I am going to Israel

[GB]

get plenty of rest before you leave

i have actually decided that I need to do the exact opposite. Next Thursday I will not go to bed. I will do my best to stay up. That way I will hopefully be able to sleep for the majority of the flight there. Then when I get there I will need to stay awake until it is night time in Israel and go to bed at a normal Israeli hour so that I will be able to wake up and go to work the next day. It will be a trying few days, but I know I can do it.

 

[expatgirl]

yeah, it wouldn't hurt to take a few rehydration packets with you to be mixed up with water........the smallest amount of water to mix in the better.......you need to refrigerate it or otherwise throw it out......they do make some just for one glass of water, though.......well, at least the UK does.........the US pharmacists point you to the pedialyte in the big bottles.......surely they can do better than that.........with Israel being hot in the summer and now is a great time to be working there as it's spring I'm sure if it's necessary and it's probably not as you seem quite sensible I'm pretty sure the pharmacies (or chemists) have the packets over there.........anyway, I'm rambling.....sorry.......just have a great stay and I know that your work will be super and may it lead to more trips and maybe a possible posting.....best of luck!!! (and then you can change your avatar to expatGBguy!!)

 

[GB]

(and then you can change your avatar to expatGBguy!!)

I love it!!!

 

[expatgirl]

I knew you would!! But your idea of staying awake is a great one...........ask for an aisle seat......trust me on this........they will be passing out papers for you to fill out......towards the end of the flight ..........if you have a shirt pocket (wear one) keep your passport in it as most of the info will come from that....they will want to know your passport #, when it was issued , when it expires, flight number, have you been to any other countries, etc., etc., etc,. never traveled to Israel on a plane......just crossed the Egyptian border to Eilat by foot and caught a bus.........but that's the usual protocol for entering most countries and you will have to go thru passport control once you arrive.......some are breezes...you're in good physical shape........exit as quickly as you can and RUN (yes I'm yelling) as fast as you can.. if you can manage with just a carry-on you're so much better off (I know---bad grammar) many times they schedule several international flights at the same time........check which line you are in .....you are supposed to be in a non-EU line(European union).they also will want to know where and why you are staying in their country and for how long on the fill out sheet.........have a pen with you.......this is for the flight going over ........if they don't pass them out before you exit ask...they actually may have forgotten............if you can avoid checking in luggage you are so much better off.....expect to strip down basically esp. going to Israel and exiting.........have any lotions, razors, etc......in a separate quart size baggie and whip that out first...........most hotels will give you that stuff anyway.........you will have to take out your computer, take off your shoes, your belt, you're stupid to carry change, take off your watch, and they will probably still do a body massage on you...........the first training security check is usually in lane one and is the training lane......DON"T get in that one.............you can tell .......it's taking the longest........these kids are being observed and graded upon their detection and interrogation skills..........if this is stuff you already know then sorry for the lesson but maybe others who are planning overseas trips too...........from someone who has learned the hard way I know that you will have a great trip and many blessings upon your visit upon your cultural roots..........

 

[GB]

Some of that stuff I knew, but other stuff I did not. THANK YOU expatgirl. That is extremely valuable info!!!

 

[expatgirl]

hey, if I can make the hassle of traveling easier for someone else I'm doing it....4 of us got held up in the "training lane" for nearly 30 minutes and stupid me knew it was a training lane by how long it was taking.........just because some Joe Blow directs you into a certain lane doesn't mean you have to go there..just watch when you arrive...if one lane seems to take longer there's a reason.they can't force you to take that particular lane and just play dumb if they do...... luckily I'm a compulsive person and always add an extra hour to my travel time so I wasn't too bothered but I thought I was going to have to ask for oxygen for the young lady who had to wait with me and was going to miss her flight..: the rookies finally let her go).......we're all looking forward to your travelogues) and that's my favorite kind of reading anyway.........thanks to Katie I am now reading Julia Child's adventures in France.......

 

[MexicoKaren]

Actually no, I have a week before I leave.

Well count on me, the retired one, to not even know what week it is - LOL. I think your plan to avoid jet lag is good. I did the same when I went to China last year and it worked great (of course, I was going the other direction and crossed the International Date Line) - too confusing!

 

[GB]

Every day is Saturday for you right Karen My grandfather is loosing his memory. When it was just starting he would constantly ask what day it is. I asked him why it even mattered to him as every day was Saturday. He responded that he does not have to check the mail on Sunday so that is the only day he needs to know about

This will be my first experience with jet lag so I am hopeful I will do OK. I think I should be fine. Of course the meetings I am going there for will be very dry and boring so I had better be well rested or I will be snoring out loud in front of everyone.

 

[expatgirl]

first experience with jetlag..........????? pack some melatonin.........natural substance that the body makes and declines with age......further diminishes in response to jetlag.......take one 30 minutes before bedtime.......you will not have a kicked in the head experience the next day either........easily bought in the US and highly recommended for getting over jet-lag............can not be found in the UK.........don't know where Continental is stopping off or if it's a non-stop flight to Israel....really does help.......and better than sleeping pills which I won't take.........but keep yourself awake to the local time (see, I can give advice but can't do it myself-----I just go to bed when I'm tired )but staying in the daytime light of your new country helps to readjust the new clock (I want to say the "pineal" gland but I'm not sure------anyway, my pineal gland never gets adjusted as I'm a lazy daisy........but my husband gets over jetlag pretty quickly(he has to for work purposes) and he just goes about shopping and staying up during the new country's daytime hours and walking.........staying active is important, too.......and take a melatonin 30 minutes before you want to sleep......a nice warm soothing bath helps, too............it will not knock you out..........but it will lull you into a nice sleep.........if you've got a raucous party going on next door ...........forget it.......call management.............

 

[GB]

I think once I am there I will be OK staying up. I get in a little after 8am local time and the hotel is on the beach so I plan on walking the beach and checking out the restaurants in the area. It will be Shabat so the stores will all be closed, but the restaurants will still be open.

 

[expatgirl]

Awaiting your travelogues.......have fun...............

 

[bethzaring]

i have actually decided that I need to do the exact opposite. Next Thursday I will not go to bed. I will do my best to stay up. That way I will hopefully be able to sleep for the majority of the flight there. Then when I get there I will need to stay awake until it is night time in Israel and go to bed at a normal Israeli hour so that I will be able to wake up and go to work the next day. It will be a trying few days, but I know I can do it.

I also utilize the strategy of sleeping on the plane.......but I find a timely ingestion of Benadryl helps me accomplish that ...I just make quick friends with my seat mate and ask to be awakened when food or drinks go by

 

[CharlieD]

I am not flying El Al. My flight is on continental. They do not care about the Sabbath.

Unfortunately I doubt that El Al cares for shabat as well.

 

[expatgirl]

I also utilize the strategy of sleeping on the plane.......but I find a timely ingestion of Benadryl helps me accomplish that ...I just make quick friends with my seat mate and ask to be awakened when food or drinks go by

Beth, I agree with you on the Benadryl and since I always suffer from inhalant allergies (dust, mold, yeast, etc........) it's actually helpful for me......but I do have that "kicked in the head" feeling the next day.......it's just me and my response to Benadryl though I always travel with it....not everyone will have the same response...I'm glad that it works for you cause there's nothing worse than sleep deprivation when you're traveling.........and then if you have to work and make presentations.........I used to give my 2 children a mild dose of pedi-Benadryl and they were just fine and rested by the time we arrived.......it didn't make them fidgety or mean, etc...........and you're smart to ask your seatmate to wake you up for drinks and food.......

 

[GB]

My trip just potentially got 1000 times better. When I was about 8 a family moved in down the street from us. They were from Israel. The dad was a university professor and was coming to the US for 2 years to teach at a University here. It was some sort of professor exchange type thing I think. Well I became very good friends with their son. We were best friends right away and spend a ton of time together. The whole family was really nice and when they left to go back to Israel it was very difficult for me. It was so hard to get to know someone and become such good friends, but only have it last a few years. Being a 10 year old boy I was not very into writing letters or anything like that and since the internet did not yet exist we did not have email or IM or anything like that so we ended up losing touch. A few years back I decided to try to find him. I asked my parents and they had an email address, but when I tried it the email bounced back as undeliverable. I figured I would not be able to ever track them down. Well this past week I decided to try checking facebook on the off chance that Nadi had an account, but no such luck. I was telling my mom that I checked, but did not find him. She told me she looked too, but only saw one person named Nadav. Wait a second mom, his name was Nadi, not Nadav. Little did I know that she was right and Nadi was just a nickname. That was all I needed. I wrote to the one person on Facebook with that name and sure enough it is him!

We are trying to make plans to see each other while I am there. I am very excited, but nervous at the same time. I used to be so against Facebook, but now I am the biggest fan because without it I may have never found my long lost friend.

 

[Katie H]

GB, that's wonderful. What an "almost happy" ending. The real happy ending will be when you and Nadi will meet again and catch up on lost time. I'll bet you are really excited about your trip now. Let us know how it all turns out.

 

[ella/TO]

GB, what a delightful story.....I do hope you have a wonderful reunion....Shalom!

 

[bullseye]

How serendipitous, GB! I hope you can arrange the meeting. At any rate, I hope your trip is all you could hope, work obligations notwithstanding.

 

[LPBeier]

That is wonderful GB! I too have found facebook a great tool in finding long lost friends. I know that your meeting with Nadi will be wonderful. Thank you for sharing that.

 

[kitchenelf]

GB - I am so excited for you! Facebook is good if used the right way!! So far I have found some VERY long lost high school friends. I've loved it! Come to find out one of them only lives about 45 minutes from me!!