The return

Hey!
Last night we got back from a 9 day visit in Israel, in which we had a big wedding celebration. The evening went really well, it was short and fun.
The week after that we spent with Rob's family traveling around Israel.
In the first few days the weather was just shit. really. It didn't stop raining, and the temperatures were really low for the season. I couldn't believe it. We were there on the only 4 days that it rained in this month. It was warm and sunny before and after we were there. That was really annoying.
At least we got about 2 nice days, and spent them on the dead sea and in Tel-Aviv.
We both feel like this visit was too short, and that we didn't get to do what we like doing when we're there. We were basically tour guides, and went from one place to another very often.
We were so busy all the time, it felt like we don't get to see or do anything. I would have loved to stay there for another few days, just in Haifa and in Tel-Aviv, enjoy the sun, the people, the food and all. But we had to go back home...
Hopefully we'll have a nice visit next time, which will really be considered as a holiday...

and to something totally different:

I have really happy news,

I passed the exam!!!

But since I already missed this semester, I guess I'll have to sign up to the next one and start one semester later than I wanted. On the one had I feel like it's a serious waste of time, and on the other hand I feel like it's going to be good for me to have a semester off of studying hard after a year like that. So I'll try to get the most out of this free semester.

Next week we're getting our new sofa bed, which we ordered more than 2 months ago. Everything takes ages in this country. really.

So have a great week you all,

it's always weird going back to work after so long that I haven't been there.

The world after the exam

Yesterday I had my exam. Hopefully the last one on my way to a Masters... I have a good feeling about it, but you never know how petty people are about the answers, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see... I only need a bit more than 50% to pass it, and now I'm crossing my fingers, hoping I did...

Right now I'm so tired, so exhausted, I think I haven't felt so tired in months really... All the pressure of the wedding and this exam just comes out as if it were Lava from a volcano...
Tomorrow I plan on sleeping in as long as I want, since I'm only working in the evening. I hope that will be the solution to this tiredness.

Now we have to start taking care of things that we left for after my exam. Like writing thank you cards for all the people who came to celebrate our wedding and party with us, like planning the wedding party in Israel, which is getting closer and closer, like maybe even printing a small wedding album, like helping Rob's family plan their trip to Israel and so on... The list doesn't end.

So I'm still alive, didn't go anywhere :-)

Now that I have time (and went shopping and bought myself some after-exam-nice-clothes) I really feel like cooking and baking!!! The Jewish holidays are coming, and I hope I have someone to host here and cook for. After a few experiences of doing such holidays at Jewish communities, I realized that I prefer doing it with a small group of ppl, whom I love and enjoy being with, and I totally enjoy home made food better than the kind that ppl make in masses for a big holiday dinner at the community.

Anyone up for a Gefüllte Fish?

Bestanden

That means: "Passed".


I passed the exam!!!!


YAY!!!!


Now it means that I have to start studying for my next one.... oh well....

I'm a bad blogger. I know.

Here I am sitting at home, not doing much, cleaning the house a bit (finally), backing cookies (will put pictures too), eating too many cookies, planning stuff (will tell you about at some point, not the time yet), and basically just doing nothing. Oh yeah, I also go to work everyday... lol...
It's unbelievable how easy it is to do nothing all morning. Just do nothing special. Just waste time...

The exam was ok... Rob sat with me the whole weekend before it, and helped me recite it all a million times. In the end of the day- he was so exhausted! I can't blame him... I awe him at least half of my points, that's for sure! and now all I have to do is wait for about 2 months and see if I actually passed. I only need over 50% to pass- so lets all cross our fingers very tight and hope for the best!

So... other than that nothing new. Rob and I are going to Israel in 10 days, for 9 days. We're gonna be at Nadav's wedding- and just see family and friends. Haven't been there in 6 months, and I feel like it's really about time I go...

Here are some pictures of the cookies I made- it's the easiest cookies to make in the world, and they are so dangerous! I can't stop eating them! All you need is puff pastry dough (like in this link) and sugar. Nothing else. I also added cinnamon to half of it, but you don't have to.

