New friends

I have so much to tell that I don't even know where to start.
Last week started like all the other weeks... Nothing special... I had my Hebrew class on Sunday, and then on Tuesday we went to a Hanuka celebration only for Israelis and their partners. I met some ppl I already know, and also a nice Israeli guy, who lives here with his German girlfriend. It was nice to meet new ppl, and make friends. On Thursday he called and we met for a coffee, and it was so weird for me to talk in Hebrew in a public place! (first time for me here to do that). While we talked I got an SMS from my Tandem partner. I'm not sure I wrote about it here, but I was looking for a Tandem partner in the last few weeks, someone local I can practice my German with, someone that is interested in learning and practicing Hebrew. I was surprised to even get an e-mail back from this girl (girl? she's not a girl anymore... how would you call a young woman of 30? woman sounds so old to me...). Anyway to get to the point: she SMSed me on Thursday, asking if I can meet her the same evening, I obviously said yes, what else do I have to do??? I met her in a really nice cafe and it was so great! She's a really interesting and nice person. She just finished her med studies and now she's specializing in psychiatry. She spent 2 years of her life volunteering in Israel as a nurse, and learned Hebrew. We talked the whole time only in German, which was really really nice, and I was so proud of myself... The thing that was funny was that even though usually I speak better German when I'm drunk, this time this wasn't the case... As I drank more I made more mistakes... And that helped me feel more relaxed about talking with mistakes. It was the first time I realized, or better say: felt, that I can make mistakes in German and the world will not fall apart. It was not just an exercise for my language skills, but also a lesson in perfectionism, or rather- against it.
So that was Thursday, and then came Friday, as usual I went to school and at night we went to a party at the dorms. Was a boring party, and in the end we found ourselves in the dorms' club, which as usual was way too loud and way too smelly from cigarettes... After an hour or two I was dying to go home and breath some normal air...
On Saturday we went to Königstein which is a castle not far from here, in Sächsische Schweiz (swiss Saxony in German). There's a mid-evil x-mas market on top of the hill in the castle, and it was a nice experience, even though we already attended the mid-evil x-mas market here in Dresden. Of course we mostly ate there all kinds of "mid-evil" food, and drank some nice Glühwein (hot wine with fruit and spices). In the evening we went to the mall, not to shop but to watch the Hanuka candle lightning of the Jewish community, met some more ppl, and went with A the Israeli, his German girlfriend J and a couple of new guys (E the Israeli and M the Italian) to a cool Italian chain restaurant. The concept of this restaurant is that you get a plastic card, on which you charge everything you order, you serve yourself, and in the end you pay at the cashier at the exit. The food there is really good, especially the Pizzas, only the drinks are a bit too expensive...
That's it for now, I really need to study, but have no Lust (passion in German, they use to say that they feel or don't feel like doing something, I have Lust for... or I have no Lust for...). I ate 3 Sufganiyot (the Jewish donuts for Hanuka) already, I never eat more than one a year, and 3- that's really too much! oh well, it's not like I eat these things on a regular basis.
Still don't know what to buy for Rob's brothers and dad for x-mas (I have to think about something for him too...) it's so hard to buy for men!!! Any ideas will be welcomed...
Suppose to get my first paycheck from the Hebrew lessons kinda soon, it's not much money- but it's something and it's nice :-)
Hope to have another nice week now, wish you all a good one too...

When you can't say the word "Degrees" (plural) - it means it is COLD

The "Hanukia" I made by myself - just like in kindergarten...

Last Friday I invited some friends for a Hanukkah dinner. Out of the 5 of us we were 2 Jewish ppl that really knew what this is about, and in the end- we had a really nice evening. I made the special food for it, and we lit up the candles. I always enjoy indoor parties and dinners a lot. Sometimes I would defiantly prefer them over going out to a club or pub.
This last weekend had blue skies and less than 5°c... In the evenings it got down to 1°c - which is very freezing for me- especially when the sun is not out and there's a wind... But today it's a bit better, I try to wear more clothes (I'm becoming Chinese in another way- wearing another layer under my pants...) and then I feel rather fine... As long as it doesn't get colder than this (from my experience it doesn't get a lot colder) I'll be fine. The thing is that the houses and buildings are really not isolated - and the AC's really don't help in these low temperatures. We often turn both our AC's on for hours- and last Friday Rob and I were shopping for dinner - and he bought "me" my Hanukkah present- a small fan look alike radiator heater (it's the cutest thing- and it really warms you up- but you have to be kinda close to it).

