Getting used to the swing of things!

Hey guys!

We are really getting used to the swing of things here in Israel now! We are loving the teaching here and the fun experiences we have in the English corner, but there is also so much more to tell.

First of all, Thursday we had a sports day with our students. It was a very fun competition in a lot of different sports in which all classes competed to become the winner. Joachim and Nathalie joined one of the ninth graders to achieve victory, for which they got a stylish pink T-shirt, but unfortunately they just fell short.
Thursday was also a very special day for another reason: rain! For the first time during our stay here in Israel we had rain and when it rains here, it means business! Almost immediately the streets were flooded and there was a very big lightning- and thunderstorm, which give a very nice view, because from our house we can watch the ocean. It really caught us of guard though, because we weren’t prepared for rain here! Aisha told us afterwards that it was very extraordinary for this kind of weather to happen at this time of year. It was so bad that in Eilat, in the very south, a lot of hotels were flooded, a real disaster!

A beautiful traditional wedding!

During the week, we were treated to one of the most impressive things you can see in Tamra, a wedding! We were so overwhelmed by the beauty of it all! Everyone dancing and having fun, the bride and the groom happy together, it was so cool!

Artwork by Ahmed Canaan

Yesterday we went on a trip with a famous local artist called Ahmed Canaan. He makes a lot of works in and around Tamra, but also all over the world, he even had some people in Belgium buying his works! He has a lot of interesting themes in his works, because he works about Israel, religion and so much more. We also had a very nice dinner in the house of Malike, a family member of his, which was insanely good! I think that we will have gained 10 kilograms by the time we get back home!

The last thing I want to tell you about is mother’s day. Of course it was a bit sad to have to celebrate this so far away from our real moms, but luckily we have a very nice mommy here in Israel that helps us with everything. To celebrate, we bought her a little gift and had a nice walk through the mountains during sunset, it was such a beautiful sight! One of these days we will plant a nectarine tree together, which will henceforth be known as ‘The Belgian Fruit tree’, as to make our little mark on this piece of heaven on earth, but that will be for another time! Bye!

-          Joachim