Let's learn to drive. Again.

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; 

and I'm not sure about the the universe"(Albert Einstein).

When I was about to get my drivers license (half a year ago), my husband warned me: "While driving - you need to assume that all of those surrounding you are idiots". Of course, not ALL of them are idiots, but there are just toooo many! 

It starts from simple things that can happen to anyone, when you don't signal while passing from one lane to the other; the problem is though more when you don't forget but simply don't care to do that. On a bit higher level of stupidity are those who start passing the lane and then, in the middle, they are not sure which lane they want to take - so they just simply stay in the middle, right on the border line. Why not? What - do I confuse someone here? whatever... Together with those that drive 30-40 km above the limit, including maneuvering between the lanes, are also those that take their time, - and mine too! If driving on the highway means your car must go at least 55 km - they don't bother to speed up more that that. On a highway though you can at least pass them, but if it happens in the city - you're sometimes trapped. Well, at least in Israel, where patience is not our strong side, we start beeping angrily and right away. But poor people in the rest of the world....

Then are of course those who consider themselves Julius Caesar - assuming they can do several things simultaneously.  

 

The examples of these are endless: cell phone (who can possibly be out of contact for half an hour or MORE? outrageous!), make up (isn't this what the mirror is in the car for?), smoking, eating; in Israel there are also these over-religious people who take a step further and think God will appreciate their reading the prayers behind the wheel! And seeing this makes me pray!

And of course, we still have a long way to fight against drunk driving. 

Ironically, and sadly, the statistic reality in Israel says that more people die in car accidents than in the terror attacks. And while we are very good in terms of security measures against terror, it is far more difficult to make our drivers apply these security means on the road. 

The number of campains in favor of safe driving does not seem to help either, and day by day - and I mean day by day - we hear the news about another accident, more victims, more mourning families, and which is more - sometimes there is no one there to mourn, because the whole family is smitten away.

It is ridiculous and sad that Oprah needs to suggest and promote "One day cell-free driving", followed by the whole no-phone-zone campaign. http://www.oprah.com/packages/no-phone-zone.html

I mean, thank God, she is doing this, but isn't this supposed to be obvious and natural part of our behavior?

The world technology amazes us with its everyday progress. But maybe we're running too fast, maybe we can take a pause, step back, and pay attention to more important things than iPad? Like preserving lives.

8 марта

приближается 8 марта, один из самых радостных праздников, которые я ощущала на Украине, а здесь - еще один повод для ностальгии и грусти. Несмотря на то, что мой муж уже понял, что для меня это не просто "международный женский день", как здесь его называют, и старается меня порадовать в этот день тоже, - все равно, мне не хватает этой весенней приятной атосферы с образом мимозы и запахом других цветов. В Израиле еще не научились хотя бы на один день вознести женщин всех возрастов и положений на этот почетный пьедестал, находясь на котором ты чувствуешь гордость и счастье быть девочкой, девушкой, женщиной, женой, сестрой, дочкой, мамой, бабушкой. Если здесь зайдет в автобус мужчина и радостно вскрикнет "С 8 марта, дорогие женщины!" - на него, наверное, посмотрят, как на идиота, а я бы на него посмотрела с благодарностью и одобрением. И на улице в этот день ты вряд ли встретишь множество букетов цветов, за которыми прячутся радостные женские лица. Поэтому нам, к сожалению, приходится создавать праздник самим, в атмосфере близких, которым еще знакомо это 8-мартовское ощущение, не имея однако возможности вручить весенние котики или пахнущую свежестью сирень своим самым близким женщинам - маме и сестре. остается только надеяться,что их кто-то порадует за меня :) а меня пока, заранее, поздравил папа, "вруча" цветы с домашнего окна по мэйлу...

my Purim day

Today we had a Purim happening at work, and were told to dress up. I wanted to come up with an original idea as opposed to the usual costumes people are used to see (pirate, princess, etc.) So I recalled my husband's friend once told us about her "Light at the End of the Tunnel" costume, which sounded like a cool and optimistic idea. It took us some effort to find sponge for making the tunnel, and the paint smelled really strong in our small place, but the result was not bad at all and was appreciated by the audience. Here it is (effective in the darkness only).

a predicament of our gender

I used to think - together with most of men probably - that when a woman refuses sex while the argument is her headache - it must be a lame excuse, mustn't it? well maybe because of that I'm now punished for having these annoying and sometimes unbearable migraines 2 to 5 times a WEEK!
Interesting is a fact that according to the literature I was raised with, migraine is considered to be a malady of aristocracy women... Then it wasn't easy to identify with a woman who goes to her bedroom to rest because of the migraine attack. Well, now I'm so with you, girl. Sometimes I have a migraine for 2-3 days, which make my life a complete suffering. So, will I want sex in this situation?! Don't think so!!
The unfair thing is that this phenomenon is mainly the predicament of women, so for a man it must be difficult to understand it how really bad you can feel while having a migraine. The farther the worse: when the attack lasts pretty long, you also feel nausea, you can't stand loud sounds or bright light. I'm not trying to quote a medical encyclopedia here, but actually I'm asking - why in hell do we women "deserve" such a pleasure?! Aren't we good with having this nice guest every month and carrying a baby for nine?!
They say migraine is caused, among other things, by chocolate, cheese and stress. Well, I'm trying hardly to eat less of those, but how am I supposed to avoid stress when it keeps haunting me in a variety of forms?
Any suggestions are welcome.

friday fun

today i had a very nice start of the week-end (you know sometimes how you're waiting for the week-end beginning from Sunday (in Israel the week starts on Sunday) and then you feel kind of restless not exactly knowing how to entertain yourself?). my friend and her friend and her friend organized a gathering that included an exhibition of their own-made jewelery (two of them design jewelery) together with a so called "tea-party", which was divided into three tea ceremonies: British, Chinese and Uzbek.
Even the walk to the place created the right mood, much due to the nice warm weather. My husband, as expected, politely rejected the invitation, and actually I'm glad he did, because these was a nice girlish atmosphere at the place. Since I came early, i was there for the first tea round - British style; to follow the tradition i drank a cup of tea with milk, which wasn't that bad as I've always thought, but still the Russian tea-with-lemon style relate to me more.
this was nice, we should have more of such mornings (or afternoons, or evenings), there are so many things to gather around...

contemplations on - what is it - being a mother

I love kids.
Correction: I love other people's kids, primarily those of my friends, because I still don't have my own. Obviously, it is so easy and fun to play with them, and then return home and leave all the "dirty work" to their parents. After visiting one of my "parent" friends, I catch myself thinking all the time about their precious child, and moreover - talking about him/her to everyone I see. However, something tells me (clever me!) that such experiences are similar to those of a tourist visiting a new country and getting excited about it, while the reality of actually living there is slightly different.
My husband and I occasionally think about the times of when we are going to be parents, and while the issue that disturbs him is thinking about helping the kids with their homework (it's the thought of going back to school all over again), I'm worried about a much closer step - waking up at night. I know that the frequency of such disasters depends on each baby individually, but for me - even once is a nightmare. I LOVE TO SLEEP. And I know that all mothers say that quickly you get used to it, but.. I DON'T WANT to get used to that. I just want to sleep, and not to care about someone's crying, being hungry, pooping etc. I wonder if one can make a deal with her baby, say, by giving him more milk before he goes to sleep in order to win a couple of more hours of silence.
Another predicament is (I pay attention now that I keep sticking to the empty half of the glass, but, well, we are all aware of the full half, aren't we?) losing your freedom. Now here, what is interesting, is the common "agreement" that it is actually the mother who gets into the trap. What I mean is that if the father wants to leave - wherever, no matter what the reason is - he just leaves, in the best case informing his spouse about that. However, when - God forbid - the mother has plans beyond staying with the baby, she needs to discuss it way beforehand with another member of the family, because obviously nobody expects her to have a life apart from being a mother.
On one of the Dr. Phil (and yes, I watch it, it is one of my guilty pleasures) programs they talked about the mothers who feel guilty just by the thought of wanting to have some time for themselves. And he says, that it could be healthy for the mother to find time for herself, for it can give her better quality time afterward with her child.
We, women, have come a long way from being mere housewives to running companies and having a successful career. Luckily, God made us multi-tasking (and not the men), probably to make us able to juggle between the career and motherhood (I don't mention wifehood, because sometimes husbands are also an extra child...).
My mother-in-law says, that the only decision you cannot go back on is being a mother. Once the baby pops out - there's no way back.
Having said all that - we all know that children are a blessing ;)
So be fruitful and multiply (responsibly)!

obstacles when searching a job

It is for the past several months, while I've been looking for a job in Israel (currently unemployed), that this one big problem has been haunting me, - only because I am a young married woman. At almost every job interview i was eventually asked this most annoying question: "Are you planning to get pregnant in the near future?" ...
First it surprises and puzzles you, then your natural instinct is to say "None of your F***ING business!" (but then - small chances that you get the position, although it SO tempting!!), or remind them this this question is not LEGAL to ask (although apparently nobody cares, and of course, neither this answer will get you a job), and then you simply understand that you have no choice but play by their rules (as this will be explained), but still:
one - I'm astonished by their naivety if they think that anybody will say "Yeah, actually, last night we tried, let's see if that worked out"; two - it just drives me crazy that i need to lie or to change my personal plans (the mere notion of "privacy" is still undeveloped in Israel, as, say, in the States) - no matter what they were - in order to get some mediocre position. So, eventually, I seem to have to react like "Pregnancy - what do you mean?", get the job (because it DOES seem to be a criteria whether to be chosen or not) and then when I do get pregnant - give them the news in the format of "Oops..." and evilly smile while turning away. Meanwhile, the only question that keeps being unanswered is - don't we, young married women, have a right for a normal job without being discriminated?!