Only Me, the Dog and the Stray Cat

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Very early this morning my sister and her son have left for Romania. They are still on the road as I'm writing, they'll reach Timisoara by midnight, as they travel from Bucharest by train. And I'm already missing her.
I kept myself busy all day long, because I didn't want to think about them being gone but as soon as I took Dubi the dog for its walk, I couldn't escape the reality anymore. Because, for almost a month, my sister and I took Dubi for its evening walk together. And it was fun. Because there were only the two of us, and we talked about our childhood, sharing memories, about our common disfunctional family, about life and about what happened in the last 10 years yhtat we hadn't seen each other...
And this evening it was only me, again, with Dubi and the stray cat I feed - she likes to stroll with us...
I really envy my sister. Well, not her exactly, but her life. She is close to her brother, keeps in touch with her ex-husband and his parents (even if it is for the sake of her son), our mother (more, "her" mother than mine) visits her every three - four months or so, she's got a job that she loves, has a lot of friends...
I am not saying that my life is bad or something... I love my small family. But this is not what I'd imagined for myself, profesionally and socially... I am so alone here, I've been for a long time now. I had to give up practising the profession I loved, I had to give up so many things I loved and I am not sure I received that much in return...I realise now how important the place I live is for me, how important was my social network back home, how much I loved my home country. But of course it is too late now and I know I'll grow bitter just thinking about what I had and lost...
And it will be only me, Dubi and the stray cat, every evening, all over again...

Frustrated, Furious and Humiliated

I am so furious I can barely type, my body is shaking and I cannot control my fingers...Do you remember I told you my sister is coming from Romania, to visit us? Well, an hour ago my husband called me from the airport to tell me my sister is been retained at the airport, together with other fellow passengers from the same flight from Romania and that they are questioned by the Interior Ministry. Not long ago, an entry to Israel was possible only if you had a visa (I am talking about Romanian citizens, of course). My mother came here three years ago from Germany and nodoby asked her anything when she got off the plane. My mother was married to a German citizen and she has German citizenship. Clever lady!

It is already 10.00 o'clock in the evening, the plane from Bucharest landed at 8.15 and I still don't know anything about my sister and her son.

Half an hour ago somebody from the Interior Ministry called me to ask me if I am waiting for somebody...duh...I said yes and she started asking me all kind of "tricky" questions in order to find out if the lady sitting near her in an office at the Ben Gurion airport is my sister. After a few questions she said that I am responsible for my sister to return to Romania on the date that it is written on her plane ticket, otherwise there will be consequences. I said of course my sister will return to Romania (who wants to stay in a coutry that welcomes this way its visitor?) and I am prepared to take full responsibility for her. She couldn't help herself and added: "You also, are not of Israeli origin, you married here..." I pretended I didn't understand the hidden meaning of the words and I said: "Yes, I was born in Romania if this is what you're asking...I 've lived here for 10 years and I am an English teacher"...I am not going to linger on this subject because I was humiliated enough in the ten years since I came here, with an open heart...I tried to forget everything and move on and I thought I did that, but this stupid incident reopened old wounds.
And all this because she comes from Romania...Tell me please, how many America, French, English citizens are retained at the Ben Gurion airport and interogated and humiliated? And I mean like regular guys, not terrorists or relatives of Osama bin Laden or serial killers. Only my sister, a piano teacher from Romania that came to visit her sister. Some mata Hari in disguise or... I am really pissed of, so pissed of that I am about to write all about my odyssey to be accpeted here, in Israel.

Update
They let her enter Israel. I talked to her on the phone...She said she never felt so humiliated in her entire life. You know, my sister, teaches piano at the Music Academy in Timisoara, studies for her Ph.D. came to visit her sister in Israel. Stupid me!

O.K. I need to calm down...she'll be here any minute now and I want her to forget the ugly incident and to have fun...After she'll return home, to Romania, I'll tell you a story...

It Is Soooooo Hot and Happy Birthday Dubi!

Today is our dog's birthday! He is 16 years old...Happy birthday, Dubi!

Hopefully Maya will let me finish this post, as she is busy with the new Dora the Explorer toys I bought for her...Just a short note to say: it is sooooooooooooooo hot! (no chance to write in peace, Maya is near me, with one of her puzzles). My sister comes on the 30th and she'll be here for a month! I do hope the heat will subside, otherwise she'll be quite unconfortable. I planned a lot of trips for us - she comes with her son - because is their first time here and I want them to have fun. I also plan to take loads of photos and to publish everything here. I hope I'll have the time...Oh, I want to show here everything: Tel Aviv and Haifa with the Baha'i Gardens and Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. At least the places where we can travel by car in the morning and return to Ashdod in the afternoon/evening, because I am not sure how Maya will take all this...And I hope she'll love this Land as much as I love it...