Po Lilmod...Here to learn. An American family in the Middle East

Mt. Tabor...our last outing in Israel!

2009-08-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

I love Medieval style architecture like this city gate built in the 11th century

You would think in a tiny country like Israel we would have done it all and be bored by now ! Well... There are plenty of places we didn't make it to and today was our last outing .

What is it that they always say ...Save something for next time : )

I picked the boys up at Daniel's after their long weekend away. Since we were in the Galilee we visited the Church of the Franciscan on the top of Mt . Tabor...Where according to Christian tradition, is the site of the Transfiguration of Christ, during which Jesus began to radiate light and was seen conversing with Moses and Elijah. I am a fan of the New Testament and I have really enjoyed these places. This mountain has a long biblical history and is mentioned in the Old Testament as well. Like most of the ancient cities in Israel... The city on Mt. Tabor has been conquered and destroyed and rebuilt several times ...

Israel ... Always an architectural Kaleidoscope...
Mason and me inside the Ruins of the 4th century byzantine church

Now time to clean and pack (oh the joys of moving) And hopefully visit our favorite beach one more time.

Our last weekend in Israel

2009-08-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about going home ! At the very same time I am sad to leave !!! Israel is a truly a special place . Each town has a uniqueness unlike the other ... We have all been talking about our favorite place and memory as we get ready to leave . Jerusalem and Jaffa are two that top my list ...But if you ask me tomorrow my answer might be different !

Eric and I are exhausted ... Moving takes a lot out of a person ! Whew ! We have been cleaning,packing getting ready for the movers all week and at the same time trying to visit with friends and hit those last few places we have been meaning to see !

The movers came today... now Eric and I can relax a little

Four more days to pack and organize for the big trip home

Caden and Mason are spending the weekend with their friend Daniel up in the Galilee (Daniels family use to live on our street but recently moved ) We spent yesterday with Daniel's parents sight seeing around the Sea of Galilee, the area most known for being associated with Jesus' life ... Ken and Tali were so nice to show us around (and take our kids all weekend ; )

Who says you can't hike in 100 degree weather

The Sea of Galilee

On our way home Eric and I stopped in Nazareth to pick up a few souvenirs...We have been there a few times (we love Nazareth) The church in the picture is the The Church of the Annunciation, one of the most important churches to Christians-this church is visited by many people from all over the world every year, as you could imagine -Funny sign out side on the main street !If you click on the picture you can see it better !

Moving experience at Yad Vashem

2009-08-10T00:31:00.000-07:00

I am passionate about bringing my children to museums ...You get to pretend to be a naturalist ,an archeologist, an astronaut... or maybe a scientist or an artist! Learning has never been more fun!

But should you bring your children to a museum about the darkest period in modern history ?

The recommended age for visiting the Holocaust Museum is 10 and up (and even that is up to your good discretion) I decided to bring my boys ages 11 and 9...

Our friends and neighbors here have already personalized this horrific event for us . I figured visiting the museum would give an entirely different perspective,and it did ...we all learned alot

But as I write this ...I wonder if this was the best decision ? Mason (the younger one) didn't look at the exibits very close , he didn't seem very interested . He walked through the crowded museum quietly and respectfully. Caden on the other hand ... looked too close, reading everything ,the stories the documentaries,the grafic pictures, everything... and seemed to be very affected by what he saw. He came out of the museum in such disbelief - I didn't have many answers for him.

It was now time for ice cream therapy...

Biblical Hiking

2009-08-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

or a mythical Journey you get to choose ! Banias waterfall is a stop on a beautiful hike up in the northern part of the country. Banias is a special place for Christians because it is mentioned in the Bible as the place Jesus brought his disciples and asked them "Who is the son of Man" Matthew 16:13-17

I can see why he would choose such a beautiful place. Near by there is the Temple of Pan . The Greek god of shepherds and flocks. You know the half Goat half man, flute playing mythical God? PAN. The Temple of Pan dates back to 87 CE . As we moved on the trail along the spring we passed by an 2,000 year old Roman Bridge ,some crusader ruins from 11th century and a flour mill from the 14 century ...In ancient times this area was known as Caesarea Philippi-

Temenos to Pan and Echo, the mountain nymph, dated to 87 CE (yes we learned some new things today)

Grotto of Pan

The spring emerged from the large cave which became the center of pagan worship. Beginning in the 3rd century B.C., sacrifices were cast into the cave as offerings to the Greek God Pan.

Banias Spring is very cold

We see these kinds of Ruin's almost daily ...They are spread out all over along the Hwy's and in-between towns - There are many like this one that are not listed in the guide books. What was here ,what happened here , was this 3,000 years old or was it from the Middle ages ???

Shop, Cook, And Eat Like A Local

2009-07-27T02:35:00.000-07:00

I sure have some awesome neighbors always willing to help me with my brave food choices : )I can always count on them for help with cooking directions ,reading labels etc...So I am not afraid to try new stuff at the store...Just another example of the warm inviting Israeli hospitality . Haiya who lives next door promised she would show me how to make this Moroccan fish dish and when she does I will post it on the blog -I can't wait to learn how : ) I have had it and it is fantastic!!!!!!!!!

The food in Israel is limited, but healthy,simplistic, and light... One exception ! This dish

Malawach with Tomatoes (Resek Agvaniyot)

Malawach ...Ma' low 'ah is a Yemenite dish of fried pastry dough. It is absolutely yummy. You can buy Malawach in the freezer section at the grocery store in Israel .It's not as good as fresh Malawach, but yummy. Not to mention way easier to make ! The locals eat this many ways (my neighbor layers the pancakes with meat ) I like it the traditional way with a Mediterranean salsa
Basic dough ball recipe for Malawach
4 cups flour
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 cups water; or enough to make a soft dough
1/4 lb. butter at room temperature

Mix everything except the butter -knead a bit for smoothness. Let rest , covered, for 3 hrs. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Flatten out 1 piece to about 6 inches in diameter. Incorporate about 2 tsp of butter into dough circle, pushing and kneading it in but maintaining the circle Cut a line open form the center of the circle to the outside edge. Take one end and roll it around into a ball. Prepare all pieces of dough in the same

Flatten out the ball to about 10 inches in diameter to make a pancake that is not more than 1/4 inch thick Heat a skillet and melt more butter over moderate heat(I use oil) Fry pancake until brown and crisp, for about 5 min. on each side

Cade and I used frozen dough

Now for the easy part Resek Agvaniyot -Cut the tomatoes in half and grate them into a bowl,flesh side on the grater ( I had never heard of grating tomatoes before I started my Israeli food adventure,it works well) I used four

Add 1 Tbp. of spicy chile sauce. The secret to the tomatoes...I hope I can find these Yemenite ones in the states they are so good .Try your local Asian market, any variety will work

Almost everything in Israel is served with Cucumbers and Red peppers
I also made an Israeli corn salad with dill . Malawach is served with Givina ,but you could use sour cream. Gavina It is a local cheese that is amazing and low fat.It tastes nothing like sour cream or yogurt. It has its own taste -There are so many different kinds of white cheeses here that look the same but taste completely different!

Happy children!

