Fallen Star

Today for the first time I seriously considered giving the cat away.

Her name is Nova Stella and she is not herself anymore. She has become nervous and aggressive. I talked to the vet about it, he said to wait and see.


Nathalie

Dazzled

Today for the first time I was checking a long document, doing my usual translation quality control stunt. All of a sudden a ray of sun hit the screen (I was in the train), my finger kind of lost control of itself and the next thing I know my document was gone.

No matter how hard I tried I kept retrieving a truncated version of my document, which did not contain my editing. It took maybe a minute before everything went back to normal, but that was enough time for my stomach to sink to the floor.

Dubbed Case

Tonight for the first time I had three big bowls of broccoli soup while watching three consecutive episodes of Coldcase on a French channel (dubbed .. ).

I am not systematically against dubbing - I once saw a dubbed version of "Titanic" in a Parisian movie theater and thought it was quite good - but in that case, Lilly Rush's presence was literally abducted by the dubbing and she seemed and sounded like a ghost haunting the police department.

The Ubiquitous Translator

Today for the first time I did something really awkward. I was looking for the adequate translation of a French word into English. I punched the word into my online dictionary. But something was not right. The program kept jumping back to the English to French dictionary instead of the one from French into English.

It took me a minute and then I saw it. The word I had typed in was not the French word but the English translation of the word. Meaning I had translated the word in my head, even though supposedly I was looking for the right translation, and what I had typed was the translation.


Nathalie

Jingle all the Way

Today for the first time I went to a Brit Mila on Christmas.


David

Fallen Giants

Today for the first time I watched the movie "Empire of the Wolves" by Chris Nahon with Jean Reno, Arly Jover and Jocelyn Quivrin.

Quivrin was a brilliant actor who started his career at a young age. I saw him in "L'enfant des Lumieres" in 2002 opposite Nathalie Baye and was fascinated by his brashness and arrogance and yet so much softness and subtlety; he was barely 23 years old and had the talent of a future megastar.

If two actors were going to influence the French cinema of the beginning of the 3rd millennium it was Quivrin, who in "Empire of the Wolves" actually managed to overshadow Jean Reno, not a small achievement, and Guillaume Depardieu, whose talent of pretty much the same quality and description was so massive, his own father, Gerard Depardieu, looked like small fry next to him in "A loving Father".

Guillaume Depardieu died of pneumonia in Oct 2008 at the age of 38. Quivrin was 30 years old when he died in a car crash in Nov 2009. At that time he was working on a scenario called "A man who thought he was James Dean". But the comparison between the young rising giants would be a mistake: Quivrin, unlike James Dean, had behind him a formidable career of 17 years in the cinema and theater and he was not a myth - he was the real stuff.

Nathalie

You Only Get Mono Twice

Today for the first time I found out you can have mono twice. It's called mono reactivation.


Nathalie

General Assembly 2010

Today for the first time I opened the general assembly of Tair Rape Crisis Center. I have been a speaker before, but somehow I still get a sort of stage fright before I open my mouth.

Romcom not

Today for the first time I saw a romantic comedy with Ed Harris and Diane Keaton called Running Mates. This disaster was a TV movie made in 1992. Ed Harris is cut out for romcoms like I am cut out for snake taming. Actually the poor guy looked like he was trapped in this movie and boy does he look dull with all this hair on. In "Running mates" he is just another blue eye pretty boy with a cheap smile. But in real life, meaning , hum, on real screen, Harris rocks. He is the best. Keaton could not offer any consolation, she was looking for the way out herself. Romcoms are not her cup of tea either, except when Jack Nicholson provides the bittersweet angry selfish male stupidity she needs to glow like an entire solar system. It worked with Woody Allen, it worked in Something Gotta Give.

Saved by Gmail

Today for the first time we had a 12 hour electricity black out. In the morning I woke up in the dark and figured it must have been the middle of the night. When I walked into the living-room I was welcomed by a flashlight in my face and thought we were getting robbed and this was my last minute on earth. Not to worry, it was my husband who thought it would be a good idea to turn on the flashlight in order to help me on my way to the kitchen. That's when I found out the entire neighborhood was in the dark.

By pure coincidence, or was it Murphy's Law sticking its ugly head out again, I had a quite large translation to submit by 2PM. Not by coincidence I had sent the material already translated to my gmail account before I went to bed the night before. So I spent the day in a cafe finishing my translation. The electricity eventually returned at 1 PM.


Nathalie

Tate' s Mini Market

Today for the first time I walked into my children' new mini-market in Jerusalem. The place is terrific but Mirl and Aaron Meir quickly became personae non gratae when they decided to test all the candy in the store.


