Keeping It Israel

This post wanders here and there. At the end of the day, it is more about advancing the plot than character development. You have been warned.

Last Friday we signed a contract with Gan Betnua (motion?) where Aviva will be going each day starting in September. It is a shade under fifteen minutes from the apartment, but more importantly we all had a good feeling about the staff, facility, and programming that we saw. Adena visited another gan for comparison purposes, but Gan Betnua seemed much more structured and transparent. It also gives us an excuse to walk down to the Louis Promenade overlook each day. The babysitter (nanny?) we hired is working out very well and the girls seem to really like her. This is easy for them in part because her name is Laura. She brings props to engage Aviva in imaginative play, took her to the beach (more later), and even built a blanket fort with the girls last week. The grounds crew heavily pruned the tree outside the office Bev is using at the Technion and he can now watch people coming and going through the window (below).

Aside from the car issues and problems with our bank, things are fine. We have even gotten used to going to the grocery store every other day. Luckily our landlord left one of the handy carts (I’m sure there is a name for it) below in the storage room.

Friday afternoon Millie took Bev and Aviva on a tour of the Haifa Zoo. She knows it well from daycamp.

We were able to see most of the zoo in about an hour and a half. This includes the lions, stork, and fennec fox shown here.

Afterwards, we stopped at Gan HaEm (mother’s park) which is located right at the zoo entrance. The girls enjoyed the playground and I poked around a bit. Apparently this park was funded by Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, and his wife.

There is also a carousel donated by a gentleman from Los Angeles, but I don’t think he is famous. It reminded me of the playground at the Jerusalem Zoo that was funded by billionaire Illinois gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker. There are a few sculptures at the park, but I thought this one was particularly interesting.

It is entitled “Motherhood” and even if you walk all the way around it, you cannot tell exactly where the mother’s body and the baby’s body begin and end. Later it occurred to me that that is probably the point the artist was trying to make.

As we walked home we passed one of the many kiosks on the street selling lottery tickets. Each of the kiosks has lottery ball monsters on top (below), and I wonder if the lottery administrators were trying to be ironic, cheeky, or both with this design feature.

On Saturday we went to the beach. Spending three to four hours there is becoming part of our Shabbat routine and this week we tried Carmel Beach as an alternative to Dado Beach.

There are wooden structures along the designated swimming areas at the Haifa beaches that provide shade, but they fill up quickly. If you want a prime spot under one of these structures, you probably need to arrive before 8:00 am, which is impossible for us. Fortunately, the north side of Carmel Beach was blocked last weekend, which meant that we were still able to get a shady spot there when we arrived at 8:45 am. There is more sand at Carmel Beach and south side is protected from the waves by the north-south jetty shown on the map, which makes swimming easier. There was a sulphur smell in part of the of swimming area and the seaweed was heavy in places, but it was nice. The chorus of the song “Santa Monica” kept playing in my head and although it was crowded, everybody seemed genuinely happy to be swimming along together.

“We can live beside the ocean
Leave the fire behind
Swim out past the breakers
Watch the world die”

According to the supercomputer from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the answer to the ultimate question of life is 42. Today happens to be my birthday and it also happens to be my 42nd birthday. I often plan “adventure days” for the girls over school breaks where I take one of them and do some new things in a new place. This is a good way to have one-on-one time with them, but also to do it in a way that is exciting for me. I decided to plan an “adventure day” for myself today. After we dropped Millie off at daycamp, I went back to the apartment and gathered my things: a few snacks, four containers of water (two of them frozen), and the camera. I walked down to the trailhead on Lotus Street (below) and was on my way.

The descent was pretty quick and the first thing I noticed was the quiet—nothing but birds and an occasional flying insect. As I walked along the rocky terrain, it occurred to me that I was hiking alone and that I had better be careful because a twisted ankle or broken leg means you can’t walk out of here. In other words “Don’t panic”. The trail was clearly marked (below center and right) and the view changed as I made my way down.