Happy Birthday to You or Yom Hu׳le׳det Same'ach יוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת שָֹמֵחַ

2009-07-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Apparently there is nowhere to get a haircut in Israel : )

Birthdays in Israel

My Baby turned 9 this month ... the second birthday our family celebrated in Israel . Eric had a birthday in April. We were in the middle of the Sinai Desert on our way to Cairo -adventure bound- when he turned 36! Before packing up for Egypt we celebrated with friends - His Mom was visiting at the time and made his favorite cake. Needless to say no one was home sick

Not the case this time. Mason is missing his Friends and Family in AZ . He gets the birthday blues back home too, around this time every summer it seems like everyone is on vacation -Same : ( I think it is easier at this age if your birthday is during the school year !

Thanks to a friend I knew about this really impressive candle

After the sparkle fades , all the canldes light and the flower spins around playing happy birthday in Hebrew Yom Hu׳le׳det Same'ach -

None of the boys minded that there was a flower on the cake !

Excuse me, we would like to receive the Lord... can we join you?

2009-07-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Mason in the Jordan River

The Yardenit Baptismal site, Where Christian Pilgrims from all over the world come to be baptized or reaffirm their faith in the Jordan. Caden and Mason had not been Baptized, and this was something I wanted to have done while we are here in Israel.

If you are with your church than you would be with your Pastor, Reverend, Minister or some other Christian clergy who can Baptize.

We aren't here with our church, We don't belong to a church here either. We stopped by hoping to join in on a Baptismal (People say if you ask... Excuse me, we would like to receive the lord...can we join you? For obvious reasons any man of the cloth would have a hard time saying no) This was my plan !!! The only problem was we went there on a really,really slow day for Pilgrims! Suddenly I found myself staking out the place for a Baptizer! The Yardenit is a place people come to see even if they are not getting baptized. It is the spot believed to be where Jesus was baptized ,they have a nice fish restaurant and huge gift shop so many people were coming in and out for other reasons SIGH! I kept saying to Eric do you think he is a Pastor ,what about him etc...

Finally a man came walking in with a small group swim suits in hand : ) I knew that was our only chance!!! I politely asked... he said he would love to ! Turns out the nice man from Australia is a International Chaplin for the United States Military and a Non denominational Christian ...Just what I was looking for. The boys have now Baptized in the River Jordan

PARTICIPATING IN A LIVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG

2009-07-11T23:45:00.000-07:00

Zippori or Sepphoris, Israel is a unique archaeological site near Nazareth. It's history is tied to many religions. For Christians - The parents of the Virgin Mary, Anna and Joachim, were from here.

One of the most fascinating aspects about living here for me is all the History and Ruins. I heard about several programs were you can participate in an excavation. I was able to find a live dig near the house (45 min drive)There are 13 live digs going on around the country right and all need volunteers for digging, shoveling, hauling baskets ,cleaning and more. These digs are done in summer because they are usually done by the Universities . Archaeology students from all over the world come to do this hard work on their break in the heat (they must really love what they do)We were able to see first hand how it's done! The Prof. in charge of the dig invited the boys to come back and wash Pottery on Friday.

Archaeology students using small spoons to uncover a Roman Road

Zippori was established as a city in the 2nd Century BCE . Other digs going on in Israel date back to the second millennium BCE (4,000 years ago) The team we met is in the long process of uncovering a whole city

One of many Beautiful 2,000 year old mosaic floors in Zippori National Park

The Golan Heights , Mt Hermon and a Medieval Castle

2009-07-11T09:10:00.001-07:00

Five weeks left in Israel ! Yep we leave five weeks from today ... And so much left to do in this tiny country .

We went up to Mt Hermon the highest point in Israel . It is so hot and humid in the rest of the country right now , Mount Hermon is still enjoying cool weather .The slopes of Mount Hermon have some awesome hiking trails . Part of the area is classified as a military zone and that is very obvious when you get up to the top !!! We took the ski lift up and we were able to see far into Syria and Lebanon and Jordan. We stayed at this adorable Chateau in the mountains. Hard to believe there was patches of snow up there.

Heading back down on the Ski lift you can see Lebanon

Israel/Syrian Border (it was like hiking with armed gaurds)

Caden getting a closer look at Syria

Nimrods Fortress

A Medieval Castle from around 1229

Breakfast on the Beach with a New Guy !

2009-07-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is Eric and my Friday morning ritual ...The boys had been in school on Fridays and Friday is the start of the weekend in Israel...So Eric and I had alot of mornings alone together ! WELL THAT WAS THEN... Now the boys are on summer break and Eric had to work on his day off last Friday. I found a new man to take his place (heartless I know) After breakfast we went boogie boarding ...Just the two of us :)

Typical Israeli breakfast salad ,eggs,bread and lots of Israeli cheeses

(Ok I do miss hashbrowns alittle)

IBIZA2009

2009-07-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

...It is just the Taste of Israel 2009 but the signs in english all said IBIZA 2009 !The food festival sure had an IBIZA feel ! Located right on the Mediterranean Sea ...

We drank European beer and ate all kinds of yummy stuff... none of the menus were in English! You can easily point to what you want or sound out the words on the menu...did I tell you we are all such experts with our Hebrew! Yeah right!!!(I sound out a word just to find it to be a Hebrew word I don't know) Like entrecôte !!! What is that !!!OK, now I know entrecôte is steak... It was definitely a unique dining experience and we got to sample food from tons of local restaurants

Me, Greg and Mary (after a few beers)

Me and Woo (Wendi)
I am going to miss Woo ...
They move back to Portland tomorrow. Their Assignment just ended
Wendi and I made the most of our time together here !
I had no Idea she came with the package :)

My Mediterranean Summer

2009-06-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

NO Sharks in the Med !!!

The Boys are on summer break now : ) They had a great half of school year here ! They had to keep up some of their lessons at home because of the language barrier... they learned many new lessons : ) Most importantly they have made some great friends !!!

We have been really taking advantage of the beach and with this heat(mid 80's extremely high humidity)It's all I want to do!!! I love swimming in the med. NO Man Eating Sharks !!! We are even cooking our dinner on the beach... enjoying the sunsets,walks... and the breezy nights, unlike Phoenix, Haifa cools down at night... Whew

Father's Day Dinner With Friends

2009-06-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Dinner... Drinks... Friends...
Just a really nice night !!!And exactly what we needed since arriving back in Israel! We have been so tired , Jett lagged and turned around (coming East is proving to be much harder than going West ) After two days of falling asleep at 2 pm I finally had enough energy to leave the house... Our friends Mary and Greg invited us over for a Fathers Day Dinner Celebration :) Note to self... drink more wine next time at Mary's ! We ended up playing Charades (so much fun, who knew) We had a lot of laughs...You really have to get up and act in this game ! We included the kids in the game , usually the are off doing something else but being fathers day we kept with the family theme. The boys are already suggesting a repeat of tonight with their friends in Arizona so I think they had a good time ! I sure did!

We're here and we're tired

2009-06-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Mason is the most turned around...He has been getting up at 4 am all week!

