27 Questions
For My Twenty Seventh Birthday
This year I’ve once again used my Instagram story to request that you ask me questions, anything that might interest you about me. I chose 27 questions in celebration of my 27th birthday, 25.04.23. I hope you enjoy reading my responses and I’d love it if you followed me on Instagram, I’m very active there and it’s a great place to ask me questions and chat with me. Now, without further ado – the answers to your questions:
1- How much coffee do you drink a day?
Oh my, a woman never tells!!! Just kidding!
A very good, fun question to start with. On an average day I tend to drink between one to two cups of coffee, but on days where I’m moving around a lot or very busy I go up to around 4 cups. Back when I was at uni I’d drink around 7 americanos on busy days. Coffee wakes me up and keeps me up but most importantly it comforts me, so stressful or hard days always bring with them a great need for coffee.
2 – What is the funnest thing you remember doing?
I’m not sure if it’s the funnest thing I’ve done, but one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had was going to London to live and study fashion design on my own . While I was there I felt inspired, soaking up information and new techniques like a sponge, I felt brave and capable, independent and free. I try to fill my life with things that give me these feelings nowadays, too. Learning new techniques, meeting interesting people, creating without fear, without knowing what exactly it is I’m creating, getting excited with new things and feeling those butterflies in my stomach.
3- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years I will be 32 so, I see myself with a more stable freelancing career, maybe even my own company. Living with Tom in our own apartment with a dog and a cat, still writing for this blog, making Youtube videos, and just in general creating stuff.
4 – How are you feeling about birthdays and turning 27?
I have a lot of thoughts on the topic of my age, many of them to do with how different and unique the lives of each individual 27-year-old person I know are, though we are the same age or age group the way we live is very different. Another strange thing I’ve thought about is that as a little girl I thought of adults as 30 year olds with a house and a car and a steady job and anything they could want. Today, as an adult, I do not meet these criteria. I don’t know if it’s because today’s life is different to the life adults lead back when I was a kid or because I was a kid and didn’t quite understand how the world works back then. I thought the adult world was full of stability, something I know today to be untrue, and it startles me sometimes when I think about my age. In any case I like to take any opportunity I get to celebrate and it’s nice to have a specific day each year for people to tell you how wonderful you are and celebrate your existence.
5- Sum up this last year of your life?
6- Any plans and dreams for the near future?
I want to start uploading articles and videos on a more regular basis. I’m trying to learn a lot and dreaming of starting my own company and brand so I’m working on that. Tom and I are planning on travelling a little bit and I am very excited about that. But the main dream is to develop my career, and move in with Tom into our own apartment because we really really want our own cat and dog (we’ve already picked out names and everything).
7- What are you doing these days?
These days I am mostly freelancing as a producer and designer. I’m seeing friends and family and learning a lot, working with new computer programs, learning SEO, learning jewellery, theatre production, animation and lots of new ways to create. I’m living with my parents and my partner in Tel Aviv, and on weekends I protest for democracy, women’s and minority rights and of course against theocracy.
8 – You’ve been in a relationship for a long time, how’s that going and what’s changed?
I’ve been in a relationship with Tom for 4 years now and I think mostly what’s changed is that we know each other more deeply, we’re more comfortable with each other and we can talk about anything, I think we’re at a stage we’re I trust him fully, 100%, and I know we can communicate and solve almost anything together (something I did not always know or feel). We’re very excited to take further steps like moving in together, working on projects together, but we’re also aware that these are not simple things to do (especially these days) and we’re patient and excited for the future, we’re very certain we want to share it with each other.
9- Are you gonna marry Tom?
Absolutely! But first we wanna live together. There’s no urgency or pressure to get married because marriage itself doesn’t hold much meaning in our eyes. We’re excited to live together, to have friends over, to raise pets. Basically to start an independent life together as a couple.
10- How do you explain what’s happening in the country right now? What are your thoughts?
I think what’s happening in the country (Israel) is part of a worldwide trend. Mega conservative, anti-science, anti-women, anti–minority. The situation in Israel is simple, they’re trying to use semi-democratic methods to end the liberal, hi-tech powerhouse country of Israel and make it into a dictatorship led by religious ideology, sexism, and the good of the monarch. They cancel laws meant to protect kids, women, minorities, make it harder for freelancers and artists to get by, and make life more violent. If this trend continues I won’t have a choice but to leave my home, my family and my community and to find a new place where I can feel safe, not so easily done when you’re Jewish and a citizen of Israel.
11- How did you celebrate your birthday?
