Sunday, April 06, 2008
A RUN-UP TO PESACH
And just why - you might ask yourself - am I writing this at almost two o'clock in the morning? Because a water pipe burst in the garden next to mine - and as I'm the Rosh Va'ad (Head of the Building Committee) it is - automatically - my fault. And because it's my fault - the neighbors are calling me - they are ringing my doorbell (very loudly and insistently) - they are trekking through my flat to the garden - and yelling at me - and yelling and yelling.
Like it's my fault. Well, isn't it? My plumber - Yossi - is a star - he showed up to shut off the water - in the middle of the night, noch (Yiddish for yet) - and was actually pleasant about it. How about that?
So - the water is now turned off. The building is, once again, quiet. Everyone seems to have gone back to sleep. And here I am - up and writing.
While I'm up I'll tell you about Samuel's birthday party. A real run-up to Pesach. Samuel is a first cousin to Stewart - whose birthday party I attended in London two months ago. Samuel celebrated his 60th birthday and also the 30th anniversary of his aliyah (immigration to Israel). And all of the family I was with in London arrived to celebrate with him. Because, not only was it his big celebration but also the wedding of another relative which will take place on Monday. So that this wonderful close-knit family is together, once again - and once again made the trek from London and France and Hong Kong. We Israelis are lucky this time - we only had to drive from Jerusalem and other cities in Israel. Beats flying these days.
And my friends, Pearl and Stewart, are here and will stay on for Pesach. Which is why the Seder will be at my house this year. Everything is tied in to everything else. And the party was only the first of the many get-togethers we will have until the end of April.
The party was in Tel Aviv - actually on the outskirts of Tel Aviv - and I drove there and back and didn't get lost once! That was something of an achievement for me - as you'll know from reading these blogs. Loads of fun people - really good food - dancing to 60's music - a great way to spend a Friday afternoon.
It's now less than two weeks to Pesach. The fish - for gefilte fish - is in the freezer. I already ordered the meat from the butcher. My lists are growing each day. This week the supermarket will have all the Pesach products on the shelves - time for the big shop. All the matzot and matza meal and matza cake flour and potato starch - remember? - no wheat flour and related products. No soya sauce. No icing sugar. No - etc etc etc. My favorite Passover cookbook is on my desk and all of my favorite recipes are ready and waiting.
If the spring rains ever stop my window washer is ready to come - you have to have clean windows for Pesach. Have to get rid of all the chametz (everything that's not kosher-for-Pesach). And once everything is ready - I'll begin my cooking and baking marathon.
I'm beginning to get sleepy - at last. Have to go to bed as the plumber is coming back first thing in the morning. And I must remember not to flush the toilets unless it's something "important" - we have no water. Can you make coffee with Coca-Cola?
Yalla, Bye.
Like it's my fault. Well, isn't it? My plumber - Yossi - is a star - he showed up to shut off the water - in the middle of the night, noch (Yiddish for yet) - and was actually pleasant about it. How about that?
So - the water is now turned off. The building is, once again, quiet. Everyone seems to have gone back to sleep. And here I am - up and writing.
While I'm up I'll tell you about Samuel's birthday party. A real run-up to Pesach. Samuel is a first cousin to Stewart - whose birthday party I attended in London two months ago. Samuel celebrated his 60th birthday and also the 30th anniversary of his aliyah (immigration to Israel). And all of the family I was with in London arrived to celebrate with him. Because, not only was it his big celebration but also the wedding of another relative which will take place on Monday. So that this wonderful close-knit family is together, once again - and once again made the trek from London and France and Hong Kong. We Israelis are lucky this time - we only had to drive from Jerusalem and other cities in Israel. Beats flying these days.
And my friends, Pearl and Stewart, are here and will stay on for Pesach. Which is why the Seder will be at my house this year. Everything is tied in to everything else. And the party was only the first of the many get-togethers we will have until the end of April.
The party was in Tel Aviv - actually on the outskirts of Tel Aviv - and I drove there and back and didn't get lost once! That was something of an achievement for me - as you'll know from reading these blogs. Loads of fun people - really good food - dancing to 60's music - a great way to spend a Friday afternoon.
It's now less than two weeks to Pesach. The fish - for gefilte fish - is in the freezer. I already ordered the meat from the butcher. My lists are growing each day. This week the supermarket will have all the Pesach products on the shelves - time for the big shop. All the matzot and matza meal and matza cake flour and potato starch - remember? - no wheat flour and related products. No soya sauce. No icing sugar. No - etc etc etc. My favorite Passover cookbook is on my desk and all of my favorite recipes are ready and waiting.
If the spring rains ever stop my window washer is ready to come - you have to have clean windows for Pesach. Have to get rid of all the chametz (everything that's not kosher-for-Pesach). And once everything is ready - I'll begin my cooking and baking marathon.
I'm beginning to get sleepy - at last. Have to go to bed as the plumber is coming back first thing in the morning. And I must remember not to flush the toilets unless it's something "important" - we have no water. Can you make coffee with Coca-Cola?
Yalla, Bye.
