I know that i mentioned them before, but now that we are in the thick of it, I thought I would get more specific.

We are renovating two apartments: the one we live in which has two floors, and the one we recently bought which occupies the third floor of our building (directly on top of our second floor.) In Israel, all of our building is done with concrete and cinder block, so destruction of existing structures can be very noisy and very dusty.

For a while we had thought of joining the two apartments, but then we decided that we would just renovate the upstairs one to have for visiting family and friends and for short term rental. That apartment has a couple of major problems from our point of view. There were two “facilities”– one that contained a tub and sink and the other that had a toilet and sink. The second was constructed in such a way that it jutted out into the hallway. We have demolished both bathrooms, are replacing the tub with a shower and having a toilet, tub and shower in that room and using the utility porch for a second powder room. Of course all of this mean buying tiles and trims and toilets and sinks etc. etc. In addition, we have cut an opening between the living room and kitchen where we are going to install a bar that can be used from either side. So far, all that has happened upstairs is the destruction.

Now let’s move to our own apartment– Here we decided that the very heavy, bulky staircase that we had made the entrance to the house look like a cave. We went out and chose metal and wooden floating stairs to replace them. Our contractor arrived exactly on time on Friday morning and began the destruction of the stairs. Our house looked a bit like the set from “Dexter” with hanging plastic to protect (as much as they could) the rest of the house from the dust. And so the sawing and jack hammering began.

By about 2 o’clock, we had good news and bad news. The good news: the steps were almost completely gone; the bad news: our builder had hidden all of the electrical cables for the entire house in the space that took up the last three steps of the staircase. Instead of the cables making a right angle turn to the circuit breaker box, they were stretched across the hypotenuse rendering any simple solution impossible. We called the electrician and he said that he would come over on Sunday. It was only later we noticed that we had no heat, no lights in our bedroom, and the fridge was not working. Fortunately we discovered the fridge wasn’t working before shabbat or everything would have been ruined. We were doubly fortunate because we had put a surge protector on the fridge and could tell by the fact that none of the lights were lit that the fridge was not getting any juice. Had we not put on the surge protector, we would have had to take apart half of the kitchen to replug the fridge as our kitchen person built the kitchen wrong and it’s impossible to move out the fridge without taking apart two big cabinets! We ran an extension cord from it to the closest functioning outlet.

All of this fun was enhanced by a sudden attack of the galloping crud that I came down with last night and has still not totally left me. What fun!

People say that in Israel, if you want to curse someone, you tell them they should do renovations. Oh do I understand!

I stole this from the very famous and very amazing Rachel

Since I am wordpress-challenged, I will just put a star at the end of all of the things I have done on this list. Anything embarrassing must be kept in confidence. I would hate for my kids to find out…

