My trip has gone by so fast, I mean there were points where it seemed like it would never end but looking back, it flew. I have been so fortunate to have been able to not just plan and save for this trip for so long, but then to actually have been able to take it. Perhaps it was not what I had originally planned, 8 months in France, but that is okay. I loved my time in France and enjoyed seeing other cultures. My goal for now is to continue with learning French, I would like to become fluent in it. Then I would like to return (live would be great, but I am not sure I could be that far away from my family…). I know that I will return again, though I am not sure when or for how long. The people that I have met along the way have been wonderful and truly added something special to my experience.
I really hope that anyone who really is interested in traveling abroad, does what they have to make it happen. There are ways and things to do, you just have to do it. Also, remember my roommate Mary, 65 and retired the day of her birthday, sold her house and belongings and went to travel…it may not be easy or what others think is right, but you have to do what makes you happy for in the end, if you do not, you will be the only one who will be disappointed.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
An American Thanksgiving in London
Grim Reaper tour was really good. It was hosted by the same guy who had done the free tour for me the day before, who I quite enjoyed. I thought it would be a bit more gruesome but that is okay. I actually know the name Jack the Ripper but had not known who he was. It was interesting to know that he killed three hookers and they never caught him. A bit weird but you know.
The next day I got up and checked out the British museum. It was nice, but there was so much stuff and I felt that it was just not all that interesting to me. I did like how they had an Egyptian area where you could see hieroglyphics, mummies (even of bulls, people who were mummified correctly and not correctly as well as statues.
The Greek room was okay, the only thing that I really liked that foot protection. I had never seen it before, but it was so cute, they showed the little toes!
The rest of the museum was just really big. I met up with my cousin later that day, with good instructions and hung out for a while. Then we Had some lunch that I brought and began cooking. We made green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and apple pie. At around 11 I headed back to my hostel.
The following day I woke up late and headed to the National Portrait Gallery. Not sure why, but I had major issues finding the place…I mean major. I got to the point where I was just going to head back to the hostel, it was a pain! I found it though and headed in. I was totally unamused by it. I should have known; I am not a fan of paintings, especially not portraits. I figured I would check it out though. Next time, I think I will check out the museum of science, which seemed kind of cool. Anyway, it was a nice way to relax before Thanksgiving and then I arrived at Jess’s around 12. We were surprised how there was not a lot to be done. We finished the green bean casserole (put the onions on top), made normal green beans for Jess to eat, experimented with a sweet potato and pineapple…we don’t know what and all we had left was stuffing and gravy to make. It was nice to just sit and talk.
The appetizers included, baked brie and cranberry, lox cream cheese and bagels (mini), mini chicken kiev, and mini cheese burgers. It was a great start. All of their friends brought wine, except Robert who brought champagne and raspberries. Mark (Jess’s boyfriend) was so cute making the cheese burgers, he was so excited about it! They were good…everything was good.
Honestly, the day of Thanksgiving went off without a hitch, not one problem. It was great and everyone loved the food (turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, mac and cheese, green bean casserole, green beans, sweet potatoes with marshmellows, the pineapple sweet potatoes, rolls, cranberry and apply sauce, I think that was it. It was great night and then I headed home.
They said that the cleanup was easy since it was just throwing everything out (plates and such not food) and that it was perfect. The amount of time and energy that went into it was crazy. Jess with her planning, organizing, food finding, Mark with his cleaning, driving, searching, and calming. It was a good machine.
Sorry this post is so vague it is two days later and I am tired. Yesterday I just hung out with Jess all day, who was very tired. The plumber came and then I left around 9. This morning I headed out late (oops, I got up at 10:09…) checked out and then grabbed a sandwich from Paul (ah French) and then headed to the Tube. The line was crazy long and the one that I was waiting in to get my ticket, CLOSED when three people were in front of me. I got my ticket though and headed out. I enjoyed my sandwich on the Tube and then got to the airport. No problems with waiting, bags, security, or anything, it was so great (especially since I was off of my game getting out of bed late.)
