It's been so long since I've written, but SO much has happened. Okay... so on May 2nd my Israel and the Environment class took us on a jeep trek through the desert, which was very cool. We got to see some really remote parts of the desert including a random monastery hidden in a mountain! The next Thursday my friends and I went to Haifa and Acco. Haifa is the 3rd biggest city in Israel, but its main attraction is the Baha'i Gardens, which were absolutely beautiful. Acco is a really old city and it has some historical and beautiful sites, but unfortunately it's gotten really run down lately.
That weekend my program took us on a trip to the north--the Galilee and Golan Heights. I think these are my some of my favorite parts of Israel... everything is sooo beautiful. We did a lot of hiking, rafting on the Jordan River (more like waterfighting on the Jordan), and we had a bonfire where we made our own pita.
Those were both really fun trips, but those stories were lead ups to this one--I WENT TO EGYPT!!! I have literally been trying to put this trip together since before I got to Israel, and I'm so happy that it worked out and lived up to my expectations. Amanda, Christy and I decided to take a tour of Cairo, which would save us from a) planning and b) worrying so much about safety. The tour picked us up at 5:30 AM from Eilat, at the southern tip of Israel, and drove us 5 hours through the Sinai Peninsula to Cairo. When we got there our tour guide brought us through the Egypt Museum--at first I felt so exhausted and didn't think I could handle a museum, but it was SO COOL!! Of course I couldn't take pictures of anyway, but we saw about 15 mummies (some still had hair, teeth and fingernails) as well as everything that has been excavated from King Tut's tomb. It's so amazing. King Tut's mask looks exactly like the pictures in real life. Overall: Ancient Egypt-100000 points, Modern Civilzation- 0.
After the museum the tour took us to a store to see how the ancient Egyptians made papyrus. This was partially a ploy to get us to try to buy stuff, but it was cool at the same time. We found out that we weren't seeing the pyramids until tomorrow, and at first I was disappointed, until I realized that we could see them driving on the way to our hotel! I'd had no idea they were so close to Cairo.
The hotel they put us in was actually right across from the pyramids, and after dinner we had free time. Unfortunately when we asked the concierge if there was anywhere to go around the hotel his answer was, "For three girlies? No." So instead we made friends with some of the people that worked in the hotel and I actually had a really interesting conversation about Egyptian and Muslim life with one of them. We exchanged email addresses, now I have a pen pal. :)
The next morning was the pyramids!! They are even bigger than you imagine. We got to go inside the second one, which was an experience even if there wasn't a lot to see. The passageway was extremely narrow and cramped, you had to walk down a ramp while hunched over. At the end there was a chamber that had contained the tomb, but now it was empty except for the empty coffin. There wasn't a lot of air and it was hot, but still a cool feeling of being inside a PYRAMID.
We rode camels from the second pyramid to the third--always an interesting experience. My camel bit Christy's in the back of the leg, so our guide had to take mine specially, haha. After the third pyramid we got back in the van and drove around to the Sphinx, which you can't see from the road. At first we were all a little disappointed, because it looked so small compared to the pyramids, but when we got closer we realized how huge it actually was. They're doing some restoration work on it now but even without it, it looks incredible.
After that they took us to another store, where they showed us Egyptian oils that are used to make perfume. Then we went to the bazaar, which was really crazy and cool of course, but very similar to other bazaars I've been to... whether you're in Egypt, Turkey or Israel, these places all sell the same exact stuff!
We also went into the Old City of Cairo, where we saw an old church, a mosque, and even a synangogue. It was cool, these parts of the city were old as in from the 12th century, rather than 4500 years old, but it was still impressive. Our tour guide explained some of the basic principles of Islam at the mosque, and I was excited that I knew everything he told us (one of my classes this semester was Intro to the Religion of Islam).
Anyway we came back to Tel Aviv on Sunday, had a short final week of classes and we have today off for Shavuot. Yesterday was my Hebrew final as well as the School of Overseas Students final party, which was surprisingly a lot of fun! It was also Laila Levan, which is basically a night where all of Tel Aviv parties until it's dawn. This country has more holidays/excuses to party than anywhere I've ever been! Some friends and I hung out at the beach, but sadly we didn't make it til dawn, although there were birds chirping when I got into bed.
Now that the semester is winding down I just have finals, a last trip to Jerusalem, and my birthday to look forward to! I'll be home in about 10 days--can't believe it! I'm both excited and soooo sad at the same time. Mostly I'm panicked about packing...
And of course, a month's worth of pictures!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
West Bank part 2
Although only one week has passed I have so much to write about. On Sunday I went back to the West Bank, to see Bethlehem. While the historical and biblical parts of Bethlehem were beautiful (yeah, I was at the exact spot where Jesus was born... no big deal), I overall did not enjoy this visit. I was obviously prepared to see firsthand the hardships that Palestinians faced, having learned a lot about it two days before, but the entire experience was different than what I had expected.
First of all, instead of taking a tour bus we walked across the border into the West Bank. We took a cab to the border, flashed our American passports, and they let us walk across. The border consisted of a passport control building and a long, winding path surrounded by high gates. Once you got to the West Bank side, the separation wall was COVERED in graffiti--things like, "Don't forget Palestine," and "Racist wall" were some of the more mild ones. Anyway once we got there we were immediately assaulted by dozens of cab drivers. Somehow we agreed to get in a cab with this guy that didn't speak great English, but he said he would drive us there and back and wait for us. At first I was irritated because I thought I was being ripped off but later on I was extremely grateful to have him with us.
On the ride to Bethlehem my friend Amanda asked the driver if he knew about the graffiti artist Banksy, who is really famous for his graffiti in the West Bank. The driver showed us a few walls that had his artwork on them, and I actually really liked it.... here's one:
We finally arrived in Bethlehem. This is the first thing that gave me what I can only describe as an "icky" feeling about the whole day: Bethlehem is 100% a tourist town. It somehow felt eerie and weird; even though the people must get a lot of money from the tourists that come it felt very wrong to be lumped in with the group of tourists that go only to see the cool parts of the West Bank and ignore the reality. I had a guilty conscience the whole trip thinking about that.
Anyway, first we saw the Church of the Nativity, which was built over the place that Jesus was born. (I said out loud, "I thought he was born in like... a barn"... which made some of the Christian tourists glare at me). We walked around Manger Sq, got some awesome falafel for 5 shekels ($1.25!), and the cab driver took us to his cousin's store! I didn't buy anything, because what am I going to do with giant wooden carvings of the crucifixtion?, but he offered us tea which was really nice.
After that went to the Milk Grotto Chapel. The Chapel was nice but nothing special, but here's when I started feeling really weird. On the way there this man approached us trying to sell postcards... obviously we were used to getting harassed to buy stuff, but this guy kept following us and yelling at us. Then at the same time this little boy came up to me and started begging for money, just saying "please please please" over and over again. My friend and the cab driver kept walking but I just felt so awful, so on one side I have this crazy guy with the postcards and then on the other there's this poor kid that's breaking my heart, and I kind of ran away from them both. Then we got in the church, at first it was pretty crowded and then it cleared out. I was looking at something in a corner and I realized it was just me, Amanda and this random man in there. I immediately got a bad feeling, and I was just so rattled from before that I grabbed Amanda and we literally ran out. When we got outside the same kid was waiting for me, I gave him a few shekels and we ran up to the driver and told him we wanted to leave.
So the driver took us back to the border. Amanda and I took some pictures of the graffiti on the wall, and as we were walking out we started getting harassed by someone else trying to get us to buy something... seriously, it was never ending. Then we got in line to go back across the border. While it took a minute to come over into the West Bank, leaving was an entirely different story. We waited in line for half an hour and had to go through pretty intense security. On the way out, we saw a woman dressed in head to toe black covering, but she was wearing a veil so thick that I couldn't even see her eyes. She was by herself, and being escorted by two female Israeli security guards. On top of everything else seeing this woman added to the eerieness of the day. Normally when I cross the border to go back into Israel I feel happy, but this time I felt guilty and weird.
As if this weekend wasn't depressing enough, Tuesday was Yom Hazikaron--Memorial Day. In the US, Memorial Day is a party day, but here it's the most serious day of the year. On Monday night I went to a ceremony held by my program honoring those who died fighting for Israel or in a terrorist attack. The ceremony was nice but I was much more moved by the observance on Tuesday. At 11 AM there's a siren that can be heard throughout the entire country. Everyone stops what they're doing, people get out of their cars and stand in the road, to observe two minutes of silence. The same thing happened last Monday, for Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). It's really beautiful to me that the whole country observes this together. It reminds you how much this country has been affected by war, even if you don't always think about it everyday.
