You know you've been in Israel for almost a year when:
1. You are happy to see clouds in the sky
2. You get excited over a downpour
3. You still get nervous when ordering a coffee
4. You can actually feel the caffeine in the coffee
5. You get carded to try a sample of wine
6. The seawater is actually cold
7. Cheap pizza actually tastes good
8. You speak to Hebrew to someone who doesn't know the language
9. As a pedestrian, you don't get almost run over
10. The drivers let you go when you need to make a turn
11. The train ticketing system makes sense
12. A "small" is too big
13. You actually know how much money you are spending
14. The sidewalks are dog poop-free
15. Speaking English feels weird
16. You pay for food (at fast-food restaurants/cafes) when you order, not after you eat it
17. You agree with the fashion
18. Artifacts in America seem young
19. There's talk of "what are you doing for Shabbat?" without any Orthodox context
20. Food shopping requires looking for the "Kosher" label
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
How They've Improved! !איך שהם התקדמו
Lihitkadem (להתקדם) - to be moved forward, to be improved.
Personally, I like the first definitnition better, to move foroward. Because that is exactly what is happening both literally and metaphorically.
The kid that I mostly work with, M, could not sit up at the beginning of the year. He would lie on his back and babble to himself. He would not roll over, though he was able to, nor would he reach out for the toys he wanted. If a toy that he liked was placed infront of him and then taken away, there would be no eye contact to say "where did it go?" nor would he cry for the toy. He could not clap nor pay attention for very long. When I was given the chart of where he should be by the end of the year, I was very overwhelmed. How could I do all these things when the kid can barely roll over?
The first time M sat by himself, my friend and I fawned over him like proud mothers. Now he's a big shot at sitting up. "Look at me!" He giggles. Just a few weeks ago, he managed to pull himself from a sitting position to a standing position. This has also gotten him to realize "Hey look! I have knees!" so he has started kneeling and crawling with his knees as opposed to on his stomach. Now I am working with him to walk with help of a wall or table to steady him. That, he does not like so much. But he didn't like the other excercies either. But look how far he's gotten!
Due to his increase in mobility, M is able to interact with his peers. He is also able to "ask" for a toy that is taken away so many times this leads to arguments with the other kids. He still babbles but the words are more defined. And this kid, this kid will be a singer. When we sing the Hebrew version of seesaw, he will sing the tune back. We sing to the kids everytime we switch activities so at the end of morning meeting the other day we were singing that it was time to eat and although he is unable to say the words, he sang the intonation of the song.
Because of these improvements, M will be moving to the next class in August.If you asked me 2 months ago if I thought he should go to the next class (where the kids walk and kind of talk) I would have said no. But given his recent progress I am so happy that he will be moving up and not staying in the same class.
While the job is very rewarding despite what seems like slow progress, I really appreciate M's mom. At least once a week she will write in his notebook about how she's so happy that he's "moved forward". That she has noticed his babbling has changed and that he's starting to stand and reach out for things. And whenever she sees me, she just thanks me a thousand times and is so grateful.
Or at least that what I think she says because she talks a mile a minute.
Personally, I like the first definitnition better, to move foroward. Because that is exactly what is happening both literally and metaphorically.
The kid that I mostly work with, M, could not sit up at the beginning of the year. He would lie on his back and babble to himself. He would not roll over, though he was able to, nor would he reach out for the toys he wanted. If a toy that he liked was placed infront of him and then taken away, there would be no eye contact to say "where did it go?" nor would he cry for the toy. He could not clap nor pay attention for very long. When I was given the chart of where he should be by the end of the year, I was very overwhelmed. How could I do all these things when the kid can barely roll over?
The first time M sat by himself, my friend and I fawned over him like proud mothers. Now he's a big shot at sitting up. "Look at me!" He giggles. Just a few weeks ago, he managed to pull himself from a sitting position to a standing position. This has also gotten him to realize "Hey look! I have knees!" so he has started kneeling and crawling with his knees as opposed to on his stomach. Now I am working with him to walk with help of a wall or table to steady him. That, he does not like so much. But he didn't like the other excercies either. But look how far he's gotten!
Due to his increase in mobility, M is able to interact with his peers. He is also able to "ask" for a toy that is taken away so many times this leads to arguments with the other kids. He still babbles but the words are more defined. And this kid, this kid will be a singer. When we sing the Hebrew version of seesaw, he will sing the tune back. We sing to the kids everytime we switch activities so at the end of morning meeting the other day we were singing that it was time to eat and although he is unable to say the words, he sang the intonation of the song.
