Monday, July 31, 2006

Only in Israel....

Check out this story from Naomi Ragen about what's on Israeli TV. (You must know that I actually love the American version of this TV show. But I'll never watch it the same way again...)

This is what you would see on television if you lived inIsrael. An Israeli version of The Biggest Loser, theAmerican weight-loss game show, except with an Israeli twist. Tonight, they explored how it was these past twoweeks for contestant Chani, mother of two, who lives inHaifa. They showed Chani and her two little girls and heraging parents as the sirens went off in Haifa, howfrightened the children were, huddling in fear against thewalls of their apartment, waiting for the bombs to fall."They can fall anywhere," Chani pointed out. "And you hearthem, and the whole apartment shakes."

So, how is Chanidoing with her diet during all of this? "Well, it really puts that piece of chocolate into perspective. I've learnedthis about myself: That I want to live. I really want tolive. Sometimes, I speak to friends in Tel Aviv, and theysay:'Oh, be strong. We are really sorry you have to gothrough this... ' And I realize that they just don't get it.It's the way I felt when I used to hear about rocketsfalling in Sderot. I just didn't get it. Those sirens...the wailing, the horrible wait, not knowing. And having it happen eight, nine times a day, and each time thinking: Am I going to die? And worst of all, you areresponsible for these children. They are yourresponsibility. You have to keep them safe."

Chani admitted she hadn't been able to exercise for the lasttwo weeks because of the bombs. But "Nasrallah won't stopme from losing weight."Chani is right. In the great weigh-in she managed to loseweight anyhow.

Only in Israel.

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