New thread open to all who are interested in Israel...

Tamiri

Tue, Jun 17 2008, 6:06 am

but since they don't qualify for the "Life in Israel" forum find themselves frustrated and feeling excluded, which is not a good thing.
I myself would probably be chalishing to read about what goes on in real life in Israel if I wasn't here, yet wanted to be. I know when I was in chu"l I had so many "real life" questions about life here.
Everyone can post, both Israelis and those in chu"l and talk about whatever they want. Israelis can moderate themselves.
This one's for you Twizzler (and anyone else). Go for it.

Twizzlers

Tue, Jun 17 2008, 2:47 pm

Tamiri wrote:

thanx for your kindness Tamiri. I dont want to knock any other israeli's but you are the only one who seems to understand my issue with the Life in Israel forum. Maybe because none of the other posters fighting against it have lived in chutz la'aretz unwillingly.
Like you said, I'd love to read about what goes on in real life in Israel BECAUSE I cant be there and would give almost anything to be. but I dont think this thread will get anywhere as far as that is concerned.
I'll just have to chalk it up as being one of things we have to suffer with in golus. Rolling Eyes

Tamiri

Tue, Jun 17 2008, 2:51 pm

I will tell you about Israel: from about after Pesach and on, you can plan a BBQ for any day of the week and be reasonably sure you won't be rained out.
You can go swimming in an outdoor pool and the water temp will be delightful.
The news may be dreadful but if you don't live in Sderot and you don't read the papers, listen to the news or watch the news on TV, life can be great.
I always found Israel to be more "alive" and vibrant than chu"l when I visited. I found the people play harder and have a better time at get-togethers.
Any questions?

Strawberry

Tue, Jun 17 2008, 3:11 pm

I hear you Twizzlers. I would feel the same way if I was in chul. Of course now that I live in Eretz Yisroel I see the many benefits of having a closed forum.

So can you help me out? My apartment (like many Israeli apartments) is infested with ants. My ds is starting to crawl. Is he destined to consume many ants or is there something I can do? Is it better to have him lick detergent or dirt (wash floor or leave it dirty)? Can I do something to prevent him from hurting his knees and head (the floors here are hard cold stone)?

Tamiri

Tue, Jun 17 2008, 3:15 pm

The week is 6 days. None of this Sat-Sun business. You basically work every day. If you are fortunate enough not to have to go to a job on Friday, you work at home making Shabbat if you are observant. If you aren't then Friday an be your Sunday. I believe the stores are insanely crowded - I don't really venture out of the house on Friday so I can't tell you for sure. Shabbat, unfortunately, is also a big shopping day in some outlying areas. I think there is a by-law that in town, all stores must be closed, but don't quote me on that.
People wake up early. I remember from when I lived here before the States, I HATED Sunday because we would go out Sat. night and still have to get out of the house early Sunday, for regular work. There is no respite. Shabbat is it. That's the day of rest - take it or leave it.
Some supermarkets are packed with people on Friday am. I don't think that in the States people waited till Friday to do their Shabbat shopping. Here, they buy and cook and every thing all in one day.
The general population loves to buy the Shabbat paper, full of the juicy pull out sections. They buy a lot of nuts to chew on, bakery stuff and flowers. You can feel it every week - Shabbat is coming.
Where I live, everything grinds to a halt towards sundown. No cars are allowed in the yishuv, which is fabulous. We have special music on the loudspeakers around ten minutes before Shabbat, telling people what time to light candles. It's lovely.

Aidelmom

Wed, Jul 02 2008, 12:47 am

Strawberry-I could have written your post! And maybe give the floor a rinse with plain water after the detergant. I sometimes just wash the floor with plain water. But you know what- carpets can be anoyying too because the babys will pick out fibers or anything stuck between the fibers and eat it.

ChossidMom

Wed, Jul 02 2008, 1:50 am

Strawberry and Aidelmom - I recently did hadbara (extermination) and it works both for roaches and ants. I mamash had ants crawling into my sock drawer (to get to the hidden prize candy). It was so gross finding my socks crawling with ants. The hadbara really works. I would recommend doing it on a Friday before you go away for Shabbos. My son came home about 8 hours after the hadbara and got bad stomach aches from inhaling whatever chemicals were evaporating. I still can't think of an alternative to it, though. I cannot tolerate jukim and ants.

HooRYou

Wed, Jul 02 2008, 2:08 am

Tamiri, I love what you wrote about Shbbos coming in here. We also live in a no traffic on Shbbos area (except for the occasional security car) and it is wonderful. Often when we have bochurim as guests when DH is walking home from shul with them on Friday nights int he winter he reminds them to listen to the quiet. Except for the sounds of zmiros or kiddush the air is filled with a sweet peaceful quiet.

I often thought that a great coffee table book could be made Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbos of photos that various people took of the whole day on Friday in Israel in different places watching how things go from chaotic to calm.

Strawberry

Wed, Jul 02 2008, 3:49 am

My whole post got deleted. I hate when that happens.

Ewwwwwwwwwwww! Poor Chossidmom. I would love to exterminate but we don't go away for shabbos(no relatives to invite us). Bh our ants have not discovered our food or socks. I guess I will have to be grateful-things could be worse. As it is I do not consider my day complete until I kill 25-35 ants.

I keep on telling myself that we will buy an apartment soon and exterminate it before we move in. Until then ds (9.5 kilo) will bathe in his baby bath. No big tub with ants for him. (Although one nervy ant found its way into his tub yesterday. Good thing it died before I saw it otherwise I would have more blood on my hands.)

baba

Wed, Jul 02 2008, 4:11 am

Ok, so I got this from a site with natural methods, but havent actually tried them, we sprayed before we moved in. (it's starting to work off now, after almost 2 years, but we're moving soon anyway).
1. Put a piece of copper in front of the door or any other hole they come through.
2. throw baking powder over their nest.
3. throw cinamon powder over them.
4. put out some lemon peel
5. draw a line of chalk in front of the door, they supposedly dont walk through chalk.

Again, I dont know if it will work, but they're easy enough to try and baby friendly!

Tamiri

Wed, Jul 02 2008, 4:26 am

I hate the chemical poisons too, I prefer my poison to be natural, but when the ants start marching two by two over everything, I get my exterminator out (DH) and he sprays. We spot spray and it really helps, also against jukim. We had these huge ones this year (maybe it has to do with our neighbors construction?) and their droppings made a BOOM hitting the floor, that's how big they were.

Strawberry

Wed, Jul 02 2008, 5:14 am

ChossidMom wrote:

I don't know how to break this to you, strawberry, but exterminating only covers you for a year. Then it starts all over again, come summer...

For now I'M FREEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeee

No fair! Am I doomed to live in a zoo for life? Bh the birds don't come anymore. At least THEY are scared of me Very Happy

. Now if I could get the ants and all other many legged creatures to follow suit. Sigh.

Strawberry

Wed, Jul 02 2008, 5:18 am

HooRYou wrote:

Can we go back to saying the nice things about living in E"Y now?

Oh yes. The nicest thing is that the balatot (tiles) are so dirt friendly. You can't tell how dirty the floor really is...untill you look at a child that was playing on the floor. Or untill you see one of the "spots" on the floor moving (unless of course dc consumes those moving "spots".)