Because of these improvements, M will be moving to the next class in August.If you asked me 2 months ago if I thought he should go to the next class (where the kids walk and kind of talk) I would have said no. But given his recent progress I am so happy that he will be moving up and not staying in the same class.
While the job is very rewarding despite what seems like slow progress, I really appreciate M's mom. At least once a week she will write in his notebook about how she's so happy that he's "moved forward". That she has noticed his babbling has changed and that he's starting to stand and reach out for things. And whenever she sees me, she just thanks me a thousand times and is so grateful.
Or at least that what I think she says because she talks a mile a minute.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Transportation
In Boston, when you get on a bus, you have to either beep the CharlieCard or get a ticket to scan before entering the bus. You enter in, well, the front of the bus and you pay. For the train, you buy a ticket before going through the turnstiles. The common thread between these modes of transportation is that they wait for you to sit down (or to hold onto something before moving).
The Light Rail--
You're supposed to by a ticket or refill the "Rav Kav" before boarding the train. When the train first started running in September it was free. They said it would be free for a week. But they couldn't figure out how to get the beepers on the train to work. So the train was free until mid-December. However there were many people who would sneak onto the train without paying and so they put officials on the train to check if you paid for your ride or not.
However, if I'm riding a train, I expect to be taken from point A to point B with only the necessary stops. It should not take me just as long to walk as it does to take the train. But half the time that's what I do anyway because I would rather walk for 45 minutes than ride for 20 mintues in a sweaty sandwich of people. The train, at least at first, arrives every 12 minutes. If you're lucky. I understand that there is traffic, but the point of the train was that it is faster than the busses because it's on its own railway. But it does not have the right of way so, during traffic hours, the train stops at every single light. In addition, there have been multiple times when I have taken the train and it has stopped for more than the allotted time for no apparent reason. Despite all these complaints, it's still faster than the bus.
The Bus--
A single ride around the city costs 6.20 shekels. But since it's rare that anyone has agurot (like pennies), most people do not give the exact change. This means that the driver has to give them change thus a line ensues to get on the bus. If you are one of the last people to get on, you're in trouble. The driver will go as soon as everyone fits. The only thing to hang onto during a rush hour mass is that old religious woman in front of you that is haggling the bus driver on whether or not she can receive the senior discount.
The bus is a good use of transportation. If there's no traffic and if you know where you're going. Otherwise you're screwed. During traffic, a pedestrain moves faster. So, while the bus might be ideal after a long day's work, in reality walking towards your destination is a better option. Example: Last year when I lived on Har Hatzofim, it took fifteen minutes in the morning to ride the bus to work. In the afternoon, it would take over an hour.
The Sherut (aka the shared taxi)--
The Sherut is generally used instead of the bus to get to different cities in Israel. The car can hold ten people plus the driver. Because this isn't a mode that requires tickets, the cab needs to be full in order to go. Therefore, I usually have to wait for the cab to fill. Generally, I have taken the sherut on a Friday and I have never had to wait more than five minutes for the cab to fill. When I came home from Tel Aviv on Saturday, I thought I would have to wait longer for the cab to fill because it was Shabbat. However, the cab was filled in a matter of seconds. I like this mode of transportation because, although it's few shekels more, it reduces the hassel of going through the security of the central bus station.
The etiquette of the sherut is important. You don't pay as soon as you get on, although that is the logical thing to do. The etiquette allows you to sit down and get settled before handing the money to the person in front of you to hand to the driver. Most drivers are nice and if asked, will let you know where to get off. Others are like the bus drivers and know only central bus station to central bus station. The one thing to know though, is that if you want to get off at an exact point, you don't ask at the point or they will drive way beyond to a place they can stop. If you want to get off at an exact point, you ask as soon as it's in view.
Otherwise, you'll end up on the other side of the city.
The Light Rail--
You're supposed to by a ticket or refill the "Rav Kav" before boarding the train. When the train first started running in September it was free. They said it would be free for a week. But they couldn't figure out how to get the beepers on the train to work. So the train was free until mid-December. However there were many people who would sneak onto the train without paying and so they put officials on the train to check if you paid for your ride or not.
