The fruit available here is very seasonal. It's probably how it should be in the US but I feel like there I can get almost any fruit I need almost anytime of the year with a few exceptions. Here, the season of limes is really August and the early part of September. After the early part of September, you just can't find them and you are stuck with the fake lime juice for cooking. I'm not a big margarita drinker but I do love a good lime with my Corona and occasionally you need lime juice for cooking so I've been planning on getting limes to juice and freeze. I've put it off until the last few weeks when I've purchased a bunch of "limes". I put that in quotes because multiple times I've gotten home and found out that the "limes" I've purchased are orange inside. The second time I did it, I was sure they were limes. They were clearly different than the green oranges that they were sitting next to in the grocery store. Of course, I'm sure that the store labeled them but since I still can't read Hebrew, I'm lost. I bought a bunch and unfortunately they were oranges once again. I've been looking for limes ever since and haven't been able to find them. Finally, someone said they saw them in a market in East Jerusalem - across town in the Arab section. I haven't driven over there and so it was a little intimidating to cross town in the car but I got directions and was successful in making my way to Wadi Joz. I found the grocery store but NO LIMES! The store clerk spoke great English and told me that I'm too late for limes. How disappointing! On my way home, I decided to drive to the Shuk. Obviously I've been there before but I've never driven and parked there. It's crowded but last time I walked there I had seen some parking lots so my adventurous self decided to try and park near the Shuk. Again - successful! I got in - and eventually out - without scraping someone's car or my own. The most exciting part of that trip was that I found limes! I wasn't even looking for them but I went into a vegetable stand and there were limes! There weren't many and I held one up to the clerk - lime? He nodded and I smelled one and it smelled like one too. I got about 40 limes and brought them home. I spent about 15 minutes cutting and juicing the limes. About one ice cube of lime juice is equal to one lime.
Today is Rosh Hashanah. Brian has a four day weekend and things are shut down in most of Jerusalem. I haven't ventured out into East Jerusalem but I assume that things are open over there. After a lazy morning, we all went to Safari Israel www.safari.co.il. When you arrive, you drive into a big park with ostriches, rhinos, hippos, zebras, and tons of birds and animals I haven't seen before. There aren't fences, etc and the animals are not too far from the road so you see them very well. Some are walking up to the cars and it reminded me of Yellowstone with buffalo walking across the road and blocking traffic. The same thing happened to us with an ostrich. The park is obviously not nearly as big as Yellowstone. It took us about a half hour to slowly drive through the park. It made me wonder whether or not our USAA insurance would cover the car if an animal charged at us. We would probably have bigger things to worry about if that happened. There are signs all over in Hebrew/Arabic/English saying stay inside your vehicles, don't feed the animals, etc but we saw numerous dumb people with their windows down feeding carrots to the zebras and other animals. There was an area as well with lions that was somewhat separated from the rest of the park and we could drive through that as well. It was impressive. In the middle of the park, there was an area to park and get out to walk through a typical zoo. Our whole trip took us a little over 2 hours. We got there at the end of the day so it was closing as we left but it was a perfect amount of time.
The kids are in bed now and I'm procrastinating on doing some obgyn questions that I have to do to maintain my certification. They are due by tomorrow at 5pm CST. uugh! Ok . It's time to get back to work. Tomorrow Brian and I are getting a babysitter and we are going to the Israeli museum for a few hours in the morning. I'll write more after that. Shanah Tovah to all my Jewish friends celebrating Rosh Hashanah.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Soccer Practice
It was really cute. I have to say this is one of the things that I love about being a parent - watching Julia play with friends and do new activities. Melissa, a friend of mine with 5 kids, set up soccer teams for the kids at the consulate. Julia is on the red team and her coach is her very own daddy. The red team met for the first time yesterday. Julia was so excited. She woke up yesterday morning and decided she wasn't going to school because today was soccer. I had to explain the order of things - school, nap, snack, soccer. In the end, we had to skip the snack because she was so tired and I had to wake her up at 4:30 to get to soccer by 5. Oh - and by the way - having a car is AWESOME. I love being able to drive ourselves places and not have to rely on friends, etc.
