...I couldn't figure out if I was in a beauty salon or a cafe...

 Haircuts.  I've been putting off getting my haircut for the longest time.  I'm trying to grow my hair out.  And even though everyone says getting regular trims is the best way to make your hair grow, it still seems counterintuitive.  But I guess after five months of growing and splitting and knotting and swimming and fraying and sun, it's time.

In the States, I have been going to the same hair dresser for 10 years.  Until last week, in Israel, both during Nativ and since moving here, I have had my hair cut three times by two different people .  My hair came out about the same.  More layered and drastic than in the States, but fine.  Last week, I added another haircut and another salon.

Last Tuesday, I decided (somewhat impulsively) to get a haircut.  A haircut had been on the bottom of my to-do list for a while, and my day off seemed like the perfect time.  A friend told me a new salon had just opened, so I thought I would give it a try.

Matan (the name of the salon and the hair dresser) has been open for two weeks.  I told him I wanted something simple and not too short.  No blow drying or straightening.  Just a cut.  He gave me a deal when I said I only wanted a trim, not a whole new style.  He started washing my hair and we got to chatting.  Then he offered me a coffee.

It wasn't a fancy salon.  Just him and a small sink and three chairs and that was it.  It was nice and new, but nothing special.  Nothing like my friend's salon where she gets cappuccinos with her haircuts.

I said yes to the coffee and when I said no sugar he asked me if I liked cinnamon.  I said yes and in just a few minutes, I was presented with a coffee, steamed milk, and cinnamon on top.  It was so Israeli when I couldn't figure out if I was in a beauty salon or in a cafe.  The first sip reminded me so much of a Starbucks Cinnamon Dulce Latte.  Luckily the haircut came out just as good as the coffee.  And he even did a bit of blow drying for free!!

Some pictures...

 

...I was trying to enjoy my dessert, only to find...

Last night, I celebrated a friend's engagement.  Normally engagement parties are a bit impromptu, celebrated at home or in a restaurant, and not too big.  Last night's party was definitely an exception.  One of my co-workers at gan, the one with whom I get along best, Oshrit, recently got engaged.  Her family threw a wedding-sized party to celebrate in style.  Oshrit's family and her fiance's are Moroccan so the evening was filled with delicious food and several other Moroccan customs.

The Bride-to-Be!
Everyone is all fancy-shmance...

The night started with starters and a salad course in a huge event hall.  Everyone was milling around or eating (or both!).  Then there was dancing; the first bit of dancing was pretty typical Israeli.  All the woman were into it, and I had a blast (while working up a sweat).  Then we took a break for dinner, or what I thought was dinner.  After eating starters, salads, and bread from a wood fire oven, I wasn't even ready to eat more, but eat more, I did.  After this round of food, the dancing really picked up.  There was a bit of shimmying and a bit of traditional Middle Eastern (not Israeli) dancing.  Both the girls' side and the guys' side (for modesty reasons, there wasn't mixed dancing...yet) were rocking!!  After this round of dancing the music quieted only to reveal more platters of food on the tables.  At this point I was stuffed, so I just took a rest to gear up for the next part of the engagement party.  For those who know me well, you know that if I am not eating, it means that the food is either bad (which it wasn't and which doesn't always stop me), or it means that I am really really really full.  The latter was true.  This course was a fast one, and as the tables were being cleared yet again, we geared up for the next part of the party, the henna ceremony.  The traditional ceremony is meant to bring good luck!

Oshrit's father, her fiance, desserts, candles, costumes, and henna!
It was such a crazy dance party!!  And EVERYONE danced!

The henna ceremony was straight out of a movie.  The bride- and groom-to-be as well as their families and friends dressed up in "traditional" costumes, and everyone began dancing with either lit candles, henna (a plant-based dye) or dessert.  This is the one time that there was mixed dancing, and everyone was just jumping around and clapping and making the loud, high-pitched Middle Eastern catcall (like the calls in this clip).  After the dancing, the couple sat together and applied henna.  Guests also partake in the ceremony.

Shlomo & Oshrit waiting for the henna to absorb; my friend and I
about to wash our hands (henna or kaki?!); my post-hennaed hand

Just some of the many smokers.

