jaffa Gate which is about a 35 minute walk from our apartment. It was warm and just outside we got a glass of fresh pomegranate juice. Then we walked into the Old City in the Armenian quarter and then into the Jewish quarter. It was Saturday (shabbat) so everything was closed but we made it to the Western Wall - the remaining wall of the second temple. Just next to it is the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. At some point, I'll get a more official tour of the places but it was nice to see some of Jerusalem's amazing and oldest sites. Next, we wove in and out of the streets in the Muslim quarter. This is a little tricky going up and down stairs with a little umbrella stroller. By this time, the kids had had enough and we figured out how to get back to Jaffa gate.
It wasn't a trip where I learned a lot of details of all the sights - mostly just taking in the views and letting it sink in that I am now living here so close to some of the most important religious sites.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Chocolate Milk
You know when you are out and see the parent with the screaming or crying child? I think most people look at that scene and have some internal conversation with him or herself about how the parent is handling the situation. Are they giving in too much? Are they being too strict? Are they yelling too much? Do they just need to give the kid a hug and make everything all better? To some of you that I know, the sound of the uncontrollable child is like fingers on a chalkboard. It's ok. I know it bothers you. I'll try to keep it at a minimum and do everything I can to have my children behave. To most parents, the scene invokes the "I've been there and understand" look. Sometimes when I see the parent so frazzled, it's the parent that I want to go over and hug and say "hang in there."
Today, as you can guess - I was that parent with the screaming kid. It always amazes me how long Julia can last with screaming and crying. Our task: groceries (isn't this usually when it takes place?). The market is probably a 7-10 minute walk from our apartment. It's small with narrow aisles. When you are going with two kids - one in a backpack and one in a stroller and carrying a bag to put all your stuff in, there isn't much wiggle room for other customers around you or for you to move through the store. It isn't very pleasant even with a well-behaved child and definitely not even close to being pleasant with a child that is going crazy. Our babysitter, Armi, comes a few times a week and I make sure that during that time, I run to the store for everything I need that day and also walk Bob. If I get to exercise - bonus! Today Armi came but my time was spent in another welcome - "here's what our office does" meeting. I'm glad I went but it meant that I had to take both kids right before nap time to the store. It's shabbat and the stores close around 2 or 3 so it was now or never.
Julia definitely didn't want to go so I tried the whole bribery trick. It didn't work - in fact it completley backfired. The bribe: Julia - if you are good and don't cry or whine while we make this quick trip to the store - you can have some chocolate milk when we get back home. The results: I want the chocolate milk NOW!!! She then proceeded to scream and cry for the chocolage milk for the ENTIRE time it took us to go to the store. I bought the chocolate milk at the store and thought that maybe if she saw it and realized she needed to be good to get it when we were home, that she would quiet down. Nope. I really wanted to give in. I know if I had just given it to her at the store, she would have been quiet and it would have made my shopping trip and everyone else's much more pleasant. But I didn't - I held strong and still didn't give it to her when we got home because of how she behaved. This really set her off. I think she expected it no matter what when we got home.
Finally, after lunch, she quieted down and I've got her upstairs for a nap. She is so tired but I've already been up and told her she needs to stay in bed a little longer. Won't she just sleep? We'd all be so much happier. I love her so much but some days she drives me crazy. It makes me think that I'm not fit to be a stay-at-home mom. But that's a whole other blog some day......
Today, as you can guess - I was that parent with the screaming kid. It always amazes me how long Julia can last with screaming and crying. Our task: groceries (isn't this usually when it takes place?). The market is probably a 7-10 minute walk from our apartment. It's small with narrow aisles. When you are going with two kids - one in a backpack and one in a stroller and carrying a bag to put all your stuff in, there isn't much wiggle room for other customers around you or for you to move through the store. It isn't very pleasant even with a well-behaved child and definitely not even close to being pleasant with a child that is going crazy. Our babysitter, Armi, comes a few times a week and I make sure that during that time, I run to the store for everything I need that day and also walk Bob. If I get to exercise - bonus! Today Armi came but my time was spent in another welcome - "here's what our office does" meeting. I'm glad I went but it meant that I had to take both kids right before nap time to the store. It's shabbat and the stores close around 2 or 3 so it was now or never.
Julia definitely didn't want to go so I tried the whole bribery trick. It didn't work - in fact it completley backfired. The bribe: Julia - if you are good and don't cry or whine while we make this quick trip to the store - you can have some chocolate milk when we get back home. The results: I want the chocolate milk NOW!!! She then proceeded to scream and cry for the chocolage milk for the ENTIRE time it took us to go to the store. I bought the chocolate milk at the store and thought that maybe if she saw it and realized she needed to be good to get it when we were home, that she would quiet down. Nope. I really wanted to give in. I know if I had just given it to her at the store, she would have been quiet and it would have made my shopping trip and everyone else's much more pleasant. But I didn't - I held strong and still didn't give it to her when we got home because of how she behaved. This really set her off. I think she expected it no matter what when we got home.
Finally, after lunch, she quieted down and I've got her upstairs for a nap. She is so tired but I've already been up and told her she needs to stay in bed a little longer. Won't she just sleep? We'd all be so much happier. I love her so much but some days she drives me crazy. It makes me think that I'm not fit to be a stay-at-home mom. But that's a whole other blog some day......
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Cats or Rats?
I heard before I came here that there were a lot of cats in Jerusalem. That is an understatement. The amount of feral cats is unbelievable. Instead of having squirrels, we have cats and more cats and kittens and more kittens. Some of them seem cute and soft and sweet and you want to take them home. Others look scrawny and have a scary look in the eye and have clearly have had a rough life. Now I know why the state department recommends the rabies vaccine which Julia and I still have to get. Someone told me that the British brought cats to get rid of the rats. I don't know if that is true but I think I prefer cats to rats. Julia points out every cat we see right now - which on an average walk might be 6 or 7. I'm sure she remembers the few cats we had in Capitol Hill which would come up and purr and rub against our legs. Not these cats. Most run away as we approach and the few that just sit and stare at us as we get close kind of scare me - especially if we are walking Bob. Every time I go to dump the garbage, I'm afraid a cat will jump out from behind the dumpster. The garbage is probably where they get most of there food. I'm sure a few people put food out for them but I'm not going to do that - I don't really want these cats close to our door.
I think I'll make our appointment today to get our Rabies vaccine.
I think I'll make our appointment today to get our Rabies vaccine.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Consulate Kids
The first Monday of every month, the kids from the consulate get together. This month they read about a porcupine named Fluffy and mady their own porcupines.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Preschool and Potty Update
Today I received words of encouragement and advice in emails from some great friends. After a day of stress about potty training (WHY did I get so stressed out???), it was nice to hear from you. It really made me miss all of you. It was also nice to know that people are reading this blog and that I'm not just talking to myself.
As I wrote yesterday, Julia got the last spot in the American International School where so many consulate families send their kids. This is the safe school - English speaking with rave reviews from the other families. I had also found another preschool close to home and Julia got their last spot as well! This morning I went to visit the latter. It follows a Reggio Emilia approach to preschool. I'm not an expert in the different methods of preschools but if I understand this approach, it focuses on student - directed learning. An example I read about was a class where a many students showed interest in learning about dinosaurs and so a long-term project was developed off what they expressed instead of a curriculum that was set for the whole year before school began. The principal at this school told me that last year they read a book that had an astronomer in it. The kids wanted to know whtat that was and then they started asking more questions about stars. That sparked a year-long project on stars. One parent came and did some dance classes and they kids made up there own dances about stars. The principal took the class along with their families camping! They brought telescopes and spent the evening looking at the stars that they had been learning about.
