Weekend with Eliad and Miryam (separately)

After I got back from Yachini, I started to make the long trek up to Tiberias to see Eliad. He and his family spent Pesach in a hotel right on the Kinneret and I decided to show up to crash the family vacation. I only had to take 2 different busses but it still took a little over 5 hours to get there from Dimona. When I finally got there and met up with Eliad, we walked around so I could find something to eat and he caught me up on what has been going on back home.


Danna was able to capture this wonderful moment on film.

Over Shabbat we hung out in the hotel with Danna, played some poker with their cousins and some random Israelis and I taught Eliad how to play Shesh-Besh (backgammon, Andrea you'd be so proud!). I couldn't believe that neither he nor Danna knew how to play. Their Israeli parents clearly neglected their education. Speaking of parents, after knowing Eliad for about 5 years or so, I finally met his father! I think it's getting pretty serious.

After Shabbat we walked around on the "tayelet" (I'm not sure if I consider half a block of touristy shops a tayelet) and I ran into Shira Lee! Such a small world.

On Sunday I got on a bus to head back to Dimona when I got a call from Miryam. Originally I was going to spend the last day of Pesach with her, but there were already too many people so I was just going to spend it in the village. But Miryam called and said there was now room so I got off the bus in Herzliyya. I made my way to the beach where she and Debbie were hanging out and worked on my tan with them for a while.

That night, after shul, we all went to dinner at one of their friends' houses and I was immediately made aware at both that Israeli dress attire is not the same as American/British olim dress attire. Not too big of a deal, but I still like the Israeli casual dress better.

The next day the Dreyfuss' hosted everyone. We ate, played risk, ate and then went over to see Noam Chazzan. Apparently that whole neighborhood of Herzliyya Pituach is a replanting of everyone from a specific London suburb. At Noam's Miryam and her cousin Gali taught me how to play a Swiss-German cardgame that was very similar to hearts and then I was talked into playing soccer. It quickly became clear to everyone that I was American when I attempted to play.

After Shabbat Miryam dropped me off at the bus-stop so I could wait for the bus to Tel-Aviv. But after 45 minutes, it became pretty clear that the bus wasn't coming. Gali and her new husband were going to Tel-Aviv anyway and they offered to take me with them and they just dropped me off at the train station. Although of course by that time I had missed the train I wanted to take. I ended up getting back to Be'er Sheva at around 1 am, when there were not buses to Dimona but Loren was nice enough to let me crash at his place.

Today I came back to Dimona in the morning so I could get some work done before classes start up again tomorrow. But when I got to the village Orr was sitting there with a puppy named Mocha that she found, so clearly, I didn't get nearly as much done as I had hoped. She's looking for someone to adopt Mocha so if you're interested or know anyone, let me know!