Nathalie

Everything is from Above

Today for the first time our grandchild Yoavi sung "Maoz Tzur" with us when we lit the Hanukkah candles. At this very moment I knew the miracle was complete.


Nathalie

Edanim Farm in the Golan

Today for the first time I visited an ecological farm complete with a mud house, a bio vegetable garden, a grey water system. Sophia offers workshops on topics related to ecology and permaculture. We all enjoyed the visit at Adam LeAdam and made plans to cooperate in the future.

Check the Edanim farm's page on Facebook (in Hebrew).


Nathalie

Going rude

Today for the first time I encountered such an intruding waitress! Every 5 minutes she should show up and break into the conversation. My friend and I had not seen each other for months. So, as rudely as I have ever heard myself being rude, I told the waitress "leave us alone". Am I turning into this "older" person who allows herself to be nasty and doesn't even care ...


Nathalie

FDA Here I am

Today for the first time I completed a FDA submission.

David

A Day in Yiddish

Today for the first time I had a little conversation with my granddaughter in Yiddish. Waita minute, this was not supposed to happen.

Nathalie

You said ... 2 tablets?

Today for the first time I had such a horrrrribbbbble headache, I couldn't see straight. It was the worst ever. I know ... paytime after the chocolate from yesterday.

Nathalie

Two (Broken) Tablets

Today for the first time I completed a proposal for Adam LeAdam and in the process gobbled down two tablets of chocolate.

Nathalie

7 floors

Today for the first time I watched an incredible view from the porch of a seven floor apartment in Modiin.

Nathalie

Wrong Bus, Nice Walk

Today for the first time I got mixed up and took bus no. 18 to go to the Mashbir and got off too early to find myself at the Mamilla kanyon. Walked all the way up to Ben Yehuda.

Nathalie

The Boss

Today for the first time I spent a few hours at Cafe Joe in Kyriat Hamada, working with my boss. Had too much coffee.

Nathalie

Being Connected

Today for the first time I sat at Aroma in northern Rehovot, connected and actually managed to do some work.

Nathalie

Bronchitis

Today for the first time my beautiful grandchildren gave me some nasty virus and I caught bronchitis (see one week on a mattress).

Nathalie

On the Mattress

Today for the first time I slept on a mattress on the floor, between my grandchildren' beds. It lasted a week.

Nathalie

Six

Today for the first time I got mixed up and took bus no.6 to go to Beit Hakerem ... and ended up in Givat Mordechai. Had to grab a taxi to make it to my sister.

Nathalie

MOSSOM

Today for the first time I created the MOSSOM club - a support group for Mothers of Stubborn Strong-willed Opinionated Mothers.

If you are interested , join us.

Nathalie

Fishy Story II

Today for the first time I cooked a fish called "yardon". Was interesting.

David

Recourceful

Today for the first time I started installing a bathtub all by myself.

David

Grave subject

Today for the first time I contemplated the huge piles of sand and macadam next to my house (my street is being reaped up and repaved) and the only association that came to my mind (thank you Sigmund) was of mass graves in the Warsaw ghetto.

My grandfather Nachum died of typhus in the winter of 1942 and was buried in a mass grave in the ghetto of Warsaw. I was named after him.

Nathalie

Doctor Who? Doctor Besserglik.

Today for the first time we had a major family outing to celebrate our daughter Dana's inscription in the book of Doctors in Dentistry.

We are so proud of you, Dana.

Abba ve Ima

Mazal Tov!

Today for the first time I held my new granddaughter in my arms. She was born on Shabbat morning, 8th of Cheshvan.

Post War Story

Today for the first time I saw the movie "The Search" by Fred Zinnemann with Montgomery Clift. The events taking place right after the end of WWII are filmed on location in U.S. Occupied Germany. Karel believes he is an orphan. Traumatized by the camps he is not quite ready to be institutionalized. After an escape he befriends an American soldier. In parallel we see Karel's mother who has lost her husband and her daughter, looking desperately for Karel visiting all the DTP camps. She never loses hope her son is alive in spite of evidence that presumes him dead.

Only us, the viewers, know they are both alive and that eventually their path will cross.


Nathalie

House 7

Today for the first time I downloaded the 7th season of House.

David

Music 7

Today for the first time I started listening to the music archives on Arutz 7.

David

Welcoming them

Today for the first time I felt and incredible sense of satisfaction and pride welcoming together with the staff and the volunteers the new managers at Tair Rape Crisis Center, Noga and Tania.

Nathalie

It's the Board

Today for the first time I found myself writing a little speech in connection with the board committee of Tair Rape Crisis Center. It reminded me of the old days when I used to prepare various speeches and presentations for the Kibbutz assembly.

