Travel Tales: ISRAEL

Shalom, Shalom, you say goodbye, I say hello.  Aloha, ahoi (Slovak).  I wonder how many languages have the same greeting for hello and goodbye.  Anyway, I love wishing people peace as a greeting...We've just arrived back from Israel, a bit weary and tired; it's good to be back to our own place!  Ken and I feel like we're a little bit pathetic...starting with our first trip abroad (Honeymoon in Mexico), after a week we were ready to be home (to set up our home and to start new life together); then trip two, ten days in Costa Rica, circa 2008--similar experience, by day seven we were ready to be home with our dogs.  Fast forward to 2013--where for the past four years we've been fortunate to travel almost every other month.  We are so blessed to be somewhat centrally located that we can experience firsthand so many cultures while we are here (honestly though, I love our school environment where there are 52 cultures coinciding and thriving.  It would be nice if world leaders could learn from our students.)  I love our international nights at school where you can see students and their families sharing their culture, I just wish that it could be for longer than one evening!

Another thing that teaching internationally has allowed us is to be personally connected to the places we travel through our students.  It's so much more meaningful to visit a place know a kid or a family from there (and sometimes it explains some of their intricacies as well!)  For me the craziest thing about traveling is that personal connection--sometimes seeing my high school textbooks come to life in the most tangible of ways, listening to the sounds (language, music) of the place, and of course tasting the food.  Now, travel with children adds a whole other element--but, it's one that we wouldn't change for anything!  There is one thing for certain, traveling with kids ALWAYS allows for something to be left for next time.  I truly do hope that there are next times in our travels.  On our flight home there was an article on the Top 20 things to do in Vienna.  I was happy (and a little surprised to see) that over the two Chrsitmases we spent there we'd visited and done almost everything, just not in detail :) plus toured the Chocolate Museum that is well deserving of being in the Top 20 Viennese--I loved their artwork made of different kinds of chocolate...I digress.

If you've been keeping up on random blog writings, you may recall that Rawly is well over his 50th flight,  we've become a little more discerning in our "adventures".  First of all, direct flights and correctly timed flights (AKA corresponding with nap time) are worth the extra scrilla, we prefer to not be in a rush to leave and to have a bit of time to relax when we return before going back to work.  So for Israel, we chose a Saturday flight departing around 2pm returning Thursday also with a 2pm departure from Tel Aviv.  Day five Ken said, okay, I'm ready to be home now (shh, don't tell him I wrote about that!)  Yep, that's right, we're short-winded travelers.  In my head, the thought of traveling is so appealing, but underneath it all, we're a couple of homebodies...perhaps we could be traveling homebodies (that would match my concrete random personality).  Over breakfast today we met a man (originally from near Sweet Home, OR...such a small world after all) who is a professor of religion and culture.  He leads a group of his students every year or other year for a semester abroad where they spend most of their time in Israel, and a few weeks Jordan and Turkey.  I thought that sounded like a pretty sweet gig and asked if I could be a student.

The year on rewind: November 2012

Here's the thing about me, I love organization--as long as it's mixed up.  After years of despising the institutionality (yes, I like to invent words) of personality tests, I've coined myself a random concrete thinker (notice the emphasis on random), my husband on the other hand, is concrete sequential (which is so much more efficient!)  Hence, November, we'll get back to December at a different time, but with travel to three countries over Christmas, I'm putting it on the back burner until I can dedicate more time to properly documenting our travel adventures.  I don't recall how the month started off, October and November were such a blur...But highlights included my first "real" concert, a last minute Visa trip to Berlin, the city of bikes, Rawly's birthday, and Thanksgivings.

Oksana joined us too! 

Our seats were top quality row, but that didn't stop us from shakin' our groove thing.  I came out of the concert with a  grapefruit sized raised bruise from dancing against the impermeable seats.  We were secretly hoping that we could meet JLo based on our ability to speak the same language, unfortunately to no avail, hey it was worth the dream. We loved our time with the "Jennyfur Lopez".

This hardly reflects the masses of metro riders, but here's one of the sweet mosaics in the Kyiv underground

To Berlin, to Berlin, to become official! 

Spot on 11.4 kilos, we accidentally left the stroller at school as we were leaving in a rush.  Packing her and him in the bitter cold was quite demanding on the old biceps, and back, and everything else you can think of.

