I was going to wait until I was home to blog about my day in Bethlehem, but it was so good I couldn't wait! I'll leave the important stuff for tomorrow, but for now I have to write down some of the odd highlights of my day so I don't forget.
1) In the car this morning on our way to Jerusalem, Lev was telling us a story about his experience in a hostel in Ireland. Without getting into the specifics of the story, within 2 minutes I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt, I couldn't breathe, and tears were pouring down my face. I was basically out of control. But I knew it was going to be a phenomenal day. And it was.
2) Lev struck again when we were at a coffee shop in Jerusalem. This time, all five of us were all laughing uncontrollably. The people at the table next to us actually got up and left, but we couldn't help it. It was one of the best moments of the trip for sure.
What were we laughing about? Well, there was some confusion about memory and mammory. But Lev got it worked out. Thanks again, Lev.
3) When we were heading to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for midnight mass, it was raining in the Old City and all the shops were closed. It was absolutely beautiful. And I jumped in a puddle.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Christmas Cookies and Red Wine
This past weekend several of my girlfriends and I baked Christmas cookies to help us get into the Christmas spirit. Even though it was probably 70 degrees and sunny that day, I think it worked! Of course, all the cookies were delicious, and after we were done baking a bunch of other people came over to help us eat them. We sat around for hours and talked about things that people should never talk about (i.e. religion and politics). During these sometimes heated conversations that I generally stay out of, I remember looking around at all of the people eating and talking in my kitchen and being so thankful for the opportunity to experience Tel Aviv with them.
On another note, have you ever had those moments when you're walking down the street and something funny pops in your head and you laugh out loud? That happened to me the other day because of a hilarious morning I had. Lev and I were eating breakfast together last week and we were talking about hippies. Lev and his family are Russian, which I am learning is a pretty hard and intense culture. So anyways, we were chatting and he tried to tell me that his parents were hippies. I've heard enough of his stories to know that they are definitely not hippies in the American sense of the word. So I said, "Your parents are definitely not hippies." And he said, "My parents are hippies in the Russian sense of the word. They beat their kids and they hate the environment, but they ride bikes and travel and stuff." At first, Lev didn't know I was laughing because it was one of those silent laughs, so he kept talking. But then when I was bowled over in my chair and tears were coming out of my eyes, I think he got it.
I just laughed out loud again while I wrote that! Awesome.
I'm seeing more and more that it's the people who make the experience more than anything else. Some of the best moments I've had here are so great because of the friends who were there to share the moments with me. If Tel Aviv has taught me anything so far, it's taught me to really enjoy the present. I think that's because I know my time here is temporary, and I want to get everything out of this experience that I can. But here's the thing: life is also temporary. So shouldn't we all make a point to really live in the present instead of always hurrying to the future?
I think the Christmas season is the best time of the year to start practicing this.
On another note, have you ever had those moments when you're walking down the street and something funny pops in your head and you laugh out loud? That happened to me the other day because of a hilarious morning I had. Lev and I were eating breakfast together last week and we were talking about hippies. Lev and his family are Russian, which I am learning is a pretty hard and intense culture. So anyways, we were chatting and he tried to tell me that his parents were hippies. I've heard enough of his stories to know that they are definitely not hippies in the American sense of the word. So I said, "Your parents are definitely not hippies." And he said, "My parents are hippies in the Russian sense of the word. They beat their kids and they hate the environment, but they ride bikes and travel and stuff." At first, Lev didn't know I was laughing because it was one of those silent laughs, so he kept talking. But then when I was bowled over in my chair and tears were coming out of my eyes, I think he got it.
I just laughed out loud again while I wrote that! Awesome.
I'm seeing more and more that it's the people who make the experience more than anything else. Some of the best moments I've had here are so great because of the friends who were there to share the moments with me. If Tel Aviv has taught me anything so far, it's taught me to really enjoy the present. I think that's because I know my time here is temporary, and I want to get everything out of this experience that I can. But here's the thing: life is also temporary. So shouldn't we all make a point to really live in the present instead of always hurrying to the future?
I think the Christmas season is the best time of the year to start practicing this.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
The Fastest Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear
Thanksgiving in Israel was a success! Me and 17 of my friends got together and had such a great time. We had Turkey and stuffing, cornbread dressing, pumpkin pies, a pecan pie, and tons of other delicious food (but we couldn't for the life of us find cranberry sauce!). It really felt like we were celebrating in the States, which helped fight off the homesickness for all of us for sure.
One holiday down, one to go.
Now on to Christmas. I am really excited about spending Christmas here because we are going to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve and Nazareth on Christmas Day. What better way to celebrate, right? And I'm happy to report that I have found a Christmas tree! It's about a foot tall and I bought decorations and a star for it and everything. It took me about 2 minutes to decorate :)
I'm also thinking of having all of my girlfriends over one weekend so we can make Christmas cookies. It's funny because when you're taken out of what you're used to, any little reminder of the familiar is really so special. The pumpkin pies on Thanksgiving, the mini Christmas tree I found, the smell of Christmas cookies... these things mean so much more when they aren't as readily available.
And I already know that next Christmas I'll probably be nostalgic for Israel. Even now I find myself missing this place and I have nine months left. Funny how that works.
One holiday down, one to go.
Now on to Christmas. I am really excited about spending Christmas here because we are going to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve and Nazareth on Christmas Day. What better way to celebrate, right? And I'm happy to report that I have found a Christmas tree! It's about a foot tall and I bought decorations and a star for it and everything. It took me about 2 minutes to decorate :)
I'm also thinking of having all of my girlfriends over one weekend so we can make Christmas cookies. It's funny because when you're taken out of what you're used to, any little reminder of the familiar is really so special. The pumpkin pies on Thanksgiving, the mini Christmas tree I found, the smell of Christmas cookies... these things mean so much more when they aren't as readily available.
And I already know that next Christmas I'll probably be nostalgic for Israel. Even now I find myself missing this place and I have nine months left. Funny how that works.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (and Thanksgiving) in Tel Aviv
This is going to be the first year that I'm not in the States for the holidays. I go back and forth on how I feel about it. I know all of my friends here, the majority of which are American, are going to do something fun for Thanksgiving and for Christmas, so it will be an experience to celebrate the holidays in Tel Aviv. But on the other hand, I am going to miss celebrating with my family.
Especially Christmas.
There are no Christmas trees, Christmas music, Christmas lights, Santa figurines or anything like that here (obviously), and I keep forgetting that it's the most wonderful time of the year! It's like in Home Alone 2 when the family leaves for Christmas and goes to Florida (Kevin, of course, goes to New York instead). Sure, it's warm and they are surrounded by palm trees, but that stuff isn't Christmasy. One scene in this movie particularly sticks out to me: all of the kids laying on the bed of some dingy Florida hotel room watching It's A Wonderful Life in Spanish. I think it's pouring rain outside too.
The good thing is, Hanukkah overlaps with Christmas, so there will still be a holiday spirit in the air. And I hear really good things about these jelly donuts (sufganiyot) that are everywhere during Hanukkah.
And I have the advantage of being able to go to Bethlehem on Christmas, which I suppose is one of the most Christmasy things that can be done this time of year.