After walking for about an hour, I noticed that the rock had become smoother and lighter. There were even a few caves in the hillside and I hiked up to the one shown below.

As I neared the end of the trail, I heard water trickling and saw what looked like an otter. Apparently this area was used by Carmelite monks (hermits?) a long time ago and they dug narrow irrigation channels to make use of the the water from the two springs nearby.

At the very end of the trail, there is a nice view of the water and you can see the minarets of the mosque on the ridge. It took about 80 minutes from start to finish, which is not bad for a 42 year old!

From there I caught the bus over to Bat Galim at the city’s northernmost edge. I admired the cable cars moving people from the beach up to the monastery above.

I checked out the cable car station at the beach, but decided to save it for another day. The cars are much smaller up close than when they are zooming past and there was absolutely nobody else in the station at the time. I wasn’t brave enough to ride alone. Instead I walked over to Elijah’s Cave but mostly poked around the actual cave entrance. There are signs out front that say “This is a holy place” and “Dress modestly” (thanks Google Translate!). I wasn’t sure if my cargo shorts and t-shirt met the standard for modesty and I was too afraid to ask the lady in the colorful headwrap seated by the entrance. Here are a few photos though.

From there I walked the Bat Galim promenade, stopped to eat the snacks I had packed on a shady bench, and was approached by this little bird.

I walked to the end of the promenade, snapping photos as I went, then boarded another bus.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The German Colony is a neighborhood of Haifa that was originally settled in the mid-19th Century by Lutherans (Templers) from Germany. It is situated at the base of the Bahá’í gardens and the streetscapes are a little different. The balconies reminded me a little of New Orleans. I even passed a combination laundry and cafe establishment (coming soon to your neck of the woods!).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We had plans to meet some friends from Champaign-Urbana who are originally from Israel this evening in a town about an hour away, but when we piled into the car it wouldn’t start. This is the second time we have had to call the rental company in the past four days, but they eventually sent someone out to (I think) replace the battery. Our dinner plans didn’t work out out, but we were able to enjoy some birthday cake.

This was maybe the best birthday cake I have ever tasted. We are already trying to find an excuse to buy another cake from them over the coming months. Turns out that “Don’t panic” is pretty good advice and turning 42 is not so bad.

I love Israel. I have been waiting a long time to be back and I am so happy to be here and have this amazing opportunity to be here for an extended period of time. Still, there are times when Israel tests that love (and I am not getting political here). It is the rental car company that insists that the car we are renting from them does not exist (what?!); it is the car that zooms by us on the left when their lane is ending but honks as if we are in the wrong; it is the person honking rudely in the parking lot wanting our space but we are not leaving…. yes there is a vehicle theme here. And yet, what we have noticed is that for every day that is full of frustration, the next one is completely the opposite. I have to remind myself that it is crazy to think that moving to a new city will not have its challenges.

So on the plus side, Millie is really loving her new day camp, at the Haifa zoo, which is a 10 -15 minute walk from out apartment. (I love being able to walk to almost everything, even despite the hills!) She gets to care for the animals each morning, has an adopted hamster to care for (which she named Parsley – Melanie D., that one is for you!), and has a special activity each day. We have never seen her so excited about camp before.

And we have so far been happy with our “nanny” for Aviva. She is kind and responsible, and comes ready with games that she brings from home. Our current challenge is finding a good gan (daycare/preschool) for Aviva. We visited one on Friday and just want to visit another one for a comparison (that’s Aviva in the pink. below).

Bev is settling in with a work routine at the Technion and will be starting ulpan (language immersion) for 3.5 hours per day next week.

I do miss Jerusalem. I miss my relatives, the non-humidity (it is crazy-humid here), Tachana Rishona (First Station), passing by the view of the Old City every day, the falafel shop in my aunt and uncle’s neighborhood. But I like Haifa and look forward to getting to know it better each week.

