London

LONDON

March 14, 2013-March 17, 2013

Thursday: 

Arrangements were made for work, dog, and child so there we sat at Ben Gurion Airport full of anticipation waiting to board British Airways.  Our bags were packed for a quick European getaway;  sunglasses replaced with an umbrella and the sweatshirts and winter jackets ready for one last debut.  The occasion?  Gil's 40th birthday.  Embarking on our 3rd month together, we decided to take the plunge and test our ability to spend nearly 4 full days together out of our typical environment.  I was ready to push our limits and leave our comfort zone.  I truly had no idea how compatible we'd be as travel companions.  Would we want to kill each other?  Would we see each other loose our composure?  Would we argue about decision making?  Would it bring us closer together?  I wasn't sure how we'd survive four full days together without a routine and no real itinerary (except our tickets to Jersey Boys and my surprise birthday dinner reservation).  Time to roll the dice.  

Our first challenge came minutes after landing.  We were all proud that we had managed to successfully land, retrieve our bags, and navigate the train to the Central Park Hotel.  Adjusting to the oh-so familiar winter climate we schlepped our way to the hotel.  Relieved to finally arrive, we pulled out our reservation and attempted to check-in to the beautiful and centrally-located hotel.  Confusion filled the clerk's face as he scanned our reservation and checked the computer.  Shit.  We failed to double-check the address.  There were two Central Park Hotels in London.  "You've got to be kidding me!"  Big ooops.  We were left with no choice but to take a taxi across town to our Central Park Hotel around midnight (2am Israel time).  Luckily it was no one's fault just an oversight on both of our parts.  Lesson learned.  We looked at each other distraught during the 20-minute taxi ride as we ventured further and further away from the center of London.  Not to mention I was completely disoriented over the driving dyslexia I was experiencing for the first time.  Where was the traffic coming from?  Thank you England for printing "look left" and "look right" at each crosswalk.  

Apprehensive to exit the taxi in this dark, quiet, residential neighborhood we checked ourselves into the correct hotel.  The clerk greeted us and walked us across the street to the annexed portion of the "hotel."  The room was fine; renovated and large.  Exhausted, we collapsed in our room scared that we made a huge mistake booking this hotel.  Still unsure of our proximity to London, we contemplated tomorrow's exit strategy over the snores of our neighbor.  Gil wanted to rebook something in the center of town while I suggested calling the Israeli agency for an upgrade.                        

Friday: 

After a few hours of sleep we learned that, in fact, we were only a few train stops away from the center of town.  With Gil waking up 40-years-old in London, we were determined to make it a great day.  Screw the paper-thin, overpriced hotel and off we went with our Oyster cards (i.e. train cards) to explore London.  We took the clerk's advice and exited the train at King's Cross but soon realized that is more of a business district.  After consulting with a few locals and maps, we continued down the Piccadilly line to the Soho and Covent Garden region of London.  We wandered upon Le pain Quotidien, an adorable french cafe that became our regular morning breakfast stop.  There are few things I find more liberating than having hours to walk aimlessly in a vibrant new town.  And I was looking forward to an evening full of surprise and entertainment in celebration of my hunny's big day.  We occasionally popped into a pub or cafe to seek shelter from the cold and warm up with a drink.  After picking up our theater tickets and soaking up the vibes of the Covent Market and Soho, we returned to rest up and change to our "smart" outfits.  I was a bit stressed over the solo navigation mission of getting us to our surprise dinner reservation on time.  I refused to spoil the surprise and tell Gil that we would be dining at his one of his idol's famous restaurants.  We arrived  at chef Gordon Ramsay's Savoy Grill just in time for our reservation and to see the shock and disbelief on Gil's face.  After suffering through hours of Master Chef and Kitchen Nightmares against my will, I soon understood why the guy has multiple restaurants and reality shows allowing him to mold young chefs and make-over failing restaurants.  The service, decor, and menu were exquisite and we enjoyed being pampered like a king and queen.  After a successful solo navigation, I put the former Captain in the Israeli army in charge of getting us to the theater on time.  With umbrella in hand and high heels the two of us ran into the theater to be escorted to our seats 10 minutes into the show.  After enjoying the story of the The Four Seasons and jamming out to their familiar songs we took the train back and passed out.  I'm pretty sure an unforgettable, fun-filled day in London remedied any anxieties of turning 40.