In other news, school is keeping us pretty busy here. We don't do much during the week except for homework, and then on the weekends we get out and explore. This past weekend was filled with that. A group of us went to Mezcal, a Mexcian restaurant, on Thursday night and it was delicious! Chimichangas with chicken :) I have been craving Mexican food since I've been here but they don't have a ton of options. So when I heard about this place I had to go. It's in an "up and coming" neighborhood called Florentine, which is where all the hipsters hang out. When I was walking down the street I felt like I was in the States. I thought to myself, "Savannah Ellis would love it here!"
Then after church yesterday I was craving pizza, so we went to a place called Tony Vespa's, which was also delicious. They have huge square pans of pizza and you tell them how big of a slice you want. Then you pay based on weight. I got a slice with tomatoes and feta cheese and then another one with mushrooms and onions. It was so yummy. It's still warm here so we went outside and ate in the park. It was a lovely afternoon!
Especially Christmas.
There are no Christmas trees, Christmas music, Christmas lights, Santa figurines or anything like that here (obviously), and I keep forgetting that it's the most wonderful time of the year! It's like in Home Alone 2 when the family leaves for Christmas and goes to Florida (Kevin, of course, goes to New York instead). Sure, it's warm and they are surrounded by palm trees, but that stuff isn't Christmasy. One scene in this movie particularly sticks out to me: all of the kids laying on the bed of some dingy Florida hotel room watching It's A Wonderful Life in Spanish. I think it's pouring rain outside too.
The good thing is, Hanukkah overlaps with Christmas, so there will still be a holiday spirit in the air. And I hear really good things about these jelly donuts (sufganiyot) that are everywhere during Hanukkah.
And I have the advantage of being able to go to Bethlehem on Christmas, which I suppose is one of the most Christmasy things that can be done this time of year.
In other news, school is keeping us pretty busy here. We don't do much during the week except for homework, and then on the weekends we get out and explore. This past weekend was filled with that. A group of us went to Mezcal, a Mexcian restaurant, on Thursday night and it was delicious! Chimichangas with chicken :) I have been craving Mexican food since I've been here but they don't have a ton of options. So when I heard about this place I had to go. It's in an "up and coming" neighborhood called Florentine, which is where all the hipsters hang out. When I was walking down the street I felt like I was in the States. I thought to myself, "Savannah Ellis would love it here!"
Then after church yesterday I was craving pizza, so we went to a place called Tony Vespa's, which was also delicious. They have huge square pans of pizza and you tell them how big of a slice you want. Then you pay based on weight. I got a slice with tomatoes and feta cheese and then another one with mushrooms and onions. It was so yummy. It's still warm here so we went outside and ate in the park. It was a lovely afternoon!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Classes, Gas Masks, and So Much More
So my first day of school was last week and it was all pretty typical...if you live in Israel. First, I was sitting on a bench with my friends (one of whom is in the Israeli Army) and a guy walked by with 4 boxes that had leather straps on them, and they were hanging on his neck. The boxes were a little bigger than a typical shoe box. Anyways, my friend who is in the army bet us that we wouldn't be able to guess what was in these boxes. I guessed that there were religious Jewish icons in there that some campus group was passing out. Someone else guessed that maybe it was food. Nope. You know what was in there? Gas masks.
The guy with the boxes told us that they were handing them out for free to all of the Israeli students. So he took one for him and three more for his family.
A couple of days later, we get a text from the school that says this: "Hi guys, Tomorrow at 10am sirens will be heard at the area of Ramat Aviv as part of a military exercise. Do not panic =)"
We were then told that if the sirens lasted 180 seconds it was an actual emergency and we would need to go to the nearest bomb shelter. Luckily, I live right by one of the biggest in Tel Aviv. There is a theater by me that sits on a public square. Under that square is a massive bomb shelter that can hold over 1,000 people. Seriously. Check it out: http://www.haaretz.com/news/tel-aviv-opens-massive-new-bomb-shelter-under-national-theater-1.844.
Then today I woke up to an email from my Mom telling me that the American news is reporting that Israel is talking about launching an attack against Iran. I don't know what scares me more...the thought of being here for the inevitable counter attack or the thought of having to be in an underground bomb shelter for an extended period of time. Yea, I'm that claustrophobic.
On a lighter note, I am really enjoying my classes and we are still having so much fun getting to know Tel Aviv! We've been going to a ton of school events and meeting all of the new people who are a part of the overseas school. It will be a good and eventful year!
The guy with the boxes told us that they were handing them out for free to all of the Israeli students. So he took one for him and three more for his family.
A couple of days later, we get a text from the school that says this: "Hi guys, Tomorrow at 10am sirens will be heard at the area of Ramat Aviv as part of a military exercise. Do not panic =)"
We were then told that if the sirens lasted 180 seconds it was an actual emergency and we would need to go to the nearest bomb shelter. Luckily, I live right by one of the biggest in Tel Aviv. There is a theater by me that sits on a public square. Under that square is a massive bomb shelter that can hold over 1,000 people. Seriously. Check it out: http://www.haaretz.com/news/tel-aviv-opens-massive-new-bomb-shelter-under-national-theater-1.844.
Then today I woke up to an email from my Mom telling me that the American news is reporting that Israel is talking about launching an attack against Iran. I don't know what scares me more...the thought of being here for the inevitable counter attack or the thought of having to be in an underground bomb shelter for an extended period of time. Yea, I'm that claustrophobic.
On a lighter note, I am really enjoying my classes and we are still having so much fun getting to know Tel Aviv! We've been going to a ton of school events and meeting all of the new people who are a part of the overseas school. It will be a good and eventful year!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Back in the Holy Land
I got back to Israel a couple of days ago and about five pounds heavier (Mom, it's really true), and I'm super excited to be back. I moved into a new apartment in the heart of Tel Aviv with three other students in my program. During my first night in the new place I had my windows open because the AC isn't installed in my room yet and I heard all kinds of city noises: buses, car horns, people talking, people singing. In fact, one of my neighbors was singing along to Boyz II Men. It reminded me of that movie Rear Window, although without the Boyz II Men... and without the murder.
I love being right by everything. Yesterday, Patrick, Miriam and I walked to the Shuk to get some things we needed. The Shuk is quite the experience; it's like being in the Old City in the sense that you have to bargain for things. And they also have great fruit, vegetables, bread, meat, and tons of candies and desserts there for a reasonable price. And now I'm right down the street!
A little bit later I walked a minute from my place to get the best donut ever. And it was only 3 shekels, which is less than a dollar. That might be my new morning breakfast routine.
Another fun thing we did since I've been back is go to a party at this coffee shop. Apparently, everyone told the owner that the coffee shop was going to fail but it is actually pretty successful, so they celebrated its success by reading eulogies. What makes this coffee shop unique is that instead of paying per cup of coffee you pay per hour. And everything is self-serve. So you can go in and drink as much coffee as you want (they also have fruit and other snacks available) and then you just pay based on the amount of time you spent there. I think I'll check this place out when school starts.
Today, a bunch of us are going to a concert on the beach.
Did I mention it's still in the 80's and sunny here? :)
~~~
There is some big news in Israel today. Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was captured by Hamas 5 years ago, was finally released in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. He was only 19 years old when he was captured. In order to raise awareness, Shalit's parents camped in front of the prime minister's house for over a year. Most Israeli's are excited about the release, but some are hesitant because of the obvious danger of releasing 1,000 Palestinian terrorists whose main goal is to destroy Israel.
