I hate being cliche, however, I start this post off with the cliche phrase/adage that time is the most valuable thing because you can not get back lost time no matter how hard you try. With this said, look back and analyze what you have spent your time and energy on in the past hour, day, month, semester, year etc. Are those things important to you, or have you been so jaded by something that you seem to forget yourself and get lost. There are a lot of questions but few answers (again cliche and I begin to hate this post), but the answers we do have we need to use to help us in the future.
Make sure the juice is worth the squeeze.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
My Thoughts
I am sitting in my apartment at my kitchen table just finished a paper on erev Rosh Hashana and felt that I had something on my mind to get down on digital (instead of paper). I want to become a musician, more than that I want to create something that gives people the feeling that I get when I hear a great song or see an amazing movie. Everyone does things there own way but those who stand out are the ones who do it originally.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
My Summer Finale
Working for the man for seven weeks, sitting in front of two computer screens for seven hours a day interrupted by pointless bathroom and water breaks left my soul feeling corned and needing a breath of fresh air. This fresh air came in the form of a trip to Guatemala with Marissa (my fellow traveler and friend who I met in Israel) squeezed between the end of work and the beginning of school. I originally wanted to go to Nicaragua, supposedly the safest and least expensive (though most of Central America is inexpensive) country in Central America, however, Marissa heard from her friends that there is more to do in Guatemala than Nicaragua. She was the one who was getting me the deal on the plane tickets and for me the act of traveling and experiencing new things is what is important, not the place. So I put Nicaragua for another time and got stoked to get away and travel to Guatemala. Before we left I surfed the web for hours checking out things to do, hostels, transportation and other travel related things in Guatemala and purchased a lonely planet to serve as my unofficial guide.
Two days after finishing work I was to fly to Atlanta then onto Guatemala at 8 in the morning. I was flying standby with low priority on all my flights so I only got on if there were extra seats on the plane. My first chance at a flight was at 8 o'clock, got bumped and waited until the noon flight. Again there were no seats but at 1 there was a flight to Cincinnati then onto Atlanta that had space but luckily I did not get on for I got the last seat on the next flight out of Harrisburg.
I arrived in Atlanta, which is a huge airport, ran into a friend that I knew from Israel and went to claim my baggage and meet Marissa's parents who were taking us out to dinner for Marissa's 21st birthday. My luggage arrived to Atlanta before I did so I had to go into a shady baggage claim room with five people sitting around and one actually working to pick up my bag. For dinner we went to a steak place called Wildfire where irony would have it the fire alarm went off for about 10 minutes, flashing lights and annoying alarm and all. But even with a little distraction we still had a good meal and was joined by another friend of ours from Israel, Rachael. After dinner, Rachael, Marissa, B Ro (a man amongst men) and I went to Taco Mac, a cool bar with over 300 different types of beers on tap and in bottle. Choosing a beer was as hard as picking out your favorite meal at Taco Bell, all delicious.
We woke up the next morning about a quarter to seven to a breakfast of french toast, tea and raspberries. Marissa's parents drove us to the airport, we said our goodbyes and waited to board the plane. We sat first/business class with the comfortable big chairs and a nice meal that we did not eat because they ran out of the vegetarian meal and only had flank steak with potatoes. I had a salad and a few bread rolls and promptly fell asleep from the small amount of sleep the night before and a full stomach. The plane landed about four hours after takeoff in Guatemala City airport which to my surprise looked more like an American airport rather than a third world country's main port of entry for internationals. And to our surprise a Guatemalan band was playing giving us a latin feel that would continue throughout the vacation (see picture below).
Getting to our hotel in Antigua was easy, as a shuttle was waiting for us at the exit to the airport and we happened to see my last name only after getting another taxi. Luckily, we were able to tell the first driver that we are taking the shuttle and got our first taste of Guatemala and its capital city on the drive up to Antigua, which is located at a higher elevation. Antigua was the colonial Spanish capital of all of Central America and therefore most of the buildings are old and some dilapidated for the city is located in an earthquake and volcano zone (it is surrounded by three volcanoes, one of which is active) which has caused some buildings to fall. The roads are made of cobblestone and soot is shot into the air from the array of vehicles (chicken buses which are just yellow school buses painted in bright colors, scooters, cars and tose-toses). The first hostel that we stayed out was actually a hotel that was located at the south of the city with our own room and bathroom. I was anxious to walk around the city and to see what was around a plan an activity for the next day. We walked to the 'central park,' a small park with a large fountain in the middle with benches and locals and foreigners mixing. The center is surrounded by the old city hall, governors mansion, stores, restaurants, coffee shops and banks.
Two days after finishing work I was to fly to Atlanta then onto Guatemala at 8 in the morning. I was flying standby with low priority on all my flights so I only got on if there were extra seats on the plane. My first chance at a flight was at 8 o'clock, got bumped and waited until the noon flight. Again there were no seats but at 1 there was a flight to Cincinnati then onto Atlanta that had space but luckily I did not get on for I got the last seat on the next flight out of Harrisburg.
I arrived in Atlanta, which is a huge airport, ran into a friend that I knew from Israel and went to claim my baggage and meet Marissa's parents who were taking us out to dinner for Marissa's 21st birthday. My luggage arrived to Atlanta before I did so I had to go into a shady baggage claim room with five people sitting around and one actually working to pick up my bag. For dinner we went to a steak place called Wildfire where irony would have it the fire alarm went off for about 10 minutes, flashing lights and annoying alarm and all. But even with a little distraction we still had a good meal and was joined by another friend of ours from Israel, Rachael. After dinner, Rachael, Marissa, B Ro (a man amongst men) and I went to Taco Mac, a cool bar with over 300 different types of beers on tap and in bottle. Choosing a beer was as hard as picking out your favorite meal at Taco Bell, all delicious.
We woke up the next morning about a quarter to seven to a breakfast of french toast, tea and raspberries. Marissa's parents drove us to the airport, we said our goodbyes and waited to board the plane. We sat first/business class with the comfortable big chairs and a nice meal that we did not eat because they ran out of the vegetarian meal and only had flank steak with potatoes. I had a salad and a few bread rolls and promptly fell asleep from the small amount of sleep the night before and a full stomach. The plane landed about four hours after takeoff in Guatemala City airport which to my surprise looked more like an American airport rather than a third world country's main port of entry for internationals. And to our surprise a Guatemalan band was playing giving us a latin feel that would continue throughout the vacation (see picture below).
Getting to our hotel in Antigua was easy, as a shuttle was waiting for us at the exit to the airport and we happened to see my last name only after getting another taxi. Luckily, we were able to tell the first driver that we are taking the shuttle and got our first taste of Guatemala and its capital city on the drive up to Antigua, which is located at a higher elevation. Antigua was the colonial Spanish capital of all of Central America and therefore most of the buildings are old and some dilapidated for the city is located in an earthquake and volcano zone (it is surrounded by three volcanoes, one of which is active) which has caused some buildings to fall. The roads are made of cobblestone and soot is shot into the air from the array of vehicles (chicken buses which are just yellow school buses painted in bright colors, scooters, cars and tose-toses). The first hostel that we stayed out was actually a hotel that was located at the south of the city with our own room and bathroom. I was anxious to walk around the city and to see what was around a plan an activity for the next day. We walked to the 'central park,' a small park with a large fountain in the middle with benches and locals and foreigners mixing. The center is surrounded by the old city hall, governors mansion, stores, restaurants, coffee shops and banks.
Monday, July 28, 2008
My ?
I feel as if I have stepped into a revolving door with no exits, leaving me unable to escape the spinning around in circles. I can see what is on all sides though I continue to turn and see the images of my life (past and present) and what I want my life to be (future) revolve around me. We are stuck in the middle looking back at our years of college and peering forward into the uncertainty of real life. What keeps us inside this trap is the question that lingers on everyone’s minds and gets brought up by everyone we encounter: What comes next? Unlike after graduating high school where our paths are determined for us this step of life comes with more pressure, expectation and more not knowing what the fuck to do.
I say this for I am in the midst of a college internship, a glorified title for a person who makes excel spreadsheets and updates calendars but most of all counts the hours, minutes and seconds until they can go home. The internships are supposed to show us a window into the career that we think we are interested in but the only peak I have caught is down the shirt of the right out of college girls low cut shirts (and it’s a nice site at that). I would guess that more times than college students do these internships not because they want to but to boost their resumes and get that cushy job making 70k a year but working 60+ hours a week.
I say slow down and what's the big rush. Take time to do things that the age of 21 gives you a chance to do. Travel, take drugs, experiment sexually, write but most of all live.
I say this for I am in the midst of a college internship, a glorified title for a person who makes excel spreadsheets and updates calendars but most of all counts the hours, minutes and seconds until they can go home. The internships are supposed to show us a window into the career that we think we are interested in but the only peak I have caught is down the shirt of the right out of college girls low cut shirts (and it’s a nice site at that). I would guess that more times than college students do these internships not because they want to but to boost their resumes and get that cushy job making 70k a year but working 60+ hours a week.
I say slow down and what's the big rush. Take time to do things that the age of 21 gives you a chance to do. Travel, take drugs, experiment sexually, write but most of all live.
Monday, July 7, 2008
My Summer
There is an unwritten rule of writing that states that a piece of writing is not to start out with a cliché. But I consider myself somewhat of a rebel, hence I am going to start this entry off with the adage and cliché that time heals all wounds. I am not wounded, but it has been a month since I have been in Israel and instead of missing it less everyday I find myself clinging harder to the aspects of Israeli society that I so happily took part of while living there. Like my father, I love the beach. While in Israel I would go to the beach four or five times a week, it became the place where I was happiest and most comfortable. Now being at home I miss the beach more each day and have a fix to go to the beach worse than Robert Downy Jr. fix to coke. However, life isn’t all that bad in the states. Last Monday I started working at a online advertising agency outside of Philadelphia in Conshohocken where my official title is a finance intern. My job is not the most exiting but it gives me something to do and gives me a well needed resume builder. My responsibilities are limited, but this doesn’t bother me, I spend most of the day doing reports for sales reps in which I pull data from one source paste it into a excel document, format the spreadsheet and send it out. The best perk of the job is the food. On Mondays a breakfast of bagels with a variety of cream cheeses and muffins is served. Lunch is given to us on Tuesday and Fridays (this first week there was a nacho/taco bar and hoggies) with soft pretzels for a snack on Wednesday s. Usually I keep my body in good shape, but this job is making it hard because of all the food and snacks that they give us. The company that was given the pleasure of receiving my services is called Pointroll. It is a relatively young company (only started in 2000, I think) and even with the slump in the economy is growing and growing. Most of the people who work for the company are also young, right out of college or only a few years out. Also there is no dress code, shorts and flip-flops is acceptable and encouraged it seems like, I am not complaining. The only bad thing is that I am commuting to and from work. Somedays I take the train which takes about 2.5 hours one ways and other days I drive which takes 1.5-1.75 hours one way. I am still looking for a place in and around Philadelphia but am really skeptical that I will find something that works for my wallet and person.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
My Return Home
Spending a semester in Israel gave me the opportunity to meet many new people, visit new and very interesting places, and embrace a culture that takes the time to enjoy life and its many gifts. So after almost six months of being in Israel, enjoying the great weather, beach, beautiful בנות and overall chillness of the Israeli lifestyle I returned to the United States and got back to a quasi real life, if that. The flight home was probably the easiest trans-Atlantic flight I ever took, even though the movies that were being shown on the personal screens were some of the worst that I never seen.