The next day was Yom Ha'atzemeut, Independence Day, and a fun reprieve from my heavy weekend. I went to the concert at Rabin Square, and spent the next day walking around the beach, seeing everyone out celebrating with their families. I've spent today and yesterday wandering and shopping around downtown Tel Aviv and just enjoying it. What a week...
Here's the rest of my pics from Bethlehem, Hebron and Independence Day.
First of all, instead of taking a tour bus we walked across the border into the West Bank. We took a cab to the border, flashed our American passports, and they let us walk across. The border consisted of a passport control building and a long, winding path surrounded by high gates. Once you got to the West Bank side, the separation wall was COVERED in graffiti--things like, "Don't forget Palestine," and "Racist wall" were some of the more mild ones. Anyway once we got there we were immediately assaulted by dozens of cab drivers. Somehow we agreed to get in a cab with this guy that didn't speak great English, but he said he would drive us there and back and wait for us. At first I was irritated because I thought I was being ripped off but later on I was extremely grateful to have him with us.
On the ride to Bethlehem my friend Amanda asked the driver if he knew about the graffiti artist Banksy, who is really famous for his graffiti in the West Bank. The driver showed us a few walls that had his artwork on them, and I actually really liked it.... here's one:
We finally arrived in Bethlehem. This is the first thing that gave me what I can only describe as an "icky" feeling about the whole day: Bethlehem is 100% a tourist town. It somehow felt eerie and weird; even though the people must get a lot of money from the tourists that come it felt very wrong to be lumped in with the group of tourists that go only to see the cool parts of the West Bank and ignore the reality. I had a guilty conscience the whole trip thinking about that.
Anyway, first we saw the Church of the Nativity, which was built over the place that Jesus was born. (I said out loud, "I thought he was born in like... a barn"... which made some of the Christian tourists glare at me). We walked around Manger Sq, got some awesome falafel for 5 shekels ($1.25!), and the cab driver took us to his cousin's store! I didn't buy anything, because what am I going to do with giant wooden carvings of the crucifixtion?, but he offered us tea which was really nice.
After that went to the Milk Grotto Chapel. The Chapel was nice but nothing special, but here's when I started feeling really weird. On the way there this man approached us trying to sell postcards... obviously we were used to getting harassed to buy stuff, but this guy kept following us and yelling at us. Then at the same time this little boy came up to me and started begging for money, just saying "please please please" over and over again. My friend and the cab driver kept walking but I just felt so awful, so on one side I have this crazy guy with the postcards and then on the other there's this poor kid that's breaking my heart, and I kind of ran away from them both. Then we got in the church, at first it was pretty crowded and then it cleared out. I was looking at something in a corner and I realized it was just me, Amanda and this random man in there. I immediately got a bad feeling, and I was just so rattled from before that I grabbed Amanda and we literally ran out. When we got outside the same kid was waiting for me, I gave him a few shekels and we ran up to the driver and told him we wanted to leave.
So the driver took us back to the border. Amanda and I took some pictures of the graffiti on the wall, and as we were walking out we started getting harassed by someone else trying to get us to buy something... seriously, it was never ending. Then we got in line to go back across the border. While it took a minute to come over into the West Bank, leaving was an entirely different story. We waited in line for half an hour and had to go through pretty intense security. On the way out, we saw a woman dressed in head to toe black covering, but she was wearing a veil so thick that I couldn't even see her eyes. She was by herself, and being escorted by two female Israeli security guards. On top of everything else seeing this woman added to the eerieness of the day. Normally when I cross the border to go back into Israel I feel happy, but this time I felt guilty and weird.
As if this weekend wasn't depressing enough, Tuesday was Yom Hazikaron--Memorial Day. In the US, Memorial Day is a party day, but here it's the most serious day of the year. On Monday night I went to a ceremony held by my program honoring those who died fighting for Israel or in a terrorist attack. The ceremony was nice but I was much more moved by the observance on Tuesday. At 11 AM there's a siren that can be heard throughout the entire country. Everyone stops what they're doing, people get out of their cars and stand in the road, to observe two minutes of silence. The same thing happened last Monday, for Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). It's really beautiful to me that the whole country observes this together. It reminds you how much this country has been affected by war, even if you don't always think about it everyday.
The next day was Yom Ha'atzemeut, Independence Day, and a fun reprieve from my heavy weekend. I went to the concert at Rabin Square, and spent the next day walking around the beach, seeing everyone out celebrating with their families. I've spent today and yesterday wandering and shopping around downtown Tel Aviv and just enjoying it. What a week...
Here's the rest of my pics from Bethlehem, Hebron and Independence Day.
Friday, April 24, 2009
What happens when I emerge from the Tel Aviv bubble... looooong post
On Friday I went on a tour of Hebron, an area of the West Bank where Jews and Palestinians both claim the land. The group I went with is Breaking the Silence--when you're done reading this, you should check out their website. Breaking the Silence uses testimonials from soldiers that served in Hebron to illustrate what life is like for the Palestinians that live there. The reality is definitely eye opening and hard to deal with, but important to learn.
First I want to write about my experience getting to the tour. The tour left at 8:30 AM from Jerusalem, so my friend and I spent the night in Jerusalem. Once we got to the central bus station we had to take another bus to where our hostel was, close to Jaffa Gate. My friend and I get on this bus... it was just us and a few Orthodox people, but nothing out of the ordinary for Jerusalem. However, the bus filled up very quickly and we were the ONLY non-Orthodox people on this bus. Aside from the woman with her baby sitting next to me and two girls a few seats in front of us, we were also the only women. I was trying to follow the bus route on a map to make sure we were going the right way, but then I lost track of where we are and start to realize that we were in a very religious neighborhood... finally I saw a sign that said, "PLEASE DO NOT WALK THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WEARING IMMODEST CLOTHING." While I wouldn't describe what I was wearing as immodest, I definitely stuck out. We were both wearing jeans, my friend was wearing yellow and I was wearing pink--thankfully we were both covered up, but I have never felt more out of place in my life. Sometimes in Tel Aviv you can forget that you're in the most religious country in the world... but that was definitely a reminder.
Onto the tour. Our tour guide was an ex-soldier who had served in Hebron... he started telling us about his experiences and the things he did. Hebron has an active IDF presence because of the Jewish settlements there, but there isn't a lot for them to do. The soldiers are taught from the first day of boot camp, "There's no better feeling than killing a terrorist" and that all Palestinians are terrorists. When they get to the West Bank they're ready for action, but since there's nothing going on there they get bored... and even though this isn't official military policy, the soldiers are basically given free reign to make life difficult for the Palestinians. They're supposed to "make their presence known," which they take to mean instilling fear. They do this by restricting the movement of Palestinians by closing off certain roads to them, just because, or stopping cars driven by Palestinians and taking their keys or even electric cables.
But in Hebron, the violence generally doesn't come from the Palestinians... it comes from the Jewish settlers who are angry that there are Palestinians on what they see as their historical land. Jewish settlers often attack Palestinians, sometimes kids that walk past the settlements on their way to school. The soldiers think they're in Hebron to protect the Jews, so a lot of times they don't notice or care or do anything when this stuff happens.
The tour took us to a Palestinian village, Susya--but I would hardly call it a village. Currently about 250 people live there but it used to be way more. The army basically tries to harass people living outside of the cities to get them to move into more urban areas, so a lot of people have moved to the nearest city, Yatta. The people we saw were living in the most desolate poverty I've ever seen... huts made out of canvas and sticks basically, with nothing inside but some mats to sleep on. The village isn't recognized by Israel as legitimate so it's not under the Palestinian Authority, it's under the military control. They don't have running water and they have electricity but not enough for a refrigerator--only a few lights and a tiny TV, and only because a humanitarian organization set it up for them. Anyway this village doesn't have water and some law says they're not allowed to collect rainwater. They used to have a watering hole but a nearby Jewish settlement poisoned the water so they can't use it. To get water they have to go to Yatta where they buy it from someone that gets it from some other Jewish settlers... 1000 liters costs them 300 shekels. Inside of Israel, 1000 liters of waters costs FIVE shekels. It's unbelievable...
Before visiting Hebron I wasn't totally ignorant about the situation, but I really regret not visiting earlier in the semester. It's very easy while in Israel, and in Tel Aviv especially, to ignore or forget the Palestinian side of the story. I wouldn't say that studying abroad here or visiting Hebron has changed my previous opinions, but both of these things have informed and complicated them. I don't think it's possible to be 100% pro- or anti-Israel, both sides are really problematic, and both sides are right and wrong about different things. But seeing the West Bank with my own eyes was like entering a different world... it was a darker, inherently unjust side of Israel... undemocratic, militaristic, and wrong. I'm beginning to understand why peace is so difficult to achieve here (I won't say impossible... but how can it be posible? Both sides are filled with hate, and both sides are justified in their own ways... even worse, both sides are filled with crazy extremists that drown out the voices of the moderates).