We'll see what happens. Never a dull moment here!
I love being right by everything. Yesterday, Patrick, Miriam and I walked to the Shuk to get some things we needed. The Shuk is quite the experience; it's like being in the Old City in the sense that you have to bargain for things. And they also have great fruit, vegetables, bread, meat, and tons of candies and desserts there for a reasonable price. And now I'm right down the street!
A little bit later I walked a minute from my place to get the best donut ever. And it was only 3 shekels, which is less than a dollar. That might be my new morning breakfast routine.
Another fun thing we did since I've been back is go to a party at this coffee shop. Apparently, everyone told the owner that the coffee shop was going to fail but it is actually pretty successful, so they celebrated its success by reading eulogies. What makes this coffee shop unique is that instead of paying per cup of coffee you pay per hour. And everything is self-serve. So you can go in and drink as much coffee as you want (they also have fruit and other snacks available) and then you just pay based on the amount of time you spent there. I think I'll check this place out when school starts.
Today, a bunch of us are going to a concert on the beach.
Did I mention it's still in the 80's and sunny here? :)
~~~
There is some big news in Israel today. Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was captured by Hamas 5 years ago, was finally released in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. He was only 19 years old when he was captured. In order to raise awareness, Shalit's parents camped in front of the prime minister's house for over a year. Most Israeli's are excited about the release, but some are hesitant because of the obvious danger of releasing 1,000 Palestinian terrorists whose main goal is to destroy Israel.
We'll see what happens. Never a dull moment here!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Poland Spring and Sausage.
I finally made it back to the US! It was looking doubtful for a while there because traveling out of Israel is always a challenge.
It started when Miriam, who had a morning flight yesterday, texted me this: "Houston, we may have a problem." She went on to tell me that there was some labor dispute at the airport and she was waiting on the runway. She was concerned that all the flights would be canceled for the day. (Mine was supposed to leave later that night.) But after a couple of hours the labor dispute was over and they were on their way.
I got to the airport 3 hours before my flight. After the security people took everything out of my large suitcase and shoved it back in, I got chosen to go through the "special security line," which was the same line I had to go through on my way to Istanbul. In this line they take everything out of your carry-on bags and wipe the items down with a cloth that they then run through some machine to make sure there are no strange substances detected. Everything was fine in this special line until the girl in front of me was suddenly surrounded by four security guards with earpieces in and everything. It turns out she had a bullet in her bag that an IDF soldier had given to her. Fail.
To make a long story short, I barely made my flight even though I got to the airport 3 hours early.
Always an adventure!
So, I am sitting in Philadelphia now waiting for my connecting flight to Nashville. I stopped off at Au Bon Pain and got myself some good old American Poland Spring water and a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich on an asiago cheese bagel. Yummy to my tummy.
As I'm eating I'm chatting on gchat with Miriam, who is also back in the US for a couple of weeks, and we are talking about the little things we miss about living in the US. She said this: "dude. i just had raspberries on my cereal while reading the target ad. remember target?" I laughed out loud in the middle of the airport when I read this. I told her I am definitely going to make some target runs and in between these I am going to eat an insane amount of steak.
Ah, home sweet home. :)
What's so cool about being back in the US though is that at the end of my stay here I'm pretty sure I'll be homesick for Tel Aviv. That's a really good thing.
It started when Miriam, who had a morning flight yesterday, texted me this: "Houston, we may have a problem." She went on to tell me that there was some labor dispute at the airport and she was waiting on the runway. She was concerned that all the flights would be canceled for the day. (Mine was supposed to leave later that night.) But after a couple of hours the labor dispute was over and they were on their way.
I got to the airport 3 hours before my flight. After the security people took everything out of my large suitcase and shoved it back in, I got chosen to go through the "special security line," which was the same line I had to go through on my way to Istanbul. In this line they take everything out of your carry-on bags and wipe the items down with a cloth that they then run through some machine to make sure there are no strange substances detected. Everything was fine in this special line until the girl in front of me was suddenly surrounded by four security guards with earpieces in and everything. It turns out she had a bullet in her bag that an IDF soldier had given to her. Fail.
To make a long story short, I barely made my flight even though I got to the airport 3 hours early.
Always an adventure!
So, I am sitting in Philadelphia now waiting for my connecting flight to Nashville. I stopped off at Au Bon Pain and got myself some good old American Poland Spring water and a sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich on an asiago cheese bagel. Yummy to my tummy.
As I'm eating I'm chatting on gchat with Miriam, who is also back in the US for a couple of weeks, and we are talking about the little things we miss about living in the US. She said this: "dude. i just had raspberries on my cereal while reading the target ad. remember target?" I laughed out loud in the middle of the airport when I read this. I told her I am definitely going to make some target runs and in between these I am going to eat an insane amount of steak.
Ah, home sweet home. :)
What's so cool about being back in the US though is that at the end of my stay here I'm pretty sure I'll be homesick for Tel Aviv. That's a really good thing.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
On the Road Again.
I am coming home for a visit in five days, and there are several things that I intend to do while I am there. Here are the top 10.
1) Eat a big juicy steak at least 5 times in the 3 weeks I am home
2) Buy Aussie hairspray for a reasonable price
3) Get more Proactiv
4) Drive a car
5) Soak in good customer service
6) Go 3 weeks without seeing a wild cat
7) Eat an ungodly amount of American candy
8) Eat at Chipotle
9) Enjoy the fact that people in Nashville are friendly
10) Spend loads of time with my friends and family :)
I absolutely LOVE Tel Aviv, but it is such an adjustment moving from one culture to another. America definitely has more conveniences than Israel but there are several things I enjoy here that can't be enjoyed at home. For example, I can go to a restaurant and sit for hours and the servers don't care one bit. It's not like the US, where before you've even finished your entree the check is on the table. I've always hated that.
Here are some other things I'll miss about Tel Aviv:
1) The weather
2) My awesome friends
3) The busyness of the city
4) Trying to read the Hebrew signs
5) The excellent coffee
But these things will be here when I get back. And I have a feeling I am going to miss them while I'm gone. I think that's a good thing.
1) Eat a big juicy steak at least 5 times in the 3 weeks I am home
2) Buy Aussie hairspray for a reasonable price
3) Get more Proactiv
4) Drive a car
5) Soak in good customer service
6) Go 3 weeks without seeing a wild cat
7) Eat an ungodly amount of American candy
8) Eat at Chipotle
9) Enjoy the fact that people in Nashville are friendly
10) Spend loads of time with my friends and family :)
I absolutely LOVE Tel Aviv, but it is such an adjustment moving from one culture to another. America definitely has more conveniences than Israel but there are several things I enjoy here that can't be enjoyed at home. For example, I can go to a restaurant and sit for hours and the servers don't care one bit. It's not like the US, where before you've even finished your entree the check is on the table. I've always hated that.
Here are some other things I'll miss about Tel Aviv:
1) The weather
2) My awesome friends
3) The busyness of the city
4) Trying to read the Hebrew signs
5) The excellent coffee
But these things will be here when I get back. And I have a feeling I am going to miss them while I'm gone. I think that's a good thing.
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Unidentified Backpack
A funny thing just happened...
I am sitting in a coffee shop with 2 of my friends at the moment. It's this great little Bohemian place on Sheinken St., which is one of the most popluar streets in Tel Aviv because of the shops and restaurants.