The next day I got up and checked out the British museum. It was nice, but there was so much stuff and I felt that it was just not all that interesting to me. I did like how they had an Egyptian area where you could see hieroglyphics, mummies (even of bulls, people who were mummified correctly and not correctly as well as statues.
The Greek room was okay, the only thing that I really liked that foot protection. I had never seen it before, but it was so cute, they showed the little toes!
The rest of the museum was just really big. I met up with my cousin later that day, with good instructions and hung out for a while. Then we Had some lunch that I brought and began cooking. We made green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and apple pie. At around 11 I headed back to my hostel.
The following day I woke up late and headed to the National Portrait Gallery. Not sure why, but I had major issues finding the place…I mean major. I got to the point where I was just going to head back to the hostel, it was a pain! I found it though and headed in. I was totally unamused by it. I should have known; I am not a fan of paintings, especially not portraits. I figured I would check it out though. Next time, I think I will check out the museum of science, which seemed kind of cool. Anyway, it was a nice way to relax before Thanksgiving and then I arrived at Jess’s around 12. We were surprised how there was not a lot to be done. We finished the green bean casserole (put the onions on top), made normal green beans for Jess to eat, experimented with a sweet potato and pineapple…we don’t know what and all we had left was stuffing and gravy to make. It was nice to just sit and talk.
The appetizers included, baked brie and cranberry, lox cream cheese and bagels (mini), mini chicken kiev, and mini cheese burgers. It was a great start. All of their friends brought wine, except Robert who brought champagne and raspberries. Mark (Jess’s boyfriend) was so cute making the cheese burgers, he was so excited about it! They were good…everything was good.
Honestly, the day of Thanksgiving went off without a hitch, not one problem. It was great and everyone loved the food (turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, mac and cheese, green bean casserole, green beans, sweet potatoes with marshmellows, the pineapple sweet potatoes, rolls, cranberry and apply sauce, I think that was it. It was great night and then I headed home.
They said that the cleanup was easy since it was just throwing everything out (plates and such not food) and that it was perfect. The amount of time and energy that went into it was crazy. Jess with her planning, organizing, food finding, Mark with his cleaning, driving, searching, and calming. It was a good machine.
Sorry this post is so vague it is two days later and I am tired. Yesterday I just hung out with Jess all day, who was very tired. The plumber came and then I left around 9. This morning I headed out late (oops, I got up at 10:09…) checked out and then grabbed a sandwich from Paul (ah French) and then headed to the Tube. The line was crazy long and the one that I was waiting in to get my ticket, CLOSED when three people were in front of me. I got my ticket though and headed out. I enjoyed my sandwich on the Tube and then got to the airport. No problems with waiting, bags, security, or anything, it was so great (especially since I was off of my game getting out of bed late.)
Travels in London
Okay, so maybe I am getting not as nice as I used to be with my old age, but I just feel, if I can be nice, why can’t you? I met the roommates from last night. The girl is French but seems to be all about “me.” She woke me up at 4am, accidentally, because she was holding on and touching my bed (enough to make the metal bed frame shake). She went by my head to plug in her phone, which is where the phone was plugged in earlier that day. Then she went by my feet and unplugged my computer, to plug in her phone there…using my converter. Just very, why would you do that? I woke up at 7 and was not as quiet as I usually try to be. Everyone stayed asleep, except for her, and I was okay with that, it was like payback, I just don’t get why you would unplug my computer when you were by outlets before…
Anyway, I woke up and had some breakfast. Bowl of mixed cereals and some toast with jam. Then I headed to the Tate Modern Museum. I got there before they were open, so Starbucks free internet it was. Then I went in and saw some cool things on the free floors. One of my favorites was a drawing that looks like the old style men with witty comments. This one said “Notice: I have changed my name to Mr. Titties. Thanks” So random. Anyway, it amused me for a bit and then I did quick research about my next stop.
I found out where the markets would be and then where I could go for lunch. I went to some of the markets, it was too cold for them to be outdoors. It is funny how they all look so cold, even the fruit! Then I headed to Brick Lane. Okay, I read it was closest to a tube stop so I went there, but that was in West London and Brick Lane is in East London. I found the restaurant that had been recommended for East London and enjoyed some vegetable korma and samosas, yum! Then I got dinner to go and headed back to the hostel to put it away.