After the henna ceremony, all the desserts that we danced with were opened up and served.  It was so Israeli when I was about to bite into something yummy (yes, I was still full!) only to be met with a disgusting smell.  It is one with which I am familiar, and this wasn't the first time I smelled it at the wedding.  Throughout the night, near the starter buffet, by the bathrooms, and now, at the tables, guests were smoking.  Somehow, though, it fit right in with my mental picture of a Moroccan celebration, and I just smiled.  

I can only imagine how we will celebrate the actual wedding!

...I celebrated my aliyaversary. Well maybe not...

I have been here for a year.  It seems like the time has flown by, but at the same time, my first steps into the country as a citizen still seem fresh.  I can easily recall the emotional turmoil I felt and thoughts that ran through my head upon landing.  I am still filled with uncertainty about the future, but then again, who isn't?!  And at least I know, a year later, that whatever my future will be, in one year or five years or 65 years, it will be here.

I have been thinking for a couple of weeks about how to write this blogpost.  I didn't really come up with much.  A lot has happened in my year.  I have worked three jobs, lived in four apartments, hosted at least 46 shabbat meals, seen the monthly bus prices go down...and then up again, attended one (only one!!) Passover seder, passed my driver's license test, spent a day in Rome, greatly improved my Hebrew (I am constantly surprised by how far I've come), and most importantly, I have found inner peace.  I am living a full life, and when I come home at the end of the day (or in the middle), I feel satisfied and happy!

The country I am living in might seem, to some, to be one of turmoil or unrest.  I feel safe here.  I feel settled.  I feel at home.  There are days that I have walked instead of riding the bus.  I have heard the "tzeva adom" siren.  I felt utter panic upon finding out about the bombing at a bus station in Jerusalem.  I have also taken part in the rich culture of the city.  I barbecued in the park for Independence Day.  I love the street fairs and city-wide costume parties (PURIM!).  I go dancing at outdoor shuk parties/concerts.  I do (a bit of) yoga in the park.  I am used to security guards at the malls, bus stations, and restaurants. I see soldiers on and off duty throughout my week.  Living here, I take nothing for granted, but that doesn't mean that I am living in fear.  I know that living in Israel isn't for everyone, but if this year is any indication (even with the ups and down), then Israel is definitely for me!  I have made a lot of friends along the way, and the community I have formed here along with the strong support from my friends and family in the States (and elsewhere) have helped in making my aliyah a success.

Sondra & Georgie (a sample of what an aliyaversary celebration might look like)

Last night and tonight, my roommate, George (http://amigrantstale.blogspot.com/), and I celebrated our respective aliyaversaries.  Yesterday we had drinks and danced at the Shuk Party and tonight we went out for a yum dinner. A year ago we weren't friends and we weren't Israelis, but now WE ARE SO ISRAELI... Mazal tov to Georgie and to all of our friends who have recently (and not so recently) celebrated their aliyaverseries.  Wooohooo! Looking forward to many, many more.

...we were supposed to be having an interview, but really it seemed like...

As many of you know, I completed a B.Sc. in Integrative Biology before moving to Israel.  I had initially intended to being my graduate studies this past fall.  I was accepted to a program at the Technion, but after seriously considering it, I decided it wasn't for me.  I have been working and interning the past several months not only to make money and improve my Hebrew, but also to explore subjects for my graduate studies.

Yesterday, my exploration took me to Haifa.  I met with several professors at the Technion regarding their graduate.  The first was quite nice, but it turns out that her research isn't the best fit with my biology background.  Nevertheless, she sat with me, discussed various directions and programs with me, and suggested several other professors to contact.  I was impressed by her knowledge and thankful for her positive energy and guidance.

The second and final meeting of the day went a it better. I was meeting a professor in the biology department.  It was so Israeli when we were supposed to be having an interview, but really it seemed like I was sitting down to tea with an old friend.  When I walked in, the professor offered me tea and chocolate, and then we sat and chatted about aliyah, various government programs for new immigrants, and also some of his projects outside of his research.  We switched from Hebrew to English after the first ten minutes, but from there we just kept chatting.  Finally about twenty minutes into our meeting we began to talk about his research.  He showed me a PowerPoint, took me around the lab, and we openly chatted a bit more.  

I was initially intimidated to visit such a prestigious school, even if I was previously accepted, but both professors were extremely encouraging.  And while I'm still not sure I found the right program for me, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to get a peek into Technion life, research, and attitudes.

The view Haifa from a building of the Technion (Summer 2010)