Back On Base

Hey Guys!!!
I actually have something to post for you. :)
I left off with needing to fly back to Israel.

So I get back to Israel after the wonderfully disastrous flight from the airline in aforementioned post. The airline managed in succeeding in screwing up two flights of luggage. They sent my flights luggage on another plane, and their luggage on mine. So yay! No clothes. No gifts. No nothing. Really incompetent people.
Anywho, I get back to my apartment and find some not so great things due to a particular roommate (That situation ended dramatically last night. Some people are just so pathetically stupid. Due to the army I can't write about it. Oh how I would LOVE to though; it'd make an excellent post.) Aside from that everything is fine and soon enough it is time to go back to base for the first time in a month and a half. To be on base was great! I loved seeing all the people I missed. I did end up getting my things from the airline a day later so I was able to give gifts to everyone. I really missed everyone. Including people I thought were dreadfully annoying.

After a few days my commander asked to talk to me in his office where he told me that I can't go to officers course. There wasn't much I can do at that point. He says no, it's no. I didn't let that get me down though. I was just happy to be back. I figured if I can't sign on more time or be an officer I'll make due with the time I had left. Make it memorable. About 2 weeks later he called me into his office again and asked if I wanted to sign on more time and I said yes. Yosi(my commander) said that he would move me into Tkzivim. I can sign time there. I never did a course nor do I have a job where you can sign on time but in Tkzivim, I have a chance at changing that. After about a month I finally changed to Tkzivim.
Because I am in Tkzivim that means I now have to be at the Keriya(Israeli Pentagon) a couple of times a month. It's kind of a pain in the butt with all the security but I really like this job. I finally have a reason to not take vacation everyday. Sure, I loved coming to base everyday and being in the Leshca and being known as the Secretary to the Unit Commander but in reality I finished my day at 1030am and had to stay there till 5 and I had nothing to do all day. I only had 3 days to learn everything which is not nearly enough. My predecessor had about a month to three months to learn everything. So I am completely learning by trial and error. I have to say it is frustrating but a lot of fun at the same time.

Yosi finished the army at the end of October. We had Succot Vacation which was about a week and when we came back it was his prisa(party). It was really sad to see him go. He was such an amazing commander who was loved by so many. He really helped me so much. I am so thankful to him. It was also really awesome and great to hear him mention my name in his "Going -Away" speech. I know that the new Unit Commander will do great. Im still helping out in the Leshca because the new kid needs help(still- can anyone say facepalm?).
 During the one week off I finally took a vacation for the first time. I honestly did not know what to do with myself. I saw my friends like Sam and Lauren who both just did Aliyah. Also in September I did a modeling shoot and I received the photos. So maybe thats what I will do. My next post I will have specifically for the shoots I did so everyone can see them.

Id have sooo much more to write if I wasn't told that I had to keep my mouth shut on it. I'm kind of liking this stuff and this new job.

Also I'd like to thank Nefesh B'Nefesh for the Rosh Hashana gift. I loved the Reeses and Neckwarmer.
I love gifts! Feel free to send them! lol jk

Check out Laurens blog right here on Blogger. It's called Liba Sipur. Enjoy it :) It's her story of doing Aliyah from USA. Completely different then mine with a totally different range of experiences.

Airline That I DESPISE!

So I first need to say how THANKFUL I am for getting a free plane ride back home and then back to Israel. I was able to see my family and talk to my Aunt for the last time before her passing.
I am very very very thankful to FIDF(Friends of the IDF) for giving one of their donated tickets to me.

Although I do have to say that the airline that they chose was ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE! They were so rude and inconsiderate. I wasn't even rude or in the way. They were just horrible to anyone that wasn't Russian or didn't speak Russian. There was seriously no point in flying from Israel to Russia to NY. No point. It was waaay more expensive then it needed to be. Then the IDF wonders why they don't have money. LEARN HOW TO FIND SALES!!! The IDF wants to save money yet they wasted so much on that ticket. They went for the worst seats at the most expensive price possible. I talked to other soldiers who used Transaero airlines and the only ones that had an okay flight was ONE BOY!. The rest despised it. All of their flights were delayed for ours. The flight was a pervert. You'd think it'd be fun to meet the pilot. Yeah...no.

Coming back from America was just as bad. The workers at JFK were just INFURIATED and I mean INFURIATED with them. The workers kept calling them idiots with no brains who need to start using common sense. They over charged so many people on luggage having charges coming out of the toes. There were at least 12 other fliers that I saw while waiting on line who ended up arguing with the same woman who apparently charged everyone for every little thing and then sending them in the wrong direction to pay baggage fees.

It was a disgrace. It is one airline I will make sure to stay clear of. The only good thing about the flight back to Israel was the Mini Haagendaz Ice Cream they gave out for desert. You can NEVER go wrong with Haaggendaz.

An Important Day for the IDF: The Return of Gilad Shalit

In 2006 Hamas captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Today at 6am, October 18,2011, he has been released.

1941 days he was held in captivity. He's back.
In exchange for Gilad, Netanyahu agreed to releasing 1027 convicted terrorists. All of whom have murdered Israelis.
The families of the victims have sent many failed petitions asking not let these terrorists go free.

This is Gilad with his new rank and in the arms of his father and Benjamin Netanyahu(Israel's Prime Minister).

Going to bed last night you could feel the difference in the air. It was filled with anticipation. We were all wondering what would happen. Would everything go as planned? Will he really be coming home? 

There was also fear. Now that 1027 convicted terrorists are free- what will happen? What will happen to these families? What will these terrorists do? Hamas said that they would return to their struggle. 

The only thing that can be done now is to wait. To wait and see what happens. How many will live? How many will die? Who will attack again? When will they attack again? We know, we feel it that they will attack again. They swore their lives to the destruction of Israel.

As happy as I am to know that Israel does not leave a soldier behind and that Gilad is home and safe- what will happen to us? Was the correct choice made?

I personally have mixed feelings because I don't know whats going to happen. Im happy he's safe- but what will the terrorists do?

Here are some websites covering Gilad:

His first interview on Egyption TV

The Guardian(UK website) full coverage and timeline of the past 5 years

The start of today

Now we wait and pray for the best.

(תודה אלדד) :)