In German they're called "Pigs ears"


In Hebrew some call them the same


But some call them "Elephant ears".
(Pigs aren't Kosher! lol)

What a headache

Literally. I have a headache. I guess it's from studying for my exam, which is in a week from now. I can't start explaining how much it makes me stressed. Writing a whole exam in German seems way beyond my abilities.

Anyway- that's the reason I'm not writing here so much, but after the exam I promise to give a nice update.

Till then- diving back to my books,

wish me luck.

I'm in

Yes! I passed this exam!!! and got in to the free course that the uni here offers!!!
This saves me a lot of money and makes me a student of the uni! I'm really glad about it...

Next Monday I start- and it's a really full plan... 5 days a week the whole morning and three times in the afternoons. I'm lucky that the afternoon classes don't clash with my Yoga...

So here I am, gonna be really busy from next week, not sure if I love the idea of not having time for anything, but I'm waiting to see how my teachers are, if they're nice or not...

That's it, nothing else is new,

Have a great weekend ppl!

Arts & Crafts

Hello you all!
Last Friday I got the results to my exam. As I expected, I passed, I even got a "2" which is like the American "B" (well, kind of). I'm happy with it, and now I started the second course (with the same teachers and except for 3 ppl- the same students). My Chilean friend passed as well- and now she's in my class, and I'm really happy for her, coz she used to be in my old class, and as you already know- it sucked. Not surprisingly, most of the ppl who didn't pass the exam were from that class. I really feel bad for them coz I know it's mainly the fault of their pathetic bad teachers... Oh well, being a real Israeli (who fights for her rights) did pay off!

I finally finished the baby blanket I made for Adi's baby
(who looks so cute in the pictures she sends me),
it took me a few months to knit it, and here are the results:

Baby blanket - over view


Baby blanket - closeup 1


Baby blanket - closeup2

Baby blanket - closeup 3

I'm going to send it to her tomorrow via post, and since she doesn't have any time to read my blog nowadays (having a baby might do that to you...) I feel free to put the pictures here before she even gets it.

P.S Liya! you see? I made it bigger, babies, as you mentioned, do grow fast!!!

Till next time!

A personal computer??? that is just genius!!!

Genius! A personal computer... LOL... Got my computer back from the lab. They fixed it. And made me poorer... well... the things you do for comfort...

***

Today I went to the dentist here- you must think I'm very courageous- going to a dentist in China- but no- I did a lot of research - online and with friends and found this nice clean clinic. My tooth started aching a few days ago- it's a tooth that has been treated before, and now- after going there for a consultation- I found out I'll need a root canal. Ouch. The x-ray showed that with no doubt, So I asked how much will it be- and the doctor said that the whole treatment will be around 3000 RMB (= about 380$) and it'll take 3 times- each will be about 1 hour and a half. OUCH. This sucks so much... I have to do it coz there's no way I'm waiting until I'm back home- that will be in 5 months and until then I'll probably lose this tooth... So I have no choice- and I guess I'll make the appoitment next week... I asked my mom to find out how much this would be in Israel (just to know) and she said it's pretty much the same.

***

My Chinese exam last week went pretty much ok- this Monday we got it back and I was surprised to see that I got a 90!!! 90%!!! I must admit: I guessed a lot of the characters that were there- but first of all- most of them I guessed right- so it must have been a scholar guess, and second of all this just shows me that if I had studied a bit more- I could have been really good... Lazy me!