Saturday:

Now feeling quite competent riding the train and finding our way around London, we headed out to our favorite french breakfast cafe in Covent Garden.  With the whole day ahead of us there was no way the cold and rain would keep us in.  Thanks to free wi-fi and our tablets it was decided...off to the Tower of London we would go.  I remembered reading about this place with one of my students and it was just a hop, skip, and a jump away thanks to the sophisticated underground train system.  Undergoing many transformations over the years, The Tower of London was once the fortress of the British nobility, prison, and public killing ground.  Now basically a museum for tourists, we joined the thousands of daily visitors to learn about the history of England (most of which Gil already knew).  I never imagined that I would one day be standing in front of the London Bridge of the famous nursery rhyme, "London Bridge is Falling Down" yet there I stood. 

Too chilled to take the walking Jack the Ripper tour, we decided instead to go for out for Indian food.  Being in London reminded me of how much I miss the diverse ethnic restaurants back home.  The food in Israel is fresh and tasty; however, it's almost impossible to find excellent ethnic restaurants.  Bellies filled with chai and curry, we headed back to the center of town to experience London on a Saturday night.  Wow.  The rain and cold didn't hold anyone back.  The streets were packed with party-goers young and old ready to drink and dance the night away.  Feeling spontaneous, we decided to pop into a Chinese massage parlor for a half hour session before boogying down at a nightclub.  After good food, some history, massages, and dancing we decided to call it a night despite the electricity in the air.       

          

Sunday:

Our last full day in the diverse and vibrant city of London was bittersweet.  We were thrilled to be able to maximize the day before our night flight but were not ready to leave.  We splurged for the third and last cafe breakfast and agreed to head over to the Camden district to explore and have a St. Patrick's day drink.  There we walked around the markets mistakingly trying the street food and toasting to an incredible (but not long enough) trip.  After weaving our way in and out of the markets, we jumped over for a quick visit to the Big Ben clock tower before beginning our departure.

             

       

                                                           

We left London with British accents, energized from the weekend events, and dreading the crash landing back to reality.   After a red-eye flight back home, I somehow dragged myself to work and left my exhausted birthday boy in bed.  It's hard to believe that was only last week.  If turning 40 is inevitable, I highly recommend celebrating in London.    

I guess the fact that I haven't posted since September is indicative of how full my life has become here in the Holyland.  So much happens each day and as I sit here playing hookie from work, I finally have a moment to catch up.

Back in September when I returned from a month visit in Chicago, I instinctually knew that in order to sustain myself long-term in this country I needed to re-arrange a few pieces of the puzzle.  Since my status as a school psychologist was demoted down to an intern level and with salaries in the public sector being as depressed as they are, I knew I needed to supplement my income.  Before I had a chance to put much effort into it, a fellow ex-pat (Jamie), began to forward me her overflow of private English students.  Within a month's time, I saw that private English tutoring was a viable way to stay afloat.  However, since most of my students are school-aged and the prime tutoring hours are from 3-6pm, I found myself spending way too much time on the bus running around to all of my lessons.

I found myself busier than ever with the addition of a handful of private students and my own Hebrew lessons twice a week.  Still maintaining my caseload as a psychologist at three schools, practicing yoga, and dating- I quickly became fatigued.  Not to mention the brief security crisis in Israel involving rockets from Gaza being launched throughout the country (including the Tel Aviv area).  This is a blog entry of its own.  

Analyzing time and money factors brought me to the realization that the only way to maintain my schedule would be to buy a car.  So yeah....cars in Israel are taxed at 100% and are outrageously expensive.  The gas to fuel them, also ridiculous.  I spent a few weeks discussing whether I really wanted the responsibility of car ownership in this country, searching for second hand vehicles, making phone calls, and taking test rides.  Simultaneously, I was running around the country like a chicken with my head cut off transfering my foreign driver's license.  Not like the good ol' DMV where everything is under one roof, Israel decides to make it a 9 step process.  Yes 9 steps.  Including an eye exam at one location, a visit to the doctor, a stamp on a piece of paper at another location, 2 visits to the post office, driving lessons, and a 10- minute rode test at yet another location.  After all was said and done, I finally found Georgia, my 2001 Diahtsu Sirion, and it was an instant love connection.  The previous owner and I wrapped up the deal and set up insurance and the paperwork in 2 days.  

That was at the beginning of December and I haven't looked back.  I cannot describe the appreciation I feel each day knowing that all I needed to do is ride an elevator down 3 stories and there she is waiting for me in my parking spot.  Since then, I freed up a significant amount of time and energy that was being consumed by Israel's public transportation system.  I managed to earn recognition as a basic psychologist (step one of a multiple step process) and meet a special someone.  This topic will be continued......