Halfway Point

Hard to believe but its the halfway point of Ulpan and I've been in Israel for 3 months, it feels like its flown by, but now at this point, the hard work begins. With 2 months left of Ulpan, it finishes the end of March, I now have to start looking for a job here in Israel and somewhere to live as well. All very daunting as it was bad enough to search for work and a place in London, but here in a country where English isn't the native language, its even more scary. Still I've applied for a few jobs already and just waiting to hear from them, but I suspect I'll get more determined and serious as time gets closer to the end. As for the apartment/room hunt, I've got a few websites to look at, so hopefully something will come from that. I'm still undecided on whether I want to share, having done the shared living in rented places back in London for nearly 10 years, I'm not sure if I'm at a stage where I'd like to go it alone. But then again Israel is brand new and the more sensible idea would be to work with someone to find something, but then again I've never been that sensible LOL>

Apart from that Ulpan is going well, we had a big test on pretty much all we've learnt since we started and I think it went well, I hope it went well, I will find out this week I hope. We also have a Sports Day on Wednesday and interviews about our progress on Thursday. Also Thursday I'm going to visit the Doctor for my medical to continue my driving licence conversion process. Doctor probably take one look at me and say nope, your not fit to drive!!!!

I'm also feeling a little fed up at the moment, feel like at the halfway point, I'm feeling a bit alone, everyone is going off doing their own thing, as well as keeping to themselves, and feel at a loose end or stuck in a routine at the moment, sure its just temporary but still, I don't like it.

Ulpan Trip and a little worried

Well we had our fourth trip as part of the Ulpan, today it was to 3 destinations, the 1st was near to the town of Atlit to go the Detainee Camp situated there, it was a camp set up to prevent Jewish refugees mostly Holocaust survivors entering what was then Palestine. After a tour round the camp and a few short films detailing the Jewish Refugee's journey to then Palestine, we headed off again towards Tel Aviv. There after a brief history lesson we went to Independence Hall which was the site of the signing of Israel's Declaration of Independence in May of 1948. After that it was a brief walk around Jaffa and then we went off for dinner in Jaffa and after that we returned to Haifa.

Now for the worried part, we're halfway through the Ulpan and as we get closer to the end I'm getting worried that I'm not picking up the language well enough or that I'll find a job or an apartment, I'm sure I'm not the only person in the Ulpan worry about these things, but it feels like it LOL. Still I'm determined to remain upbeat and not lose hope that everything will fall into place.

הרבה גשם

Well its now the weekend for me, so time to relax, I don't think I'll be venturing out too far though, as like yesterday, today its raining and according to weather reports its set to be like this all weekend, so might be an indoors weekend. This week has been busy with Ulpan studies, on Tuesday we went on an Ulpan trip to Tel Hadid, Ben Shemen and Tel Aviv. It was a fun trip, nice to get out of Haifa and the Ulpan for the day and the weather was lovely and warm. Then it was back to Haifa in the evening and more studies. I think i'm progressing in class and understanding more as time goes on, I hope by the time I leave Ulpan at the end of March I can talk at a competent level, enough to get me through everyday life here in Israel, but we shall see. Today's Ulpan was only for 10.30 as we had a guest lecturer Yaron Svoray who told us his story. Please see his Wikipedia entry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaron_Svoray. Apart from that its study hard, and have fun when I can. This Friday night we are having a Shabbat Meal with Chabad and that should be fun as it will be nice to mix with others and everyone who is here for a Friday Night. Saturday i'm hoping to get people together and we can go see a movie :-).

Friday Nights

The one thing I never really thought about when I got here, is what I would do on Friday nights, back in England it was either a quiet night at home by myself where I would make Kiddush for myself and get some Challah's in as well or I would be at an organised Friday Night or at my parents having a family Friday Night. So when it came to having Shabbat Dinner here in Israel over the Ulpan I was wondering how I would spend it. Fortunately thanks to people in the dorms apart from a couple of Friday nights and one Friday in the company of friends of the family I've spent most Shabbat Evenings in the company of my new friends with good food, good conversation (okay they're actually speaking French which I never learnt at school) but still you get the idea and its fun, so to everyone who is a part of that I appreciate being included :-).

On other subjects, I've started the process to get my Driving Licence converted for use over here in Israel. Yep it means keep everyone off the roads I'm getting wheels LOL. But seriously I've started the process, I needed to get a form and a picture taken as well as an eye test which I've managed to get done all in one go, so thats one thing out the way. I now need to get a medical to check i'm healthy before I can take the paperwork to the relevant authority, to get it signed off and then be able to go to a Driving School, I think when I do go, I will probably need 3 or 4 lessons as i've not driven at all for about 4 years, so I maybe a little rusty when it comes to driving, though if its like the old saying its like riding a bike you never forget, then maybe I will be okay after a couple of lessons, we will see.

New Year

Well its the 4th January and i've been back at Ulpan for 2 days after the Chanukah break, i'm surprised at how much I do actually understand of the hebrew, even if it is very hard to remember. However I'm persevering and hope I'll come away in March with a good basic knowledge of Hebrew to get by in the real world. Had an Employment Workshop yesterday evening the 1st of 3 in as many weeks. Hopefully it will be of some help, i've updated my Linkedin profile with a few changes that hopefully make it read better, especially if any prospective employer here in Israel checks it out. I accept that it will be hard to find a new job, but fingers crossed luck is with me and its not that hard.

Christmas Day in Israel

Well its 25th December, Christmas Day and well I got to say it does feel a little weird being in Israel, what I mean apart from a few shops and some trees that I've seen in the German Colony there is no sign of it being christmas and yes it is Israel so not as country that really celebrates, but feels weird after years of being in England and seeing trees and houses decorated. Also feels strange not to be at home with my family, while we don't celebrate christmas, its still a time for us all to get together and relax, eat together and watch the Queen's speech and then Doctor Who and the soaps such Emmerdale and Corrie Street later on, but this year feels a bit weird that I'm not there. In some ways I'm envious that some people have gone home to their families or relatives in Israel, in other ways i'm not as it would have made it so much harder to come back if I'd gone back during this break. Anyway its nice and quiet and i'm getting a bit of reading done and some study as well, so basically its all same as normal here in Israel. Hope your all having a good day and got all the pressies you wanted.

weeks and Chanukah Break 8

Well i've been here 8 weeks and we're now in our 12 day Chanukah break. It will feel a bit weird as I know a few people have gone home, others have gone to visit relatives and friends in Israel, 1 has gone back to her old job for a couple of weeks so feels like the dorms have emptied, though I know there are a lot of people still around this time. I've not got much planned, taking this as my first opportunity in a long time to just enjoy peace and quiet, with nothing to do but relax. Though I do have a few trips planned, I'm off to see friends of family for a couple of days on 2 occasions, I'll be 1st visiting Modi'in for Shabbat this weekend and then heading to Ramot near Jerusalem to see an old friend of my Dad's who made aliyah many years go and whom I've visited most of the times i've been in Israel before. I'll also make a day trip to Tel Aviv to catch up with a friend and have a wander round the shops and convince myself I don't need to buy that item even though I really want to. Anyway I probably won't blog again in the next couple of weeks, so if I don't I'd like to wish my blog followers a Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year