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Ultrasounds Are a Hoot

Yesterday we had our “major” ultrasound, which takes thirty minutes and gives the doc a chance to check that the baby’s organs and the placenta are functioning properly.

During the exam, I was lying on my back with one hand behind my head -- to hold my head up to see the monitor.

Eric was sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed, and he also had one hand behind his head, in a cool-guy sort of way.

And you’re going to think I’m kidding, but I promise I’m telling the honest truth -- when we saw the baby on the monitor, he also had one hand behind his head.

It’s like we’re a little family already.

Harry Potter and Other Magic

When we went to buy our tickets for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix yesterday, I was tickled to see about thirty of the geekiest Israeli teenage boys playing Magic right outside the theater. These boys looked exactly the same as the boys playing Magic back home: frizzy hair, big glasses, shy posture, all-black clothing -- it was fascinating to see geekdom transcend culture! Eric honestly had to pry me away from their mini-tournament!

Anyway, back to the movie. Usually I leave Harry Potter movies slightly disappointed, but this time I loved it. Definitely the best movie so far. Plus, it was nice to sit in an air-conditioned room for a couple of hours.

And speaking of heat -- you know it’s hot if you’re lying motionless on the bed, two fans blowing full-blast right at you, and you’re STILL SWEATING. Yucko. We really have to get our air conditioner fixed.

St. Stephen’s Basilica, 22 Weeks

The strangest thing about being pregnant is that I’m at a stage where every stranger on the street can see it, so they open doors for me, give up their seats, or offer water on a hot day. (Sometimes I want to look around and ask, “Wait, who’s pregnant? Me?”)

Yesterday afternoon, an Ethiopian friend of ours saw us walking toward the bus stop and offered to drive us home -- a really kind gesture, considering that he lives in the total opposite direction and had no reason to go our way. Anyway, on the way home, he told us that in his culture, pregnant women are deeply respected; even if he was on his way somewhere, he would change direction to help a pregnant woman carry groceries all the way to her home.

Additionally, on the flight home from Budapest, I felt very ill and claustrophobic and was desperate to get up from my window seat and walk around. But once I was in the aisle, I realized I was very faint and dizzy -- so I plopped down right there. The people sitting in the aisle seats around me patted my hand, stroked my head, massaged my shoulders, and offered to help with anything I needed.

And when we went to the Philharmonic at St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent István-bazilika in Hungarian), the bearded American man sitting in front of us pulled out a cigarette and then put it away when he realized I was pregnant.

These outpourings of generosity from both friends and strangers have really touched me. It’s also been a lesson (however idealistic), because the truth is: when people give, it makes me want to give back.

Faces of Budapest

I can’t imagine people would go for some of these creepy faces in contemporary architecture, but they sure are cool.

Budapest Buildings in Golden Sunlight

When I heard that Budapest is called the “Paris of the East,” I figured it was a gross exaggeration. It’s not. There may not be an Eiffel Tower, but Budapest presents some stiff competition against the City of Light.

So, before I woke up this morning, I dreamed that I was trying to photograph a group of young boys playing soccer. My camera and tripod were set up to capture the best light on the field, but the boys were moving so much that I couldn’t get the picture I wanted. It was frustrating because everything was set up perfectly -- I should have been able to take the picture, but it was never right.

That’s how I felt in Budapest. Everything was so beautiful, but no picture I took could really capture the beauty of that place.

Four Glorious Days in Budapest

We’re back from our romantic weekend away. Aside from the over-100-degree weather and possibly the worst humidity I’ve ever experienced (yeah, we thought we were LEAVING THE MIDDLE EAST FOR COOLER WEATHER! Joke’s on us), it was perfect. We walked all over the city, enjoyed stunning architecture, ate lots of ice cream, and relaxed in our air-conditioned hotel room. It was like a second honeymoon.

My top three of the weekend:

- Seeing the Debrecen Philharmonic Orchestra perform in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica at night

- Driving right through the crowd at Heroes’ Square with a rented golf cart

- Strolling down lively, late-night streets with our ice cream cones and being the envy of every sweaty person we passed

That last one was probably too obvious, so I’ll add a bonus highlight:

- Daily breakfast buffet on the terrace at Hilton Budapest WestEnd

So the trip was great, and despite the heat (and the expense), there’s no regrets. Maybe every couple should have a second honeymoon before they pop out babies? Oh, it was also our first time traveling by package (included charter flight, hotel, and breakfast), and we loved it. Everyone on our flight was Israeli, and the bus that picked us up at the airport was guided in Hebrew, but it all worked out great, and I think we’d travel that way again.

We’d also stay at the Hilton Budapest WestEnd again. What a great hotel. I have no idea how much it would cost had we not done it through the package deal, but seriously, if you’re making a trip to Budapest, we’d highly recommend it.

Okay, that’s all. I have tons of pictures to go through, but I’ll try to post some soon, hopefully tomorrow.

Seven Children

Last night we spent some time with my cousin, Kamyab, his wife, Noushin, and their SEVEN children, all visiting from Belgium.

I would never consider having seven children -- I didn’t think I’d ever consider more than two -- but let me tell you, these seven kids are such a joy. They are constant love and laughter. Being with them actually made me wonder if Eric and I should have a bigger family than we initially considered.

In the first photo, that’s Eric and I in the background, and in the foreground, from left to right: Darius, Cyrus (Nicolas), Lily, Claire, Caroline, Aline (Mina), and Alexandra.

In the last photo, Kamyab and Noushin are with us, as is Arlette, also from Belgium.

