The funniest video I've seen in a while!!!

This is hillarious!!!

His wife yabba!

Last but not least!!!

A video from the night before Pesach. Just uploaded.

Avremy ROX!!!

Avremy is the best!!!

He is helping support our Chabad House.

As I type this, I realize how lame this is... While Chabad Houses are going around and soliciting funds from big donors, with promises of ginormous plaques and signs honoring the generosity of the benefactors... Here I am trying to raise some money for our Chabad house, attempting to pursuade family and friends to buy tickets with promises of what? That I will publish a post on my blog praising their kindness (Bitmiyah!!!)??

Well, thanks anyway Reb Avremy. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and kindness.

You are always invited to visit us. We also hope you win.

To whoever this may concern...

So, a cute story happened to me today. I was chatting with a Chosson on facebook today... For anonymous purposes, let us call him Yisroel and we will call his Kallah Mushky.

So, it just so happens to be, that Yisroel's Kalla Mushky just left American today and is flying overseas (let us say, to Timbuktu).


Here's how the conversation sounded.

Yisroel: hey Benny, what's up?
Benny: Pretty good, what's up with you Chosson?
Yisroel: Oy! Mushky is in the air!
Benny: lol
Yisroel: No. I mean she's flying to Timbuktu.
Benny: Oh!! Cause I thought it meant something else.
Benny: That can have two meanings you know. It's the perfect thing for a Chosson to say.
Yisroel: Perhaps that too. You will never know.

Okay okay... The conversation is not verbatim. I colored it a bit.

Anyways, this particular Kalla - as we are calling Mushky for reasons of anonymity - is amazing. She is supporting our raffle and I promised that I would mention her namesake on the blog.

May she have lots of Nachas from her new life, and she should continue to see the beauty and the good in everything that comes her way, especially since it'll be so easy seeing the good... Hashem will give them only the best and they will never know from want etc etc etc...

Shkoyach muchisimisimo!!!!

STORY: Shaul and the dream

Children, gather around the fire place, while I relate to you yet another true and amazing story of Hashgocho Protis that came upon our fine little Chabad house in Cabo.

...crackling of the fire...

Shaul and Lena, my wonderful and fine brother in law and sister were here visiting for Pesach. They were here for a few weeks, and with Pesach being such a busy time, they hadn't really had the chance to go and experience the beauty and the relaxation that Cabo promises to its visitors.

It was the last day before they were to leave back home. They decided that enough was enough, they were going to get some sun.

They left the house.

Several hours later, Sonia and myself decided that after such a Pesach holiday, it was time for us to spend some quality time with the kids out in the sun too.

Why not go to the beach?

No, not a full Fraie beach! We know of a beach that is fairly empty and basically tznius, so we decided to head on over there and spend a little time with the kids.

As we approach the beach, we meet up with our two heroes, Shaul and Lena.

They are excited!

"Benny! You need to come and meet this guy!" Says Shaul quickly.

"Alright. Calm down and show me what you're talking about." I say. Shaul leads us back to the beach and explains to us the situation.

They were casually sitting at the end of the beach, minding their own business and enjoying the Cabo weather, when all of a sudden, a full fledged Mexican comes over to them and begins conversation.

He claimed to be a Jew.

He claimed to have just been transferred a week earlier from Mexico city to work in Cabo.

He is an officer in the Mexican army.

At first, Shaul didn't really believe that he was a genuine Jew, after all, by looking at the dude in the picture above, would you? (It's a picture of him.)

But as the conversation continued, Michael, the officer proved to know his stuff. He knew all about the Torah, Shabbos, Davvening, Havdallah, Mitzvos and everything else that a Jew should know. His kids, although not Jewish, they were still medically circumcised and have Jewish names and everything... So Shaul came to the conclusion that chances are that this guy is genuine and not stam a Mexican hacker!

When I arrive at the beach and we head to the end, where Michael was sitting with some other Mexican navy officers, Michael sees me, quickly and excitedly comes over and begins speaking with me, explaining me his whole story.

What an interesting Hashgocho Protis I think to myself. This is the end of the beach. We usually would never trudge all the way to the end of the beach. It's difficult to walk through the sand Shlepping two kids along. But here Hashem had made us end up on this ekk velt, just so that a Jewish Mexican officer in the army can find other Yidden when he arrives in this new city of Cabo.

