Happy Turkey Day

For some reason I always wake up on Thanksgiving with the song in my head, "Happy Thanksgiving! Hooray, hooray, hooray! Aren't you glad you're not a turkey on this Thanksgiving Day." Hahahahha. Anyway, just wanted to wish everyone well and hope you enjoy your the cranberry sauce, stuffing and the big bird. I'm getting together with a group of Americans today and we'll be celebrating over here, complete with two turkeys, one deep fried (southern style) and the other smoked... yummy!!! It's definitely a little sad to be celebrating for the first time without my family, but I'm not that sad because my parents are coming in 4 days. Wahooo! Happy Thanksgiving!

Let's go for a run

I ran my first race! Ok, really not much to brag about, it was only a 5k. Nevertheless, I paid the fee, got a number, tied the timing chip onto my shoe, beat my fastest time and got a t-shirt at the end. I was quite pleased:)

Now for the details: This past Saturday morning I woke up before 7:00 and rode my bike to the rendezvous point for our little convoy to the race - the American Embassy in front of the sea. Leora had arranged for us to get a ride with some of her friends that work in the embassy and it was great to go over there as part of a group and have all the camaraderie. That's the group in the picture.

As for the race itself, I had wanted to run it in under 30 minutes, but had never done so on the treadmill. We were off with the sound of the gun firing. I thought that we'd be running on asphalt, but it turns out we ran on a sand/rock/dirt path that winded through farms and orange groves. With the sun rising and the crisp air of the morning, it turned out to be a beautiful setting for my first race. Leora and I ran side by side for most of the race and then at the end I decided to give it a final push and hope to break my time. For about the last 250 meters I broke into a full sprint and finished just under 30 minutes - 29:50 (around 9 minute miles). I knew the exact time because they have special chips that you tie to your shoe and you get the results shortly after you finish. The next day I wore my shirt around proudly. My next goal: A 10K in February that I'll run in under an hour.

Yesterday I decided to see how fast I could run a mile on the treadmill and I did it in 7 minutes, 30 seconds. I might have been able to go a little faster, but it's hard to know what my breaking point will be on the machine. I look forward to the challenge of getting faster!

The Week in Review...

People back home in the States like to ask me what I do in a typical week, so for this blog entry I'll attempt to recall what I did.

It began last Saturday night as we remembered the 12th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's assassination. Every year Israelis gather in the center of Tel Aviv at Rabin Square where the prime minister was murdered. There were over 150,000 people there. It reminded me of the last time I was at a rally this big, which would be when I heard Fidel speak in front of about 600,000. I could only understand a little of the speeches (which were in Hebrew), but I enjoyed the atmosphere of people gathering to remember Rabin. Being there reminded me of how much I hate Yigal Amir (the assassin) and what he did. The peace process in 1995 was moving along very well and there was much hope for a lasting peace. However, with a few shots, Amir effectively destroyed that hope in addition to killing a true Israeli hero. I couldn't help but wonder what Israel might be like had this not happened. We might be in the same situation we find ourselves in today, but I like to think things would be different...

Ok, so back to my week. As previously mentioned, I have moved out of my old apartment and into a great new studio (right on Dizengoff street:). However, I still had a big closet that I had left behind in my old apartment. The person who took over my room did not want to buy it from me and I was left with only a few days to get rid of it. I headed over to my trusted Israeli consultants (Leora and Ariel) and they helped me post an ad on the Israeli equivalent of Craigslist. In less than 24 hours I had sold my closet and the guy who bought it came the same day to take it apart and move it. I thought it would take a lot of effort to dismantle the closet (it is huge, 2.4 meters x 1.6 x .5) but he did it all with a small screwdriver and drove it off on top of his little car. I was very impressed! This was all possible because of the internet and the vast amount of people who use it to find everything. (also, if you have the time, check out this story my Mom sent me and you'll see just how connected we are through the net: http://www.yahoo.com/s/732115)

On Wednesday morning I went to Misrad Hapnim (Ministry of the Interior) to get my Teudat Ma'avar (temporary passport that lasts two years). This was a very important document to get because without it I am not allowed to leave the country. I've heard lots of stories of long lines and frustration in going to Misrad Hapnim, but my experience was nothing of the sort. The line was short and I was out of there in under half an hour. (Side story: The last time I tried to go there was the first week after I made aliyah and I went to fix the spelling of my name. Well, after walking 30 minutes, I find out that the place is actually closed due to a strike, a very common occurrence here in Israel. My name is still not spelled to my liking (in Hebrew) and I will change this at a later date.)