I did stop at the London Bridge on my travels, I thought it was nothing too special, just a bridge.
People are saying how expensive London is, I don’t think it is horrible. The price of clothes (yes, I went shopping along my way back to the hostel) is totally affordable. Okay, I didn’t get anything but I could have gotten many things. I looked into boots but I could not bring myself to get the Ugg looking thing, even if they were only 5 pounds. I looked into a jacket too but I fear it will be too difficult to get it back home, lame, I know. I met another roommate, Vic, originally from Florida and now living and teaching in Cairo at an international school. It would be super cool to do that, but not sure if I could handle being placed anyway.
Okay I am going to relax for a bit and then the reaper tour is on! I think I will check out the London Tower while I am over there then head back. “Cheers”
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Bed, Free Tour and Winter Wonderland
So I got in last night and all of my roommates were sleeping, well so it seemed. I found an untaken bed and got in for the night, happy that I had done such a good job packing in case this happened. I had everything in my bookbag, no need to even open my suitcase!
I had a rough night of sleep due to the fact that I tried to stay awake on both flights, but kept falling asleep on my second one. Oh, this reminds me…so my flight from Tel Aviv was at the airport but they took forever to let the new crew on. This was a 50 minute delay. Despite me having a 1.5 hour leeway between flights, and the captain saying we were only 15 minutes late, I got off, headed to my next flight (not exiting and having to reenter this time) and my flight was already loaded. We waited a long time after I got on the flight…I know why. The luggage, my luggage, needed to be transferred. I watched it get loaded on my plane and was happy when we then headed off.
I was awake for most of the night. The train is nearby and you can hear it go by, but it is not loud or horrible, it has a nice little jingle that I hum along to as it passes. Anyway, three roommates were sleeping, one entered a bit after me and one was an empty bed (yes, a 6 dorm room this time due to late booking). The three girls woke up early and headed out and then I got up and did the same. There was a lame breakfast, but I say lame and really mean a basic breakfast, it was all that I needed.
I headed to where my free tour should be and was 1.5 hours early so I walked around. I began to get way cold, so I grabbed a tea from Starbucks and enjoyed their free internet. Then the tour. It was a good tour, loved my guide. He was very interesting and did a great job showing us the sites and telling us things like “this is the smallest police station that ever was in Britain”
And someone broke into the palace in 1982 and set off all of the alarms and the guard thought it was a trip up and shut them off and the guy somehow managed to find the queens room out of the 700 available ones and he sat with her for 20 minutes talking then asked for a cigarette and she called for the guards. It took 30 minutes for the police to arrive and the guy got deported (was here illegally from Ireland) but no arrest was made as it was not illegal to break into the palace…imagine that.
I got some tips on when to check out Westminster Abby for free and took lots of pictures of the guards. Afterwards I went with the guide and part of the group for food. I got fish and chips with the smashed peas. The peas were minty and too watery to really eat but the fish was good as was the tarter sauce but I was no fan of the chips. No worries, I have plenty of time to fix that.
I headed to a hotspot and spoke to my sister and warmed up a bit. Then I walked to Picadilly Circus and then to Hyde Park, where the Winter Wonderland was going on. It was nice and I enjoyed a cup of special hot coco while I walked around. I found a super cute ring, but I think it was not worth the cost. I tried a roasted chestnut (better then the ones that I tried to make in college, but still not good). They guy was all “they are from Italy, so good” I was no fan though. I tried some Hungarian stew too, then threw out the rest of the mini sample, poo to you! I was going to walk back to the hostel since I was toasty with my new hat and gloves, but the map does not show my road (it is off of the map…) so I just rode the super crowded tube.
I tried a couple of times to get some shots of the tube but it was not good enough. I mean the people are all packed in. Okay, so maybe not like China where the workers push the people in and then slam the doors, but enough where it is a bit …strike the bit…clostraphobic-ish.
