New Blog: I am moving to http://tzvidar.wordpress.com/

I have started a blog that will be easier for you and me to use. It is completely about the Army as well. I might use this blog for more personal posts, but for now please start reading from http://tzvidar.wordpress.com/

Thanks for following!

Job on the Kibbutz (Glorified Bus Boy/Waiter)

Hey All and שלום,

Once again it has been a long time since my last post, but not a lot has gone on. I have my second job in Israel. The Kibbutz I am on has a large hotel and events center. I work in the Hader Ochel הדר האוכל which is the hotel's dinning rooms. It is a large place with four main rooms, which can be six rooms or one.  I am the only American that works there! Which is sad, but oh well. Most of the people I work with are my age. They are mostly Russian or Ethiopian (I think I spelled that right). So they all speak to me in Hebrew and I speak to them in Hebrew! It has really improved my hebrew, but my speaking is not very good. I add in a lot of English and try to say it with a Israeli Accent (Which is probably worse).  I am starting to think in Hebrew, just the basic stuff...like talking to myself about how work was or if I need to go to the bathroom...I think it is a big step. Work is long and can be hard. Running around, getting yelled at in Hebrew, picking up dishes, setting the tables, filling water... Oh and a cool, but very stressful part of the Dinning Room is that we are completely Kosher. This has its positives, but for me it is a lot of negatives. We have two separate of everything, Milk and Meat. and this week is the week before Passover פסח; so we have a third set of EVERYTHING....and I mean everything. Also we have been cleaning for Passover. Yesterday I was on my hands and knees with a scotch pad and bleach, scrubbing the place where the floor meets the wall....and today I dumped out all the salt and pepper. Fun fun fun.

So this coming monday is Passover. A fantastic holiday for us Jews. Lots of meals together and fun. Most people do not like this holiday because it is forbidden for a Jew to own, have, eat, ect.... Chemiz/Leven. Which is kinda complicated, but pretty much means nothing from a grain. This is where Matzah is famous. I took the week off to do some volunteering work. Which in my mind is the most important part of being Jewish. I have found a group that puts on a Seder (Passover Meal, in Israel we only have one, but everywhere else they have two.) I am helping them all weekend and then joining them for the meal. Then for the rest of the week I'm traveling down south of Tel Aviv for a few days for camping on the beach and helping "At-Risk" Youth that have no family or left home for some reason... I'm really excited to do this and practice my hebrew.

Two weeks after Passover, I'm taking some time to prepare myself for the Army. What could this be? Working out? Fasting? Nope.........I'M GOING TO AMSTERDAM!!!! My family is dutch and my Grandma has a few 1st cousins there still. So, my Mom and Grandma are flying out and meeting me there. So one week in Amsterdam, before the Army. Can we say Detox...jk.


I still have just over a month before I enlist in the IDF. The big day is May 4th.

חג פסח שמח ושבת שלום! Happy Passover and Shabbat Shalom!

New Kibbutz

Hey everyone, so a long needed update for all my friends and family out there.

I'm now all settled into my new apartment. Its a big room and I have a roommate and then there are four other rooms with soldiers. My roommate is really cool, he is 21 and from Mexico. He is here only on the weekends. Therefore I have the whole place mostly to myself, which is nice. It has been really boring though...I have been relaxing, partying, suntanning, hanging out with friends, and making new friends. Its a really great time, but I now watch a lot of TV, which I haven't really ever done in my life. TV here is so bad too, they only plus is I kinda learn Hebrew, with the subtitles.

I have found a cure to the boredom though. I got a JOB! My friend, Idan, from Camp lives on my Kibbutz and his family has adopted me. The plus is that my adopted dad is the General Manager of the Kibbutz hotel. So starting on Sunday, I am going to be a waiter in the Kibbutz Hotel Restaurant. Its minimum wage and a lot of hours, so it is money. I need to save up for my April trip to Amsterdam with my Mom to visit family.

So many of you know I've been having some stomach problems and its not been so good. Everything I was eating was making me sick. Well now and after a few bad doctor appointments with tests I believe now I'm a Celiac and Lactose Intolerant. Well we think, and so far not eating wheat, gluten, and dairy I've been feeling better, but something I feel is still up, so I'm still trying to figure out what is going on in my belly.

Well thats it for now, oh and enjoy these pictures on my backyard. Love you all. Army in Two Months! I  am going to start getting ready...

I have finished Ulpan!

I am currently in the last week of being at the Ulpan. Classes are over and I have one day of work left!

Friday I will be moving to Kibbutz Shefayim קיבוץ שפיים. Its just north of Herzalia and right on the coast. My current plans are to get moved in to my new place, look for a job, and start working out to get ready for the Army.

2010

Its been a little while since my last update, but nothing has really happened.

New years is not really celebrated here or Christmas...and I had no "Holiday Break" that was in September/October for the Jewish High Holidays. I did want to celebrate the coming of the New Year though and I had Friday off, so I decided to go to Tel Aviv. I'm really glad I went and I had a really good time, checking out the local scene. I've only ever gone out in Tel Aviv with groups, so it was different than I had experienced before. On Saturday, I was very tired from all the festivities the night before and passed out on the very nice warm beach and got a very nice sunburn...it was pretty red, but didn't hurt, its a nice tan now... speaking of which, Israel is going though a Winter Heat wave this past few weeks...I was very cold for about a month, but now it is quite warm. I'm not complaining, I could be in Colorado freezing my tukas off.

I have some good news too! I only have 17 days left of the Ulpan...but who is counting??? Not ME?!?!

and I know where I'll be moving when the program is complete. The Ulpan is finished with the final exam January 28th and I'll be moving my life to Kibbutz Shefayim קיבוץ שפיים. Here is a google map link to see where it is located. Click Here. Its right on the beach and just north of Tel Aviv. I have some pics, but my internet is very slow tonight. I looked at an apartment a few weeks ago and I love it. I have to have a roommate for awhile, but as soon as a single opens up, I will be able to have my own room. The apartments are all for Lone Soldiers in the Israeli Army. I think my roommate is going to be a nice France Guy that is currently in the Army. The best part of living on Shefayim is that my really good friend and roommate from Camp, Idan, has lived there his whole life and is still there with his amazing girlfriend. I am really glad I get to live on his Kibbutz and his family there is so nice and welcoming. I will be living there for all my Army service so this is going to be a great place to settle down, plus when I'm in the army, they will pay for everything and I'll have a place, food, and laundry all for free!

Well, I need to start some studying. I have the oral exam on Tuesday! Wish me Luck...well it doesn't really matter how I score, not college or anything... (Sara, I am typing a story all in Hebrew so I'll send it to you or post it here.)

I hope you all in the rest of the world are not too cold.