However, if I'm riding a train, I expect to be taken from point A to point B with only the necessary stops. It should not take me just as long to walk as it does to take the train. But half the time that's what I do anyway because I would rather walk for 45 minutes than ride for 20 mintues in a sweaty sandwich of people. The train, at least at first, arrives every 12 minutes. If you're lucky. I understand that there is traffic, but the point of the train was that it is faster than the busses because it's on its own railway. But it does not have the right of way so, during traffic hours, the train stops at every single light. In addition, there have been multiple times when I have taken the train and it has stopped for more than the allotted time for no apparent reason. Despite all these complaints, it's still faster than the bus.
The Bus--
A single ride around the city costs 6.20 shekels. But since it's rare that anyone has agurot (like pennies), most people do not give the exact change. This means that the driver has to give them change thus a line ensues to get on the bus. If you are one of the last people to get on, you're in trouble. The driver will go as soon as everyone fits. The only thing to hang onto during a rush hour mass is that old religious woman in front of you that is haggling the bus driver on whether or not she can receive the senior discount.
The bus is a good use of transportation. If there's no traffic and if you know where you're going. Otherwise you're screwed. During traffic, a pedestrain moves faster. So, while the bus might be ideal after a long day's work, in reality walking towards your destination is a better option. Example: Last year when I lived on Har Hatzofim, it took fifteen minutes in the morning to ride the bus to work. In the afternoon, it would take over an hour.
The Sherut (aka the shared taxi)--
The Sherut is generally used instead of the bus to get to different cities in Israel. The car can hold ten people plus the driver. Because this isn't a mode that requires tickets, the cab needs to be full in order to go. Therefore, I usually have to wait for the cab to fill. Generally, I have taken the sherut on a Friday and I have never had to wait more than five minutes for the cab to fill. When I came home from Tel Aviv on Saturday, I thought I would have to wait longer for the cab to fill because it was Shabbat. However, the cab was filled in a matter of seconds. I like this mode of transportation because, although it's few shekels more, it reduces the hassel of going through the security of the central bus station.
The etiquette of the sherut is important. You don't pay as soon as you get on, although that is the logical thing to do. The etiquette allows you to sit down and get settled before handing the money to the person in front of you to hand to the driver. Most drivers are nice and if asked, will let you know where to get off. Others are like the bus drivers and know only central bus station to central bus station. The one thing to know though, is that if you want to get off at an exact point, you don't ask at the point or they will drive way beyond to a place they can stop. If you want to get off at an exact point, you ask as soon as it's in view.
Otherwise, you'll end up on the other side of the city.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Birthdays
Birthdays in America. It's a simple celebration outside of a child's birthday party. There's a cake, you sing "Happy Birthday", and the person with the birthday receives the gifts. In school, the class will sing and cupcakes will be handed out. A total of 15 minutes, if you include eating the cake.
In Israel, the songs take 15 mintues just to sing. While most Israelis are familiar with the copyrighted tune of "Happy Birthday," it is not one of the songs that is included in the sing-a-long. It starts with "HaYom Yom Huledet" (Today is Your Birthday), an upbeat melody and continues with "Yom Huledet Chagigah Lachmedet" (A Nice Birthday Celebration). There are a few other songs that are included for kids (but the titles sound stupid in English. "What a Happy Day") The singing ends with "Where is the Cake?" It sounds like a greedy song, but it's fun to sing. The translation of the words are "There no celebration without cake so where is the cake?" Everysong that is sung has a happy tune associated with it. People clap and bang on tables or shake tambourines. The birthday girl/boy wears a crown, or a lei, or sits in a special chair to signify that it's their birthday.
Recently at the kindergarten, we've celebrated 2 birthdays. A boy turned 2. And a girl tunred 1. It is absolutely adorable seeing the kids with their families. (The only thing is that afterwards the child becomes confused on why mommy was in school and now she's not there). The parents are good sports and dance with kids. You can truly see the love in the mothers' eyes when they are with their children and you can't help but smile.
There was another birthday a few ago also. Israel turned 64 on Yom Ha"atzmaut. What really surprised me here was the Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) literally goes into Independence day. On Yom HaZicharon, many stores were closed and schools were released early. At 11:00am the city was silent for a full 2 minutes. No movements. No horns. Just the wind and the birds. It looked like a living museum. Cars stopped in the middle of the road. People stopped in the center of the crosswalk. Conversations halted. The country was quiet. There was a ceremony at Har Herzel and because we live so close to it, we walked there. I think all of Jerusalem and the surrounding cities were there. Luckily it's a big place, though the downside is we couldn't find where the actual ceremony was. Just the speakers that were hung on the trees throughout the cemetery.