I got back early as I did not want to wait another hour at the Winter Wonderland for the circus show and met two of my roommates. By met, I mean one was on the phone and when she got off ignored me and the other walked in and then said nothing as his phone seemed more interesting to him. Oh well, two empty beds left, and one roommate I still have not met. Perhaps some conversations will come about.
Oh, I did meet some nice people on the tour but we did not stick together or find out any contact information to meet up later. I guess tomorrow is my Grim Reaper Tour. Let’s hope I meet some other people before then…
I had a rough night of sleep due to the fact that I tried to stay awake on both flights, but kept falling asleep on my second one. Oh, this reminds me…so my flight from Tel Aviv was at the airport but they took forever to let the new crew on. This was a 50 minute delay. Despite me having a 1.5 hour leeway between flights, and the captain saying we were only 15 minutes late, I got off, headed to my next flight (not exiting and having to reenter this time) and my flight was already loaded. We waited a long time after I got on the flight…I know why. The luggage, my luggage, needed to be transferred. I watched it get loaded on my plane and was happy when we then headed off.
I was awake for most of the night. The train is nearby and you can hear it go by, but it is not loud or horrible, it has a nice little jingle that I hum along to as it passes. Anyway, three roommates were sleeping, one entered a bit after me and one was an empty bed (yes, a 6 dorm room this time due to late booking). The three girls woke up early and headed out and then I got up and did the same. There was a lame breakfast, but I say lame and really mean a basic breakfast, it was all that I needed.
I headed to where my free tour should be and was 1.5 hours early so I walked around. I began to get way cold, so I grabbed a tea from Starbucks and enjoyed their free internet. Then the tour. It was a good tour, loved my guide. He was very interesting and did a great job showing us the sites and telling us things like “this is the smallest police station that ever was in Britain”
And someone broke into the palace in 1982 and set off all of the alarms and the guard thought it was a trip up and shut them off and the guy somehow managed to find the queens room out of the 700 available ones and he sat with her for 20 minutes talking then asked for a cigarette and she called for the guards. It took 30 minutes for the police to arrive and the guy got deported (was here illegally from Ireland) but no arrest was made as it was not illegal to break into the palace…imagine that.
I got some tips on when to check out Westminster Abby for free and took lots of pictures of the guards. Afterwards I went with the guide and part of the group for food. I got fish and chips with the smashed peas. The peas were minty and too watery to really eat but the fish was good as was the tarter sauce but I was no fan of the chips. No worries, I have plenty of time to fix that.
I headed to a hotspot and spoke to my sister and warmed up a bit. Then I walked to Picadilly Circus and then to Hyde Park, where the Winter Wonderland was going on. It was nice and I enjoyed a cup of special hot coco while I walked around. I found a super cute ring, but I think it was not worth the cost. I tried a roasted chestnut (better then the ones that I tried to make in college, but still not good). They guy was all “they are from Italy, so good” I was no fan though. I tried some Hungarian stew too, then threw out the rest of the mini sample, poo to you! I was going to walk back to the hostel since I was toasty with my new hat and gloves, but the map does not show my road (it is off of the map…) so I just rode the super crowded tube.
I tried a couple of times to get some shots of the tube but it was not good enough. I mean the people are all packed in. Okay, so maybe not like China where the workers push the people in and then slam the doors, but enough where it is a bit …strike the bit…clostraphobic-ish.
I got back early as I did not want to wait another hour at the Winter Wonderland for the circus show and met two of my roommates. By met, I mean one was on the phone and when she got off ignored me and the other walked in and then said nothing as his phone seemed more interesting to him. Oh well, two empty beds left, and one roommate I still have not met. Perhaps some conversations will come about.
Oh, I did meet some nice people on the tour but we did not stick together or find out any contact information to meet up later. I guess tomorrow is my Grim Reaper Tour. Let’s hope I meet some other people before then…
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Israel's Airport
I got to the airport in wonderful time, 1:30! I found my way to check in and waited in line. The girl who asked me my questions was young and I am not sure why, but I was so scared. It is crazy, she was not even good at asking her questions. I guess I was nervous because I did not know if I should say I WWOOFed, was on a kibbutz, or visited a friend as I never got my volunteer visa...no worries though, I made it through the first check point.
