my story- part 3
Yes- I am still alive. We were in Swizterland for two weeks and I did not spend even a second in front of the computer... I simply did not find the time for this.
Actually I wanted to post this last part of my story last week on our wedding anniversary. My husband and I went for a very nice walk in the mountains to celebrate the occasion.
Now I am back with loads of pictures to sort and loads of missed posts to read.
Here the 3rd and last part of my story:
I remember this first morning of work. I put on my working clothes and shoes, waited on the side of the road for a friend of mine who worked (and still works) in the avocado-orchard to pick me up. It was early- probably shortly before six, still a bit dark.
The van came, I got in and said good-morning to my friend and to the other guy- Or- sitting next to him in the front. I did not meet this other guy the two times I was in the Kibbutz before but I could tell that he was an "old" member of the "avocado-team".
After the usual black coffee and cookies we drove out to the orchard to pick avocados from some small trees. Since they were small you had to pick the fruits from the ground- without machines and it gave me plenty of time to chat with this "new" guy I never met before. Turned out that he was still in the army the first time I came and travelling in New Zealand and Australia the second time.
Yes- it was somehow love at first sight from my side :o)
After a few days I had to admit to myself that I was madly in love with Or.
After two weeks we started to meet after work to watch movies or to work for the Purim-party that was coming up.
After one month we were a couple and a week after I basically moved in with him. Everything went quite fast but of course if you work together you have plenty of time to get to know each other.
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| Me and Or in the desert- Spring 2003- shortly before I had to go back to Switzerland. |
I stayed a bit longer than planed and then had to go back to Switzerland to sort things out. I looked for a job for the summer and Or came to visit for one month. I was very close to ask him already then if he would want to marry me. I just knew that he's THE guy. But I was also realistic enough to see, that it won't be that easy and that I would have to try first if I could really just leave Switzerland and live in Israel. Switzerland was not an option. Or did not have any profession yet and had to go and study first. He could not have worked in Switzerland and would not have got a visa. I on the other hand had a profession (although I can't really work as a teacher in Israel.) and I was able to get a working-visa for Israel if we could proof that we are a couple and live together.
So in October 2003 I moved to Israel.
I did not think in depth what it would mean. I was in love.
The beginning was hard. It was suddenly not just holidays anymore- it was real-life. I could not work in the beginning, I did not understand the language (only the very basic), I could not read and write (although I already knew the Hebrew alphabet- but Hebrew is quite different from German or French or English….), I missed my family and my friends, I often felt lonely.
But I started get over it. I started to work again in the Avocado-orchard after a while. I started to understand more Hebrew and later on learned the language better in a course (ulpan). I started to adjust. And I stayed.
In September 2005 we got married in Switzerland.
Things got easier. The language is not a problem anymore- although I am reading slow and writing is still a hard task but I get by. I made new friends.
Some things are still hard- I still miss my family and it hurts many times that I can't share my life with them. Especially that they can't see my daughters very often and it's also hard for me not to see my niece…. It's hard to think about the future- if something will happen to my parents or if they simply get old and I can't be there to help.
In my mind I am still not here for good- I did not yet give up the option of going back to Switzerland… only the chance is shrinking with every year that passes. I also have roots here now and for the kids the Kibbutz is a paradise.
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| 2011 |
Comments
Darcy: I speak Swiss-German, German, English and Hebrew. I learned French in school but I forgot a lot- it would come back it I would stay in a French speaking place. I can also understand a little bit Italian, Spanish and Swedish...
Growing up in Switzerland you are automatically exposed to languages. Swiss-German is basically only a spoken language- so you automatically learn German. Then there are the 3 other languages in Switzerland- French, Italian and "Rumantsch"....
I left a comment once to ask for som advice about making the footprint T-shirt :-) . I come here sometimes because I like the simple activities you do with your girls and try to do some of the same with mine. And I like your blog, it just feels simple and honest and your children are beautiful! I finally got around to reading your story. A bit like you, I am a transplant in a country (France) far away from my parents. It is hard for the reasons you mention, hardest that my parents don't get to be a regular part of my daughters' lives. I am very curious (but don't answer if you don't want to): are your parents Jewish, and were you Jewish before moving to Israel? Israel is a place I have always been very curious about....
No, my parents are not Jewish- non of my family is. Neither am I. I did not even think about becomming one, The procedure is quite hard and I don't really believe in it. I am all the same very interested in customs, culture, history, rules of Jewish life. I have a Christian background so I can also relate to many things. My kids grow up in a non religious Jewish surrounding, but are not Jewish either. They can decide what they want to be when they will be old enough.... Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddist, non-religious... whatever....
-- Preeta (that's my name :-))
I don't mind at all being asked questions :o) If I don't want to answer, I would say so. Have a nice day!