Still Alive

The last time I wrote a post in my blog, (yes, yes, I do have a blog, although it was supposed to be written every 1-2 weeks as opposed to every two years!), I had just moved here, I had just experienced my first Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur and was pondering what the future held for me. A year and a bit on, I thought maybe it's time to have another go at this blogging lark. So lets use this one as a bit of a catch up, a sort of 'last time on Chaim B'Yisrael...'

Well here I am, a year and a half into my life as an Israeli, and I can't quite figure out where the time has gone. I've finished Ulpan (which has now closed altogether, something I might write about next time), found myself a flat, found myself a job, and rather nicely, found myself a life.

I am currently living in Katamon (where else?!) in a rather nice 3 bedroom flat with David Brummer and Paul Gross, two other olim chadashim also from England. David was my room-mate in ulpan and Paul was David's room-mate back in university. We all get on really well, share a similar sense of humour (see there are other people out there with my sense of humour!), and we've just signed on for another year. In fact, we've already had people asking when one of us is moving out because they think our flat set up is so great, one of whom is even married, mentioning no names (Shame on you Gabe!! lol).

I've just completed a year working at The David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem's premier hotel (unless you prefer the King David...which I do...). I work in the Reservations Department, and no, I can't get you a good rate on a room. You have to be fleeced...I mean pay...like everyone else. What's that? Give us a funny story Chaim. Oh alright then.
This American calls up one evening and asks about rooms and suites. So I'm explaining to him about all the rooms and suites and what the rates are, and to honest he's quite a fun guy and we chat a bit about Israel and living in The Hold Land. Then we get back to the point and he asks me about which suites or rooms have Jacuzzis. So I tell him that because the hotel has some sort of accreditation from The Ministry of Health, we don't have any Jacuzzis anywhere in the hotel. So he asks what if he takes the top suite in the hotel, would they put one in. So I told him that there is a stand alone deep bath, but no jacuzzi. So we have a little back and forth with him saying he really wants a jacuzzi and me telling him we don't have one. Eventually he says to me, 'Chaim, if I said to you I will take The Royal Suite, but how are you going to solve the problem of the jacuzzi, what would your solution be?' So, God bless me, I respond...'Well, I could leave a tin of beans and a packet of prunes on the side of the bath and well...' I know, 'eewww'.

Otherwise all is, Thank God, going well. I have made loads of friends and I honestly feel the move was the right one, at the right time. Taking up a challenge like making aliyah is never easy and I still admire everyone who does it, even if it doesn't work out. But I am pleased that this is one challenge I pushed myself to tackle.

From Israel, Shalom and see you all soon, Please God.