Nathalie

Rishon by Night

Today for the first time I lost my way in Rishon LeZion. This is particularly surprising in view of the fact I had checked on Ynet the location I was going to.
I found myself walking on a desolated street that was absolutely endless and had very very poor light. I ended up calling a taxi.

Nathalie

Transitions

Today for the first time I visited my youngest daughter in her new appartment in Jerusalem. They actually managed to move in before she completes her pregnancy. The appartment is right behind their store.

Nathalie

Tunnel Vision

Today for the first time we visited the Templars' tunnnel in Akko. It was neat. I suppose it won't be of interest if I mention I strained a knee ligament while bending down (ceiling a bit low at one end of the tunnel).

Nathalie and David

Murder She Wrote

Today for the first time we were the witnesses of quite a shocking event. Right in front of our eyes a dog seized a street cat and snapped its neck. Just like that. The dog wouldn't let go of the cat as his owner was trying to stop the ongoing "murder". Too late. David and I simply opened our mouth in sheer surprise and horror.

Nathalie and David

Fishy Story

Photography Gerard Mery


Today for the first time we went to the beach at night in Naharya, stuck a rod in the sand and waited for the fish to grab the bait.

It was pretty dark out there as the stars were forming constellations above our head. I thought of my father who harly ever went fishing at sea, only on his boat by the river. Maybe David also was thinking of his father and his uncle and their notorious expeditions off Long Island's shore.

Nathalie and David

Cracks me up

Today for the first time I baked a cake with my grandson Yoavi (2 and a half). He insisted on breaking the eggs and naturally I didn't let him. But he said "Want, want". Ok so I braced for running white madness followed by egg yolk massacre.

To my complete shock, mister "going on three in February" gently but surely knocked the eggshell on the edge of a cup and proceeded to release the content as if he had been in the kitchen for his entire life. "Pure luck", I told myself. Not at all, he firmly cracked open the other two eggs.


Nathalie

Motherhood 101, 102, 125

Today for the first time I had a strange conversation with my 3 year-old grand-daughter Mirl, in the succa. She heard a baby crying in an appartment above and asked:

- Where is his mother?
- The baby's mother is right next to him, she is comforting him, I answered.
One minute passed and the baby cried again and Mirl asked again:
- Where is his mother?
- She is with him.
- I don't hear her, said Mirl.
- But she is there, I said.
- Are you sure? Enquired the 3 year-old.
- Yes , I am sure.
- But I don't hear her voice.
- Even when you don't hear her voice, a mother is here.

Mirl laughed and laughed. But I did not. I was saying to myself "And when a mother is gone, you still hear her voice".


Nathalie

What a ride

Today for the first time I was riding in the bus to work, a short trip that I do not mind standing up in the bus. But a young soldier got up and offered me his seat. And I did sit down and it was more comfortable than standing. I guess there is more to getting older than gray hair.

David

Two sons, one succa

Today for the first time our two sons insisted on building our succa, without me getting involved. Which I almost did. And they did a great job.

David

Hung Up

Today for the first time I told a very good friend I had work to do and basically hung up.

Did you ever end a phone conversation simply because you were hurt and disappointed? It has happened to me before, I am a grown up person, been there, done that...

But it was the first time with this specific friend, and maybe, after 3 decades of unconditional friendship, I finally came to realize the unconditional part should be a two-way road.


Nathalie

The Tree on Teller Street

Today for the first time I noticed a tree on Teller street in Rehovot, whose trunk grew half from the sidewalk and half from the street. The curb was not elevated and there were no cracks to be found.

It seemed as if someone had inadvertently deposited the tree in this awkward manner. Someone with a distracted mind, apparently.


Nathalie

First Time Buyer

Today for the first time I encountered the French word "primo-accédant".

The translation of this real-estate term into English is "first time buyer" a straightforward and understandable term, clearly a known word. Did I fall asleep all these years while the French were manufacturing new words with the only purpose to annoy me? I am pissed off. But then again, this is all about the joy of breaking new frontiers, isn't it?


Nathalie

Color photos from 100 years ago

Today for the first time I looked at color photographs taken between 1909 and 1912 in the Russian empire.

I was fascinated by the description: " Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944) undertook a photographic survey of the Russian Empire with the support of Tsar Nicholas II. He used a specialized camera to capture three black and white images in fairly quick succession, using red, green and blue filters, allowing them to later be recombined and projected with filtered lanterns to show near true color images."

What is your favorite photograph?

Thank you to Stephen Epstein for sending this link over Facebook and allowing for this meaningful experience.


Nathalie