Portland Farmers Market

We are back in the States for Steve and Lynsies Wedding. Well... We didn't quite make it home (Arizona)! But we are in the States for a couple weeks ! I think of Portland as my second home anyway... We are in the country for Eric's brothers wedding in Salt Lake City-Eric is also going to work a little in Oregon (Combining a business trip with pleasure you could say)
Unfortunately, the timing couldn't have been any worse for my husband and it was all work! After hanging out in Portland for almost a week it became clear he would be caught-up the whole time, Plans changed and me and the boys (worthy travel companions ) drove to Salt Lake by ourselves -First stopping at Bridget's a good friend of mine who lives in Boise, ID ( happens to be the half way point to SLC from Portland) We stayed at her house on the way there and on the way back. Bridget's two boys are the same age as mine and when you factor in she lives on a ranch with something like 40 acres , quads and a dad who likes to play with fireworks you can imagine how much fun my boys had !!! We made it in to SLC despite countless thunder storms and down pours along the way : (

Best part of the wedding! Lynsie smashing cake all over Steves face : )

Me and Bridget

Pepperoni Pizza at Bridget's Yummy!!!(we can't get pepperoni in Israel!)

Leslie and Me

This is turning out to be a week for seeing old friends...I also have a friend in SLC , Leslie who I have not seen in years !!! Leslie has daughters, one the same age as Mason and it was so cute seeing the two of them interact, Right after we arrived Leslie's daughter meet the boys , then disappeared returning with a different outfit,bright pink lipstick and a little bow in her hair !TOO CUTE! It was a lot of fun visiting with them

We met up with Eric's entire family for several days ! It was awesome seeing everybody. Steve and Lynsie were married in a National Park in one of the canyons near Park City (the wedding was so beautiful) Turned out to be a great week... despite the crappy weather that never seemed to let up ! Eric ended up flying in the day of the wedding and back to work the very next morning-We have not seen much of him this past two weeks

Eric's three brothers wearing their gifts we brought them from the Middle East (Red is Jordanian and black is palestinian) Alcohol enhanced their appreciation for these

The Best man sent cubans for the bachelor party

Caden on the Zip-Line in Park City

The Family

Eric and the boy's

Eric with his three Nieces Sam , Corey and Paula

Sirens sound across Israel in a home front drill

2009-06-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

These are always a surprise to me . I seem to find out about this stuff at the last minute. Yesterday was a home front drill with air raid sirens sounding over the entire country.Wendi , Elodie and myself were hanging out in Jaffa (an ancient port city near Tel Aviv )We hardly even noticed the security drills ! We did hear the sirens but no one did any thing! Mostly because the drills were for awearness and not in remembrance . Particapation was optional (we keep shopping: ) Still it is always interesting to here the sirens air.

Taking yesterday more seriously... Caden and Mason were in school and spent most of there day going in and out of bombshelters . They also watched a 20-minute film on safety procedures. Reminds me of my elementary school in California, we always had earthquake drills and had to hide under our desks!

A view of Tel Aviv from the Old Port City Jaffa

Mexican night at the Scharpf's Take Two !

2009-05-23T03:33:00.000-07:00

I am practicing my spanish for Barcalona : ) What a party!!!!!!!!!!!! Last night we made dinner for 18 people 30 if you count the kiddos!!! That is a record for me - The food came out better than my last dinner party-thanks to a taco shop in Ein Hod I stumbled across- I picked up some awesome corn tortillas and made enchiladas - in Israel I have to make a lot of my sauces from scratch too-There is definitely not a mexican section at the grocery store...turns out enchilada sauce is very easy to make !

Most of our friends here are on foreign assignment like us but my friend Tali is from Haifa and as we sat on my patio she told me how 36 scud missiles from Saddam Hessian were landing all over the canyon we were looking out on! I explained to her that the American Patriot missiles were intercepting them... She stopped me and laughed assuring me that the Patriot missiles were only adding to the chaos and for one month Haifa was very involved in a war they had nothing to do with (Tali's dad is also a Holocaust Survivor) Conversations with Israelis are always so interesting !!!

I think every one had a good time-Eric and I sure did- enjoying the Pastis a little to much(thanks to Jeremy)Turns out I am french: ) and as a result feeling little hung-over this morning!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully a jump in the Mediterranean sea will help us : )

Haifa 10 K

2009-05-19T23:23:00.000-07:00

It's funny - All the papers that come home from school with the boys are in Hebrew-It is very challenging to keep up! We really rely on friends to keep us informed and up to date on after school activities , fieldtrips ect...I don't read the local paper either (I can't- it's in Hebrew ) I never know what going on !!!Luckily we have met some awesome people here

Yesterday after school we were at the beach with friends and they asked if we were doing the Haifa 10 K- We love this stuff and my boys are both good runners. We were able to sign then up last minute . The boy's did the 2.5 kilometer run - it was a lot of fun and a great way for us to get involved with the community here - Caden and Daniel did 1.5 miles in 9 minutes !!! After the event the boys went back to their school on a bus so, Eric and I walked home (only 3 miles) and watched the runners doing the 10 K come in -Cheering a few friends along the way

This says...Haifa Run for Health awearness

10 Years

2009-05-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Wow how time flies ! We have been married for 10 years .

Our wedding was many years ago. The celebration continues to this day. ~Gene Perret

National Bonfire Day

2009-05-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

They say in Israel people live like there is no tomorrow! This has a lot to due with their past and even their present, living under the threat of perpetual war. I am convinced this is true after last night!!!

This was the fourth out of five holidays in May and by far the craziest ! Lag BaOmer in modern Israel is a school holiday. Youngsters light bonfires organized by their class in open spaces in cities and towns throughout the country. I witnessed complete chaos last night! Picture kid's KIDS making bonfires under loose supervision! I'm talking 5th grade boys throwing everything in the fire making it bigger and bigger! Cadens class tried to burn a couch! In front of my house there must have been at least 25 going .

Eric and just sat in our lawn chairs and watched it all happen.It took everything I had not to yell at the kids-The other parents didn't seem to mind, I would have been the only parent to care that the kids were running around with sticks on fire , dragging wood off the flames and in general just playing dangerously! Trust me... smokey the bear would never approve off this

A couple weeks ago I noticed city workers clearing the brush at the edge of the bluff just for this holiday that marks the temporary victory over the Romans. The holiday became a symbol emphasizing the struggle for national liberation and freedom and let me tell you it is celebrated with wild abandon

My patio at 11pm

Ein Karem

2009-05-10T03:04:00.000-07:00

Our friends suggested a scenic drive over to Ein Karem . It is a beautiful artist village near their house in Jerusalem. The small quaint streets are lined with cafes and art gallery's ,wine bars and cute shops... While we were walking around I thought to myself hmmm...this place would be perfect for a romantic evening out or maybe breakfast sometime on a gorgeous sunny day (Eric, if you are reading this ...it is a not so subtle hint! ;)

The town is hidden in the hills and surrounded by a forest of olive and cyprus trees with flowers and gardens everywhere! It is also a pilgrimage site for Christians. According to tradition- (bear with me here) This is where Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, miraculously became pregnant and where he was born. We went to the church of the Visitation and the Church that was built over the birth place of John the Baptist, According to the bible during her pregnancy, she was visited by The Virgin Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus.