After the 2.5 hour drive from the Newark airport I arrived home to be greeted by my whole immediate family and three great friends, Jon, Syd and Leslie. This being the day before my birthday, they came with bagels and beer, and as we sipped on our Coronas and ate our bagels and cream cheese the transition from Israel to the States was made easier due to these three. Also, my mom set up a little BBQ at the house as a welcoming home/ birthday party. It was the hottest and most humid day of the summer so far but it seemed that everyone enjoyed themselves and it was nice seeing and catching up with friends and family. Everyone inquired how my trip was but the question that was the second most frequently asked was "what are you doing with your summer?" and not having a good response or even a faint idea of how to answer I tried to divert attention away from me and point out their insecurities. Though this question still lingers over my head I am either getting an internship with Point Roll, a digital media company outside of Philadelphia, or taking summer class somewhere in the state of Pennsylvania or Michigan.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
My ....
I have been in a weird mood for the last couple of days because of my approaching flight back to the United States. Never have I been so not looking forward to be going home. I have been feeling a flurry of emotions from happiness to sorrow and nervousness to anxiousness. I spent the last day exactly at the place where I am the most all around content, at the beach and I tried to video blog, but I couldn't think on my toes. Anyway Ill be home in a few hours and look forward to hearing from all of you and catching up.
av
*if the video does not work try the Youtube link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYKA_AhvhSI
Friday, June 6, 2008
My Zeus Island
To start, I am sitting on a Sun D’or airplane some thousands of feet in the air with the Greek Islands scattered underneath me like anthills sticking up from the sidewalk. I am returning from a four day five night trip to the largest of the Greek Islands and the birthplace of Zeus, Crete. I wanted to travel one last time before returning to the States and was aimlessly searching travel websites to find a last minute deal to either Greece, Turkey or Cyprus. I eventually found a cheap package to Crete but as luck would have it I could not find anyone to travel with. I called all my friends still in Israel for the summer but each one had a reason not to go: one had no money, another had a parent coming to visit, one was starting a job, one was looking for a job and so on. I originally did not want to go alone so I decided that I would not go and stay in Israel (not a bad alternative) hang out, continue to volunteer with a severely wounded soldier, go to the beach and in the words of the big guy strait chill. Saturday night came around and I was still ‘jonzing for a fix’ to travel and after a few calls to Daka 90 (Minute 90, last minute deal travel agency) I decided to go by myself. I arrived to the airport around 12, still not having booked anything and an hour later had a flight, hotel, and meals arranged for 4 nights in Crete. Just to note, Jeremy was in Israel the previous two weeks visiting and he as well had a flight that left Sunday AM. Jeremy being Jeremy and in classic fashion arrived to the airport drunk and in true form. As he walked through security, half slurring his words he made sure to sugar talk the security officer (happens to be a woman) for what feels like 15 minutes before proceeding to the check in counter, always a charmer.
I arrived in Crete at 7 in the morning and needless to say extremely tired because I slept little that night in the airport and on the plane. There was a bus at the airport that took me and about 10 other Israelis to our hotel, located about 30 minutes East of the main city, Heraklion. The town that I stayed in was a tourist hotspot on the Northern Coast with more hotel, bars, and car rental places than anywhere I have been before. Most tourist in Crete are from former USSR countries, Russia, Ukraine, Romania as well as from Germany and the Netherlands. The hotel I stayed at was nothing special, it provided the essentials, bed, room and food. Everything else was not included in the price and came a’ la carte to the dismay of mostly elder Israelis who also stayed at the hotel. For example, air condition was 10 euro a day, a fan 10 euro a week, and though not necessary it did get a little warm in the rooms. I ate a small breakfast of tomatoes, cucumbers and cheese and headed for my room where once I put my bags down I passed out for a few hours and got some much needed sleep.
I awoke feeling not as tired but still sluggish. I walked around the town which is built on tourism so store after store was either a restaurant/bar, rental car, souvenir shop, or knock off designer clothing. On my walk back to the hotel I arranged for a trip to Sameria Gorge and walked along the water (not many beaches, most of the beaches were rocky and the water frigid, I only got in once).
The trip to Sameria Gorge left at 5:20 in the morning, not the ideal time to wake up when on vacation, but I am all about making the necessary sacrifices. The gorge is located in the center of the Island so after about 3 1/2 hours of driving and breaks for bathroom and something to eat the bus arrived at the Gorge (I ate a breakfast of a Greek yogurt and honey, delicious). Now when I was told that it takes about 5 to 6 hours to hike I thought that for me being in prime physical conditioning and shape I would be able to do it around 4 hours, 4 1/2 if I take long breaks. In the end the 18 kilometer hike took me 5 1/2 hours though with multiple breaks and spectacular views and photo ops. I met a middle aged couple from Australia who I walked with for about the last hour and after the hike got a drink with in a small restaurant overlooking the beach. We had to take a boat ride back to the bus that was supposed to be an hour ride, but to me it felt like 2 minutes, for the minute I got on I fell asleep and was awoken by the Aussie when we docked in the port. The bus driver felt as though he belonged in NASCAR and drove up the mountain passing cars with no guardrail on the side and a 50-70 meter falloff.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
My End Game
The start of a post that I have not finished. I needed to post something after two weeks of nothing.
I am reminded of the song ‘Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent, because as the last days, hours and minutes of my semester abroad come winding down I am trying to measure what I gained by coming abroad. I can come at this from an educational point of view; I learned more about Middle Eastern politics, issues concerning Jewish education and the diaspora, Israeli environmental policy and renewable energies as well as improved my Hebrew. However, my classes are probably an afterthought and an excuse for a five month vacation that is the study abroad experience. Next I could look at this from the perspective of a traveler. I have traveled four different countries (Egypt, Jordan, Czech Republic, Hungary) in the past five months (though not nearly as much as other people) and thoroughly explored one, Israel, from top to bottom. I have gained a new appreciation for traveling and hope to visit Turkey and Greece before coming back to the States on June 8th. But traveling was only one of the elements that made these past five months so enjoyable and fun. If I look at the time spent in Israel from a social angle I could probably list you dozens of bars, nightclubs, coffee shops and restaurants in addition to being able to write a thesis on the intricacies of falafel and shawarma.
I am reminded of the song ‘Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent, because as the last days, hours and minutes of my semester abroad come winding down I am trying to measure what I gained by coming abroad. I can come at this from an educational point of view; I learned more about Middle Eastern politics, issues concerning Jewish education and the diaspora, Israeli environmental policy and renewable energies as well as improved my Hebrew. However, my classes are probably an afterthought and an excuse for a five month vacation that is the study abroad experience. Next I could look at this from the perspective of a traveler. I have traveled four different countries (Egypt, Jordan, Czech Republic, Hungary) in the past five months (though not nearly as much as other people) and thoroughly explored one, Israel, from top to bottom. I have gained a new appreciation for traveling and hope to visit Turkey and Greece before coming back to the States on June 8th. But traveling was only one of the elements that made these past five months so enjoyable and fun. If I look at the time spent in Israel from a social angle I could probably list you dozens of bars, nightclubs, coffee shops and restaurants in addition to being able to write a thesis on the intricacies of falafel and shawarma.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
My Random Thoughts
I have been getting lazy in keeping up with the blog now that spring/summer here in Israel is in full swing. As classes are ending and finals are quickly approaching I decided against writing prose and decided to go with a new format of poetry/random thoughts that have popped in my head recently. You are welcomed and encouraged to leave thoughts of your own on the comment section.
- Public transportation in Israel is amazing. You can get anywhere in the country with relative ease (if time is not a constraint) and for a descent price.
- Yom Hazikaron יום הזכרון , Israeli Memorial Day, means a lot more to Israelis than Memorial Day in the US means to Americans for most Israelis have a brother, father, cousin, uncle, friend, neighbor, know someone who has fallen in battle against one of Israel's many enemies.
- Yom Hatsma'oot יום הצמעות, Israeli Independence Day, (day after הזכרון) is bitchin'. I went to Rabin Square, the center of Tel-Aviv, where there were thousands of people crowded together to listen to Israeli songs and watch a firework laser show (mad trippy). Afterwards ventured over to the sketchy part of town, Florintine, where a few thousand drunk 20 some year olds gathered to partake in the celebration of Israel's 60th birthday.
- A week earlier was Yom Hashoah יום השואה and at 10 am an alarm went off and everything stops. I was on a bus, it pulled over and everyone stood up, showed their respect to the six million Jewish victims and continued on with the day.
- Surfing is totally deck (hipster handbook reference). Words can't describe the euphoria of standing on a surfboard (even though for just a few seconds) and embracing the energy of the wave and being in awe of the water.
- Everyone eligible for birthright should definitely take advantage of it. It is one of the greatest organizations and way of educating diaspora Jewry. It creates a bond between Jews in America and Jews in Israel.
- I can't make important decisions
- Pollution sucks. Try to make an effort to recycle, save some energy, walk or ride a bike in place of driving.
- There is an iconic picture of Mary and Jesus in my Jewish religious grandparents house. No one has the heart to tell them that it is a picture of Jesus and a Christian piece.
- I gave blood today.
Friday, May 2, 2008
My Kwan Su Dudes
Some of you might be asking what exactly 'Kwan Su Dudes' means or what is stands for. One of my favorite childhood movies was Surf Ninjas, where two brothers find out they are actually princes and save their Asian island along with their one-eyed uncle and Rob Schnieder. So why did I title this blog entry Kwan Su Dudes? After looking on the internet last week for skydiving in Israel I came across surfing lessons at Tel-Aviv's Gordon Beach. And today was my first lesson and it was awesome. After the instructor talked to us about the sea, the types of waves and most basic safety instructions for about an hour they handed out body suits to some (it was a nice, warm day so I decided just to go with the long sleeve surf shirt) and we headed to the water. They started us with the basics, how to paddle on the board, how to sit and lye on the board and other things related to balance on the board. After some exercises of paddling and what not it was time to get out of the water and learn how to stand on the board. When standing on the board one goes from the lying position to the standing in two moves. It starts with you pushing up your upper body and when your half your chest is off the board you jump up and stand on the board. We practiced in the sand a few times and then ventured out into the water. I was the first to try to stand in the water with the instructors help. He held the board perpendicular to the waves and gave me a push. As he yelled I jumped up and stayed standing. It was a rush to succeed the first time trying (and the second). However, after these two times assisted it didn't go as well. I tired paddling and standing by myself for the next fifteen minutes and only succeeded in standing once more. It was so much fun trying to stand and falling with little regard to bodily damage (it doesn't hurt falling unless you hit the board really hard).
