That's not a directive, just that right now I am travelling outside of Israel.
And it feels so good.
We didn't have the greatest flight from Tel-Aviv to Frankfurt (some of the most self-absorbed, bratty, catty women I have ever met were sitting in front of us), but then, who does have good flights? From Frankfurt to Edinburgh we flew with the 2004 Brandenburg Women's Soccer (sorry, 'football') team - that was pretty cool to see. (a lot of blond women!)
Anywho, we're in Edinburgh with Nathan now, and so, so, so happy to just be relaxing a bit. The pace of life at the Baha'i World Centre is hectic - on a slow day. Knowing I'm going out there and I won't hear any Hebrew for a few days .... mmm, scrumptious. (those bratty women kept shouting "slikha, slikha, slikha" [excuse me] and clapping three times - ugh, I don't think I ever want to hear that word again!) I can't even explain why - it's not the Hebrew bothers me all that much in Haifa - though it is bothersome to be illiterate for the first time in 25 years.
So, I am going to thoroughly enjoy the next few days of relaxation, fun ... and good old-fashioned coddling by my older brother :-) (as I assume Mendon is about to enjoy some of the same from his [younger] older sister :-)) So, I guess we're both going on a Lil' Sibs weekend - hahahaha!
You expect to understand the conversations on the streets of Edinburgh? Ha, you don't remember from your last visit then. They do speak a foreign language, really. Give Nae a kiss for me.
But you know what? It's a 'foreign language' that doesn't sound like people are hacking up fur balls. That makes all the difference.
hey, foreign language, that's cool. at least its not an entirely foreign culture. i'm starting to remember everything thing i'm going back to. consistently running water, hot or cold. pavement that is more than the main road. parking lots, girls wearing pants/shorts, anything that is not a dress and is well above the ankles. there won't be weird tourists wandering around more naked than is decent in the shower and everyone will speak english that i understand, although who knows if i'll speak what they can understand. ok, i'm just feeling like i want attention and that's exactly what you're giving me by reading this, so, thank you. i certainly hope that rachael is going to spoil me when i get to dc. what i'm really looking forward to is being able to be in an environment of actual intimacy. i haven't been able to share my emotions with anyone for the past seven months! i'm frazzled and now i've only two days to go and i'm not sure if i'm going to make it without exploding. oi! i guess it's all pretty unimportant but getting back to the states is something i'm looking forward to, not because of the amenities, but because, after years of being a bahai, i have learned that love is something that much of the world is unaware of how to share and trust is even further out. our family, guys, is a bulwark against the raging storm out in the world. hold on to it and preserve family unity and it will, no matter where it is in the world, be a bastion, a relief, and a comfort. i miss all of you to recount in a post on mara's blog.
*i miss all of you too much to recount on mara's blog
Hey Mendon! It's great to see you on my blog ... I hope this means we'll be hearing more from you on your own blog!
I LOVE YOU! BEEEG HUGS!
I just read all the blogs and what fun to read
what you all are doing and thinking. Grandpa is in the VA hospital giving me a chance to recover from a fractured vertebrae. So for a few days I will do nothing but eat and sleep, tough assignment. We miss all of you and it was sooo nice to see Rachael and Eric today. Sometimes we get lucky. Bye for now and loads of love, Grandma
Yay! Gramma and Mendon on the same post! This Blog thing is great!
About unintelligable speech: Mara, Mark and I were walking around Edinburgh and someone said "Just ta noo...(Just the now)" and Mara turned to Mark and said: "He just said it!" and they got excited.
Apparently, they had bumped into an Australian couple in Frankfurt or Tel Aviv who were arguing about whether they'd be able to understand the folks in Scotland and one of them said, "Oh, they'll be saying stuff like 'just ta noo...' and we won't know what they're saying at all."
For reference, just ta noo means presently or at the moment or right away, depending on conte xt.
-Nathan
P.S. Kisses to Maman, as well!
HEY Mara!!! so good to read you, thinking of you having a great time with your brother in Edinburgh, my fave city...hmmmm...the smell of pub food as you emerge from the train station...did you have haggis? haha. I tried it, quite tasty actually.
Slikha, ma sha? Medaberet Ivrit? laretakh shalom, mashlomkah Mara...just trying to get you back into the swing of Hebrew so you don't get too shocked when you land haha! Miss you. It's my first day back at work and I'm remarkably calm.
Love,
Violetta.