Chivas and Latkes, It's What's for Dinner

Gather 'round, my darlings, this is the story of Chanukah.

So here's how it goes; long, long ago (approximately 2,300 years, to be more precise) there lived a Syrian king named Antiochus. Now, like most kings, Antiochus wanted every person living in his land to believe what he believed and to do as he said. He wanted all the Jews to basically stop being Jewish and begin to worship the Greek gods, as he did. But us Jews, well, we are strong willed people, we stand up for what we believe in and we never pay full price for electronics. But I digress. So most of the Jews thought Antiochus was full of it and told him to shove it. One of those people was Judah, Judah Maccabee. Luckily, Judah had four brothers and with their help, and the help of lots of other Jews, they fought the Syrians and claimed their holy land (Israel). It took them about three years but I'd say that's really good timing considering how long Israel's wars last now (forever).

So now they find themselves in the Jerusalem temple except it's not really much of a Jewish temple anymore because the Greeks had taken over it with all their statues and feta cheese! Judah and the boys took it upon themselves to de-Greek the temple and make it Jewish again. By the time they finished, it was the 25th day of Kislev, which is a day on the Jewish calendar that translates to anywhere between late November to late December on the Western calendar. Now, in every Jewish tem

ple (or synagogue) there is an eternal light, which is essentially an oil lamp of some sort that should never be extinguished. But here's the thing, during the refurbishing of the temple, they only found a small amount of oil that would light the lamp for about one day. Here's the the show stopper though, the part you've been reading this whole story for: this tiny amount of oil that was supposed to last for only one day, it lasted for 8 DAYS. That's right, 8 days and 8 nights, which was just enough time to compress some olives and make more oil. Man, I'm a sucker for miracles.

Being that we're Jewish and all of our holidays and laws are based on traditions, Judah Maccabee and the Jewish people decided to throw another tradition on the list and make a celebration out of this awesome miracle. So now, every year for Chanukah we light a candle each night for 8 days to commemorate the time that Judah and his army fought off the Syrians and reclaimed our temple. We also eat oily foods like Latkes (potato pancakes) and Sufganiot (jelly donuts) to represent the oil that lasted for so long. In America it is common for people to give and receive gifts duri

ng Chanukah but this exchanging of gifts does not actually take place in Israel, it's more of an American tradition (which I think was created because Jewish parents felt bad for their kids because all of the Christian and Catholic kids were getting gifts for Christmas).

So if you didn't know, now you know. This year, Chanukah is from December 1, 2010 to December 9, 2010 so you guys have about 3 more days to get your Chanukah on! Chanukah Sameach!! (Happy Chanukah!!)

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I MISS MY HOME

I was sitting in the kitchen eating dinner the other night and all of a sudden, a deep feeling of nostalgia hit me like a bullet in my back. I'm not quite sure what triggered this particular feeling but it was really weird because before that moment I hadn't really missed home before, I had missed my friends and family. But at that moment I could litterly smell the scent of my mom cooking in the kitchen for Shabbat dinner, I could feel the cool white cotton of my bed sheets brushing against my cheeks and I could imagine myself coming down the stairs and heading out the door to go to school. I miss my home and no matter how much I accomplish here, I can't shake the feeling that this is not my home; this is not where I grew up.

I've been trying really hard to focus on what's in front of me right now, which is Israel. I may not feel 100% happy here but right now this is what I've got and I would never forgive myself if I gave up now. I feel like i'm on a super long vacation except i'm not engaging in any recreational activities. It's kind of an annoying feeling but everyone keeps telling me that if I move here then I won't feel like that because I'll have a car and my own place. That will probably change things but I'm not sure if I really belong here. Maybe it's too soon to tell? I know what you guys are thinking, "Wait, didn't she just post something about how great it would be to live in Israel?!" Haha well, I'm still not sure yet and I don't think I will be for a while.

I asked my sister once if she was happy that she decided to move to Israel and she said, "You know what, you have to make the most of wherever you live and enjoy yourself. When I visit California, I enjoy what California has to offer and when I'm in Israel I do the same."

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Oh, Brother

I'm coming up on my 3 month mark here in Israel and I don't miss home as much as I thought I would. Don't get me wrong, I miss my friends and family immensely but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not on the next flight home. It's funny though, before I left I told my dad to cancel my cell phone line and he was like, "No, it's okay. You'll probably be back in 2 months anyway." But here I am, surviving. haha. I was born to prove this world wrong and I feel like that's exactly what I'm doing. Every time I meet someone new and they realize that I'm from California, I always get the same question, "Why?" well, why not?! Why should I stay in a bubble that is California when there is so much more of this earth that I have yet to discover? This brings me to the subject of this post.

I touched on this idea in one of my earlier posts but I didn't really provide many details. So here it is: I've seriously been considering moving to Israel . . . permanently. I guess the real pondering started about a week ago, during elections. I began thinking about how America is seeing a change but it's a change for the worst, while Israel is changing for the better. I'm a minority in America and that makes me feel uncomfortable. True, there are many minorities living in America, California especially, but everyone is still so segregated. I don't feel that my religion is entirely welcome in America and I honestly don't see that changing.

America has simply run out of 'opportunity' and now the American Dream is just to be able to pay your bills every month. The Israeli Dream is to love what you do and be there for your family. I want to have children in the future and I want them to be proud of being Jewish, not tuck their Star of David necklace under their shirt. I want them to know what it feels like to celebrate Yom Kippur as a nation or be able to walk into a restaurant and not worry if the food is Kosher or not. I remember how difficult it was to grow up Jewish in California. All the questions, not knowing really how to answer them. How do you explain to other 9-year-olds what 'Kosher' is or why you can't ignite fire on Saturdays? Living here has really made me aware of just how much of a problem being a minority could be. Being Jewish in Israel is absolutely effortless. If I do make the move here it'll be for my future.

With all of that said, moving across the world is a really huge decision and I'm totally aware of that. I'll definitely be coming back home after I complete my training here, regardless of my decision. However, I would like to come to a decision by the time I go back to California. I'm trying not to think too much about it right now because my main concern is to do well in school and enjoy the time that I'm spending here. So for right now I'm just going with the flow and taking in all the beauty and soul that Israel has to offer.

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What Language Do You Dream In?

I was speaking with my father on the phone the other day and he asked me if I was fitting in here in Israel and if I felt like an Israeli yet. I told him that I didn't and I stuck out like a sore thumb, a throbbing, sore thumb. He said to me, "Just wait, Liat, when you start dreaming in Hebrew, that's when you know you belong."

Last night, I had my first dream in Hebrew. Now, I'm not sure if it's because I talked about it with my father a few nights before and my brain was just doing its job, or if I really should feel like I belong. In all honestly, I feel more comfortable here than I did when I first arrived but I don't think that I can say that I feel like a native. There's still so much here that I'm not used to. Like, for instance, most people here act like they own the place (and it's because they truly feel like they own the place). They smoke and park wherever their heart desires and they don't say "please," "thank you," or "sorry." But they do speak from their heart; they say what they mean and they mean what they say. They're pretty harsh and everyone keeps telling me that they have to be that way in order to survive here.

Maybe I'll never behave or speak the way they do but I have come to admire and love this country. For she is beautiful, warm, energetic and full of attitude. Lately I've been thinking about what it would be like to live here permanently. I don't mean to startle my American friends! However, I feel that America is somewhat of a bubble. Life is easy there but when you're in America, you're on the America show and it's all America all the time. What I mean to say is that when you live in America you don't really concern yourself with what's going on in the rest of the world. While there is diversity in America, most cultures tend to stick with their own kind. But it's not like that here in Israel. Yes, most of us are Jewish but we come from all over the world and we don't segregate ourselves. That's my favorite thing about Israel (aside from the food).

So I guess I'm still not sure if I belong yet but i'm starting to feel more like it every day.

(oh, and don't forget to answer my question! What language do you dream in??)

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Did You Say Sizzurp? No, I Said Scissors!

So they won't make you fly like a G6 but they sure will make you look fly! That's right lovely readers, I am now the proud owner of my first pair of professional hair-cutting scissors. Although I've been attending the hair academy for 2 months, I didn't receive my scissors until today because scissors must be earned. The first two months emphasized the foundation of doing hair because as we know, a building is built from the ground up, not the other way around. Now that I know and understand the basis of doing hair, the details that surround the hair world, I can now become more familiar with my scissors. I'm actually glad I didn't get the scissors right off the bat because now I appreciate them so much more.

Now that our class has received our scissors, we will slowly be moving into the salon. There is a salon attached to our school in which all the the students will practice everything they learn. It is a fully working salon with real clients and real hair. I'm tremendously excited for what's to come and I hope that I can rise to the occasion even though I know I'll be very nervous. But nerves just make everything more interesting, right?! And anyway, I won't be doing this alone, I've got my handsome pair of scissors now ;-)

These scissors will take me to some beautiful places if I let them. It's all up to me now. I haven't decided what to name my scissors yet (yes, I will be naming them), but I'm definitely open to suggestions!

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Maybe I Really Do Have it in Me

So we've just passed the two month mark at school and we took our first exam. We were examined on everything we've learned in these past two months; parting the hair, highlights, lowlights, perming, chemical straightening, the finger wave, finger curls and rollers. I was nervous about it because doing hair isn't like solving a math problem or writing a research paper. It's a skill that one possesses and either you have it or you don't. We obviously don't begin as the best hairdresser in the world and there is always something to learn, like with any other occupation. However, I do believe that it's somewhat of an innate skill. You probably grew up loving to play with people's hair and create beautiful pieces of hair art (if you will). When someone would ask you to straighten their hair, even if you had a ton of other things to do, a bright smile would show up on your face and you'd say, "with pleasure." Well, that was me at least. But I wasn't quite sure if i'd cut it when it actually came to the technical stuff, that is, until today.

As the instructor read our scores aloud I thought, crap, this is about to be embarrassing, because receiving test scores is usually a private matter. Before he started reading off the scores, he distinctly stated that no one in the class received a score of 100 and that the highest score was a 98. As he called my name, I could feel my heart pound a little quicker, "Liat, 98." A feeling of pride began to wash over me and I couldn't help but smile. The news instantly made me feel like I want to work even harder and that maybe I really can be the best.

I've been feeling kind of down in the dumps lately because of all the licensing issues and the fact that I can't get my license to work in Israel because the state's test is only available in Hebrew and I can't read or write in Hebrew. But I guess it's not that bad because in all honestly, I don't plan on opening a salon here in Israel. Anyway, I was beginning to feel like going to class was pointless because all the other kids were going to get a license at the end and I wasn't. But now that I know that I really am good at this, well, it would be absolutely foolish of me to quit now. The other kids in class don't really talk to me much, especially now, but honestly, I don't care anymore. My hands will show them what I'm made of and they can eat it.

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Confidence is a Stain That Can't be Removed

Most of you probably already understand that there is a difference between confidence and cockiness. For instance, George Clooney is confident while Kanye West is cocky. Confidence is respected while cockiness annoys and is often not taken seriously. Confidence is a force not to be reckoned with; confident people usually get what they're after in an efficient manner. I bring this subject up because in the last couple of months that I've been living in Israel, I've noticed that many of the young people here are quite cocky. I've also become aware that it's something that they probably grow out of because most of the older people who live here lack that overbearing arrogance.

It's interesting to watch a cocky attitude in action; it's all in their choice of words. Example, there's a test coming up in class, a confident person would say, "I studied the subject matter. I feel good about this test, I'm going to do well." A cocky person would say, "You might as well give me that A now, I haven't studied one bit but I've got it in the bag." Don't get me wrong, cockiness is very amusing, it's one of the reasons I'm so fascinated by Kanye West. I mean, the man doesn't quit; he's so cocky that he IS respected for it. People forgive him for his cocky behavior because they know he'll be at it again. But let's face it, there's only one Kanye West on this planet and we can't all make a cocky attitude look that sharp. Most of the time, cocky people make me feel disgusted, they think they have all the answers and make assumptions about things they really have no clue about.

I guess young people all over the world have a lot to learn but it got me wondering, where does that attitude come from? Is it because they sincerely believe that they got it goin' on, or are they deeply self-conscious inside and this is just one of the ways they deal with it? The thing about cockiness is that it fades, one hit below the belt and the person becomes defensive, sloppy and weakened. But confidence, well, like I said, it's a stain that can't be removed.

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How do You Get From A to B?

Transportation. It's pretty awesome, really. I mean, if it weren't for transportation then we'd just be losers sitting at home all day. There are a myriad of ways to get to your desired destinations but up until my big move I hadn't really explored these different means. You see, having a car in Israel is mind-blowingly expensive, not to mention the fact that there is no oil in this country so gas is also going to eat a hole in that wallet of yours. You basically have to go into debt in order to own a car, which is why a lot of people here ride the bus everywhere.