Melissa had a great idea - 15 minutes of instruction/practice and then the red team can play the orange with the green team cheering and then they switch up. It didn't exactly happen that way but everyone had fun and that was the important thing. When we got to practice, Julia practiced kicking the ball with everyone else until she saw her dad. There was a bake sale that morning and I had asked Brian to pick up something for us for dessert (US meaning he and I). Unfortunately, Julia saw what he picked out and decided she wanted food NOW. She proceeded to have a meltdown until another mom went and found crackers. Practice then consisted of cracker eating.
After a little snack, she was back to soccer. I was impressed at how much instruction team red got from coach. They actually listened and followed instructions. The hardest part was getting the concept of no hands but after a while, they would reach for the ball and then drop it quickly after remembering they couldn't use their hands.
It was a great end to the week. Julia thinks her dad is a great coach. We'll see how things go next time - practice is every other week in the consulate gardens.
Melissa had a great idea - 15 minutes of instruction/practice and then the red team can play the orange with the green team cheering and then they switch up. It didn't exactly happen that way but everyone had fun and that was the important thing. When we got to practice, Julia practiced kicking the ball with everyone else until she saw her dad. There was a bake sale that morning and I had asked Brian to pick up something for us for dessert (US meaning he and I). Unfortunately, Julia saw what he picked out and decided she wanted food NOW. She proceeded to have a meltdown until another mom went and found crackers. Practice then consisted of cracker eating.
After a little snack, she was back to soccer. I was impressed at how much instruction team red got from coach. They actually listened and followed instructions. The hardest part was getting the concept of no hands but after a while, they would reach for the ball and then drop it quickly after remembering they couldn't use their hands.
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Doesn't look like he is actually running a drill? Good job coach!
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| There was a lot of cracker eating among the team during practice. |
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| Notice the orange team sending in a scout! |
It was a great end to the week. Julia thinks her dad is a great coach. We'll see how things go next time - practice is every other week in the consulate gardens.
GO RED TEAM!!!!!
As a little extra note, it is a little cool and rainy here in Jerusalem. I LOVE IT!!! Is it possible to get tired of warm sunny days? I think it might be. I'm in sweat pants and there is a little chill out. It didn't rain much but Julia got to go out on the balcony and use her umbrella. I hear that driving after the first rain is not fun because of all the oil on the road that has built up makes the roads slick. The sun is poking out and I'm sure it will be warm and sunny later today but right now I'm enjoying a change in weather.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Julia's trip to the farm
Julia's school goes monthly to a farm that is about 15 minutes away from our house. There is a kibbutz and a hotel and spa along with this farm all on one big piece of land. The farm is an ecology center that runs summer camps and educational pieces for schools like Julia's preschool. You can check out the farm on the website www.krr.co.il Julia and Thomas had to wake up early today so that we could meet her teachers at her school at 7 and follow them to the farm. It wasn't too hard to do and now I'm sure I could get there by myself next month (or maybe earlier for a massage!). Julia loved it! There were goats, chickens, sheep, ducks, turtles, rabbits, mice, etc for her to watch and feed. She was a little scared of the chickens freely running around but loved the rest. I stayed for about 20 minutes as more parents and kids arrived. Next time I'll bring my camera and take pictures. I left her there with her backpack and car seat. Her class stayed at the farm for a few hours and then piled all the kids and their car seats into a minibus and drove them back to school. Julia will go there throughout the year and see how the farm changes during the seasons as well as other ecological lessons such as recycling and composting. It sounds awesome.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Mount of Olives
I really should start reading the Bible. I'm here in the center of Christianity and I'm living so close to where significant Biblical events took place but I couldn't really tell you what they are or where they occurred. In our attempt to explore the city and learn more about these places, Brian and I went on a tour last Saturday of the Mount of Olives. I'll try to remember as many details as possible but you may still need to refer to your Bible.
