Random reflections

Dogs here don't bark as much as in the U.S. Not sure why. Kind of creepy. Kind of nice. Sidney isn't afraid of them anymore.

To get to gan, we walk up 107 stairs in our building to the elevator which takes us up the last three flights. (Our building is built into the side of a hill--like all of Modiin--so the elevator can't come down all of the way.) We then walk up another 123 stairs on the public walkway. 230 stairs up the hills of Modiin means no need for a gym--at least that's what I tell myself.

On September 1st, the first day of school for all Israeli children, a police helicopter was circling above our house for a long time. Got us wondering. Probably not military action since that would not leave them circling Modiin, so...? Turns out Bibi Netanyahu (prime minister) was visiting schools in Modiin for the first day of school--no, not Gan Tzabar (Sidney's). Oh well, maybe next year.

Something to get used to: Light switches for bathrooms in Israel are on the outside of the rooms. It's dark if you forget.

Went to the doctor yesterday. I was very early because I wanted to be sure that I would be able to find it. The receptionist told me, "The doctor's office is around the corner. You're after Maya." Maya? Who is Maya? And what about HIPAA? Oh, yeah. They don't have that here.

At the park the other afternoon, after the first day of school, Sidney came running over to us crying hysterically that a boy was yelling at her. She pointed out who is was--a boy about her age--and we redirected her to playing something else. A few minutes later, the boy approached her again. He started asking her "Korim lach Sidney?" (Is your name Sidney?) She didn't understand, and as he continued asking over and over again, his voice began to rise in frustration. We interceded to say that yes she is Sidney and who was he. Turns out that Yonatan is a boy in Sidney's gan. She didn't recognize him but he did recognize her and just wanted to say hi.

Went to Jerusalem Wednesday. Ate gelato. Sidney basically swam in it. Had dinner at Ronnie and Minda's and got to hear about their daughter, Yaela's, adventures as a security liaison for visiting Canadian supreme court justices.

Yesterday we went to the store to buy our groceries for Shabbat. Josh was mesmerized as the butcher cut up the chicken. Guess he had come to believe that kosher chicken comes shrink wrapped. He even translated for some Americans who couldn't communicate with the butcher.

Today we'll pick up Sidney at 12:45. Fridays are short. Then we plan to head over the mall where Fridays bring special things, almost like a NYC street fair on a Sunday. So we're planning for dim sum. Yum!