***

Last night we went to a Yann Tiersen concert. Yann Tiersen wrote the soundtracks of "Amelie" and "Goodbye Lenin!". He also published a few other albums- which I'm most interested in after this concert. It was just great! This guy is a genius I tell ya. He plays 6 different instruments, and has a band of 4 more ppl playing with him in complete harmony. They played some songs from the soundtracks as well- and to not make it boring they added "color" to it- and it sounded just superb. We enjoyed it a lot- and the only thing that bothered us was that we were sitting in a concert hall- and we couldn't move our bodies to the great jumpy music.
Oh and of course- how can I forget- the thing that bothered me most: just as if someone doesn't wanna let me forget I'm in China: We sat down in our chairs - second row on the balcony - really nice seats. In front of me sat a Chinese girl (AKA "big head") with her friend (AKA the nerd). Just as the lights went out she started getting something out of her bag- totally blocking the view to the stage while leaning forward to fetch it. I suddenly noticed that she's holding a camera's tripod in her hands and setting it in front of her. Then she got a video camera and tried to attach it to the tripod (it took her about 10 min and 2 songs to get it right- the whole time leaning forward and blocking the view). I was so mad! The rude big headed Chinese girl!!! How dare she? I would have been so ashamed to do so! She obviously wasn't from the press- having these seats and doing it all in the dark! This is just amazing how something that is totally illegal anywhere else in the world- here- nobody cared about- nobody approached her and no one stopped her. After 15 min or so with her leaning forward as if she owns the place I asked her politely to lean back- so I can see the concert too. She did, and so did her friend. Urgh! I tell ya- What did I want? An hour and a half in which I forget where I am? An hour and a half of peace and quiet??? This is something you can't get here. Peace and quiet.

***

I had so many ideas what to write about when I didn't have my computer- and was too lazy to actually write them down in a notebook (the new digital world makes us so lazy) so I forgot a lot of them... I promise, as soon as I remember some of the things I'll write them down...

Sick...

Staying at home today... Since yesterday I don't feel great, and this morning I didn't feel fit enough to go to uni... Rob told me that I should stay at home and try to study a bit here... Then kissed me on the forehead and went to work... It feels so nice to have him with me everyday... Especially on days like this one- when I feel a bit sick...

Yesterday I had an oral exam with my nutty professor. It was so funny... I love this teacher- he's so interesting and nice. He always likes to say Shalom to me and Lehitra'ot and Toda- trying to show me that the knows some words in Hebrew... LOL... Yesterday on the exam (the whole thing took 5 minutes) he said something about Sharon (but obviously he pronounced it more like the word Shalom) and made a "coma like" face... He said: "Sharon, leader of Yi Se Lie (=Israel in Chinese) and then made the face... Meaning- Ariel Sharon is in a coma... LOL that was so funny!!! And then he said: "Sharon same as Shalom" (he pronounced the words exactly the same- being unable to pronounce "R") so I told him in Chinese that it's not the same- and tried to teach him how to say each word correctly - obviously not very successfully...
In the end he said that I speak not bad at all (after telling me to read something in Chinese from my own book- that has my own notes in it LOL) and the whole experience was just so hilarious...
I hate missing today's lessons- they're both lessons with our main teacher- and she teaches really well- I really learn in every lesson of hers... I'll try to make it up from Liya- today for a change she's actually at school... (I really like her- she's a real fun person and we really get along and always have something to talk about...)
I'll go on now and continue being sick at home...
By the way- I still can't see my blog meaning- Dorian - I can't read your blog... :-( (keep me posted???)

Crazy weekend

Friday was a busy day as it is- and in the evening we went to the airport to pick Rob's dad. Then we went to his hotel with him- and then home. Saturday we woke up early and spent the whole day with him- walking distances I've never walked before in Shanghai. I think it was a total of 8km that we walked in town that day. I was beat in the end of the day- wishing for a day of rest after it- that will never come- coz on Sunday morning we woke up early again- and went to the airport to pick Rob's mom and younger sis and bro. Then again- crazy day- walking everywhere- doing everything... In the evening- when we said goodbye- till tomorrow- I realized that tomorrow starts a new school week... Getting no rest on the weekend was really exhausting...
I had an exam today- and coz this time we still had the Pinyin (the way to write Chinese in English letters) as well as the Chinese characters- I think I did really well- but then in the middle of the exam- the teacher said that the next one will have no Pinyin- and we'll have to do it all in characters... At that point I knew that the next exam wont be so great...
Tonight we're meeting Rob's family for dinner- they're traveling in Suzhou today- a small town an hour away- that ppl say is beautiful. Funny thing is- I've never been there. Well- maybe it's more sad than funny...
So I'm about to have a busy week- now I'm resting a bit- reading online after 2 days I haven't, trying to relax...