Anyways, we are sitting on the patio outside with 15 other people and someone spots a backpack under one of the empty tables. A man starts asking whose backpack it is. It's pretty quiet at first, but then once everyone realizes that it doesn't belong to anyone in the shop, panic breaks out. But it's in a comical way.
One woman runs into the coffee shop to find the owner. I just see her left hand, the one with the cigarette in it, flailing about. When she comes out everyone starts yelling, in Hebrew of course.
Finally, someone asks the man sitting on the bench a couple of feet away if it is his.
It is. Then everyone yells at him for scaring them.
Only in Israel :)
I am sitting in a coffee shop with 2 of my friends at the moment. It's this great little Bohemian place on Sheinken St., which is one of the most popluar streets in Tel Aviv because of the shops and restaurants.
Anyways, we are sitting on the patio outside with 15 other people and someone spots a backpack under one of the empty tables. A man starts asking whose backpack it is. It's pretty quiet at first, but then once everyone realizes that it doesn't belong to anyone in the shop, panic breaks out. But it's in a comical way.
One woman runs into the coffee shop to find the owner. I just see her left hand, the one with the cigarette in it, flailing about. When she comes out everyone starts yelling, in Hebrew of course.
Finally, someone asks the man sitting on the bench a couple of feet away if it is his.
It is. Then everyone yells at him for scaring them.
Only in Israel :)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Catching Up Is Hard to Do
What have I been doing since I last wrote?
First, I went to the demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. People here are protesting because of the insanely high rent prices.
Check out this link: http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/some-450-000-israelis-march-at-massive-march-of-the-million-rallies-across-country-1.382366
I was on the phone with my Mom when I was walking to the protest with Anna. Of course, when I told her I was going to the protest she thought what most people probably think: protest in the Middle East = molotov cocktails + bloody riots + tear gas. But this one was so different. Parents were out with their kids and there was even some entertainment. We basically just walked down the street until we came to a large park where someone was speaking. It was low key but hopefully effective.
Cost of living here is so expensive. I honestly don't know how people do it. Even small things are unaffordable. For example, I wanted to buy some nail polish the other day. I went to the pharmacy down the street and the nail polish was 45 shekels, which is over $10. There is some nail polish in the States that costs this much for sure, but there are a ton of cheaper options. Like Wet 'n Wild! Sure, it's a little watery. But it does the trick. Here, there are no cheap options. For anything.
Neutrogena facewash, which I'm pretty sure you can get in Walmart for $5, is around $30 here. Most American products here are way overpriced. But food is also ridiculously expensive. I was telling my Mom that I barely eat meat anymore. It's around $15 for chicken breasts!
Ah, the life of a student.
After rambling on about how expensive it is here...
A bunch of us took Tony out for his 30th birthday a couple nights ago, and it was actually a super affordable place! My pasta dish, which came with a ton of pasta and vegetables, was only 30 shekels, which is under $10. (Can you imagine a pasta dish at a nice restaurant costing less than a tiny bottle of nail polish? Crazy, right?) So we got pasta, a nice bottle of Golan wine, which comes from the Golan Heights Winery here in Israel, and chocolate cake. It was so delicious!
Mom and Dad, when are you coming to visit? I need a nice piece of steak soon. :)
First, I went to the demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. People here are protesting because of the insanely high rent prices.
Check out this link: http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/some-450-000-israelis-march-at-massive-march-of-the-million-rallies-across-country-1.382366
I was on the phone with my Mom when I was walking to the protest with Anna. Of course, when I told her I was going to the protest she thought what most people probably think: protest in the Middle East = molotov cocktails + bloody riots + tear gas. But this one was so different. Parents were out with their kids and there was even some entertainment. We basically just walked down the street until we came to a large park where someone was speaking. It was low key but hopefully effective.
Cost of living here is so expensive. I honestly don't know how people do it. Even small things are unaffordable. For example, I wanted to buy some nail polish the other day. I went to the pharmacy down the street and the nail polish was 45 shekels, which is over $10. There is some nail polish in the States that costs this much for sure, but there are a ton of cheaper options. Like Wet 'n Wild! Sure, it's a little watery. But it does the trick. Here, there are no cheap options. For anything.
Neutrogena facewash, which I'm pretty sure you can get in Walmart for $5, is around $30 here. Most American products here are way overpriced. But food is also ridiculously expensive. I was telling my Mom that I barely eat meat anymore. It's around $15 for chicken breasts!
Ah, the life of a student.
After rambling on about how expensive it is here...
A bunch of us took Tony out for his 30th birthday a couple nights ago, and it was actually a super affordable place! My pasta dish, which came with a ton of pasta and vegetables, was only 30 shekels, which is under $10. (Can you imagine a pasta dish at a nice restaurant costing less than a tiny bottle of nail polish? Crazy, right?) So we got pasta, a nice bottle of Golan wine, which comes from the Golan Heights Winery here in Israel, and chocolate cake. It was so delicious!
Mom and Dad, when are you coming to visit? I need a nice piece of steak soon. :)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Experiences in Turkey
Where to begin?
The food in Turkey is absolutely amazing! My friend Miriam and I got hooked on Borek, which is pastry dough that can be filled with cheese or potatoes. It probably comes a million different ways but these are the ones that I tried. I got potato borek the first night from a vendor on the street and it was only a dollar or two. Coming from Tel Aviv, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world, this was a nice treat. We also ate Turkish meatballs, shish kebab, doner, fish and bread, and a ton of Turkish desserts. I tried Turkish coffee once and it was okay. But instead of coffee I drank this apple tea that was so unbelievably delicious! I probably had two or three cups of it a day.
What else?
We toured a ton of museums, chuches, mosques, and palaces, which were incredible. We had a boat tour on the Bosphorous and swam in the Black Sea. We rented bikes on one of the Princes' Islands and walked up an incredibly steep hill to see the Greek church, Saint George. We went to the Egyptian Bazaar, the Spice Market, and Pierre Loti. We experienced so much but still only managed to see a fraction of the city.
All of these things were incredible, but one of the most memorable experiences was Saturday night. After dinner, we walked around and found this great little place playing Turkish music. There was only one man dancing in the front and he was a big, big man. I told Evan that I would give him 20 lira to go and dance with him. Evan said he would give me 40 if I did.
Done.
We started dancing and before I knew it the whole place joined us and was dancing in the street. (I was wearing a long dress that got so filthy because the ground was wet and muddy. The next morning my feet looked like I had bathed them in mud!) Everyone danced the night away to some really good Turkish music. It was such a blast!
Another of my favorite moments was the last dinner we had. It wasn't that something extraordinary happened, except for the fact that Patrick left the table for a few minutes and came back with these ridiculous looking glasses with a nose that lit up. I think it is one of my favorite memories because it was just so much fun to sit down to a nice dinner with all of my friends in the middle of Istanbul and laugh and talk and get to know each other.
So blessed.
P.S. Visit Istanbul if you can!
The food in Turkey is absolutely amazing! My friend Miriam and I got hooked on Borek, which is pastry dough that can be filled with cheese or potatoes. It probably comes a million different ways but these are the ones that I tried. I got potato borek the first night from a vendor on the street and it was only a dollar or two. Coming from Tel Aviv, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world, this was a nice treat. We also ate Turkish meatballs, shish kebab, doner, fish and bread, and a ton of Turkish desserts. I tried Turkish coffee once and it was okay. But instead of coffee I drank this apple tea that was so unbelievably delicious! I probably had two or three cups of it a day.