There was a rock in the church where John the Baptists parents hid him from king Herod. Also some very disturbing paintings showing the slaughtering of babies by King Herod's men. The church, is also known as the Church of the Magnificat (Mary's song in Luke 1:46-55), in commemoration of the answer Mary gave her cousin Elizabeth in the Gospel episode of the Visitation. Her hymn to the glory of the Lord is inscribed in 41 languages on one wall of the church.

Ein Kerem could capture the heart of any visitor !

Another weekend in Jerusalem

2009-05-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

Shabbat Dinner with friends in Jerusalem

Our friends Ronan and Sara invited us to come down to Jerusalem for the weekend .They also have boys the same age as ours, we all had a great time, Dinner was amazing !!! Sara's Mom is from Morocco and the traditional friday night Israeli meal had many Moroccan offerings.
Before heading over ,we got an early start and decided to explore the ancient city of David. The tour explained how the the city of Jerusalem was created and how King David united the twelve tribes of Israel by building a capital city.

Going back more than 3,000 years outside the Old City we walked through the ruins of King David's Palace and the original Jerusalem . The Gihon Spring is located here and was main source of water for Jerusalem and one of the reasons for choosing this area ,the other reason was the proximity to the first temple

The people who lived here before it was captured by David had a secret tunnel to gather water ( in the Book of Samuel it states that David conquered Jerusalem from its prior inhabitants by sneaking up the water shaft and launching a surprise attack on the city from the inside) We went through the hand hewn tunnel (Warren's Shaft ) as well as another tunnel built years later (Hezekiah's tunnel )where we walked through the water (sometimes waist deep) The 25 minute walk in the spring with flashlights in hand was definitely the most fun we have had at any of the ancient sites we have explored. Our guide read the story from the Old Testament describing the siege to us while we were inside the tunnel. It was very cool !

Cyprus

2009-05-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

Haifa is a port city and there are a couple of cruise lines that offer Mediterranean cruises to Italy,Greece, Spain,France and Turkey ...We scored a great last minute deal to Cyprus.

With it's beautiful beaches and many historical and archaeological sites I was really excited : )

Not knowing much about Cyprus ,I turned the weekend cruise into the geography lesson for the boys (in fact, they are now doing a big project on the Mediterranean Sea and the countries that surround it ) Together we learned Cyprus is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite and was the Apostle Paul’s first destination as a missionary. Cyprus is still a very divided country with a U.N. buffer zone and part of the Island is being occupied by Turkey. We were on the Greek side of the Island.

With limited time and tons to see ,we were looking forward to the 3rd century Roman Mosaics of Paphos , an archaeological Site which has UNESCO status . We had two full days on the island but not realizing May 1st is a holiday in Europe everything was closed : ( As disappointing as this was, settling for A day in Aya Napa was really nothing to complain about ! Nissi Beach in Aya Napa is truly one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen ! Full of young vacationers from the U.K. and Europe, Eric and I knew instantly we had just stumbled upon paradise . We spent the day swimming in turquoise water and the boys went parasailing -So much for learning (except, the lesson that bikini tops are optional in Europe! Hello)

We were able to see some sites in Larnaca where the ship docked. There was a Medieval Castle and a 9th century Christian Church where the tomb of Lazarus was found. The cruise was fun ,we had lots of family time, and played countless hands of Uno! It turned out to be a great value with the food and entertainment (I am not sure that any one needs 4 buffets a day though) I would love to come back to Cyprus by plane

Aya Napa

St. Lazarus Church in Larnaca

Yom haZikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut

2009-04-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

Two more holiday's

Israel's Independence Day- And Memorial Day...

The last couple of weeks everybody has been hanging up flags. Getting ready to celebrate.Today is Israel's Independence Day-Yom Ha'atzmaut . Israeli's have a lot of pride in their country. Eric had the day off today so we meet up with friends and had a BBQ on the beach : ) We spent hours in the calm ,clear blue water. We are all just a little sunburned but it was worth it . It was a great way to spend any day of the week ! I am looking forward to many more days on the beach like today

Ahhhhhh... Life on the Mediterranean

As a bonus the IAF (Israeli Air Force) Had aerial demonstrations , performing celebratory maneuvers in the sky.

Yesterday was a jarring contrast , Memorial Day-Yom haZikaron . One of the most somber days on the Israeli calendar. Nearly every Israeli family has been touched by decades of conflict, either losing a relative or knowing someone else who has had a loved one die in battle.Israel came to a standstill in a solemn two-minute ritual while sirens rang out across the country (third time in a week we have had sirens) This time , I was shopping at the grocery store when the sirens rang, every one stopped what they were doing and stood there in total silence ! The whole nation having this two minutes together to think about what it is they are memorializing !

The Lost City of Petra

2009-04-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

In the The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is The Lost City of Petra . I am embarrassed to say, I had never even heard of Petra before moving to this part of the world! Of course, I had heard of Jordan.

Petra is a place of endless wonder.Massive stone carvings jut out of the cliffs. The ancient Nabateans actually carved their buildings (over 2,000 Years ago) into the solid rock, with facades based on Greek architecture. We spent the day hiking and exploring the rich archaeological remains

The Siq

The Siq (canyon in Arabic) twists and turns, until abruptly, through a cleft in the rock, the first glimpse of the city of Petra can be seen

The Treasury

After hours of exploring , we made our journey back, knowing that we had just covered only a fraction of what Jordan has to offer….

Church of the Nativity

2009-04-23T02:19:00.000-07:00

We went to Bethlehem for a few hours which was really awesome…We visited The Church of the Nativity where inside is the site where Jesus is said to have been born

Bethlehem is located in the West Bank and it is not always recommend to visit. The timing and the opportunity seemed to be right ... so we went

Manger Square

The main entrance into the Church

Mosaic floor built in 325 AD

Most of what stands was built in the 6th-century

The Jerusalem Y.M.C.A

We were staying at the Y.M.C.A in Jerusalem (we stopped on our way back from Egypt)

I was surprised to learn that Jerusalem’s YMCA was designed by the same architectural firm that created New York’s Empire State Building ,both built at the same time in 1931 . The hotel was simply incredible, not only did it offer low prices on the rooms but with its elegant arches, domes and 152-foot observation tower, it is a city landmark acknowledged as a center of cultural, athletic, social and intellectual life in Jerusalem! It even runs a peace preschool bringing together Muslim, Jewish and Christian children http://www.jerusalemymca.org/

Getting Back to Bethlehem, The hotel was able to arrange a guide to take us. It is a short drive but it takes time going through several checkpoints. Bethlehem is under Palestinian control . I felt welcomed and completely safe the whole time

Garden of Gestheme

2009-04-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

Jerusalem is such a beautiful city... it is so chaotic, noisy and crowded and yet so peaceful at the same time . It is my favorite place in Israel . Visiting again we went to the Garden of Gethsemane . The garden where, according to the New Testament and Christian traditions Jesus prayed and suffered for the sins of the world the night before he was crucified

What I found interesting is that there are olive trees that date over 2000 years...silent witnesses in a beautiful garden

Inside the Church of All Nations, next to the Garden of Gethsemane is a section of bedrock (enshrined) where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest.

