Living in the present: Its all about me

So this week has been a ME kind of week... I've had a few lazy days (which after last weeks intensive travel is a total necessity!) and a lot of time to think through "things". I went for a long walk today on the beach and then by the Yarkon River park (which btw has been totally renovated and is beautiful). Tel Aviv has become a magnificent city. Its definitely not the same place it was when I was a child. The architecture is also incredible. There is always something to look at. I feel like I walk through the city with the widest open eyes. There is a bauhaus tour that leaves every Saturday at 11 a.m. from Rothschild Street and I really want to take it one of these days. I kind of wish that before I came here I would've bought myself a Lonely Planet guide for Israel so it would've given me a little more of the behind-the-scenes info to check out.

Monday night I went to the wedding of my friend Jamie Billow. It was definitely fun! I got to see some people I havent seen in a long time. Israeli weddings are quite interesting. Not that I've been to so many to critique it, but I find it fascinating to see the similarities and many differences between a Jewish wedding here and at home. I think the thing that stands out the most is how rude the audience is during the actual wedding ceremony. Everyone was having their own personal side conversation and they were LOUD. It was shocking. I mean, even thinking back to this summer when I officiated Jill's wedding. Had people been talking that would have been so distracting!! Anyway, the bride and groom seemed so happy and so in love and that is the best part of any wedding!

The best news of the week is that yesterday on March 20th (almost 2 months after I opened up a bank account in Israel) I finally got a correct password to the account!! So now, I can finally take out money. How ridiculous is that?! Two months... geez. On Monday my mom told me that I can go to a teller and use the card without having a password. That magical sentence could have been helpful much earlier, however when I went to go and do that I found that I waited 45 MINUTES until someone could help me. The whole take out money experience lasted a whole minute and a half. Apparently only one person works as a teller at the MAIN BRANCH of the bank in TEL AVIV. That makes sense, right? As my mother would say..."welcome to Israel, have a nice day."

One more side jab. I finally got my insurance information this week too. In case you were all wondering, I apparently changed my last name too. The insurance info reads, "Leehe Mata Kon" What part of the world do you think I come from with that name?? Suggestions are welcomed. Maybe that place should be my next getaway destination.

In all seriousness though, this week has been kind of hard. I am faced with many questions about my future. I am unsure of what I want to do. Its hard to feel connected to two places at once. When I am here I feel so American, when I am home I feel so Israeli. Its almost a comedy of errors... Why do we torment ourselves with our own decisions? I know that I came here to see if this was a place I would want to live. On one hand I can see that life. I know that with time I can create a life for myself here and be happy. On the other hand, I can see how hard it is to live here, the challenge of being able to support myself, live in the city, have a life, be financially independent from my parents. Those are things that I have easily in Chicago. And on the other hand, when I think about Chicago, I miss my city, my home, my family, its a place that I don't want to be apart from. And how do you choose?

For now, I am content with continuing to figure it out. One day at a time.

I'll end with some good words of wisdom I was given this week from my scholarly friend Phillip. He said, "Leehe, Be good to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Your soul needs it."

Here are some pics from this week.

This is one of Eva's sculptures that was in an exhibit in Tel Aviv, one of four that she had in the exhibit

The beautiful Tel Aviv beach

This is at the port. There is a small airport called Sde Dov nearby and the plane was just about to land

HaYarkon River Park

This sign says, "No Swimming" but there isnt even enough water to swim in? Maybe to wade in...

HaYarkon Park, Tel Aviv

This is part of a city wide effort to get dog owners to clean up after their dogs. Its kind of repulsive that in the year 2012 there are still people who let their dogs shit all over the city. The sidewalks are full of poop. You almost have to dodge it sometimes.