Year and a Half Mark
I just realized that last week was the year and a half anniversary of our aliyah and, looking back, I noticed no recent notes about Israel and our "klita." (except the occasional gripe about bureaucracy and temporary unemployment) I am sitting now in an empty clinic (again) and so I thought-- why not update my journal?
I am happy to report that work is going as well as can be expected. I have good days and bad days. Some mornings I feel close to fluent, whizzing effortlessly through fever explanations and asthma counselling in Hebrew, chatting with the nurses about movies, even writing my med notes in Hebrew (a new development of which I am rather proud). And some days-- some days I feel like I've just stepped off the plane. It doesn't take much to make me regress, either. This morning it took a doubtful look from a parent and suddenly I was in "olah chadasha" (new immigrant) mode, all of my insecurities hammering in my ears. Did I say that right? Why is he looking at me like that? Is he doubting the diagnosis? Or did I just accidentally suggest that his daughter wrap a warm piglet around her neck? ---the entire time attempting to look confident and resisting the urge to curl into a ball, rock back and forth and moan, "English. English. Why don't you speak ENGLISH?"
I managed to stay upright, the patient went away, and I spent the rest of the morning furiously lecturing my computer screen about sprained muscles. My Hebrew sounds better in my head, or when it is aimed at inanimate objects, apparently.
But I think I'm getting there.
My kids are still thrilled to be here. Report cards recently came home and I am quite pleased. It's almost as if they speak Hebrew. They really don't yet, despite predictions from everyone that they would be conversant in six months. I've had a few conversations with my seven year old and she has a lovely Israeli accent and is a few months, I think, from being truly fluent. The older girls are progressing very well, though understandably it will take them longer to "get there."
But the important thing is that they are happy. They go horseback riding, hang out with friends, enjoy the freedom that they never had in the states. They miss their grandparents, aunts and uncles, but they have no desire to go back this summer.
On the writing front, I just heard from my editor and I've been promised an early March editorial letter. In the meantime I am plugging away at research for the second Dora novel---
It currently has no plot. This concerns me.
I think someone is likely to get murdered, disappear or lose something valuable. Or maybe all of the above?
I am narrowing it down, not to worry. My agent has asked for a summary paragraph for the sequel and I get sick butterflies everytime I think about it. I'll just keep at the research and pray something materializes.