I was directed to the ticket counter (yes, after the x-ray machine)and slowly put my suitcase on the scale. I even packed it in such a way this morning that if I had to loose some of the weight, it would be easy to take the top items out. Luckily, between throwing out my work clothes the suitcase was 19kg...1 kg to spare :) To top that, after I changed the location of my zippers (I feel it is safer when they are on the bottom of the bag) it dropped to 18.5. I was proud of myself!
I then had to go upstairs and go through security for me. As I headed towards the gate the guy said "from the United States," I was called out without a doubt. I asked if it was that obvious but I do not think he understood. He said NJ was a beautiful city and then I went onto the checkpoint. I did not think I looked that American... Anyway the checkpoint happened with no issues...I am not going to lie, it was a little weird how in France they wanted to check my cicada thing but in Israel they did not. I mean in France, they should know what the heck the thing is by looking through the machine! Anyway, I got in at 2:00. That was good timing, but it definitely seemed longer.
I headed to get my tax refund, of course they only had sheckle and dollar...not even euro! I took the dollars and headed to get food. I got a chicken sandwich and I have to say, it is so sad how you remember things to taste and be and then you have it after all the time and it is horrible. I am okay with continuing my vegetarian food if it means avoiding food like the chicken sandwich. It probably won't happen in London, but once I get to cook my own food again we shall see.
I then got a couple of things for the flight, couldn't find a sudoku to work on, and exchanged the rest of my euro and shekles. Finally I got to the gate and voila, that is where I am now. My plane was supposed to begin boarding 8 minutes ago, but there is still 30 minutes before we should be taking off, plus there are barely any passengers here. Here is to a quick, wonderful, yummy, good movied flight :)... and to getting around in London sans problemo.
I was directed to the ticket counter (yes, after the x-ray machine)and slowly put my suitcase on the scale. I even packed it in such a way this morning that if I had to loose some of the weight, it would be easy to take the top items out. Luckily, between throwing out my work clothes the suitcase was 19kg...1 kg to spare :) To top that, after I changed the location of my zippers (I feel it is safer when they are on the bottom of the bag) it dropped to 18.5. I was proud of myself!
I then had to go upstairs and go through security for me. As I headed towards the gate the guy said "from the United States," I was called out without a doubt. I asked if it was that obvious but I do not think he understood. He said NJ was a beautiful city and then I went onto the checkpoint. I did not think I looked that American... Anyway the checkpoint happened with no issues...I am not going to lie, it was a little weird how in France they wanted to check my cicada thing but in Israel they did not. I mean in France, they should know what the heck the thing is by looking through the machine! Anyway, I got in at 2:00. That was good timing, but it definitely seemed longer.
I headed to get my tax refund, of course they only had sheckle and dollar...not even euro! I took the dollars and headed to get food. I got a chicken sandwich and I have to say, it is so sad how you remember things to taste and be and then you have it after all the time and it is horrible. I am okay with continuing my vegetarian food if it means avoiding food like the chicken sandwich. It probably won't happen in London, but once I get to cook my own food again we shall see.
I then got a couple of things for the flight, couldn't find a sudoku to work on, and exchanged the rest of my euro and shekles. Finally I got to the gate and voila, that is where I am now. My plane was supposed to begin boarding 8 minutes ago, but there is still 30 minutes before we should be taking off, plus there are barely any passengers here. Here is to a quick, wonderful, yummy, good movied flight :)... and to getting around in London sans problemo.
Goodbyes
Saying goodbye is sometimes really easy. In the case of Jeremiah, it really could not have come at a better time, I was all about it. It was a goodbye and quick and that was it. I would have been fine with no goodbye, but perhaps that would have been rude.
Saying goodbye to Suzanna was very hard. I had just met her but I felt a strong connection to her. Perhaps it was that we had many things in common, but also her situation with staying in Israel and her struggles made the goodbye very difficult. It was a short goodbye as she could not handle much more then that.