Monday, April 28, 2008
My Exodus Pt. II
The last entry was only the first day of my Egyptian exodus. I needed to take a little break from writing so I decided to split the blogging of the trip into two (maybe three if I get bored again). But before I get back to the exodus I wanted to take a moment to voice my thanks to the late Charleston Heston for his epic role in the Ten Commandments, making Moses a bad ass and giving all Jews something besides matzah to look forward to during Passoever.
We decided the previous night that we would get up early and start the day off by going to Great Pyramids of Giza and the Step Pyramid, a 30 to 45 minute drive from Giza. After traveling the entire day and not getting to sleep until pretty late at night, waking up early turned into sleeping late. We slept until around 11 and ventured immediately to the Great Pyramids.
When you see pictures of the pyramids in books it appears as if they are in the middle of a desert surrounded by sand and nothing else. This is only half true, Cairo has spread out into such an enormous city that they sit at the border of a metropolitan city and a desert. From the pyramids you can gaze in one direction and all you can see is smog and the outline of buildings and in the opposite direction yellow sand. As we approached the pyramids they popped out of the city and seemed out of place. I felt cheated, I wanted to see the pyramids as they were for the thousands of years before modern Cairo, I wanted to see the Nile as a glimmering source of agriculture and power for the ancient Egyptian empire and ponder how they were able to construct such structures. This said, I was still very impressed with the Pyramids and how the Egyptians built them with little to no knowledge of geometry and how something so old can still be standing today. We walked up to the base of the largest pyramid (though it appears smaller then the one behind it due to the other one being located on a hill) and were amazed at the size of the base stones, each one taller than an average man and a few meters wide. As most know, the pyramids served as the burial places of the kings, whom were buried with stockpiles of food, large amounts of jewelry and items used in everyday life but all for the afterlife. However, most to all of the things of worth were stolen from the pyramids, not just inside the tombs but also the outside. Each pyramid used to be layered with a shinny marble making them glimmer in the sun, only on the top of the second largest pyramid can you see the remnants of this marble. The smallest of the three pyramids is distinguished by a large scar on one of its sides, a mark left by Saladin’s son. He wanted to destroy the pyramids and build himself a castle in its places, but after years of demolition in which little progress was made and a lack of funds he gave up on his effort to destroy the pyramid.
The Sphinx (half man half lion) is located right next to the Pyramids, however, it interested me little though it made me recall the story of Oedipus and how he saved Thebes from the terrorizing sphinx. The face is 90 percent destroyed from a combination of factors, wind erosion and a rock disease that is eating it from within, also it does not have the gravity that the Pyramids have due to their size. One point of interest about the Sphinx is that the story of Napoleon breaking the nose is a fabrication and that it was maimed some other way.
After leaving the area with the Pyramids and the Sphinx we caught a cab, which in Cairo is as easy as catching the clap in a shady Thai message parlor, and headed for the Egyptian Museum which houses everything taken from the tombs and pyramids (minus all that was seized by the French or British during their colonial rules). But before going to the museum we caught our usual lunch of koshery followed by a dessert of rice pudding (note Egyptian rice pudding does not come close to measuring up to Greek diner rice pudding).
The museum building, like most other buildings in Cairo, is old. It was built in the beginning of the twentieth century and has not undergone any major renovations since. Everything in the museum is old as well, not only the ancient artifacts that range from 4000 to 200o years old but the few descriptions located next to the artifacts (the English on the descriptions is laughable). The only new section was a part that was financed and displayed by a university in the Czech Republic in conjunction with the Egyptian Antiquities Council showing the recent recoveries of items from Aswan, located in southern Egypt almost at the border with Sudan. Looking back on the trip this had to be one of my favorite places that we visited. It is shocking how much preparation and how much resources and energy went into the burial processes for the royalty. There were full beds with jackals as bedposts, jewelry by the hundreds that were layered in gold and inlaid with precious stones, whole sarcophagi weighing a ton that housed the ornately decorated coffins, and the main showpiece of King Tutankhamen’s burial mask that looks calm, cool and awaiting the afterlife. I really enjoyed the Greco-Roman room that is relatively new in Egypt standards but shows the combination of two cultures. Additionally, it amazes me how these artifacts are still around thousands of years later and able to be observed by peoples with such little connection to the ancient Egyptians.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
My Exodus Pt. I
There are so many thoughts running through my head in addition to the experiences I wish to share that I can’t seem to find a starting point and am weary of the return of writers block; though not a true viral infection (versus bacterial, after watching House I pretend to know something about medicine) I feel that once affected with blocktitus it is impossible to rid oneself of the disease. But knowing that I have a devoted audience gives me the encouragement to push through and try to punch the computer keys in an order that will produce some story.
Thinking of spring break brings back memories of middle school and high school days, rushing home to see MTV’s lineup of quality shows with half clad collegiate students clutching margaritas and fruit drinks in their hands and having the ‘what happens in Cancun stays in Cancun’ look in their eyes. Trying not to get caught in the plotlines I would wait until the grand moment where two 20 something blonde sorostitutes (try urbandictionary.com for my over 30 readers, also a great reference for picking up the latest street lingo, but I digress) throw their inhibitions and bikini tops, sometimes bottoms if I was lucky, into the wind and make out. But these days have passed and spring break now means a week, or in this years case two weeks, off from school to do whatever I please. My original intention was to wait until I could find a last minute deal to somewhere in Europe for a week and travel there. However, after talking with some friends who where planning to go to Egypt for a week and wanting to see the Pyramids, temples and everything else associated with the ancient Egyptians I decided to leave Europe for a time where my dollar doesn’t buy me half a euro and go to recreate the exodus of my ancient ancestors.
Our group consisted of my two friends Matt, an imaginative Canadian from Montréal, and Ben, a fellow American from Providence, RI who happens to be the first person I met on the entire program (sans Michigan people) and myself. We started our trip Wednesday/Thursday night where we caught a 12:30 bus from Tel-Aviv to Eilat. A bus ride with Israelis is always an experience for people argued over seats and other unimportant things until about an hour into the bus ride. Also, there were other kids from our program on the bus; one of them, Nicole, an Argentinean girl who now calls New York home, happens to be very nice but does not understand subtle hints and social queues. We talked for a few minutes telling each other our plans for break and what not but when I nonchalantly dropped lines and tried to close my eyes she continued talking and complaining about the noise of two Israelis brothers trying to hit on the same girl. After a few more minutes (what felt like forever) of small talk she returned to her seat and I was able to get a few minutes of shuteye. We got to Eilat at 5:00 am and we heard that the first bus from the Egyptian border town of Taba to Cairo didn’t leave until 10:30, so we had sometime to waste. We wondered to the beach where Ben and Matt decided we should take a shot and try to get a room in a hotel for a few hours. The first hotel we got to, La Meridian, also happens to be one of the nicest hotels in Eilat with a private beach, pool and a killer buffet. I was extremely skeptical that this would work, but after Ben’s smooth talking and our luck at having a nice front desk attendant lady who told the security officer that we had a reservation in a few days and to let us sleep on the beds by the pool. Even though not a room like we wanted we were grateful for the mattresses that gave us a view of the sun coming over the mountains in Jordan and fell asleep for a few hours. We milked it for as long as we could even scoring a plate of fruit and brownies from the buffet and headed for the border.
We crossed the border with no trouble on both sides. But we were aware of the fact that the Israeli side is much more serious and observant than the Egyptian side which had two guys where only one was needed and doing nothing more than drinking tea and smoking cigarettes. The bus stop where we were to catch the bus to Cairo was a short walk from the border. We got there at what we thought was 10:00 am, a half an hour before the next bus left, however, none of us knew that Egyptian time was an hour behind Israeli time. We plopped down at a small little shop had a cup of tea and waited the extra hour and some until the next bus left Taba.
The next leg of the trip was another bus ride, this time six and a half hours, through the desolate and sand blasted Sinai Desert with numerous (three or four) Egyptian security checkpoints. These checkpoints like most other things in Egypt were overmanned with people just sitting around. The government hires as many people as possible to say that it creates jobs and keeps its citizens employed but the outcome is a huge waste of money and manpower as most of the police officers and soldiers that we passed are just sitting in the shade smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee/tea. The bus ride was uneventful and we arrived in Cairo about 4:30 and took an overpriced cab from the bus station to the American University where one of Ben’s friends from uni (Australian for university), Jim, is studying abroad.
When I told people that I was going to Egypt for a week there were two types of responses. The first came from Israelis who compared going to Egypt to taking a vacation in Baghdad or Gaza, someplace to stay far away from. The second response was from other students who wished me a good time and thought Egypt a cool place to visit. Anyway back to the story, the four of us, Ben, Matt, Jim and myself, looking like misplaced tourist, started our walking tour of Cairo (city of 20 million people). Cairo is an old city with even an older feel, 90 percent of the buildings were built during the British reign of Egypt and the other 10 percent of the buildings are the mega-hotels where only tourists and very wealthy Egyptians live. The other most striking thing in Cairo has to be the driving. There are no traffic signals, very little signs and no road lines so the driving is a mix of Grand Theft Auto and crossing the street like a game of Frogger. I would have to keep my eyes closed in some cabs just in order to try to keep my heart pressure down and from kicking through the floor panel with the air break.
Our first evening we were introduced to koshry, a mix of noodles, some beans, fried onions topped with a vinegar tomato sauce that cost less than a bus ticket in most U.S. cities. This meal became the staple of our diet for six days having it some days two or three times. So after having our first meal of koshry we took a cab to Islamic Cairo and walked around the outdoor market and to one of the world’s oldest mosque, Al-Azhar (built 970 AD), which also serves as an Islamic educational institution and a magnificent example of Islamic architecture and engineering. After some walking around we went to go meet up with a friend of Ben and Jims from uni in a high-rise hotel located on the bank of the Nile. After snapping some pictures from 21 stories above the city and getting some room service from a butler named Sayed, we went to an outdoor café where they serve fresh fruit drinks and like every other coffee shop in Egypt sheesha/nargila. However, at this point I was getting extremely tired from traveling all day with the only sleep that I was getting was on a bus and outside. We all went back to Jim’s apartment where I crashed for the night while Matt, Ben, Jim and his roommates went to ride horses near the pyramids.