However, the story doesn't end.

After Shaul and Lena left, Michael came over to the Chabad house to pay me a visit and speak to me a bit more about him and his story.

He told me that in Mexico City, although he wasn't really able to keep Yiddishkeit to the fullest, he still would try as best as he could to do whatever he was able to.

It was difficult for him, but he was commited.

When the news came to him that he would be transferred to Cabo, he was devastated. He was scared, because he had never mover with his family to a far and new place and he didn't know what to expect. But more importantly, he knew that there was no Yiddishkeit in Cabo and was therefore terrified that he would not be able to keep his commitments to his traditions and religion.

He tells me...

About a week before he moved to Cabo, he had a dream.

Someone came to him in the middle of his sleep. He couldn't see the man's face. All he saw was the person's body. But he felt that it was someone whom he could trust and believe.

In the dream, the man told him that although he was going to a new place and he was beginning anew in an uncomfortable environment, he should not be scared, because everything is going to work out as it should.

When he awoke, he all of a sudden felt a calmness that he had not experienced for weeks and weeks leading up to the dream. He was worried no more and felt better that he had been reassured about his big move to Cabo.

When he came, he sort of settled in. His family still hadn't yet arrived. He is here making the preparations for the family to come... Yet he's wondering what the dream means...

And then, he is standing with a few friends on a lone beach and the end of Cabo... an empty beach no less... The end of an empty beach and who shows up?? A Jew with a beard, tzitzis and a Yarlmuka!! He told me that the moment he saw Shaul, he almost fainted from shock! He realized that Hashem was behind everything and that he really had nothing to fear about his move.

He just found a home about 15 minutes away from us. That way, he's close by and can join us for everything we do.

He has shown up to every Tfilla that we offer so far and then some. Every class that we have in Cabo S. Lucas he shows up and drinks in every word... It's amazing. I don't know what will be from today and onward, but I do know that I have a diamond in my midst. I have a jewel, with the responsibility of the Rebbe in my hands, to polish him and make him shine!!! He is waiting for it. He is begging for it.

Why am I waiting???

...

And that's the story!

Didn't believe my previous story?? here are some pictures!!

Unzer Shtot!

While emptying out our Chometz foods from the freezer, we decided to chance upon the opportunity of some delicious Mexican steak!

Unloading the truck into our small van in La Paz.

Our beautiful Menny. Kein Ayin Hora, poo poo poo!

The eggs being cooked for our 150 Seder guests.

With our car-full of Matzos and wine. 2 & 1/2 hours before Pesach and we were in La Paz, 2 hours north!

The truck backing in to the lot... after mucho time waiting and waiting!

Divine providence had me meet our first Jewish community member (and Jewish family) in La Paz. Carlo! He even got to make a Seder for Pesach this year!! The Rebbe looks out for his flock. Even in La Paz.

Picking up our chicken from the airport two days before Yom tov. One of the coolers broke and I needed to make sure that the chicken hadn't gone bad.

My beautiful boy!!! The golden and adorable Kov meister!!! Again, kein ayin hora, poo poo poo!

Thanks to Yossi Silverstein and his stupendous camera for these beautiful photos!

1 and a half million views in 25 days!

I liked this song... It sums things up.

Mushky, you're very lucky!

There I said it!!!

A couple of seconds after I wrote this, I realized how selfish and disgusting I am.

I'm charging a Chosson the price of 3 raffle tickets in order to tell his Kalla how amazing he is?? Shame on me!!

Thanks Yisroel. Like I said, I hope you win.

Finalmente...

I'm back. The family is gone. I am lonely again... Save for the wonderful wife and kinderlach who's job it is to keep a lonely husband/father company. They are doing a good job at it.

Did you hear the news?

No!

Guess what I got back!

What?

My hard drive which I had thought to be broken for like three years with so many fond memories!!!!

Hooray!!!

---

I've been wasting lots of time recently, checking out all the pictures from Hong Kong, all my music, my Ottawa memories (the good ones and the bad), all the videos that I had from my life... Oy! It's amazing.