I did make it to the Pecan Grove. Okay, so it was pitch black out, but the full moon lit it up beautifully. I can only imagine how beautiful it looked during the day; no wonder they have so many weddings there! Anyway, I hung out with Jonathan for a bit and then he drove me back to the farm. It was a quick goodbye, with him staying the driver's seat. He said that he would stop by before work tomorrow. That did not happen, I did not think it would. We have ways to stay in touch though.
Amir was kind enough and stuck to his word of driving me to the airport. This may not seem like a big deal, but every time I heard a car start up I ran outside to make sure he had not forgotten and was heading to work or something. My clothes from the day before, were still wet (I hung them out at noon!) I put them in the sun and almost all of them were dry, yay! I packed and of course worried about the weight of my suitcase...20kg, please be less then 20kg...
Amir and I had some good conversations driving to the airport and I wish him the best and most amazing amount of luck with the farm. He seems to have such passion for what he is doing and the farm looks amazing. I am sure with the right advertizing, he will be able to get more then he ever expecting back from the farm. He is a wonderful person and I hope to meet up with him again!
Throughout my trip I have have many a disappointments as far as meeting up with people and people breaking their word. It is a hard thing to be so close to some people and trust in their word and be disappointment. I feel it happened again and again and I mean, I am 25, I should know this would happen, especially with certain people. I guess even though I expected it on some level, I truly hoped that they would surprise me and things would have been different. It is one of those learning things, that I wish I did not have to learn.
On the flip-side, I met some wonderful people. The stories and part of their life that they shared with me have been great memories and wonderful additions to my trip. I truly am lucky to have been able to take this trip and to have met those that I did and to have been able to spend some of the time with Justin!
Saying goodbye to Suzanna was very hard. I had just met her but I felt a strong connection to her. Perhaps it was that we had many things in common, but also her situation with staying in Israel and her struggles made the goodbye very difficult. It was a short goodbye as she could not handle much more then that.
I did make it to the Pecan Grove. Okay, so it was pitch black out, but the full moon lit it up beautifully. I can only imagine how beautiful it looked during the day; no wonder they have so many weddings there! Anyway, I hung out with Jonathan for a bit and then he drove me back to the farm. It was a quick goodbye, with him staying the driver's seat. He said that he would stop by before work tomorrow. That did not happen, I did not think it would. We have ways to stay in touch though.
Amir was kind enough and stuck to his word of driving me to the airport. This may not seem like a big deal, but every time I heard a car start up I ran outside to make sure he had not forgotten and was heading to work or something. My clothes from the day before, were still wet (I hung them out at noon!) I put them in the sun and almost all of them were dry, yay! I packed and of course worried about the weight of my suitcase...20kg, please be less then 20kg...
Amir and I had some good conversations driving to the airport and I wish him the best and most amazing amount of luck with the farm. He seems to have such passion for what he is doing and the farm looks amazing. I am sure with the right advertizing, he will be able to get more then he ever expecting back from the farm. He is a wonderful person and I hope to meet up with him again!
Throughout my trip I have have many a disappointments as far as meeting up with people and people breaking their word. It is a hard thing to be so close to some people and trust in their word and be disappointment. I feel it happened again and again and I mean, I am 25, I should know this would happen, especially with certain people. I guess even though I expected it on some level, I truly hoped that they would surprise me and things would have been different. It is one of those learning things, that I wish I did not have to learn.
On the flip-side, I met some wonderful people. The stories and part of their life that they shared with me have been great memories and wonderful additions to my trip. I truly am lucky to have been able to take this trip and to have met those that I did and to have been able to spend some of the time with Justin!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Shabbat in Rishpon and Thoughts on Travel
So when I got back to the farm, I thought Jeremiah would be gone. I kind of was hoping he would be so I would not have to deal with him. Just my luck, he was still here. I uploaded some photos, did what I needed and spoke to Suzanna. Not sure if Shabbat dinner will happen or not, but I have a challah so I can have one with Suzanna if nothing else. She is having problems figuring out what to do now that she is here. A lot of stuff that I hope will work out.