What else?
We toured a ton of museums, chuches, mosques, and palaces, which were incredible. We had a boat tour on the Bosphorous and swam in the Black Sea. We rented bikes on one of the Princes' Islands and walked up an incredibly steep hill to see the Greek church, Saint George. We went to the Egyptian Bazaar, the Spice Market, and Pierre Loti. We experienced so much but still only managed to see a fraction of the city.
All of these things were incredible, but one of the most memorable experiences was Saturday night. After dinner, we walked around and found this great little place playing Turkish music. There was only one man dancing in the front and he was a big, big man. I told Evan that I would give him 20 lira to go and dance with him. Evan said he would give me 40 if I did.
Done.
We started dancing and before I knew it the whole place joined us and was dancing in the street. (I was wearing a long dress that got so filthy because the ground was wet and muddy. The next morning my feet looked like I had bathed them in mud!) Everyone danced the night away to some really good Turkish music. It was such a blast!
Another of my favorite moments was the last dinner we had. It wasn't that something extraordinary happened, except for the fact that Patrick left the table for a few minutes and came back with these ridiculous looking glasses with a nose that lit up. I think it is one of my favorite memories because it was just so much fun to sit down to a nice dinner with all of my friends in the middle of Istanbul and laugh and talk and get to know each other.
So blessed.
P.S. Visit Istanbul if you can!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
I am leaving for Turkey in four days! Seven of my friends and I are taking the two hour flight on Thursday after Hebrew class and staying for 6 days. We will be staying in a hostel, which will be a first for me. (I agreed to stay there on two conditions: there had to be a shower and they had to allow me to use my hair dryer and straightener.) There will be four boys and four girls so I feel okay about it. I think this will be a phenomenal experience. Plus, it will be nice to get out of Israel for a couple of days. In case you haven't heard, there has been a ton of activity here...
On Thursday, I was eating falafel with a group of people at this small restaurant by school when suddenly everyone went silent and their eyes were glued to the television. The news was in Hebrew but someone there told us what was going on. Apparently, gunmen from Egypt crossed over the border and started shooting at a bus. It was later found out that there were explosives and a suicide bomber involved as well. Eight people were killed. The IDF retaliated and killed five of the gunmen. Then they launched an airstrike into Gaza that killed five others who were a part of the same group that attacked the bus earlier. (Yea, the IDF doesn't mess around.) Since then, there has been nonstop fighting. We read today that over 100 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel. More people have been killed and many have been arrested.
It's so interesting being here during all of this. I think the media wants us to believe that when these things happen here all of Israel panics and runs for cover. But that's not what it's like at all. People just go one with their lives; they work, go to coffee shops, go out to dinner, go to the park. Whatever it was they were going to do, they just go ahead and do it. So we all did the same thing. We were supposed to take the bus downtown to meet some of our Israeli friends, so that's what we did. It was actually liberating in a way.
In other news, I made couscous tonight that was so delicious! I was thoroughly impressed with myself. Oddly enough, this is the first time I've cooked something since I've been living here. Usually I go out or just eat something that doesn't require a lot of work like pita and humus. But the problem is, I am already sick of falafel, humus, and schwarma, and these are basically the only things you can grab on the go here. As my friend Miriam put it, these things are like McDonalds in the U.S. Anyway, I just mixed the couscous with craisans, carrots, cucumbers, almonds, and parmesean cheese and that was it. So yummy!
Oh, and I got a 100% on my second test. :)
Matsuyan! (That's Hebrew for "excellent")
On Thursday, I was eating falafel with a group of people at this small restaurant by school when suddenly everyone went silent and their eyes were glued to the television. The news was in Hebrew but someone there told us what was going on. Apparently, gunmen from Egypt crossed over the border and started shooting at a bus. It was later found out that there were explosives and a suicide bomber involved as well. Eight people were killed. The IDF retaliated and killed five of the gunmen. Then they launched an airstrike into Gaza that killed five others who were a part of the same group that attacked the bus earlier. (Yea, the IDF doesn't mess around.) Since then, there has been nonstop fighting. We read today that over 100 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel. More people have been killed and many have been arrested.
It's so interesting being here during all of this. I think the media wants us to believe that when these things happen here all of Israel panics and runs for cover. But that's not what it's like at all. People just go one with their lives; they work, go to coffee shops, go out to dinner, go to the park. Whatever it was they were going to do, they just go ahead and do it. So we all did the same thing. We were supposed to take the bus downtown to meet some of our Israeli friends, so that's what we did. It was actually liberating in a way.
In other news, I made couscous tonight that was so delicious! I was thoroughly impressed with myself. Oddly enough, this is the first time I've cooked something since I've been living here. Usually I go out or just eat something that doesn't require a lot of work like pita and humus. But the problem is, I am already sick of falafel, humus, and schwarma, and these are basically the only things you can grab on the go here. As my friend Miriam put it, these things are like McDonalds in the U.S. Anyway, I just mixed the couscous with craisans, carrots, cucumbers, almonds, and parmesean cheese and that was it. So yummy!
Oh, and I got a 100% on my second test. :)
Matsuyan! (That's Hebrew for "excellent")
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tales from the Coffee Shop
So, I am sitting on the patio of a trendy coffee shop in Tel Aviv right now trying to wrap my head around the fact that I'm sitting on the patio of a trendy coffee shop in Tel Aviv. I just had this amazing watermelon juice drink and am waiting on my feta and eggplant sandwich on brown ciabatta bread. Then I'm going to continue working on my writing. Not to shabby.
Anywhere you sit outside in Tel Aviv you will see cats. There are a ridiculous number of wild cats here and I have no idea why. We were at a burger place the other day and a cat jumped onto one of the chairs at our table and begged for food. When we put him down he just jumped right up again. There was another time when my friend Miriam and I were heading out of the campus gate to go downtown when she had to run up to her apartment to get something she forgot. As I was waiting downstairs for her, six cats (that's not an exaggeration; there really were six cats) surrounded me because they wanted food. As I write this, a cat is walking along the ledge right beside me.
I'm allergic to cats.
It's also interesting because dogs are allowed in many restaurants here. In fact, there is a dog sitting with his owner at the table across from me. The waitress even brought him a bowl with water in it. Are there places in the U.S. like this? I can't think of any.
You know what else they do here? They bring toothpicks to the table when you are done with your meal. This has been the case at every restaurant I've been to here, which I think is interesting. In the U.S. they might have toothpicks by the door that you can grab before you leave, but there they assume that you will leave in a timely manner. Here, people take their time to eat and drink. They stay for hours. I guess the servers just assume that you might as will pick your teeth while you sit.
~~~~~~~
So yesterday was Tu B'Av here, which is the Israeli Valentines Day. The only reason I even knew about it was because a couple of us were at Max Brenner the other day (Max Brenner is an Israeli company that specializes in making cholcolate, but their restaurants also serve food) and it was clear from all the red hearts that something was up. Our waitress told us that Tu B'Av was on Monday. But on Monday no one even talked about it. It isn't nearly as big of a holiday here as Valentines Day is in the U.S. But it's interesting because the U.S. made Tu B'Av a big deal there. A friend of mine in the States was telling me about an article he read (I think it was in the New York Times) that talked about how there was a speed dating event in some cave in Jerusalem. Supposedly, one of the guys who went to this event felt sure that he was going to find true love in that cave. I hope he did.