Before moving to Israel, I had only taken the bus a few times in High School but now I take it every day. I love to ride the bus. It's like my own personal driver takes me to wherever my heart desires. Yeah, sometimes I have to end up sitting next to someone with an unbearable stench to them but it's worth all the beautiful scenery I get to admire as we ride along the narrow streets of Israel. California doesn't have the best public transportation so it's nice to live in a place where the bus can take me basically anywhere. The only main drawback is that the buses don't run on Shabbat (Friday sundown - Saturday sundown). Despite this, my favorite part about taking the bus is that I rarely feel worried that I'll get lost. I can always ask the bus driver where something is and meanwhile I get to enjoy a nice relaxing ride as the music from my ipod surrounds me.

The oldest sort of transportation, you all may be familiar with, is walking. Yes, Californians, people walk here and no, it's not just to get the mail from their mail boxes. Man, I walk so much here that I don't really care how much bread I eat anymore. It really is a fantastic feeling to be able to eat a plate of hummus with a big slice of fluffy pita bread and not feel guilty about it. Why should I feel guilty if I'm going to walk it off in the next hour or so?! Not to mention, there's a superb bakery on almost every corner and I don't have to whimper as I pass by them anymore. "Why yes, I will have that cookie AND a muffin." How you like them apples, America? But I digress, what I'm really trying to point out is that I'm really beginning to enjoy taking the bus and walking everywhere. I feel like I'm helping the environment and myself at the same time. I never thought something so simple could feel so empowering.

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How Do I Get My Mojo Back?

I guess the best word to describe what I feel at this moment is, "deflated." I started this trip with all the confidence in the world. Knowing that it would be difficult but still hungry for the struggle as well as the success.

Some people may not be aware of this but in order to do hair for a fee, you need a license to work in a particular state, or country for that matter. Every state has different rules and you need to take the exam in which ever state you plan on working in. Now, California, being the wonderful state that it is, made it so that anyone wanting to be a hairdresser would also have to be tested on makeup, nails, waxing and facial care. WTF. That was my first thought. Why is it necessary for me to know all that other crap if I don't plan on providing those other services in my salon?! Not only that but I've also just been informed that after I complete my training here in Israel, I will be evaluated by the California State Board before I can even APPLY to take the exam in California. But they won't tell me what exactly I'll be evaluated on. All that's (somewhat) clear is that I must complete 1,500 hours of training before taking the exam. Basically, I've created quite a large mess for myself and I'm starting to second guess everything I've done, all the work and effort I've invested, up until this point.

When I discovered all of this, the first thing I did was go into fix-it-mode. But that got exhausting because no one from the state board was giving me any clear answers. Now I'm just starting to feel defeated and unsure. I hate being unsure, it is truly an awful feeling. Usually what keeps me going is knowing that it'll all work out in the end but this time I really don't know if it'll all work out. All I know is that I want to do hair. I want to make people feel good about how their hair looks. That's why I started this and that's why I'm not going to give up. Why should I give up on my dream because of some technicalities?! That is not how I roll, nor is it how I will ever roll. Onward and upward, right?! I will continue to DO WERRK and GO HARD until I get some answers and direction from California's end. I know I didn't leave everything I knew for nothing. I guess I just found my Mojo, it was on the tips of my fingers the whole time.

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Awareness is Contagious

America is such a large country, filled with so many people. Some of the most intelligent, kind and charming people I've ever met reside in America. However, sometimes people are so concerned with their own lives, their own problems and dramas that they become ignorant. Ignorant of the world around them. I'm definitely aware that we are all entitled to our own opinions, being a former journalist, I've come to appreciate what it means to be non-judgmental. So this is my opinion.

As a resident of this world, I feel that it's important to know about what's going on in other parts of the world. We all live our lives differently and often times your place of residence can affect they way you live your life. Living in Israel is affecting my life. It's changing my life and making me more aware of what's going on here and what Americans may not have been informed of. Every day Jewish people in this country are fighting for their religion and their right to be here. Most people are aware of the Jewish-Arab conflict but I'm not so sure they know how often Israelis have to deal with it. It's not just bombs. It's hurtful words, it's people's personal property being destroyed and having large rocks thrown at them. Yes, it happens. And no, these hateful actions are not reserved for the Gaza Strip. It happens in Jerusalem and it happens in Yafo, Tel Aviv.

