So, I believe we are on update number 4? This isRomi…finally sitting down at the computer while Josh is, undoubtedly, going crazy with the kids. A quick update…No – of course we have not yet received our lift or our computer. Apparently our lift is having a great time in Greece and we wish it well. But…we have found that we really need very little. While we’d like to have our lift…we are a bit intimidated envisioning where everything is possibly going to fit! Its’ a very nice three bedroom apartment…but we have almost everything from our three story, four bedroom house coming…oh dear…but that’s for another update. This week…we had our first truly Israeli day on Tuesday. We set out early with the kids to tackle the driving license thing. There are five steps to getting your license and we were confident that we’d get most of it done. so…it turns out that our Israeli identity cards (that you need to show to everyone here for everything) was issued very quickly by Nefesh BNefesh…too quickly in fact for the government computer system. So we showed up at the first office and they said we weren’t in the computer and sent us to the second office. It took us an hour to find the second one and I had to fight with packs of others to convince them that I really was next in the line..and she said we had to go to another office. At that point we realized something must be wrong and we figured out that we were working too quickly. The biggest word in Israel is SOVLANUT. You have to be patient. But…when you are dying to get a license and a car…it’s hard. So, yesterday, we set out without the kids. We got a nice babysitter. I met someone in the market and asked her if she had any recommendations and she said, “Yeah – my kid”. So, sight unseen, we hired her kid. That’s how things work around here. She showed up at our house at 7:30 am (a teenager up at 7:30!) and we were off. The kids were great with her. Josh and I went to the first office and it actually took five minutes – with a smile from the worker! The second office also took only 15 minutes. We couldn’t believe it. Then they told us we couldn’t go any farther because they had to get our info into the computer So…today we are playing the waiting game…we can’t continue the process until we come up on the computer…We also went to the immigration office to meet with counselor for the first time. Very nice woman who spent almost an hour with us discussing Ulpans, jobs, etc. She said that we didn’t look like new Olim because we don’t have that panicked look on our faces and we seem so calm. That made us both very happy. It feels good- we both have commented that this hasn’t been as shocking as (I at least) expected. We know what Israel is – what the landscape looks like, what the food tastes like, etc. We aren’t coming off the boat from Ethiopia. And that makes a big difference.Today, however, the bunk beds should arrive. We bought them in Talpiot a few days ago and the kids are very excited about them. So that is our job for the morning…We also looked at a used car this morning. We are trying to figure out the best way to get a car that doesn’t cost too much and that we can trust is in good shape. We’ve been talking to a lot of people about it and will probably go over to one of the rental car companies today who sell cars.The kids are driving us a bit batty. They don’t have friends yet and are relying on each other and us for companionship. Although he is going to hate me for it…I’ve signed Matan up for camp next week. A friend saw an add in the weekly Neve Daniel newsletter for a camp. I was so proud of myself – I called and spoke to her entirely in Hebrew. It starts on Sunday for two weeks from 7:45-1:30. I think she said he should wear a hat and tennis shoes – but I definitely missed a few things in the conversation! There are supposed to be 6kids his age and a few other new olim. Matan is actually a bit shy and doesn’t want to go…but we are going to force him. Ready for the price! It’s 180shekels for two weeks – that’s about 45 dollars!!!! amazing huh? So..we will let you know how that adventure goes! Poor Huda…I haven’t been able to find him anything yet…that’s about it from here. We won’t have a long distance plan until our lift arrives…so if you want to talk to us – call us!!! We’d love calls because we can’t call out. We are doing great…and miss you all!
July 22, 2004 10:49 AM