How did I celebrate Tu B'Av? Me and three of my girlfriends went and ate sushi together. Then I watched Couple's Retreat on TV with Hebrew subtitles and finished my homework.
Hmmm, what else? My shower is still leaking and I still have to bag my own groceries, but I am having the time of my life.
Anywhere you sit outside in Tel Aviv you will see cats. There are a ridiculous number of wild cats here and I have no idea why. We were at a burger place the other day and a cat jumped onto one of the chairs at our table and begged for food. When we put him down he just jumped right up again. There was another time when my friend Miriam and I were heading out of the campus gate to go downtown when she had to run up to her apartment to get something she forgot. As I was waiting downstairs for her, six cats (that's not an exaggeration; there really were six cats) surrounded me because they wanted food. As I write this, a cat is walking along the ledge right beside me.
I'm allergic to cats.
It's also interesting because dogs are allowed in many restaurants here. In fact, there is a dog sitting with his owner at the table across from me. The waitress even brought him a bowl with water in it. Are there places in the U.S. like this? I can't think of any.
You know what else they do here? They bring toothpicks to the table when you are done with your meal. This has been the case at every restaurant I've been to here, which I think is interesting. In the U.S. they might have toothpicks by the door that you can grab before you leave, but there they assume that you will leave in a timely manner. Here, people take their time to eat and drink. They stay for hours. I guess the servers just assume that you might as will pick your teeth while you sit.
~~~~~~~
So yesterday was Tu B'Av here, which is the Israeli Valentines Day. The only reason I even knew about it was because a couple of us were at Max Brenner the other day (Max Brenner is an Israeli company that specializes in making cholcolate, but their restaurants also serve food) and it was clear from all the red hearts that something was up. Our waitress told us that Tu B'Av was on Monday. But on Monday no one even talked about it. It isn't nearly as big of a holiday here as Valentines Day is in the U.S. But it's interesting because the U.S. made Tu B'Av a big deal there. A friend of mine in the States was telling me about an article he read (I think it was in the New York Times) that talked about how there was a speed dating event in some cave in Jerusalem. Supposedly, one of the guys who went to this event felt sure that he was going to find true love in that cave. I hope he did.
How did I celebrate Tu B'Av? Me and three of my girlfriends went and ate sushi together. Then I watched Couple's Retreat on TV with Hebrew subtitles and finished my homework.
Hmmm, what else? My shower is still leaking and I still have to bag my own groceries, but I am having the time of my life.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
DIRT
So, yesterday we went on a tour of Neve Tzedek, which was the first Jewish neighborhood built outside of the walls of Jaffa. It was really interesting at first, but since we were an hour and a half late to Neve Tzedek because of Tel Aviv traffic, we were pretty ravenous. Thirty minutes into the tour, myself and four of my friends left in search of some food. Because some of my friends here are Jewish, the restaurant had to be kosher, which is surprisingly difficult to find in Tel Aviv because the city is so secular. After walking for an hour in crazy humidity, we finally stopped at this little kosher Italian place called SouPizza. My friend Miriam and I split a Spinach and pesto calzone, which, by the way, had a boiled egg in it because boiled eggs are in a lot of dishes here, and a Marguerite Pizza with mushrooms and zucchini. The food was so delicious and the service wasn't as bad as usual, which was a plus.
Good customer service is popular in America and perhaps a few other countries. Unfortunately, Israel is not among them. Service in restaurants is pretty terrible here, but you just get used to it. As long as they bring you your food and the correct change for the bill you learn not to complain. One of the biggest shocks to me was when I went to the market (the shuk) for the first time. After they had scanned my food, I waited patiently for them to bag it. Little did I know the cashier was waiting patiently for me to do the same. In Israel, the customer bags his or her own groceries, which is a far cry from my experience shopping in Publix, where the teenagers bag your groceries, bring them out to your car, and help you load them.
I was talking to my friend Anna the other day about the little conveniences we miss here in Israel. One of the biggest is AC. Luckily, we have AC in our bedrooms (which, by the way, was only installed 3 years ago), but there is no AC in the kitchen or the bathroom. There is AC in some of our classrooms, but there is none in the common areas of campus buildings.
Another thing, the showers here are different. Even in most hotels there are no shower curtains. There are half glass doors. But those are luxurious because at least you're standing in a bathtub. In my apartment, there is a stand-up shower with a glass door that doesn't really hit the ground. Therefore, every day water flows out of the shower and into the bathroom, under the bathroom door and into the kitchen, then under my bedroom door. Every day. Without fail. I'm not complaining at all, but it's interesting how we get so used to little convenciences that others don't enjoy at all.
One more thing, I've learned how to function without a car. Most people here take public transportation because not only is gas about $8 a liter, but cars are taxed 100%. That means if you purchase a car for $20,000, you end up paying $40,000 because of taxes. Therefore, it's not surprising at all that most people take public transportation. As a student, I've taken a cab a time or two, but the primary way my friends and I travel is by bus. Buses are pretty convenient but they don't exactly run on time. In fact, I'm not sure there's even a schedule. (It's customary when you get to the bus stop to ask the other people if they have seen the bus you need go by in the last ten or twenty minutes. If not, it might be close. If so, you might not see it again for quite some time.) But, even if there is a schedule, the drivers don't go out of their way to keep it. We just head out to our bus stop and hope for the best.
Another means of transportation here is the sherut. It looks like a mini-van. It's similiar to a taxi in the sense that it can be hailed from the side of the road, but it doesn't drop you off at your exact destination. It rides specific routes and you just have the guarantee that it will drop you off "near" your final destination.
These are just a few of the things I've learned in the past couple of weeks. As Dorothy told Toto, "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." :)
Good customer service is popular in America and perhaps a few other countries. Unfortunately, Israel is not among them. Service in restaurants is pretty terrible here, but you just get used to it. As long as they bring you your food and the correct change for the bill you learn not to complain. One of the biggest shocks to me was when I went to the market (the shuk) for the first time. After they had scanned my food, I waited patiently for them to bag it. Little did I know the cashier was waiting patiently for me to do the same. In Israel, the customer bags his or her own groceries, which is a far cry from my experience shopping in Publix, where the teenagers bag your groceries, bring them out to your car, and help you load them.
I was talking to my friend Anna the other day about the little conveniences we miss here in Israel. One of the biggest is AC. Luckily, we have AC in our bedrooms (which, by the way, was only installed 3 years ago), but there is no AC in the kitchen or the bathroom. There is AC in some of our classrooms, but there is none in the common areas of campus buildings.
Another thing, the showers here are different. Even in most hotels there are no shower curtains. There are half glass doors. But those are luxurious because at least you're standing in a bathtub. In my apartment, there is a stand-up shower with a glass door that doesn't really hit the ground. Therefore, every day water flows out of the shower and into the bathroom, under the bathroom door and into the kitchen, then under my bedroom door. Every day. Without fail. I'm not complaining at all, but it's interesting how we get so used to little convenciences that others don't enjoy at all.
