3 Strikes and I'm Outta Here!

2 weeks!

I am leaving in 2 weeks! I have 3 bags packed! In one of those bags are my greyscale markers which until now I have used to cross days off my calendar. My Xs are now being marker in pen which is much less dramatic but the implication is exciting.

Speaking of exciting I just got an email from Ben Gurion that I have an interview for conflict resolution management. This is strange since they told me that they had stopped the acceptance process for the program when I was accepted to communications. Now I am kind of thinking maybe I can do 2 MAs and become a corporate consulting guru and do both internal communications and mediation. Who knows? The world is my oyster!

Cause I'm 17 and it's Sweeter than 16!

It's a quote from Repo! The Genetic Opera... great movie...

17 days to go but things are moving!!!!! I have where to live for the first month and I half after I get there and it is in Beer Sheva. I am officially making aliyah to Beer Sheva- who woulda thunk? Also, I have started packing! One bag down (minus the two in Israel) many to go, but it is a start.

As well, I have decided to keep the Eden.

End of an Era

I am officially Marnina Herrmann B.des and have a diploma with two seals to prove it. If you still don't believe me I changed my network status for York and Sheridan to alumnus and if it says it on facebook it must be true :) Also, I made Israel my primary network!

In other news I still haven't started to pack. I do keep taking out stuff to pack, but pack I have not. This has resulted in a very scary looking room. I really need to get at least one bag before shabbat because I hate having my room such a huge mess for shabbat.

In addition to all of that is my debate. Legally I am Marnina Eden. My Hebrew name is just Marnina. Do I want my legal Hebrew name to have the Eden or not?

19!

Man oh man, I have crossed 20. I am int he home stretch. Just had an über-fast trip to NY- less than 24 hours- and said goodbye to the family there. It was actually really, really strange. No more random trips to Woodmere for the weekend to hang with the family... things really are moving.

In other exciting news, I got my iLugger (carrying case for my iMac). Even more exciting, I have where to live- woohoo! Not revealing any details yet since it isn't officially official but it looks like its happening.

I still haven't started to pack...

21...

Exciting news of the day (and past few days). I have decided to document the packing process- not only will it be somewhat entertaining, but it will add some color to the blog. Also, why not? I haven't taken too many photos so far- just shoes (of which I have too many), knee socks (of which I have finally decided I am done with) and some shirts. I really need to get a move on.

Shabbat was our only Shabbat with the entire family before I go- crazy stuff. During Shabbat I gave away my room. We are painting this summer and I have the largest room and agreed to trade with my brother since what do I care I will be gone by the time the switch is made. Still, it is really weird.

I am going to NY tomorrow for my cousin's wedding. The crazy thing is I will be saying goodbye to the NY family. Basically my first real goodbyes are right around the corner- it is nuts.

I really must find a home.

Facebook Group

Months ago I created a Facebook group for people making aliyah in 2009. Currently there are 25 people in the group- which is considerably larger than the starting figure. I just have no clue what to do with the group. It is such a hodgepodge of people from everywhere. Yes we are all undergoing a common experience, but in such different ways. I did start the group as a way to connect people, but no one is connecting. I guess with all the admin powers bestowed upon me by Facebook I could try something- a group message perhaps, but honestly I am not sure. I mean other than the 5 or so people in the group who are my friends everyone joined out of their own free will, so obviously they were looking to get something out of the group as well.

Social networking is a really interesting phenomenon. It is a lot more work than it seems. All these connections lying dormant. There has to be a way to harness them. I guess this is why I will be studying communications.

Here is the groups link for anyone interested.

24

Another large stride was made today. I taught my dad how to use gmail video chat. I mean he didn't need much teaching- just a basic explanation, but now we are ready for some long distance face to face communication.

Urban Shepherdess

I am the Urban Shepherdess. The perfect mix of boho and cosmopolitan. A cocktail of cool, fashion at its best. It is a little Bedouin and a little metropolitan all rolled into Beer Sheva chick. Think peasant dress mixed with leather jacket. Urban Shepherdess my new persona (at least as far as fashion goes).

(As well my apartment will be known as the Shanti Shanty. Shanti being Sanskrit for peace- there will be much gauze, greenery and yoga going on in there.)

בקיצור, I will now be giving long strange names to everything in my life. Ok maybe not.

5:30 am

I have barely slept in 3 nights because I keep having to wake up at insane hours to call someone I frankly don't think even exists! Ok I know she exists because she has emailed me before but this is getting insane. Oh wait, scratch that she does exist because I just spoke to her in what was perhaps the most anti-climactic conversation ever. Basically they have a second round of interviews in September and I should just call her in August to remind her that I need an interview then. Which basically means going there isn't happening since I would have had to do the Hebrew U summer ulpan by then and find a home. I will probably try to fight to get an interview in July. 5:30 am isn't my best and most argumentative phone time.