Thinking of spring break brings back memories of middle school and high school days, rushing home to see MTV’s lineup of quality shows with half clad collegiate students clutching margaritas and fruit drinks in their hands and having the ‘what happens in Cancun stays in Cancun’ look in their eyes. Trying not to get caught in the plotlines I would wait until the grand moment where two 20 something blonde sorostitutes (try urbandictionary.com for my over 30 readers, also a great reference for picking up the latest street lingo, but I digress) throw their inhibitions and bikini tops, sometimes bottoms if I was lucky, into the wind and make out. But these days have passed and spring break now means a week, or in this years case two weeks, off from school to do whatever I please. My original intention was to wait until I could find a last minute deal to somewhere in Europe for a week and travel there. However, after talking with some friends who where planning to go to Egypt for a week and wanting to see the Pyramids, temples and everything else associated with the ancient Egyptians I decided to leave Europe for a time where my dollar doesn’t buy me half a euro and go to recreate the exodus of my ancient ancestors.
Our group consisted of my two friends Matt, an imaginative Canadian from Montréal, and Ben, a fellow American from Providence, RI who happens to be the first person I met on the entire program (sans Michigan people) and myself. We started our trip Wednesday/Thursday night where we caught a 12:30 bus from Tel-Aviv to Eilat. A bus ride with Israelis is always an experience for people argued over seats and other unimportant things until about an hour into the bus ride. Also, there were other kids from our program on the bus; one of them, Nicole, an Argentinean girl who now calls New York home, happens to be very nice but does not understand subtle hints and social queues. We talked for a few minutes telling each other our plans for break and what not but when I nonchalantly dropped lines and tried to close my eyes she continued talking and complaining about the noise of two Israelis brothers trying to hit on the same girl. After a few more minutes (what felt like forever) of small talk she returned to her seat and I was able to get a few minutes of shuteye. We got to Eilat at 5:00 am and we heard that the first bus from the Egyptian border town of Taba to Cairo didn’t leave until 10:30, so we had sometime to waste. We wondered to the beach where Ben and Matt decided we should take a shot and try to get a room in a hotel for a few hours. The first hotel we got to, La Meridian, also happens to be one of the nicest hotels in Eilat with a private beach, pool and a killer buffet. I was extremely skeptical that this would work, but after Ben’s smooth talking and our luck at having a nice front desk attendant lady who told the security officer that we had a reservation in a few days and to let us sleep on the beds by the pool. Even though not a room like we wanted we were grateful for the mattresses that gave us a view of the sun coming over the mountains in Jordan and fell asleep for a few hours. We milked it for as long as we could even scoring a plate of fruit and brownies from the buffet and headed for the border.
We crossed the border with no trouble on both sides. But we were aware of the fact that the Israeli side is much more serious and observant than the Egyptian side which had two guys where only one was needed and doing nothing more than drinking tea and smoking cigarettes. The bus stop where we were to catch the bus to Cairo was a short walk from the border. We got there at what we thought was 10:00 am, a half an hour before the next bus left, however, none of us knew that Egyptian time was an hour behind Israeli time. We plopped down at a small little shop had a cup of tea and waited the extra hour and some until the next bus left Taba.
The next leg of the trip was another bus ride, this time six and a half hours, through the desolate and sand blasted Sinai Desert with numerous (three or four) Egyptian security checkpoints. These checkpoints like most other things in Egypt were overmanned with people just sitting around. The government hires as many people as possible to say that it creates jobs and keeps its citizens employed but the outcome is a huge waste of money and manpower as most of the police officers and soldiers that we passed are just sitting in the shade smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee/tea. The bus ride was uneventful and we arrived in Cairo about 4:30 and took an overpriced cab from the bus station to the American University where one of Ben’s friends from uni (Australian for university), Jim, is studying abroad.
When I told people that I was going to Egypt for a week there were two types of responses. The first came from Israelis who compared going to Egypt to taking a vacation in Baghdad or Gaza, someplace to stay far away from. The second response was from other students who wished me a good time and thought Egypt a cool place to visit. Anyway back to the story, the four of us, Ben, Matt, Jim and myself, looking like misplaced tourist, started our walking tour of Cairo (city of 20 million people). Cairo is an old city with even an older feel, 90 percent of the buildings were built during the British reign of Egypt and the other 10 percent of the buildings are the mega-hotels where only tourists and very wealthy Egyptians live. The other most striking thing in Cairo has to be the driving. There are no traffic signals, very little signs and no road lines so the driving is a mix of Grand Theft Auto and crossing the street like a game of Frogger. I would have to keep my eyes closed in some cabs just in order to try to keep my heart pressure down and from kicking through the floor panel with the air break.
Our first evening we were introduced to koshry, a mix of noodles, some beans, fried onions topped with a vinegar tomato sauce that cost less than a bus ticket in most U.S. cities. This meal became the staple of our diet for six days having it some days two or three times. So after having our first meal of koshry we took a cab to Islamic Cairo and walked around the outdoor market and to one of the world’s oldest mosque, Al-Azhar (built 970 AD), which also serves as an Islamic educational institution and a magnificent example of Islamic architecture and engineering. After some walking around we went to go meet up with a friend of Ben and Jims from uni in a high-rise hotel located on the bank of the Nile. After snapping some pictures from 21 stories above the city and getting some room service from a butler named Sayed, we went to an outdoor café where they serve fresh fruit drinks and like every other coffee shop in Egypt sheesha/nargila. However, at this point I was getting extremely tired from traveling all day with the only sleep that I was getting was on a bus and outside. We all went back to Jim’s apartment where I crashed for the night while Matt, Ben, Jim and his roommates went to ride horses near the pyramids.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
My Vino, Nature and Stolen Swim Suit
All my family members and Israeli friends ask me “Are you learning anything or did you just come here to livalot (a Hebrew word best translated into English in this context as to live life up)?” I answer them with the hesitance of an adolescences boy who is asked how many times he masturbates, always lowering the level out of embarrassment. The classes here are not of the level that most are used to at their home university but I am learning interesting and relevant things, however, I am also learning a plethora about traveling, outdoorsy things, wine and the Israeli bureaucracy. I am enrolled in five classes all of which deal with a wide variety of issues in Judaism, Middle Eastern politics, ethics, business and my favorite the environment. This said, only one of the classes has a attendance policy, which makes it hard to go when it is nice outside, and their idea of a midterm in the class is a 500 word essay on topics that can be written using wikipedia.
Alright, enough of my school life and now to get to the reason why you come back every week craving for details about my travels, social life and whatever else is going on in my life. This past week has been pretty relaxing and normal. I have started to run a few days a week because my diet of pita and hummus for the past three months has transformed my usually sculpt physique into something that looks like a combination of subway Jared (before he lost the equivalent of 3 young teens) and me before I left. I have also given up the consumption of alcohol* until the end of Passover that coincides with the Boombamela Festival (boombamela.co.il). This has been in an effort to become healthier and to get in shape for beach weather.
This past Thursday a few friends and myself took a train to Benyamina, a small town 30 minutes northeast of Tel-Aviv, to visit one of Israel’s many wineries. Before this trip my liking for wine equaled my liking to long lines, I would rather move strait to the front but if the ride was cool it was worth the wait (this analogy worked better in my head). We got a private tour of the facilities and shown all the different stages of the wine making process from the weighing of the grapes as they arrived from various vineyards to the barrel room and most peoples favorite the finished product via the wine tasting. I was schooled in the proper etiquette of what to look, smell and taste in certain wines. We tasted one white, two reds, desert wine and a chocolate liquor. After getting our fill of samples from this winery we took a ten minute bus ride northwest to the small artist village of Zickron Yakov located in the beginning of the Galil Mountains. Again we visited a winery this time skipping the tour and going strait to the wine and cheese. After tasting one of the wines we decided to by a bottle, enjoy the scenic view and good food and wine. We stayed until around five when the restaurant closed and took another bus to a different part of town. Our waitress from the restaurant rode the bus with us and showed us the small shops and stores that the town is known for. After taking many pictures with the mountains in the background and eating and drinking some more we boarded a bus back to Tel-Aviv.
Right now is the most perfect time to come to Israel for the weather is perfect and all the trees, plants and flowers are blooming and everything around is green. The following day after my wine trip, Friday, the Overseas Program, the part of the university in which the abroad students are a part of, organized a trip to the northern part of the country. The trip was to begin at 7:30 in the morning, but like most things Israeli an hour was wasted, and we ended up leaving the dorms around 8:30. We drove north along the costal highway, a scenic road with the beach on one side and the sun on the other. We first arrived to Mount Moron, previously a 1208 meter high mountain before the Israeli air force shaved off four meters for an observation post and the peak of the mountain. What I enjoyed most about our hike was the fresh, clean crisp air of the north. Its scent made me reminisce about previous Passovers, also called Chag Aviv (holiday of Spring), for this is usually the time back home where the weather changes and you can smell the flowers when sitting outside. Also since it was still early in the morning and a little cold when we were hiking everyone was pretty quite. This allowed me to reflect so many different things from Joe Greenberg, an elderly blind man who I used to read to and watch baseball games with, and opening day, to my summer plans and the state of the Chinese economy. I don’t want to use the cliché that silence is golden because I think I would have gone crazy if it were completely silent, but with the sounds of nature it made everything in the world seem ok for a few hours.
That night and the entire weekend we stayed at a kibbutz a few kilometers from the Kineret (Sea of Galile, I think Jesus walked on water there at some point) in Hukuk. On Saturday we did another hike this time a little longer, though less intense, however I don’t remember the name of the place. Since it was Saturday the trail was packed with families and school groups so it was not as peaceful as the other, nonetheless also very fun. The coolest part of the day was when we went into a cave that was pitch black. A few things of note, we only had four flashlights for a group of 15 people, therefore climbing in the cave was a bit interesting and really fun. Entering the cave reminded me of the Jules Verne novel, Journey Into the Center of the Earth, I crawled through tiny spaces, climbed a wall and squeezed between two walls in order to explore the caves magnificent stalagmites and stalactites (all those geosci classes came into handy and I impressed some girls with my knowledge of calcium carbonate rock and how dripping water ate away at the rock). Saturday night, after Shabbat, the counselors organized a trip to the sulfur baths in Chamat Hagader, literally right at Israel’s border with Jordan. We relaxed in the pools for a while and also went into a pool where the water was around 45-50 degrees centigrade.
The low point on the trip came the next morning when I went outside and realized that the bathing suit (one of my favorites) I left outside the night before to dry was not there and was most likely stolen (it was stolen, Gabe who also goes to Michigan also got his bathing suit stolen so we concluded it was a thieving OSU asshole). Anyway I wasn’t going to let a missing bathing suit ruin my kayaking down the Jordan river. I shared the kayak with my Hungarian friend Adam and we were the first in the water. We took our time going down the river that in some places is at most six inches deep.
