My Life in Jerusalem, Israel

A Year in Jerusalem, Israel

a picture of Farewell Party with our colleagues 

After working in India for two years (2001-2003), in the middle of 2003, we the entire family, spent a year in Jerusalem as Visiting Scholars at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I received full-time grant from the University of Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia, now is named Charles Darwin Australia. 

What do you think life in Israel? What I thought about life in Israel before we went there. As you all know that we did not have any diplomatic relation with Israel, therefore, the Indonesian went there with unique strategy to be allowed to enter that country. Absolutely, I wont get any permit/visa to visit Israel. Luckily, my son and I granted a visa to Israel in India. After finishing Spring 2003 in India, we applied for visiting Israel. We (my son and I) had no problem in getting visa which was stamped on one of the pages in our passports. 

We all got ready for departure from Indira Gandhi airport in New Delhi. My husband, Dr. Thomas Hunter, brought with him his favorite Indian music instrument called Sarod, an instrument with 35 strings similar to Sitar. He was interrogated for a while about that instrument, what it was, what inside it. My husband spoke Hindi to impressed people at the airport. We had to transit at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja International (BOM) airport in Mumbai before flying to Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv-Yapo, Israel. 

It took us about 14 hours 30 minutes to get to Tel Aviv. Then from there we took a taxi to Mevo Dakar, French Hill, Jerusalem. When we settled in, it was time for us to go shopping for our daily needs. To our surprise it was Friday, the Black Sabbath, where all stores were closed. We got panic because we had no food for our meals. The only way we could do was that we called one of our colleagues informing them our difficult situation. Dr. Shulman and his wife Irene sent a car right away to pick us up for having dinner in their house. One issue has solved.

Then we needed to send our children to schools, our son who was in grade one of Senior High School in Bali must go to the same level of school in Israel or Palestine area. Since, our son had the Indonesian passport, it was easier for us to register him in one of the Palestinian schools. While our daughter was in first grade of elementary school, since she was an American citizen, it was easier to register in JFK school where the expat kids went. 

School holidays between our son and our daughter, our son had holidays on Friday and Saturday while our daughter had holidays on Saturday and Sunday. Therefore, we only could do thing together on Saturday when both our children were having holidays. 

While in Jerusalem, we made friends with both Palestinians and Israelites, both communities had no problems with each other. They hang out together for meals in Abu Gosh restaurant. This restaurant was very neutral, all people could go there; either foreigners, Israelists, or Palestinians. The atmosphere was very relax, intimate, and no feelings of animosity. 

Now, that i read the news that they are in a severe war which makes me very sad because common people of both side are just human beings who want to live peacefully with each other.