Turquoise in Bahjí

Me and my silly belly.

Watching the Clock

I’ve been observing the big plastic-recycling bin on the street and have noticed that its pickup schedule is inconsistent. Sometimes they pick it up on Thursdays, sometimes on Fridays, sometimes on Mondays -- but they always get it before it’s full.

It’s interesting how this contrasts with the U.S., which functions as though things would fall apart without stringently-clockwork schedules. Here, things seem to get done either way.

Pointed Archway in ‘Akká

House of ‘Abdu’lláh-Páshá from a Rooftop

Brunch at Lucas and Mosi’s

On Saturday morning we hung out at Lucas and Mosi’s. Check out this diverse group! From the top: Leilah from Brazil with Karine from Mauritius; David from Spain with Eamonn from New Zealand; Tchassanty from Togo with Lucas from Cameroon; then Bolor from Mongolia, Shirin from France, and Mosi from Samoa. Man, I’m lucky to be here.

Natalie and Taam’s Visit

I’m really posting this picture for Iman and Bayan’s sake, since I want them to know I had dinner with their visiting cousins last night.

So, that’s Natalie, Taam, me, Gloria, and Eric.

Me, 20 Weeks

I’m halfway there.

Carmel Mountainside on a Curiously Gray Day

Dream Jobs

Can I get paid to:

- Edit Wikipedia pages?
- Clean the Fashion Don’ts out of your closet?
- Buy birthday gifts?
- Write a novel?
- Straighten stuff?
- Offer suggestions on the Harry Potter theme park?
- Offer suggestions on everything?

Name Combos

A few people have suggested that Eric and I creatively combine our names for a baby name. So:

Eran, Erjan, Mojer, Mojic, Moric, and my personal favorite, Ermo.

Last Chance to Travel

Given that I have only four weeks of safe airplane-travel and five baby-free months left, we spontaneously made travel reservations for Budapest next weekend!

I am SO excited. Not only am I aching to set my eyes upon neo-Gothic and -Renaissance architecture and the Danube (which I haven’t seen since Vienna, 1999), I’m also happy that we get this last romantic trip, just the two of us.

Travel books are too expensive here, so we’re relying solely on friends and the Web for information about what to see and where to go. If you’ve been to Budapest and want to offer suggestions, please do!

Construction

Now That I’ve Found Facebook

I want to leave MySpace.

The downside is that most of my high school and college friends are on MySpace. Hm.

It’s a Doozy!

Well actually -- it’s a boy.

That’s how our weekend started: our obstetrician confirmed our hunch on Friday morning by saying she was “absolutely sure” we’re having a boy. (Next thing you know, someone’s going to tell me this thing has a PERSONALITY, too!)

So, we spent a big chunk of the weekend discussing possible names for this boy. We didn’t make much progress.

We also watched a couple of movies, including a very early-90s He Said, She Said that made me want to shave Elizabeth Perkins’ head and put her clothes in a shredder. At some point during her budding romance with Kevin Bacon, the baby started moving around like crazy (!), so we paused the movie so Eric could put his hands on my belly. And guess what? He actually felt it moving. He was blown away -- this thing, this BOY, is now becoming more real for him, too.

Anyway, feel free to make baby name suggestions. Because for some reason Eric doesn’t like Boz, Cletus, or Micro.

Open-Air Breakfast at Greg Café

When we woke up early on Saturday morning and felt a lively breeze coming through our bedroom window, we knew it was a good day for breakfast at Greg. This café is fabulous -- just check out Eric’s hafukh and Sweet French Toast below. Yum.

The Israeli Wardrobe

I love observing the clothing choices around here. For one, a huge number of people express their religion through their clothing -- so it’s common to see men in big hats, women in long skirts, and children in black and white, for example.

In contrast, there’s the secular clothing. Women of all ages seem to love anything sparkled or embellished, and they’re not shy about overdoing it -- glittery top, bejeweled jeans, studded belt, you name it. In fact, women overdo everything -- tight black top with tight black pants; denim head-to-toe; fishnet tank with a matching fishnet cardigan; the shortest skirt with the highest heels, and, my personal favorite, cutouts on top and bottom, revealing cleavage or thighs or bellies.

Unlike the U.S., the majority of older women take great care in their appearance and wear gorgeous jewelry and sky-high heels like their younger counterparts. No polyester sweatsuits and “I Love Florida” t-shirts around here, thank you very much.

Men dress pretty casually, in jeans and t-shirts or khakis and polos, but I have yet to see an Israeli man (aside from the mayor and the bus drivers) wear a necktie. I read once that business is done casually in Israel, and based on the working man’s wardrobe, that seems pretty accurate.

Naturally there are two sides to every story. I may have highlighted a few things, but there are many, many exceptions, and for the most part, people here look and dress just like people anywhere.

Except -- and I think many of you would agree with me on this -- it seems like a huge number of people in Israel have won the genetic lottery. I don’t know how this sort of thing happens, but it sure is dumbfounding.

Drive Up the Mountain

My co-worker is letting us borrow his car while he’s out of town, so we drove up the mountain to see... stuff.

Just Rosy

Steven’s Birthday Barbecue and Ping Pong Tournament

Ping pong, Boggle, and tasty burgers (not pictured) were among the highlights of Steven’s birthday barbecue last Friday.

It was all part of the surprise that his wife, Katharine, cooked up for him. This amazes me because Katharine is five days more pregnant than I am yet WAY more energetic. How does she do it?

It Just Keeps Getting Bigger, 18.5 Weeks