Today was the day we met our neighbors across the hall at the apartment. I just got home on my bike with Mika and couldn’t get her buckle undone. It wasn’t fastened correctly and it was difficult to hold the bike up with her strapped in and maneuver the fastener. I rang my neighbors bell for some assistance so I could get my 4 year old loose from the bike. A tall, beautiful lady came to the door holding a baby.
After I explained what I needed, she offered assistance with a perfect AMERICAN ACCENT! I was so excited! She said her name was Rachael and she was from Massachusetts. Her husband was Israeli and they also just moved in with their dog and new baby. She was able to help me free Mika and we talked a lot more and eventually we also met her husband.
Our new neighbors are not only wonderful people, they have been a HUGE asset for us! Rachael was able to connect me with social media groups that include other Americans and mothers living in Tel Aviv. These groups communicate in ENGLISH.
Our new neighbors helped us get a grill so I can cook easier. In Israel, like everything, getting a grill is a process! Your grill must be inspected by the city and only after that, THE CITY provides you with a propane tank and a gas account that you pay monthly. A process…
Perhaps one of the most helpful things they did was help us find a babysitter. This was huge! Pronounced “Bat – cHen” is our new lifeline to living in Israel!
“Bat Hen” (sadly I don’t know how to spell her name in English because her contact info comes up in Hebrew on my phone)
has changed everything for us! Not only can she help with the girls so I can get more done, she is helping us read our mail, fill out important forms given to us in Hebrew, make phone calls for us in Hebrew, figure out how to get bus passes, tell us where to find things we need and the list goes on!
I even texted her (and Rachael) the other day to ask which was the baking powder and baking soda in our pantry (I forgot to label them after I bought them).
“Bat Hen” is also an amazing cook! She says she gets it from her Moroccan roots. Shes teaching me what to do with all of the amazing spices in this country. It’s incredible how a stuck child has changed our experience dramatically for the better!
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