I headed back to check on the uploading of my photos and overheard Jeremiah talking to his mother. He said that his father was freaking out about the situation that he was asked to leave before the January date he had thought of but really (as I thought) Jeremiah is freaking out. He is saying how he cannot get to the airport (there is a train station that with one transfer leads right to the airport terminal), that he has no place to stay (he can stay here for a week or two if needed, plus he does not eat what Amir buys so the only drain it will be is the cost of water since he showers like 3-4 times a day). He wants his flight to be changed due to medical or job purposes, but I am pretty sure that will not happen.
When I talk to Suzanna she really enlightens me. It is like, some people who are rich are so poor in so many aspects. It is so true. People say that they wish that they had money or grew up rich, but sometimes those people are so much worse off then others. Plus, often when you have a lot of money and nothing to do, you turn to drugs and no offense, it is just a downhill battle after that.
Okay...so Jeremiah is gone. That is not the good news, although it is not bad news. The good news, dinner was awesome. First, I found out Amir is Jewish and he lied to me on day 2 when it came up, way to let me be a sucker for 5 weeks. Anyway, we were going to have Shabbat at Jonathan's but since he cannot use the stove (no gas) and everyone was here already, we decided to just stay here. Jeremiah wound up not being able to eat with us, he left right before we sat down. We had sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and beets (the beets were tiny enough and few enough that they were edible!). Rice, that was just like the rice I had in Germany that was called what sounded like Jew rice. It had some veggies mixed in and tomato sauce. They said to make 4 cups of rice, so I did...yea, it was as much as I thought it would be. Then we had salad with the radish leaves that we had to pick (too many were put too close to each other)and I don't know what else, but it was good. Also, Jonathan went and picked up some challah and wine for Shabbat. It was the first time he used his Visa card, yay for being an Israeli citizen and getting some money for becoming one!
The meal was delicious and we hung out for a bit afterwards. Amir was going to burn a fire but Jonathan had to feed the cats and my head was out of control. For the last couple of days I have been getting headaches...okay migraines at the end of the day. At first I thought, too much sun. So I have been wearing my hat. Not the answer. Then I thought, dehydrated. So I have been up on my liquids, no soluation. Out of ideas really. I don't think it is stress, although it might be. With Jeremiah gone, perhaps they will stop. I am traveling on Sunday though and then will be home, so maybe some internal worries as there always is with travel.
Other good news: I got a ride, not just to the train station, okay not just is not right...not to the train station but to the airport! So instead of me leaving at 9 or 10 to make sure I did not mess anything up and have issues, I will be able to leave at 1 and not have to worry about the trains or anything. I have also been invited to come back here whenever I want, I can even stay in Amir's caravan and do a bed and breakfast for my honeymoon - oh how witty he is. He offered up his pecan grove for the wedding too, which they do have weddings there, so I am sure it is beautiful but I don't think that will be happening. It is good to meet people and make friends. I sincerely hope that some of the people who I have met along the way not just keep in touch (I hope that will all of my foreign friends) but also that some are able to come and stay with me in the states. I think it is just such a great opportunity to meet people and see a place as it is with everyday life. I mean I really feel like I got to know life in St. Sulpice sur Leze, Vallabregues and Rishpon. Perhaps not the average life, but the two families lives for sure. (I did not include St. Remy as I felt it was my home for the time that I was there, but I did not spend the weekdays with them and so I did not get a feel for their work and true daily lives, where I got this with Christian, Anne and Amir.)
Perhaps traveling is not for everyone, but I really think that if you are able to, you should do it. See what is out there, not just hi I have been here, let's take a picture, okay goodbye, but really get to know a place and the people. I do not think that I will be a better teacher when I return but I do think that I have a broader spectrum on life and what is out there. Knowing how other people see things, do things, what they believe, what they want, it is just great. Seeing Amir live off of his hard work is amazing. I would love to have something similar (on a smaller scale, I do need a job!) I mean he just went into the garden, picked his head of lettuce, herbs in one pocket, onions in the other, beets on the other hand, and voila dinner was ready to be had. It is just great.