For the last month or so I've tried to observe Shabbat dinner and enjoy a nice meal with my friends here in Tel Aviv. Last night was no exception. I went over to my friend Yonina's apartment (which she also just moved into and has a great view of Tel Aviv) and she prepared a feast for six. I had the fortune to be the only guy there with five very attractive ladies (rough life, but if somebody has to live it, it might as well be me:). We spent Friday night sharing good stories, delicious food and a few bottles of wine. One of the best parts is that I got to take the leftovers home and now I have two very good meals to look forward to!

Today I am cleaning my new apartment, preparing for my oral exam in ulpan and going to the beach. The weather has gotten a little cooler, but the sun is still shining and the beach is calling my name.

So that's about how a week looks in my life in addition to the regular routine of work and ulpan. There also was a party and a few trips to the bars somewhere in there, but there's not enough room here to tell all the stories:)

Shavua tov to all!
p.s. Apparently people like to vote for my parents to go to the bars and get drunk... I think that this past survey had the most participation ever. I'll try and think of a good survey for the next one.

A Place to Call My Own

I've been living in Israel now for over four months and in Tel Aviv for the last 3.5 or so. Life had been going well here so far and last week it got about 10 times better (and I'm not exaggerating).

How? Well, it just so happens that I moved out of my apartment that I was sharing with two Israeli girls and into a a place of my own. I landed this place through some great luck; a cousin of the Tritts, Noga, had to find someone to sublet her apartment while she works in the states and travels. After seeing the place I was sold!

What's so great about it? For starters, I'm living by myself. At 25, I was more than ready to have my own space. Also, for the time being this place comes fully loaded. I've got a stereo, tv, dvd, vcr, washing machine, refrigerator, small stove, small oven, microwave and more. It's not only equipped with electronics, it also has some good furniture to fit the space and hold my stuff.
For a studio apartment, it's a really good size with lots of storage. There is one main room and there is also a smaller second area that has a small kitchen. The bathroom is bigger than average. Another big perk is my merpeset (balcony). It overlooks Dizengoff Street and is located in the heart of it all in Tel Aviv. I'm a few more blocks away from the beach, but still about only a ten minute walk. That also reminds me of another thing: the bike. Noga was kind enough to leave me her bike and I've been riding it all across the city. I had one my senior year of college up in DC, but I'd forgotten just how fast you can move through a city on a bike. My usual 15 minute commute (ok, walk) to work has been shortened to about 3 or 4. Places that I used to take the bus to, I'm riding to. I love it!

There are only two drawbacks of the apartment. One, I'm technically only subletting it through mid-February, but Noga has assured me that if I want it past this it's mine. I just hope that works out. Also, the place is very girlie. I mean, it's got purplish-blue curtains, painted hearts on the walls of the kitchen area and bathroom and pastel colored lamps. Since the place isn't 100% mine, I'm a little limited in what improvements I can make, but I've still got a few things planned to make it more my style.

It's great to be writing this post from the comfort of my own space with great Israeli music playing on the surround sound in the background (say that last part 10 times fast:)

Shavua tov to all!

p.s. Getting pretty excited for cousin Tal's wedding and my parents coming to visit.
p.p.s. I also want to send a big thank you to the Tritt Family. They have already been to Israel twice since I've been here and have brought over a few bags for me. Both times they were here we got to go out a lot together and had much fun spending time with one another. I love seeing my second set of parents. Toda raba!