The Mount of Olives is a really big hill - I wouldn't say mountain. It's about 2 miles long and fairly narrow. If you stand on the western edge, you look down over Jerusalem and specifically the Old City with a great view of the Dome of the Rock.
This is where we started our tour. The Mount of Olives is obviously a very religious location for the Jews and Muslims as well as Christians. There is a very old Jewish cemetery dating back thousands of years. Zechariah's tomb is said to be there but we didn't visit it.
The first church we visited is called Pater Noster because it is where Jesus had the Sermon on the Mount and taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer. Currently the church is controlled by French nuns. When you enter, the walls all have the Lord's Prayer written in hundreds of languages - dead and alive.
Close to this church is a mosque that used to be a church (see picture below) and supposedly has a footprint of Jesus - just one foot, not two. I'd love to be a believer of everything but I have to tell you that I could hardly see a footprint in the stone. And if it is a footprint, I have to think that it is probably some random guys footprint that thousands of visitors come and see. I'm not convinced but I'll let the other visitors think it's Jesus's footprint.
There were great views of Jerusalem often during our walk down the Mount. Here are some more views.
We went to the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount. It is full of olive trees whose roots date back to the time of Jesus. The garden, according to the Bible, is where Jesus and his disciples prayed the night before his crucifixion. There is a beautiful church there called the Church of All Nations. It was built in the early 1900s with funds from many different countries and is now cared for by the Franciscans.
Next to this church is the Tomb of the Virgin Mary (according to some Eastern christian religions). The other location where Christians believe she is buried is in Ephesus, Turkey. You walk in the building and then down several steps. It is dark with tons of oil lamps hanging from the ceilings. There was a long line to get up close to the tomb which we didn't have time to stand in so I just got a bird's eye view by standing on a bench.
During the tour, we descended the Mount of Olives and walked into the Old City. Here is a view of the Mount just before entering the Old City.
We had lunch in the Old City before going home. It was about a 3 hour tour in total. Habib who works for the consulate was an excellent tour guide. He was quoting scripture during the entire tour and definitely made me feel like I needed to study the Bible a little more.
The Mount of Olives is a really big hill - I wouldn't say mountain. It's about 2 miles long and fairly narrow. If you stand on the western edge, you look down over Jerusalem and specifically the Old City with a great view of the Dome of the Rock.
This is where we started our tour. The Mount of Olives is obviously a very religious location for the Jews and Muslims as well as Christians. There is a very old Jewish cemetery dating back thousands of years. Zechariah's tomb is said to be there but we didn't visit it.
The first church we visited is called Pater Noster because it is where Jesus had the Sermon on the Mount and taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer. Currently the church is controlled by French nuns. When you enter, the walls all have the Lord's Prayer written in hundreds of languages - dead and alive.
Close to this church is a mosque that used to be a church (see picture below) and supposedly has a footprint of Jesus - just one foot, not two. I'd love to be a believer of everything but I have to tell you that I could hardly see a footprint in the stone. And if it is a footprint, I have to think that it is probably some random guys footprint that thousands of visitors come and see. I'm not convinced but I'll let the other visitors think it's Jesus's footprint.
There were great views of Jerusalem often during our walk down the Mount. Here are some more views.
We went to the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount. It is full of olive trees whose roots date back to the time of Jesus. The garden, according to the Bible, is where Jesus and his disciples prayed the night before his crucifixion. There is a beautiful church there called the Church of All Nations. It was built in the early 1900s with funds from many different countries and is now cared for by the Franciscans.
Next to this church is the Tomb of the Virgin Mary (according to some Eastern christian religions). The other location where Christians believe she is buried is in Ephesus, Turkey. You walk in the building and then down several steps. It is dark with tons of oil lamps hanging from the ceilings. There was a long line to get up close to the tomb which we didn't have time to stand in so I just got a bird's eye view by standing on a bench.