I headed back to check on the uploading of my photos and overheard Jeremiah talking to his mother. He said that his father was freaking out about the situation that he was asked to leave before the January date he had thought of but really (as I thought) Jeremiah is freaking out. He is saying how he cannot get to the airport (there is a train station that with one transfer leads right to the airport terminal), that he has no place to stay (he can stay here for a week or two if needed, plus he does not eat what Amir buys so the only drain it will be is the cost of water since he showers like 3-4 times a day). He wants his flight to be changed due to medical or job purposes, but I am pretty sure that will not happen.
When I talk to Suzanna she really enlightens me. It is like, some people who are rich are so poor in so many aspects. It is so true. People say that they wish that they had money or grew up rich, but sometimes those people are so much worse off then others. Plus, often when you have a lot of money and nothing to do, you turn to drugs and no offense, it is just a downhill battle after that.
Okay...so Jeremiah is gone. That is not the good news, although it is not bad news. The good news, dinner was awesome. First, I found out Amir is Jewish and he lied to me on day 2 when it came up, way to let me be a sucker for 5 weeks. Anyway, we were going to have Shabbat at Jonathan's but since he cannot use the stove (no gas) and everyone was here already, we decided to just stay here. Jeremiah wound up not being able to eat with us, he left right before we sat down. We had sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and beets (the beets were tiny enough and few enough that they were edible!). Rice, that was just like the rice I had in Germany that was called what sounded like Jew rice. It had some veggies mixed in and tomato sauce. They said to make 4 cups of rice, so I did...yea, it was as much as I thought it would be. Then we had salad with the radish leaves that we had to pick (too many were put too close to each other)and I don't know what else, but it was good. Also, Jonathan went and picked up some challah and wine for Shabbat. It was the first time he used his Visa card, yay for being an Israeli citizen and getting some money for becoming one!
The meal was delicious and we hung out for a bit afterwards. Amir was going to burn a fire but Jonathan had to feed the cats and my head was out of control. For the last couple of days I have been getting headaches...okay migraines at the end of the day. At first I thought, too much sun. So I have been wearing my hat. Not the answer. Then I thought, dehydrated. So I have been up on my liquids, no soluation. Out of ideas really. I don't think it is stress, although it might be. With Jeremiah gone, perhaps they will stop. I am traveling on Sunday though and then will be home, so maybe some internal worries as there always is with travel.
Other good news: I got a ride, not just to the train station, okay not just is not right...not to the train station but to the airport! So instead of me leaving at 9 or 10 to make sure I did not mess anything up and have issues, I will be able to leave at 1 and not have to worry about the trains or anything. I have also been invited to come back here whenever I want, I can even stay in Amir's caravan and do a bed and breakfast for my honeymoon - oh how witty he is. He offered up his pecan grove for the wedding too, which they do have weddings there, so I am sure it is beautiful but I don't think that will be happening. It is good to meet people and make friends. I sincerely hope that some of the people who I have met along the way not just keep in touch (I hope that will all of my foreign friends) but also that some are able to come and stay with me in the states. I think it is just such a great opportunity to meet people and see a place as it is with everyday life. I mean I really feel like I got to know life in St. Sulpice sur Leze, Vallabregues and Rishpon. Perhaps not the average life, but the two families lives for sure. (I did not include St. Remy as I felt it was my home for the time that I was there, but I did not spend the weekdays with them and so I did not get a feel for their work and true daily lives, where I got this with Christian, Anne and Amir.)
Perhaps traveling is not for everyone, but I really think that if you are able to, you should do it. See what is out there, not just hi I have been here, let's take a picture, okay goodbye, but really get to know a place and the people. I do not think that I will be a better teacher when I return but I do think that I have a broader spectrum on life and what is out there. Knowing how other people see things, do things, what they believe, what they want, it is just great. Seeing Amir live off of his hard work is amazing. I would love to have something similar (on a smaller scale, I do need a job!) I mean he just went into the garden, picked his head of lettuce, herbs in one pocket, onions in the other, beets on the other hand, and voila dinner was ready to be had. It is just great.
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