A lot has been happening! One week ago I moved to Jerusalem and so far all is well. Leaving Meir was both harder and easier than I had anticipated. I only cried once, at the way end. My dearest sister was with me most of the day, and her presence soothed my soul. I wouldn't have made it without her. Pangs of guilt still plague me as I think of how her sweet self moved to Kfar Saba to be with me, and after only a few short months I've abandoned her. For her part, she is taking it well and seems to be content just to throw herself into work, and she has gotten yet another job. Best of luck to the best person in the world. <3
The night before the big move, we stayed up until the wee hours of the night making a phlebotomist cake (veins, needles, test tubes--the whole thing!) and she helped me carry it to the hospital. My last day was satisfactory because for the most part it felt like every other day, and I treasured that sense of normalcy. Despite being mostly a typical day, there was still an air of festivity for me. I came in wearing makeup and as usual, this excited everyone. We shared my cake in the morning and I gave a short speech (since it was in Hebrew). I gave them my gift of a huge picture frame with photographs of me and my doctors and they gave me a set of very cozy pajamas for Jerusalem which have turned out to be one of the most thoughtful and practical gifts I've ever received. One doctor even told me that I was the best decision that the professor had made since she joined the department, which warmed my heart. She also insisted I give my new boss her number so she could explain to them exactly what they were getting into...
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| And just like that, with a final wave, I was gone |
Wednesday night I was going to bus to my new apartment. I got a text from one of my new roommates warning me that there was no mattress or space in the cupboard for my stuff. Not willing to leave it up to chance as I perhaps once would have, I persistently called my new coordinators until I finally reached one of them, who upon hearing my concern about where I would be physically laying my head that night, suggested I move to a different apartment one flight up and in to a spot that had just been vacated. I would be in a room with one other girl, and not to be alarmed, but Hebrew wasn't her strong point. As it happily turned out, she is an Anglo.
As for the hospital, I have gotten lost more times than not in my first week. I work with an excellent and very adorable department. The doctors are nearly all male however, so I am fond of taunting my father with this fact since he maintains that it is good I did national service instead of military service where I would spend all my days with boys. So ha to my father!
I continue to be a vampire in the mornings, and for the rest of the day I follow my doctors around, assisting where I can. It is so refreshing to work with new people who only know me now, and not where I used to be. This is regarding language improvement, higher understanding of the culture and its expectations, as well as just a more general sense of belonging. I think it is so important for new immigrants to change up where they work very often at first because people can get stuck in their first impressions of us, and often they are not the most flattering impressions. These judgments people make about us may even be subconscious in nature, but it can be small issues such as assuming we need help for every single task no matter how small, or not thinking to assign us duties that may seem "too hard" or "too complex" for us. I am revering in the responsibilities I now get, even if they frighten and challenge me. Life would be vexatingly boring if we went through it without being terrified every now and then. I find that moving to a new environment has given me the space to stretch into the person I am now and not the person I was a year ago. This is invaluable in my opinion.
A short hilarious episode: Yesterday I was at our ward meeting and one resident was presenting a case we had had this past week. After she finished, the professor (he's the person in charge of the ward) turned to me and congenially asked me if I had gotten a chance to see the patient. I timorously replied "oh yes, he has great veins." The whole room erupted in laughter and the proffesor smilingly said "everyone from their perspective!"
זה כל כך חשוב להתחיל דברים חדשים אפילו כשאין לנו כוח. חייבים לעשות ולנסות דברים חדשים כל הזמן והדבר הזה עוזר לנו להיות הבני אדם
(טובים שנוכל להיות. בעצם זה החיים שלנו (לא תותים
Translation: It is so important to start new things even when we have no energy. We have to do and try new things all the time, and this helps us to be the best humans we can. This is basically life (not strawberries!)
I remain yours etc,
Shira
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