This year my birthday fell on Memorial Day and Independence Day Eve. I spent the day itself with Tom. In the morning he reserved us seats at Mashia where we ate the prettiest and tastiest food I’d eaten in a long time! Then we went to Mai-art for several hours while I checked out materials and art books and had a blast! We kept on walking by the sea and reached the old train station where we walked around the shops and cafes. Finally in the evening we went out to celebrate Independence Day at the Schnitt with some friends, going for ice cream later on. I spent the next day with my sister who gave me an amazing present and on the weekend I celebrated with my family, I told them I really wanted to do something “active”, an activity, I suggested bowling and they surprised me with a visit to the museum where we spent almost 4 hours on an amazing tour (not even finishing the whole museum) and eventually we all sat down at Beta Cafe.
12-What did you get for your birthday?
From Tom I got a day of fun which I of course spent with him, he got me 3 bottles of the perfume oil of my favourite scent which he originally bought me about a year ago on our trip to Manchester, and it brings pleasant memories to us (until recently I would hesitate to use it for fear of finishing it and now I can use as much as I like). He also gave me an Ember mug, a copper coloured mug that keeps your coffee warm and heats it up when necessary. Tom’s family got me a lovely collection of Paddington books from London, which I love so much. I expect to replace my endless pre-sleep phone scrolling with a calming delve into these sweet children’s books. My sister Gal gave me a collection of activities she made for me, including colouring pages which she drew of people and things I love, as well as crosswords and much more. I am ecstatic to colour them in and destress with these creative activities full of my sister’s love! My family gave me a day of fun (which is what I always ask for on my birthday) and a beautiful strawberry birthday cake. I had an amazing birthday with loads of blessings from loved ones, fun times and presents, and I felt very loved!
13- Where would you like to travel and why?
I’ve been wanting to go to Amsterdam for a few years now. I’m dying to see fields of tulips (my favourite flower). I have some memories from a trip to Amsterdam with my family when I was six and the most vivid of these are wooden clogs, loads of tulips including some made out of wood which we took home with us, and rich, tasty milk. So I have a strong desire to re-experience the museums as an adult, to ride a bike, buy wooden tulips and eat cheese. Another place I’d like to see is Greece. I’d like to see ruins and ancient Greek architecture, eat Greek food, enjoy the sun and have a “Mamma Mia-the musical” experience, with white dresses and leather sandals by the sea. I’d also like to visit Europe near Christmas and see some real Christmas markets and fly to the Maldives or Thailand and enjoy long days on the beach.
14- How do you define your style?
I would say my style is full of homage, I am inspired by a wide variety of sources, different periods of time, movies, animated series, old photos of my mom, magazines, even inanimate objects. I would call myself a maximalist in my thinking, in that to me every article of clothing can work in a million different situations and ways, but also because I love to play with layers, colours, and patterns.
15- How are you feeling these days?
First I’d like to say thanks for the interest, it’s sweet. I think this is a very difficult time, confusing and dark on a global scale as well as here in Israel. On one hand I’m happy, I have a loving family, a billion different things to do, hobbies and an amazing partner, I want for nothing. But the cost of living and relentless inflation scare me, the way workers are treated worries me, the way sexism and intolerance become more and more popular and legitimised in people’s eyes scares me, there are many people around whose voice is violent, intolerant, unempathetic. I hope we can achieve serious change on a global and local scale. A change that will bring with it acceptance of others, better education, open minds and respect. So… these are the thoughts I’m thinking and feelings I’m feeling these days.
16- Why did you decide to share your experience at the gyno’s on YouTube?
I decided to share my experience on YouTube due to a number of very unpleasant situations. Lately I’ve gone through a battery of tests because I might have endometriosis, I’m tired all the time, hurting a lot, feeling like my medical care and the pain I’m feeling is not anyone’s priority, and like everyone’s too concentrated on whether I should have children and whether I can be a good wife. I want people to know the unpleasantness I’ve had to deal with just looking for medical care. There’s really no reason for this to be as it is, for women to be treated this poorly at the gyno’s (or at all), but I fear if we continue to keep these experiences to ourselves we’re not gonna get anywhere.
17- Share an unpopular opinion of yours.
Halva is bad! I know it’s an unpopular opinion, especially in our mediterranean country, but still. Leave the tahini and sesame alone!
18- How do you take your coffee?
Eeeeexcellent questionnnnn, simple too, I drink “filter” coffee with no sugar and no milk. Or an americano (espresso + water) ooooor a Nespresso capsule, once again no milk no sugar (I drink the sweeter caramel capsules anyway).
19- Favourite alcohol?
Okay, so, in terms of alcohol I really like Gin, Passoa, Coconut Feigling, white wine (mostly moscato) and sometimes Rum. When it comes to cocktails my rule of thumb is make it sweet and hide the alcoholic flavour.
20- What would you like to do but are too scared to do?