Alright, enough of my school life and now to get to the reason why you come back every week craving for details about my travels, social life and whatever else is going on in my life. This past week has been pretty relaxing and normal. I have started to run a few days a week because my diet of pita and hummus for the past three months has transformed my usually sculpt physique into something that looks like a combination of subway Jared (before he lost the equivalent of 3 young teens) and me before I left. I have also given up the consumption of alcohol* until the end of Passover that coincides with the Boombamela Festival (boombamela.co.il). This has been in an effort to become healthier and to get in shape for beach weather.
This past Thursday a few friends and myself took a train to Benyamina, a small town 30 minutes northeast of Tel-Aviv, to visit one of Israel’s many wineries. Before this trip my liking for wine equaled my liking to long lines, I would rather move strait to the front but if the ride was cool it was worth the wait (this analogy worked better in my head). We got a private tour of the facilities and shown all the different stages of the wine making process from the weighing of the grapes as they arrived from various vineyards to the barrel room and most peoples favorite the finished product via the wine tasting. I was schooled in the proper etiquette of what to look, smell and taste in certain wines. We tasted one white, two reds, desert wine and a chocolate liquor. After getting our fill of samples from this winery we took a ten minute bus ride northwest to the small artist village of Zickron Yakov located in the beginning of the Galil Mountains. Again we visited a winery this time skipping the tour and going strait to the wine and cheese. After tasting one of the wines we decided to by a bottle, enjoy the scenic view and good food and wine. We stayed until around five when the restaurant closed and took another bus to a different part of town. Our waitress from the restaurant rode the bus with us and showed us the small shops and stores that the town is known for. After taking many pictures with the mountains in the background and eating and drinking some more we boarded a bus back to Tel-Aviv.
Right now is the most perfect time to come to Israel for the weather is perfect and all the trees, plants and flowers are blooming and everything around is green. The following day after my wine trip, Friday, the Overseas Program, the part of the university in which the abroad students are a part of, organized a trip to the northern part of the country. The trip was to begin at 7:30 in the morning, but like most things Israeli an hour was wasted, and we ended up leaving the dorms around 8:30. We drove north along the costal highway, a scenic road with the beach on one side and the sun on the other. We first arrived to Mount Moron, previously a 1208 meter high mountain before the Israeli air force shaved off four meters for an observation post and the peak of the mountain. What I enjoyed most about our hike was the fresh, clean crisp air of the north. Its scent made me reminisce about previous Passovers, also called Chag Aviv (holiday of Spring), for this is usually the time back home where the weather changes and you can smell the flowers when sitting outside. Also since it was still early in the morning and a little cold when we were hiking everyone was pretty quite. This allowed me to reflect so many different things from Joe Greenberg, an elderly blind man who I used to read to and watch baseball games with, and opening day, to my summer plans and the state of the Chinese economy. I don’t want to use the cliché that silence is golden because I think I would have gone crazy if it were completely silent, but with the sounds of nature it made everything in the world seem ok for a few hours.
That night and the entire weekend we stayed at a kibbutz a few kilometers from the Kineret (Sea of Galile, I think Jesus walked on water there at some point) in Hukuk. On Saturday we did another hike this time a little longer, though less intense, however I don’t remember the name of the place. Since it was Saturday the trail was packed with families and school groups so it was not as peaceful as the other, nonetheless also very fun. The coolest part of the day was when we went into a cave that was pitch black. A few things of note, we only had four flashlights for a group of 15 people, therefore climbing in the cave was a bit interesting and really fun. Entering the cave reminded me of the Jules Verne novel, Journey Into the Center of the Earth, I crawled through tiny spaces, climbed a wall and squeezed between two walls in order to explore the caves magnificent stalagmites and stalactites (all those geosci classes came into handy and I impressed some girls with my knowledge of calcium carbonate rock and how dripping water ate away at the rock). Saturday night, after Shabbat, the counselors organized a trip to the sulfur baths in Chamat Hagader, literally right at Israel’s border with Jordan. We relaxed in the pools for a while and also went into a pool where the water was around 45-50 degrees centigrade.
The low point on the trip came the next morning when I went outside and realized that the bathing suit (one of my favorites) I left outside the night before to dry was not there and was most likely stolen (it was stolen, Gabe who also goes to Michigan also got his bathing suit stolen so we concluded it was a thieving OSU asshole). Anyway I wasn’t going to let a missing bathing suit ruin my kayaking down the Jordan river. I shared the kayak with my Hungarian friend Adam and we were the first in the water. We took our time going down the river that in some places is at most six inches deep.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
My Rural
Tel-Aviv is sometimes compared to Miami Beach, and rightfully so. Both have huge skyscrapers marking the city skyline (though TLV is the most polluted city in Europe so sometimes the smog interferes), both have magnificent beaches where the sites include beautiful girls in little more than their birthday suits and both have a nightlife that goes on to the early parts of morning. I have been living in this city for two and a half months and have tried to take in all of Tel-Aviv, the sun, the bars, the hummus (Jaffa/Yafo actually), the people and the metropolitan culture.
But this past weekend I decided to spend the night at my friend Deb's apartment which is 30-40 north of Tel-Aviv and 10-15 years behind Israel's secular cultural center. She lives on the edge of Michmoret in a small town called Olga. The town's population can't be more than a thousand people for as I walked from the bus stop to her apartment I did not see more than 30 people and began to miss a little bit the buildings in Tel-Aviv I have become familiar with. We walked into a grocery store that had one isle, perishable items on one side and non-perishable items on the other. We picked up some bread, hummus (israeli staples) and some fruit, had a few words with the cashier who was wondering what two Americans were doing in this town of mostly Russian and Ethiopian immigrants and continued to her apartment.
The town of Olga is pretty much on the beach and Deb's apartment building is one of three brand new luxury apartment built in Olga and the tallest buildings for miles. From her window you can see the water and the only remaining sand dunes left in Israel. We quickly put the groceries down, made a little lunch and left for the beach. The beach that we went to is nothing like the Tel-Aviv beach packed with people and hotels in the background. We walked through the dunes and down a cliff to the little beach where we were two of about a dozen on a kilometer strip of beach.
If you ask me I am a child of suburbia, if you ask Deb I am a city boy. As we walked I commented (to others, only Deb, complained) on the gigantic insects, the dirty sand, the climbing down the cliffs in flip-flops and other things that came to my attention. Now to give you a little background on Deb. She grew up in Connecticut as an only child. But if you ever talk to her you would think that she has siblings for she talks about her dogs and horses as if they were (and to her they are) her brothers and sisters.
Deb also works on a horse farm here in Israel with prized Arabian stallions and such. So after the beach on Saturday we visited this farm. Walking by the stalls of the horses I was impressed by how the people working with the horses knows each ones tendencies, whether they liked to be petted on the nose, which one eats what type of food and who their parents or children are. In Harrisburg we have the yearly farm show where people from all over the East coast bring their farm animals and show off riding skills so I have some notion of what it is like to be on a farm. However, when one of the horses got loose from their stall (and it happened 3 times in a span of an hour while I was there) I was called on to help retrieve the horse. I was called on to step in front of horse running to make it stop and direct it into the ring in the center of all the stalls. Maybe some of you would have helped but I decided to move/jump out of the way and not to be run over. I was teased by Deb and her friends at the farm for being city boy and not liking the animals as much as them.
But this past weekend I decided to spend the night at my friend Deb's apartment which is 30-40 north of Tel-Aviv and 10-15 years behind Israel's secular cultural center. She lives on the edge of Michmoret in a small town called Olga. The town's population can't be more than a thousand people for as I walked from the bus stop to her apartment I did not see more than 30 people and began to miss a little bit the buildings in Tel-Aviv I have become familiar with. We walked into a grocery store that had one isle, perishable items on one side and non-perishable items on the other. We picked up some bread, hummus (israeli staples) and some fruit, had a few words with the cashier who was wondering what two Americans were doing in this town of mostly Russian and Ethiopian immigrants and continued to her apartment.
The town of Olga is pretty much on the beach and Deb's apartment building is one of three brand new luxury apartment built in Olga and the tallest buildings for miles. From her window you can see the water and the only remaining sand dunes left in Israel. We quickly put the groceries down, made a little lunch and left for the beach. The beach that we went to is nothing like the Tel-Aviv beach packed with people and hotels in the background. We walked through the dunes and down a cliff to the little beach where we were two of about a dozen on a kilometer strip of beach.
If you ask me I am a child of suburbia, if you ask Deb I am a city boy. As we walked I commented (to others, only Deb, complained) on the gigantic insects, the dirty sand, the climbing down the cliffs in flip-flops and other things that came to my attention. Now to give you a little background on Deb. She grew up in Connecticut as an only child. But if you ever talk to her you would think that she has siblings for she talks about her dogs and horses as if they were (and to her they are) her brothers and sisters.
Deb also works on a horse farm here in Israel with prized Arabian stallions and such. So after the beach on Saturday we visited this farm. Walking by the stalls of the horses I was impressed by how the people working with the horses knows each ones tendencies, whether they liked to be petted on the nose, which one eats what type of food and who their parents or children are. In Harrisburg we have the yearly farm show where people from all over the East coast bring their farm animals and show off riding skills so I have some notion of what it is like to be on a farm. However, when one of the horses got loose from their stall (and it happened 3 times in a span of an hour while I was there) I was called on to help retrieve the horse. I was called on to step in front of horse running to make it stop and direct it into the ring in the center of all the stalls. Maybe some of you would have helped but I decided to move/jump out of the way and not to be run over. I was teased by Deb and her friends at the farm for being city boy and not liking the animals as much as them.
Monday, March 24, 2008
My Purim Extravaganza
My cousin commented to me the other day that most cultures have a holiday/celebration in which people dress in costume; the American’s have Halloween and Mardi Gras, the Mexican’s have Day of the Dead, Brazilians have Carnival – the list goes on - and Israelis have Purim. For those who are unaware of the background of Purim, it is a post biblical holiday that celebrates the survival of the Jewish people by the hands of Mordichai and Ester, both heroes, and Haman the evil villain. Some of the traditional ways to celebrate the holiday are to read/hear the Megila of Ester, dress in disguise (from Haman), eat Hamantashin and drink heavily in order not to tell the difference between Mordichai and Haman, a tenet of the faith that in my mind is followed closely by all young adults and most Israelis.
So if part of the study abroad experience is to immerse oneself in the culture of the host country, I did this by celebrating the festivities of Purim. Purim did not start until Thursday night this year, however, the fine upper level learning institution that is Tel Aviv University decided to start two nights earlier by hosting a party for its students in the dorms. The university brought in a DJ, set up a bar and some free food (along with face painting, weird if you ask me why college students want their face painted) one the first floor of my dorm. Now coming from a culture where our universities look down on excessive drinking and ban the sell of beer and alcohol at college football and basketball games, it was interesting to see the university promote drinking to its students. Back to the topic on hand, most of the students come dressed up in Halloween type costumes, I dressed up this night as a prepfratstar sporting the double popped collar plaid shorts and boating shoes. The party started around 9 and lasted until about 1, the DJ played the usual club techno songs intertwined with some Hebrew hits and the Akon and T-pain songs that have been played out in the states for sometime now. One interesting thing to note, the winners of the costume contest, two students one dressed as an old person and the other as his Pilipino caretaker, won roundtrip tickets to Amsterdam (more the university trying to push promiscuous sex with hookers and smoking weed). This precursor to Purim only gave us a taste of the true holiday spirit.
