The Adventures of SarahJ

Last Weekend I Got Arrested!

2007-07-15T13:09:00.000+03:00

And boy did I enjoy getting frisked! Lol

It has been a while since I posted something, but to be honest, life hasn't been that interesting. I started working properly back in April, so that has been my major focus and life is pretty drab during winter...so havent been doing so much!

Last weekend my boss turned 30 and decided for his birthday he would have a scavenger hunt. It was by far the best birthday idea I have seen yet!

7 limosines were hired, filled with alcohol and we were split up into groups. We were given a list 3 pages long of all the things we could get that would earn us points...and at the end of the night points were tallied to see who the winner was.

My group consisted of me and 5 other guys from work, etc. So here are the pics of the night!!

Here we needed pics inside a fountain at Martin Place; a pic of one team member in the back of a police car (we managed to find a paddy wagon!); a pic of one team member hugging a bouncer!

Here we needed to take a group shot infront of the big Coke sign at Kings Cross; a pic of the group in the Tool Shed (the name says it all!); here we get a little excited with all the toys!

And here, with some sailors from the docked Kitty Hawk!

We had so many things we could have done, but in 2 hours it wasn't nearly enough time. Everyone had a ball and people all over the street were so curious as to what was going on when a limo pulled up and people were running about everywhere. We all went back to my boss' apartment after where we had more drinks, ate and tallied the points. A few people had gotten naked, bought hemorrhoid cream and met with streetwalkers...very interesting stuff!

Israel, how I miss you so! (sniff)

2007-01-28T13:44:00.000+02:00

It was 1 year and 4 months....and it was time that flew so fast, it felt like I never left Sydney. Here I am back in my house, living with my parents and breathing fresh air. I hate memories...memories just mean that the particular moment in time is gone forever, and you will never get them back.

Well, enough wallowing. I guess it is best to show a snapshot of why I fell in love with Israel and why a good part of my heart still remains there...

Israel is a country of history, colour and culture. It is so alive that you can literally feel its heart beating as you walk its streets. It is small; both in land size and population (6 million people, the size of Sydney city, but for a whole country), yet its people are so highly diverse. My closest friends were from Colombia, France, Canada, America, Russia and among the Israelis, there backgrounds were Polish, Yemenite, Algerian, Persian, German...the list goes on. Because it is a city made of migrants from many countries, you see these influences in so much of the buildings, food, dance and lifestyle of Israel.

Tel Aviv was my home for my time in Israel, and Neve Tzedek was my pride and joy. The first area to be built outside of the Old City of Yafo, it remains small and quaint with a strong French feel. Below are just some images that will show how this little area breeds art, culture and tranquility.

My love for Israel also comes from the fact that this was my first venture out on my own. I lived for the first time on my own and learnt that taking responsibility for myself was more liberating than I could have imagined. It was my moment of growth; mentally, emotionally and spiritually. My greatest pride and joy comes in the form of Enzo; who kept me company and kept me from ever getting bored. (all the chewed furniture and holes in wall will long be a reminder of Enzo's existence once upon a time in Tel Aviv...). My second job working in a hanion (car park) taught me a lot. It gave me the time to think and reflect and opened my scope to a whole new world of opportunity.

But most importantly, and hence why I saved it for last, my greatest joy in Israel came from the wonderful people I met and incredible friends I made. We all came from different walks of life, different countries, experiences, professions, but in Israel we found a common bond and friendship that I know will last a lifetime.

My Ad-Gency crew; Wow!! Never in my life have I enjoyed to go to work each day. Never was there a dull moment. Each day presented something new, and even in times of great stress, we found room to laugh. Odette, Nechama, Vanessa, Ohad, Udi, Asaf, Ximena, Elinor and others (who although I don't mention, you know the times we have shared), you guys were the best bunch of people I could have hung around with for 9 hours each day!!! he he So much so, I was even happy to see you all after work too!!!

I felt so comfortable with you all, and the help and advice that each one of you has given to me, the laughter, the jokes, the sneaking out of the office, Level 15 bathrooms, Cpays Messenger, Ohad-save a night at Evita for me,Coffee Machine (Chocolata & Sahleb), Odette- my crazy partner in crime one day we will own Pizza Pazza, the Chicken Place, Birthdays, Vanessa - Time for Florentines, Nechama- We share our love for Nishikas, I could go on and on. I miss you all so much. I know that all our paths will cross in some way in the future. I wish you all only the best. Don't ever lose touch with me!!!

Clara, Amir and Jeremy. For you I have no words. Only hugs and kisses. I love you guys so much. You guys were by my side at every moment and became my family in Israel. Clara and Amir, I can never repay you for all the support you guys gave me. Clara you truly are my sister; I love you so much. Jeremy, my knowledge of backgammon is solely attributed to you!! Thanks for sitting with me and keeping me company those nights I worked at the hanion, for partying with me, bitching with me and laughing with me.

The Boys from the Hanion; yes it was strange to have me working there, but I became one of the boys and funnily enough enjoyed my whole experience there. Che, I will write that book and I will credit you for the title ;) (see pic in previous post)

Dima; I saw you every day that I lived in Neve Tzedek. We talked, we became good friends and I will miss you. I will miss talking to you for hours in front of Suzanna, meeting you at 2am and staying with you till your shift ended at 8am. I will miss u harrassing Enzo, bringing you Burekas when they gave you a double shift and most of all, I will miss the last moments we spent together. Yes, I am an optimist.

Yes, there is so much more, but too much that I don't have the energy to write about. I will be back in the future to visit, and hopefully with friends from Australia, so that they can also understand what I loved about it.

Here are some random pics to share with you all.

I Did It! I'm Back in Oz!!!

2007-01-17T16:23:00.000+02:00

Yes, you read right. Only a few people knew so I could surprise the rest, but for several months now I have been organising myself so I could make my way back to Oz.

And here I am!!!

I just spent a great 3 weeks with my family in Malaysia celebrating Xmas and New Year, and now it is time to settle back down in Australia.

First my family (immediate and extended) decided to all head to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to have a big Xmas with my family there for my Grandmother. This was definitely something I could not miss. So, there started my decision to head home. Here is a pic of my mum seeing me for the first time (and as u can see, being very surprised!!!)

We had a great Xmas and New Year and I am so sad it's over. Here are some more pics of all the family and things we did and saw in Malaysia.

Mums side of family at Xmas in KL
Westwood Gals at New Years Party in Penang
Beware of the Monkeys!!! Yes, that's my bro Agee and his girl Katya, in the Botanical Gardens, Penang
Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang
My Sweet Grandma teaching us how to make Roti Jala

After Malaysia I stopped in Hong Kong for 2 days and my Aunty showed me a few of the hot spots to shop!!! Ahh, yeah, we kinda went crazy...Thanks Aunty Linda!!!

Enjoying Fish Congee, Soya Milk and (I can't remember the name!) in a small shop near the Flower Market
Me on the Harbour with Hong Kong Island skyline in the background

Leaving Israel was sad. I miss my friends like crazy. But we had a GREAT last few weeks, partying and simply just enjoying ourselves!!! I love u all soo soo much and I want to thank you all for all your love and support while I was there.

Me and My Carpark (Hanion) Boys
Crazy Gals - Me, Myriam and Clara
Jeremyyyy (said in French accent) giving me a farewell gift of Moroccan glasses
View from my apartment
Enzo getting spoilt by Dima

This ends a chapter in my life where I can say I honestly learnt the most about myself. I lived on my own by myself for the first time and literally just got real about life. I am a much stronger and better person from my experiences and am overly excited about my future adventures. (I will do a separate blog with more Israel pics)

Enzo my lil darling is in Australia too. Yes, he is already widely travelled at 1 yr old...to get to Oz from Israel he went to Vienna and Kuala Lumpur. Here I am visiting him in his quarantine cage in Sydney. You will be out on Feb 9th lil one, so not long now!!! Hang in there!!!

Well...cheers to some more crazy times down under and adventures ahead!!!

Glad to be back!

Life....1 BIG Question Mark?