After dinner we all took a leisurely walk to the Louis Promenade. It was about 6:30 pm and the heat of the day was dissipating, but the breeze coming off the water felt nice anyway. The view of Haifa Bay was breathtaking. In the hazy photos below you can see the waterfront with the unmistakable Sail Building (left) and the Shrine of the Báb (right), which is part of the Bahá’í gardens complex.

We only walked a portion of the Yefe Nof, or “beautiful view”, but plan to do more exploring this weekend. Here are two more pictures of the view facing north and of us walking back toward the apartment.

Supposedly you can see Lebanon on a clear day, but that would be about 25 miles in the distance. That seems unlikely. Stay tuned!

Chicago has been described as “the city that works” due to its historical role as an industrial center in the States. In Israel, it has been said that “Jerusalem prays, Tel Aviv plays, and Haifa works”. We’re planning to spend the final two weeks of our trip in Tel Aviv, completing the trifecta.

Located along the northern coast, Haifa still has a working port that is visible from the steep slopes of Mt. Carmel. We got up early on Sunday, packed the two cars (because a Kia Picanto can barely fit one suitcase in its trunk), and said goodbye to Jerusalem (for now). The drive north was uneventful and took about two hours. The Hyundai i10 we rented had more pep and better gas mileage than the Picanto.

We had a leisurely breakfast at the Lehem Erez cafe on Moriya Boulevard. The food was good and a female patron who was smoking outside offered to put out her cigarette after the kids complained about the smell. She’ll thank them in twenty years.

We got the keys to our apartment, Bev moved the suitcases up three flights of stairs, then we rushed across town to return the second rental car. It was not a fun experience. It was unclear how to actually get into the Budget facility and Bev had to hunt for a full service gas station after a debacle at the Delek station: we had to return the rental car with a full tank and you need a Teudat Zehut in order to buy gas. Deep breaths. At the Budget return facility we had to show pictures of the dent in the rental car door (with timestamp) to avoid paying for damage, then sprinted to the municipal parking office downtown. The streets are so windy and the steepness makes it a little unclear where downtown is, but all that really mattered was the clerk was surprisingly nice and helpful.

We had lunch at this great restaurant nearby, but only after walking down an incredible number of stairs toward the water.

Here’s a picture of us trying to walk back up with full bellies. San Francisco has nothing on Haifa in terms of hills and steps. It is very humid here and it doesn’t take long to get drenched with sweat. For example, it is 84 degrees with 69% humidity, so it feels like 92 degrees right now.

The apartment is great, with plenty of room if you want to visit over the next couple of months. There is a mid-sized supermarket and post office a few minutes down the street. There are several parks nearby and just over the hill is the city center with the auditorium, restaurants, and shops. The Louis Promenade is a fifteen minute walk and the Baha’i Gardens are a twenty minute walk. The Haifa Zoo is maybe seven minutes away and Millie will be doing a trial week of their summer camp starting this Sunday.

On Monday, Bev took the bus to the Technion and picked up the key to an office vacated by a faculty member who is currently abroad. He located the library, figured out WiFi, and found a kumkum for making Turkish coffee. The person who handles visas, parking, and library access is out of town this week, so more patience is required. We also interviewed two nanny candidates and made an appointment to visit a preschool near the apartment for Aviva on Friday morning. Apparently, sign up for ganim happened about two months ago and most things are full ☹️.

Being in Haifa is working out, but true to the saying, everything has been a lot of work.

Stumbled upon a hip-hop dance showcase this afternoon. I haven’t heard Brand Nubian songs in about twenty years (which grabbed my attention) and these guys were good. Maor and Josh (their names were on the back of their shirts) did their thing for at least half an hour. Here’s a little taste:

Aviva really loved it, and so did the other kids. There doesn’t seem to be any censorship of song lyrics here on the radio or in public places. Really fun though.

We are inching closer to a milestone. On Sunday we will have been in Israel for four weeks. Millie began her day camp program and seems to be having a nice time. She says she hasn’t learned any new Hebrew words, but has made at least two friends (Zoey and Logan) who are likely also Americans. Adena has progressed to the point where she doesn’t turn on the GPS to drive the three miles or so to drop her off. Pickup is at three and Bev usually takes the girls to the playground at Schiff Garden across the street (after getting popsicles every-other-day at the bodega a few blocks down). Here’s a fun photo of “Abba’s Corner” near the day camp with an insightful inscription at the bottom.