The Byzantine-era church of the Tomb of the Virgin

Near by is the Tomb of the Virgin. A incredibly beautiful Grotto from the 6th century. It is not clear to me whose tombs are in this Grotto (I have read the Virgin Mary's tomb is here and also her parents and Joseph are here) The biblical accounts provide no information about the end of Mary's life but...according to Christian tradition, this site in Jerusalem is where Mary fell into an eternal sleep and was taken to heaven, also the Prophet Muhammad is said to have seen a light over Mary's Tomb (with the contradicting descriptions of this grotto, I ended up a bit confused) Still it is one of the oldest and most impressive churches I have seen here

Yom Ha'shoa - In Remembrance of the Holocaust

2009-04-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

Yet another Holiday has caught me by surprise...

Yom Ha'Shoa honors the millions of Jews who died in the Holocaust, as well as the acts of heroism that saved many others

Wendi , Elodie and Myself had been planning to go out to breakfast and catch up!!! Over Passover break Wendi went to Rome, I went to Cairo and since Elodie had just been to Cairo... us girls had lots to chat about. None of us realized that in Israel , it is law all public entertainment and restaurants will be closed on Yom Ha'shoa (even on the eve. of this remembrance day) Of course, after learning of this our fun morning out was abruptly rescheduled

It soon became clear to me how serious today is to this country to pause , reflect , and honor the victims of the Holocaust. The boys told me the day before they had to where white to school on Tuesday ...I had not put it together at that point. Later, last night when we figured it out we talked to them about the Holocaust and what today is about... both boys spoke up with stories of how Grandparents of their classmates had been stopping in the classroom all week to tell their personal stories of survival and tragedy !!!

Today at school they will listen to speakers, poems, prayers, and sing songs. Six candles will be lit to represent the six million who died. And more Holocaust survivors will speak to the school children about their experiences and share in the readings.

Eric and I will honor the Holocaust victims by visiting Vad Yashem (the Holocaust museum) during our time here in Israel

At 10 am, air raid sirens went off throughout the entire country, lasting about 2 minutes. When I heard the sirens I quickly grabbed my camera, went outside on the patio, and began recording. The video is nothing to look at, but it was interesting hearing the sirens blasting loudly outside our home.

Walk like an Egyptian

2009-04-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

Passover break... For the Boys and for Eric !!! We decided to make good use of Eric's time off so we planned a trip to Egypt and Jordan. Weeks before the trip we started studying ancient Egypt and the Nile river. This this paid off big and now the boys have a great understanding of what they saw . We also were able to spend time at the Red Sea in both directions BTW... Red Sea snorkeling is spectacular ! We have now been to the RED, The MED and the DEAD !

We drove through the Sinai desert (our hired car came complete with an armed guard) we arrived in Cairo , another continent !!! We were suddenly in Africa. The view out my taxi window was like flipping through the pages in a National Geographic magazine. The Pyramids were so AMAZING... an incredible amount of adrenalin hit me as I stood there looking up at them , same thing happened when I first saw the Nile

A big highlight on the trip was the Egyptian Museum. It contains many important pieces of history and it was unbelievable to take in. Not only does it house the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities, it also houses the treasures of King Tutankhamen

Cairo is amazing, enormous, bustling, and beautiful city, with some 20 million people - but the infrastructure to support only about 4 million people. I will never forget it !!!

The boys climbing on The Great Pyramid

We also visited Dahshur, Memphis, and Saqqara

The top of the Red Pyramid at Dahshur fell off you can see it behind Eric

125-ton 3,200-year-old granite Statue of Ramses II

All I know is I came back from the bathroom and there was Mary with the bread ladies

Mom wondering around at Saqqara

The Nile

How on earth do they do this???

Eric ,Me and the boys at the Khan el-Khalili market

burkhas,burkhas, and more burkhas

Driving in Cairo is nut's !!! There are NO traffic signals or stop signs NONE

20 million people and everything from camels , donkey carts , horse and carriages , pedestrians, and all types of cars , trucks and motorcycles ...it's astonishing how they all seem to work together, we didn't see I single accident!!! I closed my eyes a few times

BFE...

The Ramparts Walk, Jerusalem

2009-04-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

A walk on top of the old city walls

The Old City of Jerusalem is truly exceptional, not only for its history and architecture but mostly(for me) seeing so many places associated with Jesus life. Today was our second time in the Old city. We met up with friends who live here ... and headed up The Jerusalem Ramparts walk. It was an exciting and very special way to see the city. You can walk atop the ramparts that were built in 12th century .

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Patrolling the Medieval city walls (so much better with friends)

The Doors of Jaffa

2009-03-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

Doors are the entrance and the exit... but imagination can take one behind the door to envision a life lived therein.
I once read that in a magazine...

Mom and I spent the day Shopping in Tel Aviv . I was long overdue for some retail therapy... We went to the Nachalat Benyamin Arts & Crafts Fair where I spent to much money .

We ended up at the galleries in Old Jaffo (an ancient port city)

Mom decided she wanted to start photographing Doors, Seems like a reasonable hobby(there is something so mysterious about them) but, I am not sure if it is an easy task...before you knew it we were in and out of every narrow alley in this beautiful port city.

Passover

2009-03-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

My children are learning so much about a different culture and gaining a better understanding of the world. What more could I ask for

We have been here three months!!! Where has the time gone ? The boy's are already on Pesach Break (Passover)

They had a festive celebration at school today ...With a special feast of bitter herbs, sweets, and the traditional matzah bread. They read from the Haggadah (similar to Exodus in the Old Testament)

Caden was surprised to learn the day before Passover is often called the Fast of the Firstborn. Firstborn males in the family fast in remembrance of the fact that firstborn Jewish males were spared during the slaughter of the firstborns in Egypt. I told him not to worry because we were still celebrating Easter : )

I was dumb enough to ask Mason's teacher if this was real wine

The Dead Sea, Masada and the West Bank

2009-03-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

The Dead Sea is a salt lake between Israel and the West Bank to the west and Jordan to the east. The shores are the lowest point on the surface of the Earth on dry land (1,385 feet below sea level) and is 8.6 times more salty than the ocean- 33.7% salinity, which is why it is called the Dead Sea... nothing could possibly live in the water!

After taking some pictures we went for a swim , Caden learned too quickly how much it stings when the salty water gets in your eyes .

The drive to the Dead Sea through the Judean Desert was very scenic, we saw Camels, Shepherds and Bedouin nomads. Israel has a fascinating mix of ever-changing landscapes,to tell you the truth ...this is what I pictured all of Israel to look like ! This is not the case

We spent the next day At Amazing Masada and hiking the beautiful Ein Gedi Nature Reserve where we saw Ibex and cute as a button Rock Hyrax ,Two kind's of animal's I had never heard of before.

Then we drove home on the the world's lowest road ...So, I guess you could say we took the low road ;) Highway 90, it runs along the Israeli and West Bank shores of the Dead Sea. Yes, we went through what is technically the West Bank !!! Use of this route is only approved for transit purposes, with stops permitted at only Qumran National Park where the Dead Sea scrolls were found ,Plus it is a major short cut back to Haifa

Ibex

Floating in the Dead Sea

absolute buoyancy

ow ...my eye's burn

Grandma got in on the fun too : )

Wadi David in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve is an oasis in the desert.

Grandma is here ...