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This Saturday evening I talked to my family over Skype- and saw them in the web cam. I know it's no big deal, Rob and I had a whole relationship based on that for more than a year, but when I saw my grandma and my little brother - that was really cool. Apparently until they fixed the Skype on my dad's computer, and installed the web cam in it - My little bro Daniel was so excited and couldn't wait to see me on the screen. When they finally called, and they could see me and hear me- he was totally hyperactive and didn't stop telling me: "I love you, I love you!!!" (he's not even six...). My other brother Gil (who's almost 4) was already asleep- and I hope that I'll be able to see him next weekend... I asked Daniel if he wants to call me the next morning too (they have a Hanukkah vacation) since it's Sunday here- and on Sundays we don't work or study (as apposed to Israel- there Sunday is the first day of the week) he said: "OK, but it CAN NOT take so long as today!!! I'm going to the vacation's activities in kindergarten and I have to leave the house early!!!" LOL I laughed so much... He's such a clever kid - talking to him is so interesting, I can almost talk to him about anything.
I'll try to give more of he's pearls if I have some in the future... It's unbelievable how much I miss my siblings. A LOT.

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Rob's leaving tomorrow night - going home for Christmas. I'm gonna have 10 days alone in which I don't have school for 3 days, and 1 weekend and one Saturday- meaning out of the 10 days alone- I don't have school for 6 days. I hope I won't bore myself to death... All of my friends here are gone for the holiday - and I seriously do not know what I'll do with that time (did someone say study? NO WAY come on - do you know me at all???)

Happy Hanukah

Tomorrow's Hanukah. Used to be my favorite holiday when I was a kid. It's supposed to remind us that the Hebrew ppl in Israel won over the Greek thousands of years ago. OK not a lot of thousands but a few... The story tells that after the victory the big temple was ruined and the Menorah - a big lamp with 7 candle spots (one for each day of the week) was the only thing left. As well they found a small jug with oil to lit the Menorah up. There was so little oil left that they were sure it's not gonna last for long- but then it lasted for 8 days. We call it the miracle of Hanukah, and the holiday is also called in Hebrew the holiday of light. We celebrate it by lighting candles every evening in the Hanukia, or Menorah (that's how Jews outside of Israel call it) every night we lit one more candle- for 8 days, to remind us of the miracle. The special food is everything that is fried in a lot of oil- like big puffed donuts with jam inside.
I used to like it so much especially coz of the candles lighting up in the evening - standing proud next to the window until they're gone. It's usually in December and the darkness outside, the winter- which I always disliked to a certain extent- would go away and make room for light, fire, warmth and the colors of the candles. Kids in this holiday get 8 presents - one for each day- usually some chocolate, or a Dradle (a spinning toy with the Hebrew letters saying- "A big miracle happened here" - or "there" if you're not in Israel) to play with. When we got older we usually got a bit of money from our parents and close family.
The last time I was in China- 2 years ago - I met my later to be best friends here on a Hanukah celebration with the Jewish community. I remember I only arrived here 2-3 weeks earlier and decided to go to the celebration - to meet new ppl. I realized that here if you don't make the effort- you'll never make friends. Even things that at home seem absurd and too straight forward- like calling someone you don't know and saying: "hey I got your number from this and that and I'd like to meet" this kinda thing here would totally make sense. That time I didn't celebrate Hanukah in any way at home- but this time - I decided that I want to. It's weird- coz then I was living alone and basically lived life the way I wanted to- and now I'm living with Rob- who's not even Jewish and I decide to do it... LOL
But I thought it would be nice - I do it with no religious feelings, more than that- I think one of the reasons I love this holiday so much is because in the whole story "God" is not mentioned even once- which makes it easier for me to relate to.

I didn't have a Hanukia here so I decided to make one of my own the same way we used to in kindergarten. I bought paint and painted some old candle holders (like the ones you get with burner candles). I bought candles at the Jewish community and I'm ready to go. I'm waiting for a reply from Charles - one of those good friends I made last time I was here - and I hope he'll come with his girlfriend and join us for a Hanukah dinner.

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I've noticed how much I enjoy cooking lately. I've always liked it, and I've tried cooking all sorts of stuff in the last 2 years of living alone, and obviously have cooked stuff at my moms. Every now and then I would have had a project and cooked something interesting for all of us. But now- I really have someone to cook for- and if I wont cook something that is more than simple paste, then... hmmm... no one will or at least- untill we cook together it'll be so late in the evening we will starve (I feel obliged to say here that Rob likes cooking- and I really like it when he does). I don't have an oven here - so I'm chalenging myself with stove cooking only. I think after these 6 months I'll be a master...

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I watched a movie last week - I got it from Liya. It's called Garden State. It took me a bit of time to get into it but when I did- I was captured forever... It gave me a sense of reality, especially because it has such a real life - weird story... Yes yes- there is such a thing as real but weird. I'm putting a link here to the movie's website- you can check it out- I especially loved the soundtrack (it plays on the website a bit for your enjoyment) and I haven't stopped listening to it over and over in the last few days...

Garden State (2004)

And here's a bit of trivia about it - but you shouldn't read it if you haven't watched yet- to my opinion it'll mean nothing to you...

Garden State Trivia