Habit Forming

So they say that it takes 21-28 days to form habits; one more week and I'm there.  Day 14 in Israel.  Really?  I already have my cell phone, bank account, bus card, apartment, dog park, bus line, oh and a job.  My sentence structure is getting a bit more complete instead of the fragments that I arrived with though I'm still far from totally fluent.  I realized that I've overcome some of the anxiety in speaking that I suffered from the first year that I lived here in 1998 but am more than willing to use my English for convenience.  The more confidence I show, the more willing people are to engage in Hebrew conversations with me. 

Working for the ministry of health in Israel is far from north shore district 112.  Every psychologist that I've met has been so warm and helpful showing tremendous patience and support for my Hebrew.  I'm pleasantly surprised when I communicate in Hebrew and people not only understand my message but encourage my progress.  The structure of working here is like going out for a family style meal.  Offerings of coffee precede any professional conversations and genuine freedom and flexibility are permitted.  Literally, I've been given the amount of hours that I'm employed, my placements, and a supervisor but otherwise I'm free to make all of my own decisions.  I should add the disclaimer that we are still in the initial stages of educational planning for the year and the more intense work begins in October.  In the meantime, I am enjoying the relaxed pace and the hour bus commute with wi-fi. 

I feel like the topic of habit forming wouldn't be complete without writing about city living in Israel.  This will be the hardest part for me to adjust to.  Despite the fact that I am living in a $2000 apartment (all inclusive), we regularly sweep up plaster, tolerate the odor of urine, walk by garbage and bums to enter into the building, live in tight quarters, fill our mini fridge with food only for 1-2 days, wash dishes by hand, and cook with a traveling stove top and toaster oven.  I've poured sour milk from two different cartons of milk purchased within 24 hours and drink instant coffee.  We have remote controlled air conditioning units and a balcony to help us regulate the immense sweat incurred throughout the day.  My legs carry me all over town with my dog and up and down 3 flights of stairs multiple times a day (I've got to believe my pants will soon reflect this!).

So my hour bus ride is almost up.  Signing off for now.

   






 

Assimilation

Though it's not totally true, I can honestly say that I think I know what it feels like to be an immigrant to a country.  And yes, it is cheating since I am an educated American English speaking professional in a country where English is practically a 2nd language.  Regardless, each day I understand more and more of the words spoken around me yet need a translator to accurately complete paperwork.

The discussion in one of my meetings at work today, "Dilemmas of new immigrants."  How a propos.  There were no powerpoint presentation or handouts just a group of psychologists connecting on a personal level and sharing ideas.  The group consisted of 2 or 3 Argentinians, 1 Uruguayian, an Israeli, Brazilian, an American/Israeli blends, and me.  I understood over 50% of the details and most of the concepts spoken yet spoke in English since all but 1 understood me perfectly.  In the first week on the job I see that psychologists working for the clinic here are extremely kind and supportive of one another.  People go out of there way each day to introduce themselves to me and ask if I need anything.  Meetings often start with affectionate greetings and inquiries about one another's families and personal lives.  Loose guidelines are given to us as far as placements and hours and otherwise there seems to be quite a bit of professional freedom allowed.  I will go to my 2 schools this week and try to envision the work that I will be doing there.  People seem to be excited about my certification in Animal Assisted Therapy and suggest that I supervise a student who is studying in this field.  It's too bad Indi isn't better suited for the work since dogs are allowed on public buses here (as long as they wear a muzzle).  Perhaps, I'll give it another try now that we're living a different lifestyle and see if we can put her to work.             

Overall, in my first week I have started a job, opened a bank and cell phone account, unpacked, and found a vet.  Next up is to find a yoga studio and Ulpan. 

Thing missed:  curbside recycling (recycling in general), clean streets,  grass for my dog, reasonably priced everything

Things not missed: sticky wax on fruit, driving, junk mail, the stress of north shore school district 112    

Landed on two feet

Phew.  Luggage breezed through El Al security and the really nice ticket agent even waived the $300 overage fees.  Indi was successfully sedated and stuffed into her cage for the 10 hour flight and was only slightly pissed as she rolled up on the conveyer belt in Tel Aviv.  I was thrilled to see Lironne's glowing face on the other side of customs and thankfully all of my luggage fit into her car and she was willing to share the haul up 45 stairs. 

I knew it.  As soon as I landed into that apartment, the weight would be lifted off my shoulders and indeed it was.  I landed right in the heart of Tel Aviv and would begin the transformation from suburbanite into a big city girl.  Day one I met with my new employer and got the run down on what my responsibilities will be.  Everyone was super friendly, welcoming, and patient with my broken Hebrew.  I'll officially start Sunday the 11th of September.  The jet lag didn't hit as bad as the odors of Tel Aviv.  Between the street cats, feces and urine, garbage dumpsters, and sweat I remember that I have come a long way from the immaculately kept green streets of Highland Park.  Each day (multiple times a day) I take Indi to the Mediterranean Sea to play in the sand.  And she too is training her olfactory system to desensitize to the potent odors of Tel Aviv.  I feel strangely at home with local friends to call and a familiarity of the language and geography.  I'm here 3 days and can already taste the joy of a Mediterranean winter.  Each night I sit on my balcony with a glass of wine and my dog observing my new scenery: cats on rooftops, the shuk, people dining, scooters, bikes, and buses galore.  I made it.  I landed on two feet.  Now let the fun begin.  Off to a rooftop party...




 

Nomadic lifestyles

So I've concluded that I would make a horrible nomad since I struggled to pack my belongings for 1 year into my Toyota Matrix.  For some reason, I now have a better understanding of the statement "Americans live big."  We live in big homes with big closets, drive around in big cars, purchase in quantity from places like Costco and Target, eat supersized meals, and shop in stores that carry XXXX large sizes.  And I am an American (born and raised) so I have been subjected to this socialization process however, closing up shop here for a year has raised some questions for me.  I was forced to take inventory of all of my belongings since I needed to account for them for my year abroad and was slightly horrified.  I admittedly found: over 10 pairs of jeans, 10 pairs of black slacks (and white slacks for that matter), a collection of T-shirts that could easily dress me for a month without doing laundry, an enormous miscelaneous category that I prefer to ignore, and just an obscene amount of half used and unopened toiletrees.  This list in nowhere near complete.  This process brought me to some healthy self-reflection and cause for concern over American priorities.  Granted I'm one person who lived in a 2 bedroom townhouse with basement, garage, and huge yard so nothing really made me seem like a hoarder; however my consumerism definitely runs strong.   

Being a middle class American working in a stressful environment, earning a healthy salary just to maintain a mortgage, car, pay off student loans, and be a good American consumer created a busy void.  I had a very comfortable routine consisting of driving my 5 minute commute to and from work and then using my membership to the health club for yoga and spending time at the local dog park.


To Be Continued.............