2006-11-16T17:03:00.000+02:00

I sat the other day and reminisced the days when my biggest worry was where or who to sit with at lunch, or begging my mum to let me go to a friend's house after school.

Now, over here, thousands of miles away from home, its a whole different ball game.

I am sitting here and dealing with:-
- visa/immigration issues
- I need to control my finances heavily since I have so many expenses to get back to Oz with Enzo
- my landlord to try and not get ripped off
- making sure my job is stable in an industry that is very shaky at the moment
- the opposite sex and all their complexities
- the "Ex"
- a continuing the search to find "myself" amidst the madness before I head back to Oz to start my life and settle down

I know that many people cannot understand my fascination with Israel...and it is not surprising considering how it is portrayed in the media...but this magical place with all its history is where I was destined to come from birth. I never thought I would walk the streets that Jesus carried the cross, or sit and look at the Mediterranean from the world's oldest port, Jaffa.

I have made some of my best friends here and gone through some hardships that have strengthened me and shaped me for the better (I think). Yes, I am far away...but like I was told when I left Australia, it is only a phone call or a plane ride to see everyone...the world is no longer such a big place.

I am facing some hard decisions these days and I pray I make the right ones. What to do, where to go?????

L'at L'at (Slowly slowly)

2006-10-18T15:10:00.000+02:00

Impatience is a flaw I am learning to deal with. I am forever impatient to get what I want, and NOW!

This week I felt like several things had fallen into its rightful place. It had taken its time and every so often I am having new problems to deal with, but slowly slowly the gaps are filling in.

I was worried about work for a while as I had minor changes/additions to my current role that were taking some time to adjust to. Thankfully the last few weeks were spent arranging proper management for our new department and now the ever so French, Jacques is looking after us. He has done wonders in making sure we are comfortable and all our problems are fixed. Thus now, both Odette and I are feeling much better and more relaxed.

Outside of work, things have developed with that "special someone" I mentioned in my previous blog. He has brought a shade of excitement, happiness and butterflies into my life, and it has been wonderful to feel those feelings that I lost so long ago. Ladies; friend, boyfriend, colleague, etc, there is nothing like being surrounded by a complete gentleman! I felt like a little schoolgirl again as we had our first kiss. I think its a feeling that even at 50 yrs old, a woman still gets!

In regards to moving Lil Enzo to Sydney, I managed to get hold of 2 companies who have provided me with so much help that I feel a whole weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

And...to keep my options open, my work is trying to sponsor me to extend my work permit. This will provide me with much independence here as I will no longer be under "u know who's" thumb. This also provides me with much relief and makes me feel good that they value my efforts here. It is very kind of my new boss and I hope it works well.

Yes, money is very much an issue, but I am happy and content and loving the challenge of making it through these tough times. It's like Monopoly when you are scheming ways to pay the rent you anticipate landing on, on your next roll!!

Yes dearies, I plan on coming back, the only question is when??? Slowly slowly things will figure itself out.

A Whirlwind 3 mths!

2006-09-21T15:59:00.000+03:00

Sometimes in life a tornado just swirls up and whips through. My last 3 months is best described as that.

I went to Malaysia and Australia to see my family and ended up being in hospital for 4 days with DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). Yes, that's right. Most prone to the elderly, I ended up with it - a blood clot in my left calf. It was about 2 wks before I could walk properly and I have only now gotten to the end of my medication (blood thinners).

Other than that my trip was good. It was great to see my Grandmother who was in good spirits when I came, although it was ironic that she was visiting me in hospital. A BIG THANK YOU to my Aunty and Uncle (The Shakils) for all their help and care and also to Eli for keeping a blackmailing eye on me for my Grandma.

Australia was great. To see everyone again and eat my mum's homecooking was fabulous. It was sad to leave again, and much harder than the first time because after almost a year away I knew what it was like to miss them all.

During this time Israel went to war with Lebanon and as I checked my work emails, my father saw lists of public bomb shelters being sent to us by our company and emergency evacuation procedures being prepared. You can only imagine what my parents were saying to me as I said determinedly that I was going back.

My flight back was horrific. What should have been a trip of less than a day took 4 days! Yes, 4 DAYS! I ended up in Manila, Hong Kong, Paris, then finally Tel Aviv. Due to a typhoon my plane was diverted to Manila where I spent 1 night (great hotel though), then when finally I got to HK, I had missed all my flights and the next one wasn't till 3 days later. I waited in line with no food or drink for 12 hrs, saw several riots nearly start because of all the angry passengers and ended up being told they didn't know what to do with me.

At 2am, I left the counter and found myself a spot on the airport floor and tried to get some sleep (yeah right). The next morning I went back and forth, till I finally blew up and threatened that WW3 would erupt if I didn't find a way to get home. I was eventually put on a flight to Paris that night and given free use of the airport lounge where I could sleep, shower and eat. Once in Paris my journey did not end....I did the run around again as they wouldn't recognise my ticket...I eventually got to my flight on time and as I slowly breathed out, I was relieved to finally be going to Tel Aviv.

4 days in the same clothes was horrible...I finally arrived in Tel Aviv and as I expected, my luggage did not come with me...next step, apply to Lost Luggage and leave the airport with just my carry on and laptop.

I returned home to an empty apartment...just my things and my baby Enzo. Yes, what made the trip that bit harder was knowing that Nevo and I had finally ended it. We broke up!

He moved back to his mother's apartment and I came back to see how I could take Enzo to Australia. The 4 days were an emotional roll coaster and finally I could rest, breathe and purge myself of all my tears. Never in my life did I feel I needed to be as strong as I needed to be then.
Within the week, I had found a new apartment for Enzo and I, my work was great and I started the paperwork for Enzo's journey Down Under! I also got my luggage back! As sad as I was, I felt strong. At this stage, no one but my sister and friend Clara knew what was going on. Both helped me a lot and when I started work the day after I touched down, people at work were shocked but very supportive of me. I could not have made it without them. Also Nevo's younger brother and stepmum have been great and looking out for me. I thank them very much too for their kindness. It made a world of difference.

What amazes me is how everything can change in an instant. My life will no longer take the direction I expected it. Where I thought I was comfortable, I have to rethink and change. I will be honest, I am happier now. There is an energy I found within me.

My new apartment is great, I have a second job to save extra cash, that also keeps me busy. There is 'someone new' in the picture and socially, I have a great network of friends.

Thanks to everyone for being with me in this time. Things like this are not so easy, but when you are more than half a world away from your closest friends and family, in a country so different from your own, makes it that lil more difficult!

My big decision now is where I want to go next. Yes, most of you reading this say, "Come home to Sydney", but I really want London to be my next stop.

We will see where the winds blows. :P

Socceroos!!! Good Try!!!

2006-06-19T15:22:00.000+03:00

I was walking on Shabazi St (main shopping street near my house) when I passed one of many cafes that have been set up with plasmas and wide screens for the World Cup (known as the Mondial here). I stopped to catch a glimpse before realising it was the Australia v Brazil game!

So there Enzo and I were, perched on the sidewalk with many other people on bicycles, etc who had gathered to watch the last 15 mins of the game. When people next to me realised I was Australian, they gave me sympathy with every good play by Brazil, especially the 2nd goal...what a disappointment....not to mention the near miss Australia had toward the end. Enzo was even dressed for the occassion in is all-black fur suit...he he...yes, this was something one of the guys noticed, although Enzo did jump and bark and throw his paws up when Brazil scored their 2nd goal.....I think all the noise got him excited!!!!

It was fun to sit and watch ur home team play and converse with people about the game. The highlight of the night for me was watching an old French couple (mid-late 80's) watch the game and walk hand in hand together after it was finished.....such a cute sight!!!

I didn't watch the whole game, but a guy I spoke to after tried to console me by telling me it was a hard 2 goals for Brazil......good try Aussies!!!

My Poor Little Enzo!!!

2006-06-19T08:47:00.000+03:00

My poor little baby got scratched by a cat last week. He stuck his head in one of the bushes near our house and a cat surprised him and chased him out!!!

After a few hours we noticed that his eye was getting infected so the next day we took him to the vet and found 2 little scratches on his eye (not serious), to which we were given anti-bacterial ointment.

After 5 days we took the little one to the vet for his re-check and all looked great! We were told to continue with the cream for a few more days and he will be as good as new. We even gave him a booster vaccine for worms. He was on top of the world!

As we did our grocery for the week, we left Enzo at home because it was way too hot for him outside. We came home to find that his eye was looking a little puffy and swollen. We left it and later in the night I told Nevo that I didn't like it, it was looking worse, so Nevo called the vet. We were told it could be an allergic reaction of the vaccine with the eye ointment. So we stopped giving him the ointment and were told to wash his eye out every few hours.

My baby whined all night and Nevo and I woke up every few hours when he started whining to wash his eye over and over again (there was lots of liquid) and his eye contnued to get more swollen, and half of his face was also getting swollen. Thankfully, our vet was good and called us a few times a day to check on Enzo and on Sunday I had an appointment with the Vet to see what was going on.

Diagnosis: Yes his eye was infected and swollen. Why? Dr Tal said there had to be a foreign object stuck in his eye. We gave Enzo anaesthetic and as I held him, Dr Tal used surgical tweezers to fish around his eye...this grossed me out a bit so I had to look up.....the gasp from the vet shocked me as he pulled out what was stuck in my baby's eye.....

AN ALMOST 1 cm LONG CAT'S CLAW!!!!

We were both so shocked and he told us how lucky we were that Enzo wasn't blind or that the cat didn't scratch his eyes out!!! It was amazing how almost instantly Enzo's eye returned to normal and we will finish the medicine to make sure he heals well.

But really I have a great dog....he is so well behaved and good with all these things. He didn't flinch or whine at the Vet, and when we give him his medicine he sits there and lets Nevo to put his cream and drops. He no longer pees in the house...he cleverly waits at the door for us to take him out. My baby is growing up!

I will miss you Enzo when I go...lets hope daddy knows how to look after you!!!

Black Eyed Peas in Israel!

2006-06-06T12:18:00.000+03:00

This Saturday saw Clara and I head to Bloomfield Stadium to watch the Black Eyed Peas perform their very first concert here in Israel.

And what a concert it was!!!

The energy they had on the stage was incredible and the audience...I have never heard singing like that from any concert I have been to in Australia, including the BEPs. It was a great atmosphere, although the only downer was that it was soo hot and humid to be standing in such a big crowd!!!

2 thumbs up to Fergie who gave the performance of a lifetime....she was doing 1 handed cartwheels with a mic in the other hand and I felt so tired for her from all the dancing and performing she did....you made the concert a hit!!! The guys also did lil pieces on their own countries; Mexico and Phillippines....very nice!

Clara, I hope you had a good nite, it was Nevo's pre-wedding gift to you for a girly nite out!!! I can't wait till u come back from Colombia for our real Bachelorette's Night Out!!!!

Nevo thanks, we really enjoyed ourselves!!

Easter Camping Trip - Lake Galilee

2006-05-22T16:13:00.000+03:00

Finally I have time to put up some pics from our Easter Camping Trip to Lake Galilee! It was a great weekend and we spent 1 night camping in tents with 10 of our friends. Most were friends from my work...however we became close to a few guys from there and went on a 2nd camping trip 1 week ago also.

This pic was from a sandwich pit stop we did on the way! I made pastrama sandwiches and tuna sandwiches (Us girls were prepared with the food for the trip!)

Here was our little camp site. The Kinneret (Lake Galilee) was packed because it was also the Passover Holiday. We made a pretty cute site though, very cosy and cute!

The "Kitchen" - Everyone's fave spot. Here our Chef Ximena cooked up lots of meat, salads and her Specialty...The Colombian Yellow Submarine (beer with vodka). It went straight to everyone's head!!!

Enzo and his Mummy having a snooze on the beach!

The guys attempting to play Volleyball (Nevo, Big Peter and Alon)

This was a nice moment. Nevo pulled me to dance to a song that came on, on the radio. After a few spins we heard clapping from the camp site next to us. A small crowd of 8 year old kids had gathered to watch and giggle at us, and when we finished they gave a round of applause! It was so cute and when we turned around they ran away laughing. Their parents couldn't stop laughing also!

Agee, one of those kids reminded me exactly of you when you were young!!

Here is the little rascal. His nickname should be Dumbo, because his big ears always look like he is trying to fly!!! He enjoyed camping so much he ate himself silly and drank lots of water from the Lake...as a result he vomitted 3 times in the tent...yes...just what Nevo and I needed before sunrise!!

This is part of the camping crew (L-R; Big Peter, Ximena, Little Peter, Ricki, Alon, Me, Nevo and Enzo!)

It was a great trip and lots of fun, although we were exhausted because it was sooo hot there. We slept all the way home and promised to do it again...which we did 1 month later!!

We had some happy faces even though we were exhausted!!! Thanks to all for making it a great weekend!!!

Holocaust Memorial Day

2006-04-25T10:58:00.000+03:00

Just a short, quick blog.

Today is the Memorial Day for the victims of the Holocaust. Last night every business was shut down as a mark of respect and this morning at 10am it seemed liked the world stopped for a moment.

At 10am all throughout Israel a loud siren rang and every car, bus and truck stopped where they were. Every passenger got out of their vehicles and stood next to the car until the siren stopped. Every person in every store, work, shop or even just walking on the pavement paused exactly where they were with there heads down as a mark of respect.

It was a eirey feeling that gave you goosebumps and a new respect and appreciation for Israel.

To say the least, I was very touched by this short but significant 1 minute.

So Naive

2006-04-24T11:18:00.000+03:00

This weekend Nevo and I were invited to a bachelorette's party. It was at a bar near our house and after a lovely dinner with Nevo's sister and niece, we headed out to join the party.

The bride-to-be is a chef at a top restaurant here in Tel Aviv (by the way she is from Cronulla, Aust) and so when she turned up with a big slab of chocolate cake....Nevo and I were eager to get right into it.

For the first part of the night, we sat there drinking and waiting for the time the cake will be cut...so when the time came, you can only imagine how excited we were....

The cake was cut and after the bride-to-be, Nevo was the first to get a piece of cake, then me next. There we were scoffing it down and Nevo was amazed at how soft it was.

I on the other hand thought it was not chocolatey enough, so when the bride-to-be kept saying it was strong, I silently disagreed thinking to myself that if she saw some of the chocolate cakes I have eaten, she will know her cake is not very "strong".

As I chowed down my second piece, my friend turned to me and asked suddenly, "How are you? Are you feeling ok?" I was taken aback a little thinking, "Why? Do I look like something is wrong?" "Yes, I am great!! Why?" I replied...."Sarah, you remember what kind of cake this is?"

I stopped mid way as my memory jolted back into action....Yes, my dear peoples...Miss Goody 2 Shoes and her boyfriend were scoffing down Marijuana Cake!!!

It was then that it hit me! Earlier that week she had mentioned to me that they were making and bringing one.....but my love for chocolate cake made me completely forget the fact of what was inside. I even so much as pulled out a "leaf" thinking I was chewing on baking paper.

Lol.....Don't worry Mum and Dad....ur daughter is not a junky.....this stuff has no effect on me....as for Nevo.....hot flushes and tingles.....I think it was all in ur neurotic little head baby!!! ha ha

There you go....Innocent Sarah in the Big Bad World....lol

My Boyfriend is Sooo Lucky!!!

2006-04-20T17:05:00.000+03:00

Yes, my lovely little Nevo is blessed with an exciting job that also pays very well (something we all wish for one day!!)....and today came yet another highlight....he got to meet Will Smith.

Yes, Will my man was at Nevo's office this afternoon having a meeting with Nevo's boss (who by the way is my mentor; owns a media company and 51% share of a massive make up brand overseas!!!)

See the link, he is almost exactly wearing what Nevo wore to Purim!!! lol And yes apparently, he is a very nice guy. He is also living less than 50m from my home while he is in Israel....so maybe I will bump into him 2nite...pretty please!!!!

http://celebs.walla.co.il/?w=/3601/893567

I'm Alright!!!

2006-04-17T17:21:00.000+03:00

Hi guys,

Tel Aviv is a bit stressful today and I am sure the news is showing the latest attack as being quite big because it was! Its scary to know that the attacks have gotten to Tel Aviv....police have been on high alert because now is Passover (the biggest Jewish holiday) and bomb season!

The news here are reporting that although this one hit us, there have been a great number who were stopped, meaning that there were almost 20-30 attackers trying to get to Tel Aviv. There are many holiday makers now from US, etc, so I guess this is why also.

It should calm down soon because Passover ends this Wed. But this was just a quick post to let you know that although close, Nevo, I and Enzo are good.

Now is the time to take taxis, walk and stay away from major markets areas and other big venues. Nevo and I live in a pretty safe area, so I think we are ok.

Take care all!!! Love u all and Miss u xxxooo

A Good Morning Welcome!!!

2006-04-06T10:11:00.000+03:00

This morning I dashed to the Post Office before work to pick up a "package" that had arrived for me. I have been awaiting this package since my cute little mother told me she had sent it.

There it was...the girl brought it out...I have been waiting for it because my mum told me she had sent easter chocs for me!!! True enough, when I opened it, there were 2 tops and chocs!!!

But what really got me excited, was that I had completely forgotten about was Cadbury Creme Eggs!!! Yes, I had a massive obsession with them in Aust, but had completely forgotten about it over here!!

Thanks goodness my dear Mother reminded me and sent me 2 packs to keep me going over Easter. I won't be sharing these with anybody, but people can have btis of the Lindt bunny and Mint Creams!!

Thanks again to my wonderful family for sending it....and the clothes too....Spring is here and the green you bought is perfect!! However nothing beats the Creme Eggs!!

Kisses and Hugs xxxxooo

Nightmare at the Dentist!!!

2006-04-03T10:46:00.000+03:00

Eecckkkss!!!

This morning before work, I visited the dentist for a clean up...yes, a regular clean. Here they are done by Hygienists! I sat in the chair and was not nervous at all, because I have no problem with dentists.

Well not anymore!!! She did the usual drill thing that cleans between your teeth, etc, but what I am not used too...is the medieval hook she used to further clean between my teeth and around my gums. Imagine having a needle being dug between every tooth (and under each tooth) so that you think she is going to pull a tooth out!!! My nerves of steel helped me to withstand this horror, but when I was told to rinse I nearly fainted.

I have never seen soo much blood come out of my mouth!!! I am not even going to describe it, because my friend Jeremy nearly fainted. In France it is like Aust....jets of salty spray that clean your teeth...but in Canada and the US, apparently they also use the "hook". Needless to say, I called Nevo straight after and abused him for pushing me to get my teeth cleaned.

The hygienist had the nerve to tell me that I have mild gingivitis because I bled....I was like, "Der, of course I bled....its not gingivitis lady, it's YOU!!" My gums are still tingling!

Now....I am sad to say, I have joined the ranks of the twins on the Road to Root Canal. My first appointment is 17th April and after the horrific routine clean....I am not looking forward to the Painful Root Canal!!!

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers!!!

Purim Party!!!

2006-03-30T16:47:00.000+02:00

Part of the Crew

Well peoples....1 week ago was a Jewish Holiday called Purim. This holiday sees everyone dress up in costume and go to parades, festivals and parties. My work made us a party in Jaffa at a bar called Caliph. It was an awesome venue and an even better night. The venue was half an old (like 100 yrs) building that had bats flying around, but the other half was coloured lights, plants and middle eastern styled walls etc.

Anyways, everybody got into the night and the winner of Best Costume was a guy who dressed up as Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.

Nevo dressed up as a gangster and I was meant to be his B****, however we didn't look like the same era, so I became JLo!! (and his outfit also looked like Marc Anthony) so depending on who we talked to, we changed characters.

Here are some pics....Jeremy came as Caesar, Vanessa a Cowgirl, Nechama as Barbie, Brad as Ali G and Ximena as an Angel.

Getting Ready (taken by Jeremy)

1st Pic: Jeremy and I 2nd Pic: Yoni and Ximena 3rd Pic: Ohad and Ximena 4th Pic: Brad and Ximena

It was a great night and lots of alcohol and they had a huge stone oven there making pizzas and a guy making crepes with choc sauce!!! Needless to say by 1 am, I was learning how to make crepes and taking orders for pizza. Haven't had this much fun in a long time. People really let their hair down and enjoyed!!!

I have more pics, but I am writing this from work, so will update it a lil bit later!!!

Moving Up!!!

2006-03-30T16:33:00.000+02:00

Well, in an uncertain time in my company (restructuring) I am happy to announce that I am now incharge of our bi-monthly magazine BLING!!! Our next issue is in May and I am able to redo the magazine how I see fit (and with my bosses approval of course). For those who don't know, I work for an advertising agency that is involved with online gambling. The magazine is to have our own place to put casino ads, instead of paying for ad space.

So it is a luxury, leisure and lifestyle magazine (that judging from the previous issue needed much help), so I approached them with an offer to take over and I Got It!!! Its 52 pages and gets distributed to 100,000 people in the US and hopefully soon, an additional 50,000 in Europe and Asia.

So, wish me luck, and hopefully this next issue is the bomb. You can check out our website to get an idea www.bling-magazine.com

A Tear to my Eye... :)

2006-03-23T12:07:00.000+02:00

I am at work now and the last few weeks have been very hectic for Nevo and I. Nevo's work has sent him to do an intensive media course for 1 month and my work has been piling up the list of responsibilities.....meaning we have both been working very long hours and come home to dinner, clean (after Enzo) and sleep.

This morning I sooked to Nevo that I miss "Us" time and that we just seem too tired for eachother and things are becoming routine. It's 12pm now, and and a delivery woman has come into the office screaming "Sarah!!" With my mangled hebrew and her pushy behaviour, I suddenly realise what she has is for me.

To my surprise Nevo had sent a lil present for me!! A rose with a box of Max Brenner chocolates and a card saying, "To remind you of "Us Time". Love, Nevo"

Aww...I am on cloud nine today!!! xxxooo

Happy Family

2006-03-06T19:13:00.000+02:00

Wow. What a long time!! A lot to catch up on. So here is a quick timeline of events for the past 2 months!

All went good with me for my Israeli work permit. After much anxiety, my papers arrived in time for the interview and I was issued my visa on the spot. 3 days later, I started my new job at Ad-gency!

My new job (not so new now) is going great. I work as a writer on the monthly magazine they issue called Bling. I do about 6-10 articles an issue on fashion, events, quizzes, crosswords, gadgets, etc. Its a little bit beginner at the moment, but after a few issues, it should be ok. I also got the job to write the column each month!!

Along with the new job came a new apartment. Nevo and I moved out to Neve Tzedek, a small artsy little village area in the South of Tel Aviv. The apartment is very cute. It's small, cosy, but stylish (literally right out of Ikea), but we got it including all bills, etc which was great. The following are pics of the apartment. Nevo insisted on putting a sign on the door, so we went to the local artist market and got one made. There are also pics from around our area. To my family, you can see that I have put up the pics of you guys, Nanny and the doggies.

Then, along with the apartment came.......yes u guessed it....a DOG!!!! Another week later we added Little Enzo to our family. As we strolled Sheinkin St there were many people selling puppies and we instantly connected with Enzo. We named him after Nevo's fave character in the Luc Besson film, Le Grande Blue (The Big Blue).

We have not stopped receiving comments about him where ever we go. We bought him for 190 shekels and have been offered up to 3000 shekels for him. He is jet black with a bit of white on his chin and stomach and the centre of his eyes are a deep blue. He is so loyal and beautiful. I had some hesitation with him at first because I had deep amounts of guilt for Bailey, but this lil one warmed my heart very soon. He has also been introduced with photos of his bro and sis in Australia and he hopes to meet them one day!!!

So here is my new son, Enzo Fernando Grubner. (middle name courtesy of his Colombian Godmother Clara who there is a pic of below).

So what is there to say. All is going very well here and I have just received a promotion at work too, to include running email promotions. So a raise is coming with that. The weather is getting warm here and we spend the weekends walking, going to the beach, meeting friends, etc. I have new friends from work, Jeremy from France, Nechama from New York and Odette from Toronto. Unfortunately Nicoletta is going back to Italy in 8 days, so I am a lil upset, but this is life.

So until next time, keep me posted. I will try to be more committed to this, but we are usually so busy it is quite hard to find the time.

Until next time xxxx

What a Great Family I Have!!!!

2006-01-14T22:06:00.000+02:00

Yes peoples. This post is to brag to you about my family....most of you know them as "The Westwoods".

As you are all aware, Christmas has just passed and it was my first Xmas away from my family and friends. But worst of all, I am in a country that does not celebrate Xmas. Yes, as sad as it sounds, to see decorations and festivity, I would have to travel to specific areas.

So, without my knowledge, a group of elves (referred to as "The Westwoods") went about putting together a package, that was then secretly delivered to me here in Israel!!

I cannot begin to tell you the stupid smile I had on my face as I walked out of the Yehuda Halevi Post Office with a 5 kilo box addressed to Sarah Westwood!!! Yes....this was it!!!

I walked home and locked myself in my room for, I think, almost 2 hours going over everything slowly.

Let the pics below show you what my family went to the trouble of sending.....yes dearies, my Mummy sent me a house coat in there, and it has been my lifesaver this winter here!!! Thanks Mum, ur a genius!!!! Oh...did I mention it came with matching house slippers?!?!? :)

There were chocolates, Xmas candy canes and choc mint bon bons (my fave...thanx Nikki). There was a Cush squishy pillow that I havent let go since (gals I heard y'all got one too, isn't it fabulous?), a Santa Hat, a Xmas stocking, Xmas Bauble and best of all.....pics of my little babies all dressed up in the Xmas attire....yes Bailey and Tia, I am talking about you!!!

What was also great was that in the box they sent a present for everyone in Nevo's family too!!! Guys, you have a big shout out of Thanks from everyone here!!! They loved it!!!

Yes, I must admit that Nevo and I are still battling it out over a few things, but his mother couldn't stand to see him wearing my housecoat that she dug one out from her cupboard for him....so he has stopped bothering me for a while!!!

I just want to say a very BIG THANK YOU....it really made my Xmas guys.....u have no idea how much. Nikki, ur little commentary made opening the box such a great and hilarious experience!!!

I love you all very much and miss you all soooo soooo soooo much. Take care and 2006 will be a great year for all....love you....kissy kissy!!!

Geez, I have been slack!!!

2006-01-14T22:02:00.000+02:00

Boys and Gals.....I have been extremely lazy the last few weeks. Please accept my apologies for not attending to my blog more regularly. I have been sick and very sooky....yes, when ur a few thousand miles away from your mum and ur sick, you do get a lil whingy and whiney. But anyways....slowly feeling better, so u will see a few posts very shortly.

Kisses, Sarah xoxoxo

Yerushalem a.k.a Jerusalem

2005-12-26T19:48:00.000+02:00

I have been to Jerusalem, one of the holiest cities in the world, 3 times already. With each visit there is somewhere new to explore, something new to learn, faces to see and places to just sit and think of the history that took place thousands of years ago in exactly the same spot. You enter the Old City and you can only imagine the lives that were lost fighting for what is the most controversial city in all the universe. Muslims, Christians and Jews all place religious importance on this site, not to mention the rest of the world because some of history's most shaping events happened in this precious spot.

You can watch any movie about the crusades, (Kingdom of Heaven, is the most recent) and you will learn a lil something. Well, I thought I would bring a bit of what I saw to you. I could spend hours in there....the stone on the streets are all 2000 years old, and it is believed that Jesus walked on those exact steps during the cruxificion. My first pic is the Old City from outside. The tower you see is David's Tower.

The next pic is Jaffa gate, which is the most popular entrance point to the Old City.

Once you enter the Old City, the most advisable thing to do is go grab a map from the visitor's centre. You can get lost so easily inside these walls, because the best way to describe it is a labyrinth....a maze of little lanes that all look very similar to each other. There are areas that are not so safe to go, and soldiers patrol the Old City in full force checking IDs randomly, to ensure everyone's safety. Right next to Jerusalem is the West Bank, so you need to keep in mind that this is an area that is still quite volatile and prone to attack.

Anyways, aside from that, armed with a map, take your time and stroll the street markets. It is another world.....men carrying giant metal trays of bread on their head, young boys helping their fathers by pushing carts through the street filled with products to stock in their shops. You have Muslims, Christians and Jews all together trying to earn a living, you have vendors selling religious items, fabrics, dresses, arab head pieces, jewish kippot, sandals, etc.......so here are a few pictures to show you the colour and vibe, but really they do no justice to the feeling you get when you enter.

Okay, so the most sacred site for Christians is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is a church built on the site where they believe that Jesus was trialled by Pontias Pilate, handed to the Romans, whipped, crucified and placed in the tomb. This church brings together all forms of Christianity. In my pics you will see that the Armenian and Greek Orthodox priests are the ones that look after the Tomb of Jesus, and every now and then you see priests from Africa, Spain, Italy and the like running around doing services, fixing things, who knows really?!?!?

The first pic is of my friend Nicoletta entering the doorway to the Holy Sepulchre area, and the next is of the entrance.

The next pic is what you see when you first enter. It is a little shrine built on the spot they believe Jesus was washed and cloaked.

As you can see behind it is such a beautiful mosaic. The colours and detail is incredible. Here is a close up pic I took of part of it.

The next part of the Church was the most sacred. It is the Tomb of Jesus. Here Orthodox priests tend to the site that was where Jesus was laid after the cruxificion and rose from. It is a small and dark little vault, but very peaceful. The decorations around it are beautiful and seeing the priests in prayer is very calming.

The priest on the left is an Armenian Orthodox priest and the one on the right is the Greek Orthodox priest. The entire time there they were changing oil lamps, cleaning and spreading incense over the tomb.

I tried to be fancy and do a night shot pic of the entrance. There is a glow in the place that doesn't turn up on the pics because of the flash. So I tried to capture it here. There are 2 entrances to the tomb. The first you can see and the second is behind the pillar that the candle is on. This pillar (shown below left) is stone from the original tomb of Jesus.

The pic on the top right is the little altar on top of the tomb stone that is laid inside the second entrance. Well, I have soo many pictures, but I guess I can't show them all, so the next few are from the area outside the church.

These next 2 pics were taken in the Ethiopian Coptic Section. It was such a surreal place...everything was the same light coloured stone, and all the doors or woodwork was a bright green. A very nice area.

Now the last pic was for fun...we tried to get a pic of the soldier cos he was carrying 3 guns. So here is Nicoletta posing for me.....very subtle we thought!! he he

And this is just a small taste of Jerusalem. There is the Western Wall, Dome of the Rock and other sections left to be explored...so keep watch for Jerusalem 2!!!!

Something You Would Have Liked....

2005-12-11T09:39:00.000+02:00

Dearest Grandpa,

Today was exactly 7 years since you left us. I remember it like it was yesterday....we were all so close, yet so far.

For you today, I did a pilgrimage. I went to Jerusalem, to Jesus' tomb and lit a candle for you. I said a prayer for all of us; Mum, Dad, Adrian, Nicole, Bailey, Tia, Nanny...all our family and all our friends. Nanny, this is the rosary you gave me before I left. I wanted to bless it.

Continue to guide us, like you have so far.

Love Sarah xxoo

Welcome to the Galilee!!!

2005-12-02T09:23:00.000+02:00

Last weekend Nevo and I, accompanied by a few friends, decided to take a trip to the north of Israel. This area is better known, especially to Christians, as Galilee, the area in which Jesus did much of his preaching.

Needless to say, the Galilee is renown as one of the most beautiful parts of Israel. When you are there you can feel what it would have been like back in the day. I think the following picture (for me) best expresses the Galilee. Rock and dirt with greenery so gently folded inbetween, it really is a sight.

We stayed in a kibbutz for 1 night. It was a very peaceful and serene place. Ours was a small community of people from the UK who started their kibbutz many years ago as a place of retreat from the UK and to volunteer with the establishment of israel in the 50's. There were many fruit trees and vegetable gardens, play equipment, basketball courts, soccer, etc. A great place to stay!!!

Our first day was spent driving around quite a bit, and as you go further north you tend to see more military presence because this section of Israel has many "occupied" territories and lies between the borders of Lebanon and Syria.

First we drove to the top of a mountain.....there is a cute little restaurant there and the area there was once used as an Israeli bunker. We were able to walk through the bunker, see where soldiers slept, cooked and basically lived. On top we were able to take great pics with Mount Hermon in the background. Mount Hermon is exactly on the border of Lebanon, and biblically, it is referred to many times. We thought this pic looked like we were in front of a fake backdrop, but nope, its real!!!

The next few pics were from the area and the bunker that we walked through. Along the way we drove through so many areas that had "Beware of Land Mines" signs. Not something you drive past every day in Australia, so thought it was worth a pic!!!

We found a place in the afternoon where we stopped to grab a small bite to eat and sit by the River Jordan....very peaceful and beautiful, but a pity that we didn't have time for some kayaking or rafting. The following is a pic from where we stopped. It is toward the beginning of the river.

After enjoying the lush greenery along side the river, we decided to head back to the kibbutz for a rest before going to dinner......the sun starts to set at around 4:30pm here, so we took advantage of it on our drive back and stopped along the road to take the following pics.

The next day Nevo decided that the Gilbon was the place we should go, and so off we went to do the trek there. It turned out to be the most incredible track with 2 waterfalls, ancient ruins from a Jewish settlement, lots of climbing over rocks and streams and lots and lots of tall (I'm talking almost 2 storeys high) bamboo. This area was actually part of Syria before the 6 day war in 1967 and every so often, you come across little housing where the Syrian soldiers were living before the war.

The following are a variety of pics from this trek.

From Top Left to bottom: Cows and bulls grazing by an old Syrian army house; Nevo and I infront of some funky cacti; Nevo and Oren infront of the house of the Head Rabbi of the ancient Jewish village; Me sitting in the middle of a stream we crossed; Nevo being his monkey self; Hula Reserve; Gilabon waterfall at the end of our trek.

Our last stop before heading back to Tel Aviv was the Hula Nature Reserve. It is land formed after an earthquake many years ago, and is now the nesting ground of thousands of birds (cranes, etc) from all over Europe that stay here in the winter (Oct-Mar). The sound as you walk through is amazing, like a bird choir.

In all, it was a beautiful weekend. We had lots of fun and saw lots of nature. I've started to realise how much I love doing treks....your bum cheeks get a great work out!!!

When Anxiety Takes Over

2005-11-13T11:05:00.000+02:00

Well...I am sitting here recalling a blog post of my friend Emily....when she had applied for a job and was waiting anxiously to hear the result.....

Last week Nevo and I applied for a job that we thought would be a great experience for us. It would allow us to live in NY for up to 4 years; travel all over the US, Canada and some parts of South America (even europe on occassion). We went in sceptical, that there would be a catch and the complete package offered would not be what we need.

We get there only to find out that the package is better than we imagined, and the only catch is that it is hard work. Everything would be expenses paid, we get a 3 br apartment, car with GPS, all fuel and maintenance costs paid, they pay for all our living expenses i.e. grocery, toiletries, household costs like electricity, etc. We will travelling alot, so we get to travel with all expenses paid, meaning that the base and commission we earn can be saved. On my own, I will be able to afford to put a good sized deposit on an apartment after just 1 year (even if I don't earn commission)!!! An added bonus is that they send us for holidays twice a yr for 2 weeks each time....they told us that they will fly us back to Israel one time and Australia another time!!!

So, we went for the interview....it was 6 hrs long....and boy did we kick butt. The other 2 couples were no match for us and at the end of the interview when we were filling forms, the HR guy asked Nevo and I to come with him. We were put infront of a panel; the CEO and managers of all departments. They threw questions to us and found out all the details for visa....all went really well. When we went back to the meeting room wherethe couples were, we saw that they had left.

We went home on a high....we knew we had done well and the added bonus was that we were impressed by the company. The management was an incredible bunch of people who made you feel comfortable...which is rare. The next day, the HR guy called us and told us that the other couples were told to go home and that the job was ours, UNTIL they found out I wasn't Jewish. See, the products we are dealing with are religious and cultural ones, and everyone is for us, but the CEO is worried about how I will be received by the clients.

So now, the wait is on....we are told the job is 80% ours, the CEO just wants to see one other couple. We are told that everyone in the company is backing us, and the HR guy is pushing for us, but we need to wait for the CEO to make a decision......we will know by the end of the week.

Crossing Fingers and Praying.....

Paris Hilton for a Day!!!

2005-11-08T18:55:00.000+02:00

Well every day it seems that we have our "daily dose of Paris"....yes, it comes in the form of Paris Hilton (unfortunately) and not a chocolate croissant. Well for 10 mins today I got to feel what it would be like to be a hotel heiress and receive preferential treatment.

Today we went to the CBD of Tel Aviv and visited the Diamond Exchange. Israel is one of the biggest exporters of diamonds and all the action happens at the Diamond Exchange. So being a girly girl, I begged Nevo to take me to look at some of the stores there. We visited a store underneath the exchange and my was it filled with "bling bling". Mind you, for some reason that day, I dressed quite nicely (not the usual casual look I go for) with my new brown leather biker jacket and wedges.....bla bla.

I approached the counter and a young girl came to attend me...after 20 secs she was pushed aside by the manager who wanted to attend us instead. Now I didn't notice this because I was too mesmerised by the sparkle....but Nevo (who is a prankster) decided to play on this. He had just attended a job interview and looked quite 'smart', so in hebrew he told the woman, "She does not speak hebrew. I am her family lawyer, so you can speak to me and I will talk to her. Everything needs to be approved by me for her father." I was oohhing and ahhing all over the shop not realising what story he was running with, so everytime I looked at something it came out from the display and she did not leave me alone for one sec.

Who was I??

For 10 mins I was the daughter of one of the owners of Isrotel (they own 80% of hotels in Israel) and my birthday was coming up so "daddy" let me go look at any piece of diamond jewellery that I wanted. The woman offered a private viewing with my own personal model, champagne and the works. We sat and spoke about the hotels in Israel and which ones she had stayed in...

Anyways, my preferred piece (thankfully I have taste) was a 27 carat diamond necklace with a removable teardrop pendant. Its value was around US$125,000 and came with matching earrings and a bracelet that had around 13 carats on it!!! Total value of the whole set was well over US$200,000. But Nevo had to tell the manager, it was too similar to the set my parents bought me for my graduation!!!

Maybe it was the diamonds (only heaven knows!!) but my behaviour became very 'diva-like" and I had just bought a huge bag full of chocolates from the factory down the road. I told Nevo, "Here hold these.." without even looking at him...and everytime I put something nice on, I would rub his arm, suggestively, only to get eyes from the manager who was under the impression he was my father's lawyer. This gave Nevo the opportunity to whinge to the manager (in hebrew), "Look at her...she never wears any of her jewellery, but she keeps wanting more and more. God, sometimes I hate her." And the manager's reply, "Yes yes, I know what you mean...."It was funny, because at first I didn't want to play along, but it was very addictive and I thought, "Hey, when's the next time you will be able to be treated like this?" So I gave in....

But...the attention had to end....and my "lawyer" announced that I had 30 mins to get to the airport to fly to Eilat to visit my dad!!! I told her that I was also interested in the black diamonds and hoped I would have time on my return to come back to her!!!

Oh...dreams, as they say....one can only hope and wish!!!

But DAMN it felt good!!!

Diving in the Red Sea, Eilat, Israel!!!

2005-11-05T18:08:00.000+02:00

Well....as was promised, Nevo took me to Eilat on the weekend and took me for an Intro Dive. An Intro Dive is a 25 min dive where the Instructor does everything for you. Its the best way to test how you are in the water, especially when yours truly was scared sh**less of swimming at the beach.

Eilat is BEAUTIFUL!!! Desert (I'm talking red, red sand) with clear blue water and bright green palm trees. The palm trees are actually date trees, so you see squashed dates all over the floor.

This is a pic from near our hotel. The city you see on the other side is Aqaba, Jordan which is beautifully lit at night. 200m from our hotel was the Taba, Egypt border crossing. In Eilat, you are in the middle of 3 countries which are all less than 1 km apart (something Australians find fascinating, I guess).

Anyways, so the day came for me to dive. Its great when the Instructor is your boyfriend!!! He got our equipment and pulled me into the water. It took me about 10 mins to stand straight cos it was all rocky and I have never really used flippers before. here I am getting ready to put my equipment on...the poor guy did 2 peoples work by carrying everything for me...and anyone who has done this b4 will know how heavy all the equipment is.

And so we started practising our breathing under water.....it was a strange sensation and a lil nerve-wrecking...but this was the point at which Nevo tricked me into starting the dive. he slowly led me out into the sea and before I knew....I was "Under the Sea"!!!

Its hard to describe what you feel when you dive. There is a beauty that captivates you. Everything that you can watch for hours in one of those gigantic, expensive fish tanks is multiplied by infinity when you are diving. He took me to The Caves, which is a beginner 3-6m dive. You literally bump into fish. They are not scared, intimidated or bothered for that fact, that you are there. Bright blue fish with yellow tails, thin long fish with stripes, yellow fish, big brown fish, sea urchins, the list goes on.

2005-11-05T18:00:00.000+02:00

So here are a few pics from the underwater camera we took!!! ( We couldn't believe how clear they came out....so you can imagine what the view would have been from our eyes!!!)

This pic above is just before we enter the cave. As you can see it is full of fish. The pic below shows you that not one fish moved out of our way when we went through....

Here is an amazing pic of some coral. The colours here were gorgeous and this wasn't even the best diving spot. Egypt is supposed to have the best sites as it covers most of the Red Sea.

And the rest are random pics from the dive.

And finally, here is my Finding Nemo pic....see if you can spot him looking at me?!?!

And that was my first diving trip!!!! Thanks Nevo....next is to certify me...now Nicki wants you to start certifying her too!!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!! RIP xoxo

2005-11-04T20:18:00.000+02:00

Its been almost 7 years and yet it seems like yesterday you were here. I still can't believe that you are gone. You would be 90 yrs old today.

I hope you know that we all still miss you very much, especially me. One of the reasons I came to Israel was because I knew it was somewhere that you wished you were able to go.

God Bless You.....I love you sooo much xoxoxo

The Dead Sea

2005-10-05T01:17:00.000+03:00

One of the things I was most looking forward to in coming to Israel, was a trip to the Dead Sea. At -417m it is the lowest point on earth. It lies on the border of Jordan and Israel and is basically a body of water that is ever so slowly drying up. It is because of this that the water has become so concentrated with salt, hence giving swimmers an unnatural ability to float.

Here are some pics, though unfortunately we didn't get one of us floating (trust!!).

The mud that you see on us is supposed to be highly concentrated with minerals from the salt and various underwater springs. We dug it with our feet from inside the water and it stung as it dried.

The salt is so thick that it is actually quite slimy, almost like an oil. It was a good experience, and luckily there are cheap buses to the Dead Sea from Tel Aviv, which means we can go frequently!!!

The result was a relaxed and refreshed Sarah and Nevo!!! A special thanks to Nevo's dad Kalman and his stepmum Sima for taking me there for my Bday!!!

The pic above was taken as we left the Dead Sea. We went into an Arab area and drove up past the mosque that was the sole building in the middle of the desert. I thought it was a beautiful site and so took this pic to share with you!!! What you see in this pic is actually as we saw it....the glare in the desert is enormous and it is virtually impossible to go without sunglasses. Even with sunglasses you are shielding yourself!

A lil bit about Israel!!!

2005-10-04T18:45:00.000+03:00

Well as you can see...I am not the best in committing myself to writing in this blog. I am one of those '2moro' people and 2moro becomes a few months later.

Anyways. Israel....yes here I am. I have been in Israel for almost 2 months and in all honesty, I am enjoying it very much. I didn't think I would like it. I was scared from what I saw in the news and from what I heard from other people. But at the same time, I also spoke to those who told me it is a beautiful country.

And a beautiful country it is. Yes it has things I dont like, and although I wouldn't mind to stay here for a while, I don't think it is a place I would like to live or raise my children in.
I will go into details of different things I notice in future blogs and try to attach pics for it so u can get an idea of where it is I am.

But for now know....I am ok....I am safe (Lisa don't worry about that bombing...it was 1hr from here). Things are going smoothly with Nevo's family....and things between Nevo and I are better than they were when we left. In 2 months, we have learnt to talk, not fight; discuss, not dictate; and most importantly we are learning to trust each other and be honest with each other.

I have learnt that life finds ways to shape you, it puts obstacles in front of you that are meant to prepare you and make you stronger for things that the future may hold...it guides you on the path of the person you are meant to be become.

I was scared venturing out on my own...but I can tell you over 2 mths later than I am a better person for it. I am enjoying myself so much, learning new things about myself and deciding for myself where I want to be in life. At this point, I couldn't ask for more.

The Journey Continues.....the Flight to Israel!!

2005-09-15T11:08:00.000+03:00

And so...here I was....back in BKK...again...for 6 hrs. I decided to buy myself another internet card and while the hrs away chatting to all u people back home. I went to the cafe I hung out at the week before, and when I entered the waitress came up to me, smiled and asked me if i wanted "Mushroom Soup?" I looked at her puzzled...only to realise she was remembering my order from the previous week I was there....I laughed....said, "Oh, u remember?!?" and ordered a coffee (Thai coffee with condensed milk...yum!) I told my dad....14 hrs in the airport and you become Tom Hanks in The Terminal...everyone knows who you are!!! lol

Anyhows, I was so nervous I couldn't eat. I couldn't believe that i was going to Israel, and that I would be seeing Nevo again!!!

Well the flight to Amman....what can I say...there is nothing like Asian hospitality!!! Flying Royal Jordanian made me appreciate Malaysian Airlines so much more. I mean...the chick threw pretzels at us...and when dinner was served...they piled their arms with 6 trays on top of each other and gave it to us in such a rough manner....."Hello....wat was the rush??"

Anyhows, sat next to a guy that stank....plus, he kept lifting his left arm up, spraying me with his BO....other than that....it was smooth and we landed safely....really, should I ask for more?!?!

At Amman, it was ok. Met a whole group of Israelis coming back from India, Laos, Vietnam, etc. Made a friend Haily, who I am intending on meeting with here...and I hung with all of them up until I met with Nevo. Tel Aviv airport was huge....recently built, so brand new.

Going through customs was a lil intimidating...was asked soo many questions. I think it had to do with the fact that I was born in Malaysia and had been in Malaysia that week. (for those who dont know, Malaysia and Israel have NO diplomatic relations and residents of either country are not allowed to travel to either country)

Anyhows....after leaving the booth twice to confer with someone else, she finally said she is stamping me for 3mths and to "Enjoy your stay in Israel". And so it was....I was in!!!

Girly Gals!!! A thought for my ladies!!

2005-09-15T10:55:00.000+03:00

One of the highlights in Malaysia was sitiing with both my Gma's together as they spoke about the "old days" to me.

They laughed about how they would never let their boyfriends kiss them on the mouth for fear of getting pregnant.....of how they found out about the birds and the bees!!! lol

My dad's mum was soo funny.....she went to help at the hospital when she was 17 and when needed to help a woman in labour she fainted wondering why the baby was coming out "from there". After receiving a glass of water from the doctor and his nurse, they sat her down and explained to her about babies, sex and childbirth. Up until that age she had thought Jesus and the "storks" worked together....(yah, seriously!!!) The hospital had to call her parents to bring her home and she couldn't face them, especailly knowing now what they did to bring her in the world!!! lol

Wow...the innocence of those days. Anyhows, it was great fun hearing the old tales!!!

This is one for my close gal pals....when I went to that war memorial....I went with my Gma and 2 of her friends. On the ride there and back I sat and listened to their conversation....it really made me think of all of us in 40-50 yrs time.....

They sat and asked eachother..."How long since ur husband died?" (all were widows) They told stories of how different men were chasing them to marry them after they were widowed. They compared how "sexy" one of the gals was when she was young, but now she let herself get fat...(yeah she is 70 and worrying about that!!) They laughed and bitched about other people, gave each other advice on children and men and geberally just made fun of each other.

It was soo cute to watch, and I sat there quiet the whole trip just listening....wondering, there will be a time when we may be widowed, our kids grown up and it will be all of us again...like it is now.....funny how life works in a cycle!!! Thought I would share this with y'all!!!!

Malaysia

2005-09-15T10:43:00.000+03:00

I left Sydney on 1st Sept and arrived in Penang, Malaysia on 2nd Sept at 11pm. I was so excited to see my Grandma. My Uncle, Aunt and cousin picked me up from the airport and brought me to my Gma's place.....as expected, all the lights were off and we spent 5 mins calling out to my Gma to see if she was home!!!

I could see her peeking through the window and when she realised it was me, she scrambled to open up the doors and lights..."Oh, i wasn;t sure if it was today or 2moro.." he he I expected that. When I rang before I left Sydney, she kept saying the 3rd even though I corrected her.

Anyways, my time spent in Malaysia was relaxing. Did a lil shopping, but mainly eating!!! I had my fave Tau Fu Fa every morning!!! Ate good old chicken chops, roti, chicken rice and goreng pisang....yum!!! You go to Malaysia to do only 1 thing, and that is eat!!! If you feel like it you shop too....but the food is soooo cheap and sooo good!!!

I accompanied my Gma to an old vetarans ceremony on the Sun morning. We left at 6am to go to the Commemoration of 60 yrs since the Japanese were driven out of Malaysia, ending WW2 in South East Asia! It was an interesting morning and met interesting people.

Yes gals, my Gma made me Fried Lard....she put it on the "piety" thing she makes, that is da bomb!!! Really dont know how to describe it to you, but its real good, and thats all you need to know ;)

I left Penang on Thurs 8th Sept, early in the morning for my flight to Bangkok, then the flight on to Jordan and Tel Aviv.

It was sad to say goodbye.....I hate leaving my Gma....she is sooo cute and I dont want her to be alone. I vowed that if things didnt go well for me and I was to come back to Australia, I would contact the guy I met on the flight to Penang and see if he could hook me up with a job in his company!! That way I would earn US dollars and be living with my Gma......

And so the journey begins....

2005-09-11T04:52:00.000+03:00

Well, here I am...I have finally embarked on my adventure!! I must say I was so nervous leaving Australia, and I curse my parents for raising a close family...because it made it so much harder. The good byes at the airport were sad ones....mainly because, as much as this is a trip/holiday....it is also a time for me to decide what I want...in terms of my relationship, my future. And really, nerves come from not knowing what the future holds.

Anyhows...the flight was great. Met a few interesting people on the way...a missionary in Africa, a Persian girl on her way back to NZ from Iran, and a business man in Malaysia, whohelped me with all my luggage, etc. I find it fascinating to meet people from all walks of life...and travelling alone is a great way to open yourself to others.

Spending 14 hrs in BKK Airport was a good test of patience. I spent most of my time sitting in a airport restaurant ordering lil things to keep me going there. It was here I met Neda, the Persian girl...and we spent the last 3/4 hours together talking and painting our nails.

Then was the trip to Malaysia!!! Grandma, here I come!!!

Happy 50th Bday!!!!

2005-03-27T15:09:00.000+02:00

2005-03-27T14:56:00.000+02:00

This is a very loud HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY!!!! Your 50 years show wisdom, knowledge, worldly experience and 3 wonderful by-products of a wonderful marriage!!!

Lots of Love, Everyone at home!!!

Everything Happens for a Reason!

2005-03-22T08:20:00.000+02:00

What my mother often tells me is becoming more and more true each day. For most of you that know me, know that I have been planning a trip for awhile now. Much to my dismay it has been delayed for a variety of reasons. My mother keeps telling me, it doesn't mean you are not meant to go, you are just not meant to go now.

Today, it dawned on me just how much this was reigning true in my case. I sat in shock at my desk when it hit me how unbelievably unprepared I was. I mean, I really did no research. Here I am thinking I can go and enter countries on one way tickets and just explain them at the border I'll figure out my onward journey once I'm in. I mean, like "derrrrr...."

I am starting to really believe that everything has happened to prevent me from making a bigger mistake, like get deported, that would really screw things up. Mayb ethe extra time that I am so forcefully being granted is a blessing in disguise to prevent me from making too big a mistake!!!

Hmmmm....something to consider.

Under the Tuscan Sun

2005-03-17T04:10:00.000+02:00

Well my friends convinced me....to watch this movie that they raved so much about!!! And so, today I did!!!

What more is there to say other than that I cried throughout most of movie. Not just because of the movie, but mainly because I related with the lead characters pain and anguish and confusion. For a while now I have been in a state of deep thought and contemplation. At 23, life is so hard to figure out. I am inlove, so deeply inlove it cripples me (I'm crying as I write this sentence and can barely see the keyboard!!) and I am scared at how weak it has made me emotionally.

I have been through a lot this past year. My partner and I have been through a lot, and despite all the hardship, doubts and fears we have stuck by eachother and become stronger, individually and as a couple. Yet, time and time again we continue to face battles of all sorts. I have tried to wonder whether it is all a sign, that things are not meant to be.....but at the same time is it a sign that here I have a man who despite so much criticism, hardships with me and burdens from his family has stood by my side and held me in the times I needed him most. On the same token, I have found a man who makes me want to stand by his side throughout every rock in the road!!!

This I guess is the struggle of life....which signs are we more open to?

Do we choose to believe the negative at fear of making a mistake? Or do we take a risk and trust our heart that there are some great things in life that take perserverance? Is love really about things falling into place easily? Or is it about really loving someone enough to be by there side no matter what?

Under the Tuscan Sun was about embracing the little signs that make no sense.....about taking a chance and opening your eyes to the things we so often fail to see. Its about the pain and heartache and struggle of trying something new, letting your guard down and letting life lead you. It begs to ask the question, "Are we really thinking too much?"

In the end a couple, who had nothing but complete love and passion for eachother got married, against all odds and despite initial dissatisfaction from her family.

I believe true love does exist and eventually it does conquer all. I guess its just a matter of perservering, following your heart and having faith. Its about believing enough in your relationship to rise above it all and eventually reap the rewards.

When my partner and I met over a year and a half ago, in one of the first conversations we had he told me that he wants someone in his life that after 2 years still makes his heart melt and his knees weak. My response was "me too...."

I guess we both got our wish, even if it hasn't all turned out to be the way we wanted it to be.....Those of you who have watched this movie will understand.

Happy Birthday Katina!!!!

2005-03-14T02:38:00.000+02:00

A "Happy Birthday" shout out to my old pal Katina.....over the hill at 23!!! May the year ahead be one of growth and maturity (God only knows it's about time!!!) ha ha

You know I love you lots....I mean I must since I've been your friend for over 17 years.

Can't wait for chocolate pizza at Dolcissimo tonight...woo hoo!!!

Happy Birthday Babe!!!!!

I've caught on to the craze!!!

2005-03-14T01:44:00.000+02:00

Well, here I am. I officially have my own blog. This was something I thought I would never be bothered, let alone have the time to do. I mean, what kind of name is "blog"???

But finally, Miss Sarah Jean has decided to expose her thoughts to the rest of the world (or anybody who is bothered to listen!)

I have a close friend to thank for this.....she has operated her own blog for quite some time and has told me it is very therapeutic...so I decided to give it a shot. (Thanks Pickles)

I am about to embark on a long journey (mentally, physically and emotionally), so I thought that there is no better time then now to document my thoughts, emotions, joys and fears, and see what people have to say.

So I hope you gain much stimulation (or at least a laugh) from what I offer on these pages, and please, feel free to comment all you like, cos no one needs advice more than me!!!