One more thing, I've learned how to function without a car. Most people here take public transportation because not only is gas about $8 a liter, but cars are taxed 100%. That means if you purchase a car for $20,000, you end up paying $40,000 because of taxes. Therefore, it's not surprising at all that most people take public transportation. As a student, I've taken a cab a time or two, but the primary way my friends and I travel is by bus. Buses are pretty convenient but they don't exactly run on time. In fact, I'm not sure there's even a schedule. (It's customary when you get to the bus stop to ask the other people if they have seen the bus you need go by in the last ten or twenty minutes. If not, it might be close. If so, you might not see it again for quite some time.) But, even if there is a schedule, the drivers don't go out of their way to keep it. We just head out to our bus stop and hope for the best.
Another means of transportation here is the sherut. It looks like a mini-van. It's similiar to a taxi in the sense that it can be hailed from the side of the road, but it doesn't drop you off at your exact destination. It rides specific routes and you just have the guarantee that it will drop you off "near" your final destination.
These are just a few of the things I've learned in the past couple of weeks. As Dorothy told Toto, "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." :)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tisha B'Av
We didn't have class yesterday because of the Jewish holiday Tisha B'Av. On this day, Jewish people are supposed to fast and mourn in remembrance of the destruction of the first and second temples, which are believed to have been destroyed on the same day hundreds of years apart.
I didn't fast and mourn, but I did learn a crucial lesson: the importance of remembering. All throughout the Old Testament, God commanded His people to set up altars or build memorials so a certain event or period of history would be remembered for generations. Holidays also serve this purpose. The celebration of Passover commemorates the Exodus out of Egypt; Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ; Good Friday is the day Christians set aside to mourn the death of Jesus, and Easter Sunday is the day we celebrate His resurrection.
All of these holidays are meant to remind us of one important truth: God is faithful. I think if we set some time aside during the day to remember God's faithfulness in our own lives, perhaps we wouldn't be as anxious or fearful about what the future holds. We might even have peace, knowing that God has a much better plan for our lives than we could ever come up with ourselves.
I didn't fast and mourn, but I did learn a crucial lesson: the importance of remembering. All throughout the Old Testament, God commanded His people to set up altars or build memorials so a certain event or period of history would be remembered for generations. Holidays also serve this purpose. The celebration of Passover commemorates the Exodus out of Egypt; Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ; Good Friday is the day Christians set aside to mourn the death of Jesus, and Easter Sunday is the day we celebrate His resurrection.
All of these holidays are meant to remind us of one important truth: God is faithful. I think if we set some time aside during the day to remember God's faithfulness in our own lives, perhaps we wouldn't be as anxious or fearful about what the future holds. We might even have peace, knowing that God has a much better plan for our lives than we could ever come up with ourselves.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Ani Emily. Me at?
The Hebrew language is interesting; it's straight to the point. For example, one of the ways to introduce yourself to someone is to say Ani Emily, which means "I am Emily." (You would obviously insert your own name.) Then you can ask the person Me at?, which means "Who are you?" Can you imagine what would happen if you walked up to someone in the US, even in New England, and asked them, "Who are you?" It wouldn't go over so well. But Hebrew is different.
Hebrew is also interesting because there is no form of the verb "to be." It's just understood. So in the example above, Ani Emily is literally translated as "I Emily." And Me at? is literally transated as "Who you?"
My teacher told us that when she moved back to Israel from Washington DC she bought the first Harry Potter book. She had seen the English version in bookstores and it was well over 500 pages. But in Hebrew it was half the size. Why? Well, as you can probably gather, the Hebrew language is very concise. It's short and sweet, which makes it easier to learn than most languages I think. It also makes books translated into Hebrew from the English language much, much shorter.
~~~
In order to familiarize myself with the sounds of the Hebrew language, I leave my television on a local Israeli channel while I do my homework. Yesterday I ended up watching a reality show called "Chai b'LaLa Land," which is about 6 Israeli singers living in Los Angeles trying to get a record deal. Of course, I hardly understood a word of it, but I searched the show online and found out that these singers are part of the Mizrahi music genre. Mizrahi music, which is almost always sung in Hebrew, is a genre that was created by combining music styles from Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and the West. When Jews moved to Israel after WWII they came from all over the world, brining with them elements of the culture they left. Thus, Mizrahi music was born.
Cool, right?
Hebrew is also interesting because there is no form of the verb "to be." It's just understood. So in the example above, Ani Emily is literally translated as "I Emily." And Me at? is literally transated as "Who you?"
My teacher told us that when she moved back to Israel from Washington DC she bought the first Harry Potter book. She had seen the English version in bookstores and it was well over 500 pages. But in Hebrew it was half the size. Why? Well, as you can probably gather, the Hebrew language is very concise. It's short and sweet, which makes it easier to learn than most languages I think. It also makes books translated into Hebrew from the English language much, much shorter.
~~~
In order to familiarize myself with the sounds of the Hebrew language, I leave my television on a local Israeli channel while I do my homework. Yesterday I ended up watching a reality show called "Chai b'LaLa Land," which is about 6 Israeli singers living in Los Angeles trying to get a record deal. Of course, I hardly understood a word of it, but I searched the show online and found out that these singers are part of the Mizrahi music genre. Mizrahi music, which is almost always sung in Hebrew, is a genre that was created by combining music styles from Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and the West. When Jews moved to Israel after WWII they came from all over the world, brining with them elements of the culture they left. Thus, Mizrahi music was born.
Cool, right?
Sunday, July 31, 2011
The Past Couple of Days
Yesterday, me and a couple of my friends went to a messianic congregation in Jaffa. The service was in Hebrew but they had an English translation. After church, we went to this awesome little cafe nearby and then walked to the beach. We were all sweating because it was ridiculously hot and we were in our church clothes, so we decided to take a cab home, put on our bathing suits, and then go to the beach. That was much better!
I had my first day of the Hebrew Ulpan today. It was overwhelming of course because everything is so new, but I really enjoyed it. I know how to say 4 whole sentences in Hebrew. I can practically carry on a conversation!
I think I'm really going to enjoy being in school again. I suppose we never stop learning, and school is such a good reminder of that. I actually had that thought today about my relationship with God. There are times when I so wish I was done learning from Him. I know that sounds silly and probably heretical, but the lessons God has been teaching me lately are difficult and painful. There are things I really don't want to be confronted with, but He confronts me with them anyway. Won't it ever stop? I'm sure the outcome will be great and I'll be able to look back and be thankful. Hindsight is always 20/20. But in the meantime, facing these things is less than pleasant.
The challenge is being thankful for the opportunity to change. I suppose I need to start learning that. See, we never stop learning!
I had my first day of the Hebrew Ulpan today. It was overwhelming of course because everything is so new, but I really enjoyed it. I know how to say 4 whole sentences in Hebrew. I can practically carry on a conversation!
I think I'm really going to enjoy being in school again. I suppose we never stop learning, and school is such a good reminder of that. I actually had that thought today about my relationship with God. There are times when I so wish I was done learning from Him. I know that sounds silly and probably heretical, but the lessons God has been teaching me lately are difficult and painful. There are things I really don't want to be confronted with, but He confronts me with them anyway. Won't it ever stop? I'm sure the outcome will be great and I'll be able to look back and be thankful. Hindsight is always 20/20. But in the meantime, facing these things is less than pleasant.