During the tour, we descended the Mount of Olives and walked into the Old City. Here is a view of the Mount just before entering the Old City.
We had lunch in the Old City before going home. It was about a 3 hour tour in total. Habib who works for the consulate was an excellent tour guide. He was quoting scripture during the entire tour and definitely made me feel like I needed to study the Bible a little more.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Amman Gormans
One reason that I am so happy to be here in Jerusalem is that we are close to Brian's brother, Bart, and his family. Donna writes an awesome blog about their overseas adventures (www.emailfromtheembassy.blogspot.com). They live in Amman and will be there for the duration of our time in Jerusalem. The distance from Amman to Jerusalem is about 60 miles but it can take between 2-4 hours to make the trek depending on how quick you make the border crossing. The Amman Gormans came on a Thursday afternoon and left on Saturday. The unfortunate thing about the border besides how long it can take sometimes to cross it, is that it closes in the middle of the day on Saturdays so you have to leave early in order to give yourself enough time to cross. Although their time was brief, it was great to see them and we did have time to have fun.
We went to the Biblical Zoo.
No pictures of the animals? Isn't ice cream the best part anyway?
And then we finished the day with pizza.
Shay and Aidan spent the night with us on Friday and Julia was so excited to have guests. She was so upset when she had to go to bed before her older cousins did.
The next morning, we had a yummy breakfast at Zuni's (open 24-7) and a brief walk in the Old City for souvenirs before they had to head home.
Next month, The Jerusalem Gormans will make the trip to Amman for a visit. We can't wait!
We went to the Biblical Zoo.
Shay and Aidan spent the night with us on Friday and Julia was so excited to have guests. She was so upset when she had to go to bed before her older cousins did.
Next month, The Jerusalem Gormans will make the trip to Amman for a visit. We can't wait!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Catching up
I know I am severely behind in my blogging. I'll try to catch up in the next few days but I've come down with a cold so give me a break. Here I am, though, with my Kleenex on one side and my coffee on another while Thomas is sleeping and Julia's at school Here's a preview of what I need to catch up on: Julia's school, the visit from the Amman Gormans, my day in an Arab obgyn office, and our tour of the Mount of Olives.
That may all be very interesting to you but the biggest and most exciting thing that has happened to us is that our air freight arrived last week and our car arrived a few days ago and the rest of our stuff is scheduled to be delivered on Sunday. Yeah!!! Now, I can't drive our car yet - no plates, driver's license, insurance, etc. but it is physically here and that is the most difficult part. Habib, who was also our tour guide for the Mount of Olives tour, is the car man and he walks us through the registration process. I think I check my email every 10 minutes looking for instructions or updates from him. He probably thinks I'm crazy.
Julia's school started at the end of last month. It was a gradual start and she has progressively gotten better at going to school. Every morning we still have a little whining about going versus staying home and usually there is some whining about walking versus being carried but things are getting better. The drop off is actually the easiest part. She does a little clinging to me but is easily distracted by the teachers. The teachers are also helping more at distracting Julia as all the kids in general are getting better at drop-off and they are easier to manage as a group. This morning, for example, Olgi greeted us and knows that Julia likes the song, "You Are My Sunshine." Olgi knows the song and sang it with Julia a few days ago when Julia mentioned that her grandma used to sing it to her. So this morning Olgi greeted us and told Julia that she wanted to sing the song with her again and then draw the picture of the sunshine. Perfect! Hug and kiss and bye! Usually when I pick up Julia around 1:30 she is playing outside and doesn't want to leave. That's always a good sign in my book.
