tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20484797303595802002024-02-19T17:46:28.388-08:00An American in Tel AvivDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-80567644871929572562009-01-04T10:37:00.000-08:002009-01-04T10:41:11.680-08:00To friends and family who are concerned:(Below is an email I sent around recently, so if you did not already receive it, read on...)<br /><br />Dear family and friends,<br /><br />I have been getting sporadic emails and messages from some of you checking in on me, given the recent developments in Gaza, so I wanted to send around a quick note to let everyone know that Oren and I are doing just fine. I can only imagine what you are probably seeing on the American news channels about the conflict down in Gaza, so it will probably surprise you to learn that if I did not read the news every day, I would have no idea that anything was happening in Gaza right now. That is how little we are feeling it in Tel Aviv. Hopefully it will continue to be that way, but we are, of course, monitoring the situation very closely and promise that we will make good and informed decisions about the situation here. <br /><br />On a more political note, I think it is important to mention that I fully support this operation in Gaza, as I see it as Israel's only way to make living here even safer than it was before. It is truly unfortunate that so many civilians in Gaza have died, but the only ones to blame for that is Hamas who choose to put their bases and rocket launchers in the middle of highly populated areas. It is true that Israel actually calls their target before the drop a missile to warn the civilians inside the building to leave- that is how committed Israel is to avoiding taking civilian lives. Lastly, I have full confidence in the Israeli military/airforce and intelligence agencies that they were completely prepared for this mission before they went in, and are completely prepared to protect the Israeli civilian population and prevent any form of backlash their operation may cause- oherwise, they would not have started this.<br /><br />Please do not hesitate to ask me questions about what things are like here- I feel like the imagination can be ones worst enemy in situatioins such as these, and I would love the opportunity to paint you a clearer picture of what effect (or lack there of) this event is having on my life right now.<br /><br />Much love,<br />DebbieDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-41401649968270586252008-12-25T03:35:00.000-08:002008-12-25T04:12:24.900-08:00Happy Holidays!Two trips to the states and one primary election later, I am back and finally enjoying the "boring" routine of every day life again. I say "boring" because every day here always turns out to be the opposite of boring, but at least I have been able to wake up in the same city two days in a row and not live out of a suitcase. These are things many people take for granted! Not that I don't enjoy traveling for work- it is usually one of the most exciting parts of my job, being able to build relationships face to face and see people get excited about a cause. It's just that it can get exhausting!<br /><br />However, I'm please to say that all of the exhausting efforts were worth it. I just finished an amazing fundraising trip with Elem, my client that works with Israeli youth who are in distress and/or homeless. This was no ordinary trip, as we brought with us Elem's president, former first lady of Israel, Nava Barak, and a young woman who lived on the streets for five years and who was helped by Elem to lead a normal life again. All together, there were 5 of us traveling for this "road show" and regardless of the logistics, weather, and other "challenges", the trip was a huge success. Such a huge success, in fact, that we are already planning our next trip for the beginning of February. No rest for the weary...<br /><br />On top of this great success, the Kadima primary election was on December 17 and my client ended up getting the 11th place in the party! He was originally number 29, so this was a huge deal for him. Even better (for me), we ended up raising the third largest total amount of money for a Kadima candidate (there were over 70 candidates, and we were only beat by the Minister of Finance and the Speaker of the Knesset), and it appears that we were number one in raising money from Americans! Needless to say, I am quite pleased with myself.<br /><br />Another highlight of Kadima's primary election was outcome of the campaign that Oren has been managing for the last 1.5 months. His candidate was the current Minister of Public Security, Avi Dichter, who had been appointed to his position years ago and therefore, he had never had to campaign for a place in the party before. There was a lot of pressure for Dichter to prove himself as someone who could be elected, not just appointed, so Oren and his staff ran an intense and country-wide campaign that proved to be very successful, as Dichter ended up in 9th place on the Kadima list (actually, the first two seats in Kadima were reserved for the chairman and her deputy, so technically, Oren's candidate ended up in 7th place)! <br /><br />Oren's campaign ended the day before I returned from my business trip, so we decided to take the weekend and go to a luxurious spa up in the Carmel Mountains of Haifa. It was the kind of place where all of the guests (including us) walk around in white fluffy bathrobes and slippers the entire time, and spend our days rotating between soaking in the hot tub, relaxing in the turkish baths, eating, or getting some sort of massage treatment. I, personally, enjoyed a hot and cold stone massage which was, needless to say, a very unique experience. As with all vacations, this was far too short, but it helped recharge our batteries a bit before jumping back in to the work craziness.<br /><br />On our way back from the spa, we stopped at a restaurant in Herzliya for dinner. It happened to also be the first night of Hanukkah, and I had one of my "this would never happen in the states" moments when the entire restaurant stopped what they were doing to light the Hanukkah candles together and say the prayers. It was a nice experience, and I hope that you all are having a Happy Hanukkah or Merry Christmas wherever you may be celebrating.<br /><br />Love,<br />DebbieDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-25822102969261840902008-11-06T11:30:00.000-08:002008-11-06T12:13:16.482-08:00The Times They Are A'Changin'I'm sorry... I'm sorry! I know, it's been a really long time since I blogged and I know there are many of you are are upset about this. I'm sorry! I've been really busy!! With what, you ask? Well let's see...<br /><br />I spent a very hectic two weeks in the USA on a business trip with Elem (my client that works with Israeli youth at risk). It was a successful, but exhausting trip. One of the best parts was being able to see some of my favorite people while in Boston and Chicago. I think that is one of the best parts of my job, is that it allows me to spend time with good friends- the kind of friends who you may not see for months at a time, but when you are together, it is as if time has never passed. <br /><br />While I was in the states, I also spent a few days in Minneapolis with the fam. It was during this time that I helped my family pick out a new puppy!! His name is Teddy (because he looks like a teddy bear) and he is the cutest little thing you will ever see. Just to brighten your day, I am including some pictures of him. I hear from home that he is being a very good boy, and is bringing them a lot of joy, so I can't wait to see him in a few weeks when I am home for Thanksgiving.<br /><br />It was also while I was in the states that an election was called in Israel. As some of you may know, an election can be called at pretty much any time here, and it just so happened to get called while I was in Chicago. This is a big deal for me, because one of my clients is a Member of Knesset whose re-election campaign began the day the election was called. Needless to say, we shifted into high gear very quickly (from the guest room at Lisa and Josh's apartment), and we are now intensely collecting the $100,000.00 that he is allowed to use towards his Primary Campaign. <br /><br />If that were all I had to work on right now, it would be hectic enough, but I am also in the process of planning a huge trip for Elem that will take place at the beginning of December which is driving me up the wall. Planning a normal trip from another continent is challenging enough, but this time I am bringing an entourage of special guests and VIPs with me (one of them being Nava Barak, the former first lady of Israel) and we are doing some major events that are of very high importance to my client. So, I've been up until the wee hours of the morning for the past week either working on Yoel's fundraising for his Primary Campaign, or going back and forth with Boston and Chicago trying to get the details of our events nailed down. <br /><br />And if THAT weren't enough to drive me cuckoo, an old friend called me a few days ago and told me that he decided to run for a seat in the Knesset, and asked if I could help him with his fundraising. So, make that TWO Primary Elections I am now raising money for, PLUS a massive high-level trip at the beginning of December. And, exhale.