For Yom Ha'atzmaut, the whole country was decorated in blue and white. Flags hung from buildings and waved hello in the breeze. Flags were connected to cars, to balconies, and to trees. Mostly everyone was wearing blue and white to show their pride for Israel. The evening of Yom Ha'atzmaut we watched a celebration that took place at Har Herzel. It was similar to every other celebration. Bands, dancing, army personnel. One of the personnel from the army has been invited to come since anyone can remember. He's now in his 80s and still in the army. At the end, they shot fireworks into the air and because the apartment is so close, we could see the show. (No, not as good as Needham.) With a celebratory barbeque (and parks that looked like a dump everywhere in the country. Literally trash everywhere. It was disgusting) Israelis celebrated the 64th year of the establishment of Israel.
pictures!
In Israel, the songs take 15 mintues just to sing. While most Israelis are familiar with the copyrighted tune of "Happy Birthday," it is not one of the songs that is included in the sing-a-long. It starts with "HaYom Yom Huledet" (Today is Your Birthday), an upbeat melody and continues with "Yom Huledet Chagigah Lachmedet" (A Nice Birthday Celebration). There are a few other songs that are included for kids (but the titles sound stupid in English. "What a Happy Day") The singing ends with "Where is the Cake?" It sounds like a greedy song, but it's fun to sing. The translation of the words are "There no celebration without cake so where is the cake?" Everysong that is sung has a happy tune associated with it. People clap and bang on tables or shake tambourines. The birthday girl/boy wears a crown, or a lei, or sits in a special chair to signify that it's their birthday.
Recently at the kindergarten, we've celebrated 2 birthdays. A boy turned 2. And a girl tunred 1. It is absolutely adorable seeing the kids with their families. (The only thing is that afterwards the child becomes confused on why mommy was in school and now she's not there). The parents are good sports and dance with kids. You can truly see the love in the mothers' eyes when they are with their children and you can't help but smile.
There was another birthday a few ago also. Israel turned 64 on Yom Ha"atzmaut. What really surprised me here was the Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) literally goes into Independence day. On Yom HaZicharon, many stores were closed and schools were released early. At 11:00am the city was silent for a full 2 minutes. No movements. No horns. Just the wind and the birds. It looked like a living museum. Cars stopped in the middle of the road. People stopped in the center of the crosswalk. Conversations halted. The country was quiet. There was a ceremony at Har Herzel and because we live so close to it, we walked there. I think all of Jerusalem and the surrounding cities were there. Luckily it's a big place, though the downside is we couldn't find where the actual ceremony was. Just the speakers that were hung on the trees throughout the cemetery.
For Yom Ha'atzmaut, the whole country was decorated in blue and white. Flags hung from buildings and waved hello in the breeze. Flags were connected to cars, to balconies, and to trees. Mostly everyone was wearing blue and white to show their pride for Israel. The evening of Yom Ha'atzmaut we watched a celebration that took place at Har Herzel. It was similar to every other celebration. Bands, dancing, army personnel. One of the personnel from the army has been invited to come since anyone can remember. He's now in his 80s and still in the army. At the end, they shot fireworks into the air and because the apartment is so close, we could see the show. (No, not as good as Needham.) With a celebratory barbeque (and parks that looked like a dump everywhere in the country. Literally trash everywhere. It was disgusting) Israelis celebrated the 64th year of the establishment of Israel.
pictures!
Friday, March 16, 2012
My First Purim
There is no Purim like Purim in Israel.
In the United States, you go to synagogue, maybe dress up in costume, hear the megillah, and eat hamentaschen. It's one evening. Not so here in Israel. If it wasn't for Shabbat, the party would have continued throught the evening. Here, if you are not in costume, it's weird. Everybody has something silly on, whether it's a hat or face paint. Whether they are 2 months old or 92 years old. Everybody is in disguise.
There was a small party at the kindergarten for the kids. The came into school dressed in costume. I have never seen such cute lions, penguins, and princesses. They of course didn't really understand what was happening, but I think they had fun at the activites that we had planned for them.