Anyway this post is getting way too long, but if anyone wants to hear more about this there's a lot I didn't get to write about. Tomorrow I'm going to Bethlehem, which is also in the West Bank, so I'm sure I'll have a lot to update. Pictures soon.
First I want to write about my experience getting to the tour. The tour left at 8:30 AM from Jerusalem, so my friend and I spent the night in Jerusalem. Once we got to the central bus station we had to take another bus to where our hostel was, close to Jaffa Gate. My friend and I get on this bus... it was just us and a few Orthodox people, but nothing out of the ordinary for Jerusalem. However, the bus filled up very quickly and we were the ONLY non-Orthodox people on this bus. Aside from the woman with her baby sitting next to me and two girls a few seats in front of us, we were also the only women. I was trying to follow the bus route on a map to make sure we were going the right way, but then I lost track of where we are and start to realize that we were in a very religious neighborhood... finally I saw a sign that said, "PLEASE DO NOT WALK THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WEARING IMMODEST CLOTHING." While I wouldn't describe what I was wearing as immodest, I definitely stuck out. We were both wearing jeans, my friend was wearing yellow and I was wearing pink--thankfully we were both covered up, but I have never felt more out of place in my life. Sometimes in Tel Aviv you can forget that you're in the most religious country in the world... but that was definitely a reminder.
Onto the tour. Our tour guide was an ex-soldier who had served in Hebron... he started telling us about his experiences and the things he did. Hebron has an active IDF presence because of the Jewish settlements there, but there isn't a lot for them to do. The soldiers are taught from the first day of boot camp, "There's no better feeling than killing a terrorist" and that all Palestinians are terrorists. When they get to the West Bank they're ready for action, but since there's nothing going on there they get bored... and even though this isn't official military policy, the soldiers are basically given free reign to make life difficult for the Palestinians. They're supposed to "make their presence known," which they take to mean instilling fear. They do this by restricting the movement of Palestinians by closing off certain roads to them, just because, or stopping cars driven by Palestinians and taking their keys or even electric cables.
But in Hebron, the violence generally doesn't come from the Palestinians... it comes from the Jewish settlers who are angry that there are Palestinians on what they see as their historical land. Jewish settlers often attack Palestinians, sometimes kids that walk past the settlements on their way to school. The soldiers think they're in Hebron to protect the Jews, so a lot of times they don't notice or care or do anything when this stuff happens.
The tour took us to a Palestinian village, Susya--but I would hardly call it a village. Currently about 250 people live there but it used to be way more. The army basically tries to harass people living outside of the cities to get them to move into more urban areas, so a lot of people have moved to the nearest city, Yatta. The people we saw were living in the most desolate poverty I've ever seen... huts made out of canvas and sticks basically, with nothing inside but some mats to sleep on. The village isn't recognized by Israel as legitimate so it's not under the Palestinian Authority, it's under the military control. They don't have running water and they have electricity but not enough for a refrigerator--only a few lights and a tiny TV, and only because a humanitarian organization set it up for them. Anyway this village doesn't have water and some law says they're not allowed to collect rainwater. They used to have a watering hole but a nearby Jewish settlement poisoned the water so they can't use it. To get water they have to go to Yatta where they buy it from someone that gets it from some other Jewish settlers... 1000 liters costs them 300 shekels. Inside of Israel, 1000 liters of waters costs FIVE shekels. It's unbelievable...
Before visiting Hebron I wasn't totally ignorant about the situation, but I really regret not visiting earlier in the semester. It's very easy while in Israel, and in Tel Aviv especially, to ignore or forget the Palestinian side of the story. I wouldn't say that studying abroad here or visiting Hebron has changed my previous opinions, but both of these things have informed and complicated them. I don't think it's possible to be 100% pro- or anti-Israel, both sides are really problematic, and both sides are right and wrong about different things. But seeing the West Bank with my own eyes was like entering a different world... it was a darker, inherently unjust side of Israel... undemocratic, militaristic, and wrong. I'm beginning to understand why peace is so difficult to achieve here (I won't say impossible... but how can it be posible? Both sides are filled with hate, and both sides are justified in their own ways... even worse, both sides are filled with crazy extremists that drown out the voices of the moderates).
Anyway this post is getting way too long, but if anyone wants to hear more about this there's a lot I didn't get to write about. Tomorrow I'm going to Bethlehem, which is also in the West Bank, so I'm sure I'll have a lot to update. Pictures soon.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Israeli and European Adventures
I'm so behind on updating, but it's been an awesome month! After I got back from Istanbul I had two great weeks in Tel Aviv. I saw the Vagina Monologues which I loved of course--the best part was the Orthodox women that performed, it was a very cool contrast and representative of Israel I think.
I also traveled to Jaffa, which is the oldest part of Tel Aviv. It's absolutely beautiful, it's right on the beach and you get a great view of Tel Aviv. There's so much history, both from thousands of years ago and from the beginning of the state of Israel... it's so interesting to see all the different layers, like how there are ruins from 2000 BC but that some of those ruins have been damaged from fighting between Jews and Palestinians in the 40s. Some of the history (like with all of Israel) is obviously pretty bleak, but it's so interesting to see. Hands down my favorite part of Jaffa is the artist's quarter, where you can wander into galleries of both famous and obscure Israeli artists. It's so cool.
I'm currently in the middle of my two week long spring break. I spent last week in the Netherlands and had so much fun. I stayed with my friend Bunny from school--it was so fun seeing her, but also a little weird. I had gotten used to being away from my friends from the US and meeting up with her in another country was bizarre. She's studying abroad in Leiden which is a city outside of Amsterdam. Everything is hundreds of years old and so beautiful... canals run through the city (as well as in Amsterdam) and it all felt so European. It was a huge change from Israel! We spent some time in Amsterdam,which is definitely a unique city. We went to the Anne Frank house and Van Gogh museum, they were both very interesting... the Van Gogh museum was just amazing. Bunny also showed me around Leiden and we went to see the tulip fields at Den Hagg. They were absolutely beautiful, unfortunately my camera died so I couldn't take any pictures. It was a great vacation.
When we got back to Tel Aviv the weather was PERFECT, so instead of doing educational traveling like I planned, I spent the last three days on the beach. I definitely can't complain, it's been so nice. I have a few things planned for the rest of the week, so there will be some more updates soon. And maybe one day I'll write about my classes... but probably not. :)
As always: pictures!
I also traveled to Jaffa, which is the oldest part of Tel Aviv. It's absolutely beautiful, it's right on the beach and you get a great view of Tel Aviv. There's so much history, both from thousands of years ago and from the beginning of the state of Israel... it's so interesting to see all the different layers, like how there are ruins from 2000 BC but that some of those ruins have been damaged from fighting between Jews and Palestinians in the 40s. Some of the history (like with all of Israel) is obviously pretty bleak, but it's so interesting to see. Hands down my favorite part of Jaffa is the artist's quarter, where you can wander into galleries of both famous and obscure Israeli artists. It's so cool.
I'm currently in the middle of my two week long spring break. I spent last week in the Netherlands and had so much fun. I stayed with my friend Bunny from school--it was so fun seeing her, but also a little weird. I had gotten used to being away from my friends from the US and meeting up with her in another country was bizarre. She's studying abroad in Leiden which is a city outside of Amsterdam. Everything is hundreds of years old and so beautiful... canals run through the city (as well as in Amsterdam) and it all felt so European. It was a huge change from Israel! We spent some time in Amsterdam,which is definitely a unique city. We went to the Anne Frank house and Van Gogh museum, they were both very interesting... the Van Gogh museum was just amazing. Bunny also showed me around Leiden and we went to see the tulip fields at Den Hagg. They were absolutely beautiful, unfortunately my camera died so I couldn't take any pictures. It was a great vacation.
When we got back to Tel Aviv the weather was PERFECT, so instead of doing educational traveling like I planned, I spent the last three days on the beach. I definitely can't complain, it's been so nice. I have a few things planned for the rest of the week, so there will be some more updates soon. And maybe one day I'll write about my classes... but probably not. :)
As always: pictures!
Monday, March 16, 2009
"You are 100% Turkish!"
I'm back from my trip to Istanbul! We had four full days there which was absolutely perfect--we got to see and do everything that we wanted without being rushed, but it was long enough that we were all ecstatic when we finally got back to Israel.
I put up tons of pictures--I needed two flickr accounts for all of them. So the first group of pictures is here and the second set is here.