The real celebration was Thursday night in a shady south Tel Aviv neighborhood, Flourintine, at a street party sharing the same name. In Michigan we have block parties, but this was of another breed, to say that this party was a street party is to say that Achilles was just a warrior. The street was closed off for as far as the eye can see with thousands of people probably all of who are between the ages of 18 and 30 dressed up in costumes and wigs. My costume this night was a multifaceted, the first layer was a suit t-shirt that has become my ‘golden boy’ shirt and the second was a swimmer, hence the pictures of my taking clothes off in the middle of the street. Though most overseas students are not religious we fully partook (and some) in the mitzvah of drinking until we cannot recognize. This combination of factors along with the feeling that anything goes (lax police presence) added up to a night of fun unparallel and unlike to any American ‘party’ I have been to.
So if part of the study abroad experience is to immerse oneself in the culture of the host country, I did this by celebrating the festivities of Purim. Purim did not start until Thursday night this year, however, the fine upper level learning institution that is Tel Aviv University decided to start two nights earlier by hosting a party for its students in the dorms. The university brought in a DJ, set up a bar and some free food (along with face painting, weird if you ask me why college students want their face painted) one the first floor of my dorm. Now coming from a culture where our universities look down on excessive drinking and ban the sell of beer and alcohol at college football and basketball games, it was interesting to see the university promote drinking to its students. Back to the topic on hand, most of the students come dressed up in Halloween type costumes, I dressed up this night as a prepfratstar sporting the double popped collar plaid shorts and boating shoes. The party started around 9 and lasted until about 1, the DJ played the usual club techno songs intertwined with some Hebrew hits and the Akon and T-pain songs that have been played out in the states for sometime now. One interesting thing to note, the winners of the costume contest, two students one dressed as an old person and the other as his Pilipino caretaker, won roundtrip tickets to Amsterdam (more the university trying to push promiscuous sex with hookers and smoking weed). This precursor to Purim only gave us a taste of the true holiday spirit.
The real celebration was Thursday night in a shady south Tel Aviv neighborhood, Flourintine, at a street party sharing the same name. In Michigan we have block parties, but this was of another breed, to say that this party was a street party is to say that Achilles was just a warrior. The street was closed off for as far as the eye can see with thousands of people probably all of who are between the ages of 18 and 30 dressed up in costumes and wigs. My costume this night was a multifaceted, the first layer was a suit t-shirt that has become my ‘golden boy’ shirt and the second was a swimmer, hence the pictures of my taking clothes off in the middle of the street. Though most overseas students are not religious we fully partook (and some) in the mitzvah of drinking until we cannot recognize. This combination of factors along with the feeling that anything goes (lax police presence) added up to a night of fun unparallel and unlike to any American ‘party’ I have been to.
Monday, March 17, 2008
My Wall
Writers block. It’s a bitch. This is my third time sitting down with the specific purpose of writing about my trip to Prague and Budapest but the words are not coming to me and my muse (whatever she or it may be) has failed to stimulate me. Though you may be thinking if I have writers block, or a form thereof, what posses me to push the modern industrial looking keys of my computer and construct sentences here. The reason mis compadres (sometimes I get an urge to speak in Spanish and for Taco Bell, I contribute this to one of my previous lives as a Spanish conquistador) is that though I can’t seem to write about what we did during our travels I can speak at length about what I got out of my mid-semester break.
So for those who don’t know I booked my flight about 48 hours before its departure through my new favorite website, El-Al spontaneity (only available in Hebrew). The site has last minute deals on flights to mainly Europe (also North America, India and China, a little advertisement for El-Al) and for about half the price of a regular ticket. As I sat looking at what deals were on the site I saw that for $209 I could get a round trip ticket to Prague leaving on Wednesday night and returning Thursday a week later. This offer was too good to let go by and after messaging back and forth with Zach through facebook and e-mail I decided to book my flight.
Looking back on the trip I realized that 1) doing anything spontaneously is more fun and exiting than planning it out and 2) when you save money doing one thing you end up justifying buying ridiculous shit with the ‘supposed’ money you saved. And that the friends you travel with are what make the trip, not the places we went. We could have visited Prague or the Gobi Desert and we still would have had fun just being with each other.
So for those who don’t know I booked my flight about 48 hours before its departure through my new favorite website, El-Al spontaneity (only available in Hebrew). The site has last minute deals on flights to mainly Europe (also North America, India and China, a little advertisement for El-Al) and for about half the price of a regular ticket. As I sat looking at what deals were on the site I saw that for $209 I could get a round trip ticket to Prague leaving on Wednesday night and returning Thursday a week later. This offer was too good to let go by and after messaging back and forth with Zach through facebook and e-mail I decided to book my flight.
Looking back on the trip I realized that 1) doing anything spontaneously is more fun and exiting than planning it out and 2) when you save money doing one thing you end up justifying buying ridiculous shit with the ‘supposed’ money you saved. And that the friends you travel with are what make the trip, not the places we went. We could have visited Prague or the Gobi Desert and we still would have had fun just being with each other.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
My BBB
Personally, when blogging I need to be in an atmosphere conducive to the writing process. So as I sit here in a Tel-Aviv cafe trying to come up with a catchy title to hook my readers I thought what was happening around me and hence the three Bs: Breakfast, blogging and betzim (hebrew for eggs), I was contemplating other b words such as biznatch (too much wishful thinking) bong, blintz, Budapest, blunt, breathing and on and on. I just got back from my Prague/Budapest trip and though I did not sleep much on the red-eye flight I can not sleep until I get all that happened in this past week on paper (figuratively speaking). But before I can do this I have to finish writing about the previous weeks. So without any further interruptions.
On Saturday February 16th the group that I went to Eilat with was scheduled to go to Petra, Jordan, one of the newly voted ancient world wonders, however, after a rough night of vodka and redbull two of my friends stayed behind to nurse in my mind what would be a pretty bad hangover. So four of us boarded a bus for the Israeli/Jordanian border where our Jordanian guide was waiting to pick us up. After about an hour getting through both Israeli and Jordanian border control we started our three hour bus ride to Petra. I myself was not feeling in the best of shape and the bumpy roads did not help. During the bus ride our guide talked for almost the entire duration except for the few minutes before and after we stomped at a rest stop. He talked about everything from the Jordanian economy to American wives spending all their husbands money. He had no rhyme or reason to what he talked about, he was just practicing his broken English and trying to entertain some. Once we arrived to Petra we had to walk about another hour until we saw the main monuments in Petra. Petra was a city built by Arabs around the year zero. What makes it so interesting and a sight to see is that all the buildings are carved into the mountain instead of being actually built. Additionally, it is thought that only ten percent of Petra is excavated and that the rest remains buried under tons of sediment from the flash floods that occurred throughout the past centuries. Though the treasury and the scenery itself is amazing to see the grounds of the park is filled with little kids begging you to buy their dollar postcards and pushy men trying to give you a camel or horse ride. This aspect of the trip I could have done without and it amazes me how persistent arab men are. We walked for a few hours through the mountains and saw many caves and other things of interest. I am glad I went but lets say I don't see myself back for a while, maybe ever.
The following week passed without much excitement. At the end of the week I went to Jerusalem to spend Shabbat with friends studying at Hebrew University. I took the bus Friday and got there just in time before everything in the city shut down for the day. It still stuns me that the entire city shuts down for a day. The essence of the day of rest is recognized. Around six in the evening we walked to the kotel through the Damascus gate which is where the Arab shook is located and where the Shabbat has no bearing. After making it to the kotel we did a modified service and rushed back for the food. Every Shabbat a different apartment host a dinner where everyone brings food or wine and they all sit around eating and drinking for hours. This was the scenario this shabbat and we ate until we were stuffed. The whole next day we did the same thing, sat around and ate and drank, its a rough life we are living.
On Saturday February 16th the group that I went to Eilat with was scheduled to go to Petra, Jordan, one of the newly voted ancient world wonders, however, after a rough night of vodka and redbull two of my friends stayed behind to nurse in my mind what would be a pretty bad hangover. So four of us boarded a bus for the Israeli/Jordanian border where our Jordanian guide was waiting to pick us up. After about an hour getting through both Israeli and Jordanian border control we started our three hour bus ride to Petra. I myself was not feeling in the best of shape and the bumpy roads did not help. During the bus ride our guide talked for almost the entire duration except for the few minutes before and after we stomped at a rest stop. He talked about everything from the Jordanian economy to American wives spending all their husbands money. He had no rhyme or reason to what he talked about, he was just practicing his broken English and trying to entertain some. Once we arrived to Petra we had to walk about another hour until we saw the main monuments in Petra. Petra was a city built by Arabs around the year zero. What makes it so interesting and a sight to see is that all the buildings are carved into the mountain instead of being actually built. Additionally, it is thought that only ten percent of Petra is excavated and that the rest remains buried under tons of sediment from the flash floods that occurred throughout the past centuries. Though the treasury and the scenery itself is amazing to see the grounds of the park is filled with little kids begging you to buy their dollar postcards and pushy men trying to give you a camel or horse ride. This aspect of the trip I could have done without and it amazes me how persistent arab men are. We walked for a few hours through the mountains and saw many caves and other things of interest. I am glad I went but lets say I don't see myself back for a while, maybe ever.
The following week passed without much excitement. At the end of the week I went to Jerusalem to spend Shabbat with friends studying at Hebrew University. I took the bus Friday and got there just in time before everything in the city shut down for the day. It still stuns me that the entire city shuts down for a day. The essence of the day of rest is recognized. Around six in the evening we walked to the kotel through the Damascus gate which is where the Arab shook is located and where the Shabbat has no bearing. After making it to the kotel we did a modified service and rushed back for the food. Every Shabbat a different apartment host a dinner where everyone brings food or wine and they all sit around eating and drinking for hours. This was the scenario this shabbat and we ate until we were stuffed. The whole next day we did the same thing, sat around and ate and drank, its a rough life we are living.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
My reTurn to Blogging
I need to apologize to everyone who has been vigorously checking this site for I have neglected my duties as a blogger. I have not written anything in about two weeks and these following post will cover a lot of what happened in this span.
However, I just need to put up a list of things I have done in the past weeks to remind myself and just a quick glimpse of what happened. (order in reverse chronological order)
1. Petra, Jordan
2. Jerusalem for shabbat
3. booking a ticket for prague
4. going to prague
5. budapest
I am too tired to blog and the juices just are not flowing.