Thursday was not technically Purim in Jerusalem. Because Jerusalem is a "walled-city", she celebrates Shushan Purim. This is because the Jews were not invloved in Haman's defeat until the day after the rest of Persia. It was then decided in Joshua's time, that Purim would be celebrated in all citied that were enclosed by walls when he conquered Israel. Despite that the rest of the country was celebrating Purim on Wednesday/Thursday, the Yerushalmim (Jerusalemites) continued celebrating with them. By the time I left work, everybody was in costume and families crowded Ben Yehuda street. While this tourist street is normally crowded, it was nothing compared to what it was like Thursday afternoon and especially night.
Friday, we drove into the city center and actually managed to find a parking spot. Not only was it Purim, but it was also almost Shabbat. With these two holidays back to back, the shuk was even more crowded than usual. If you have ever been to the shuk on a Friday afternoon at 2pm, you know there is very little room to move and you choose food from the closest stand knowing that it will be five minutes, at least, before reaching your favorite vendor. On this day, however, it was a sea of people. If one person stopped, the whole crowd stopped. It took over 15 minutes to pass from one end to the other. After swimming through the sea, we stopped in Nachlaot, a neigborhood near the shuk. Music was played by some of the neighboorhood's residents and people filled the streets. As we walked along the street, we stumbled on a Megillah reading. Only in Israel can you wander the streets and randomly bump into a group of people listening to the megillah. Because we had not heard the megillah yet, we stopped and listened until its finish.
The party continued and people piled up. Cars could no longer get through the street (though it's a minor street and very few cars pass through anyway) and the cars that were parked had dents in the roof from being danced on for seven hours by a hundred people. As the day went on, more elaborate costumes appeared. There was the simple "salt and pepper", "put on a wig and call it something", and animal costumes. However, there were some that were very creative and elaborate. Two girl dressed as Ursula and Ariel from The Little Mermaid. One guy had popped a football and put it on his head. And one girl dressed as a peacock.
As Shabbat neared, people dispersed to get ready and by the time the Shabbat alarm sounded, the neighborhood we had been in suddenly had fewer people. However, with no music playing, we decided to end our Purim and go home. After all it was Shabbat.
Here our some pictures (and videos) of the latest adventures!
In the United States, you go to synagogue, maybe dress up in costume, hear the megillah, and eat hamentaschen. It's one evening. Not so here in Israel. If it wasn't for Shabbat, the party would have continued throught the evening. Here, if you are not in costume, it's weird. Everybody has something silly on, whether it's a hat or face paint. Whether they are 2 months old or 92 years old. Everybody is in disguise.
There was a small party at the kindergarten for the kids. The came into school dressed in costume. I have never seen such cute lions, penguins, and princesses. They of course didn't really understand what was happening, but I think they had fun at the activites that we had planned for them.
Thursday was not technically Purim in Jerusalem. Because Jerusalem is a "walled-city", she celebrates Shushan Purim. This is because the Jews were not invloved in Haman's defeat until the day after the rest of Persia. It was then decided in Joshua's time, that Purim would be celebrated in all citied that were enclosed by walls when he conquered Israel. Despite that the rest of the country was celebrating Purim on Wednesday/Thursday, the Yerushalmim (Jerusalemites) continued celebrating with them. By the time I left work, everybody was in costume and families crowded Ben Yehuda street. While this tourist street is normally crowded, it was nothing compared to what it was like Thursday afternoon and especially night.
Friday, we drove into the city center and actually managed to find a parking spot. Not only was it Purim, but it was also almost Shabbat. With these two holidays back to back, the shuk was even more crowded than usual. If you have ever been to the shuk on a Friday afternoon at 2pm, you know there is very little room to move and you choose food from the closest stand knowing that it will be five minutes, at least, before reaching your favorite vendor. On this day, however, it was a sea of people. If one person stopped, the whole crowd stopped. It took over 15 minutes to pass from one end to the other. After swimming through the sea, we stopped in Nachlaot, a neigborhood near the shuk. Music was played by some of the neighboorhood's residents and people filled the streets. As we walked along the street, we stumbled on a Megillah reading. Only in Israel can you wander the streets and randomly bump into a group of people listening to the megillah. Because we had not heard the megillah yet, we stopped and listened until its finish.