2009-03-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Boy's were very excited this morning and could not wait to head out to the airport

I hope Grandma brought some warm weather from Arizona . I have to say Israel is a lot chillier than I expected ! Although I will probably regret wishing for this. I am sure the hot desert temps are coming soon...

The boy's had fun helping her unpack... Easter egg dye,Kraft Mac & Cheese , Tillamook Cheddar , Mission Tortillas ,SEASON SALT,tons of books for the kids ,Magazines (I am going to enjoy those) and all kind's of American snack foods - It may not seen like a big deal TO YOU ! But it is to us (I am pretty sure I was about to overdose on hummus and pita)

Ahhhh, the Comforts of Home . There was even a sheet cake pan in her suit case for Eric's Birthday cake : )

Mexican night at the Scharpf's

2009-03-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Eric and I threw a Dinner Party friday night. Dinner turned out OK. I served Mexican food (my usual) Two minor thing's went wrong
1. There are no lime's in Israel ,not even lime juice
2. The Tortilla's tasted like they had been on a container ship for three month's

Still, many of my guest's told me it was the best Mexican food they've had in Israel ! I relize this may not be a complement : )

Wendi's dessert however was a culinary masterpiece...Her desserts in general are amazing . She is a Engineer like the boy's , I am convinced she uses her Engineering skills in the kitchen !

The next morning we all meet for lunch and spent the day at the beach in Netanya .We have such a great group of friend's here . I think of all the things we will miss from Israel, it will probably be the friendships we have made

Before the guests arrived ,While cooking...Eric and I had a playful argument over who's home town has the best Mexican food. I won of course, I am from San Diego ,that beats Phoenix any day of the week

Wendi working her magic

Building the Great Pyramids of Giza

And mummy's too ! Caden getting burried in the sand buy some big kid's

Guess who destroyed the Great Pyramids of Giza

The caves and white cliffs of Rosh HaNikra

2009-03-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Just by the Israel - Lebanon border (which is closed) are the caves and white cliffs of Rosh HaNikra. It is a beautiful place by the Mediterranean Sea.The caves have been carved out of the rock by rain and the sea. You have to take a cable car down . The waves were unusally big so we could not go all the way into the grotto's

mason and some friend's of ours about to get soaked !!!

Inside one of the grotto (normally the sea is calm and these grottos show of it's deep azure color, not today)

The Lebanese Border ,The boy's (Eric and me too) are getting a cool geography lesson

I picked up one of those huge laminated map's of the world so the boy's can get familiar with the all the countries along the Eurafrican Mediterranean sea . Caden still can't belive how close we are to Iraq !

Cities of the Ancient World

2009-03-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

There seems to be no end to these here , wow ...we are learning alot about the ancient world !!! Even the little museum located near our house has an obscene amount of treasures and they don't even charge admission ! If I spend enough time here I am pretty sure I will get some kind of a degree : )
http://mushecht.haifa.ac.il/Default_eng.aspx

Saturday we visited Bet She'an , It is one of the most ancient sites in Israel: it was first settled 5-6 thousand years ago . Bet Shean was once controlled by the Egyptians, from the time of Pharaoh Tutmose III (15th Century BCE) The city is mentioned in several Egyptian texts and many times in the Bible (in the 11th Century BCE, In the famous battle of the Israelites against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, the dead bodies of King Saul and his son Jonathan were hung on the walls)

One of the most intact theaters ever excavated. This Roman amphitheater was built around 200 CE (AD). It was built to accommodate approximately 8000 people.

A church group from Washington taking advantage of the acoustics, performed a couple christian rock songs

The Swimming pool is part of the the huge bathhouse (built during the Roman rule). Complete with massage rooms and a gym, including a caldarium , a large latrine, rows of evenly spaced stone toilet seats along its walls, and drainage channels beneath them (this ancient spa inspired a post on my other blog )http://theglamlounge.blogspot.com/

The sauna

Main Street

The city was destroyed in 749 A.D. by an earthquake

On the top of Tel Bet She'an ( a view of Jordan)

We ended the day at the near by Gan Hashlosha hot Springs . The water is warm ( 82 degrees Fahrenheit) year round . A great place to spend the entire day , There is a restaurant and a life guard here...I am just not sure how I feel about the hungry little fish that kept nibbling on me

Happy Purim to all my Jewish friends

2009-03-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

This fun holiday came as a Huge Surprise ! I had never heard of It before moving here...
Purim is a holiday that recounts the saving of the Jews from a massacre during the Persian period (539-330 BCE). The holiday is celebrated with wild abandon and with the giving of gifts to friends. According to the book of Esther the Jewish people are commanded to eat, drink and be merry. A person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between good and evil, opinions differ as to exactly how drunk that is. A person certainly should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or get seriously ill. Eric and I did not partake... but, it was tempting : )

The kids , however had a great time... dressing up in costumes at school and bringing candy and presents to each other everyday of the week , during the first seven days in Adar (March) there is no school work given just carnivals and parades ! The kid's are only allowed to have fun !

Mason opening his Purim Present , He wore his usual (rapper costume )

Caden with his friend Barack Obama (OMG)

The falafel man made real falafel for everyone

Caden will be blogging about this in more detail on his blog http://mylifeinhaifa.blogspot.com/

Lailah Tov Ima

2009-02-24T01:10:00.000-08:00

...Is what I hear every night before my boys go to bed . It means goodnight mom, you have to admit it sounds sweet .

They are learning so much. Especially Caden ! He is getting more Hebrew than the rest of us . In fifth grade the Israeli kid's are starting to learn more English so when they are in English class ... Caden goes to Hebrew, in third grade (Mason's class ) the kid's have English only 2 times a week compared to 5 times a week in fifth grade .

The other day while driving Caden was looking out the window and said to me ...Mom I use to be really stupid! When you told me we were moving to Israel, I thought we would be living out in the middle of the desert , I never imagined that there was anything here, boy was I wrong .

This was very exciting for me hear

The Valley of Armageddon

2009-02-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

Rain and wind and cooler temp's ! I think our winter has arrived , The forecast is showing rain for the next week

Still keeping up our busy schedule on the weekends we went somewhere nearby , The ruins of Megiddo (Haifa is 12 miles from Armageddon !!!) It was a great way to spend a stormy day

The Ancient city of Megiddo overlooks the Jezreel Valley ,the site of many historic battles and believed to be the site of a final battle yet to come, known as Armageddon...

There was lot's to explore and learn here, the kid's liked the sophisticated ancient water system that was built so the people inside the city walls could access the spring without leaving the safety of the Kingdom .

Entering the City Gate

The Jezreel Valley
Not so scary

A grain silo from 800 B.C.

Limestone horse troughs and hitching posts

These stables date back more than 3,000 years

Mason horsing around : )

The tunnel to the spring

(this tunnel was hewn in the 19th century BCE )

Hitting the beach

2009-02-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

Just like Southern California

In Haifa we have beautiful beaches , but some how I convinced Eric we needed to drive an hour to Tel Aviv : ) It was a gorgeous day ... when the sun went down we walked along the boardwalk to the ancient port city Jaffa

Shakshuka - Israeli Egg Dish

2009-02-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

Friday is quickly becoming my favorite day of the week , it's the start of the weekend but the kid's still have school : ) After Eric and I get them off to school ...we have been going out to breakfast. It is always an experience ! The food in Israel is different than what we are use to. I don't think there is a single item on a menu anywhere here that doesn't come with huge a salad, you can also count on lot's of little tapas and a bread basket with every meal (I have been served olives with my coffee before) besides the olives and coffee, I am liking my my food options

Shakshuka is probably one of the most popular egg dishes in Israel and the surrounding countries.