Sonata Arctica

A few posts back I wrote about how generally the aliyah thing seems really unreal and it is only at certain random intervals that I feel like it is actually happening. Tonight was another one of those nights.

My favorite band is this Finnish power metal band called Sonata Arctica. I have been completely obsessed with everything they have ever done since the first song of theirs I heard back in the beginning of 2007. Sonata Arctica has become synonymous with Marnina Herrmann. I say Tony and my friends all know I referring to Tony Kakko the front man and brains behind the band. My cellphone wallpaper is a picture of Tony, my ring their song San Sebastian. My top played band on iTunes is Sonata (5217 plays). My top played song is Ain't Your Fairytale (187 plays). Every fall they come to Toronto, and every fall I go to their concert. Except this year. October 2nd, Sonata will be rocking out at the Sound Academy with Dragon Force (another awesome band) and I won't be there. Oct. 2nd does happen to be a shabbat- so either way I wouldn't be there, but it is going to be really sad for me to start of a school year without my annual dose of awesomeness.

And now a little Sonata for you to enjoy :)





I really hope they come to Israel. I may cry if they don't. I am actually tearing up a bit now...

It is 4:30 am and all I want to do is shoot a clown...

Why does no one work in Israel? Why does the one person in the entire country who can apparently help me with my dilemma find no reason to be at work, seem to not have voicemail, have her fax number listed wrong and ignore her emails? Why am I applying to Bezalel again? Why is their hold music this stupid circus music?

I am going to bed.

Guess what I didn't do today?

I didn't go to Bezalel for my interview!

I mean who in their right mind gives a foreign applicant a single days notice for an interview?! Ok, so in truth they did try to inform me a few days earlier but the letter was returned to them in the mail. But still! You can't give someone in Canada a weeks notice for an interview in Israel. Why do they torture me like this?

Sporadic Moments of Clarity

I am leaving for Israel in 28 days. I am moving from one of the coldest countries in the world to a literal desert. Despite the insanity of the situation not only am I calm, but I am pretty much indifferent to the whole thing. Truth be told, most of the time I just feel like I am going on summer vacation. It is only at rare moments I have instances of clarity and say to myself "whoa, I am making aliyah." Moments like tonight. I was at a movie with friends and during the previews they showed all these trailers of movies I wouldn't be around to see with those people. Movies I could so easily picture myself going to with my Toronto friends, but know it will never happen. Weird.

!

29 days! That's less than 30! Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!

Also, I am officially a certified yoga instructor. Who know what good that will do me though. I am still almost homeless :)

Let the Celebrations Begin!

Last night marked the first official goodbye party for myself and Matt (my co-aliyah-er). Truth be told it didn't feel much like a goodbye party. I mean the two of us aren't leaving for a month, neither of us are remotely ready to go or have any clue what we will be doing or where we will be living when we get there. That being said a BBQ is a BBQ and I never say no to grilled meat.

Of course there was a reason for doing this so early, one of our friends is leaving to Israel next week and didn't want to miss out on any of the partying (she is making us another party when we get there as well). Seriously though, who can blame her, a boat is a boat but a party, that can be anything.

At said party I started to tell my friends about my things I will miss listed. They were amused to discover that not only was processed cheese on the list, but that it came before they did.

31 days until I am homeless...

Lists

I am leaving in 33 days and I have started to compile a list of things I will miss when I make aliyah.

•Blueberries
•Blue Steel (my car)
•Closet
•Shopping (cause they don't have real shopping in Israel)
•My gym
•My yoga studio
•My breakdancing classes (even if I have only been to one so far)
•Subways- the mode of transportation- a rarity in my life, but so convenient
•The 407 (best road ever!)
•English
•Processed cheese
•Apple Juice Boxes
•Good deli meat
•Good all meat
•Customer service
•Family and friends obviously

Of course then there are all the things I won't miss like winter, insane Toronto shenanigans and a cellphone with no call display or voice mail.

Life is just full of trade-offs.

In my 30s.

It isn't that I have forgotten about the blog it is just I have been ignoring it. I don't even know what I wrote last- c'est la vie. Ok so I just checked. I have already written I was accepted to BGU- actually nothing has really changed since I have last written. At least nothing that is any of your business! Ben Gurion does have a fb group for people there who like to play tennis though, I think I am going to like it there :)