The party continued and people piled up. Cars could no longer get through the street (though it's a minor street and very few cars pass through anyway) and the cars that were parked had dents in the roof from being danced on for seven hours by a hundred people. As the day went on, more elaborate costumes appeared. There was the simple "salt and pepper", "put on a wig and call it something", and animal costumes. However, there were some that were very creative and elaborate. Two girl dressed as Ursula and Ariel from The Little Mermaid. One guy had popped a football and put it on his head. And one girl dressed as a peacock.
As Shabbat neared, people dispersed to get ready and by the time the Shabbat alarm sounded, the neighborhood we had been in suddenly had fewer people. However, with no music playing, we decided to end our Purim and go home. After all it was Shabbat.
Here our some pictures (and videos) of the latest adventures!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Milestones
There's nothing like seeing a child take their first step. Or say their first word. These milestones are a huge part of development and praising the child only makes them want to move forward. For parents with normally developing kids, there are developmental characteristics that aren't as exciting yet still important. They are not noticed quite as much, but arents still praise these features eventhough they seem very small.
For example, clapping. This is one thing a baby will start to do in their first year of life. It a very important milestone because this means that the child is aware of thier hands and can start to display an even wider range of emotion. One of the kids that I work with in the kindergarten is 15 months. He just started to clap ylast week. At first, he would only put his hands together unless there is a flashing lightstick pushed up against his body. Now, if I say "can you clap for me?" he will. Since he has started to clap, he has been a little bit more successful in refining his gross motor skills. The cube goes into the box instead of staying on the table or being thrown on the floor.
How do you get a kid to learn to clap? Besides doing it for him, which is also good practice, the reward system also works. The therapist told me to sing a song that he likes and clap. I should stop in the middle and if he wants more he will put his hands to mine signaling that he wants more. It's not the full motion, but it's a start. After a few weeks of just touching my hands, he began keeping his hands on mine as I sang the song. It still takes some prompting, but this boy will clap for you.
Another simple task that parents will acknowledge, but won't think too much about it the simple task of being able to hold your head up and to turn it. Every person takes that for granted. We all learned when we were infants and have been continuing to hold our heads up for years. But this simple act for a child with the lack of muscles is a tiring feat. One boy, who just turned one, is barely able to hold his head up. If he is sitting up, he is able to look at you. But if you put him on the ground, he is not only unable to lift his body off the ground, but he also doesn't have enough muscle to look straight ahead. He needs this tummy time as the hair on the back of his head still isn't as full as the rest of the hair on his head. Plus, he's lazy. We all know this cutie can do it, but i'm pretty sure he knows just exactly how adorable he is and knows that someone will just do the task for him.
Another milestone that is taken for granted is the ability to stand from a sitting position. Usually this is one of the first signs that a baby will begin to take their first steps in a few months. A baby needs to learn to balance on two legs before they can begin to move them. The same boy that just started clapping is learning to stand up from a sitting position. He can't really stand yet, we are working on that too, but his favorite game is to sit on a wooden stool and be pulled upwards. I think he will be standing with help soon. His legs now straighten when he is in an upright position, as opposed to the jelly legs he had a few months ago.
Sidenote: It is not at all sad to be with these kids becaue they are changing everyday. The early intervention that they are going through will allow them to live a relatively normal life. Besides, how can you be sad when the moment you walk in the door and say "good morning", the kids put on a bright smile?
For example, clapping. This is one thing a baby will start to do in their first year of life. It a very important milestone because this means that the child is aware of thier hands and can start to display an even wider range of emotion. One of the kids that I work with in the kindergarten is 15 months. He just started to clap ylast week. At first, he would only put his hands together unless there is a flashing lightstick pushed up against his body. Now, if I say "can you clap for me?" he will. Since he has started to clap, he has been a little bit more successful in refining his gross motor skills. The cube goes into the box instead of staying on the table or being thrown on the floor.
How do you get a kid to learn to clap? Besides doing it for him, which is also good practice, the reward system also works. The therapist told me to sing a song that he likes and clap. I should stop in the middle and if he wants more he will put his hands to mine signaling that he wants more. It's not the full motion, but it's a start. After a few weeks of just touching my hands, he began keeping his hands on mine as I sang the song. It still takes some prompting, but this boy will clap for you.