The first day we were there we spent the day exploring Taksim Square, which is sort of like the metropolitan downtown of Istanbul, and we went shopping at the Grand Bazaar. Everywhere we went the vendors would talk to us and try to make us buy things. They were all convinced I was Turkish and thought Jen and Mel were Spanish which was pretty funny. The vendors are really pushy... literally everywhere we walked there was someone trying to get us to go to their restaurant or into their store. It got pretty exhausting after a while, especially because I made the mistake of looking at and answering them way too many times.
The next day we did some of the big sightseeing... the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. The Hagia Sophia was really interesting because it had the elements of both a church and a mosque, but I was more impressed by the other two. First of all the outside of the Blue Mosque is just amazing. Every time we walked past it (which was several times a day) it was just flooring... it's so huge and beautiful and they definitely don't have anything like that in America, or even Israel. The inside of the Blue Mosque was so ornate and beautiful, I tried taking pictures but they really don't do it justice. Also the Basilica Cistern was AWESOME. It's this huge underground water source with hundreds of pillars holding it up. It was so cool and mystical and seriously huge.
That night we went out in Taksim Square, which is a really cool, fun area at night. There are sidestreets with dozens of bars and clubs to go to. We ended up in a small cafe listening to two Turkish guys play the guitar. It was really cool--we were the only tourists there and the music was really great.
The next day we took a tour of the Bosphorous Sea on a ferry, which was pretty cool. It was raining so we had to stay inside but the views were great. Even though I didn't visit a large part of Istanbul, I got to see the coasts. The best part was that we were literally just floating in between two continents. That night some of us went to a "Turkish Mystic Dance show," which we renamed the "Steal My Money Show." It was literally the most boring hour of the entire trip, and quite possibly my whole life. We were totally scammed--I guess that's what we get for being dumb tourists haha.
On our last day we went to the Topkapi Palace, which was huge and awesome. It was the sultan's palace in the Ottoman Empire and it was filled with relics from that time--clothing, jewelry, and more shiny jewels than you can imagine. It was really cool... and let me tell you, being a sultan would be pretty nice. The palace was beautiful.
That night we treated ourselves to a nice restaurant, which was amazing after the last two months of eating nothing but pita and hummus (not that I don't love pita and hummus). The restaurant was called Istanbul 360 and the walls were glass, giving you a 360 degree view of Istanbul. My pictures came out really blurry, but we got a really great view of the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. The food wasn't Turkish, but I didn't really mind... I love eating different foods but there was nothing in the Turkish food I tried that was all that exciting. It wasn't quite Middle Eastern, and it also wasn't Asian, it was just a lot of sort-of-spiced meat and a LOT of bread. But then again, most of my meals cost about $7 so I'm not the best judge.
Overall the trip was amazing. It was really cool to experience another country (although by now I'm used to not being able to understand what people are saying), and Istanbul was way cooler than I expected. I was prepared for a dirty, kind of scary place, but the downtown area was modern and metropolitan, and the area of our hostel was really historical and beautiful.
Merhaba!
I put up tons of pictures--I needed two flickr accounts for all of them. So the first group of pictures is here and the second set is here.
The first day we were there we spent the day exploring Taksim Square, which is sort of like the metropolitan downtown of Istanbul, and we went shopping at the Grand Bazaar. Everywhere we went the vendors would talk to us and try to make us buy things. They were all convinced I was Turkish and thought Jen and Mel were Spanish which was pretty funny. The vendors are really pushy... literally everywhere we walked there was someone trying to get us to go to their restaurant or into their store. It got pretty exhausting after a while, especially because I made the mistake of looking at and answering them way too many times.
The next day we did some of the big sightseeing... the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. The Hagia Sophia was really interesting because it had the elements of both a church and a mosque, but I was more impressed by the other two. First of all the outside of the Blue Mosque is just amazing. Every time we walked past it (which was several times a day) it was just flooring... it's so huge and beautiful and they definitely don't have anything like that in America, or even Israel. The inside of the Blue Mosque was so ornate and beautiful, I tried taking pictures but they really don't do it justice. Also the Basilica Cistern was AWESOME. It's this huge underground water source with hundreds of pillars holding it up. It was so cool and mystical and seriously huge.
That night we went out in Taksim Square, which is a really cool, fun area at night. There are sidestreets with dozens of bars and clubs to go to. We ended up in a small cafe listening to two Turkish guys play the guitar. It was really cool--we were the only tourists there and the music was really great.
The next day we took a tour of the Bosphorous Sea on a ferry, which was pretty cool. It was raining so we had to stay inside but the views were great. Even though I didn't visit a large part of Istanbul, I got to see the coasts. The best part was that we were literally just floating in between two continents. That night some of us went to a "Turkish Mystic Dance show," which we renamed the "Steal My Money Show." It was literally the most boring hour of the entire trip, and quite possibly my whole life. We were totally scammed--I guess that's what we get for being dumb tourists haha.
On our last day we went to the Topkapi Palace, which was huge and awesome. It was the sultan's palace in the Ottoman Empire and it was filled with relics from that time--clothing, jewelry, and more shiny jewels than you can imagine. It was really cool... and let me tell you, being a sultan would be pretty nice. The palace was beautiful.
That night we treated ourselves to a nice restaurant, which was amazing after the last two months of eating nothing but pita and hummus (not that I don't love pita and hummus). The restaurant was called Istanbul 360 and the walls were glass, giving you a 360 degree view of Istanbul. My pictures came out really blurry, but we got a really great view of the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. The food wasn't Turkish, but I didn't really mind... I love eating different foods but there was nothing in the Turkish food I tried that was all that exciting. It wasn't quite Middle Eastern, and it also wasn't Asian, it was just a lot of sort-of-spiced meat and a LOT of bread. But then again, most of my meals cost about $7 so I'm not the best judge.
Overall the trip was amazing. It was really cool to experience another country (although by now I'm used to not being able to understand what people are saying), and Istanbul was way cooler than I expected. I was prepared for a dirty, kind of scary place, but the downtown area was modern and metropolitan, and the area of our hostel was really historical and beautiful.
Merhaba!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A crazy week that's just beginning...
A quick update before the whirlwind of the next few days begins:
This weekend my program took us on a trip to the Negev desert in the south. We hiked all three days, which was both fun and really painful, but we saw some amazing things. On Friday we went to the Makhtesh Ramon, it's a huge crater in Israel. I've actually done the hike before (it was hands down the worst part of my Birthright trip--when I saw the mountain in front of us I was sooo mad that I had to do the hike again) but it was better this time. The hike on Saturday was much harder but I also thought it was a lot better. It was hard because it lasted over 4 hours, it was really hot out and the last part was allll uphill. But it was really beautiful--there was nothing manmade around us at all, just mountains and desert. I have a ton of pictures that will be able to express that better than any description can, I'm going to put them all up next week.
We also went to an alpaca farm and to the Dead Sea! The alpacas were really fun, and the Dead Sea was of course amazing, but so sad because it's completely drying up. My friends that were last here 3 years ago noticed the difference, and you can see that there used to be so much more water on the shore. Just another thing to add to the list of Israel's problems haha.
Anyway, today is Purim, which I've been describing to everyone as Jewish Halloween. But Halloween cannot match Purim in Israel. Last night we all got dressed up and went to Florentine St. in downtown Tel Aviv. It was one of the craziest experiences ever. The street was packed, you could barely move and everyone was dressed up in ridiculous costumes. We had so much fun just wandering, talking to people, and running into pretty much every study abroad student from Tel Aviv University. Tonight we're going to Jerusalem, which should be an experience as well!
And here's the big one--after all this, I'm leaving for Istanbul tomorrow night! It's definitely going to be an adventure, and I'm sure I'll have a lot to post when I get back. :)
This weekend my program took us on a trip to the Negev desert in the south. We hiked all three days, which was both fun and really painful, but we saw some amazing things. On Friday we went to the Makhtesh Ramon, it's a huge crater in Israel. I've actually done the hike before (it was hands down the worst part of my Birthright trip--when I saw the mountain in front of us I was sooo mad that I had to do the hike again) but it was better this time. The hike on Saturday was much harder but I also thought it was a lot better. It was hard because it lasted over 4 hours, it was really hot out and the last part was allll uphill. But it was really beautiful--there was nothing manmade around us at all, just mountains and desert. I have a ton of pictures that will be able to express that better than any description can, I'm going to put them all up next week.
We also went to an alpaca farm and to the Dead Sea! The alpacas were really fun, and the Dead Sea was of course amazing, but so sad because it's completely drying up. My friends that were last here 3 years ago noticed the difference, and you can see that there used to be so much more water on the shore. Just another thing to add to the list of Israel's problems haha.
