A Tale Of Two Parties - R2BC

R2BC got all out of sync last week so this one is late. I'm joining the linky with Becky at Lakes Single Mum as it's her last week of hosting for another month.

1
Pyjama Party
Last night both DD and I had parties to go to. DD had a class pyjama party at school from 5.30 till 7.30. The class all came in pjs, slippers and dressing gowns. They brought sleeping bags, pillows, bean-bags and cuddly toys for snuggling up. Each student brought an item of food from the list that was sent round. They watched a film and played games. DD went to bed talking about it and woke up still talking about it this morning.

The group experience is very important in Israel. We were a strongly socialist country for many years with many trials - wars, mass immigration and absorbtion, austerity, and a totally new country to build. Social ties were essential for mutual responsibility. It could only work if everyone was working for the good of the whole, like one big family, and not only for themselves.

Thankfully, socialism brought us through those years and sadly, much of that social responsibility has gone (like everywhere else). But the team-building spirit lives on in the schools, clubs, and of course in the army where it's vital. It's great that DD's class are all friends and have so many fun extra-curricular activities together. I used to think it ridiculous and unnecessary that school policy is to invite all the children in the class to birthday parties (or all the boys or all the girls) but now I totally get it and I love it.

2
Grown-Up Party
I brought DD home from her Pyjama Party and she took the laptop upstairs to our neighbour, a lovely student whose nightlife starts late enough for her to babysit for DD and go out with her friends after I get home, LOL.

I went to a very special 50th birthday party. It was special because it was exquisitely executed of course - my friend is a great hostess and entertains on a grand scale. But it was even more special because we go back a long way.

Expats are often missing that nostagic element of childhood friends to connect you to your roots. The birthday girl and I lived across the road from one another when we were growing up. She is four years younger than me of course so we weren't exactly friends then, it was more of a family connection. And there was another neighbour at the party from way back when, and four others from our neighbourhood who all belonged to the same synagogue and went to the local schools (my Mum was her maths teacher in primary school). We took some Stanmore, Mddx photos together. When you're an expat these things are important.

Tomorrow is March and the sun is shining. I'm sure I'll find more reasons 2B cheerful by Friday so we'll be back on schedule.