---

In other news, there are 3 weeks left to our raffle!!! We haven't made anything close to what we hoped for. We need to sell about 250 more tickets in order to cover (no, kidding. In order to really be happy!). Please purchase a ticket. What's $20? It's a free trip to Cabo you shmoo!!!

---

The weather is getting hotter. Last year when we arrived and people told us that summer, the hear is difficult... Yes it was difficult, but we figured that we can somewhat bear it. when the summer came we went nuts. It was so hard and intense!!

The worst part of this year is the waiting for the heat to just pass us already. It's like when a person is slapped in the face by surprise, it's bad! But not that bad. It wasn't expected.
But when someone knows that he will get slapped in the face any moment now, he is so anxious to just get it over and done with, that it makes the waiting and the slap itself much more difficult to bear.

We are waiting for the summer heat to come and go. We know how bad it will be. This year I think will be worse than the last.

---

I'm updating because I've been pressured into it.
My wife told me that one of her sisters pushed her to have me update this thing... My brother in law is waiting to see what's going on with my life. Oh well!!!

I'm such a pushover.

Nu nu. We all make sacrifices for the family.

---

Welcome Yisroel to my blog family. I think when someone is an unpopular blogger, it's nice to marry into a huge family (Kein ayin hora, poo poo poo, keech keech keech, bla bla bla, boodgeem pootchy floochy). That way at least someone checks up on your posts.

Just kidding.

---

Pesach was real nice this past year.
We did the Seder in the Puerto Paraiso mall.
It's amazing how when we organize an event, the whole structure of the event can fall apart and be delivered backwards and totally off... But when you get feedback from people who attended and hadn't seen the backstage, they seem to love. I can't understand how they are raving about the event. I feel like replying to their compliments and saying:
"But we began half hour late!!"
"But the food was not hot enough!!"
"But there were not enough seats for everyone!!!"

Instead of revealing our little problems, I grab hold of my brain and make it useful for a change, by keeping quiet and smiling.

It works. People loved the Seder. They thought it was great. I also had a great time, although I was absolutely zonked from our Erev Pesach escapade. I will share this story with you and then I will call it a night.
Here goes:

Our Matzos and wine were supposed to be sent out the week before Pesach, that way I'd be able to go around town delivering Matzos to people who would be able to use it (and who would also send me money in support of our Chabad House... hehe)... All seemed to be according to plan. I also wanted to prepare the Matzos for the Seder in small paper bags. We were going to be ready with everything before the Seder. We don't want to leave things to the last minute you know.

Yom tov is Monday night!
We are the only ones who are going to have Matzos and wine for the holiday. If we don't have any, then there is nothing for Pesach for the entire city.

Friday, I call up to find out where the Matzos and wine for Los Cabos is.

"It's leaving today and should be there on Sunday."

Pefect I thought. Although I would have preferred having it arrive earlier, but I rescheduled some of the 'to do's' on my list and I planned to make the 2 hour trip up to La Paz to pick up the order. I would also have some time to deliver some Matzos around La Paz (A city about 2 hours north of Cabo and there are several Jews that live there too.), as well as Todos Santos (A city with several Jews in between La Paz and Cabo) on the way back into Cabo.

Sunday morning, I'm all ready to head out to La Paz and I call just to confirm when it's arriving. After finally getting through to the guy from the trucking company. He tells me this:
"Sorry Benny. The truck didn't leave Tijuana until yesterday. It's going to be arriving in La Paz late tonight. If you are here in La Paz at 8am tomorrow, monday morning when the office opens, you will take the boxes and be back in Cabo with time to spare. Again, I'm sorry."

Sorry he was. But I didn't have my Matzos and this Mexican way of doing business was beginning to scare me.

I figured Monday will be one heck of a day. But I should be back in Cabo at about midday and I will have another 7 hours until the Seder starts to do all my preparations, albeit quickly and unorganized... "But this is life" I say to myself.

I wake up Monday morning at 5am.

Yossi Silverstein comes with me and we travel together to La Paz. It's a nice and pleasant ride.

We arrive in La Paz on time. It's 8am and the guy from the company is waiting for us as planned. Except he doesn't have good news.

