Scary Schimmel

I am almost sure many of you have seen those American movies about girls moving to Europe or exchanging apartments with, let's say, British people and etc. And behold, disaster - rusty sewerage system, molded walls, squeaky doors - come over as soon as they move in.

This is old lousy Europe.

If finding a flat in the west Germany is almost impossible, over here, in the east, there are plenty of apartments one can rent (after millions of people left for the west in 90's). Comparing to the western prices, the eastern ones are quite reasonable. Did I say reasonable? Nothing is reasonable in life if you really ask me. It's all about us searching for reasons, but never finding them and making up our own.

Anyway, the story is about our apartment. We've been living here since June of 2011. I liked this place at the first sight just because there were 7 memorial stones of 7 people deported to different concentration camps on the doorstep. It meant so much to me and my husband to rent a flat in a house where 7 Jewish people lived, loved, suffered, and then were thrown out from their own homes like they were nothing. 6 of them were executed in Auschwitz and 7th one, Salomon Weininger, if I remember his name correctly, actually fled from the camp back to Leipzig and was hiding for couple of months before he got caught again and was sent to Latvia, where he joined other 6.000 000 Jews in heaven.
So imagine how symbolic it was for us, orthodox Jews, living in this place and keeping the Torah commandments everyday - so uplifting for those perished souls.

Now realistically, the flat was quite cheap, near the synagogue and our community centre, which is important for us to be able to walk there on Shabbat. It was sunny with high ceilings and very comfortable kitchen. So we rented it and moved in after the wedding. Summer was great, Autumn was also lovely, but Winter - that's when the walls in the kitchen and bathroom started to mold. Scary. But we fixed them and lived on. Then we had Ezra in April. Sooner came Summer and we still lived sunny life, so was our second Autumn too.
Ooh, Winter again.
All this mold began to come out since December 2012 and we just can't stop it. We painted the wall, spreyed the liquid to exterminate it, but it would appear in a month's or less time. So unpleasant and not good for health.

When I started cleaning for Pesach the other day, I discovered that in every room behind the heating batteries walls are molded, some less, some more. Then we called the "Hausmeister" who would be the guy in charge about technical things of our house. Now he has to come with some guy who could fix and take off the mold if it's possible. I hope they will not tell us it needs to be seriously repaired and all. It's just before Pesach time and I am beginning to get very nervous, I definitely don't want people coming over and do capital repairs.

Wish us luck in finding new flat - CLEAN and in a good condition not like this old moldy one. Because even the 7 memorial stones and all the romantic stories I imagine can't make us live here anymore.

Rosh Chodesh - NISSAN

Rosh Chodesh NISSAN, here you are!

This Rosh Chodesh is very special and touching for me, even though Jewish calendar of this year is little too quick. Meaning, last year when my baby Ezra was born on 12th of Nissan it was right the beginning of April 2012, while this year his Jewish birthday is going to be little earlier than the secular one, in the end of March. Nissan is the month of Ezra's birthday, month of Jewish nation's spiritual and physical freedom from slavery. I use to say that sometimes we are still slaves of various material things. It may sound banal, but yes, we are all slaves of our own egos and then you know it - all these luxury stuff. Not that material well-being is bad, but getting obsessed with so much vanity, definitely is.

Still off the track as usual.

Rosh Chodesh literally means the head of the month. As we define it - appearing of the new moon which is a sign of a new month. Since monthly periods and anything bound to time are very much connected to women, we call Rosh Chodesh - time of women. Many women come together, go out, or have night ins, give lessons, talk, drink coffee/tea and share SO many things we, women, can always have in store.
Traditionally (or maybe not) women shouldn't do much on this day (sometimes rosh chodesh lasts two days) - dress beautifully and have some time to meditate, and be happy. Before I was married I never appreciated this time as much as I do now, probably because I have very little time for myself and let alone, for meditating. So whenever it's Rosh Chodesh, I try to make it a bit more special as other days: I put make up, wear some accessories, get dressed better than usual and most importantly, I listen to music or write and you know, I am happy (well, happier when my husband has time to go out for some ice-cream. IDEAL.).

Rosh Chodesh Nissan is different though. Pessach is in two weeks, which means forget meditation and get back to your cleaning and dusting. I was taking very easy this prePesach cleaning before one day when I was changing Ezra I found crumbles in his sleeve. Then I freaked out - 'I HAVE TO START CLEANING NOW!!!'
All right, now I am calmer and know that I shall manage with Hashem's help (also my mother-in-law's). Now, let me enjoy Roch Chodesh and exterminate all the cakes and cookies that are left.

Chodesh Tov!!!

Ocean's? No, Ezra's 11

It's been a little hard week. I get very little sleep. Ezra turned 11 months on Monday and he is going through some weird milestone.

On Monday we went to Nova Eventis, trade centre in Leipzig, to buy a new car seat for Ezra. We couldn't pick up anything for a long time. There are so many car seats, different brand names, some famous, some - not, some with crazy prices, some - reasonable. Finally we bought something and when got back home, realised we didn't quite approve it so now we have to return it and get a new one.
Even though Ezra and I mostly use public transport, as I've already mentioned many times, he still needs a car seat because sometimes we get to ride somewhat little far and he is absolutely grown out from the old Babyschale. Plus, he doesn't like to be half sitting, he's a big boy, I understand him.

Well, since that Monday or rather Sunday night, he's been sleeping terribly. It's either his teeth which are coming all at the same time or it's just some developmental- or so called separation anxiety thing that make him fuss. He wakes up several times at night crying and about 1am he just refuses to stay in his bed but be taken in mine. I tried not to take him but he cried so hard I couldn't stand letting him cry so much especially at night when we all need to get some sleep. Once he's with me, he falls asleep immediately, but wakes up at dawn asking to nurse and would nurse forever if I let him. I thought he was weaning but he's fallen in love with nursing back again, I guess. Of course I still love it too, but it's exhausting especially at night.

I know he'll grow out of it and I'll miss this time like I miss when he was a tiny baby sleeping on my chest. But before he will I get tired and tired mum tends to complain and feel like her eyes are falling out and backache is unbearable.
Still, being mum is something that really makes me stronger. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right? Ha ha!