One of Rawly's favorite shots

Where East meets West, Berlin above ground gas pipes that separated the two sides

We found both Dad and Zoya warm winter coats to fight off the freezing temperatures and bitter winds.  After searching high and low, the train station really is the only place to exchange money.  As Ken was exchanging money, Rawly frantically shouted that dreaded word when you're in an unknown locale, "POTTY!"  Yes the trip was right in the height of potty training.  So we ran following the signs to the WC, only to be stopped by a gate.  A Euro to go pee, I'd have given five, if I had any.  Luckily a nice attendant reluctantly gave in amidst my cordial "Gutten tag" and frantic motioning/broken Russian that the little boy had desperately to go pee and I didn't have any money.  I later went back to pay her, but she didn't notice, only to go yet again when Rawly decided that he need to use the loo again, for a different reason.

To our Sports Fan

Rawly's orange cake (he helped make)...tasty though homely....and pumpkin cupcakes

Make a wish, or three! 

He had been practicing the pinkie hold

In years past, we've had the upwards of four Thanksgiving gathering...this year was a little mellow and only included two, plus Skyping home to Kennewick.  Getting ready for Thanksgiving #2

Just like Dad

How handsome are they?  Shh, don't tell, I even miss the "No shave November" face ;)

Playing with Uncle Jesse #2 (JT, you'll always be #1!)

Puker up Riley

Now this is good (with Auntie Ira)

Future musicians in action

He know's the good stuff when he sees it

Family gathering

Too cute not to put in

We  I hosted a flower party for a Ukrainian entrepreneur   

Now that's a tasty burrito

Auntie Michelle's favorite student 

Not even Jacob can keep Zoya's attention, sorry!

The year on rewind: January 2013

View of Paris from the Eiffel Tower January 1, 2013 

Either in leiu of writing a holiday letter or as a warm up...I think that I'll highlight at least the past six months... January came a went in a jiff!  It's just two more weeks until our next break.  We haven't a clue as to what we want to do. This is what our friends have termed "First World Problems."  Macedonia and northern Greece or Dubai and Abudabi?   Only time and ticket prices will tell.  As for January's highlights...we rang in the new year a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower with a bottle of champagne and plastic cups.  What were we thinking?  The kids had fallen asleep at the flat we were renting, so we packed them up in the handy dandy orange stroller and hit the PACKED metro. It was drizzling and very windy when we (Auntie Em, Chris, Sara, Ken and I plus two kids in stow) came above ground, so we found some quasi-shelter beside a big tour bus who apparently had the same idea that we had (close to the action, but away from the hoards of people.) To our dismay, there were no fireworks, but such is life, as the saying goes--you can't have cake and eat it too.

Outside our building back in Kyiv; our apartment is two floors higher than the picture.

Sledding down snow-covered ice banks outside the school gate

The flying pink marshmellow

Not so much teetering or tottering

Mr. Peek's Zoo with Chris and Cassie

Sled time

No such thing as snow days here!

Speedy snow slide

I couldn't corral the kiddos at the same time

Z Novum Rokom--Happy New Year from the Chapmans

Perfect fit!  (with Uncle Nick)

King(s) and Queen of the mountain--the huge pile that's taller than the school fence 

Rawly scouted Uncle Sam from atop the mountain

Our Ukrainian kids

Now Mamma's the only one without an Ukrainian outfit...but I'm holding out...

Zoya was a hit in her traditional Ukrainian dress at our school's International Night.  One of the Babas (concierge) whose name is also Zoya gave this to Z for her first birthday.  Both gyms were filled with tables representing the food and culture of various countries from our 52 nationality student body.  It was great to see my students dancing and playing traditional instruments; they're so talented!  There is always so much good food.  I really enjoyed some sweet-spicy ginger juice from the African table (a co-worker is from Senegal and his wife is from Congo) when I asked for the recipe, they were so sweet as to make me some as well as pass along the recipe--lucky us! The night after IN we celebrated Auntie Holly's birthday (Zoya's godmother).  Unfortunately Rawly was quite under the weather, so he and Ken stayed in, but she loved his birthday call and the cute art project that he and Zoya made especially for her.
On the note of gift giving, Rawly recieved quite the complement the other day...for being such a great gift receiver. Our friends commented on how great it was that whenever Rawly receives a gift (such as the books they just brought back from London) he loves to play, read, or wear it right away!  Here is his delighted face upon receiving a belated Christmas package from Mimi.

A super creative world map for our world travelers!

One of our favorite treats with "Auntie Number One" (Ukrainian Auntie #1 that is, our Idaho/Oregon Aunties are truly #1) Sorry I haven't found the Baliwood Music Video, but Rawly was singing (complete with shoulder shimmy) before bed tonight!

Excited face...I finished my first ever beer (it was apple), the exciting part is that we had just been in the square featured on the label...look for the picture with Santa when I post December travels.

And that's a wrap on January!