Hello together!

Here is the result of my first impression of the Israeli health care system, just in case, one has to go to the doctor. That health care system is a story of it's own. You get a health insurance, yet you can only go to certain doctors/clinics, they need to have a contract with your health insurance. Depending on your insurance plan, you still can (or cannot) go to every doctor...

As I have the more expensive insurance plan, I can go to the doctor on campus. At least. That came in handy this week, as I was there 3-4 times...

Let's start from the beginning. I do need certain examinations for the diving-thing. Monday I went to the doctor (with an appointment) for a first interview as I had not been there before. All good so far. During that visit, I was told, that I'd have to pay for the blood test myself (same in Germany in that case, so okay), yet that that couldn't be done in that practice. Because it's not a private practice. And that in Haifa, blood testing could only be done Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thanks. Where to go to get that blood test done, they couldn't tell me either.

So, with that information, I went back to my colleague, who wants to learn diving with me. He got a bit upset....and then called someone else from the department to go with me to the doctor, to convince her so I could get that test for free. Tuesday, back to the doctor, talking to the secretary and she wanted to talk to the doctor....who wasn't in that day. Wednesday back to the doctor, with support, to ask again regarding the blood test...in Hebrew this time. Then I got the news, that I'd get the blood test for free, as it has been years since I had one done. Thursday morning I went there again to get blood drawn. Finally. What a complicated thing!

Thursday, we had a lab meeting with a lot to eat. Additionally, we had some Hanukkah-candles...that we forgot to light :D

Lab-Hanukkah-Menorah :)

Over the last days, there has been an 'Arabic Food Festival' down town. Yesterday I went with a few people to see a concert. We were a bit 'late', stayed for a few minutes and then went to get food :D Hence, we didn't see that much from the festival. After that, we had a beer at the 'oldest pub in Israel', the Anchor Pub. Guinness tastes the same as everywhere else ;)

Then I went grocery shopping with 2 others. And found this:

If I understood this correctly, 24*0.33 Beck's or Carlsberg cost 129.09 NIS. That is an offer. For about 30€. Welcome to Israel :D

Today, I went to the flea market down town. That is THE second hand market in Haifa. I was there a bit late, to the best things were taken already. As I went alone, that was a bit boring and I didn't buy anything. Language barrier...

Yet it was great to enjoy the sun a little bit...on campus, it's quite chilly already.

Something else. I got the question, what my PhD-project is about and I realised...that I didn't explain so far, what I'm doing here.

So. The plan is, that I investigate sapropels in the Mediterranean Sea. The youngest one, to be precise, sapropel S1. Sapropels are dark, organic-rich layers in the sediment. So far, most studies are done on deep sea sediments. We want to work on shallower water depths now. The idea is, to get 3 sediment cores from 600, 1200 and 2400 m water depth. On those, I'd be picking foraminifera for stable isotopes (oxygen+carbon), as well as for benthic fauna.

Due to internal university reasons (and because I'd only be reading literature otherwise), I'm working on samples from the Red Sea. Those belong to another PhD-project, but give me the possibility to do something practical and to get used to microscope-work again. I've been a bit out of practice :D

I hope, that explanation helps a little bit. If not, just ask :)

What else...

It's getting quite cold here at night now and I finally found out, how the 'heating' in my room works. Heating. The air conditioner heats as well...a little bit.

On Thursday, I'm flying to Germany (for Christmas and New Year), so the next update will probably be in January.

Happy Hanukkah,

Eleen :)