1. Started your own blog* (yeah, like you couldn’t have guessed)
2. Slept under the stars (my husband says that we do that every night, but no, not without a roof)
3. Played in a band (it would not have been pretty)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower* (unfortunately, most of the meteors slated to fall that night were on strike– this was in Israel, if you hadn’t guessed)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world* (yes, both… to Disneyland with 9,000 mental health professionals- one of whom tried to use the belt of my raincoat to fasten himself to a sofa and another who barked on the roller coaster… but I digress)
8. Climbed a mountain* (Ham Rong Mountain in northern Vietnam, most recently, which has an orchid garden and the most magnificent views)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang/played a solo* (again, not pretty)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris*
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch* (I was into learning every different art or craft there was so yes, weaving, photography, crocheting, drawing with pastels, crewel embroidery, fine embroidery… unfortunately, I have the patience and will to follow through, but no talent at any of it)
15. Adopted a child (almost adopted two!)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty* (on our honeymoon)
18. Grown your own vegetables* (not so successfully– paid more for the six beefsteak tomato plants than I could have gotten for selling the few cherry tomatoes they produced)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France* (both before and after she was encased in glass… she looked better before)
20. Slept on an overnight train* (most recently from Lao Cai to Hanoi)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill* (only once– the day after my irrational boss had a huge meltdown on me and then I came home to find that my daughter from Israel had mysteriously appeared at my house in NY and was only going to be with us for 3 more days before she had to fly back)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping* (’nuff said. OK, well, there’s a story about that too, but I’m not telling it now)
27. Run a Marathon (only vicariously when my son ran one last January (Hooray for Ben!!!!)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice* (music and all!)
29. Seen a total eclipse*
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset* (most recently at Angkor Wat and then at Pre Rup)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (not a long one, but a dinner cruise)* (long ones)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person*
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (I’m in the homeland… just depends on how far back you mean)
35. Seen an Amish community*
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied*
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person* (Laughed for the first 10 minutes!)
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David*
41. Sung karaoke (the world is a better place for my not having done that)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight*
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted* (not painted… it’s a sketch in pastels and it never really looked like me, but it hangs on the wall opposite my bed because my husband likes it)
48. Gone deep sea fishing (not really but did go and watch them catch fresh fish on Halong Bay that we cooked and used for lunch an hour or so later)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person*
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (took lots of pictures from afar, but no, didn”t spring for it)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater* (ask me sometime about the “Family Drive-In at Fort Campbell, Kentucky)
55. Been in a movie* (in “Tank” with James Garner… you can actually see me)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China* (a few times– each time more exciting!)
57. Started a business* (“Stop & Shrink”… my family therapy practice- and no, that isn’t what I called it)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia* (Moscow and St. Petersburg)
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason* (Got them for myself. My husband apparently is waiting for me to have another baby since that is when he buys them for me.)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma* (It kind of gives me a high)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp*
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (toy? did they have toys back then?)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial*
71. Eaten Caviar* (didn’t like it)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square*
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London* (yes, to the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein!)
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book* (my dissertation- and a chapter in another book)
81. Visited the Vatican*
82. Bought a brand new car* (twice, but the love of my life was my ’66 Mustang)
83. Walked in Jerusalem* (many times, but never get over the thrill)
84. Had your picture in the newspaper* (once mislabeled as someone else which led to some gossip and once “cooking” for Passover with a bunch of empty pots on the stove… a few more times, but not ever for something really noteworthy. It’s easy to be famous when you live some of the places we’ve lived)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House* (Spoke with Ladybird Johnson– what a classy lady!)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox*
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous*
92. Joined a book club*
93. Lost a loved one*
94. Made a baby* (actually, made 5 adults)
95. Seen the Alamo in person*
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (swam in the Dead Sea which SO outclasses the Great Salt Lake)
97. Been involved in a law suit*
98. Owned a cell phone*
99. Been stung by a bee* (I once stepped on a hornet’s nest)

Comments are welcome. Also, feel free to copy this!

Things to be grateful for:
1. A wonderful group of people to travel with
2. A fabulous colleague (guide for the French speakers) who became like a sister to me
3. Leaving the Bangkok airport 2 hours before it was taken over and closed!
4. Beautiful sunny skies and clear weather every single day
5. Great local guides (except for the one who had a hang-up that had us all giggling)
6. The most fantabulous family to return home to!

Pictures from the trip are available at
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53396&l=4e83a&id=703513810

These are just a few…

We had a wonderful shabbat in Saigon. Our food was supplied by Chabad. We ate Friday night dinner in a stunning private room in the Rex Hotel where we are staying. This morning, we joined Chabad for services. In the afternoon, some of our people took walks through the city. Others of us got some much-needed rest after days of early mornings and full activity schedules. We returned to Chabad for our third meal later in the afternoon.

This city is super-alive One can’t help but be awed by the sheer number of motorbikes and by the astounding way in which they flow and blend with each other. Crossing the street is always an adventure. One cannot wait for the traffic to stop because it never does. You step into the street when there is a break in traffic and keep walking at a slow, steady pace. The drivers calculate your walking speed and cut either in front of you or behind you. Of course, sometimes they miss, but for the most part they are very accurate.