Anyway, today is Purim, which I've been describing to everyone as Jewish Halloween. But Halloween cannot match Purim in Israel. Last night we all got dressed up and went to Florentine St. in downtown Tel Aviv. It was one of the craziest experiences ever. The street was packed, you could barely move and everyone was dressed up in ridiculous costumes. We had so much fun just wandering, talking to people, and running into pretty much every study abroad student from Tel Aviv University. Tonight we're going to Jerusalem, which should be an experience as well!
And here's the big one--after all this, I'm leaving for Istanbul tomorrow night! It's definitely going to be an adventure, and I'm sure I'll have a lot to post when I get back. :)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Classes have finally started. It feels like I've been on vacation for the past month--it's weird to have responsibilities.
All of my classes seem like they'll be really interesting. I'm taking Hebrew, Intro to the Religion of Islam, The Roots of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Israel and the Environment, and Modern Jewish History. Most of the teachers are Americans that have moved to Israel, so it seems like it will be a pretty American experience overall. I feel mixed about this... on the one hand the classes are easy and fun which is nice, but I'm definitely not experiencing Israeli education. But now that classes have started, both for the international students and the regular university, the campus has really come to life. I love walking through a busy campus--it makes it feel more real.
This past weekend I went to Eilat with a bunch of friends and about 50 other people from my program. Unfortunately it was a little too cold to spend the whole weekend on the beach (and by "cold" I mean 65 degrees) but we went snorkeling in the Red Sea which was AMAZING. We saw the coolest coral and fish and we swam out to a huuuuge coral reef, it was so much fun.
I put some pictures on my flickr account from Jerusalem and Eilat: click here! I have some really exciting trips coming up. This weekend I'm going to the south with my program; we're going to the Dead Sea, Ein Gedi for hiking, and a bedouin tent. And the weekend after that I'm going to Istanbul!! It should be an adventure, I can't wait.
All of my classes seem like they'll be really interesting. I'm taking Hebrew, Intro to the Religion of Islam, The Roots of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Israel and the Environment, and Modern Jewish History. Most of the teachers are Americans that have moved to Israel, so it seems like it will be a pretty American experience overall. I feel mixed about this... on the one hand the classes are easy and fun which is nice, but I'm definitely not experiencing Israeli education. But now that classes have started, both for the international students and the regular university, the campus has really come to life. I love walking through a busy campus--it makes it feel more real.
This past weekend I went to Eilat with a bunch of friends and about 50 other people from my program. Unfortunately it was a little too cold to spend the whole weekend on the beach (and by "cold" I mean 65 degrees) but we went snorkeling in the Red Sea which was AMAZING. We saw the coolest coral and fish and we swam out to a huuuuge coral reef, it was so much fun.
I put some pictures on my flickr account from Jerusalem and Eilat: click here! I have some really exciting trips coming up. This weekend I'm going to the south with my program; we're going to the Dead Sea, Ein Gedi for hiking, and a bedouin tent. And the weekend after that I'm going to Istanbul!! It should be an adventure, I can't wait.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Jerusalem
So I'm 3/4 of the way done with Ulpan, which means that real classes start in about a week. In theory I should be able to haggle in Hebrew, rent an apartment and have a basic conversation with someone, but my actual speaking is pretty far behind that. Whenever someone approaches me speaking Hebrew, I try to respond with, "Ani lo medeberet Ivrit" (I don't speak Hebrew) but instead it comes out as a panicked, "Um... lo medeber!" and I run away as fast as possible.
On Thursday my program took us on a tour of Jerusalem. My favorite part was going to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is where Jesus' tomb is and close to the spot where he was crucified. It was really interesting, and different than the other things I've seen in Jerusalem. I plan to go back to be able to spend more time there--the church was huge. My friends and I decided to explore a little and we ended up entering this hole in the wall from inside a little room in the church. The hole led us down these narrow, cavelike stairs that eventually brought us to a giant lake! It was really cool. Apparently this was a cistern that was discovered when they built the church, and used to provide holy water!
After that we walked around the Old City on the top of the walls, and they eventually brought us to the Western Wall. The first time I was there, on my Birthright trip last year, it was a really powerful experience. But yesterday I was feeling tired, a little cranky and I couldn't really get into the mood. But the sun was setting as I approached the wall, and while I was standing there we could hear the Muslim call to prayer. It was a cool moment--it felt like the two religions were very close.
Some friends and I stayed the night, and we stayed in this crazy hostel. To get there you had to walk down an alley that led into another alley that led into a third. The inside was made completely of Jerusalem stone, like the rest of the city, and was almost like a tiny castle. To get to our rooms we had to climb to the roof, walk across and into another section of the hostel. It was definitely the most interesting place I've ever stayed. We managed to find some non-touristy nightlife, and ended up in a bar that played 70's disco/funk... it was pretty fun! We spent Friday morning at the market and came back in a sherut (a shared taxi) that afternoon before Shabbat.
I put my pictures from Jordan on my flickr account: click here to see them. The Jerusalem pictures will be up soon!
On Thursday my program took us on a tour of Jerusalem. My favorite part was going to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is where Jesus' tomb is and close to the spot where he was crucified. It was really interesting, and different than the other things I've seen in Jerusalem. I plan to go back to be able to spend more time there--the church was huge. My friends and I decided to explore a little and we ended up entering this hole in the wall from inside a little room in the church. The hole led us down these narrow, cavelike stairs that eventually brought us to a giant lake! It was really cool. Apparently this was a cistern that was discovered when they built the church, and used to provide holy water!
After that we walked around the Old City on the top of the walls, and they eventually brought us to the Western Wall. The first time I was there, on my Birthright trip last year, it was a really powerful experience. But yesterday I was feeling tired, a little cranky and I couldn't really get into the mood. But the sun was setting as I approached the wall, and while I was standing there we could hear the Muslim call to prayer. It was a cool moment--it felt like the two religions were very close.
Some friends and I stayed the night, and we stayed in this crazy hostel. To get there you had to walk down an alley that led into another alley that led into a third. The inside was made completely of Jerusalem stone, like the rest of the city, and was almost like a tiny castle. To get to our rooms we had to climb to the roof, walk across and into another section of the hostel. It was definitely the most interesting place I've ever stayed. We managed to find some non-touristy nightlife, and ended up in a bar that played 70's disco/funk... it was pretty fun! We spent Friday morning at the market and came back in a sherut (a shared taxi) that afternoon before Shabbat.
I put my pictures from Jordan on my flickr account: click here to see them. The Jerusalem pictures will be up soon!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
An adventure!
On Sunday some friends and I spontaneously decided to go to Petra on Tuesday, our day off. It was basically the best idea ever.
We took a bus down to Eilat, a city at the very tip of Israel (about a 5 hour drive). We spent the night in a really cheap hostel and woke up at 6:30 on Tuesday morning to meet our tour (it was completely safe and legit--desertecotours.com). We were a little unsure of what the day would be like, and I think we all felt a little nervous standing on the Israeli side of the Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing, thinking, are we really doing this? But our tour guide helped us get through passport control and crossing the border was easy enough... and one of the most exciting things I've ever done! (When the Jordanian guard checked my friend Melissa's passport, he said, "You're American?" She said yes and his response was, "Obama?" with a smile.)
Our tour guide, Alli, picked us up as soon as we crossed the border. The group consisted of the six of us (known for the day as the American girls), two Australian college students who were finishing a two month trip backpacking through Europe and Israel, and two older couples. The drive from the border to Petra was about two hours, and even though a lot of people slept I really enjoyed it. First we drove through Aqaba, which is a city similar to Eilat. Both cities are tourist destinations on the beach. But while Eilat reminded us of Miami, Aqaba was still developing. Alli told us that they received a TON of money from Saudi Arabia to build in Aqaba, so almost everything was under construction.
Sometimes while I'm walking the streets of Tel Aviv I feel like I'm in Europe--Israel is an extremely Western country and it's easy to forget that you're in the Middle East. But I wasn't far from the border with Saudi Arabia! It was kind of mind blowing to realize where I was in the world. Driving through the desert to get to Petra looked like what you might imagine the Middle East to be. On the way to Eilat, even though the landscape was just desert, we drove through a university and past shopping malls. Even in the completely desolate areas there were bus stops and clear road signs. But in Jordan the road was mostly unmarked and without lanes. There was trash in the desert and in the nondeveloped areas we saw a lot of shacks made out of tin and completely dilapidated buildings. Some of the areas we drove through seemed industrial, but others were clearly residential, but I've never seen such obvious poverty. The houses, at best, were just square blocks of cement, sometimes without even a door or windows. It's hard to imagine how people can subsist in the rural desert--they were literally surrounded by nothing.
