Dear President Bush, I just moved to Jerusalem last month. I've taken to finding excuses in riding up to town everyday in hopes that I can use this summer to get in shape for my wedding. I rode up on King David street, mostly because the hill seems to be more forgiving than the Keren Hayasod one
You should see what they have done for you! There are police men/women EVERYwhere. Officers with big guns (which is not an exception, they always have big guns, not just for you). Cute young ethiopian officers too- they look like they could be models, except they have an m4 hanging off their shoulders. . It was as if all of Israel's forces were there, having on big cigarette break. Bless them, they were so bored, standing next to the roadblock 15 blocks from where you are staying. They've got plastic walls lining the entrance the the Hotel, you know, for the soldiers of the AXIS OF EVIL aka terrorists. . I saw some women in pant suits and flat ironed hair, a bit of rouge on their cheeks. They were definitely my age, the only difference is that they probably went to Georgetown and have this amazing high end job and I was just the girl on the bike who once upon a time was in the peace corps, you know- the girl who has the immunization record of a marine in Vietnam- with one leg of her jeans rolled up- dreaming about future success with writing and my personal thoughts on the bikini wax. . I was thinking how fun it would be to attend the conference tonight. Say hey to you and Mr. Blair- schmooze with African presidents and maybe your Russian translator I met would be there as well? Alas, no- I won't be able to make it- firstly, I am exhausted from riding around all of the detours your presence has brought this ancient city, but also- I may show up for my first Rugby practice tonight, and well- the whole dinner thing might interfere.
Anyway, I hope you and the other Presidents enjoy your stay, I would love to have ya'll fr Shabbos, but we already have dinner plans at Talia's.
Another fellow Texan but a Clinton Fan, The Ginrod
I had the pleasure today of sitting in a small audience witnessing the dialogue between an author of one of my favorite books and her translator. . There I was, on my best behavior, back straight and cell phone turned off- eating up every word that spilled out of that woman's mouth. . I wanted to get her to sign my book. I wanted to have her over for dinner so I could pick her brain and find out all the secrets to becoming an author, but I didn't. That would be too- pathetic. It's not like she would actually come over for dinner and I didn't want yawns to fall out of her mouth while I asked her all the questions every wannabe author asks to the great and powerful ones. . So I sat there- with all of my manners intact, enjoying one of the first opportunities that I get to stare at what I consider a celebrity.
Israel's independence day has come and gone. This time, despite it being really hard on the Ginrod heart -is my favorite time of the year. Everyone and their Rabbi has a grill out, and the smoke rises into the air making these blue and white flags with the star of David on them, flap in the middle eastern air. . There was an air show on Thursday, P Bonez and I ran onto the porch to witness these aircraft's zig-zagging in Israel's sky. My camera couldn't capture the beauty. Right then and there, I decided that one of my sons would be a pilot. If it take eating green beans and natural foods so that my future babies will have enough vitamins to make them amazing little men, I will do it. Every family should have a pilot. . As of late, P Bonez and I have been a bit addicted to BBQ'ing. Our conversations go as follows: P Bonez: we should go to the mall tonight, i need some jeans, perhaps we'll catch a movie. Me: yeah, but we've got some chicken wings in the freezer. P Bonez: great!! i'll go buy more coal. . We're a bit simple like that. Food conquers all. . Aside from that, we just booked our band for the wedding. Which, is totally grand. Because the minute I saw them playing one random Friday morning at the market. I knew they were for us. . Here is a good tween flick of Israel. I'm posting it mostly because my room mate edited the video. Shows some of the good sights here in Israel. .
With Pesach marking Tsiki's 3rd year anniversary, and the Soldiers rememberence day only a few days a way. This time period is filled with ceremonies and deep thoughts.
Here is an article of one of the ceremonies I attended. I can attest that this organization is one of the most needed organizations in this country. With the girlfriend group, I meet girls whose hearts speak a common language. We may not be best friends, but with them is one of the places I feel the most comfortable crying, and at the same time, the strongest.
I spent these days slowly arranging everything so that I can make room for opportunities that my immigration has given me. Bank accounts are being switched from foreign to inland. Status changes on different files that are in different buildings. I made the adult move today of switching banks because they couldn't provide me with timely customer service. 'What is the difference between Bank Discount and Hapoalim?' I ask the woman behind the desk. She didn't offer me any concrete selling points, no free banking, no atm card with your favorite University logo on the card. No free tickets to Six Flags in Texas. . 'If you have x amount in your bank, then you don't have to pay the 10 nis a month to keep it open.' She concludes. . Fascinating. . After her lack ability to contact another branch for some sort of verification that she apparently needed, that couldn't be done today, I got up and explained to her that she just lost a bank customer. I would go to Hapoalim and sign up. Why? Because I prefer the color combination of blue instead of the green that Discount has. . I didn't even get a free gift. Oh customer service of the U.S.A!! I miss your free banking and free tickets to events I never attend. I miss efficiency and accurate customer service. . Completing my goal of immigration has left me a bit empty inside. The past year has been sole dedication to achieving Aaliyah and now that it's done, I have no idea what to do with myself. Combine that with the move to Jerusalem and your guess is as good as mine where my career path will take me. The Freelance lifestyle can be amazing one month, and completely uneventful the next.
Does one accept a job of full time security and lack of enthusiasm, or does one pace themselves and allow destiny to put yourself on the career path that is destined only for the Ginrod? . I may never know. All I know now is that I must improve the Hebrew that falls out of my mouth. Until I do that- I don't think any dream jobs will come knocking on my door.
I don't know if any of you have noticed the changing pictures on the header of my blog. But one of them is of the statues below. This park is one of the first places I visited when I saw Israel for the first time in January of 2005. Like my first visit, the statue was still standing, and the goats were grazing on the dead grass climbing up the steep slopes supporting the winding gravel roadway. The only difference is how the clouds are wiped on the sky. . When I left Israel, that statue was a permanent symbol of what Israel was to me. You can imagine the sentimental feelings that arose when I spotted it on a trip last week. Before last week, I couldn't really remember the park I was taken to upon my first arrival here. But like everything, it came back to me full circle. .
My body has timed my immigration perfectly. . I'm Israeli, have I told you? . I also have something to confide: for the last few months I had been living without health insurance. Not intentionally, it was just the whole paying for it thing, and then it ran out, and then I forgot to renew, and then I thought 'i'll be immigrating in a week, why catch up on back payments when I'm broke anyway?'. Such reasoning poured into my noggin' for the last few months until alas, I had been going months uninsured. . If my mother ever found out, she'd kill me. Number one rule in the Doring tribe: NEVER take a step without health insurance. . Today I picked up the piece of paper that gives me access to my Israeli health insurance. Just in time. As of last night, my ears were clogged and my upper respiratory system is running on it's spare tank. This evening, I cooked up a batch of Arroz Caldo (Filipino rice soup) heavily flavoured with ginger and garlic to warm my torso. The taste brought memories of nearly every day of my half filipino childhood. . I've made a long to-do list for tomorrow. hopefully this week I can get as much paperwork as possible sorted. Then I can see what I should be doing with the rest of my life. . x
Germapino with a Jewish Twist. Jewapino with a German twist.
GermJew with a Filipino Twist. These are the musings of my memories as a Texas born, Tulsa raised mestiza, who went on a trip to Bangkok and found herself in the Holy Land.
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Bush in Israel