I promise to have write some good material by the end of the week
However, I just need to put up a list of things I have done in the past weeks to remind myself and just a quick glimpse of what happened. (order in reverse chronological order)
1. Petra, Jordan
2. Jerusalem for shabbat
3. booking a ticket for prague
4. going to prague
5. budapest
I am too tired to blog and the juices just are not flowing.
I promise to have write some good material by the end of the week
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
My Southern Excursion PaRT 1
To simply put it, I am not a complicated person. I do not possess a deep inner dialogue that is filled with questions of identity and truth, nor do I go about my days struggling to find the meaning of life. This said, my last post was an aberration and this blog will continue in the style that has been used previously. I am a man of the people and what the people want the people get.
So where to start? This past weekend five friends and I went to Eilat, which is the southern most city in Israel, and comparable to Florida, where all the older Jews go in the Winter to get away from the cold in the rest of the state. We left Thursday, which was also the last day of intensive Hebrew study, in the afternoon. There are two ways to get to Eilat, either a thirty-minute flight or a 6-hour bus ride, we chose the latter option due to economic reasons. I booked the bus and got there about ten minutes before it left the station, the other people on the trip got there literally seconds before the bus left, and so the vacation started. The second half of the ride was scenic for we were driving through valleys with mountains on all sides.
Once we got to Eilat we ate at a really good restaurant where they serve you about ten different types of Israeli salads and sides with fresh lafa (like a pita, but bigger and without a pocket) and grilled meats. You could order tong, testicle, heart, and other parts of cows and lamb. Though none of us were adventurous enough to try bulls balls I was reminded of the scene in HBO’s Rome where the mother tells her son to eat the testicles of a bull for it helps with the growth of a certain body part that rhymes with… penis. And the night just started there. After buying a 24 pack of knock off red bull (eddie I am sorry you know I hate red bull and it was way cheaper) and a pair of liquor bottles we returned to our room where we downed both to the genius songs of Daft Punk and Girl Talk. Last Thursday also happened to be Valentine’s Day, and like in America this romantic holiday is celebrated by Israelis, though not with the traditional chocolates and roses, rather at pubs and dance clubs. The first pub we went to had heaps of red and white balloons and was a filled with 20 somethings just sitting around and talking, a little too un-hip for 20 year olds who were trying to get a little rambunctious. However, at this point in the night is when Adam, a L.A. Persian who rarely drinks, started feeling the effects of Peter the Great on his fine motor functions and walking abilities. He is stumbling all over and we the rest of us decide to take him back to the hotel so we don’t have to worry about him for the rest of the night. We had to carry him into the hotel and up to the room, and when doing so got a funny look from the security guard. The rest of the night was pretty normal after that. I met up with one of the soldiers from my birthright trip at a bar and we went to a really small place filled with locals. Like everything in Israel and Europe the bars stay open until the late morning when he sun is starting to come up, and when in Rome do as the Romans.
We slept for a few hours and woke up in time for the free breakfast (please see the previous post about free food). Barely physically able but mentally strong, we went to the beach where we stayed until it started to cool down, around 4:30, and strait chilled (Stock has nothing on this chill ses).
So where to start? This past weekend five friends and I went to Eilat, which is the southern most city in Israel, and comparable to Florida, where all the older Jews go in the Winter to get away from the cold in the rest of the state. We left Thursday, which was also the last day of intensive Hebrew study, in the afternoon. There are two ways to get to Eilat, either a thirty-minute flight or a 6-hour bus ride, we chose the latter option due to economic reasons. I booked the bus and got there about ten minutes before it left the station, the other people on the trip got there literally seconds before the bus left, and so the vacation started. The second half of the ride was scenic for we were driving through valleys with mountains on all sides.
Once we got to Eilat we ate at a really good restaurant where they serve you about ten different types of Israeli salads and sides with fresh lafa (like a pita, but bigger and without a pocket) and grilled meats. You could order tong, testicle, heart, and other parts of cows and lamb. Though none of us were adventurous enough to try bulls balls I was reminded of the scene in HBO’s Rome where the mother tells her son to eat the testicles of a bull for it helps with the growth of a certain body part that rhymes with… penis. And the night just started there. After buying a 24 pack of knock off red bull (eddie I am sorry you know I hate red bull and it was way cheaper) and a pair of liquor bottles we returned to our room where we downed both to the genius songs of Daft Punk and Girl Talk. Last Thursday also happened to be Valentine’s Day, and like in America this romantic holiday is celebrated by Israelis, though not with the traditional chocolates and roses, rather at pubs and dance clubs. The first pub we went to had heaps of red and white balloons and was a filled with 20 somethings just sitting around and talking, a little too un-hip for 20 year olds who were trying to get a little rambunctious. However, at this point in the night is when Adam, a L.A. Persian who rarely drinks, started feeling the effects of Peter the Great on his fine motor functions and walking abilities. He is stumbling all over and we the rest of us decide to take him back to the hotel so we don’t have to worry about him for the rest of the night. We had to carry him into the hotel and up to the room, and when doing so got a funny look from the security guard. The rest of the night was pretty normal after that. I met up with one of the soldiers from my birthright trip at a bar and we went to a really small place filled with locals. Like everything in Israel and Europe the bars stay open until the late morning when he sun is starting to come up, and when in Rome do as the Romans.
We slept for a few hours and woke up in time for the free breakfast (please see the previous post about free food). Barely physically able but mentally strong, we went to the beach where we stayed until it started to cool down, around 4:30, and strait chilled (Stock has nothing on this chill ses).
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
My New Edition
So after the last posting I received some comments and feedback from friends and family about my writing style and syntax. I created my blog as a forum for my unedited thoughts and a way of keeping my fan base (just joking) up to date on what I have been doing in Israel. However, after contemplating these comments from others and reading Jeremy Borovitz’s blog, which for those who haven’t read the long narratives, it is very intelligent and an interpersonal narrative I have decided to take another approach to this post. So here it goes.
**an abbreviated version will be posted below for those who hate the long posts**
Today I visited Jerusalem. However, this was not the Jerusalem that I was familiar with from my previous visits this holy relic city, not just for Jews but also Christians and Muslims. After waking up at seven in the morning to board a bus that was scheduled to leave Tel-Aviv at 7:30 (8 ish Israeli time, see conversion calculator below) I was a little weary for the skies looked gray and the forecast for the day overcast and rainy. And as predicted the rain fell on and off throughout the day with glimpses of sunshine on a cold winter day.
But I did not despair. We arrived to our first destination, an outlook of the entire city, where a FREE breakfast of tuna sandwiches, apples, energy bars and water was served. So as a son of my ‘free’ loving father, I ate two sandwiches even though one was more than enough and stuffed a few extra energy bars in my pockets. I seem to forget the excitement that people get from seeing Jerusalem. Form observing other students, who for them it was their first time, taking pictures and being over anxious to see everything I am reminded of the significance of the city to all religions.
We next entered the old city though a gate where conservationist are trying to preserve parts of the old city wall as taxis and trucks drive by at 25 mph. We reached the rooftop outlook where I snapped my first pictures of the trip. In my attempts to be somewhat artsy and not just come home with point and shoot pictures I was able to come out with, in my mind, some neat overhead pictures of the Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, numerous church and the Kotel. Our tour guide, a graphic designer from Tel-Aviv named Asaf, was very good in my experience of tour guides and gave us a detailed historical account of the points of interest and their meanings in today’s religiously tense world.
The rain continued and the temperature got down into the high 30s and low 40s F to my estimation for I was able to see my breath when talking. We slipped and slid down narrow pathways and walked down wet stairs where drainage is a problem to the Western Wall. I believe that some of the aw of the Kotel has worn off on me and the whether put an additional damper on praying outside, nonetheless, I picked up a siddor and prayed the morning prayer from start to finish. It was the first time in a long time since I have prayed however, I was still able to communicate with god and ask him for a few things (good health for my family and friends, and a little help in cracking the dense force field surrounding Israeli girls that is preventing me from picking them up).
at this point I have taken a break in writing this entry and it may revert to my previous form of dangling participles and subjunctive clauses or something like that
Upon leaving the Kotel the rain started to come down harder and at an angel for the wind picked up some. We walked to the excavated ruins of the corner of the Western and Southern wall near the Robinson Archway where we walked through a little museum where we watched a movie poorly dubbed and found more entertainment out of the bad accent and poor storyline than the museum itself.
All of the tourist things I have done before and I enjoyed walking around the old city and seeing the sites again, but the next part of our tour I was not prepared for. We walked through the Jewish art galleries then the Arab merchants selling the cheesy t-shirts (Guns & Moses being my favorite) until we reached the Christian section. We walked past a few merchants selling crosses on any piece of jewelry imaginable, candles and pictures Mary and Jesus. We stopped at an old looking building with indistinguishable exterior features that I have never visited on any of my Jerusalem trips. This was the Church of the Holy Sepulchral, the second most holy site for Catholics next to the Vatican and one holiest places for all of Christianity. Walking in I was not sure what to expect, this being only the second time ever in a church and of one with so much significance. It was an interesting and beautiful site. The painstaking detail and breadth of the murals as well as the vastness of the dome are great pieces of art. Though there was a lot of confusion and disillusion among other Jewish students about visiting a Christian site, I felt at ease and able to respect and admire the iconic artwork. Visiting the church allowed me to see Jerusalem from a perspective that I never saw in the past.
Leaving the church we boarded the buses and went to the market to eat. The rain was not conducive to a market excursion so a few of us broke off and ended up at a mom and pops eatery. This place was unique in that the menu for the day was whatever the mom was cooking. We walked up to the women standing behind three large cooking pots and pointed to what we wanted to eat. I ate kubae soup, houmus, cigars and pita. It was delicious and I felt kilos heavier when I left. The food was great and the atmosphere even better.
**an abbreviated version will be posted below for those who hate the long posts**
Today I visited Jerusalem. However, this was not the Jerusalem that I was familiar with from my previous visits this holy relic city, not just for Jews but also Christians and Muslims. After waking up at seven in the morning to board a bus that was scheduled to leave Tel-Aviv at 7:30 (8 ish Israeli time, see conversion calculator below) I was a little weary for the skies looked gray and the forecast for the day overcast and rainy. And as predicted the rain fell on and off throughout the day with glimpses of sunshine on a cold winter day.
But I did not despair. We arrived to our first destination, an outlook of the entire city, where a FREE breakfast of tuna sandwiches, apples, energy bars and water was served. So as a son of my ‘free’ loving father, I ate two sandwiches even though one was more than enough and stuffed a few extra energy bars in my pockets. I seem to forget the excitement that people get from seeing Jerusalem. Form observing other students, who for them it was their first time, taking pictures and being over anxious to see everything I am reminded of the significance of the city to all religions.
