Always New Adventures to be Had in the Holy Land

A summation of my latest adventures the past few weeks:
Two weeks ago I went to Old Yafo with Jess and Ari. Yafo is an ancient and strategic port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world, and is predominately Arab. Yafo is now part of Tel Aviv, which is why the city's full name is Tel Aviv-Yafo. It's just south of the city, and even though we live in the very north of Tel Aviv we decided to walk the hour and half to get there and knock out a workout also! It's a beautiful area overlooking the Mediterranean with some fabulous and ancient architecture. There is a wishing bridge, where an old legend states that wishes made while standing upon it will come true. Always exciting. Today, Yafo is very touristy with vendors setting up arts and crafts booths on most days of the week. There wasn't much to do, but we sat and enjoyed the view and the history of the place.

Clock tower at Old Yafo

That night, Ari and I decided to be adventurous and try Ethiopian cuisine, courtesy of the rather large Ethiopian community that resides in Israel. During the 1980s the entire Jewish community of Ethiopia was rescued from civil war and famine in their native country and brought to reside in Israel under Israel's Law of Return. We knew we were at an authentic place once we noticed we were the only Caucasians in the entire restaurant--no Israelis either!! With the help of our waitress, we ordered a menu item that sounded decent,  but had no idea what to expect. Ethiopian food is served on one large serving platter in the middle of the table, and everyone shares. Oh, and no need for silverware. The meat and sauce is simply scooped up using Ethiopian pancakes. Our meal was placed in front of us, and Ari and I just looked at each other and burst into laughter. It looked disgusting-a slop of brown goo with a boiled egg in the middle, sitting on top of the Ethiopian pancakes. As for the brown goo? It was some type of chicken and beans in a sauce, and actually quite good! The pancakes, on the other hand, left a little to be desired. They were thin, spongy, cold, gray-tinged, and somewhat sour tasting (like sourdough bread gone terribly wrong). Yet since we are citizens of the world, we devoured every last bite!!

How delicious does this look?

Last Thursday we went to the western Galilee. The Galilee is composed of the western part of northern Israel. We went for a terrific hike amongst green trees and babbling brooks (I guess I'm not in El Paso anymore).  It's really beautiful and completely opposite of the Negev desert that encompasses southern Israel.  We then went to Rosh Hanikra, a scenic spot bordering Lebanon. The view of the Mediterranean and the Israeli coastline was absolutely spectacular. We walked literally right up to the border with Lebanon. It was very quiet...we saw one Israeli soldier. It's hard to imagine seeing an area as beautiful and calm as that and knowing it has been a war zone during numerous times in the past few decades. We then went to Akko, a city north of Haifa and one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in Israel. We ventured only so far as the Old City in Akko, which is predominately Arab. The Old City lies right along the coast...again, more gorgeous views. As our tour guide was speaking, a chicken came running and squawking, followed by 3 young boys and a dog. Shortly after, a horse comes running though!!!!! Mind you, we weren't in open farmland-we were in the middle of a cramped little urban area. Quite funny.

Rosh Hanikra

 Today is Yom Ha'atzmaut--Israel Independence Day. Yesterday was Yom Ha'zikaron--Memorial Day. I know I wrote about these two holidays last year, but my experience was different this year in numerous ways. On Erev Yom Ha'zikaron my program all traveled to a navy base in Haifa for their ceremony. Each military base has their own ceremony. It was amazing to be at a true Israeli ceremony with hundreds of soldiers (well,sailors!). During the siren the only noise that could be heard aside from the siren were the waves lapping on the rocks. I found myself wondering what all these military personnel were thinking, knowing that, God forbid, one day the siren could be sounding for them. However, since the entire ceremony was in Hebrew I didn't get as much out of it as I did at the English ceremony I attended last year. Alas, an interesting experience. Yesterday we went outside to a busy street in Tel Aviv to hear the morning siren. As soon as the siren started at 11am, everyone completely stopped in their tracks. Cars and buses all stopped in the middle of the street, and the passengers emerged to stand and show their respect. No sounds could be heard and no movement was spotted for two full minutes in this bustling and often crazy city. I felt as though I were in a movie as everything seemed suspended in time. And to think that the entire country was like this...an entire country quiet and remembering.