<br /><br />Enough with all that. Many of you have asked me to react to Barak Obama winning the presidential campaign, and I must say, it is truly an exciting thing. As many of you know, I have not always been a 100% Obama fan (even though I had a facebook message the morning after the election from a friend reminding me that I had told him 3 years ago that Obama would be our next President when most people had still never heard of him), but I could not be happier or more impressed with the choice of so many Americans in this election. I could not believe when I woke up at 6:30am to learn that Virginia, Ohio, Florida, Indiana... all of them went blue! And furthermore, the voter turn out was incredible! I am even more thrilled with the fact that Obama chose Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff. Anyone who was worried that Obama would not surrounded himself with good people (or Pro-Israel people, for that matter) need not worry any more. I thought that was a very significant first move on Obama's part, and I can't wait to see what will happen next.<br /><br />And with that, I will stop procrastinating and go back to raising money and planning VIP events for December. Never a dull moment, but I promise to start blogging regularly again.<br /><br />P.S. Here are the pictures of Teddy. Enjoy :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTBmSJ_i_ubBD7zob0495ikzPzYhNgSInONU8GOD2s8bQHSKQBNlQbf5-D4VM-7n4R_IGCUAWkV5rPwdPP-Q7f0vOWzuNVkkFQ0ySYE-8vU5RTUntaTPeRc26bHmvo3n1Q9LvSIOKXYo/s1600-h/PB050204.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTBmSJ_i_ubBD7zob0495ikzPzYhNgSInONU8GOD2s8bQHSKQBNlQbf5-D4VM-7n4R_IGCUAWkV5rPwdPP-Q7f0vOWzuNVkkFQ0ySYE-8vU5RTUntaTPeRc26bHmvo3n1Q9LvSIOKXYo/s320/PB050204.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265638132878589602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJGtWRoQAuSirNQ6ewyYDGpcJ-odGvqaCwSgOxEF019FydbqXRgWohGIFHooKGZHfCHgZBuCBisb80___PprXc54RQ3ixeG6njkSwKyo7lam70rxqWSI5ka1rgGk6HJcF_7vML0uCckM/s1600-h/PB050197.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJGtWRoQAuSirNQ6ewyYDGpcJ-odGvqaCwSgOxEF019FydbqXRgWohGIFHooKGZHfCHgZBuCBisb80___PprXc54RQ3ixeG6njkSwKyo7lam70rxqWSI5ka1rgGk6HJcF_7vML0uCckM/s320/PB050197.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265638125966816514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8hr_wo4c9hnVCvLNQJUUw9MJlMgzJkXIuOQfsW8jHAZQv90llBZ9Exi6_I6GgVPtjCniX_Mo2_hyphenhyphenc5ay6n98y6HdwtUejHzkBBPmFH9WcBX0O0D2xCfgUwahb2dffrckMf_xIr9FkRc/s1600-h/PB040173.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8hr_wo4c9hnVCvLNQJUUw9MJlMgzJkXIuOQfsW8jHAZQv90llBZ9Exi6_I6GgVPtjCniX_Mo2_hyphenhyphenc5ay6n98y6HdwtUejHzkBBPmFH9WcBX0O0D2xCfgUwahb2dffrckMf_xIr9FkRc/s320/PB040173.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265638122518182978" /></a>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-13859719633440305812008-10-03T06:28:00.000-07:002008-10-03T07:34:10.677-07:00The problem with Israeli business cultureThanks to Rosh Hashana, Oren had the morning off of work on Tuesday. We celebrated by having breakfast at a sea-side restaurant near Herzliya and then buying ourselves a beautiful red Kitchen Aid mixer as a Rosh Hashana gift (yes, I was and still am overcome with great joy and happiness). However, the latter part of our wonderful morning was easier said than done.<br /><br />The Kitchen Aid store that we went to just opened a few weeks ago, so you would think they would be eager to do business. We got to the store around 1pm and noticed that the door was locked. The sign said that it was supposed to be open until 2pm, and all of the employees were still in the store, yet, the door was locked. We knocked on the door and asked if we could come in, and they shook their heads and yelled through the glass door that the store was closed. When we pointed out that they were closing an hour early, they shrugged and said it was because of Rosh Hashana. This did not make sense to us, so Oren told them, literally, "If you let us in, we will buy a Kitchen Aid mixer from you." While this may be of interest to sales people in other parts of the world, it did little to excite this group of people. After a few more minutes of negotiations, they finally opened the door saying that we could only look, but not buy anything. Seriously. We quickly decide that we want a red mixer (to match our other appliances, naturally) and we then had to beg them to sell it to us. Seriously. We had to beg them to let us spend money at their store on their product. This would never happen anywhere else, because in other places, people understand not only the concept of customer service, but merely the notion of good business. The exchange of money for goods and services. Finally, a clearly unhappy salesperson agreed to sell us the mixer and the rest is beautiful baking history.<br /><br />The first thing I did when we got home is make up some more cupcakes and used the mixer to whip up some Swiss Meringue Marshmallow Frosting that was insanely good. I think I am going to make some more tonight to go on some carrot cake cupcakes :-)<br /><br />Happy New Year!!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmThHSgFsOODzdaLD83q1beZqnlNuOLOwzpttd-aJcaM54erSs8BRbRq1DA-yfvdx43nflM6rLHMXpj0K1eO5Qxdlpa2vI5bUSzq_apVrVYxykbFOJMd8fvkAI1pzjWxFNNvIUEI_VnA/s1600-h/IMG_2933.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmThHSgFsOODzdaLD83q1beZqnlNuOLOwzpttd-aJcaM54erSs8BRbRq1DA-yfvdx43nflM6rLHMXpj0K1eO5Qxdlpa2vI5bUSzq_apVrVYxykbFOJMd8fvkAI1pzjWxFNNvIUEI_VnA/s320/IMG_2933.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252933570640948626" border="0" /></a><br />The new mixer making frosting<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQohgQagzOb3SjgQT5UQXk9pJaStKrrR-SuQCH7xmol2VLPvI6-AFXZQE5C7MuAkv80xfNkSS6m8fLsbioMSqSSry7FlBBIUKrn_sT9EmGRnuJhmvQ5T5fo6HPV7IoFoZ02w7xZEdPWF4/s1600-h/IMG_2936.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQohgQagzOb3SjgQT5UQXk9pJaStKrrR-SuQCH7xmol2VLPvI6-AFXZQE5C7MuAkv80xfNkSS6m8fLsbioMSqSSry7FlBBIUKrn_sT9EmGRnuJhmvQ5T5fo6HPV7IoFoZ02w7xZEdPWF4/s320/IMG_2936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252933574284047650" border="0" /></a><br />Delicious frosted cupcakes<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2UmOt0ZQ01evWwDQzDhZsu60p2zymNFP_1zTFNC_b-wqLRR5VmnbTSXaukI8b6W_-yNcZ1HOkUZCl-G4MDmsHicXq-WU_NEBNjvF-PQ5bIW4STam4L81gr_2hULBoW6ixW3VRkS9_Vs/s1600-h/IMG_2943.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2UmOt0ZQ01evWwDQzDhZsu60p2zymNFP_1zTFNC_b-wqLRR5VmnbTSXaukI8b6W_-yNcZ1HOkUZCl-G4MDmsHicXq-WU_NEBNjvF-PQ5bIW4STam4L81gr_2hULBoW6ixW3VRkS9_Vs/s320/IMG_2943.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252933579713886994" border="0" /></a><br />The view from where we had breakfast<br /></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-54480523115003429232008-09-28T05:56:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:40:42.007-07:001 Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvS5YwTOylfPFh7585ib0sPQuvXmGa2m1a5Ued1T61-bq4dEv_x5sqK0SR2kuqcSXp_sqhFwOp2ax8G6mvMSAfGwYCioQplkUpg9DLmQ3j5Oc4H_8Swcg3QRgvLaixHAufCVUJgf4zYA/s1600-h/IMG_2874.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvS5YwTOylfPFh7585ib0sPQuvXmGa2m1a5Ued1T61-bq4dEv_x5sqK0SR2kuqcSXp_sqhFwOp2ax8G6mvMSAfGwYCioQplkUpg9DLmQ3j5Oc4H_8Swcg3QRgvLaixHAufCVUJgf4zYA/s320/IMG_2874.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251062181445148242" /></a><br />Last night, we had a fabulous party at our apartment to commemorate my one year anniversary in Israel. If I do say so myself, we throw really good parties. We have yummy food, great drinks, and always wonderful friends who join us. Last night was no exception. We went with an American/Israeli theme, so we had hot dogs and falafel (with all of fixins for both, of course). With all of my free time now that Oren away on the campaign trail, I have been doing a lot of baking, so for the party I made some amazing chocolate cupcakes with vanilla and chocolate cream cheese frosting and a wonderful banana cream pie. So yummy! We rounded out the evening with some Max Brenner chocolate, some American beer (Samuel Adams) and some delicious champagne. Friends started coming around 8pm and did not leave until around 2am. It was a really enjoyable evening and it made me very happy to have so many of the people who have played a meaningful role in my first year here to celebrate with me.<br /><br />On a totally separate note, the other day at my pilates class, it was just me and an older man there for the lesson. After the class, we went into the back room to get our things and we started chatting. I learned that he was from Tel Aviv but has been in LA for the past few years. He then asked me where I was from. I told him Minnesota and he immediately responded with "I thought that only Rose Nyland was from Minnesota!" He then followed that statement with "Are you from St. Olaf??" I know that many of you may not understand this story at all, but for you Golden Girls fans out there, you can understand my joy in experiencing such a Goldern Girls reference at such an unexpected place and time. Gotta love it.Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-29621871895126593712008-09-19T04:07:00.000-07:002008-09-23T23:45:00.894-07:00A Big, Fat, Political WeddingLast night, Oren and I were invited to attend the wedding of Oren's former boss' daughter. We actually have three weddings to attend this week, so this one did not particularly stand out to me as anything special when we RSVPed that we would attend. Yesterday was a crazy day for both me and Oren work-wise, so around 9:00pm, I got dressed up for the wedding, hopped in a taxi, picked up Oren on the other side of town where he had just left a campaign gathering for his candidate, and we rushed off to the wedding. When we were almost there, the traffic came to a standstill as a motorcade passed us by. Jokingly, I asked Oren if was Tzipi Livni's motorcade since she was just elected to be the new Prime Minister yesterday, and he replied, in complete seriousness, that it was actually Ehud Olmert's motorcade (aka the guy almost done being Prime Minister). I then, again, jokingly asked if he was coming to the wedding too and Oren, again in all seriousness, replied that yes, he was probably heading there as well. It was then that I realized that Oren worked for this guy whose daughter is getting married when the guy was the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister's office under Ariel Sharon, and since Olmert was the Deputy Prime Minister when Sharon was PM, it made a lot of sense that Olmert would attending and it made me wonder who else might be there... <br /><br />So, we followed Olmert into the wedding, where he was whisked off to his roped off table in the corner that was surrounded by security guards. He later, on his way out of the wedding, said hello to Oren and I. He pretended to remember me from when we met last January and Oren took the opportunity to let him know that he has never been happier than since he left the government. Olmert seemed to appreciate that. <br /><br />About 30 minutes later, I was sitting with a friend when I saw a nice looking old man walking towards us. I starred at him trying to figure out how I knew him, when I turned to my friend and asked "Is that Shimon Peres?" She confirmed that it was, in fact, the President of Israel walking around the wedding reception, and he then proceeded to come over, take my hand, and wish me a "Shana Tova" (Happy New Year). I wished him a "Shana Tova" back, and that was that. <br /><br />After I got over the shock of Israel's President wandering around at someone's wedding, Oren and I decided it was time to go home. We were just about at the door when Oren noticed Tzipi Livni had just arrived to the party. This was by far the most exciting sighting of the evening, as I am a huge fan of hers and am so excited that she just was elected to be Prime Minister. She knows Oren from when he worked for Sharon, so we went over and said hello, and Oren introduced us, explaining to her that it was my first time voting in Israel and that I voted for her. She was genuinely excited about this, and I then proceeded to gush about what an honor it was to meet her and how excited I am that she is the new Prime Minister and that I know she will do a fantastic job, etc, etc. Probably a little bit much, but I was just so excited to meet her! <br /><br />So, overall, it was a big, fat, political wedding- it's going to be difficult for the other two weddings this week to measure up!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-23441724635686717122008-09-15T12:28:00.000-07:002008-09-15T14:00:06.261-07:00Learning Hebrew: Take 4I have recently started trying to learn Hebrew for the fourth time. The first time was from the 3rd to 7th grade where I was educated at the fine Minneapolis institution known as Talmud Torah (aka Talmud Torture). The second time was my freshman year of college when I suffered through a painful semester with Zvi who would constantly taunt me "Fo-coos Day-bee, Fo-coos!" The third time was last November in Ulpan where the demanding 25-hours a week of classes did not mesh with my starting/running a business. So, this time, I decided try something different. Instead of going the class route, I am working one-on-one with a tutor. I realized that one of the reasons I did not learn as much as I should have in my other attempts is because the classroom format allows me to zone out and not ask the questions I may have. I figured that when it is just me and the teacher, I cannot zone out and I cannot avoid asking my questions... and boy, do I have questions! Fortunately, I am always pleasantly surprised when my tutor has thorough answers to all of them!<br /><br />My tutor is an American who moved to Israel 5 years ago and is just finishing her Master's degree in Hebrew. We meet three times a week for an hour each time, and even after just four classes, I already feel like I am understanding more of what I hear around me and I have become more comfortable trying to speak. She is so incredibly enthusiastic about how wonderful Hebrew is, that it has given me a renewed interest in learning the language. At every class, she will tell me one thing that she loves about Hebrew- for example, she loves that in Hebrew, we use the same word to mean "setting up two people" as we use for "stapler", the connection being that both the action of setting up two people and stapling things is the intention to "attach" one thing (person or paper) to another thing (person or paper). Cute, yes?<br /><br />In other news, there is some new excitement on the professional front. Oren was just recently asked to manage the campaign for a woman who is running to be the mayor of a nearby city. This is something that he has always been interested in and studied while he was at Harvard, so having this opportunity is just fantastic. Unlike in the states, the campaigns here do not begin insanely far in advance, so he just signed on to the campaign today, and the election is in about 8 weeks. We are anticipating a crazy 8 weeks where he will be managing this campaign and still working with Avi on their business clients, but we are prepared and excited to make it all work. On top of this, the primary elections that will decide the next Prime Minister of Israel are on Wednesday, so between that and the campaign, I am looking forward to a lot of new political experiences in the coming days and weeks. Stay tuned...Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-89777325994533974642008-09-03T03:21:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:18:01.228-07:00I was due...I guess you could say I was due for a profoundly awkward moment. I am somewhat prone to these, but have not had one for quite some time. So, it really was not all that surprising yesterday when I had one. <br /><br />Yesterday, Oren, Avi, and I took a field trip to Jerusalem to meet with a potential client that the three of us would be working for together. The project is helping restore the original Prime Minister's mansion that was the home to many of Israel's great PM's (Ben Gurion, Golda Meir, Levi Eshkol, etc.). The plan was that Oren and Avi would manage this process, while I would raise the funds for it. The organization that we were hoping would hire us is the Levi Eshkol Foundation, which is run by Prime Minister Eshkol's wife. She has been unwilling to undertake this project herself, as she is 80 years old, and the goal of yesterday's meeting was to convince her that, although we are young, we are all very capable and competent people. <br /><br />So, about half way through the meeting (which was mostly in Hebrew, meaning I understood about 15% of what was being said), I asked Mrs. Eshkol where her bathroom was. I did not find anything strange about this, but apparently I chose to ask this question at an unexpected time, because Mrs. Eshkol found it to be funny. I made my way to the bathroom trying to figure out why she found it so funny, and as I washed my hands I decided to ignore it, and reminded myself that the whole point of this meeting was to come across as capable and competent so that she concludes that we can be trusted with this important project. And that is when I realized that I had locked myself in the bathroom. <br /><br />It was an old-fashioned lock that is not at all uncommon in Israel- the kind that has the big key hole and the huge key that you turn to lock or unlock. I am familiar with these locks from living here for a year, so this should not have been a problem. However, as I turned and turned, and pulled the key out and put the key back in, and turned some more, I realized that the door was not unlocking. I immediately began to feel claustrophobic, as this bathroom was barely big enough for the toilet and sink that were in it, and as the room started to close in, I kept turning the key and trying to wiggle it in the "magic" way that would unlock the door. <br /><br />It was at that point that I heard Avi's voice on the other side of the door asking tentatively "Debbie? Are you okay in there?" Apparently my frantic key turning had been so noisy that it drew attention away from the meeting of 6 people that was occurring in the other room. I responded by telling him that I can't seem to unlock the door, which is when I hear Mrs. Eshkol from the other side of the door asking urgently "Did you lock the door?? We never lock the door here because it gets stuck!" I silently thought to myself that knowing that before I went to the bathroom would have been useful, but was interrupted by Avi who told me that he grew up with a lock like this and if I took the key out of the lock, he thought he could open it from the outside. Over the next few minutes, I started wondering how much of a dent this scenario would put in my efforts to appear capable and competent, when finally the door swung open and I was free! I then had the distinct pleasure of walking back into the meeting room where the other 4 people were sitting at the meeting table waiting for me to get released from the bathroom and, as professionally as possible, sat down and continued the meeting.