Reasons 2B Cheerful - Being Connected

The sukkahs (booths) are starting to appear for the festival of Sukkot

1 
October and we're still going back to school
I went back to the kibbutz school this week. I started teaching at this school last year for only two days a week. To say the school runs on the principle of organized chaos would be a fair summing up of how they begin the new year. As I'd not received any confirmation that they wanted me back this year, I didn't know how many hours they could give me and no timetables had been finalized, I signed up to teach a summer course at my college which meant I could only start in school at the beginning of October.

In the end they increased my hours at school by 50% and I'm now teaching there three days a week. I must have got used to the way they work because it was nice to be back. It makes a big difference when you walk into a school and you know the people there and they know you.

2
I am not a spy
I know my brother-in-law's family pretty well as we all grew up together. Even his cousins were in our youth movements. I know, however, that he has a set of first cousins who grew up in Israel and whom I don't know (although I was at a family bat mitzva party with them once but I don't think they came to my sister's wedding).

This week the son of one of my b-i-l's cousins turned up in my 6th grade class. You might say, 'small world,' but this is Israel. Things like that happen all the time. In fact there used to be a joke that if two Israelis meet and they've not found a mutual connection within five minutes, then one of them is a spy.

Some sukkahs under construction in my building

3
Good friends
Yesterday I went to collect DD from school at 11.45. Yes Friday school is from 8 am till 11.45. Don't ask, we suffer it. Anyway, her friends' mother brought an extra pair of roller-blades and asked if DD would like to stick around and try roller-blading. (The school grounds are open to the public when school's out so the basketball courts, playgrounds, and park area are always in use.) The alternative was coming to the supermarket with me so it was no-brainer.

By the time I got home they'd already gone back the friend's apartment for lunch and were playing there. Then they watched a Harry Potter film with the older brother. Apparently, the mother told me, DD was like a little professor telling the other children how they must read books and not just watch movies because you get so much more out of books. She's very aware of what the films miss out and she's worked out for herself that the films can't tell you exactly what the person is thinking wheres the books tell you.

I was told I didn't even need to come to collect her as the father had to take the dog out so he would walk her home. In the end her friend went too and they decided they wanted to play in the park while the dog got his exercise.

So DD arrived home at 7.30 pm, just in time for a shower, supper and one chapter of Harry Potter (we are on book five if you wanted to know). Actually we didn't even get to the end of the chapter as she fell asleep after a few pages. A perfect day.

4
And good family
We have been invited to go to Netanya by the sea for the beginning of the Sukkot festival next week. My nephew who is here on his gap year will be coming with us to my cousin's place. One thing I really miss by living here is spending the Jewish festivals with family. This year our satellite gathering will be almost as big as the mother ship in London.

I'm linking up with R2BC which is back on Lakes Single Mum this month.