Birkat Cohanim- the Preists Blessing

Not too often I find myself thinking about the Cohanim -the Priests, not owing any land but having the novelity, being so near G-d, being his little helpers, dealing with all the scrafise, a lot of stuff but I really struggle to understand how can they bless me, or anyone else. Is them saying the blessing changes something in the world? In G-d? In me? whats the mechanism here? Why in Israel we say it every Shabbat, and here only on the 3 festivals? whats the story?
As a child I loved it. Hiding underneath my father`s talit or a siddur as I got older and moved up to the women gallery. It was one of the reasons for me going to shul as a kid, around the age of ten or twelve(I liked that bit of the prayer and kdusha).
But still. How can they bless me? Not sure.
Today at shul thought about it again as it was part of theweekly portion.
Maybe its not only about them blessing us, its about our responebilty to repeat the blessing by saying Amen and reassuring it validity.
(Hope it make sense outside my head.)

G-d will bless you and keep you;
G-d will make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
G-d will lift up his countenance/face upon you and give you peace

The one about the frogs

I find myself recently missing my father, may he rest in peace. It might be this time of the year when he bravely tried to fight against cancer eight years ago. it might be because its decision time, and I am completly rubbish with making decisions. His PhD was along the lines of "rational arguments & decision making".
It might be time to say goodbye to so many friends and loved ones. Not sure why but I think about him.
I walked into in office and saw one of my frogs. I used to have more than 50 of them (My cleaning lady asked me once how many childern I have...) and then I auctioned them in his memory - the money went to Chai. It was good to see that specific frog, and its good to think about my father in contation to that funny evening, and what great sense of homour he had etc.
Here is a photo of some of my collection, now spread all over london, mostly at a specific buliding at N12.

Not complaining at all

Dont get me wrong.I love it, its finally summer the way it should be: Hot, sunny with this added value of making everyone happy. (not sure I understand why people take off there cloths off that easily as sun gets out, but never mind that)...

The thing is: I need to buy more cloths. I thought not to as I am going to Israel next week and go shopping in a place where the price makes sense (and you dont feel immoral as I do when I shop here), but I am in need for few nice tops, skirts and you know, the basics for these few days.

Last summer there was no need - no summer and the nice things I bought in NY are a bit too big now. The cloths from the summer before are outdated, not my style and they just look funny, the colours are all wrong.
So.... hello Brent Cross, you will see me after work.
(A scary presentation... not complaining!)

Ikea thoughts

Went with S to a walk in the park today (lovely), she told me she went to Ikea to buy some stuff and it took here ages.
Here is a thought: If time is money, how come Ikea is considered to be cheap?
You spend so much time trying to get through the faked living rooms to the faked kitchens to the faked towels, oh, they are not faked. They just look like. So you basicaly lose money as you lost time.
How would like to join my Ikea ban???

Minister of Exams

Too many things are happening, or not hapenning and I am quite confused.

I Choose this poem while thinking about the exams and tests we are putting on ourselves. its By Brian Patten,one of my favourites. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Patten


Minister for Exams

When I was a child I sat an exam.
This test was so simple
There was no way i could fail.

Q1. Describe the taste of the Moon.

It tastes like Creation I wrote,
it has the flavour of starlight.

Q2. What colour is Love?

Love is the colour of the water a man
lost in the desert finds, I wrote.

Q3. Why do snowflakes melt?

I wrote, they melt because they fall
on to the warm tongue of God.

There were other questions.
They were as simple.

I described the grief of Adam
when he was expelled from Eden.
I wrote down the exact weight of
an elephant's dream

Yet today, many years later,
For my living I sweep the streets
or clean out the toilets of the fat
hotels.

Why? Because constantly I failed
my exams.
Why? Well, let me set a test.

Q1. How large is a child's
imagination?
Q2. How shallow is the soul of the
Minister for exams?

Brian Patten

Showing off

Here is my beautiful 4th nephew Nehurai, how beautiful is he????
(very much)

I am a Princess!!!!!!!!!

I always knew this now its official. My friends A& M are getting married soon and as a couple does they have a wedding list at John Lewis. I browesed the list, choose whatever I choose to buy clicked for payment, and there was the title window.Hmmm should I go for Miss? Ms?
Here in the John Lewis Kingdom the classes are only upper classes.
I find ithard to decided should I go for a Baroness or just a humble Miss, but then I noticed that title. It all became clear,My childhood fantasies about being one but given to my parents by mistake were not fictional, my expensive taste in shoes is justified...

PRINCESS! Ce Moi!

here is the proof:
Gift List number 000202xxx

Guest reference number 008171546

Dear Princess Naor

Thank you for using John Lewis Gift List. We confirm your purchase of the
following item(s) from the gift list of...

Luv it!
Mazal Tov to A&M!

Kosher London: Why?

I am usually easy to please. I love food and food loves me a very (non)healthy relationship. Something is changing, while writing this I realize I am angry, really no reason to be. Allow me to ask you few questions:

1. Why do they play the worst of Israeli music 2005? Sure they heard of Yehudit Ravitz, Etti Ankri, Ivri Leader, Ehud Banai and more others. Enough with Sarit Hadad and Eyal Golan, it makes me feel like a ZF event!

2. Why do they think that adding a mayonissed tunna (insteasd of PLAIN) to a nisoicse salad is ok? Since when?

3. Why did they take out the green beans from it? why?

4. Why was the shkshuka bland? No reason really, it should be spicy, hot tangy full of spices, burning, tickling your toungue. Not something your nanny can make.

5. Why the waitress cannot undersdtand that tuna on rthe side doesnot mean tuna on the top of the salad?

6. Why a shakshuka and a salad shopuld cost so much?

Waiting to hear your answers, and your guess to the question: where were we eating lunch today???

Three months left

In three months time I will start my journey back, and so much things I havent done in England. I looked back at the list I made last month, and I am pleased to say I visited to of the desired sites, as you can see the blog is very floral.

The sites I want to visit will be listed, but I would like to ask you, my loyal yet shy readers, to let me know to which site you will join me, it could turn to be a goodbye thing, instead me calling you to my room and making you cry.
It can be an afternoon, a whole Sunday or a weekend, I am very flexible.

1. Southend Pier (A will take me there!)
2. Lake district
3. Country side
4. Bournemouth
5. Football Match
6. Cheap town with all the discounts
7. Tea at a proper English Place

Comfort photo?

Not a good week. in searching to cheer myself up found this photo, took it in Kew Gardens.
Love it, maybe as it reminds me of ice cream in a very odd way? I wonder.

Why I dont like the dentist

Today was the big day, after 4 years of avoiding them, I decided to Join them (Yes, and my 2 weeks old tooth ache more than pushed me).
I went to this lovely clinic my friend S recomended. She is also heavily scared of them , I felt I can trust her.
She was right, the D was nice, warm, funny and understanding.
I explained to him that I dont like Dentists. and Why, that I havent gone for 4 years, and that the last dentist asked me to take valiom before appointments. I even told him I once got my jwa locked on the D finger, he got the picture.
I showed him which side hurts (bottom left). He checked me, took 4 xrays, very CSI style.
And after 30 minutes of pain and tears (from my side) and Profesional amusement, (from his side), he turns to me and tells me he has good news and bad news.
I asked (typically) to start with the good news.
Good News: My left lower side is fine, no cavity. I have some cavity in a right upper wisdom tooth, I might need a filling. So, I asked, whats the bad?
Bad News: He cannot find the reason to my pain. he tried few more things, it kept hurting but he cannot find the reason.

Reflecting back I realize the bad news was the cost of this: £67 for 35 minutes of him stucking his fingers down my mouth, puting ugly stuff for the x ray, exposing me to radiation etc.
but its complete geniousity. He charged me so much money for telling me the everything is fine (who cares about the wisdom tooth? Not me, what doesnt hurt me, wont kill me!)
He wants to see me again, Why not? I am a loely young women with a blance in her bank account.
Not sure I will go to him (In Israel it cost 1/3, and when I scream Ima`le they no they should stop immedetly to cause me pain cause my mom is on the way!!!)
Sure that I made a wrong carrer chice.
I make no money from telling people whats wrong with them, sorry, what they might consider doing diffrently!

And I thought I am an independent women..

Well. Yesterday.
Left work in a rush, had to be home before 7:30pm to say goodbye to my cousin who flew back to Israel, and to meet up with my lovely girls from work. (I even gave up going to see Mastisyahu!).
All was fine, North C was smooth, drove 70 miles an hour, please don`t tell anyone, got to East Finchley just befor 7pm, lots of traffic. Suddenly as I am indicating to turn left, I feel the car is getting all funny, and that I cannot push the steering wheel. opps. Luckly managed to pull, parked the car in a relativly safe place, had a look and... the whole tire was flat, and torn. Opps. tried to look for the spare wheel, but the Ford KA designer thought that hiding it will be a good idea. Called my angel friend A. he came to help took hin 10 minutes to find it, we called our friend that owns a KA as well, but she was at the concert, thanks S!
We had to call the AA.The guy showed me how badly the tire was, I am actually very lucky, if it would have blown while I was speeding on the North C. it would not be nice at all.
So..I waited in the rain for 2 hours, didn`t see my cousin, didn`t see my friends, didn`t see Matisyahu. Just to realize thart I cannot do this by myself. I might not be an independant women as I wish to be.
Maybe this is the new femenism??

16 things you don`t know about me...

1. I am afraid, scared & terrified from the dentist.
2. I passed my driving test on the second time.
3. I am allergic to pickels water, I get itichy
4. I stareted reading at the age of four
5. I never broke a leg or a hand, although I really wanted to
6. My dream as a child was to be a red head, with bracelts and roller skates.
7. I once put a book in the fridge and took the milk to the living room instead.
8. I cannot work without music
9. I love shoes
10. I wish I could sing, but I have an awful voice. J said that I am on the wrong ladder, too high or too low. too complicated.
11. I never thought I would live in London.
12. I am very anxiouse around a big crowd
13. I never had barbie
14. I never worn anything pink, until I got to London
15. I lived in 15 diffrent houses till now, which means moving every 2 years!
16. I always (almost) have fresh flowers at home. it makes me feel at home.
17. I lived in 4 diffrent countries.
18. My first nick name was Shushu. hated it.

The Pimms one.

It was not my fault to begin with.
I am usually a responsible humen being and driver.

Time:
The begining of Last August
Venue:
A back grden in Hendon
Why:
It was N`s Hen day garden party.
How:
Got there quite excited, took me awhile to find the house. Knocked on the door, intreduced myself to her friends that I never met before, luckly two past collegues where there too. N comes in her eyes covered, wearing a massive ugly rain coat and boots. We all laugh. Great.
There is a waiter there, wearing a suit, as it happens some of his cloths disappear, and he wears less and less. YES.

They served lots of drinks, and lots of fruity drinks, like apple juice, and orange juice, and this really nice juice, not acidy, not sweet, just nice and refreshing. so I had four... hmmm five... actually more like eight cuups of this lovely refreshing drink.
It was a great party, lots of funny games and a underdressed waiter, a bouncy castle and lots of nice juices.
Walked to my car, everything is under control. I had a BBQ party in Loughton to get to.
Suddenly I noticed I will not have enough fuel to get to Loughton, so I drove to the gas station, and when paying was asked to put in my PIN number. Only then I broke up gigling. I could not remember it, couldnt stop laughing. Everything around me seemed to be extremely amusing, specialy all the seruiouse shocked faces staring at me as if I have done something wrong. What could I have done wrong???
I drove (yes, again) to my good friends A&S, as S saw me she asked for my keys. I refused, gigling explaining I have to get to Loughton, she in a very sevre yet worried voice told me I am not going anywhere, and took my keys. Needless to say I spent my night there.
That was the day I discovered the Pimms is an Alcoholic drink!

The Cows, or The Cultural Gap

Heard this joke on Monday morning on the radio, while driving to work:
Q: what do the cows do on Saturday night?
A: They go to the movies.

Needless to say,I didnt get the joke, heard another one which I liked better, switched to radio 4 and felt a bit cultured.
During lunch club, at work I shared the joke with my friends, and they explained to me:
MOOOOOvies.
Now I get it.

Ga`aguaim

Here is a taster from our new book, soon in the bookshop near you.

Ga-agu-im I say
You are searching for its meaning
I am the dictionary of our misunderstandings

Ga-agu-im I say
You confirm.
You miss England whilst you are with me

Ga-agu-im I say
Craving Jerusalem’s crowded streets,
Consoling myself with the National Portrait Gallery

Ga-agu-im I say
My country is under fire
I want to go home

Ga-agu-im
Waiting for my father to come back home
He died seven years ago,
but still

Ga-agu-im I say
The mountain longs for the heart of the world,
I desire to be desired

Ga-agu-im I say
It’s the lack of belonging
As I Say

I DO believe in fairies.

Made a major mistake today, was invited to a lovely lunch, was asked by a 9 years old girl if I believe in fairies. I said no.
She almost started crying. dont ask, diasaster. took me 5 hour to regain her trust, and I had to admit that she convincied me.
So now FYI, I believe in fairies.

Green Wing

Pure Geniousity. I cannot wait for Caroline and Mac to realize they are meant for each other.
C: Some things are misplaced, some are lost for ever
M: and you, are you misplaced or lst for ever?
C: Too early to tell. I might be just misplaced

yehhhhhhh!
LUV IT!

Welcome Yuval!

Yuval is name of my new nephew.
Welcome.
I wish you a very happy life.
I am sure your older brothers will help you a lot figuring out how to handle your parents, If you need more advice, please see me.

What a Q!

Last one. Promise.