Another week on

Well been a busy week last week, spent a lot of the afternoons after Ulpan travelling to interviews, so not only did I get chance to interview, I got to see more of Israel, unfortunately I've not heard from any of them, so I guess its a no, but I'm not disheartened at least I'm getting the interviews, I hope that with all the jobs I'm still applying for that one of them will come good for me and it will land me employment. I'm not looking for anything fantastic, I'm just looking for something to give my 1st start here in Israel in the job market, give me chance to get settled wherever I end up living. I'm remaining positive and applying for jobs, amusingly one of the jobs I've spotted today, I have to actually fax my cover letter and CV across, which is something I've not done for many years, so tomorrow after Ulpan its hunt down a fax machine and send in my application. Apart from that there was a job fair but it wasn't much use really, still I did hand in 1 CV and maybe something will come from that.

Apart from that I'm getting a little worried as we're nearly in March and the way time is flying Ulpan will be over and I might not have a job, hopefully though I'll have a place to live though lol.... Its either that or buy myself a tent and a sleeping bag and beach here I come!!!!

Nothing else really happened, we're off to Jerusalem on the last Ulpan tiyul so that will be good, we'll be going to the Wall so maybe a little prayer will help me out in the situation LOL.

Productive week :-)

Well into another weekend here, thought I better update my blog. Been a fun week, studied hard, done a small test which I got 75% on, should have got more, but I decided to change 2 of the answers on the test just before I handed it in...bad mistake LOL. Should have stuck with them as they were right!!! Oh well it happens, proves I have a way to go in learning Hebrew. On the Job front, been applying for jobs and getting positive responses which is more than I can really say I had in England for a long time, so fingers crossed something will come from these positive responses and maybe I'll have a job before I finish the Ulpan at the end of March... might not have a place to live... but a job at least LOL. Also considering how to continue my Hebrew studies, I realise I'm still not that good at the language, but I feel while I would like to do another Ulpan, really I need to be working. So I think I will find work and maybe an Ulpan for the evening, see if I can continue to improve my Hebrew.

On the social front, 2 parties this week, both birthdays a lot of fun, was nice to hang out with people as it seems like everyone has been very focussed lately on post ulpan plans. So to David whose birthday it was on Wednesday just gone and to Maya who we partied for her birthday on Monday last night, many happy returns and I wish you both much success in your next year :-)

Weekend and 1st Driving Lesson

Well another weekend nearly over and back to studies. Think I've had a semi productive weekend, done some study, written up my vocabulary list to add words I've learnt from the past few weeks. Gone for a walk and a chat with a couple of the people in the dorms, nice to get out and it was sunny and quite pleasant where we sat as well, so nice to do that.

Now onto the driving lesson, my 1st time behind the wheel of a car in Israel and the 1st time behind the wheel of a car in probably over 2 years so very nerve-wracking but as I'm writing this blog, I obviously survived to tell the tale LOL. I'm definitely rusty in driving, but hope that just like riding a bike, you don't forget to drive. While my gear changes could do with work, I think generally it went well and with a bit of practice I'll take and pass my test to get my licence converted to an Israeli one. Next lesson is Monday so hopefully that goes as well as yesterday's

Meanwhile, I'm still applying for jobs and hoping that any I apply for will see my potential and give me employment, I'll even drop CV'S into shops if its necessary to do something to earn a little money. Not trying to get to worried but with just over 6 weeks left of Ulpan its getting to a point where I have to hope I find something soon. The apartment hunt is something after a bit of advice I don't think I have to worry about until the beginning of March, but again would be nice to get that sorted out sooner rather than later.

I know that I need to do a 2nd Ulpan, sadly at present I also need to work 1st to earn the money to be able to afford a 2nd Ulpan and hope by finding a job, in the evenings I can find another Ulpan to do, so keep your fingers crossed for me on all counts.

Ulpan Tiyul

Well today was a break from classes and we headed off on another day out. This time we went towards the Golan, we stopped off in Ein Gev for a brief stop and a bit of lesson, before heading off to plant trees in an area run by KKL and JNF and that was pretty cool, there is a picture at the bottom of the tree I planted... hope I can go back and find it, see how it growing :-).

Then for the afternoon we went to Hamat Gader Israel's Largest and Oldest Spa Complex, which apart from contain hot pools for people to swim and relax in, also has a hotel, and animal enclosures including a crocodile farm which is the largest in the middle east. So that was pretty cool to see. There was also a Parrot show which was very entertaining to watch. After that it was onto the Hot springs for an hour and a bit, if someone had said I'd be in an outside heated pool in February a few months ago before I left England I would have thought they were crazy, but I was and it was fun and very nice to relax. Sadly it had to come to an end. Back to classes in the morning, but hey the weekend is just 1 day away :-). And we have a tiyul to Jerusalem to look forward to, so all in all fun and interesting times at the moment, long may they continue

Standing Alone

Well we have about 7 weeks of Ulpan left and for me its time to sit down and start looking for a job, plus a place to live. I've narrowed it down to probably Tel Aviv for somewhere to live and I've been passed some websites to look at, still its very stressful, somehow as always I find myself alone in this endeavour as my goals don't match those of anyone around me or they've all sorted themselves out, so got to look after myself, which I suppose is the main thing, yes it would be nice to work with others here in the Ulpan and maybe share a flat etc, but somehow I guess its always going to be me doing it by myself.

Okay a bit of a little rant on the state of feeling alone on things, apart from that I've had some fun in the evenings with some of the people from the Ulpan, a welcome distraction but sadly it seems like its become very dull around here at the moment and I do not like it. On the plus side I've sorted out my driving licence form, I can now find an instructor and get a few lesson before taking my test and being able to drive here in Israel.. yep I'm going to be on the road, stay in your houses!!!! Still it should be a fun experience as they drive on a different side of the road to England and I also not set foot in a car to drive in several years... hope its a case of not forgetting how to drive or this could be embarrassing.

Jerusalem, not very well and other things lol

Well been about a week since I've blogged bits and pieces have occurred since then. I spent a great weekend in Jerusalem with a friend who made Aliyah in July last year and was the Jerusalem Ulpan Etzion. She now lives in South Central Jerusalem and is just starting her 2nd Ulpan. Apart from visiting her, I was also going to a Communal Shabbat in that area and it was fun, I made a few new friends, got to practice a bit of Hebrew with one person, the only Israeli there, the rest preferred English LOL. But I managed to get a bit of practice in and I was understood which is good. The food wasn't fantastic but it was good, dessert even better. On Saturday itself I'd been invited to join where my friend was going for Shabbat dinner and that was a lot of fun as I made a few new friends for Facebook and one of her neighbours even suggested I send them my CV, so I did and he hopes to be able to help me he will so all positive there.

Also started applying for jobs and actually had a few responses which is more than I did in England!!! Unfortunately due to factors like the Ulpan I can't go any further, but one of them was very nice and said get in touch closer to the end of my Ulpan. But I'm going to still keep looking and hope maybe I find a job that I will wait for me until I finish Ulpan. Still also have to find somewhere to live so a lot got to do in the next 2 months.

Apart from that, had to miss a day of Ulpan today :-( very disappointed as I had a 100% record of attendance, but I wasn't feeling very well before I got there and within a few minutes was feeling a bit worse. As a result half an hour into my day I ended up coming home and back to bed... still got homework for the weekend LOL. Apart from that not much else to tell I had a nice evening out with a couple of friends from the dorms, was nice to do something different than stay in my room which seems to have become a bit of a pattern lately, still the weather is good today and I feel better than I did earlier today, so I think things are looking up.