<br /><br />Fortunately, even with my awkwardness, she still decided to let us manage this project, which means much more quality time at Mrs. Eshkol's apartment where there will be no more locking of any doors. Ever.Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-48046309339373484152008-09-01T10:57:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:13:58.338-07:00The definition of insanity?I believe that it was Einstein who said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again while expecting different results. It was with this thought in mind that I entered into my second Bikram Yoga class last night. If you recall from my post awhile back, I tried Bikram Yoga a few months ago and absolutely hated it. I was miserable. And, as Oren recalls, I have never given him such angry looks as during those hot and painful 90 minutes in that steamy room. However, for some unknown reason, perhaps because I've started to like the pilates so much, I decided I wanted to try the hot yoga again and see if I would have a different result. Surprisingly, the result did change! By no stretch of the imagination did I enjoy it, but I did not hate it. And, afterwards, I felt so good and relaxed and I slept better than I have in a long time. I don't see myself becoming a regular, but I definitely would not rule out trying it again. You never know- maybe next time I will actually like it!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-910515208180613892008-08-28T09:11:00.000-07:002008-08-28T14:58:28.219-07:00DNCI am the first to admit that I have not missed being part of this year's presidential election. I feel, like many do, that it started waaaay to early and has, therefore, gone on for far too long. I have not missed the TV ads, the constant analysis on the 24-hour news channels, or the annoying phone calls (even though we actually do get a few since we have a 202 area code on our landline here). However, since the Democratic National Convention has started I have been obsessed. Waking up every morning and, for at least an hour, watching as many video clips as I can find of the previous day's speeches and analysis by a variety opinionated people. Once I look through all of the video clips, then I start looking for news articles about the previous day. And then, last but definitely not least, I go on facebook and look at pictures people have uploaded from the convention. Those are usually the best part, because they tend to include random celebrities who are attending the convention posing awkwardly with people who I maybe/kinda/sorta know from my time in DC but who I am, of course, friends with on facebook. It is my way of attending the convention vicariously through them. I have the most wonderful memories of the 2004 DNC in Boston, that I am truly sad to miss this one, however, I have decided that there is nothing that will keep me away from the 2012 DNC, wherever it may be.Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-68346432333872917792008-08-21T01:24:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:17:53.338-07:00The Blog is BackThat's right, I'm back on the blog! After a long break from blogging, I have decided that it is time to start up again for two reasons. First, I enjoy having records of my "memorable" experiences here in Israel. Second, my friends and family apparently enjoyed the blog quite a lot, and after my cousin recently told me that for her, it was like her weekly dose of "Sex and the City" (minus the fact that it is her cousin writing, minus the fact that it is Tel Aviv and not New York, etc.), I decided, that since she is at home with three little boys (two of which are twins!) I could, at the very least, do this for her and give her something to read during nap time :-)<br /><br />So, I am currently sitting in a cafe sipping my cafe kar (iced coffee) and munching on my muesli, and feeling a constant throbbing of pain in my legs. This constant throbbing is thanks to a new hobby I have acquired in recent weeks known as Reformer Pilates. A new studio opened a few blocks from us and I figured "why not try something new?" Reformer Pilates is similar to the Pilates that you are probably familiar with, except the entire class takes places on these big wooden machines that look like Midieval torture devices (for a photo- http://pilates.about.com/od/gettingstarted/ss/ReformerAnatomy.htm). There are springs, and boards, and chains, and loops for arms and legs. It looks quite intimidating, but it provides a really great and productive work out that I usually enjoy very much. However, on this last occasion (on Monday), I got a little lazy in class and did not "maintain my core" in the way that I was apparently supposed to, and over-extended what I believe to be my long adductor (one of the muscles on the inner thigh). I admit, it does make me feel quite athletic to have strained a muscle from such enthusiastic (or, in this case, lazy) exercising, but I would prefer feeling less athletic to having a strained muscle. I guess this will teach me to maintain my core from now on...<br /><br />Besides my new-found athletic side, all is well here in the Holy Land. I just returned from 2.5 weeks in the states, part for business, part to visit family and friends. Oren just spent 10 days in Japan on a government trip, from which he brought us back many beautiful things that are now on display around our apartment, including a red silky "summer kimono" for me. I look very Asian when I wear it. My business continues to grow and evolve, and I think that now that I am almost a year into this whole "running a business" thing, I am actually feeling like I am getting the hang of it. I have crossed the income threshold that requires me to upgrade my status from "tiny business" to "small business" and I am looking to possibly hire my first employee in coming months, so that will be very exciting. Oren is in the process of starting his own consulting business with his friend Avi, so our apartment has become a busy office space, housing two new businesses. The fun part is that some of our clients overlap, so the three of us have the opportunity to work together which is always a good time.<br /><br />Israeli politics have become increasingly interesting lately with Prime Minister Olmert deciding to step down and calling a Primary Election. Coincidentally, I am friends with people who work with 3 of the 4 candidates who may become Prime Minister, so I am enjoying seeing this election from both an insiders and outsiders point of view. I am constantly comparing election styles here to what I know and studied in the states (it is what my Masters Degree from GWU is in), and I am constantly surprised by how much more sophisticated campaigning is in the United States. This makes sense, as we have been doing and studying campaign strategy much longer in the states than they have in Israel (I'm not even sure that they have someone here who actually studies it...), but it still surprises me how much room there is for professional campaign management and strategy here. <br /><br />On a totally separate note, I have to express my enthusiasm over all of the "Pink Berry" copycats that have been popping up all over Tel Aviv. I'm sure most of you are familiar with this concept by now, as I know they are all over the East and West Coasts (and Chicago... and one in Minneapolis that I found while I was home). It is one of my new favorite things and I am highly obsessed with it. Our favorite shop is just a 5 minute walk from our apartment called Kafoo (which means "frozen" in Hebrew). It truly thrills me that, for all of the things that Israel may be lagging behind in (ex. customer service, having quality ziplock bags, campaign strategy, etc.), that a few brilliant people recognized the value in opening Pink Berry style yogurt shops here. After all of this writing about it, I think I have to sign off now and go get some Kafoo (with mango, granola, and bittersweet chocolate- YUM!) I hope to update the blog at least once a week from now on, and hope that you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.<br /><br />Off to Kafoo!