So, this is going to be a bit of a recap since a lot has happened this past week. I have gotten a bit behind. One week ago today, last Shabbat, Marisa and I went to our teacher's house for dinner. Louise had hosted Marisa for Rosh Hashanah but I had not yet been to her house. I met her husband, daughter, and son. She also has another daughter and grandson who did not join this week. Her daughter is 24 and surfs a lot/lives at the beach. She is your typical tan and stunning Israeli. She is so sweet and loved having us over. Louise is wonderful, but I already knew that. Her husband is a funny man who loves to joke around. The meal was delicious as to be expected. We had delicious homemade bread, chicken, fish, pumpkin, eggplant, and much more! We had a chocolate bread pastry for dessert. We stayed for a while just to talk and enjoy each other's company before Louise's daughter drove us home. They also gave us some candy and chocolate to take home - so sweet of them.

The next day on Shabbat we had our reservation for paragliding. Marisa, Eli and I walked quite a long way down the beach to where the paragliding site is. I decided to go first and had no idea what to expect. As I stepped into the harness that is attached to the guy I am going tandem with, I immediate became nervous. I was definitely excited but really just had no idea what to expect. All he told me to do was "face the water and do not sit down - you will feel a strong pull." Let me preface this by saying we are on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. The video explains it all, but I did not do so well with following his directions. It was harder than I thought but definitely funny. As we took off and we flew over the ledge, I looked down and screamed partly out of excitement and partly out of fear. I have never really felt what it's like to fly (other than in an airplane) and was surprised by the feeling of it. The wind just picks you up and it's crazy how they can steer the parachute! Once the fear diminished, I was able to enjoy the view! We flew over the beach, near buildings, and even over the street! The 20 minute ride was more than enough for me, since I get motion sickness and felt nauseous most of the ride. It was absolutely worth it though because the views were incredible and there is nothing like the feeling you get when flying!

On Sunday and Monday (the 23rd and 24th) Marisa and I had observation in our school, Be'eri. On Sunday we met the other English teacher, Neta, who teaches the 3rd and 4th grade classes. The 4th graders were quite a handful and she struggled with classroom control. The 3rd graders were adorable though and definitely more well-behaved. You could tell that the students in her 3rd grade class really wanted to learn English, which was really nice to see. They all said "Hi I'm _______, How are you?" It was so cute because they all wanted a turn to try and speak with us. On Monday we were back in Louise's classes and we found out our schedule. Essentially, we will be working four days a week (Monday-Thursday) for about 6 hours each day. We will mostly work with the 5th graders because they have to prepare for their Mitzav test. This is similar to our FCAT - where it is standardized testing. This year the test is external (happened once every few years), which means that both the teacher and the school get graded based on the students' performance. We will definitely still work with the other grades, but it is most important for us to be with the 5th graders this year. I feel like there is an objective for us being there, which is really nice in feeling like I really have a purpose here.

Tuesday morning Eli and I took a sheruit (shared van taxi) to Tel Aviv to go to Eti's house. We had to leave in the morning because once Yom Kippur starts, it is illegal to drive (thus, no sheruits). We spent our day playing cards, enjoying each others company, and making homemade ravioli from scratch! It was a wonderful day. Yom Kippur begins at sunset. I never knew what Yom Kippur in Israel would be like, but I was in for a surprise. From sunset on Tuesday until the Shofar blows (6/6:30pm) on Wednesday, driving is illegal. The only people allowed to drive are emergency vehicles. This might not seem like a huge deal, but imagine an entire country with no cars on the streets for an entire day. Everyone spends their Yom Kippur on the streets. We went for a bike ride Tuesday night with Maia and her friends, which was in incredible experience. Everyone is out and you can just bike ride/walk/whatever on the highways or anywhere really. It was so much fun! The next day we spent together making more raviolis and then we went for a walk before going to see the Shofar being blown. We made two types of ravioli - cheese and sweet potato! We had a cream sauce and red sauce to use with them - and everything was incredible. My favorite was the sweet potato ravioli with the cream sauce. We stayed the night again and left early in the morning to come back to Netanya for a mandatory meeting.

Our meeting was basically a discussion about next month's schedule and our secondary volunteer project options. In addition to my four days a week at my school, I will be volunteering 2-4 more hours once day a week at an undecided location (I will find out soon). I will also be having Ulpan classes (Hebrew lessons) twice a week for 3 hours each class. This seems like a long class time but I am so excited! I have been learning bits of Hebrew throughout my month here, but I am so excited for formal lessons to learn more.

I also got a pedicure yesterday! I went with Marisa and our Madricha, Moran. This was not your typical American pedicure. It was a woman in her house. She does waxing, tanning, and nails. In Israel, it is quite common for people to run businesses or have services out of their home. For example, the doctor that people in our group have used works out of her home. You make an appointment with them and then just go to their house or apartment. I like it because it shows how comfortable Israeli's are with each other. There is no fear of having some stranger in your home, like there is in America. You are welcomed in almost anyone's home with open arms. While I waited in the doctor's home for my friend, I sat on the couch with her husband and watched tv with him. He also got me a glass of water without me even asking for one. This is completely normal in Israel and I really think it's a nice concept.

The most eventful part of my day today was booking a vacation.. for Monday. Yes, I just booked a last minute vacation and am leaving in two and a half days for Crete! I will be spending 6 days/5 nights in a beautiful hotel on the island. It is Sukkot break so we have off until October 8th. I am very big into planning, so I am really proud of myself for just winging it and trusting that I would find something last minute. Now, to figure out some fun things to do on the island! I cannot wait! J

I will update again once I'm back from Crete!