Interesting Discoveries and A Little Bit About What Is Happening

Starbucks Substitute: As most of you know, Oren and I are not much for the bar scene. Instead, we prefer to hangout at coffee shops. Israel definitely is not lacking café's. We are trying many new places. Although, we decided that one in particular is our Starbucks Substitute. It is called Aroma. It is a chain all around Israel! They even have Frappicino like drinks! If your excuse for not visiting us in Israel is that you can't have good coffee, NO WORRIES! Yes, They Do Serve Shrimp In Israel: Last night when visiting Tel Aviv we went out for seafood. (Don't worry, I got steak!). Anyway, many seafood restaurants in Israel sell shrimp and other shell fishes. At this particular restaurant you could get a large bowl of shrimp. It is interesting to watch people eat shrimp at a restaurant bordered by Kosher cuisine. Josef Seibel: I met my good friend Josef Seibel on Ben Yehuda Street. Actually, Josef Seibel is a brand name of shoes that I really like. Before leaving the US, I meant to buy a pair of Josef Seibel sandals. With everything going on, I never made it to Dillards. Anyway, I found the exact shoes I was looking for. In the US they cost about $150 and in Israel I bought them for about $90. Talk about a bargain! While they are a little pricey, I recommend them to anyone who does a lot of walking! They are very durable and I never got a blister from them! Pay For Your Shopping Cart, Oh My!: Oren and I had an adventure at the grocery store. We were doing a large shopping and wanted a shopping cart. When we went to pull out a cart, we found that they are all chained together. Oren, my Hebrew expert, read that you need to pay 5 shekels to use the cart. Now the question is who do you pay? We asked another customer how the system works (talk about looking like foreigners). It turns out, in order to use a cart you must insert a 5 shekel piece into the lock system. When you return the cart, it refunds your money! Finally, Someone I Know! Today, I found an old friend from college in Israel. Oren and I were at the Nefesh B'Nefesh office and were talking to people. We mentioned that we are from Texas and learned that Daniel Gutman works in the office. Talk about a small world. I went to UNT with him and we took several Jewish Study classes together! It is nice to see another familiar face! Suzanne, What a Name: It happened; my 1 1/2 year old niece can say Suzanne! Yesterday, in Tel Aviv I was playing with Maya. I asked her to say Suzanne. Sure enough it came out! And to be sure I was not hearing things, she said it several more times! Maybe her next word will be Oren. I think she gets the name Oren mixed up with the word for ears (Ozen). Most of the time when I say Oren, she points to her ear! We are having a great time seeing Karen, Gili and Maya! I am glad that their trip overlaps our time in Israel! Ema's Here: Oren's mom arrived in Israel on Monday. We saw her yesterday! It was nice to have her in town. We look forward to seeing her more throughout October. Oh Vey, Signing a Lease: It is official, Oren and I rented an apartment in Qiryat Hayovel , Jerusalem. We move in on October 15. It has 2 bedrooms, a big living area and a nice sized kitchen. Not only is it spacious for an Israeli apartment, the owner is redoing the entire place. We will have nice new tile floors, a new kitchen and much more! We already bought a mattress and a very contemporary couch/bed. If anyone visits, you will have a comfortable place to sleep. The sales women said that most people buy the couch as there main bed! We will post pictures soon and e-mail everyone our new address! What No Appliances?: Most apartments in Israel do not come with appliances. That means you have to buy a refrigerator, stove, oven, dishwasher, microwave, washing machine and anything else I forgot. Right now, Oren and I are looking for used appliances and may even get some for FREE from his grandfather!