Try this recipe my neighbor gave me

1 onion

2 tbsp. oil

4-5 plum tomatoes (Put them under the broiler for about 20 min)

2 eggs

1 tsp. basil

Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, turmeric to taste

Peel & chop the onion and fry it oil until it turns translucent.Chop the tomatoes and add to the onion in the pan.Add herbs and spices.Cook until the tomatoes are evenly cooked through.With a wooden spoon, make two holes in the onion-tomato mix. Break and pour each egg into its own hole.Cover and let cook until the eggs are firm. Serve with pita or other bread.

Mt. Beatitudes

2009-02-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

Leaving Nazareth we drove to The Sea of Galilee . Lot's of restaurants and shops along the shore ,a small marina with boat rentals. This place will be more fun in the summer for sure ! We drove up the coast to Mt. Beatitudes ...Famous for being the hill where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, A couple of weeks ago my neighbor (Jewish of course) knowing that I am Christian... gave me a bible, she said take this with you when you go to Holy sites... read the word's Jesus said in the places he said them. Next time I will take her advice . We read the Sermon on the mount later that night .

Nazareth

2009-02-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

The town where Jesus grew up . We went to the Church of the Annunciation ,where according to the bible the Angel Gabriel told Mary she was going to have a son , The church is built over what is believed to be Mary's house . We also visited Joseph's work shop .

Mary's House

Ruins of the first century village of Nazareth

Arab street food ( shawarma in a baguette) YUM ! Caden had a Felafel : )

Jerusalem

2009-01-31T22:52:00.000-08:00

We spent a full day in Jerusalem, touring all four quarters of the old city , our guide explained 3,ooo years of history to us (it was a lot to take in ) We entered the city through Jaffa gate in the Christian Quarter, one of seven gates around the city walls , the golden gate is sealed awaiting the arrival (or return depending on your faith) of the messiah . there is still plenty to explore in Jerusalem, I can't wait to come back

Some of the columns on Cardo Maximus

Muslim quarter

Eric and Caden walking down to the wailing wall, a paper head cover is provided for you if you don't have one

Caden's finest moment

A veiw of Mt. of Olives, Mt. of Olives is associated with some of the most important events in Jesus' life

Dome of the rock

Walking through the streets of Jerusalem is like wandering through a tangled maze

Ethiopian Christians live on the roof top of the church of the Holy Sepulcher

Sacred Destinations

2009-01-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

The last stop on our tour was the Via Dolorosa (the road Jesus walked with the cross ) and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The site of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. In the Church is the hillside preserved under glass

The stone of unction. Belived to be the spot where Jesus' body was prepared for burial

The very spot on the hill of Golgotha where Jesus was crucified. Beneath the altar you can touch the hill

look close you can see the rock under the glass on both sides of the altar

The entrance to the tomb of Jesus (inside the church) . Originally built over the tomb in 330 A.D . Then destroyed by the Persians in 614 A.D ,Rebuilt shortly thereafter, the Egyptian caliph al-Hakim destroyed the church in 1009 .

The Crusaders rebuilt the church and most of what you see today around the 12th century

Settling in

2009-01-27T10:26:00.000-08:00

Has been easier than I could have ever imagined !

Trip's to the grocery store are becoming fun :) and not so overwhelming (thanks to my new girlfriends) we have been shopping together , as well as getting together for fun a couple times a week . This week we went to Ikea and out to breakfast.

I mentioned before we are in a fantastic neighborhood , both boys have lots of English speaking friends ,we have met families from Germany,Canada,France, England as well as the U.S. there is even a retired U.S. Air Force pilot on our street. I did not expect the kids to have so many friends so soon !

Saturday we went to an Australian zoo . The kids loved it because you can interact with the Kangaroo's .

Eric's busy with work, everyone is feeling more at home, settling in. I am going for my usual morning walks . My coffee options seem to be endless. I counted 14 coffee houses on a 3 mile walk . Not a single Starbucks !!! I am getting anxious to start venturing out of Haifa , hopefully we will explore Jerusalem this weekend .

Ikea was pretty much the same

I love how you get all these little side plates

The one in the back is so cute

Drying Green

2009-01-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Back home in Arizona, we don't use our dryer (we have one ),but it's rare that we use it...We line dry ,here are a few reasons why

Saves money,uses zero greenhouse gas emissions (2 kg of greenhouse gas emissions from the average mechanical dryer per load), clothes smell "clothesline fresh" without using chemicals , less fabric wear and tear , clothes do not shrink, no static cling , clothes stay softer , less wrinkled,clothes dry more quickly , no risk of fire , no risk of toxic fumes, eliminates heating up the inside of a house , and my favorite reason... provides a source of exercise ; )

So you can imagine how excited we are to show off our elaborate ROTARY clothes line (w/ multiple lines) inside our house in Haifa !!! (right by the washer ) It's kind of a cage, completely enclosed with a bottom and huge screens on the out side. The lines are out side of the downstairs bathroom window - two of the windows open for easy access

YES the house has a dryer

bathroom window

outside the bathroom window

It's Official

2009-01-25T21:35:00.000-08:00

Eric came home from work today with a funny grin on his face, handed me my passport (he had just received it back from the Ministry of the Interior)

he said to me , here you go honey it's all in writing now ...just what you have always wanted

Sabbath Dinner

2009-01-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

The Jewish Day of Rest, Shabbat , begins on Friday at sundown and ends on Saturday at sundown...

Last night we had dinner at a classmate of Mason's house,we are finding Israeli's to be warm and inviting... Many neighbors as well as parents from the school have extended invitations to us for Shabbat Dinner.

The main meal of the week (and a festive one at that) in Jewish households in Israel and around the world is the Friday night dinner.

The meal begins after sundown. Because Shabbat is the focal point of the week,It has been explained to me that families often invite lot's of guests, set the table with their prettiest dishes. Atop the table sits the Kos L'Kiddush , which is held when the blessing over the Sabbath day is said. Before the meal, you sing a song or prey to welcome Sabbath angels followed by the first breaking of the bread. Then a huge kosher meal is served .

Eric and I found the conversation and stories friday night to be fascinating ! Lots of discussion of religion and politics, Israeli style (opinionated) At one point Mason's friend's dad read from the Five books of Moses (the Torah) . All this along with candles, wine and challah loaves...Great way to spent an evening

" Israelis are like coconuts and Americans are like peaches"

2009-01-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

And Indians are strawberries...

Note to my American friend's ,being a peach is NOT a complement

Eric and I attended a culture training class today provided to us by his work , the idea being that it eases the stresses of relocation, wards off culture shock and smoothes cross-cultural business relations. There were couples from India , Costa Rica , Great Brittan and America in our particular class... first we learned about our own cultures,values and behaviors and more importantly how we are perceived

I was expecting a list of dos and don'ts ! Instead, I learned the difference between individualism and collectivism societies, how other countries value personal space, eye contact, manners or lack of , social conduct ect.. oh and what fruit everybody is : )

Watching The Inauguration From Abroad

2009-01-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

Another exciting night for T.V. First ... On Monday we watched the cards beat Philadelphia and now tonight, The Inauguration of the first Black President America.