<br />DebbieDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-104301680771659922008-02-17T06:38:00.000-08:002008-09-28T06:16:29.011-07:00Customer ServiceWell, once again it seems I have been slacking on the blog writing. I do apologize. I think it is because I have been doing so much over-communicating for work, that my personal communicating has started to slack, which is lo tov (not good). I am going to try very hard to stay on track with the blog now... maybe even schedule some "blogging time" in to my handy little blackberry calendar. I must admit, I tried going without a blackberry for my first two months here, and since I got it in November, it has so hugely simplified my life that I can voluntarily say that I am dependent on it and dread the thought of losing it or breaking it. I will never forget when my former boss called us (us being my office) to tell us that she had dropped (or thrown) her blackberry in the toilet and my former co-worker/one of my favorite people Heather had to fake power of attorney (you can actually print off these documents online) in order to get my boss another blackberry. However, I digress...<br /><br />Things here in the holy land have been rocking and rolling- literally. On Friday, I experienced my first earthquake! It was pretty minor- a 5.3 on the scale, but it was the strangest sensation and I didn't even know what it was until later that day when I saw it in the news. I was just sitting in a cafe (Max Brenner, for those of you who can appreciate how wonderful the cafe was that I was sitting in) reading the newspaper and all of a sudden, I felt like I was sitting on a floating dock, like the floor below me was kind of bobbing up and down in a gentle rolling motion. I looked around to see if anyone else noticed, and no one seemed to, though I saw that my coffee and orange juice were oddly swishing around in their glasses. As quickly as I noticed it, it stopped, and I wondered briefly if I had some sort of equilibrium imbalance, and then shrugged and went back to my newspaper. <br /><br />On the work front, things continue to be busy. I spent the past 3.5 weeks trying to figure out how to get paid by 5 separate clients who want to be invoiced in 5 different ways and at 5 different times and in 5 different formats. It doesn't help that two of the groups are two of the most bureaucratic organizations in, probably, the entire world- the Knesset and the United Nations. And, of course, the Israeli mentality doesn't help the situation, as they seem to have no sense of urgency when it comes to paying someone.<br /><br />It was due to this situation that I had my biggest "battle" since the Mango "incident." The United Nations, being incredibly bureaucratic, required not only a formed filled out with all sorts of random bank information, but also required a letter from the bank verifying the different information... in English. As you may know, the banks in Israel are one of the biggest pains to deal with and something I dread. Part of it is the fact that very few people at my bank speak any English, but even more so, the bank system here is about 20 years behind the US bank system. For example, because I opened my account at the Sheinken branch, that means the only branch I can do anything at is the Sheinken branch. Although Discount Bank has many many branches around Tel Aviv, if I wanted to deposit a check at the Ben Yehuda branch of Discount Bank, they look at you like you are an alien and the conversation goes something like this: "we can't do this, we are not your branch" and then I say, "but, you are still Discount Bank, so you should be able to deposit this check into my account" and then they say "but we don't know you" and then I say "but you have my ID to verify that I am Deborah Stein" and then they say "but, we don't KNOW you." Silly, right? But as silly as that sounds, they are actually serious when they say it.<br /><br />So, I knew that getting a letter in English from my bank verifying my account information was going to be a miserable task. Oren came with me, and we explained my situation to a man at the bank, and his reply is "We don't write letters here." Oren explained to him that I need this letter in order to get paid, and he stares back at us again and says "We don't write letters here. Bank policy." So, conveniently (or sometimes inconveniently), my bank branch is split in half by a street, so it is one branch, but is two buildings on either side of the street. So, we walk across the street, and approach someone in that building, and ask them for a letter, and they say "sure" (so much for bank policy). After handwriting for them what the letter should say, they give me a copy (with still a few typos, but I was ready to take what I could get), and I fax it to the UN people. A week later, thinking I am all set and done with the letters and crap, I get a call from the UN saying that my bank information does not match because I have two account numbers and they cannot accept this. Now, this is true, I do have two account numbers... for no good reason except that when my bank merged with another bank, they neglected to coordinate their computer systems, so I literally have two account numbers for the same account at their bank, and because it is completely irrational, the UN is having none of it. <br /><br />So, at this point, I am ready to cry, because I cannot bear the idea of having to go back to the bank and try to get another letter from them in English, so Oren suggests I try using my bank in DC, PNC Bank. I figure, I have nothing to lose, so I give them a call. I am not exaggerating when I say that, within 5 minutes, the friendly woman at PNC was able to give me all of the information I needed, and then offered to fax, email, and mail a copy of a letter verifying my bank info to both the UN and me. I was so overwhelmed with appreciation that I almost sent this woman flowers, but instead opted for a glowing email to her manager going on and on (literally) about how amazing she was and how helpful their bank was, etc. It still makes me smile as I write this because it was such an amazingly positive experience. Sigh.<br /><br />In other news, we hope to be moving on March 1 into our new apartment. It is finally starting to look like a real apartment, with windows and walls, and such. It is getting very exciting and I can hardly wait!<br /><br />Alright, I am now going to go start figuring out my flights for my March trips. As I mentioned awhile back, I will be in the states for some work and fun on the following dates:<br /><br />March 15-16- DC<br />March 16-17- NYC<br />March 18- DC<br />March 19- Chicago<br />March 20-23- MN<br />March 24- Chicago<br />March 25- Boston<br />March 26- DC<br />March 27- Back to Tel Aviv<br /><br />It's going to be a crazy 12 days, but I hope to see many of you while I am the respective cities.<br /><br />Hope all is well, and I promise to be a better blogger in the future!<br /><br />XOXO,<br />DebbieDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-64670922856899406332008-01-12T05:37:00.000-08:002008-09-28T06:17:28.421-07:00It's been awhileI have now received a few notes from people asking why the blog hasn't been updated lately, so now that I have slowed down for a moment, here we go with some categorized updates with apologies to those who have not had the blog as a means of procrastination at work lately:<br /><br />Family Visit<br />The Stein family has come and gone from Israel on their first ever visit to the Holy Land and I am pleased to report that we had a fantastic time. They got here at the end of December and stayed for 10 days that were jam-packed of sites, history, quality time, and, of course, lots of food. We basically ate our way through Israel and loved every moment of it. We had a fantastic tour guide named Hannan who provided on-going entertainment while driving us through the winding mountain roads in his Volkswagon stick-shift 10-seater van, and by the end of the 10 days, he was like another family member. The family had such a great time that they are already planning their next trip for June!<br /><br />Work<br />The business has really taken off in the past month. As things have evolved, the business has now split into two branches- political and non-profit. The political side is still called DLS Consulting and I am now managing two members of Knesset and am in discussions to work for a few mayors and one more member. The non-profit side evolved through a meeting with a group here that represents some Dutch foundations that give to Israeli philanthropies. They decided that they want to open a fundraising branch of their company called Quantam and have asked me to be a partner in their efforts and act as the Vice President of Resource Development. In this position, I will manage their 10 current clients and will likely merge my non-profit clients that I originally agreed to work with under the umbrella of Quantam. So, needless to say, things have gotten a bit busy over here, but I love the challenge and all of the new people I am having the opportunity to work with. Also, thanks to work, it looks like I will be in the states in mid-March in DC, NYC, and Chicago (and then, of course, a few days in MN) which will be a lot of fun.<br /><br />Apartment<br />The apartment renovations are going strong. The walls are going up and after Monday, all decisions and choices will be complete. We are hoping to be moving mid-February... fingers crossed! <br /><br />Random story<br />A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from our interior designer, Shimirt, around 9pm. Assuming it was about the apartment, I answered. She told me that she had a strange request- her fiance was helping one of his clients create an advertisement for a new product that was made in the style of a cartoon that was to be shown to prospective investors in the USA. They had given it to professionals to do the voiceovers, but the woman who had done the voice for the "Mother" in the cartoon was apparently a heavy smoker and her voice sounded more like an old man than a sweet mother. The realized this that evening and had to submit the advertisement the next day, and they needed someone with an American accent to do the voice of the "Mother" and asked if I could do it. I said, sure, why not, and they told me they could be here to pick me up and take me to the recording studio in 15 minutes. So, 30 minutes later, I was in the recording room with the headset on and microphone in hand doing the voice of "Mother." Apparently, they were thrilled with the final product, so if all else fails, I guess I can always try a career in voiceovers...?<br /><br />Yesterday was reported to be the coldest day of the winter here... it was 50 degrees and sunny! Not too shabby, eh?<br /><br />Hope all is well!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-82764032435618790132007-12-14T12:28:00.001-08:002008-09-28T06:17:28.422-07:00Busy, busy, busy!Well, it's been quite awhile since my last entry, but that is because I have been so very busy! Here are some updates:<br /><br />1) As many of you know, me and Oren have been preparing to renovate an apartment that he has owned and been renting out for a few years that is located on the best street in Tel Aviv, Rothschild Blvd. He bought the apartment years ago before the area got popular, and it is now one of the best investments that anyone could have made, as it is more than doubled in value since he bought it. Anyhow, we have been working with interior designers since October to create a space that would be comfortable for us, found a contractor last Saturday evening, and as of Sunday morning, the walls came a-tumblin down. It is a fantastic project and we could not be more excited. The contractor tells us the place can be finished in 4-5 weeks, so if that holds true, we will be living in our new place in mid-January which would be AMAZING. We just finished the "demolition" phase which was accomplished incredibly quickly, and next week begins the electrical stuff. I will keep you all updated on the progress, as it is so very exciting!<br /><br />2) My client list is growing which is also very exciting. This also means my free time is decreasing rapidly. I now spend 5 hours in the morning at Ulpan, come home, and then have meetings or do work all afternoon and into the evening. It also now appears that it is possible that I will be in the states 3 times between the end of February and beginning of April which would be a little ridiculous. That will all get figured out though.<br /><br />3) Last night, me and Oren celebrated one year of being together (a lot can happen in a year, huh?) by going to one of the new, hot restaurants in Tel Aviv called Herbert Samuel. I am not exaggerating when I say that it was one of the best culinary experiences I have had in recent memory. The items on the menu can be served tapas style or main dish style, so we were able to try many different dishes. Just to give you a taste of the experience, we started with an artichoke soup that was amazing. We then moved on to a spicy shrimp with green beans, onions, and olives in a red pepper sauce, prosciutto with apple, a rice noodle "ravioli" filled with raw tuna and avocado in a soy vinaigrette, moved on to a filet of steak with a roasted onion and awesome mashed potatoes, and then a risotto with scallops. For dessert, a wafer with baked bananas and poppy seed ice cream, plus a complementary dessert that is a signature of the chef's, which was a cookie with layers of mousse and nuts all covered in hardened chocolate. All of this plus the delicious bottle of champagne, made for an absolutely perfect meal. We are definitely taking my family there when they come in 2 weeks.<br /><br />And with that brief update, we are off to celebrate Oren's dad's birthday. Happy holidays!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-42938078915580876422007-11-29T06:54:00.000-08:002008-09-28T06:16:18.626-07:00Taking a standWell, I am back in Tel Aviv after almost three weeks in the states where I got to go to Nashville (ew), Chicago (thanks Sally!), Minneapolis, New Jersey, and NYC. It was a great trip, had a great time with friends and family, showed Oren a real American Thanksgiving, and even got to navigate while Oren drove from New Jersey to New York City and back a few times for his friend Charles' wedding.<br /><br />Now, back in Tel Aviv, I have started Ulpan which is the school that teaches me Hebrew. I go to class 5 days a week from 8:15am-12:50pm. They are long classes, but after just attending 3 of them, I am confident that it will be extremely worthwhile. Plus, the class has a real international flair, having students ranging from 16 years old to 65 years old, and coming from the USA, France, Russia, Italy, Singapore, Peru, and Taiwan.<br /><br />The title for this blog entry comes from what occurred after I left Ulpan today. I walked past a fruit stand (these are quite common here in Tel Aviv) and saw a great looking mango. When I went to purchase it, the man told me that it would cost me 31 shekels. This sounded very high to me, but as I always like to give people the benefit-of-the-doubt, I rationalized that maybe they are currently out of season (as I haven't seen them at any other stores lately) and that is why it was so expensive. So, I paid for my fruit and started walking home. On my walk home, I was talking to Oren and decided to ask him if the price sounded appropriate. He angrily confirmed that the price I paid was, indeed, outrageous and that I had been taken advantage of. After his initial anger at his Israeli people for being so mean to his girlfriend, he suggested that I go into a nearby store and see what their cost for a mango would be. So, I approach a cash register, explain that I bought the mango elsewhere and that I expected I had been cheated, and asked them if they could tell me how much it weighs and therefore, how much it would cost in their store. So, it weighed .85 kilos and would have cost me 10 shekels at their store. With this new information, Oren got increasingly angry and suggested I take the mango back. At first, being the non-confrontational American that I am, I considered just letting it be and learning my lesson to be more careful next time. However, that notion passed quickly and I agreed with Oren that if I wasn't going to stand up for myself, than who would? So, I marched back 7 block to the fruit stand, getting more aggravated with every step thinking "Who does this fruit vendor think he is trying to mess with a nice Jewish girl from Minnesota who moved to HIS country and is learning HIS language, and working with HIS members of government and non-profit organizations to make HIS country a better place to LIVE????" By the time I got back to the fruit stand, I was no longer the nice, non-confrontational girl from Minnesota, but rather an angry member of Israeli society with a whole lot of Chutzpah! <br /><br />I stormed up to the man who sold me the mango and the conversation went as follows:<br /><br />Schmuck: There is a problem with the mango?<br />Me: No, there is not a problem with the mango. However, I realized that I can buy this same mango down the street for 10 shekels instead of 31 shekels and I refuse to pay for something that I was so over-charged for.<br />Schmuck: What do you mean? This is a good mango!<br />Me: I'm sure it is, but it is not worth 31 shekels and I think it is awful that you charged me that much.<br />Schmuck: But it is over 1 kilo!<br />Me: Actually sir, it is .85 kilos.<br />Schmuck: So you don't want the mango?<br />Me: I do want the mango, but I am not going to pay 31 shekels for it, so I would like to return it and get my money back.<br />Schmuck: (Begins to argue) But...<br />Me: Sir, you should really be ashamed of yourself for trying to take advantage of a person living in your country just because I am not from here and don't speak Hebrew yet. It is really unfortunate for me, as someone who is a contributing member of society, to have to experience something like this, and I think that next time you are in this situation, you should choose to act differently.<br /><br />So, the Schmuck apologized and gave me my money back, and I walked away victorious and very proud of myself.Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-37258274615584050042007-11-08T14:25:00.000-08:002008-09-28T06:15:53.157-07:00In the words of Neil Diamond: We're comin to AmericaWell, it's been a crazy week. It has been crunch time with Yoel's upcoming fund-raising trip to the states, I had a donor in town, there was a private film screening of a movie about Ariel Sharon for his staff... I don't think we have been home one night this week!<br /><br />Furthermore, this past week we decided it was a good idea for me to be at the United Jewish Community's General Assembly which is in Nashville this coming weekend. Unfortunately, this means I have to go back to Opryland again which I had vowed I would never do. Yuck. Furthermore, this completely altered my schedule as I was planning to be in MN for Thanksgiving, and me and Oren were heading home on November 16. Well, the GA starts the 11th and ends on the 13th, so it would be silly for me to come back to Israel for 2 days to turn around and fly back to the states. So, when I was originally only going to be in the states for 10 days, I am now going to be there almost three weeks. This isn't a bad thing, but of course, it was this week that various potential clients that I have been trying to get meetings with all decided that next week would be a good time to meet... and now I have to tell them I will not be available for 3 weeks... Not the ideal situation, but I am confident that my time at the GA will be well spent in regards to doing some major networking with donors and Israeli organizations which is exactly what I need to be doing right now. In honor of the GA, me and Oren constructed a lovely business card for me to hand out and we just got them back from the printer today. They are very pretty. Now I feel like a real business (Don't worry Jodi, I have 9 saved for you)!<br /><br />So, Yoel has officially been in the states for about 12 hours now. It is extremely difficult for me that I am not there traveling with him from meeting to meeting. Never have I sent a client off to do meetings alone, let alone on their first official fund-raising trip. The original decision was made for him to go alone because a) We didn't want to spend the money on another ticket at this point- we need to raise the money first! b) I did not want to be gone for 3 weeks (guess that didn't end up working out anyway.) So, considering I cannot be there with him to make sure he is on schedule and such, I have been obsessively calling him all day. I know, it's obnoxious, but I can't help myself, and luckily, Yoel is very good and understanding about it (except for that I just called him twice to find out how his 4pm meeting went and he hasn't answered... it's making me nervous... so I texted him. Ridiculous, I know, but would it kill Israelis to start using Blackberries?? There is something about being able to email someone at any time that gives me a strange sense of comfort... This is what living in Washington, DC does to people.) I'm finding that, while these fund-raising trips can be stressful when in the states, it's even worse when I have to calculate the time difference so that I know when he should be done with a meeting or in a taxi to his next meeting, etc. so that I can call him. My brain is going into overdrive.<br /><br />So, I have one more day of stressing out about Yoel's trip from a distance and then on Saturday I get on a plane and fly to Nashville via Newark and Cleveland. I will meet Yoel in Nashville for some good old Opryland fun, and then I am busting out of there Monday night, flying to Chicago, staying overnight (Thanks Sally!) and then home to Minneapolis on Tuesday morning where I will have quality time with the family, and then Oren will join us on Friday. I cannot wait for a vacation- this whole starting a business thing is exhausting!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-9721033509910044152007-10-31T13:43:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:15:27.283-07:00Bikram Yoga HellWell, another week has gone by and it is time for a brief update. First and foremost, I am officially and legally the president of a small business now, so that is exciting.<br /><br />Also, yesterday, I experienced my first Bikram Yoga class. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Bikram yoga is when you do yoga in a room that is 105 degree with 40% humidity. I know, it sounds awful, but Oren has raved about it since he started going it in Cambridge so I agreed to give it a try. Well, needless to say, it was literally like Hell. It was hot and painful. I don't particularly like heat, and I don't like pain.... so the combination of the two made me quite angry (which I'm assuming is the opposite response you are supposed to achieve from yoga...) About half way through the class (which was all in Hebrew, by the way, and when Oren would try to interpret something into English for me the teacher yelled at him for talking during class) I vowed I would never step foot in a Bikram Yoga studio ever again, and started getting extremely angry at Oren for convincing me that this was something that was actually enjoyable as opposed to a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Thanks to the heat and the bending over and having the blood rush to my head to try and achieve particular poses, I got pretty dizzy and nauseous about 3/4 in to it which I used as a good excuse to lie on my mat and silently curse my situation while rudely looking at my watch to see how much longer I had in Hell. However, I did stay in the room for the entire 90 minutes (you'd be surprised (or maybe not) by how many people walked out half way or 3/4 of the way through because they couldn't handle it anymore) and once I finally got out of the boiler room and cooled down a bit, I somehow came to the conclusion that I wanted to try it again. I'm not sure what it is.... maybe the challenge, maybe the curiosity of wanting to know if it is always this awful, or if it gets better... and after all of that sweating, I did feel quite cleansed... We'll see.<br /><br />Alright, I'm about to call it a night. Happy Halloween to all!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-81479537576334448442007-10-24T10:01:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:13:44.353-07:00Update...Since I wrote that last post this morning, I was invited to attend the private ceremony for the anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's assassination in the Prime Minister's office by Oren's boss and sat two rows behind Prime Minister Olmert. Cool stuff.Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-67414782469691250692007-10-24T02:46:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:13:44.354-07:00Live from the KnessetBoker tov (good morning)!<br /><br />I am writing to you live from the Knesset (aka the Israeli Parliment- in DC, this would be the Capitol building). I am here at the Knesset in Jerusalem for the second time this week to start working on Yoel's fundraising. Monday was my first day here and, needless to say, it was quite interesting.<br /><br />It started out with me going with Oren to his office in the building where the Prime Minister works (in DC, this would be the White House) and got a great tour from Oren. However, unlike a White House tour, I was able to actually walk into the PM's office and take a picture behind his desk, etc. It was pretty cool. I then made my way over to the Knesset where I went through some of the most intense security for the 2nd time in an hour (the first time was in the PM's office)... The security here to get into one of these buildings is like trying to get into the Captiol, White House, and Regan National Airport all put together. Ridiculous. But I do understand and appreciate it.<br /><br />After finding my way to Yoel's office, I quickly bonded with his other staff members who are great and then got down to business. Yoel is going to be in the states for the GA in November and has asked me to plan a 4-state fundraising trip for him while he is there. This gives me roughly 3 weeks to make this happen, but I think we will make it work... anyway.<br /><br />Right after I got to the Knesset, I had a meeting with another Member of Knesset who had heard about me and wanted to talk with me about doing some fundraising for her. It was a very interesting meeting and I am going to do a bit of research on her potential donor base and get back to her in a few weeks...<br /><br />After spending some time with Yoel's intern, Nicole, who is assisting me, Oren and Avi came over to go to lunch with us in the Knesset dining room. Of course, during lunch, Yoel had to point out to me that I have been in Israel less than 4 weeks and I am sitting in the Knesset dining room which few people ever get to be in, but not only am I there, but I am there with a "Member of the Jewish Parliament" (I was able to quote that last part along with him- it is one of his favorite statements) and that I should appreciate how special that is. It was quite funny. One minute I am in Joe Lieberman's kitchen, the next I am in the Knesset cafeteria... crazy.<br /><br />So, this next part can be appreciated by my fundraising colleagues... I am trying to see how the "American style" of fundraising works here, meaning very structured, very detailed, very "American". So, I spent my afternoon making a few call sheets for Yoel (we make these for American politicians to give whoever is making the calls a feel for who they are speaking with, the background of their relationship to the person, and specifically what to ask them- they are a pain to make, but expected by US politicians). Also, I only made about 4, because the chance of getting an American politician to make more than 10 calls in one sitting is a rarity, and I wanted to start slow with Yoel since this was new for him. So, around 5:30 I finally sit down with him to start making calls. He picks up his master list of contacts and points to one and says "I am going to call him." I say "Ok... but you know, I have these call sheets with our priority calls..." And he says "Ok... we will call them later, but I'm going to call him now." I say, "Ok... well, do you want to take a look at the purpose of these other calls so that you know what we are asking these people?" He looks, says "Very professional..." I say "Thanks..." and he says "Ok, I am going to call this person now" and just picks up the phone and starts making calls. At first, this worried me, because it was so much less formal than our "American" system. However, Yoel turned out to be a natural, and as we made calls, he would ask me if he was saying things appropriately, I would coach him on how better to say this or that, etc. So, he makes a few calls and I figure we're good for the night, as I didn't want to overwhelm him on his first time... but then he kept going. And going. And going. Yoel must have made about 40 phone calls which, at least from my experience with American politicians, is unheard of. It was ridiculous. And amazing. We were here until 9:30pm, picked up Oren, and then went to dinner until 12:30am. Needless to say, I was completely exhausted (it was my first full day of work in a month!) but really pumped about how productive it had been.<br /><br />That was Monday. Yesterday, I worked like mad from home all day until I had my meeting with the accountant, during which, I filled out the necessary paperwork to officially establish my own business. So crazy. Yossi, my accountant (I've never had an accountant before!) is fantastic and I could not feel more comfortable knowing that he is handing all of my "stuff." <br /><br />So, I am back at the Knesset today, having lunch with Oren and his boss, and getting ready to go over the status of our trip with Yoel later this afternoon. I'm going to get back to work, but wanted to give a quick update because it has been awhile and a lot has happened!<br /><br />Hope all is well with you!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-42386019532545543492007-10-17T01:36:00.000-07:002007-10-17T01:37:11.502-07:00New pics posted!http://picasaweb.google.com/stein.debbie/TelAviv02Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-18779259201104451302007-10-15T07:13:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:15:10.544-07:00New bike (again)Well, I finally got over my bitterness from getting my new bike stolen after having it for less than 24 hours and bought another new bike yesterday! This one is hot pink, cruiser style, with a basket. It is very pretty, but more importantly, it has a heavy duty lock (for the daytime, at night, it will be sleeping on our deck of our apartment- taking NO chances with this one). Pictures coming soon!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-21591142614147526322007-10-13T03:59:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:15:10.544-07:00More interesting dinner guestsLast night, we went to another dinner. This one was at the home of a guy who Oren knew through the Prime Minister's office and he had been a Wexner Fellow a few years before Oren. As I had noted yesterday, there always seem to be really interesting people at these dinners, and last night was no exception. Not only was it an international dinner with guests from India, Brazil, New York, and LA, but the one guest that I think you, as my American friends, could appreciate most was Ryan Seacrest's agent. Yeah, the guy from American Idol, and E!, and the Academy Awards host... This guy's actual job was not only representing Ryan, but he was also responsible for shows like Project Runway and Next Top Chef. He turned out to be a really nice guy, so we now have a friend in "Show biz" ;-)Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-34603964488596491002007-10-11T18:02:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:15:10.544-07:00SubliminalLast night, Oren and I went to dinner at his friend Ami's house. Ami is Oren's dear friend and attorney, and he is going to be my legal counsel as I start my business. Ami and his wife live in a beautiful apartment that opens up to a rooftop where we had our dinner by candlelight overlooking the city. It was really quite impressive. Not only was the dinner impressive, but the guests were as well. Probably the most unique dinner guest was someone named Kobi, who I quickly learned was the top hip hop/rap artist in Israel and goes by the stage name Subliminal. He is becoming a world-wide phenomenon so you may know who he is if you are a hip hop/rap fan. I also learned that he has his own record label that is hugely successful and has been collaborating with a bunch of American rappers recently... Needless to say, it was a very interesting dinner, and everyone had good stories that we were there until 2am. Another dinner tonight... more stories to come.Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-84915811005985996252007-10-10T00:31:00.000-07:002007-10-10T00:33:13.117-07:00PicsI've finally learned how to use Picasa and will now periodically be posting random pictures from my time here at the following link for your viewing pleasure...<br /><br />http://picasaweb.google.com/stein.debbie/TelAviv02Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2048479730359580200.post-61842438413089387812007-10-08T02:48:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:15:10.545-07:00Hit the ground runningWell, it's been awhile! Since the wall and bike "incident", we spent our last few days of vacation doing a lot of walking and a lot of relaxing- it was fantastic. However, yesterday marked the end of the 10 days of vacation, and so it meant Oren went back to work and I was on my own for the first significant period of time since moving here. I was ready!<br /><br />My first task of the day was to go to the Ministry of the Interior to get some paperwork taken care of. It was a good 30 minute walk to get there (would have been a much shorter bike ride...) and once I got there, the only experience I can compare it to is going to the DMV. That is how slow, disorganized, and annoying it was. However, here you had the added ingredient of pretty much everyone there not speaking English or Hebrew, and an unfortunate lack of deodorant. I had to stand in line in front of an older "foreign" woman who had no sense of personal space, and kept standing against me in line. And then, when she thought I should be moving forward, she would put her hands on my hips and guide me forward, or tap my butt. I kept giving her looks because I was pretty sure she didn't speak any English, but finally I turned around to her and said "Ma'am, there really isn't anywhere else for me to go so please stop pushing me." Then she stopped and ran away. It was weird.<br /><br />Anyway, once I put in my 2.5 hours there, I made my way back towards home with the intention of doing some cooking. I love cooking, but between graduate school, work, and being out of town every other weekend, I have not had much time for this hobby over the past few years. However, until my business gets totally up and running, I need to take advantage of this free time. So, I decided I wanted to make some pasta with bolognese sauce (a favorite from living in Florence) and apple turnovers. Long story short, I had to make three separate trips to the grocery store because I kept buying the wrong things, as I was basing my purchases mostly on the pictures on the boxes because everything else describing the product I was buying was written in Hebrew. Mind you, I've shopped in foreign grocery stores before, but at least in Italy, words are written using the same alphabet that we use and you can somewhat figure out what things say... in Hebrew, not so much. The bolognese turned out great, but I was unable to make the apple turnovers because no one here seemed to know what puff pastry was...<br /><br />After dinner last night, we went out for a second dinner with Oren's friend Gil. Gil had been invited to join us for our first dinner, but he does not eat glutton and, therefore, could not eat my pasta, so we compromised and decided to meet him for a 2nd lite dinner. I met Gil on my last visit here and we became instant friends. He recently became an adviser to one of the Ministers, and was telling us amazing stories from the past 10 days he spent with her in New York. Half way through our second dinner, Yoel joined us. It is hard to describe in writing how completely amusing Oren, Yoel, and Gil can be when they are all together. I'm not sure how one would expect the head of an agency for the Prime Minister's office, a member of Knesset, and an adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to act, but if you did not know this about them, you would probably never guess it. Especially when we are in the car and Oren is tickling Yoel from the back seat and Yoel is screaming "STOOOP! I AM A MEMBER OF THE JEWISH PARLIAMENT!" Yup. Needless to say, it was a fun way to end the day.<br /><br />Oren just got home from a few meetings in Tel Aviv and we're going to go grab lunch before he has to go back to more meetings. More later!Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00073041067949571689noreply@blogger.com1