Walla!

One of my 5th grade students today kept saying, "Walla!" after each correct letter from the alphabet that he wrote down on the white board. I said, "Ma ze Walla?" (What is Walla?) He just looked at me and said with some abbra-cada-bra hand gestures "WALLA!" And I got it. I learned later that it is a kind of slang word similar to "for real!" This made his actions even cuter. 

I have thought maybe a few times about being a teacher in the past, but I know that is not the right career fit for me. I am more of a camp counselor type. I like to play and act like one of the kids, not discipline them and command them to do things as a robot would. I like to encourage their freedom of imagination and their playfulness. No, Israel hasn't changed me. I still do not want to be a teacher, but right now one of the best feelings I get is watching the light bulb go off in one of my students heads. That "Ah ha!" moment when they totally get it, and even when they remember it the next day, is one of the best feelings. It is a feeling a plumber, actor, lawyer, etc. does not get. Only teachers. 

Other than my teaching filled days, the nights have been filled with a wide variety of activities. There has been a few wild nights out in Tel Aviv, an Idan Raichel concert, running along the promenade, a rooftop BBQ & Karoake event, and a VERY religious Shabbat in Ramat Bet Shemesh. 

The Girls (& Alon) at the Masa Mega Event in Jerusalem.

Tel Aviv is one of my many reasons for loving Israel. It is number nine on the list of most expensive cities in the world, which doesn't make it a hot spot for the college-style wallet I still have, but girls have advantages (wink wink!). Miraculously, some Israeli men are gentleman and still offer to buy me and my girlfriends drinks without anything in return, just a new friend/welcome to my country type of deal. So, in that case, we still go out there and we still have a ball. This is a city with energy pumping through it's veins. The people are beautiful and fashionable and the restaurants, bars, clubs, and even just the streets, have something magical about them. Something you don't find in America. One of my favorite parts, everyone you are surrounded by (in the club for example) is Jewish. Now that is not something I can get used to when I get back home...all the Goyim! (Just Kidding!) Two places I went recently were The Cat and The Dog, and The Deli. The Deli is disguised as just another sandwich shop on the street front, but go through that mysterious booming black door and its an amazing bar, dance floor, and a deejay that plays the funkiest beats. Amazing. 

MASA is the umbrella in which my program sits under. Every year they throw a MEGA event for all the participants in Israel. This year it was at a huge auditorium/event center place in Jerusalem. They had a couple quick speakers and singers and dancers opening the night, but the finale was a two hour long concert by The Idan Raichel Project. Idan Raichel is a very talented musician and artist who has brought people together, mainly those who otherwise wouldn't have a shot, to make music. He has brought singers into his project from Ethiopia, a drummer from Morocco, and a guitar players from Uruguay. It is an amazing thing he does and the music is incredible. Dancing was in order and kind of fake singing too. 

 

Day-to-day life is still in tact. I spend my weeks in Netanya and Shabbat wherever I can throughout Israel. The work week ends Thursday afternoon and picks back up on Sunday, bright and early. Definitely takes getting used to. I had a difficult time last Shabbos with a family I knew from back in  San Diego. They are religious and all eight, yes eight, of them made Aliyah about two months ago. They are living in a heavily American Orthodox populated neighborhood that is really beautiful. The kids are ranging in ages 1-9. I understand moving six small children across the world can be a massive adjustment, therefore I am giving them the benefit of the doubt, but the children were not so kind to me. Luckily, Shabbat is every single week and I can look forward to my next one wherever and with whoever it may be :)