We next entered the old city though a gate where conservationist are trying to preserve parts of the old city wall as taxis and trucks drive by at 25 mph. We reached the rooftop outlook where I snapped my first pictures of the trip. In my attempts to be somewhat artsy and not just come home with point and shoot pictures I was able to come out with, in my mind, some neat overhead pictures of the Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, numerous church and the Kotel. Our tour guide, a graphic designer from Tel-Aviv named Asaf, was very good in my experience of tour guides and gave us a detailed historical account of the points of interest and their meanings in today’s religiously tense world.
The rain continued and the temperature got down into the high 30s and low 40s F to my estimation for I was able to see my breath when talking. We slipped and slid down narrow pathways and walked down wet stairs where drainage is a problem to the Western Wall. I believe that some of the aw of the Kotel has worn off on me and the whether put an additional damper on praying outside, nonetheless, I picked up a siddor and prayed the morning prayer from start to finish. It was the first time in a long time since I have prayed however, I was still able to communicate with god and ask him for a few things (good health for my family and friends, and a little help in cracking the dense force field surrounding Israeli girls that is preventing me from picking them up).
at this point I have taken a break in writing this entry and it may revert to my previous form of dangling participles and subjunctive clauses or something like that
Upon leaving the Kotel the rain started to come down harder and at an angel for the wind picked up some. We walked to the excavated ruins of the corner of the Western and Southern wall near the Robinson Archway where we walked through a little museum where we watched a movie poorly dubbed and found more entertainment out of the bad accent and poor storyline than the museum itself.
All of the tourist things I have done before and I enjoyed walking around the old city and seeing the sites again, but the next part of our tour I was not prepared for. We walked through the Jewish art galleries then the Arab merchants selling the cheesy t-shirts (Guns & Moses being my favorite) until we reached the Christian section. We walked past a few merchants selling crosses on any piece of jewelry imaginable, candles and pictures Mary and Jesus. We stopped at an old looking building with indistinguishable exterior features that I have never visited on any of my Jerusalem trips. This was the Church of the Holy Sepulchral, the second most holy site for Catholics next to the Vatican and one holiest places for all of Christianity. Walking in I was not sure what to expect, this being only the second time ever in a church and of one with so much significance. It was an interesting and beautiful site. The painstaking detail and breadth of the murals as well as the vastness of the dome are great pieces of art. Though there was a lot of confusion and disillusion among other Jewish students about visiting a Christian site, I felt at ease and able to respect and admire the iconic artwork. Visiting the church allowed me to see Jerusalem from a perspective that I never saw in the past.
Leaving the church we boarded the buses and went to the market to eat. The rain was not conducive to a market excursion so a few of us broke off and ended up at a mom and pops eatery. This place was unique in that the menu for the day was whatever the mom was cooking. We walked up to the women standing behind three large cooking pots and pointed to what we wanted to eat. I ate kubae soup, houmus, cigars and pita. It was delicious and I felt kilos heavier when I left. The food was great and the atmosphere even better.
Monday, February 4, 2008
My American Football
So its been a while since I have wrote anything and I know my fans have been on the edge of their seats, checking this blog daily. Slowly, I have been making my extremely small dorm room into my room with some small furnishings. I have also got some pots, pans and plates so that I can make meals instead of spending all my money on eating out. However, most of the times I stick to leftovers given to me by relatives or sandwiches/pita with hummus and deli meat, I also bought one of those seen on TV choppers and use it to make salads. This past week it snowed in Jerusalem and there was a mad rush by Israelis and tourist to the city to see the snow. However, I came to Israel to get away from the snow and had no urge to see the dreaded white substance, so I stayed in Tel-Aviv while some of my friends went to Jerusalem to see the snow.
A friend of mine got a job serving at a English style pub near the beach so I whenever we go out now we go to where she works. I have been there so many times the past week and a half that I feel that I am starting to become a regular.
Last night was Super Bowl Sunday/Monday. A small microbrewery (the dancing camel) located in Tel-Aviv was hosting a superbowl party that for 20 dollars you got all you can eat and drink. Needless to say I took full advantage of the hospitality of the place and got my moneys worth of food and especially drink. A group of friends arrived there 10 local time and the game didn't start until 1:30. The food was sub-par but the four types of beer were good and by the start of the game I had a good buzz going. The first quarter of the game went by really fast and all I was rooting for was for the patriots to score a touchdown by the end of the quarter so my box would hit (boxes for my readers who don't know is a means of gambling on the score of the game with complete randomness). My box ended up hitting for the score at half-time and I was exited not only from winning but for Tom Petty (hoping he would play American Girl...a classic jammy jam). Though this was a high point in the night for me I began to get tired and crash hard. It was 3:30 in the morning and I had no energy left. I took my winnings, tipped the bartenders and left for the night with a pocket full of cash and big ... stash.
A friend of mine got a job serving at a English style pub near the beach so I whenever we go out now we go to where she works. I have been there so many times the past week and a half that I feel that I am starting to become a regular.
Last night was Super Bowl Sunday/Monday. A small microbrewery (the dancing camel) located in Tel-Aviv was hosting a superbowl party that for 20 dollars you got all you can eat and drink. Needless to say I took full advantage of the hospitality of the place and got my moneys worth of food and especially drink. A group of friends arrived there 10 local time and the game didn't start until 1:30. The food was sub-par but the four types of beer were good and by the start of the game I had a good buzz going. The first quarter of the game went by really fast and all I was rooting for was for the patriots to score a touchdown by the end of the quarter so my box would hit (boxes for my readers who don't know is a means of gambling on the score of the game with complete randomness). My box ended up hitting for the score at half-time and I was exited not only from winning but for Tom Petty (hoping he would play American Girl...a classic jammy jam). Though this was a high point in the night for me I began to get tired and crash hard. It was 3:30 in the morning and I had no energy left. I took my winnings, tipped the bartenders and left for the night with a pocket full of cash and big ... stash.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
My Two or Three Letter Words
So before going abroad if I told you that I would spend a night playing competative scrabble my guess is that this would make you laugh and tell me that I am a nerd. Nevermind that this city more than new york has more bars and places to eat open later and longer and that on anygiven night the pubs and clubs are packed. Nevertheless, this past monday I spent 3 hours in a small room in the local community center playing scrabble against Tel-Aviv's best and most competative two and three word scrablete. After getting embarresed in the first game I stepped up my mental toughness and extraced words from my brain and beat my second opponent. Though this night was not filled with loud music, cocktails and half dressed women dancing on bars this night was enjoyable.
Other than my night of scrabble, I have been spending most nights familiarizing myself with the Tel-Aviv nightlife. Not a huge fan of the packed clubs I have been finding different bars and clubs near the beach and in the main areas in the city to have a drink and hang with friends.
Other than my night of scrabble, I have been spending most nights familiarizing myself with the Tel-Aviv nightlife. Not a huge fan of the packed clubs I have been finding different bars and clubs near the beach and in the main areas in the city to have a drink and hang with friends.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
My numero uno
So here it is the official first post of Israel adventure 2k8 [haaaaaaa, loud cheer], and with this new post will come a new era in my short lived blog. So to start things off today is Saturday and I have been here for five days now and did not ever imagine that Tel-Aviv could ever get this cold. The first night I was here the temperature at night got to around 0 degrees Celcius. But slowly the days and nights are becoming warmer. Today I went to the beach, however, just to walk around and be out in the sun.
Eventhough the past few days have been cold then have been fun and new. Everyone is still getting to know everyone else and going out together and having a good time before the classes start.
The ulpan starts tomorrow and the classes themselves dont start for another four weeks.
to my avid readers, my mom and jake, i say thanks for reading and commenting, its appreciated
Eventhough the past few days have been cold then have been fun and new. Everyone is still getting to know everyone else and going out together and having a good time before the classes start.
The ulpan starts tomorrow and the classes themselves dont start for another four weeks.
to my avid readers, my mom and jake, i say thanks for reading and commenting, its appreciated
Thursday, January 10, 2008
My New Hair Cut - Suav Edition
So after 22 months of growing my hair I finally cut it in order to donate it to Locks of Love, a great orginization that makes wigs for children with cancer. So in honor of my new hair cut I will list the top 10 reasons why long hair is better than short hair.
10. Its a good excuse not to shower..."it takes too long to wash my hair"
9. it is easier to get a job at whole foods or zingermans
8. you can claim to be a dead head without actually listening to the long sessions of jamming, and headbanging possibilities
7. mullet potential
6. the art of the headband/bandana
5. Conversation starter
4. finially the hair on my head is longer than the hair on my chest
3. Zip...Huh...Bamm
2. spokesperson for suave hair products
1. being able to listen to my headphones without anyone knowing
10. Its a good excuse not to shower..."it takes too long to wash my hair"
9. it is easier to get a job at whole foods or zingermans
8. you can claim to be a dead head without actually listening to the long sessions of jamming, and headbanging possibilities
7. mullet potential
6. the art of the headband/bandana
5. Conversation starter
4. finially the hair on my head is longer than the hair on my chest
3. Zip...Huh...Bamm
2. spokesperson for suave hair products
1. being able to listen to my headphones without anyone knowing
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
A Michigan Man
Never have I been so proud to be a Michigan Man. After watching probably the most impressive performance of the Michigan football team in my 3 seasons as a student I joined with all the other Michigan fans in thanking Coach Carr on his job as head football coach. When schools and players around the country are being punished for shiesty recruiting, paying players and so forth Michigan football (and I emphasize football) has been following the rules and standying by honored tradition and class, and never have these elements been more embodied in a football program. This is thanks to Lloyd Carr.
And now to catch up all those eager readers on what I have been doing lately. This past Sunday I went to Clearwater beach for the Outback Bowl Beach Day. And along with seeing Badger and Vol fans and players, the thing that most caught my attention was the chearleaders. Lets just say that you don't have to be pretty to do a back flip. And I know this sounds shallow, because it is, but the Wisco chearleaders should spend more time doing situps than twirls.
For New Years I went with my cousin and his friends to downtown Orlando where two blocks of bars and resturants where fenced off for the New Years celebration. I had a great time for two reasons, the first being outside at new years and not freezing and the second because we got in for free through a gap in the fence which saved me 50 bucks.
So to all my avid readers I wish them a happy new year and may your stick with your resolution until atleast february.
And now to catch up all those eager readers on what I have been doing lately. This past Sunday I went to Clearwater beach for the Outback Bowl Beach Day. And along with seeing Badger and Vol fans and players, the thing that most caught my attention was the chearleaders. Lets just say that you don't have to be pretty to do a back flip. And I know this sounds shallow, because it is, but the Wisco chearleaders should spend more time doing situps than twirls.
For New Years I went with my cousin and his friends to downtown Orlando where two blocks of bars and resturants where fenced off for the New Years celebration. I had a great time for two reasons, the first being outside at new years and not freezing and the second because we got in for free through a gap in the fence which saved me 50 bucks.
So to all my avid readers I wish them a happy new year and may your stick with your resolution until atleast february.
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