The atmosphere outside of Petra was completely different, but still very Middle Eastern and clearly a town that relied completely on tourism. I took a lot of pictures on the drive through:
We finally got to Petra itself and started walking down the path. It was cold!! We didn't expect that, because winter in the desert should still be about 65! But there was much needed rain in Jordan and Israel as yesterday, so I shouldn't complain about some chill and wind.
Anyway, Petra is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and I can seriously see why. It's probably the most beautiful and incredible thing I've ever seen. We walked through this massive canyon that was caused by an earthquake, and way back in the day (OK, I'm not so strong on the history because Alli's accent was a little hard to understand) floods came through and eroded the sandstone, making it extremely beautiful and complex. There were also a lot of relics from ancient civilizations, including idols and carvings honoring the gods. Towards the end of the trail we got to the Treasury (where they filmed Indiana Jones!) and it was so amazing. I can't really express it in words, so I took about a thousand pictures, but it just felt so cool to look at something so ornate and ancient. But the trail continued after that and we got to the ampitheater at the end.
At one point, one of the vendors asked an adult in our group who "the American girls" belonged to. She didn't know how to respond, and he asked, "Are they yours?" She said no, we were just in the group with them. He joked that he wanted to trade one of us for a cat. At this point I walked away but he turned to Jen and said, "Maybe for you, you are so pretty. Who owns you?" Crazy stuff.
We had lunch at the "Petra Magic Restaurant," and it was one of the best thing I've eaten in the past three weeks. The hummus was probably the best of my entire life. We also had this really good lamb and vegetable dish with rice, and there were potatoes, chicken and a million kinds of dips. We all ate as much as we could fit in our stomachs, preparing for the long bus rides ahead.
On the way back we heard that there were reports of sandstorms in the north of Jordan that caused some roads to be closed. There was a moment where I think we all thought: what if we get stuck in Jordan for the night?? At one point the sand was so thick around the bus that we couldn't see ahead of us at all. That only lasted for about five minutes but for the rest of the drive there was sand swirling around us and you couldn't even see the sun.
Finally, dirty and tired, we arrived back on the border. It was weird, because even though we were 100% safe all day long and had a great time, we all felt a huge sense of relief the second we stepped over into the "no man's land" of the border, out of Jordan and headed towards Israel. The first thing Michelle said was, "This trip made me realize how much I love Israel." I have to say that I agree... maybe I'm staying within my comfort zone too much, but it felt so comfortable to be reentering Israel. I have to say that even more than that, the trip made me realize how convenient it is to be American. Everyone we encountered, from our bus driver, to the man leading my horse, to random children running around the site, could speak English. It actually made me feel really lucky because it would have been almost impossible to get through the day if my native language had been something else.
Anyway I think it's safe to say that I've had one of the most amazing and exciting weeks ever! I'm also feeling really good about ulpan--we counted to 100 today, and I'm becoming a lot better at reading and writing the characters. Also, the election isn't totally final yet, but I was pleased and surprised to see that Tzipi Livni got a majority of the popular vote! It seems unlikely that she'll be able to build a large enough coalition to become Prime Minister though... I don't really understand parliamentary politics.
We took a bus down to Eilat, a city at the very tip of Israel (about a 5 hour drive). We spent the night in a really cheap hostel and woke up at 6:30 on Tuesday morning to meet our tour (it was completely safe and legit--desertecotours.com). We were a little unsure of what the day would be like, and I think we all felt a little nervous standing on the Israeli side of the Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing, thinking, are we really doing this? But our tour guide helped us get through passport control and crossing the border was easy enough... and one of the most exciting things I've ever done! (When the Jordanian guard checked my friend Melissa's passport, he said, "You're American?" She said yes and his response was, "Obama?" with a smile.)
Our tour guide, Alli, picked us up as soon as we crossed the border. The group consisted of the six of us (known for the day as the American girls), two Australian college students who were finishing a two month trip backpacking through Europe and Israel, and two older couples. The drive from the border to Petra was about two hours, and even though a lot of people slept I really enjoyed it. First we drove through Aqaba, which is a city similar to Eilat. Both cities are tourist destinations on the beach. But while Eilat reminded us of Miami, Aqaba was still developing. Alli told us that they received a TON of money from Saudi Arabia to build in Aqaba, so almost everything was under construction.
Sometimes while I'm walking the streets of Tel Aviv I feel like I'm in Europe--Israel is an extremely Western country and it's easy to forget that you're in the Middle East. But I wasn't far from the border with Saudi Arabia! It was kind of mind blowing to realize where I was in the world. Driving through the desert to get to Petra looked like what you might imagine the Middle East to be. On the way to Eilat, even though the landscape was just desert, we drove through a university and past shopping malls. Even in the completely desolate areas there were bus stops and clear road signs. But in Jordan the road was mostly unmarked and without lanes. There was trash in the desert and in the nondeveloped areas we saw a lot of shacks made out of tin and completely dilapidated buildings. Some of the areas we drove through seemed industrial, but others were clearly residential, but I've never seen such obvious poverty. The houses, at best, were just square blocks of cement, sometimes without even a door or windows. It's hard to imagine how people can subsist in the rural desert--they were literally surrounded by nothing.
The atmosphere outside of Petra was completely different, but still very Middle Eastern and clearly a town that relied completely on tourism. I took a lot of pictures on the drive through:
We finally got to Petra itself and started walking down the path. It was cold!! We didn't expect that, because winter in the desert should still be about 65! But there was much needed rain in Jordan and Israel as yesterday, so I shouldn't complain about some chill and wind.
Anyway, Petra is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and I can seriously see why. It's probably the most beautiful and incredible thing I've ever seen. We walked through this massive canyon that was caused by an earthquake, and way back in the day (OK, I'm not so strong on the history because Alli's accent was a little hard to understand) floods came through and eroded the sandstone, making it extremely beautiful and complex. There were also a lot of relics from ancient civilizations, including idols and carvings honoring the gods. Towards the end of the trail we got to the Treasury (where they filmed Indiana Jones!) and it was so amazing. I can't really express it in words, so I took about a thousand pictures, but it just felt so cool to look at something so ornate and ancient. But the trail continued after that and we got to the ampitheater at the end.
At one point, one of the vendors asked an adult in our group who "the American girls" belonged to. She didn't know how to respond, and he asked, "Are they yours?" She said no, we were just in the group with them. He joked that he wanted to trade one of us for a cat. At this point I walked away but he turned to Jen and said, "Maybe for you, you are so pretty. Who owns you?" Crazy stuff.
We had lunch at the "Petra Magic Restaurant," and it was one of the best thing I've eaten in the past three weeks. The hummus was probably the best of my entire life. We also had this really good lamb and vegetable dish with rice, and there were potatoes, chicken and a million kinds of dips. We all ate as much as we could fit in our stomachs, preparing for the long bus rides ahead.
On the way back we heard that there were reports of sandstorms in the north of Jordan that caused some roads to be closed. There was a moment where I think we all thought: what if we get stuck in Jordan for the night?? At one point the sand was so thick around the bus that we couldn't see ahead of us at all. That only lasted for about five minutes but for the rest of the drive there was sand swirling around us and you couldn't even see the sun.
Finally, dirty and tired, we arrived back on the border. It was weird, because even though we were 100% safe all day long and had a great time, we all felt a huge sense of relief the second we stepped over into the "no man's land" of the border, out of Jordan and headed towards Israel. The first thing Michelle said was, "This trip made me realize how much I love Israel." I have to say that I agree... maybe I'm staying within my comfort zone too much, but it felt so comfortable to be reentering Israel. I have to say that even more than that, the trip made me realize how convenient it is to be American. Everyone we encountered, from our bus driver, to the man leading my horse, to random children running around the site, could speak English. It actually made me feel really lucky because it would have been almost impossible to get through the day if my native language had been something else.
Anyway I think it's safe to say that I've had one of the most amazing and exciting weeks ever! I'm also feeling really good about ulpan--we counted to 100 today, and I'm becoming a lot better at reading and writing the characters. Also, the election isn't totally final yet, but I was pleased and surprised to see that Tzipi Livni got a majority of the popular vote! It seems unlikely that she'll be able to build a large enough coalition to become Prime Minister though... I don't really understand parliamentary politics.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Long post ahead
Wow. I had such an interesting weekend.
I signed up for an ATV and ziplining trip organized by this guy named Jeff Seidel. He organizes trips for students all over Israel for ridiculously cheap prices--which of course means that there's a catch. I had a really fun time this weekend but found myself in one of the most religious environments I've ever been in. It was like stepping into another world.
First we went ATVing which was really fun even though I didn't get to drive. At the end of the trail we were on the top of a mountain which overlooked a beautiful landscape--it was green and mostly flat, with mountains across the entire horizon.