Another simple task that parents will acknowledge, but won't think too much about it the simple task of being able to hold your head up and to turn it. Every person takes that for granted. We all learned when we were infants and have been continuing to hold our heads up for years. But this simple act for a child with the lack of muscles is a tiring feat. One boy, who just turned one, is barely able to hold his head up. If he is sitting up, he is able to look at you. But if you put him on the ground, he is not only unable to lift his body off the ground, but he also doesn't have enough muscle to look straight ahead. He needs this tummy time as the hair on the back of his head still isn't as full as the rest of the hair on his head. Plus, he's lazy. We all know this cutie can do it, but i'm pretty sure he knows just exactly how adorable he is and knows that someone will just do the task for him.
Another milestone that is taken for granted is the ability to stand from a sitting position. Usually this is one of the first signs that a baby will begin to take their first steps in a few months. A baby needs to learn to balance on two legs before they can begin to move them. The same boy that just started clapping is learning to stand up from a sitting position. He can't really stand yet, we are working on that too, but his favorite game is to sit on a wooden stool and be pulled upwards. I think he will be standing with help soon. His legs now straighten when he is in an upright position, as opposed to the jelly legs he had a few months ago.
Sidenote: It is not at all sad to be with these kids becaue they are changing everyday. The early intervention that they are going through will allow them to live a relatively normal life. Besides, how can you be sad when the moment you walk in the door and say "good morning", the kids put on a bright smile?
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Annoynaces of Shabbat
On Shabbat, the country shuts down. No stores, no shops, no businesses are opened. You can spy the religious walking to synagogue with their eight kids. All is quiet on the streets of Jerusalem during Shabbat. It is very peaceful. The only thing that can be heard from my apartment is the occasional bark from the dogs and a maybe a few startling meows. Shabbat gives people a chance to just relax. To see family. To enjoy the day. With no responsibilities until sundown, it gives Jews a 24 hour period to just enjoy life.
However.
If you need medication you have to wait until sundown. If you need to see a doctor, but it's not an emergency, you need to wait until the next day. I recently got an infection in my eye. I knew exactly what it was and I knew exactly what I needed. But I had to wait over 36 hours to see a doctor and get medication and because of this, I had to miss work and the eye became more irritated. If the doctor's office had been opened on Shabbat, I could have gotten the medication that day and not missed work the next day thus pleasing my boss and putting her on my good side.
Because Shabbat is a day off, people like to enjoy themselves by going places around the city. However because most stores and tourist places are closed, it is not possible to do this unless you know specific places. Like the Hermon.
I went to the (Mt.) Hermon a few weeks ago. Because it is a National Reserve, it is opened everyday. Here, I learned to ski. Not in Massachusetts. Not in the Alps. Or the Rockies. Or in any of the ski resorts that I have been to for hiking. Nope. I learned to ski in the desert. I think if I had learned to ski when I was younger it would have been more enjoyable, but because it was my first time skiing, I fell down a lot. Plus it was a long drive there so we were all tired and it took a lot of energy to balance and stay up right. I've also been to and seen better, more exciting mountains. I'm sure it's exciting to speed down a mountain, but I'd rather stick to the hiking and watch the view at a normal place. The Hermon is a mountain that you have to see. Just like you have to see the Kotel. However, the Hermon is one of those places that is good to go to every ten years.
However.
If you need medication you have to wait until sundown. If you need to see a doctor, but it's not an emergency, you need to wait until the next day. I recently got an infection in my eye. I knew exactly what it was and I knew exactly what I needed. But I had to wait over 36 hours to see a doctor and get medication and because of this, I had to miss work and the eye became more irritated. If the doctor's office had been opened on Shabbat, I could have gotten the medication that day and not missed work the next day thus pleasing my boss and putting her on my good side.
Because Shabbat is a day off, people like to enjoy themselves by going places around the city. However because most stores and tourist places are closed, it is not possible to do this unless you know specific places. Like the Hermon.
I went to the (Mt.) Hermon a few weeks ago. Because it is a National Reserve, it is opened everyday. Here, I learned to ski. Not in Massachusetts. Not in the Alps. Or the Rockies. Or in any of the ski resorts that I have been to for hiking. Nope. I learned to ski in the desert. I think if I had learned to ski when I was younger it would have been more enjoyable, but because it was my first time skiing, I fell down a lot. Plus it was a long drive there so we were all tired and it took a lot of energy to balance and stay up right. I've also been to and seen better, more exciting mountains. I'm sure it's exciting to speed down a mountain, but I'd rather stick to the hiking and watch the view at a normal place. The Hermon is a mountain that you have to see. Just like you have to see the Kotel. However, the Hermon is one of those places that is good to go to every ten years.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Age Difference
Back in September/October when I went on a trip, the age group of the people on the bus was around 28. During the two hour ride to and from mostly everybody slept. And those who didn't whispered in the back. Last week, I went to a conference in Tel Aviv for work. We had to be at the bus earlier than the usual work day. However, the average age of the people on the bus was 32 and most of the adults have kids. So, during the 45 minute drive, while me and and a few other people tried to sleep, everyone else talked.
