Blurred Lines

There are no lines here. I walked into the pharmacy and picked up shampoo and conditioner before heading to the cash registers. All were occupied so I waited patiently until the next cashier looked available. I saw that one lady was getting her receipt and began inching my way closer, when all of a sudden an Israeli walks right past me and sets her stuff down to pay. I couldn't believe it, I have to admit I was slightly offended. I looked at the cashier to see a look, or anything that she noticed this woman had cut me in line. But there was no such look. Being "rude" is more or less how one gets stuff done in Israel. If you are waiting for the bus and decide to be patient until it is "your turn", you will never get on the bus. People cut each other frequently and it's no big deal. You are just supposed to stick out your elbows and fight your way to the front.
I tried fasting for Yom Kippur to experience what it is like to not eat for 24 hours. I was grumpy and tired and might have reflected a little bit, but I felt so good breaking the fast with a big hearty meal of Shukshuka and garlic bread.

I have been taking Hebrew classes and going to various teacher training workshops to get ready for my first big day teaching. My routine of teaching 5-6 days a week will begin October 1st after Sukkot (the next and final Jewish holiday during the month of September), and I couldn't be more pumped! Putting together lesson plans has been by biggest challenge. I am working with 1st through 6th graders at my Elementary School. So far, I have activities surrounding food and body parts. I still have a lot of work to do before October 1st obviously :-). When I visited the school, the principal introduced me to all the teachers and showed me the room where I will be teaching. The school is quaint and very beautiful. There are pots of flowers everywhere and the actual school is located near the edge of the desert so there is a view of the Negev from the playground.

The school is semi-religious and the principal informed me that they practice something called horizontal student to student mediation where the kids will help each other solve conflicts that arise out in the court yard or in the hallways before involving a teacher or an adult to help students gain problem solving skills. Additionally, the students are educated about the state of Israel and how to keep Israel green a midst all the development that is happening right now in the country. I brought 2 fellows with me to visit the school on my second visit and we worked with a group of 3 students. I was amazed at the English the three of them knew. We worked on their practice vocabulary lesson surrounding food by taking turns pretending to be on a cooking show using the names of ingredients to explain to "the audience" what he/she was cooking. It was a bit of a mess, but I think we all had fun and learned a few English words in the process.

We also met the teachers and I found out that all the female teachers wear long skirts and cardigans covering their elbows. It is amazing to me that they don't have heat stroke when it is so hot here!

Women's Fashion...sexy can I?

I bought a soccer ball after visiting my cousins a few weeks back so I could play soccer with other fellows and hopefully the students at the elementary school. Every time an Israeli sees me with a soccer ball, I get a look of confusion. I went to a Hookah bar last night and met three Israeli guys who are in their first year in the army. I told them about how I get funny looks for playing with my soccer ball and they explained to me that girls don't  really play soccer because it isn't "girly"... then they helped teach me a few curse words. I must be the weirdest girl in Israel. I play soccer and I curse.

The next week, I am on break and will be visiting Tel Aviv for a few days and then camping in the desert for some hippie festival :-) Thinking of all my friends and family back at home. Love&Peace