The challenge is being thankful for the opportunity to change. I suppose I need to start learning that. See, we never stop learning!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Chai be'seret
I learned a couple of new Hebrew phrases today. The first one is tafil mone, which means "please put up the meter." In Israel, cab drivers rarely use meters. Normally you agree on a price with the driver before you leave for your destination. But tourists have no idea how much a ride from here to there should cost so they (well, we) can be easily ripped off.
The second phrase I learned is chai(a) be'seret, which is literally translated "living in a movie." It is equivalent to the English idiom "you're full of crap." So if a guy is telling a bogus story that is probably not true, you can say to him, "You are chai be'seret. That definitely didn't happen!" Or if a girl is super demanding of her boyfriend, he can say to her, "If you think I am going to buy you those shoes and that purse, you are chaia be'seret."
I keep repeating it to myself so I can remember it and use it one day soon.
Other than learning useful new phrases, I have been spending my time with basically the same group of people, and they are great. My favorite part of yesterday was definitely the beach. Today we went to the market and later we are going to do a Shabbat dinner.
My Hebrew classes start on Sunday. Yay!
The second phrase I learned is chai(a) be'seret, which is literally translated "living in a movie." It is equivalent to the English idiom "you're full of crap." So if a guy is telling a bogus story that is probably not true, you can say to him, "You are chai be'seret. That definitely didn't happen!" Or if a girl is super demanding of her boyfriend, he can say to her, "If you think I am going to buy you those shoes and that purse, you are chaia be'seret."
I keep repeating it to myself so I can remember it and use it one day soon.
Other than learning useful new phrases, I have been spending my time with basically the same group of people, and they are great. My favorite part of yesterday was definitely the beach. Today we went to the market and later we are going to do a Shabbat dinner.
My Hebrew classes start on Sunday. Yay!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Peace, Be Still
I woke up at 2 this morning (It's just after 3 now) and had my first little nudge of anxiety; not the kind of anxiety that makes me want to pack up and go home but the kind that makes me wonder how on earth I'm going to last a year in a place where I don't know the language, the culture, or the people.
Then, like David had to do on a number of occasions, I quieted my soul and remembered that I'm here because God wants me here. And that's all I need to know.
The first story that popped into my mind when I was laying awake in bed early this morning was when Jesus calmed the storm. Jesus and the Disciples were traveling by boat when a "furious squall" broke out. The Disciples were panicked and anxiety-ridden and grew even more upset when they saw that Jesus was sleeping. How could He sleep when they were terrified of dying? "Don't you care if we drown?" they asked Him angrily. That was their way of asking Jesus to make it stop. And He did. But then He said this: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Why am I so afraid? Have I lost sight of the fact that God is the one who called me here? Where is my faith to believe that He will quiet the storms of my soul and bring me to a place of safety like He did the Disciples?
It's interesting to me that, even though Jesus was present with the Disciples, they still experienced storms. As we've heard repeated millions of times, accepting Christ does not mean that we will live a trouble-free life. But what it does mean is that even in the midst of the storms, He will be right there with us to give us peace. And then He will bring us safely to the other side.
Then, like David had to do on a number of occasions, I quieted my soul and remembered that I'm here because God wants me here. And that's all I need to know.
The first story that popped into my mind when I was laying awake in bed early this morning was when Jesus calmed the storm. Jesus and the Disciples were traveling by boat when a "furious squall" broke out. The Disciples were panicked and anxiety-ridden and grew even more upset when they saw that Jesus was sleeping. How could He sleep when they were terrified of dying? "Don't you care if we drown?" they asked Him angrily. That was their way of asking Jesus to make it stop. And He did. But then He said this: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Why am I so afraid? Have I lost sight of the fact that God is the one who called me here? Where is my faith to believe that He will quiet the storms of my soul and bring me to a place of safety like He did the Disciples?
It's interesting to me that, even though Jesus was present with the Disciples, they still experienced storms. As we've heard repeated millions of times, accepting Christ does not mean that we will live a trouble-free life. But what it does mean is that even in the midst of the storms, He will be right there with us to give us peace. And then He will bring us safely to the other side.
We Finally Made It!
After several reroutings, 4 pieces of lost luggage, and endless hours of traveling, we finally made it to Tel Aviv! We checked into my dorm early this morning and shopped for the rest of the day. It's 4:30 here now and I'm just trying to stay awake long enough to get my sleeping schedule back on track.
I have orientation tomorrow as well as a Hebrew placement exam, which is hilarious considering I don't know a word of Hebrew. (Well, that's not entirely true...I know Shalom and Mazel Tov.) Hopefully the exam will be relatively painless.
When I am rested and feeling like myself again I will write more.
I have orientation tomorrow as well as a Hebrew placement exam, which is hilarious considering I don't know a word of Hebrew. (Well, that's not entirely true...I know Shalom and Mazel Tov.) Hopefully the exam will be relatively painless.
When I am rested and feeling like myself again I will write more.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Pre-Adventure Thoughts
A strange peace.
That's the only way to describe what I'm feeling right now. Yes, I know that I am moving to one of the most volatile regions in the world. And yes, I understand that I will be far away from my family, my friends, and everything that is familiar to me for a long period of time. And yet, even in spite of these things, I still feel sure that this is exactly what God wants me to do. So I have peace. A strange peace.
This is peace that comes from faith, I suppose: not knowing exactly why God wants you to do something but doing it anyway, confident that the outcome will be far greater than anything you could have come up with on your own.
As we all know, having peace about something doesn't mean that it's easy and goes off without a hitch. I am fully aware that many breakdowns are ahead of me. There will definitely be moments I'll feel completely overwhelmed about the sudden change in culture, language, and routine. But moments of this kind are sure to pass. Abraham took his family and journeyed to a city whose builder and maker was God (at least I know where I'm going!), and I'm sure he had moments of doubt, confusion, and fear. But Abraham never turned back; he obediently followed God's direction. And look how God blessed him.
If Abraham can do it, so can I.
I have four days until I leave, days that will undoubtedly be filled with packing and time spent with family and friends. I probably won't have a chance to write again until I am in Tel Aviv, which is crazy to think about.
So until then, I'll just be still and know that He is God.
That's the only way to describe what I'm feeling right now. Yes, I know that I am moving to one of the most volatile regions in the world. And yes, I understand that I will be far away from my family, my friends, and everything that is familiar to me for a long period of time. And yet, even in spite of these things, I still feel sure that this is exactly what God wants me to do. So I have peace. A strange peace.
This is peace that comes from faith, I suppose: not knowing exactly why God wants you to do something but doing it anyway, confident that the outcome will be far greater than anything you could have come up with on your own.
As we all know, having peace about something doesn't mean that it's easy and goes off without a hitch. I am fully aware that many breakdowns are ahead of me. There will definitely be moments I'll feel completely overwhelmed about the sudden change in culture, language, and routine. But moments of this kind are sure to pass. Abraham took his family and journeyed to a city whose builder and maker was God (at least I know where I'm going!), and I'm sure he had moments of doubt, confusion, and fear. But Abraham never turned back; he obediently followed God's direction. And look how God blessed him.
If Abraham can do it, so can I.
I have four days until I leave, days that will undoubtedly be filled with packing and time spent with family and friends. I probably won't have a chance to write again until I am in Tel Aviv, which is crazy to think about.
So until then, I'll just be still and know that He is God.
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