They also have swimming class once a week. At the end of the year, they have a mini-olympics. One dad comes in weekly for judo class with the kids - teaching them balance and control of their movements. One parent is an artist and oraganizes an art studio where the kids can come and do any art project that they are interested in that day.
The school is also partnered with a kibbutz which the kids visit weekly. They help take care of the animals and they learn about how the farm changes through the year. They learn about composting and recycling at the farm.
Because of the school's philosophy, they certainly don't care whether Julia is potty trained. The principal told me not to worry about it and that Julia would just do it on her own time. What a huge relief! I do want to add here that today happened to be a very successful day on potty training. I'm still going full force but the pressure is off and I'm not going to make myself or Julia go crazy.
The school is Sunday - Friday. The weekend here is Friday mid-day through Saturday. Sunday is a work day. The kids come for breakfast and stay through lunch. It is taught in Hebrew which initially concerned me. The principal is Columbian and is fluent in Hebrew, Spanish and English. She said that most kids have one parent that is English-speaking so they speak some English. All the teachers speak English and they are very diverse as well - American, Spanish, Russian, and of course, Israeli.
You can probably tell that I fell in love with the school. I'm sure that the American International School is just as awesome but I haven't been able to visit it since the school is under renovation. I know the other consulate families that send there kids there love it too but I think that I'm going to go outside the box and try this new preschool.
I also have to remember that this is preschool. This isn't going to make or break whether she gets into William and Mary or Georgetown or wherever she wants to go. I am lucky to have such excellent choices and opportunities for my kids.
As I wrote yesterday, Julia got the last spot in the American International School where so many consulate families send their kids. This is the safe school - English speaking with rave reviews from the other families. I had also found another preschool close to home and Julia got their last spot as well! This morning I went to visit the latter. It follows a Reggio Emilia approach to preschool. I'm not an expert in the different methods of preschools but if I understand this approach, it focuses on student - directed learning. An example I read about was a class where a many students showed interest in learning about dinosaurs and so a long-term project was developed off what they expressed instead of a curriculum that was set for the whole year before school began. The principal at this school told me that last year they read a book that had an astronomer in it. The kids wanted to know whtat that was and then they started asking more questions about stars. That sparked a year-long project on stars. One parent came and did some dance classes and they kids made up there own dances about stars. The principal took the class along with their families camping! They brought telescopes and spent the evening looking at the stars that they had been learning about.
They also have swimming class once a week. At the end of the year, they have a mini-olympics. One dad comes in weekly for judo class with the kids - teaching them balance and control of their movements. One parent is an artist and oraganizes an art studio where the kids can come and do any art project that they are interested in that day.
The school is also partnered with a kibbutz which the kids visit weekly. They help take care of the animals and they learn about how the farm changes through the year. They learn about composting and recycling at the farm.
Because of the school's philosophy, they certainly don't care whether Julia is potty trained. The principal told me not to worry about it and that Julia would just do it on her own time. What a huge relief! I do want to add here that today happened to be a very successful day on potty training. I'm still going full force but the pressure is off and I'm not going to make myself or Julia go crazy.
The school is Sunday - Friday. The weekend here is Friday mid-day through Saturday. Sunday is a work day. The kids come for breakfast and stay through lunch. It is taught in Hebrew which initially concerned me. The principal is Columbian and is fluent in Hebrew, Spanish and English. She said that most kids have one parent that is English-speaking so they speak some English. All the teachers speak English and they are very diverse as well - American, Spanish, Russian, and of course, Israeli.
You can probably tell that I fell in love with the school. I'm sure that the American International School is just as awesome but I haven't been able to visit it since the school is under renovation. I know the other consulate families that send there kids there love it too but I think that I'm going to go outside the box and try this new preschool.