Everyone here is talking about it ... everybody !!! and asking my opinion too ! we are getting use to that though... since we arrived here people have been asking us if we like Bush !!! It is very obvious we are American I don't get it . We will be watching History on France 24 flipping to Sky news and the BBC (We get Fox but I can watch fox anytime too boring !!!)

I am really enjoying the world perspective .It's been interesting to hear how much other countries admire our transfer of power . So far it seems the world coverage ,at least Europe and the middle East has been extremely jubilant . The boys are really into it.. Mason has just told me he wants to run for President when he grows up !Seems Barack Obama has inspired yet another : )

Cardinals going to the superbowl

2009-01-19T22:18:00.000-08:00

Go Cards

The game was on last night at 11 pm .It was worth staying up !!!

Would have been nice if the Titans were going too !!! I see an EX-PAT Super Bowl Party in my future

Gesher at Nesher

2009-01-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

Wendi arranged an ex-pats in Haifa picnic . Nesher Park on the slopes of Mount Carmel is defined as an urban woodland park,it reminded me of a nature preserve . What a great place , hiking trails and two suspension bridges (Bridge is Gesher in hebrew ) I felt like I was back in Portland with all the pine trees ! We all had fun and met a lot of the American Families working on assignment here . We are looking forward to many get togethers with this group.

Afternoons with Graciela

2009-01-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

I have walked to and from the kids school 6 times today. Did I mention their school is up a hill ??? They get out at different times and they both started scoccer today(AKA Futball) so it's been a busy day . This morning Wendi picked me up and took me grocery shopping , she has been here for a year so she was really helpful (Thank you Wendi ) and then I had my first Hebrew lesson with Graciela .We talked a lot about Israel, Then she read all the school papers that have been piling up for me !!! She will come to my home on Tues. and Thurs afternoons. and attemp to teach me Hebrew !!! Also , if I want she can go to the grocery store, post office, read ect.. with me .

Friendships are Blossoming

2009-01-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

Girls morning out. Today I met Wendi and Elodie, They and their children are here like me on relocation with their husbands.We went to The Alexander River. Lots of trails, picnic areas , ruins too - Hurvat Samra, This was possibly the customs house where raftsmen paid taxes on the goods and agricultural products they transported on the river . We looked for sea turtles with no luck. It was so nice to meet both of them . I have the feeling this is just the first of many mornings with the girls.

Just Breathe

2009-01-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

Eric has started work ,the kids are in school and reality is starting to set in ,Don't get me wrong I am enjoying this new experience so much ,Everyday life how now become an adventure ! And that is fine with me ,I am up for it...

But their has been some small annoyances' : ( I can't figure out how to use my phone ,the voice mail instructions are in Hebrew ! My oven temp. is in celsius , all the driving distances are in kilometers ,the clocks are in military time - I have no Idea what the temperature is (weather temp.) because it to is in celsius ,

I have no idea what I have been eating because everything at the grocery stores is in Hebrew !!! I can't even figure out how to start my dish washer because the button symbols don't make any since.

Did you know you read Hebrew right to left ? I had forgotten- I don't think I was prepared for the language barrier ,or all the writing in hebrew Ex. Business cards,Business signs ,Grocery ads (Luckily all street signs are in Hebrew,Arabic and English)

You should have seen my reaction when I registered the boys for school : ) Here fill this out - I was handed a packet of paper for each child - Yes, all in Hebrew and No ,they do not have any english copies - OY VAY !

First Day of School

2009-01-11T12:31:00.000-08:00

Today my two brave boys started school in a foreign country , I am so proud of their willingness to learn language and culture . They have had such a positive attitude about Israel . They will be taught english language and grammar with a teacher/tutor that works with english speaking immigrants .I am so happy to report there are some Boys from Canada and the U.S. in both of there classes ! There is a girl in Cadens class from Scottsdale , AZ. Math will be taught in Hebrew ,but because numbers look the same I expect they will keep up . The school library has english books for them to check out . Eric and I will teach them history on the weekends : ) as we explore the Middle East

Akko

2009-01-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

AKKO or ACRE is an Ancient fishing village With thousands of years of history,

We took a boat ride to see the Ancient city walls that are around 4000 years old. I am starting to see a pattern here with the city walls . In 1799 it withstood a 61-day siege by Napoleon .

Beautiful Ceaserea

2009-01-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

After spending the last couple of days near the hotel. We decided to venture out . Ceaserea is near Haifa (just a short drive). We thought it would be easy enough to handle by ourselves. It was amazing !!! Eric and I both had never seen ruins like this before - Right on the beach , Waves crashing against the ancient harbor city . I was a little teary eyed as we learned Paul the Apostle was jailed here, Also a limestone block was excavated here with a clear inscription (part of a larger dedication) to Teberius Ceaser that read "from Pontius Pilate" . There are nice restaurants here . I can't wait to come back here and dine on the beach with a glass of wine surrounded by all the ancient city ruins .

This is the Hippodrome , In this amphitheater the Romans conducted horse races (Hippo is horse in Greek), special events, and gladiator games. Rulers and most distinguished guests came to watch the games . After all of this we are thinking about renting Gladiator tonight

The Palace Pool, Built somewhere around 40 BC

Haifa

2009-01-04T22:12:00.000-08:00

Well, Here we are in Haifa, it has a mixed population of Jews and Arabs. It is the model city for Co-existence here in the Middle East .It is also home to the Bahá'í World Center. Located on the slopes of Mount Carmel, has a history dating back to Biblical times. Haifa is a Port city that was established in the Late Bronze Age (14th century BCE).

It has been conquered and ruled by the Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, Egyptians, and British.

It is beautiful and peaceful at the moment : ) .

Cafes,malls ,shopping everything you need ! We all like it . Everything is going much better than I expected : ) our niehborhood is fantastic -Nice nieghbors too ! We really have an amazing view from our patio. Winter here is cold and windy .

I can't wait for warmer days , I am gonna sit on my patio and watch the sunset on the Mediterranean Sea

View of the Mediterranean Sea from our patio

Mason already feeling at home

Fresh Vegetables for breakfast

2009-01-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

While the term "breakfast" is identical worldwide, an Israeli breakfast is different. Coffee, orange juice,tons of fresh vegetables, salad, cream cheese,cheese,yogurt,cereal, fresh bread ,toast,bagels,olives,and eggs of your choice,lots of cold fish - No meats ever ! Every morning at the hotel was super yummy !

Happy New Year Everybody !!!

2009-01-01T01:03:00.000-08:00

a RELAXED mind, a PEACEFUL soul, a HEALTHY body, and a heartFULL of LOVE.. That is my wish for u this year... HAPPY NEW YEAR , We spent our New Years Eve. 35,000 ft. over Greenland , Heading to Amsterdam . KLM did not let us down ,not only were alcoholic bevs included w/coach seats, they broke out the Champagne counted down to the New Year

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce