Go to the Opera for free

In my parents' home, we loved to listen to all types of music: Cantillation, Rock, Folk Music as well as Opera. Then, my parents bought records. The older ones played for a few minutes and the newer ones played for a lot longer. I loved to listen to the melodies, the vocals, the music and the words.

Until today, I love Opera, but …. Gong to the opera is an expensive endeavor. So most of the time I settle for listening to opera that was recorded: records, tapes, CD's and today you can even get Opera on DVD in which you not only listen but you can see the performance as well – arousing more senses.

However, there is nothing like a live performance!
From time to time, I hear about an "Opera for the People" program for FREE, in a park or other central place, which some municipality arranges. This week there was a performance of Georges Bizet's Carmen in Tel Aviv's Ganei Yehoshua (Park Hayarkon).
At first I get really excited but on second thought I get doubts: It's FREE, but there will be a big crowd (I am not the only one who likes Opera), and traffic, with pushing and shoving; there probably wont be enough chairs, so we'll have to sit on the grass far from the stage; and what about food? There are usually food stands at these events, but there are huge lines and the food is both expensive and far from nutritious!

I am lucky that in the end, I can't resist the temptation and start planning for the outing! I plan as if I am going to a picnic. What fun! I make healthy sandwiches like we like, bring a couple of bottles of water, I wash and cut fresh fruit and vegetables for the way, and of coarse, bring the picnic blanket! When you plan well, everything flows exactly, like a Swiss clock: the traffic was light (when is there no traffic?), we found parking rather close, and we even found empty chairs with a great view of the stage!

Wow! Did we enjoy!!!!

What kind of entertainment do you enjoy for FREE?

Some thoughts about summer, heat and the environment

Wow! The summer is here with a vengeance. It is HOT!

The official first day of summer is June 21, the longest day of the year in terms of day light hours and the season ends on September 21, which has equal daytime and nighttime hours – the equinox. But unofficially, the heat of summer bears down on us already in the beginning of spring and becomes part of our life well into the fall.

In Israel, even the winter mocks us! With its teasing rains, which are never enough to meet the basic water needs of the country, and temperate weather. I remember so many winter days filled with warm sunshine even requiring some A/C in the car to filter the hot air.

I remember as a child, we had some really creative ideas for cooling off in the summer months: Wash the floors and not dry them or air dry the washed clothes in the living room. These things really helped cool off the air in the room and relieve us somewhat from the oppressive heat. We would also open the windows and doors from various directions to create a cross breeze. And of course, at every opportunity, we were off to the beach or a pool. There is nothing more refreshing than that first immersion into the cold water.

Today, there is another solution for dealing with the oppressive summer heat: The Air Conditioning. We close up the house completely, even the blinds, and turn on the A/C. When we leave home, it is to the air conditioned car and then on to the air conditioned office or bank or mall. And when the kids are off from school, they also are chauffeured around from one air conditioned site to another - malls and movie theaters.

The air conditioning is on full blast and the temperature is colder than in winter! When ever I leave home, I have to take with me a scarf or light sweater so I will not freeze and catch cold. I ask myself "Are these Antarctic temperatures necessary"? "Who is it benefiting"?

Using the A/C at full capacity costs a lot of money and also has a pretty big carbon footprint. Which effects global warming; which is melting the glaciers; which is raising the sea level: And more and more. Often, I find myself wondering what kind of world I am leaving for my children and my children's children.

I am always thinking about my children and how to ease their burden. In doing so, when they were young, in order make them comfortable on hot summer days, I would turn on the air conditioning to make the house nice and cold. Now my children are grown up and I do not know if we will continue to be able to cool off the world or if there will be enough water to drink or even if there will be a beautiful refreshing beach to run away to!

How can we stop this craziness?

Maybe we all need to be a little more aware, and not just in theory, but really be aware of the harm that we cause our world. Maybe there is still a chance to stop this craziness and maybe even improve the situation.

Share with us your comments and ideas on how we can protect the environment; for us and for the generations to follow.

Neomi

Thoughts about the telephone

Once, when I was a small girl, I had no idea about a thing called the telephone. In the small town where I grew up, there were no telephones. And people managed.

When I grew up a little, I heard about the sophisticated talking machine called the telephone. Already there were a few privileged people in my neighborhood who had one at home. I wasn't one of them, but I managed.

When I had a home of my own, I decided that I also wanted to have a telephone. I ordered one and waited two years until it was installed, and I managed.

Later on, when my children were growing up and they also wanted to use the telephone – a lot. I ordered an additional line so there would be no fights over whom and how long anyone was on the phone, and we all managed.

Years passed by and cell phones started to pop up in the market. I didn't understand why someone would want to have one – what was so important about a cell phone? I didn't buy one and I managed.

After all the kids left home, my oldest son bought me a present – a cell phone. For what?! I didn't need one. I managed all these years without one! Most of the time the cell phone stayed at home and I managed without it

A little time passed, and I decided to take the cell phone with me when I went out, thinking that maybe it could be useful. Maybe something important would come up and I would need to let people know about it and somehow manage.

Another couple of years passed (and believe me, they pass quickly). Today I do not leave the house without my cell phone. It is ALWAYS with me, at home, when traveling, at work. If I do not answer a call immediately, people worry – Where were you? What happened? Why didn't you answer? Didn't you want to speak with me?

How will I ever manage?

And now, when I receive my cell phone bill at the end of the month, I do not manage!!!

Neomi

My Average Workday

Let's talk a little about what my average workday used to look like:

* Wake up late, get the kids and myself ready for the day and drop off at school at the last minute.
* Since I was generally late and had no time to look for parking on the street, I would park in the parking lot closest to my office.
* Stop by the coffee shop for a good cup of coffee and a muffin.
* Work myself silly until lunch time.
* Go out to lunch with some colleagues for some schmoozing and recharging of the batteries.
* Back to work – fairly tired from the big lunch, but effective none-the-less.
* Mid-afternoon break which included a snack at the kiosk and sometimes even a coffee at the coffee shop on the corner.
* A little bit more work before going home.
* Pick up the kids from Aftercare and stop for some ice cream to cool us off.
* Early evenings spent with lots of kids around, either at home or in the park. If there were lots of kids at home, we would finish off the evening with a delivery of pizza, send all kids home, shower, pj's and off to bed – ALL OF US!

WOW! I am impressed with this quick look from the side. Pretty busy days. No wonder I sleep so well. I am impressed from all the activity but not so impressed by the amount of money that would slip through my fingers.

Let's make a quick calculation:

Parking Lot - 50
Coffee and muffin - 12
Lunch (we had lunch coupons) - 15
Afternoon snack - 8
Afternoon coffee - 10
Ice cream – 18
Pizza delivery – 69

Total: 182 Shekels (about $45) - UNBELIEVABLE!

Let's say that I take away the 3 items that I didn't buy every day – afternoon coffee, ice cream and pizza – the total is still 85 shekels! 85 shekels a day on things I really didn't need.

I work about 264 days a year – that would come out to 22,440 shekels a year! Today, I can think of a lot of better things to do with that kind of money. Things like paying off debt or investing to create passive income.

I have changed my ways and have almost completely eliminated frivolous spending while still being able to "buy on demand" or "splurge" just because. The only difference is that now I have the money to do so!

Check out your daily routine and see how much money and on what you spend routinely and ask yourself if there are better ways to spend it.

Mindy