I also have to remember that this is preschool. This isn't going to make or break whether she gets into William and Mary or Georgetown or wherever she wants to go. I am lucky to have such excellent choices and opportunities for my kids.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Potty Time
Toda I met with a new friend, Sara, who gave me the low-down on the preschools in the neighborhood. The issue of preschool has been a little stressful for me. Certainly, she doesn't have to go to school, but she did in Washington DC and she loved it! I think it would be great to have her go here and meet new friends, etc. Before we left DC, I emailed the two popular choices among the Consulate families here in Jerusalem - The Jerusalem American International School (JAIS) and the YMCA. Both were full. I learned this about 4-6 weeks before we moved here and I had so many other things to think about so I just ignored the issue. I was definitely disappointed to learn that I was going to have to deal with applications, waiting lists, etc here as well.
When I got here, most of the families at the consulate send there kids to JAIS. Some send them to the YMCA but I haven't met anyone who sends their kids outside of these two options. Because they were both full the last time I checked, I started to look elsewhere. I've met a few Israelis outside of the consulate circle and because I'm meeting them at a park or at the pool with their kids, they usually have an opinion on schools, etc. Today, I met Sara who was a wonderful resource. She used to be a preschool teacher in the states and moved here a year ago. She also has a 3yo and gave me a wonderful local preschool that is just around the corner. She described it to me and it sounds awesome.
The tough part of the day was when I heard from both JAIS and this other preschool within an hour of each other. Both schools were offering Julia their last spot. Both need an answer by tomorrow. I'm visiting the school around the corner tomorrow morning but JAIS is under construction with two new wings being added to the school. I don't know what to do. Do I go with the school that all families at the consulate send their kids to or do I branch out on my own and be bold?
The day got even more stressful when I realized I have 3 weeks to potty train my daughter. She has to be potty trained before school starts. There is a deep pit in my stomach.
Julia knows what to do but just doesn't feel like it. I've tried everything. Singing and reading on the potty. Potty books. Potty candy. Dora the Explorer panties. Princess panties. You name it. I'm up for suggestions. We'll see how the next few days go. We tried "big girl panties" after nap today (and after I'd gotten the phone calls). All accidents - no good potty time. Score: Julia 4 Me 0
I haven't given up. Tomorrow is another day. Maybe she will start to care a little about having accidents. I don't like getting all stressed but school is starting soon and I know she will love it if we can get her there. I'll keep you posted.
When I got here, most of the families at the consulate send there kids to JAIS. Some send them to the YMCA but I haven't met anyone who sends their kids outside of these two options. Because they were both full the last time I checked, I started to look elsewhere. I've met a few Israelis outside of the consulate circle and because I'm meeting them at a park or at the pool with their kids, they usually have an opinion on schools, etc. Today, I met Sara who was a wonderful resource. She used to be a preschool teacher in the states and moved here a year ago. She also has a 3yo and gave me a wonderful local preschool that is just around the corner. She described it to me and it sounds awesome.
The tough part of the day was when I heard from both JAIS and this other preschool within an hour of each other. Both schools were offering Julia their last spot. Both need an answer by tomorrow. I'm visiting the school around the corner tomorrow morning but JAIS is under construction with two new wings being added to the school. I don't know what to do. Do I go with the school that all families at the consulate send their kids to or do I branch out on my own and be bold?
The day got even more stressful when I realized I have 3 weeks to potty train my daughter. She has to be potty trained before school starts. There is a deep pit in my stomach.
Julia knows what to do but just doesn't feel like it. I've tried everything. Singing and reading on the potty. Potty books. Potty candy. Dora the Explorer panties. Princess panties. You name it. I'm up for suggestions. We'll see how the next few days go. We tried "big girl panties" after nap today (and after I'd gotten the phone calls). All accidents - no good potty time. Score: Julia 4 Me 0
I haven't given up. Tomorrow is another day. Maybe she will start to care a little about having accidents. I don't like getting all stressed but school is starting soon and I know she will love it if we can get her there. I'll keep you posted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)