Bev has been working a few hours in the morning and an hour or so at night. Adena’s work day is from eleven to six, and so this week Bev and Aviva have been adventuring while Millie was at camp. We drove to the mall, parked, and picked up a dongle to recharge our bus pass cards without having to visit an official kiosk. We took the bus to the Islamic Museum for Art and had a great time. Bev’s favorite was the khamsa exhibit and Aviva got to make one of her own in the museum workshop.

This week was also July Fourth. Typically we are either with grandma and grandpa or savta and saba on the Fourth, which already made it different. Since it is a regular day here, Millie went to day camp and the rest of us checked out the Israel Aquarium.

The headlines from America have been worrisome. It seems that the general political mood has shifted darker in the month that we’ve been away, and that added to the weirdness of this July Fourth week. For what it’s worth, the New York Yankees and American Eagle clothing line are hugely popular here. More popular than you would imagine, so maybe that’s something.

Today Bev took the girls to the Israel Museum by bus. Including walk time to the stop, it was over an hour of travel time to go 3.75 miles. Of course when we got there we walked through the ocean-sized parking lot out front! We didn’t have much time there as the museum closes at two on Fridays, but we enjoyed the model of the Second Temple and the sculpture garden, both represented below.

Surprisingly, the girls also really liked the fashion exhibit and the one archaeological collection we were able to see. On the way out, we walked through the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and it was really cool. The bus ride home was broken up with a stop by the lions fountain at Bloomfield Park, then a quick stop at Liberty Bell Park across the street.

Next weekend we will be moving up to Haifa into the apartment we are renting. We are all excited to begin this next chapter of our big adventure and it will be nice to have our own space and more regular schedules. The landlord says the apartment was just renovated and his wife asked again how old our kids are… something tells me we may not get our security deposit back. We have rented a second car for the drive up because there is not room in ours for the four suitcases and the four Wilsons. Everyone is getting ready for Shabbat here and things are slowing down. Bev plans to go running tomorrow morning (he should be adjusted to the elevation by now) and we have been invited for lunch at Judy Brown’s home, who is an old friend of Adena’s family. It should be relaxing.

In Israel, the work week begins on Sunday. Most things close by two or three on Friday for Shabbat, so life follows a very different rhythm here than it does back home. Millie started day camp Sunday morning, which meant the four of us taking two buses across town to make the 7:45 am kickoff (and we made it!).

She is in a mixed group of second graders where some of the kids speak Hebrew and some speak English. The dropoff went smoothly, then the remaining three of us boarded another bus to pick up the rental car we had reserved. Just to let you know, it worked out in the end, but the Kia Picanto in the picture below was hard-won.

The “rental association” we used to make the reservation presents itself as specifically catering to English speakers (it is called iAnglo), but they do not seem to have a brick-and-mortar location. The ordeal began when we walked into the Lease4U storefront, and the gentleman behind the desk informed us that he only spoke “ktzat” or “a little” English. Over two hours later we were rolling.

Adena has been particularly stressed about driving in Jerusalem. Cousin Kayli’s husband Ziv told us to block out all of the noise and just drive. So far that advice has worked. Now if we could just break the habit of using our turn signals everything would be “beseder”.

Adena was able to meet up with some old friends at a cafe on her day off.

At three it was time to pick Millie up from day camp. She had a good first day and at the urging of one of the parents, we picked up anti-lice conditioner for the girls on the way home. We learned later that she misplaced her swim goggles on Day 1 and her t-shirt on Day 2. There is a large park across street with three or four playground areas, which is great because camp ends at three but Adena works until six. One of them has this spherical climbing structure that we have seen at many of the playgrounds here.

The shades stretched above the playground really help with the sun and the bird droppings.