Istanbul - The Best of East and West

When my best friends kidnapped me for a surprise trip to Istanbul I didn't really know what to expect. My thoughts immediately went to fears and misgivings. The political climate there is not so great, I though. Not to mention the Turks are not fans of Isreali tourists these days and honestly, Istanbul?! whats wrong with Paris, Rome or Barcelona? 

However, three days later I can honestly say: boy, was I wrong. Istanbul turned out to be one of the best cities I have ever traveled to and here is why. 

Besides its geographic proximity to Israel (a mere hour and a half plane ride away)  Istanbul turned out to be a lively, one-of-a-kind city that seems to capture the best of East and West. It is strategically situated on the banks of the Bosporos strait, connecting it to both Europe and Asia. This "prime" location has made Istanbul an important economic, social, intellectual and cultural hub since its foundation under the Byzantine Empire and to this day. 

Due to its geographical vantage point the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires made it their capitals leaving the city rich with history, architecture and art dating back to the 4th century AD. 

The culture is a fabulous mix of East meets West. You can walk through super chick and hipster neighborhoods with narrow cobblestone streets stopping to have a cup of Turkish coffee with a Turkish delight and from there head on for a pampering afternoon at a 500 year old traditional Turkish bath (Hammam) right next door. You can go to fancy restaurants looking over the Bosporus and from their head over to the many hustling bustling Bazaars where you can find anything from textiles to fresh herbs and spices. Be sure to check out The Egyptian Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar for a magnificent and breathtaking walk through all the goods Turkey has to offer.

If history and architecture are your priority, you can easily spend a couple of days exploring the many architectural marvels from the Hagia Sofia to the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. If food is what you are looking for you are in for a treat. The Turkish cuisine is rich and varied. They take pride in using only fresh and seasonal vegetables and products. The street food is also a treat and you can enjoy an entire day of strolling and tasting the many delicacies the streets have to offer - from fresh corn on the cob, to the many pastries and boreka or balik-ekmek. 

Don't pass on a Turkish must  - a strong cup of afternoon coffee. And finally, don't miss a tour of the more rugged Asian side. Take a boat ride to the Asian side (on the boat yon might enjoy live Turkish music) where you can stroll in a mouth-watering food market. Istanbul is a city to get lost in - every  turn you take you can find something to see, do, listen to or eat. And of you get lost - just look for look for the Bosporus, which will surely give you a sense of direction.  

    

The day when I became an aunt for the first time.

There's a first time for everything, first time to going to school, first time for sleepover, first time for riding a bike, etc.  

Surprise! Her is the best first time of my life. More little light in my life.

Nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming feeling that came along with waiting my niece to come to this world, to our family and life, our first incredible niece.

I don't have a sister, a daughter or even a granddaughter but yes, I have a beautiful, cute and chubby niece.

This cute little baby touched my feelings, my senses.!!!

my eyes were filled with sparkle when I first saw her, she's like an angel, wherever I look around, I see that everything is reminding me of her.

When I first saw my niece, I didn't know what to do, wether to hold her or not, she's too small, should I just stare at her!

What about hearing her voice! Wow I can't describe how happy I am when I hear her voice.

I admit that sometimes I can't keep hearing her screaming, but once she stops shouting I do anything just to annoy her.

Now, she's 10 months old, I spent a ton of time with my niece trying to make her say my name first, it sounds great when I hear her voice, it's just happiness to me, it never worked but I'm very determined with her. Nothing more beautiful than hearing her laugh, I try to be funny and silly just to make her laugh, she brings.  Her laugh gives me a positive energy. Also, I end up knowing half the theme songs for kid's cartoon shows by hearing them all day just to entertain her.

Do you know what's the best thing about babies! Their smells, I can't get enough of her smell, I just don't know why I Love her smell, it's just so good. instead of stopping to smell the roses, pause, pick up baby, and inhale.

Soon, she will be able to walk. We're working on that with her right now. She is trying to make her first steps.

Above all that, being an aunt can prepare you to the future, it gets you into the mindset what it's like to be a mom.

Ascending To The Summit 0f Mitzvot

Ascending To The Summit 0f Mitzvot

In the previous blog I told you about a marvelous way of turning your child's Bar Mitzvah journey into a unique one. This path allows one to visit the ever-changing world of inner values that your child may have or have crossed paths with.

