Shalom lachem! Israeli citizen Dana salutes you!

So finally I get to sit down in a less uncomfortable position than usual and write this post. It’s been exactly a week (I should wait 30 min and then it would be sharp sharp but by the time I will finish this post it will be) since I’m Israeli. How does it feel? It doesn’t. Not yet. I’m at my sis’s place, enjoying my time with the already famous nephews. As my brother in law said: “you will feel Israeli citizen once you start paying”. And I can’t say I really look forward to thatJ

Anyway, last Friday I wrote a huuuge long nice post which I lost the moment I wanted to save. Won’t get into the details of me not looking on what keys I press. Let’s conclude it’s the computer’s fault.

So, how were the flight and the arrival on Holy Land? The flight was really ok, besides the fact that it was delayed with more than 1 h at departure. Lucky me, I had a bunch of great guys coming to make sure I leave and don’t come back too soon. They really made my day and all this experience sooo much more and I thank them once again. I won’t start saying how, once again, as always, I had overweight. Was allowed 60 kilos (yeap, 60, because of alyia) and had…73!!! And these were only clothes, and only summer clothes. No pillows, blankets, sheets and anything that I can “borrow for an unlimited period” from my dear sister. As always, I found my way around not paying the overweight. And the fact that I knew almost all the ElAl security staff made it also easy and pleasant the going through the disposal of my luggage. Saying bye was of course pretty emotional and I tried to hold strong. Talking a lot, smiling, making stupid jokes and leaving fast helped. (note to the ones still on their way here)J. Girls started to sing Leshana Haba’a beIerushalaim and I’m still waiting for them to fulfill their promise, maybe better this year than the next one. Ok?

The flight was ok, I slept through it and only woke up to eat. I was expecting champagne, red carpet and maybe caviar, to have them celebrate with me. But probably the champagne was not cold enough, the carpet dirty and the fish didn’t lay enough eggs ;) and they didn’t want to serve me something not perfect. I understood that.

Arriving on the airport, I found out that an old friend from the Jewish Choir came to wait for me. Bare in mind, it was already about 1 am. When my sister asked if I want her to wait for me, I decided that it’s pointless to be waited at that hour and that the taxi will deliver me and my (many) suitcases at home in no time. So I was surprised to hear he was there. When I asked him why he came, he said “Because I don’t work tomorrow”. Um…ok. Again, really nice of him to have come.

In the airport I approached someone at the Misrad Hapnim office and told him: Shalom, rak igati achshav mi Bucharest. Aliti la aretz. Ata iechol leazbir li bevacasa ma ani tzricha laasot? (Shalom, i just arrived now from Bucharest, i made alyia. Can you explain me please what do I have to do?). He immediately raised up from his desk, came out and explained me (all in hebrew) the procedure: first passport control, than call from this phone and someone will pick you up. And the nicest thing, he ended the explanation with: “Brucha habaa ve behatzlacha” (Welcome and good luck). I really had goose skin then. Anyway, a nice middle age guy, holding a hand written paper with my name came to look for me and seemed a bit confused. I approached him in Hebrew and till the end he talked to me only in Hebrew although he told me he knows some Romanian, learned from working in this job. Maybe because of him talking to me only in Hebrew I don’t really know what I have to do now beaurocratically speakingJ He took me in his office where he offered me tea, coffee, water, juice and rogalah. Although I really love rogalach, it was already about 2 am and the best thing I wanted was me in bed. But nice enough we finished the procedure very fast, got my teudat ole (the temporary ID) and the rest of the papers, explained me that i need to open the heshbon bank (bank account) in Jerusalem and then he even helped me with the luggage and called for a (free) taxi. 30 minutes later, home I was, as an Israeli citizen.

In the morning, the nicest wake-up call arrived, with Eytan hakatan (hu ben 3 – he’s three years old) coming to “make me booo” to shout to scare me.

Ok, I need to fast forward a bit the week, pretty much all the time with the kids (when they’re not at the “gan”-kindergarden), enjoying my time greatly, both of them are very very cute and very very smart. Eytan is an amazing good loving kid that understands perfectly both Romanian and Hebrew (perfectly!) and speaks great Hebrew. He switches to Romanian only when asked to. And Taliah, she’s the cutest hamudonet around who only yesterday started walking, all by herself! Since then, she didn’t stopJ she does tours around the house and she claps for herself. On the other hand, Eytan is mostly proud for him not having to use diapers no more. He makes sure that we all know and witness the moments when he “is a big boy”. One can only admire the enthusiasm with which the kids approach that very small things. If we only could remember that…

Eytan had a birthday this Monday (in fact this is why I came 2 weeks earlier than the ulpan –hebrew classes-start) and he was wonderful. Mazal tov to him and congrats once again for Sorana.

Also, a magical event (but not unique as I’ve been there before, unfortunately) happened. I handed in my THESIS!!!! The unbound copy! Mazal tov to me and may my teacher have only good mood until he accepts the paper. I’ve worked so much at it, it’d better be goodJ

Last but not least, I just bought a new laptop! Long story short, the other one died, I ordered a new one from the US and a new friend that will study with me in the Ulpan in Jerusalem, although he doesn’t know me at all, accepted to help me bring it. Thanks, Eli! Just that at the border he’ll have to pretend it’s his. Oh, did I forget to mention it’s pink?:)))

I also got to meet some of my friends here, some of them traveled all the way from Haifa and I’ve already been to the beach in Tel Aviv. Tomorrow evening there is an important event, the big Israeli dance marathon pre Karmiel festival. I won’t bore you with details, just that I can’t wait for it and I hope my knees are good to me.

So that’s about it. I promise you other posts won’t be so detailed, just that there was a lot of information gathered from the lost post and this one.

I leave you with a test question. I’m starting to write an “Eytan-understandable language” dictionary cause there are too many cute words he’s using. So for now, what do you think “doedeiii” is? Hint: try saying it out loud, it might help. It’s internationalJ

Shabat Shalom!