Whaoo! Deb and Frank Visit (A Post "Written" [Mainly] in Pictures)

So glad that my one-and-only sister, Deb, and her amazing husband, Frank, came to visit this week! We packed a LOT into a short visit; they were here for 2.5 days while on their way to Italy to see Frank's family.

They had a grand walking tour of our town (at least as much as we've been able to figure out in the three months we've been here....); we walked all the way to the top and then down past our house to the very, very bottom.

We stopped at many parks.....

Scooped up Chana for the afternoon and went out to eat

But, unfortunately, not for gluten-free falafel (found out the place is moving and expanding, not closed permanently.  Whew)

Explored the Old City wandering the beautiful streets

and visiting the Kotel

It felt nice and safe.  There was plenty of extra security there but very few people visiting.  It's a very difficult time for the merchants in the Old City.  I hear they're really having trouble earning a living with so few tourists coming through....

We toured an INCREDIBLE stalactite cave that's right nearby (now on the fun-genda for any of you who come visit!)

This is, clearly, *outside* the cave (no photos inside) but I loved how we were up in the clouds

And, in general, just hung out.

Anyone surprised that Deb ended up with the most properties in Monopoly?!  (Although Ilana actually had the most money and won the game.  I went bankrupt and needed to rely on loans from my fellow sweetie-pie players [and kept asking why there was no option like "get a job" or "get a second job"])

 It was really lovely and we miss them already!

(Hint hint to others: Israel is really not so far once you're going to pretty much any place across the Atlantic.  Our guest room is set up and ready for more visitors, so please make your reservation today!)

Hebrew is a "right to left" language

I know most of you know that.  I knew that.  But it's really different to see how this plays out in day-to-day life.

Like here are the hours of one of the local supermarkets:

Did you do a double-take?  I did, when I first saw it ("how can it close before it opens?!")

And this is how papers are stapled here:

When we opened our bank account, I kept giggling when I saw the clerk stapling things in the upper right corner.  Opening a bank account was a very long and involved process with much stapling of papers, so I'm glad I could keep myself amused....

Calendars--man, those will keep us on our toes!  Sunday is in the right hand corner and it all goes right to left.  Or "backwards" as I usually think of it. Check out when Chanukah is on the calendar below.

And, lastly, let's not forget that, often, things will go right to left and then left to right in the same page.  This is usually used when writing "Hinglish" (one must get good at estimating how much space will be needed for the other language's words).  In the example below, in the black rectangle, everything is written right to left.  Except the phone number.  Those are always written left to right :).