"The truck still hasn't arrived" he says.

"What??!!! We have a very important dinner tonight with over 150 people coming and we absolutely need that food!!!!" I yell at him in broken Spanish.

"I know. I also want your delivery of Matza and wine to come for Pesach. It should come by 11am."

I pause. Did I just hear that?

"Did you just say Pesach and Matza?" I ask excitedly. "Are you Jewish?"

"Yes I am."

By now, I'm calming down and actually smiling.

"Goodness! Why didn't you say so earlier? Come! Let's put on Tefillin and then we'll wait!"

We put on Tefillin there. It was amazing. I told our new found Jewish friend Carlo that we would go around town a bit to visit some other people and then we would come back at 11am to greet the truck, hand him his Matzos and be on our way.

What Hashgocho Protis!...

We got the car cleaned, did the Kol Chamira, visited some other folks and then headed back to pick up our long awaited order...

So, do you think we received the Matzos at 11am? Heck's no!! If we would receive it at 11, then we would get home with some time left before Yomtov and c'mon, Hashem can't make our lives sooooo easy... So he needed to push our limits further.

The truck still hadn't arrive.
11am - It's only 100 kilometers from La Paz and should be here within an hour and a half...
...
12:30pm - I don't know why it's taking so long. It should be here any minute!!...
...
1:30pm - Ya, you know... There's traffic coming into town and stuff. But he should be here any minute...
...
2:00pm (4 hours left to yomtov) - Dunno what's taking him so long...

We decide to go to the Mikva. But instead of getting near the water, we get stuck in the mud. The vehicle eventually gets out of the mud, but I get totally covered in it. I return to the truck office absolutely filthy... We continue to wait.
...
3:00pm...
...
3:30pm - 'Bruuum brruuumm' "Oh, the truck is here!"

Finally, with 2 and a half hours to Yomtov the truck rolls in. We quickly unload the stuff into our small car, filling our order to the brim.

Carlo, our newfound Jew brought his daughter along, so she can witness a frum Jew. At first I figured that the daughter was most certainly not Jewish... However I was shocked to find out that him, his wife and his three kids are Jewish and living in La Paz.
I gave him a bottle of wine and a box of Matzos... I showed his daughter how to light the candles and I gave them easy instructions for the Seder and then we were on our way.

We flew!!

Quick stop off in Todos Santos, delivering a box of Matzos to a fellow who didn't know me, but I had heard of his real estate office in Todos Santos and that he was Jewish. I dropped the box off at his office with a note that told him to call his Jewish friends and put together a Seder for that evening. Then I got back in the car and we flew off to Cabo.

We arrived home with 20 minutes to Yomtov.

I jumped into the Shower and tried to make myself look decent. Then I grabbed a pan of Gefilte fish and sped over to the mall... We emptied the Matzos and wine into the hall, with about 60 people already waiting outside for the Seder hall to open.

Everything was upside down'ish... But thanks to my amazing family, it wasn't looking like the main course in gehinom. They had done an amazing job.

The Seder went on and nobody even knew that I had experienced my own 'miniature' exodus from a little Egypt within my life.

Hashem had pushed me to my limits and then he let me go. The feeling after such a mentally challenging day is amazing.

The rest of the night for me is a blur. That's how that night was different than all other nights.

---

In other news, the habs made the playoffs and will be playing Alexander Ovetchkin and the Washington Caps starting Thursday night... I'm excited but nervous. Will Hashem give my hockey team a exodus miracle as well?

---

I have another story that just happened to me. It involves the far end of a beach, my sister and brother in law Shaul and Lena, a Jewish marine from the Mexican army and a dream.

---

Sonia is amazing.
Kovi is adorable.
Meni is delicious.

So why am I sad?

This picture was taken on my last night in HK during my first run. I'm just happy that I finally have access to all these pictures.

The picture above is not me! It's someone who looks like me. I'm really a happy and 'bubbly' guy!

Really Sonia, REALLY!!

Finally have my hard drive again

After 3 years of loneliness from my dear hard drive with every bit of information that I cherished... Finally it's working again. $50US and I can reminince for the next 3 months.

I hope to update soon. Pesach was intense!