I promised that in this blog I would show several examples of this unique journey that you may use with your own child's path during this coming of age.

For example, we will choose the value of friendship or heroism. We will be able to see how a child is creating a role model by choosing a certain hero/heroine through a historical story or historical site. Every substantial character in history has their own act of heroism that made them famous. The child gets to choose the character or location and the aspect that they want to study more in-depth, such as myths, tours of the area, documentaries or family-history regarding that site.

After that, the child will pick the method of presenting the information:

First, they will think about the audience, "To whom am I presenting?" To guests in a party, family members or to my classmates, etc.

In the next step, the child will think of the medium they want to use – a film, creating a guide, power point presentation, a photo exhibition etc.

Here are a few suggested steps to prepare for such an activity:

-       creating a guideline

-       gathering material according to the relevant audience

-       building a schedule

-       come up with entertaining / fun activities

-       document the experience (video, photos or writing)

-       combine the activity with the main idea of the whole year and pair it with the presentation in the end-of-the-year celebration.

This activity must combine the child's inner world and the values in society.  Of course we can't forget to make it fun and enjoyable!

I did a similar activity with my daughter at The Castel cite in Mevaseret Zion, next to her birthplace and where a family member had fallen in battle. She studied the story in-depth, toured the site, planned an activity that combined a sports activity and interactive guided-tour that was suited for her teen cousins.

The activity was unique, she made shirts and hats with a logo and when she guided them she filmed the entire thing and used the photos to build a power-point presentation that she used (at school) at the end of the year to show her own journey throughout the year.

You can do a fun activity that is still filled with actual values. For example – family: for my daughter's activity we invited her uncles and aunts and they got to know each other in a very different and entertaining manner – hosting an event of stand-up, family stories and jokes and not to forget the social gathering aspect in itself really brings people together.

The possibilities are endless as each child has their own unique taste, likes and strengths that they can use to create such an activity.  Of course, the parents may need to invest some time and effort while helping their child take the first steps in this life-changing path into adulthood.

The Hidden Treasure in Jerusalem

My village, Abu-Gosh is the hidden treasure in Jerusalem. Abu-Gosh is a small village near Jerusalem where people live peacefully, it is a place of warm relationships where everyone loves, helps and supports the other and it is my favorite place in the world. As soon as I enter it, I feel relaxed, comfortable and safe.


If you ask anybody where to eat delicious hummus he or she would answer that you can eat it in one of the restaurants in Abu-Gosh. My village is known as the village of hummus, because of the delicious and the unique hummus offered in its restaurants.  Abu-Gosh has about sixteen different restaurants that are known for the lively atmosphere, reasonable prices and for serving authentic Arabic dishes.



There are other reasons that make me think Abu- Gosh is the hidden treasure in Jerusalem. It has stunning views  such as the beautiful new mosque, which is the second largest in Israel after Al Aqsa Mosque. The uniqueness of the mosque is due its shape - it is built in the Chechen style. Abu- Gosh has another mosque that we call the " Old Mosque", which got this name just after the new mosque was built.

Readers,  I am not going to explain more about it, you are welcome to visit and to discover the hidden treasure in Jerusalem.

    

Funny Superhero

Are you stressed out? Is school work taking over your social life? Well, I can give you a temporary and a reasonably priced solution. If you love Superhero movies or action comedy ones, then you will love this movie and it will make you laugh every second! I personally highly advise you to take an hour break and take the bus or your car (if you have one) and go to the cinema, buy your tickets and watch Deadpool 2!

Now before watching Deadpool 2, it’s a must that you watch Deadpool 1, because what comes before 2? 1! It's common sense. I'm just joking, if you want to understand the whole picture, it is advisable to watch the first one.

This movie is a cross between action comedy and sci-fi, meaning that on one hand, not so many people will like it in particular, since some of the jokes are considered "dark" and in some respects, "inappropriate". But on the other hand, the stunts, CGI, and makeup are just amazing for a low budget movie.

I won't spoil the movie for you, but I will give you a basic gist of it.

 

Based upon the Marvel Comics anti-hero, Deadpool is the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with new abilities and a dark and twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

In conclusion, if you want a breather, laugh off a little bit of stress or boredom, I strongly advise you to see it.

ELF Cosmetics

E.L.F. is a makeup brand based in the United States. The name E.L.F. stands for Eyes. Lips. Face. , which is a description of the products that they produce. It was founded in 2004 by Joseph Shamah and Scott Vincent Vorba, a business student and makeup-industry veteran.

The brand sells very affordable makeup products both in US drugstores and online. The idea behind the brand was originally the most products cost 1 USD. Nowadays, many products still cost only 1-2 dollars, but some cost a bite more. Regardless, prices are significantly cheaper than other brands, both drugstore and high-end.

Unfortunately, the brand does not ship internationally, and so it is difficult to acquire in Israel. As with all cosmetic and pharmacy products, makeup in Israel is very expensive. This brand is one example of the widespread phenomenon that is internet shopping. Prices of everything, from such cosmetic products to cloths and even food items have vastly reduces worldwide. In Israel, we are still a bit behind this trend, and many Israelis are unaware of such brands. My parents are visiting the US right now, and will bring me many ELF products that would have cost me 3 or 4 times higher in Israel.

Having tried some of their products, I can testify that they are great and do not fall short of any high end brand. Buying such products can help anyone on a budget look and feel like a million bucks!

Bracha Sandwich

Bracha Sandwich is a small yet well-known place in Haifa. It is located in the “ir tachtit”, or “Lower City.” The owner of the place is Bracha, an elderly woman who opened it in the 1960s, and still owns and runs the place. Even though it is a small “hole in the wall” type of place, it has a great reputation and there are always lines.

The place only has one item on the menu: a sandwich. This sandwich is based on ciabatta bread, home-made sauces, veggies, cold cuts, and deli cheese. The customer builds their own sandwich according to personal preferences, and Bracha constructs it and places in on the plancha.

All residents of Haifa are familiar with this place, and many favors having lunch there. When I moved to Haifa, I was very surprised that such a small place can survive with only one dish for 30 years.

I highly recommend a snack at Bracha’s to anyone who visits Haifa and feels like having a quick bite !

The Rosie Project – A must read!

What if I told you that you could find the love of your life using a questionnaire? Would you do that? Would you let the powers-that-be take over your love life?

Don Tillman decided to give it a shot. 

The Rosie Project is a wonderful and funny read about finding the perfect match.   Don Tilman is a genius. He always thinks of new ways to make his life more efficient and better, doing it all by himself since he doesn't socialize much. He knows exactly where his life is headed and oh, he is a man with a plan.

Don comes up with something called "The Wife Project" in order to find himself the one thing he never had. Love. Don has always considered himself an appropriate match thanks to his IQ, physical shape, financial situation and more. All he has to do is share his good fortune with another soul.

The Wife Project is basically a questionnaire to 'test' women whether they are fit for him. In theory, it should work, but in reality – not so much…

Enter Rosie – a bartender, and an unsuitable match for Don. He dislikes everything about her but for some reason he is drawn to her, even finding himself helping her with a personal matter. Rosie challenges Don and introduces him to many aspects of life he didn't know existed out of his comfort zone.

What happens next, you ask? I guess you're going to have to read the book to find out!

The Hexagon pool

The heat of July and August has reached us and the air conditioner was working overtime…

Most of us won’t go out of the house unless we are headed to the sea or someplace else with a cooling system. But somewhere, in the north of the country, awaits a marvelous place that has so much to offer us. If' you're brave enough, follow me and pack your bags. We're going to hit the road towards the Golan Heights in search of breathtaking landscapes, true wild nature, some fresh breeze and a lot of water.

Vegan? A restaurant especially for you!

Have you ever had dinner in a Japanese restaurant? Did you want to eat a juicy, colorful sushi roll, but noticed that the menu wasn't for vegans? Meet the Japanese restaurant that is serving o n l y vegan dishes, and for the first time in your vegan life, there is a restaurant that will give you a good experience.

Beautiful views in the Western Galilee

Imagine that you are on vacation time, and you can choose wherever you want to go…. I’m sure it might be to the north, therefore a week ago I went on a trip to the Western Galilee. It took me more than 3 hours to get there from Jerusalem, but it was definitely worth it.

"The bitter, the better"

Warning: if you have an addictive personality DO NOT read this review!

What kind of person are you? A dark or a milk chocolate person?

Up until few months ago I would answer without any hesitation that I was a milk-chocolate lover.

Honestly, I truly believe that God created this divine delight for us ladies (sorry guys) and you know what they say: "the sweeter the better". Well, that all changed when I was introduced to this exquisite new product: