a balloontwister’s aliya saga

Got a bais on my Ulpan Test.
When you join an ulpan, you are given a 9 page test. This lets the Ulpan know where to place you.
IN this case an aleph is NOT good…If you get an ALeph on the test, that means you hsve to be taught Aleph..
Well, in any event, I’m glad I have some reading and writing skills.
I start Sunday 6:00 in Tel Aviv.
There are a few guys that are trying to hire an teacher to teach ulpan in Ramat Beit Shemesh. It wouldn’t be free because there aren’t enough people to warrent an additional class for us, so we’ll see about that.
This Ulpan is 2 nights a week for 2 1/2 hours.
Its not the “intensive” one that goes every night (or every day).
For aleph students, its every day or night. For bais and higher the classes are not every night.
The problem with taking ulpan in tel aviv is without a car… you’re going to waste alot of time getting to the place and then getting home.
The bus takes 30 minutes from my office to the closest stop near the ulpan and its a 10 minute walk after that.
After ulpan its a 25 minute walk or a 10 minute bus to the train which only runs once an hour. I would have to wait 30 minutes for the train to Beit Shemesh, take a 40 minute train ride, and then get a ride home which is another 1o minutes. There are no direct buses.
Last night, I met a friend of mine on the train so he directed me to the ma’ariv minyan and then drove me home from the station.
At work things have quieted down a bit.
For some reason someone from the development team “wanted me” on their project.. Not sure why..
So I was taken off a project for a new one..unfortunately I was not given any work as to the new project, So its been quiet. Maybe I was lousing up so bad that there really wasn’t a new project.. they just wanted me OFF the old one… hmmm.. that seems plausible.
One interesting thing in Israel is the medical Insurance.
To make an appointment, you call the company, and they can give you an appointment depending on where you are or what time you want… It takes about a minute. They can give you 2 appointments until you decide which is better…etc..
Because you belong to a large network, the doctors are also connected via computer, so the central people see what the doctors hours are and put you in the various slots.
Before I forget, Tell Tepfer that at Aish Kodesh they LOVED my nigunnim for shabbos. I davened shachris last shabbos and used 2 carlebach tunes: Aylecha and Simcha l’artzecha… so there !
Last night my in laws went back to the airport.
Not much for goodbyes, my father in law just shook my hand.
The saddest part was michal hugging my mother in law, her grandmother goodbye.
I’m actually teary eyed as I write this.
Its a huge thing making aliya and taking child away from his / her grandparents. Although we have the VOIP phone and I speak to my father more often than when I lived in Staten Island, Its not the same.
MY in laws took the kids to LAtrun, Mini israel, Water parks, the beach, The mall, Jerusalem, pizza, played games with them, bought them little things, held their hands walking to shul, babysat, did homework with them…. Did things that grandparents do because we as parents have to work and run errands. The truth is we left alot of friends and family back home, Tamar still asks to see shlomo meir, my nephew who is less than a year old, every morning.
Well, I’m going to sign off… I have to leave a bit early today as my Balloon Chug starts today.
I think we’re having around 10 boys in one group and 2 or 3 girls in a second group to teach balloons.
Later!
Yudie
P.S. Penina is fine, Mrs. Kenig. As you can see this is a balloontwister’s aliya saga not the Mrs. balloontwister’s aliya saga, so we only concentrate on me. (selfish, no?) But seriously, she goes to bed late, wakes up early. Accomplishes ALOT every day AND is having neighbor’s for Friday night. Thank you for baking the cake that was sent last week. Don’t tell Kenneth I’m sending you this private note. He’ll freak out.