When I went through the long and tedious, but really wonderful task of converting to Orthodox Judaism my teacher (one of the most special people I have ever met) throughout my conversion process always used to tell me: "Everything happens for the right reason". I have totally come to know this, but today was proof of that.
So, I have been having the best time ever with my Mom, doing a load of things, and everything fun and full of laughs as it always is with the two of us. My Mom is great fun, she is always a good laugh and always keen to just 'get on down'. After these last two weeks (almost) with her I have realised that she would just be the best travelling companion, everything is fun to her, everything a new adventure, a bit like a toddler - and all with the same toddler-like exhilaration and energy. Go Mom go! Tomorrow we are all (Mom, me, Adam and Noam) off on a road-trip, Thursday night in Nazareth, and then Friday and Saturday night in the Galilee.
So a brief run-down, Monday I rested all day in bed safeguarding the 'little ones'. Monday evening was the first session of the newly formed IVF Support Group at the Professor's rooms. There were 7 of us, and it went well, we all had to start off with creating a picture of 'who' we were and then present it to the group. I was worried about the Hebrew, and I won't lie, it is hard keeping up. It takes so much concentration and intense attention from me, it is exhausting, hence the ever-nightly Hebrew Headache. Nonetheless I did it, missing the odd word (or twenty) now and again, I got the jist of most of it. We each had to reveal a bit of who we are. I walked out an hour and a half later feeling like a real 'fake', I never let on about Adam and Noam. I think I may have a bit of self-analysis in store regarding this issue, I am not sure if it is 'me' or 'them', but I do feel guilty. Anyway I will continue this issue another day, meanwhile I have a week to ponder my feelings, and right now i am too busy enjoying my Mom. So my 'issues' will just have to wait.
Tuesday we went through to Tel Aviv early, we planned to go to this brilliant Shuk called 'Shuk HaCarmel', and also to this stunning craft market called 'Nahalat Binyamin', obviously with a quick 'snack' to start, we set off, the two of us, arm-in-arm, giggling and laughing, what a brilliant vibe, and what a great day! The craft market was really beautiful with the most original ideas and unbelievable talent, and ofcourse full of weird and interesting people. It was great, then on to shoppers-paradise, the Shuk. The best value for money that exists, no need to even haggle. The prices are already so low, they really can't go much lower. Also, you are surrounded by absolute modernity in the shadows of absolute antiquity. Massive sky-scraper shiny monstrosities, and then beautiful ancient shuttered falling-down buildings. It is all mixed up together, a big hotch-potch of contradicting everythings.
Last night was the Channuka party at Adam's school which was great fun, everyone had put so much effort into it all and it was really special. Our first Channuka as full-on Israelis! Because I wasn't raised in a Jewish home, I often find myself 're-living' that lost childhood through my children. It is a privilege really, every song/action is a new thing for me to learn.
So today we had decided we were all going to go on a major adventure, we were going to take the train to the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem. This did not 'come to pass', there was a whole balls-up with the tickets/times whatever, and so we decided to just go anywhere for fun, have lunch and then come back. We chose Nahariya (past Haifa), it was a long train ride and we had to change trains as well. The last time I took a train in Israel I was 15 years younger, had an earing in my nose, and certainly did not have children, or a Mother in tow. Public transport is really unbelievable here, punctual, clean and really organised. So we changed trains, and set off on the nearly two hour trip. The train was packed so we had to split up, Adam and I in one seat, and a few rows up Mom and Noam. Opposite me was a frum South African lady talking on the phone for about the first 20 minutes, she eventually got off the phone and heard me speaking my Soufefrikenese to Adam, she then asked me where I was from in SA, and she said she was from Muizenberg. I leant over into the aisle and called my Mom and said that there was another Muizenberger (my Mom had gone to school there). The "Muizenberger" opposite me lit up and turned around to look at my Mother (all on a speeding packed train), my Mom asked her her name and she said 'Brenda', my Mom looks at her in disbelief, and almost shouts hysterically 'Brenda Resnick! It's me Vyvyan, Vyvyan Bateman". 'Brenda' throws her knitting to the floor, vaults out of her chair and leaps over to my Mother, hugs, kisses, "I don't believe its". It was one of those moments where you needed a camera and a tissue on hand, I had neither. Turns out they were friends in school, in the same class, 50 years ago in Muizenberg. It was just the most amazing thing. Who would have thought that your plans could go so wrong for your day, you could end up on a train-to-no-where, in a foreign country, and meet a friend who you haven't seen in FIFTY years. Isn't life just the best! 'Brenda' had to get off at the next station, so they hastily exchanged contact details and more hugs and kisses and then she was gone.
This almost surreal experience just had a way of reminding me that there is a 'plan' for all of us, not just long term, but every day and every second. Every train that you miss, every plan that gets botched, everything that goes wrong; it is all happening for the right reason!
HYDROSALPINX INFORMATION
"Q: In which cases does removal of the fallopian tubes improve the outcome?
A: In recent years, impressive evidence has shown that hydrosalpinx (swollen fallopian tubes, filled with fluid) can reduce chances of implantation. It seems that the reason for this is that the fluid in the fallopian tubes contains inflammatory products that leak into the abdominal cavity and damage the embryo trying to implant itself in the endometrium. In cases of recurrent failure of IVF therapy, the condition of the fallopian tubes should always be assessed using a hysterosalpingogram and ultrasound scan. If the state of the fallopian tubes is very poorly, and might affect the implantation of the embryos, the benefit of their removal should be considered. The removal of oneor both fallopian tubes is performed by laparoscopy, where a laparoscope (a fine telescope) is inserted through an umbilical incision."