As I was having my breakfast this morning, I looked down on the couch and saw a picture in the newspaper that shocked me. Several Arab men were destroying a Jewish person's car that was parked in Jerusalem. The first thought that popped into my head was, "Why didn't anyone stop them?" But I guess living here hasn't changed the fact that I'm still a bit naive.

From what I've been told, this kind of stuff happens all the time. I saw other pictures in which Arab men were throwing some pretty big rocks at a bus filled with Orthodox Jews and lighting a car on fire. "This happens all the time," they tell me. But that doesn't make it okay. It makes me sad to think that it could have been anyone on that bus, it could have been one of my cousins or it could have been me. Anyone could have easily been knocked unconscious by the size of those rocks. The point is that even I didn't know it was quite that common. Hate crimes can be avoided. We work toward so much for our future. Why not work toward tolerance? It's important to talk about these things. Do you know what's going on in your country? In your world? Because honey, this is YOUR world. We all live here, breathe the same air and require the same basic necessities to live. Be aware because your awareness is contagious and it's about time this universe was infected with something positive.

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A Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur. Some of you may be familiar with the holiday. For those who aren't, let me give you the run down. Yom Kippur is the highest Jewish holiday in which we cannot eat, drink, use any type of electricity or light any fires for 25 hours. There is so much that we can't do so it might just be easier to tell you what we are allowed to do, which is sleep, read, walk, talk, go to the bathroom and wash our hands. If you're wondering if we're allowed to shower, the answer is "no." The main purpose of this extremely holy day is to atone for any sins we may have committed during the past year, which is also why Yom Kippur is always right after our New Year (Rosh Hashana). Now I usually dread Yom Kippur because I love food and because no one else I know celebrates the holiday so I always feel like I'm suffering alone. But I couldn't be further from the truth.

Never in my entire 22 years of living on this Earth have I ever seen an entire nation come together to celebrate a holiday in tandem. We celebrate many holidays in America but because the country has come to be a melting pot of sorts, there is not one single holiday that the entire country celebrates together. Since most of Israel is Jewish and Yom Kippur is such a high holiday, a great majority of the country celebrates it.

We start the holiday right before sundown, by eating foods that satisfy, like chick peas, eggs and rice. After the meal we lounge around for a bit and wait for nightfall. The main idea (for young people at least) is to stay up really late so that we can sleep during the day and not feel the fast very much.

As the stars began to take their places in the sky, my cousin and I made our way to the main street in Holon. Since no one is allowed to drive during Yom Kippur, people were walking in the middle of the streets with no worries of being run over. I had already begun to be amazed by the sight of people walking everywhere but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw as we approached the main street. A very large street usually packed with cars on their way to various destinations, tonight the dreary asphalt was brought to life with hundreds and hundreds of people walking all over it. Already a brilliant sight, it was even more radiant because almost everyone was dressed in white. It is tradition to wear white during Yom Kippur because it is the color of purity.

We walked around for a while and talked to so many people I couldn't even remember all of their names. As my eyelids began to feel heavy, I headed back home. As I walked the 20 minutes it took to get back home, my mind was clouded with all the charming memories I had just made. I may never be in Israel again for Yom Kippur but I will never forget the way the streets looked that very night.

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Back In Businesss

Dearest Readers, I'm not sure if you noticed but I haven't really posted anything new lately. I've been a bad blogger! My apologies. The truth is, I've had a pretty stressful past couple of weeks :-/ I'm actually not living in Ariel anymore. Living with my sister and her husband wasn't working out so great so I thought it would be best to go elsewherez. Yes, that means I don't have a job anymore either. But I'm working on getting a new one. I'm staying in Holon now, with my awesome cousins. They've been incredibly welcoming and I know that things will start to get real fun once I finish getting settled in. As for now, I got a bit lost on the bus today, which I was totally expecting but you live and you learn. I just wish I didn't have to learn in 105 degree weather.
School is going pretty well, I got almost everyone in class to start speaking English. I feel like a proud parent. Everyone talks to me about what they like and dislike about Israel and how they'd love to visit America one day. They ask me lots of questions like, how are your teeth so white? and do you have lots of celebrity friends? Needless to say, I am fascinated every day. Sometimes I love that things are so different here but other times I can't stand it. I guess this all comes with the territory. Moving your life across the globe is pretty hard and I'm understanding this more and more each day.
p.s. I totally have a tan now. My 110 spf is no match for this medeteranian sun.

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Artsy Fartsy

For those of you who have never been to Israel, you should know that it really is a beautiful space. The land itself exudes this natural beauty that can't be seen anywhere else, but that's not what I'm talking about today. I'm talking about the actual hand-drawn art that can be seen in the streets of this country. For instance, most of the electrical panels that are found outside people's homes are painted with beautiful imagery. I never saw anything like this living in California and people around these parts probably think I'm strange but every time I pass by an electrical panel I have to stop and look at the graceful painting on it. Seeing these paintings makes living in a town with no movie theatre or mall slightly less painful.

Aside from these electrical panels, there's this little sitting area right up the street from where I'm staying and it's utterly beautiful. Th

ese cement benches are covered with shattered tiles that create an image of birds and flowers.

It kind of looks like it belongs somewhere in Venice beach but don't be fooled, the nearest body of water is about an hour and a half away. This charming little space is surrounded by dry, scorched land. A simple glance over the fence reminds me that the people living in the homes below aren't exactly Israeli's biggest fans.

Nevertheless, I'm slowly getting the hang of living in this rather rural part of Israel. I feel like I get the best of both worlds because I go to school in tumultuous Tel Aviv and rest my head at night in airy Ariel.

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It Starts With a "T" and Ends With an "Aviv"

The bus was late today but when it arrived I was just relieved to feel the AC on my face. Like I previously mentioned, I live in Ariel, which I used to think was an hour and 15 minutes from where I need to be but I guess that's just on a good day. We drove through what felt like pure desert, a wasteland of horribly dry dirt. But eventually (2 hours later), a busy city full of life emerged. It was full of hustle and even some bustle; people walking to get to school or to work. Eager young men and women in traditional Army attire, which they miraculously manage to look amazing in, heading to their Army base carrying guns you usually only see in action films. Juice from real fruit is squeezed right before your eyes and poured into a tall plastic cup and placed in your hand, all for your enjoyment. Cuz you know what, it's hot out this bitch and this is Tel Aviv.
You can find American Apparel here but the employees are definitely not American. You can find pizza here but it'll taste better than that stuff that's "not delivery." Oh and the fashion here, well the fashion is fearless and the people who rock it are oozing confidence. But why did I come here? Couldn't I have stayed in Calihood and gone to Paul Mitchell's hair school? Perhaps, if I only wanted to be taught the technicalities of doing hair. But here, in this youthful city, people appreciate an intracate hair cut or a luminous coloring job. Hair school doesn't end when I step out of the Shuki Zikri Academy, I see it when I walk to the bus stop. I see people with fantastic hair walking the streets and shopping in the markets. Hair is king in Israel. I feel lucky to be studying such an art in such a beutiful city.

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It's On Like Donkey Kong

I'll be starting hair school at Shuki Zikri Duri tomorrow morning and I'm very excited. But it's that kind of excitement that has a hint of fear in it. Kind of like when you're done with Junior High and it's time to start High School. It's your first day, your mom drops you off and maybe you don't have many friends cuz most of your friends ended up going to school in a different city. Ultimately, you know you'll make friends but you also know you're gunna have to put some effort in and you're just not sure if these kids will like you. Yup, that's how I feel.

The administrators tell me that I'll be the only American at school this year (which they seemed very proud to report). They told me not to worry though, that there will be English speakers from India and England studying there as well. I really enjoy meeting new people, it's sort of thrilling to me so this should be a lot of fun. I had a meeting with the administrators yesterday and they all seemed very kind and welcoming but the other kids stared at me whenever I'd open my mouth and utter a word of English. I reckon they'll get used to it. Don't get me wrong, I speak Hebrew fluently but I feel that I can express myself more fully when I'm speaking English.

Black Uniform, Check.

Shades, Check.

Cool Hair, Check.

Ipod, Check . . .

Here goes something.

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Plans, They Change

But this isn't always a bad thing! I've only been here for about a week but I've already learned some new things about myself. For instance, I can't tolerate the smell of baby poop and I can take buses across Israel without getting lost (for those who know me, this is huge deal).
So ultimately, I was supposed to stay at my cousin's house, which is about a half hour from my school but that's not working out so I'll be staying here in Ariel with my sister and her fam bam. There are a few downsides and upsides to this decision. The upsides are that my brother-in-law's salon is down the street so I'll be getting a leg up working there while the other kidz at school are still learning how to hold a pair of scissors correctly. I'll also be able to spend some time with my niece, Abby (I'm already teaching her how to recognize Lady GaGa and Kanye West, it's pretty mind-blowing if you ask me). The downside is that Ariel is about an hour and 15 minutes away from school, which means 3 hours out of my day will be spent on a bus. But this got me thinking . . .
I've basically grown up in California, a place where almost everyone has a car, nobody really walks (c'mon there's even a song about it, yo) and by the age of 10, you probably already have a cell phone. These are things that make our life comfortable, one might even use the term "easy." But then I think about how, from a young age, we hear our favorite movie stars and recording artists telling us to follow our dreams and that we can do anything we put our mind to. But they don't tell you that following your dreams is not comfortable and it's definitely not easy. If it were so easy then we'd have more pop stars and movie stars than janitors but that's obviously not the case. You have to be willing to work harder than the people around you, you have to be so hungry for success that you go beyond what's asked of you. Remind yourself that the most successful people on this planet aren't lazy, they work hard and they don't quit. However, these are things you must consider before pursuing a dream. For not giving it your all would be a terrible tragedy. A dream is full of whimsy and wonder but a bit of elbow grease can turn that little bubble dream into reality.
So, yes, 3 hours on the bus will most likely be a pain but it's a tiny price to pay. I mean, I didn't leave my comfortable California life for nothing.

TTFN XX

RELEASE THE HOUNDS

Well, more like, release the puppies. Although I'm totally ready to do this thing, that flight took a lot out of me. Recycled air isn't exactly my prefered brand of air ;-) Luckily, our suitcases were one of the first out on the carousel, which nevvver happens to me!
Anyway, here I am at my sister's house. The air here is so humid you can literally slice through it with a knife, yo! But I'm slowly getting used to it, 5 showers a day oughta do it. Now that i'm here, everything feels more real; leaving the country I grew up in, my friends, part of my family. For the next 9 months, I'm a true Israeli, this ain't no vacay. In a few days I should be moving into my cousins house. She was generous enough to let me stay there while she goes to school in Jerusalem. The place is about a half hour from my school but it's whatevs cuz i have an ipod to keep me company. Yes, an ipod. i JUST bought one last week, my very first ipod. I have finally joined the rest of the universe :-)
Being here still feels a bit strange but as my sister watches "The Simpsons" in the next room, I realize that all the things I know and love aren't so far away after all.

TTFN XX

Pack, Pack, Pack it up

I'd like to start off by mentioning that I am a self-proclaimed shopaholic. With that said, I love every article of clothing, accessory or shoe that I own. It's safe to say that I don't actually have a room, I just happen to have a bed in my wardrobe. Now, with all these cherished items I have on my hands, I'm finding in painfully difficult to decide what to take on such a long trip!

I sincerely believe that the clothing that you wear is a strong expression of who you are. I like to express myself through my clothing so it's absolutely vital that I take amazing pieces with me. Here's where the difficult part comes in, I feel that all of my pieces are amazing. It's why I purchased them in the first place! What I'm trying to say is that packing for this trip has turned out to be quite a drag :-/ Now that I've got that confession off my chest, I guess I better get to it.

I have much to be excited about anyway. A new life in a new country awaits me tomorrow!

Can't wait to get settled.

TTFN XX

The Start of a Hairy Journey

My name's Liat and I will be moving to Israel in 3 days to follow my dream of becoming the greatest hair dresser in the Universe. I just graduated from Cal State University, Northridge with my Bachelor's Degree in Family and Consumer Sciences. Quite a stretch one might say, but I can't help it. I want to do hair and I want to be the best. Well, that's why I'm going to Israel after all. I will be attending an amazing hair school (imo) located in Tel Aviv called Shuki Zikri.

I am originally from Israel but I moved to California with my family when I was a year old. Now my sister lives in Israel and is about to give birth to her second child so I figured this would be the perfect chance to show the world what I can do with hair while offering babysitting services to my wonderful sister.

This very blog will chronicle the time that I spend in Israel, what the people are like, what I'm learning and how living in an entirely new country is effecting me.

If anyone is actually reading this, I would love to hear about your dreams and what you're doing to follow those dreams!

TTFN XX