After that we got back on the bus and they took us to the ziplining place. At first I was nervous but it was so fun, and way too short! When we landed we had to wait for enough people to fill up a jeep which we took back up the mountain--the jeep ride was way scarier than the zipline. We were going really fast on a bumpy road and the jeep had an open back, which the two girls at the end literally almost flew out of.
I started getting a sense of the religiosity of the trip on the bus. We had two madrachim (counselors)--Dani and Yomi. They were both really cute, young and fun, but they had become Orthodox and were clearly trying to sell their beliefs to us. It definitely put me off more than anything else, but I talked to Dani for a while and her perspective was interesting, even if I don't agree.
By the time we were done ziplining we were all starving so they took us to a barbeque restaurant and it was probably some of the best food I've had so far in Israel. There were plates of chicken, french fries, and all different kinds of amazing Israeli dips waiting for us. After everyone sat down (probably close to 100 people--it was a huge group) a man started walking around pouring alcohol into people's drinks. The best part was that he was a complete hippie--tunic shirt, curly hair in a ponytail and a frizzy beard.
Finally, after that huge day, we got to the hotel with barely enough time to change for Shabbat services. We soon realized that the hotel was something like a Shabbat retreat for the weekend; it was filled with Orthodox families coming to observe.
The service was a Carlbach service, meaning that instead of being talked to in monotonous Hebrew, the service was based around singing and dancing. But we were still separated into male and female sections. However I was pleasantly surprised to see that the hippie alcohol man, whose name is Ezra, was leading the service. I couldn't follow along with the songs of course, but it was more fun than I expected.
After the service we had dinner, in which Ezra led the prayers again. Aside from the kids on the trip, there were several Orthodox families (with a ton of little kids) that ate with us. Everyone seemed really nice, and but there were definitely times when people stood up to speak and I felt that they were pushing their beliefs on us. Most of the time I could ignore it but it was sort of uncomfortable.
I accidentally got stuck in the room for the oneg, after dinner. I'm not sure how to describe what this is, because I'm not really sure myself, but we were listening to a soldier talk about his experience in Gaza a few weeks ago. I'm really glad I stayed because it was really interesting to hear what he had to say. This soldier was 25, he's been out of the army for several years but has been called up for reserve duty 3 times. He talked about what it was like crossing the border into Gaza, the feelings of the troop before the war, and dealing with it afterward. He's a student at Hebrew University, and after the war he spent one day sleeping and then went to class and got asisgned 8 term papers. He said it took 2 weeks before he could get the boom boom boom sounds of rockets out of his head. He also said that students at Hebrew U, both Arabs and Israelis, would yell "Murderer!" at him. I'm not sure if I supported the Israeli attack on Gaza, and it's been something I've been worrying about a lot, but I really felt for this soldier... I can't even imagine the things he's seen and people are yelling hateful things at him instead of thanking him, or even just letting him be.
After this I hung out with some friends, had a satisfying conversation about Orthodox women and feminism (I'm a dork), and slept very nicely on a real bed.
On Saturday some friends and I walked down to the Kinneret Sea, which was literally several feet from the hotel. That area of Israel is so beautiful. We were in the north, by the Golan Heights, and we were surrounded by green mountains. The sea was so peaceful and beautiful, with mountains on the horizon. It was also sad though, because the Kinneret is seriously lacking water and it's a problem for Israel, which has barely had any rainfall this winter. Basically all the water that the country has right now is in that sea, and looking at that source made that reality even scarier.
Dinner that night consisted of good food and some more selling of Orthodox Judaism, but nothing too new. Overall I'm really glad I went on this trip, but I've thought pretty hard about it, and I think Orthodox Judaism just isn't for me. Go figure. But I could definitely go for another ride on the zipline...
I'm going to Petra on Tuesday, so expect another big update then! Tuesday is also Election Day in Israel--unlike the U.S., people get the day off here. Imagine that! I'm excited, of course, but it's pretty obvious that the Likud party (with Netanyahu as the candidate) is going to win.
I signed up for an ATV and ziplining trip organized by this guy named Jeff Seidel. He organizes trips for students all over Israel for ridiculously cheap prices--which of course means that there's a catch. I had a really fun time this weekend but found myself in one of the most religious environments I've ever been in. It was like stepping into another world.
First we went ATVing which was really fun even though I didn't get to drive. At the end of the trail we were on the top of a mountain which overlooked a beautiful landscape--it was green and mostly flat, with mountains across the entire horizon.
After that we got back on the bus and they took us to the ziplining place. At first I was nervous but it was so fun, and way too short! When we landed we had to wait for enough people to fill up a jeep which we took back up the mountain--the jeep ride was way scarier than the zipline. We were going really fast on a bumpy road and the jeep had an open back, which the two girls at the end literally almost flew out of.
I started getting a sense of the religiosity of the trip on the bus. We had two madrachim (counselors)--Dani and Yomi. They were both really cute, young and fun, but they had become Orthodox and were clearly trying to sell their beliefs to us. It definitely put me off more than anything else, but I talked to Dani for a while and her perspective was interesting, even if I don't agree.
By the time we were done ziplining we were all starving so they took us to a barbeque restaurant and it was probably some of the best food I've had so far in Israel. There were plates of chicken, french fries, and all different kinds of amazing Israeli dips waiting for us. After everyone sat down (probably close to 100 people--it was a huge group) a man started walking around pouring alcohol into people's drinks. The best part was that he was a complete hippie--tunic shirt, curly hair in a ponytail and a frizzy beard.
Finally, after that huge day, we got to the hotel with barely enough time to change for Shabbat services. We soon realized that the hotel was something like a Shabbat retreat for the weekend; it was filled with Orthodox families coming to observe.
The service was a Carlbach service, meaning that instead of being talked to in monotonous Hebrew, the service was based around singing and dancing. But we were still separated into male and female sections. However I was pleasantly surprised to see that the hippie alcohol man, whose name is Ezra, was leading the service. I couldn't follow along with the songs of course, but it was more fun than I expected.
After the service we had dinner, in which Ezra led the prayers again. Aside from the kids on the trip, there were several Orthodox families (with a ton of little kids) that ate with us. Everyone seemed really nice, and but there were definitely times when people stood up to speak and I felt that they were pushing their beliefs on us. Most of the time I could ignore it but it was sort of uncomfortable.
I accidentally got stuck in the room for the oneg, after dinner. I'm not sure how to describe what this is, because I'm not really sure myself, but we were listening to a soldier talk about his experience in Gaza a few weeks ago. I'm really glad I stayed because it was really interesting to hear what he had to say. This soldier was 25, he's been out of the army for several years but has been called up for reserve duty 3 times. He talked about what it was like crossing the border into Gaza, the feelings of the troop before the war, and dealing with it afterward. He's a student at Hebrew University, and after the war he spent one day sleeping and then went to class and got asisgned 8 term papers. He said it took 2 weeks before he could get the boom boom boom sounds of rockets out of his head. He also said that students at Hebrew U, both Arabs and Israelis, would yell "Murderer!" at him. I'm not sure if I supported the Israeli attack on Gaza, and it's been something I've been worrying about a lot, but I really felt for this soldier... I can't even imagine the things he's seen and people are yelling hateful things at him instead of thanking him, or even just letting him be.
After this I hung out with some friends, had a satisfying conversation about Orthodox women and feminism (I'm a dork), and slept very nicely on a real bed.
On Saturday some friends and I walked down to the Kinneret Sea, which was literally several feet from the hotel. That area of Israel is so beautiful. We were in the north, by the Golan Heights, and we were surrounded by green mountains. The sea was so peaceful and beautiful, with mountains on the horizon. It was also sad though, because the Kinneret is seriously lacking water and it's a problem for Israel, which has barely had any rainfall this winter. Basically all the water that the country has right now is in that sea, and looking at that source made that reality even scarier.
Dinner that night consisted of good food and some more selling of Orthodox Judaism, but nothing too new. Overall I'm really glad I went on this trip, but I've thought pretty hard about it, and I think Orthodox Judaism just isn't for me. Go figure. But I could definitely go for another ride on the zipline...
I'm going to Petra on Tuesday, so expect another big update then! Tuesday is also Election Day in Israel--unlike the U.S., people get the day off here. Imagine that! I'm excited, of course, but it's pretty obvious that the Likud party (with Netanyahu as the candidate) is going to win.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Crazy huge post
We FINALLY have internet in our rooms!!! This is a big deal. We were supposed to get it on Thursday, and then we heard we would get it on Sunday… and then there was a secret code that the internet company forgot to tell us about… but we finally have it. This is just another example of the wonders of Israeli bureaucracy… I’ve also had to jump through hoops to sign up for the gym or get service on my Israeli cell phone. Go figure.