We had parent's night at Julia's school on Sunday. It was just her preschool class and not the entire school (ages 2-5). I got a booklet about the class and a list of the students in her class and all the parents' phone numbers, etc. Of course, I can't read any of it, but I'm meeting with a friend today who is going to skim it all and give me the summary of everything. The best thing that I got out of going to parent's night was the names of the kids in Julia's class. A very nice woman, Elyssa, sat next to me and tried to translate most things for me. She also sounded out the names so that I could write them down. The head teacher, Daphna, went over the different activities of the class: swimming lessons on Fridays, Music on Sundays, Judo on Mondays, Art on Wednesdays, field trips to the Science Museum, monthly trips to a farm, and family field trips planned by one of the moms in the class who is a travel agent. It sounds like so much fun! The discussion got a little heated when one parent started asking about the food that they served but Elyssa didn't translate all of that. The meeting started at 8:30pm on a Sunday. Brian stayed home with the kids. You would think that a meeting like that would last 45 minutes or an hour tops but at 10:15, Brian popped his head in the classroom just as I was about to come home. I had unfortunately forgotten my cell phone and when it got so late, Brian decided he had better check to make sure that I was ok. So with the kids fast asleep in bed and Bob at home to eat anyone that tried to break in, Brian walked the 5 minutes to school to come fine me. What a guy! He was not so happy with me for leaving my cell phone and I promised him I'd take it with me always.
Here's a photo of Julia on her first day of school.
Ok. Time to take a break. I'll keep going after a quick nap.
That may all be very interesting to you but the biggest and most exciting thing that has happened to us is that our air freight arrived last week and our car arrived a few days ago and the rest of our stuff is scheduled to be delivered on Sunday. Yeah!!! Now, I can't drive our car yet - no plates, driver's license, insurance, etc. but it is physically here and that is the most difficult part. Habib, who was also our tour guide for the Mount of Olives tour, is the car man and he walks us through the registration process. I think I check my email every 10 minutes looking for instructions or updates from him. He probably thinks I'm crazy.
Julia's school started at the end of last month. It was a gradual start and she has progressively gotten better at going to school. Every morning we still have a little whining about going versus staying home and usually there is some whining about walking versus being carried but things are getting better. The drop off is actually the easiest part. She does a little clinging to me but is easily distracted by the teachers. The teachers are also helping more at distracting Julia as all the kids in general are getting better at drop-off and they are easier to manage as a group. This morning, for example, Olgi greeted us and knows that Julia likes the song, "You Are My Sunshine." Olgi knows the song and sang it with Julia a few days ago when Julia mentioned that her grandma used to sing it to her. So this morning Olgi greeted us and told Julia that she wanted to sing the song with her again and then draw the picture of the sunshine. Perfect! Hug and kiss and bye! Usually when I pick up Julia around 1:30 she is playing outside and doesn't want to leave. That's always a good sign in my book.
We had parent's night at Julia's school on Sunday. It was just her preschool class and not the entire school (ages 2-5). I got a booklet about the class and a list of the students in her class and all the parents' phone numbers, etc. Of course, I can't read any of it, but I'm meeting with a friend today who is going to skim it all and give me the summary of everything. The best thing that I got out of going to parent's night was the names of the kids in Julia's class. A very nice woman, Elyssa, sat next to me and tried to translate most things for me. She also sounded out the names so that I could write them down. The head teacher, Daphna, went over the different activities of the class: swimming lessons on Fridays, Music on Sundays, Judo on Mondays, Art on Wednesdays, field trips to the Science Museum, monthly trips to a farm, and family field trips planned by one of the moms in the class who is a travel agent. It sounds like so much fun! The discussion got a little heated when one parent started asking about the food that they served but Elyssa didn't translate all of that. The meeting started at 8:30pm on a Sunday. Brian stayed home with the kids. You would think that a meeting like that would last 45 minutes or an hour tops but at 10:15, Brian popped his head in the classroom just as I was about to come home. I had unfortunately forgotten my cell phone and when it got so late, Brian decided he had better check to make sure that I was ok. So with the kids fast asleep in bed and Bob at home to eat anyone that tried to break in, Brian walked the 5 minutes to school to come fine me. What a guy! He was not so happy with me for leaving my cell phone and I promised him I'd take it with me always.
Here's a photo of Julia on her first day of school.
Ok. Time to take a break. I'll keep going after a quick nap.
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