This is going to sound funny but…I’ve been wanting bangs for a while. I wanna buy something I can use to style my hair. I really like 60’s and 70’s hairstyles and I’d like to try and experiment with different styles for my own hair. Click here for examples of the kind of hair I’m talking about. As a kid I had bangs and later, when I was 18, I spontaneously went to a hairdresser to get bangs, I used to straighten just the bangs with a hair straightener. The look I want requires some understanding of hairstyling and some money, but most of all a lot of trial and error which is why I’m hesitant about doing it. I’m afraid I won’t have the energy to deal with my hair and won’t like how I’ll look most of the time. Maybe I’ll try it sometime in the future.
21- How do you feel when you compare yourself to your contemporaries?
Wooooow, that is a great question and I think the answer changes wildly depending on when I’m asked. I do tend to compare myself to others and the thing is, at my age everyone is in a different place in their lives. I have friends who have children, friends who are single, friends who are engaged, those with steady jobs, those who travel, some that have pets, some who live with roommates, or alone, or with their parents, like me. I notice, usually when I compare myself to someone else it’s not an overall comparison, it’s just the parameters where I fall short and would like to get better. They have their own apartment, they make more money, they have a more successful career. The truth is I’m happy where I am, saving up, living with the people I love, in a happy relationship, creating. I’d like to be more capable of telling myself that there’s really no comparing two people like that, because everyone’s life is so different in so many complex ways – it’s just not a real comparison.
23- Do you feel 27?
Tough one. I think I do, but not in the way in which I imagined as a child what a 27 year old “adult” looks like. I often still feel like a little girl, in fact the only times I don’t feel that way are when I’m with kids and I suddenly realise how different we are, how differently we feel things and see the world and express ourselves.
23- What’s your favourite season?
Honestly, I don’t even know anymore! For most of my life my favourite season was winter. Something about the different saturation of colours in winter, everything’s brighter, the cold dry air, the smell of rain being my favourite smell in the whole wide world. And yet these past few years winter has felt cold and dark, no rain, me getting sick and shivering 24/7. It makes me yearn for the summer and the sun, but then the summer is hot and humid and sweaty so I’m uncomfortable again. So I’m thinking my favourite seasons these days are the transitional seasons fall and spring. In the spring everything blooms and the sun is finally out and warm but not blazing. And in the fall the air becomes dry, the autumnal wind brings with it fallen leaves and the general feeling is excitement for the winter and rain, before the darkness and harsh cold.
24- Name something you’d like to get better at.
First and foremost I’d like to keep a healthier diet and healthier habits. Over the last year I’ve had a variety of different health issues and I’d like to probe a little further into how I can better my immune system and my quality of life with diet, sports, sleep, and positive thinking. I’d also like to do more for my community, I have a lot of ideas for initiatives I’d like to get started, and in general raise awareness of many issues close to my heart as well as support the people who are dealing with them.
25- What is your wildest, achievable dream for this year?
To some of you this may sound silly, but my wildest dream right now is to move into my own apartment with Tom. Somewhere near my parents’ house. I’m originally from Ramat Aviv, it’s what feels like home, and I love being near my family! I really want to fix up my own first apartment with Tom and adopt a dog together. Another dream I have is to keep creating and make money as a full-time freelancer. I feel like there are many ways in which it could happen, from working in production to design to writing to content creation to selling my own art and I love all of these ideas so much! I’d like to create a business plan I’m satisfied with and can handle as a freelancer.
26- What are your hobbies these days?
Wooooow I have so many hobbies! Some may say too many! I’m learning how to make jewellery and sawing a lot of jewels out of brass (for now), I sew a lot, mostly outfits and stuff for the house, I’ve started to learn how to animate, I draw, I model, I upload content to the site and YouTube, I’m taking singing lessons, working on a bunch of projects, taking my beloved Nano out of walks, writing, making stained glass works, doing sports, and so much more.
27- What is your favourite pasta shape?
My favourite pasta shape is probably farfalle or radiatori, but my favourite kind of pasta (which may confuse people) is harder than al dente, I tend to snack on pasta which has just gone into the boiling water as it’s being made. I just like the crunch. I really don’t like my pasta overdone and mushy.
And that’s it for today! I hope you enjoyed my 27 answers to your questions, I had fun answering!
Thank you to everyone who sent me questions on my story and on Instagram, you’re amazing!
Now I’d like to hear from you, what are your answers to these questions? Which answer surprised or made you laugh?
You’re welcome to follow me on social media, I’m always up for a chat there.
If you’d like some more reading you can go back and read 24 questions for my 24th birthday here.
I’m always happy to read your comments and hear your thoughts.
-Sapir-