It feels crazy that I’ve been here for a week. It feels much, much longer. I’ve been having a really good time—getting to know the people on the program, exploring the city, and finally starting class, which was actually kind of exciting.
A few days ago my roommates and I went to the shuk, a market in downtown Tel Aviv. Everything was really cheap and the produce is all fresh and delicious. The shuk was filled with huge stands of spices, breads, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables… there were also stores selling kitchen supplies, blankets, shoes, and clothes for really cheap. You’re supposed to haggle, but since I don’t know any Hebrew I was happy to pay the 2 shekels (about 50 cents) for a pound of carrots.
That night we went to a bar/lounge on the beach called La Mer. We met up with a huge group of kids from the program and we were basically the only people there, but we had a fun and very Israeli experience—sitting in the sand smoking hookah, while a man walked around holding a giant snake and selling flowers. At one point the snake was literally right over my head and I had no idea… kind of scary actually!
On Friday I went back downtown to the area of the shuk and explored the city a little bit. Because it was Friday the crafts market, Nachalat Binyamin, was open, where people sell beautiful jewelry and art that they usually made themselves. I wasn’t looking for anything so I wandered down King George St. and Dizengoff St. where I found the Tel Aviv flea market, and a lot of really interesting shops.
On Friday night the entire country, even the secular city of Tel Aviv, basically shuts down for Shabbat. Literally the only things that stay open in the city are nightclubs and bars. My friends and I had a potluck dinner, which was great despite our limited kitchens (we only have a tiny gas stove). Later I went out to a bar, which played a great musical selection, ranging from Queen to Elvis to music from the 90s, but nothing more recent than that. The music is probably one of my favorite parts of Israel—we heard “Time of My Life” on the radio yesterday.
On Saturday we walked the 2-ish miles down to the boardwalk (called “tayelet” in Hebrew), which I’ve been looking forward to. It was a little chilly and windy, but the beach was beautiful and the boardwalk had a lot of really cool places for food, coffee, and drinks once it got a little later. We met a guy who was an Elvis impersonator and played about three songs for us on his guitar. (My friend took a video of it, so I’ll definitely put the link up here once I get it.) After walking for about an hour and a half, we got dinner at a café and then went to check out a pretty famous American bar, Mike’s Place.
After a week of shopping and partying, Ulpan finally started. Ulpan is an intensive Hebrew class that lasts for a month. We take it five days a week for five hours a day. I’ve only had two days of class so far but I already know how to write sentences in Hebrew and we’re finishing the alphabet tomorrow. The class is intense but I’m glad we’re moving at such a fast pace, because I’m sick of not being able to read signs or order my own food. I’ve also found that it isn’t very effective to say “toda raba” (thank you very much) to every person I see… hmm. But I might actually be good at Hebrew at the end of this month… crazy stuff.
Last night I went back to Mike’s Place with a bunch of friends to watch the Superbowl. It was pretty much the most American experience I’ve ever had. The bar was packed with Americans who were drinking beer, eating wings and shouting at both teams. It was a lot of fun, but we all had class at 8:30 in the morning and the game didn’t start until 1:30 AM our time, so we left at halftime.
Well that’s about it so far—I’ll start updating more frequently now that I’m connected to the world again. Pictures will be up soon!
Laila tov! (Good night.)
It feels crazy that I’ve been here for a week. It feels much, much longer. I’ve been having a really good time—getting to know the people on the program, exploring the city, and finally starting class, which was actually kind of exciting.
A few days ago my roommates and I went to the shuk, a market in downtown Tel Aviv. Everything was really cheap and the produce is all fresh and delicious. The shuk was filled with huge stands of spices, breads, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables… there were also stores selling kitchen supplies, blankets, shoes, and clothes for really cheap. You’re supposed to haggle, but since I don’t know any Hebrew I was happy to pay the 2 shekels (about 50 cents) for a pound of carrots.
That night we went to a bar/lounge on the beach called La Mer. We met up with a huge group of kids from the program and we were basically the only people there, but we had a fun and very Israeli experience—sitting in the sand smoking hookah, while a man walked around holding a giant snake and selling flowers. At one point the snake was literally right over my head and I had no idea… kind of scary actually!
On Friday I went back downtown to the area of the shuk and explored the city a little bit. Because it was Friday the crafts market, Nachalat Binyamin, was open, where people sell beautiful jewelry and art that they usually made themselves. I wasn’t looking for anything so I wandered down King George St. and Dizengoff St. where I found the Tel Aviv flea market, and a lot of really interesting shops.
On Friday night the entire country, even the secular city of Tel Aviv, basically shuts down for Shabbat. Literally the only things that stay open in the city are nightclubs and bars. My friends and I had a potluck dinner, which was great despite our limited kitchens (we only have a tiny gas stove). Later I went out to a bar, which played a great musical selection, ranging from Queen to Elvis to music from the 90s, but nothing more recent than that. The music is probably one of my favorite parts of Israel—we heard “Time of My Life” on the radio yesterday.
On Saturday we walked the 2-ish miles down to the boardwalk (called “tayelet” in Hebrew), which I’ve been looking forward to. It was a little chilly and windy, but the beach was beautiful and the boardwalk had a lot of really cool places for food, coffee, and drinks once it got a little later. We met a guy who was an Elvis impersonator and played about three songs for us on his guitar. (My friend took a video of it, so I’ll definitely put the link up here once I get it.) After walking for about an hour and a half, we got dinner at a café and then went to check out a pretty famous American bar, Mike’s Place.
After a week of shopping and partying, Ulpan finally started. Ulpan is an intensive Hebrew class that lasts for a month. We take it five days a week for five hours a day. I’ve only had two days of class so far but I already know how to write sentences in Hebrew and we’re finishing the alphabet tomorrow. The class is intense but I’m glad we’re moving at such a fast pace, because I’m sick of not being able to read signs or order my own food. I’ve also found that it isn’t very effective to say “toda raba” (thank you very much) to every person I see… hmm. But I might actually be good at Hebrew at the end of this month… crazy stuff.
Last night I went back to Mike’s Place with a bunch of friends to watch the Superbowl. It was pretty much the most American experience I’ve ever had. The bar was packed with Americans who were drinking beer, eating wings and shouting at both teams. It was a lot of fun, but we all had class at 8:30 in the morning and the game didn’t start until 1:30 AM our time, so we left at halftime.
Well that’s about it so far—I’ll start updating more frequently now that I’m connected to the world again. Pictures will be up soon!
Laila tov! (Good night.)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wow!!!
That is the only thing I have to say about the last 24 hours. Traveling mostly went smoothly, but took FOREVER. I left my house at 5:30 AM EST on the 25th, and got here at around 9 AM Israeli time on the 26th. Crazy stuff, I can't even calculate that.
The dorms are pretty nasty--I'm never complaining about AU again. There are two double rooms and a bathroom and a kitchen. The necessaries are there but it will be an adjustment! So far I only have one roommate and I was half asleep when I met her, but she seems nice.
One thing I've noticed is that functioning without any knowledge of Hebrew is way harder than I thought it would be. I can't understand anything, and it's pretty harder to memorize letters that look like shapes. I didn't think I'd be saying this, but I can't wait for classes to start. I need to start learning some Hebrew immediately.
OK well I'm still pretty exhausted but I'll write again soon, and with pictures next time!
The dorms are pretty nasty--I'm never complaining about AU again. There are two double rooms and a bathroom and a kitchen. The necessaries are there but it will be an adjustment! So far I only have one roommate and I was half asleep when I met her, but she seems nice.
One thing I've noticed is that functioning without any knowledge of Hebrew is way harder than I thought it would be. I can't understand anything, and it's pretty harder to memorize letters that look like shapes. I didn't think I'd be saying this, but I can't wait for classes to start. I need to start learning some Hebrew immediately.
OK well I'm still pretty exhausted but I'll write again soon, and with pictures next time!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
82 hours, 16 minutes until take off!!
I'm getting ready for my departure to Israel after having a great time in D.C. for inauguration. I can't believe this is actually happening, but at the same time I'm sooo excited and can't wait to finally get there and start my adventure! Here's a few things you should know about my plans...
- I know that Israel looks scary on the news, but I want everyone to know that if I thought I'd be in serious danger, I wouldn't be going. Tel Aviv is safe and I'm smart and aware and will be careful.
- Most of you know that I'm not very religious, so Israel may seem like a strange choice. For me, studying in Israel isn't about my personal religion so much as it is about culture, history, and learning and experiencing different things in the world!
- I don't speak Hebrew. This will be fun.
- Contacting me: you can use this blog, Facebook, or email to contact me (dreamsintandem@gmail.com). I'll also have a cell phone in Israel--more details on that later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)