Settling In
I've been in Israel for six months now. Mark has been here three. And I finally feel like I'm settling in and fitting in. We've moved into our new place, which is where we'll be for the next two years. We've managed to redecorate the place for very little. The white walls have been transformed into beautiful colors - so important, especially to Mark - and we managed to do it without painting a single wall! (I'll post pictures once we have some!) Now that we're in our place permanently, we have people over at our place at least twice a week - dinner, movies, etc. At our old place we were so far away from most people that we hardly had anyone over. We both were struggling trying to fit in, and it felt like we were really out of joint with everyone else.
We talked to the woman here who devotes her time to figuring out what our culture is here (and how we'd like to improve it), and she said that this feeling was fairly epidemic here. Once we knew that, it freed us from trying to 'fit in'. Obviously, there was no place to 'fit in' to. So now we've simply created our own life, being sensitive to the fact that so many others feel like they don't fit in as well.
Some of the ideas we have for creative community events are to have an open mic/ cafe night at our place - for music, poetry - whatever people feel like sharing. We'd also like to have prayer gatherings on a theme (unity, family, justice) - and then watch a movie, serious or silly, related to it. Please feel free to give us ideas about what we could do to have fun and include people!
Today it is raining here. The past three days were so beautiful, though; during the day we could leave our coats at home! What's the weather like where you are?
Comments
Mara,
I know what you mean about how your home being decorated and cozy can make the world seem right. I just hung some pictures - particularly pink ones - and they are so fun! We also recenlty added a grapefruit tree which is now flowering!! It totally gives our place character. We love it. The weather, however, could be a lot warmer...it is still wicked cold!
~Rae
Posted by: Rae | January 22, 2004 03:11 PM
I'd say wicked cold about sums it up here, too. I keep wanting to make a snow man for the Mensch, but either it snows at the wrong time (Monday morning) or melts before there is enough to make a snow man with.
Posted by: Maman | January 22, 2004 09:28 PM
Hey, Mara!
It's sunny and 80 degrees here in San Jose.
Finding activities to unite people is tough - it's usually the activities themselves that bring together interested people. If you already have a group of people, the problem is harder.
I like to have LAN parties (I bet Mark does, too!). That's a ton of fun, although it can seem really anti-social to anyone who doesn't grok the pure simplicity of losing a game of CounterStrike fifty seven times in a row.
Hey, I'm leaving for Edinburgh on Sunday! Yay! Yay! Carol's not joining me until Thursday, which sucks a bit, but you can't have everything, I suppose.
Much love,
Your brother, Nathan
Posted by: Nae | January 23, 2004 05:09 AM