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!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
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.)
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