We are really entertained by the fact that Saigon is decked out for Xmas! Not only is it in the 80s (Fahrenheit; high 20s to 30s Celsius), but this a country that is about 60% Buddhist. There are also Taoists, and Cao Daists with Christians a small minority… but, when asked, our guide explained that Vietnamese love all of the excitement and color that comes with Xmas. Stores all over the city are selling Santa outfits for adults and for little boys and girls. The mall nearby has a sleigh set up and people are taking pictures of their small children dressed in Xmas costumes and sitting in the sleigh. Our hotel must have about 10 Xmas trees. In the new lobby in the just-renovated part of the hotel, there is a whole display complete with sleigh and reindeer.

We have enjoyed interacting with the local Vietnamese people. They are friendly and accommodating. Even the salespeople are friendly and and grateful for our business without being pushy.

And best of all… tonight I found exactly what I was looking for as a gift for my husband. Shhh. It’s a secret.

Tomorrow, off to Cambodia.

Today we visited the Mekong Delta. Last year, we also visited the Mekong Delta, but we went to different places. This is not all that surprising as the Mekong Delta is three times the area of the State of Israel. The route we took today provided a series of experiences. We very much enjoyed seeing the puffing of rice– an amazing process whereby the rice is heated in black sand in a very large wok over an open flame. The rice pops very quickly. The sand is then shaken out of the rice and voila! Then we saw the making of coconut candy- fascinating! and of rice bars (like granola bars) and rice paper like what is used to make spring rolls (what most Americans call egg rolls). Chinese egg rolls have a thick covering, spring rolls have a delicate rice paper covering that is also deep fried.

We also went cruising along the small waterways, saw the floating market, ate some new fruits (jack fruit and rose apples), and attended a performance of Vietnamese music. We had a pleasant, relaxing day.

Tomorrow, we go to Cu Chi where the Viet Cong hid out in tunnels during the war. From there we will go to a Cao Dai Temple. Cao Dai is a new religion that has elements of Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity and Islam (among others.) Their rites and rituals are very colorful and interesting.

This part of the trip is running by very quickly. Before we know it, we’ll be heading home. It’s hard to believe.

Pictures when I return.

An early morning flight brought us to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City -HCMC). It is a bustling city- colorful and busy. One of our first stops was to the Notre Dame Cathedral, a brick cathedral built by the French in the style of Notre Dame in Paris. Across the street is the post office- a huge building that looks like nothing so much as a train station.

While visiting those two places, we saw two brides and grooms dressed in Western clothing. Then we saw a bride and groom in traditional garb. One of the people in our large group recognized that the groom did not look Vietnamese and began speaking with his mother. She responded in Yiddish, being a Jewish woman who currently lives in New York! The groom’s family and friends had flown over for the ceremony. People looked happy. I don’t know. I think that cultural differences are very difficult for couples to deal with – even among Anglos who have different backgrounds. In this case, it is two different societies.

Shopping was interesting. I went to the huge market not far from the hotel. My older daughter had asked me to keep my eyes peeled for a specific product. I did find it, but it was an imitation. I bought it anyway. Someone will use it, at least I hope so.

Vietnam is so full of amazing scenes that it sometimes feels as if I am on a movie set. From the gorgeous little children (some of them are breathtaking) to the wizened old men and women, they are an enormously photogenic people.

Today on our train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, we saw flooded fields in which people were working- weeding, draining– all in their pointed straw hats. The train sped by and the pictures remain in my memory only, but there are many many pictures to share as well.

Today we are in Hoi An, an ancient port city with Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese art and architecture. It is truly a feast for the eyes. Tomorrow, we are on to Hue, the capital of Vietnam in the !9th and early 20th century. We will cruise on the Perfume River and visit the Forbidden City!

We had a lovely shabbat. We took a walk up Ham Rong mountain, passing the orchid garden and climbing to about 17.000 meters above sea level. We are only a few miles from China, up in the mountains- home to the Black Hmong, Red Zhou, and many other of the 53 Vietnamese minorities. The people here are very beautiful and very friendly. The landscape is breathtaking. Today there were some orchids in blossom, the small yellow-brown ones- but in addition the mountain had beautifully landscaped gardens. It was a perfect day, sunny, not too warm and not too cool. Tomorrow we go on to the market in BacHa.