It was interesting to realize this dynamic. I have never really thought about it before because when I go on trips, I'm usually with people my own age. Even the dynamic of the conference was like this. We got there late so my branch sat towards the back, but the teachers and the prinicpal were the first row of our branch. Behind them, the therapists and behind them, the staff and Bat-Sherut girls (the ones that do the national service). The first two rows were listening and attentive and some people were taking notes. The last row talked and doodled. While I hate to admit that I was part of the group, I will say that I think I would have paid more attention if I understood what the people were saying. Though, when someone talks in a monotonous voice, they are boring no matter what language.
The rest of the week at school was Hanukkah vacation so while the kids didn't have to come in, we were still there. But as luck would have it every kid came into Gan, except one. But it's rare that we always have all seven kids.
This is the first year that I have truly experienced Hannukah in Israel. My semester in Haifa there was a party with sufguniot (doughnuts) and last year I barely had time to light the menorah. But this year was different. I saw and felt Hannukah, though without the snow. The first night of Hanukkah, I went to the Old city to see all the chanukiot (menorahs) placed in the windows and by the Kotel. A big blue menorah by Yafo Gate welcomes the visitors, as well as the one in Kikiar Tzion. It was gorgeous seeing the two candles flicker against the Jerusalem stone. Because the streets in the Old City are so narrow, the light from the chanukiot lit up the alleyways. In addition, there was a Hannukah party at school and the siblings of the kids came to celebrate. The third night of Hannukah, as I was walking down the street, I was offered free sufguniot from different vendors and given gifts. On the last night of Hanukkah, I went to a pub where there were free dreidels (with a pey instead of a shin) and gelt.
Every night when I walked home to and from work, I would see the greetings on the busses wishing me a happy Hannukkah. At sunset, I would see families lighting candles and singing the blessing so that by the time I got home, there were chanukiot in almost every window in my apartment building. Most nights as I entered my buildings, I could smell latkes in the hallway wafting towards my nose
pictures of Hanukkah and other adventures
It was interesting to realize this dynamic. I have never really thought about it before because when I go on trips, I'm usually with people my own age. Even the dynamic of the conference was like this. We got there late so my branch sat towards the back, but the teachers and the prinicpal were the first row of our branch. Behind them, the therapists and behind them, the staff and Bat-Sherut girls (the ones that do the national service). The first two rows were listening and attentive and some people were taking notes. The last row talked and doodled. While I hate to admit that I was part of the group, I will say that I think I would have paid more attention if I understood what the people were saying. Though, when someone talks in a monotonous voice, they are boring no matter what language.
The rest of the week at school was Hanukkah vacation so while the kids didn't have to come in, we were still there. But as luck would have it every kid came into Gan, except one. But it's rare that we always have all seven kids.
This is the first year that I have truly experienced Hannukah in Israel. My semester in Haifa there was a party with sufguniot (doughnuts) and last year I barely had time to light the menorah. But this year was different. I saw and felt Hannukah, though without the snow. The first night of Hanukkah, I went to the Old city to see all the chanukiot (menorahs) placed in the windows and by the Kotel. A big blue menorah by Yafo Gate welcomes the visitors, as well as the one in Kikiar Tzion. It was gorgeous seeing the two candles flicker against the Jerusalem stone. Because the streets in the Old City are so narrow, the light from the chanukiot lit up the alleyways. In addition, there was a Hannukah party at school and the siblings of the kids came to celebrate. The third night of Hannukah, as I was walking down the street, I was offered free sufguniot from different vendors and given gifts. On the last night of Hanukkah, I went to a pub where there were free dreidels (with a pey instead of a shin) and gelt.
Every night when I walked home to and from work, I would see the greetings on the busses wishing me a happy Hannukkah. At sunset, I would see families lighting candles and singing the blessing so that by the time I got home, there were chanukiot in almost every window in my apartment building. Most nights as I entered my buildings, I could smell latkes in the hallway wafting towards my nose
pictures of Hanukkah and other adventures
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