A letter from Israel

We are always running around looking for "fun" things to do or exciting places to go, that one sometimes forget that you are living life right here. Right now, right here where you are, with your hair uncombed and wearing your big and comfy jeans A small gesture this week just brought this fact into sharp focus again for me. I work in a kindergarten with barely enough time to scratch my head, never mind stopping to smell the roses. Out of the blue one of my colleagues handed me a little plate and said, "Taste this." The plate was one of those plastic ones that you get to eat from if you work in a kindergarten and "this" that I had to taste was heaven. Two slices of baked sweet potato with chopped rosemary and olive oil. The sweetness of the sweet potato comes out beautifully when you bake it. Mixing it with rosemary and olive oil was like a divine rhapsody . I am sure that thousands of people, if not hundreds of thousands of people make their sw

One of my Favorite Hang-outs in Israel by Marina Shemesh Every decent city in Israel got a fruit and vegetable market. Our nearest one is in Hadera . You have to be a bit brave to enter a market. It used to be a favourite hangout for suicide bombers here in Israel. But the markets are usually well guarded and everyone knows that you keep your eyes peeled for anybody wearing an over- large parka, or somebody that seems out of place. That is not so easy to do. Markets are very popular and all the different population groups in Israel can be found at the markets. Here in Hadera most of the stalls belong to Kafkhazi's . Apparently it is one of the small states inside Russia that have not gained i ndependence yet. Then you get the Gruzini's , they are from Georgia. Russians from Russia or the Ukraine. Ethiopians . Tai's and Philippians who came as guest workers. Jews and Arabs and one South-African (me!). I noticed The strawberries were very cheap. Four shekels for

Yesterday we all went to go and buy a fridge for my mother-in-law. By "all" I mean me, my husband, my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law. Quite a crowd, I agree. We went to the nearest city of Hadera because somebody's cousin's friend said that they have good deals there. I planned on a nice and quiet morning of writing but when my husband asked for the third time if I am coming, I knew I am in for a boring morning. Unmarried people do not have an idea about spousal duties. Everthing was wrong was the fridge I liked, it was too small, it is the wrong colour and the freezer part is at the bottom, not the top. Whatever, it is not my fridge. The brother-in-law had more of an idea what she likes. It has to be big so that the pots can fit inside. Israeli's like to cook and then stick everything pot and all for later when you are hungry. Then you just take out the pot and stick it on the gas. This is home cooking. You do get freshly cooked food, but not often. A