At sundown, the transition from the saddest day in Israel to the happiest occurs. It's really quite a juxtaposition to go from those two extreme emotions instantaneously, but that's part of the poignancy of these two holidays. We went to Kikar Rabin, the square where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in the center of the city, to kick off the festivities. It was packed with people of all ages. Singers and dancers were performing on stage, and fireworks lit up the sky. We then made our way to south Tel Aviv to the area around Florentine Street, which is where all the young people congregate for Purim and Yom Ha'atzmaut. The streets are blocked off to traffic, and absolute bedlam occurs!!! There are thousands and thousands of young people, every which way you turn. Music blasting from invisible speakers, everyone drinking, beer bottles littering the street...in other words, one giant party or one giant mess, depending how you look at it! We wandered the streets, stopping often to dance and take pictures with completely random groups of Israelis. Everyone was waving Israeli flags, but it is basically the least religious phenomenon one could ever witness!! Not what most people would envision Israel to be like, I'm sure. We left at 3:30 am, and the party was really just getting started. The streets and buses were packed at this time of the night...many people moving on to the next party. Today it is customary for most Israelis to BBQ in parks and on the beach. If there is one thing I've learned since living in Israel it is this: Israelis like to have fun, and they know how to party!

Shaving cream--Party time!

Pesach in Israel (second time around!)

Pesach (Passover) ends in less than one hour--in Israel at least. Jews in Israel celebrate Pesach for 7 days, while most Jews living in the Diaspora celebrate for 8 days. Even though this is the second Pesach I have been lucky enough to witness in Israel, it's still amazing. You truly feel you are in a Jewish country when everyone is eating matzah wherever you go-the zoo, the beach, the park, even restaurants! In fact, it's so easy to keep Pesach in Israel that it almost feels like cheating. It is ridiculously easy to find 'Kosher for Pesach' sandwiches, pizza, pastries, and noodles. Most of this "bread" is made out of potato flour, and the noodles are made out of eggs. We even went to Burger King and had kosher for Pesach hamburgers! (okay, for all of you that know me..I did not partake). How absurd is that?? Nowhere else in the world. The "bread" tastes alright..not horrible, but it is far from normal, wheat-based bread. The best way I can describe it is as bread that is a bit soggy. I spent a few days in Jerusalem during the holiday. In Jerusalem every restaurant (even those in the bus station food court) that is open is kosher for Pesach. Bread baskets are replaced with matzah baskets. Those that aren't kosher for Pesach are closed for the entirety of the 7 days. In Tel Aviv (aka the city of sin!) about half the restaurants are kosher for Pesach, and the others operate as normal. It actually becomes odd to see people consuming bread!

Most corporations close for the entire Pesach holiday, so people travel and relax and places tend to be packed. We went to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo,and it was absolutely packed. 90% of the people there were Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jews), and since each Haredi couple seems to have about ten kids, there were Haredi kids galore...payot and tzitzit flying everywhere!!! Again, only in Israel. The beaches and parks in Tel Aviv have also been packed. It will actually be nice when things get back to normal and the crowds disperse somewhat.

Hanging out with Israeli zebras

 This past Friday was Good Friday, so Ari and I decided to go to the Christian Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem and experience one of the holiest places for Christians on one of the holiest days on the Christian calender. We made our way to the Via Dolorosa, which is the road (alley) that most Christians believe to be the path that Jesus walked while carrying his cross on the way to his crucifixion. It is marked by the 14 stations of the cross. It was packed with people, all holding crosses of various sizes, slowly making their way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the church where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried. There were people from all over the world, including nuns and priests, all chanting songs in different languages. Because we were wearing huge hiking backpacks and things were starting to get somewhat claustrophobic, Ari and I didn't quite make it to the church. Yet it was another amazing event to witness and be part of...something most Christians dream of doing their entire lives. 

Small sample of the throngs of people on the Via Dolorosa

 We then made our way to the Kotel (Western Wall), where large crowds had gathered to celebrate Pesach. Also an amazing thing to witness...a large number of people of all denominations,including many Haredis, all davening (praying) furiously. There was also an American boy having a Bar Mitzvah in front of the wall. Imagining having one's Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel is just beyond belief.

There has been some unrest lately in Jerusalem..specifically the Muslim Quarters of the Old City and East Jerusalem. Thousands of Israeli security officers were dispersed throughout the Old City, but aside from this visual reminder, I really never felt scared or threatened.

I have the remainder of this week off, and then back to the grind of school!

One Month in Israel

I'm finding it somewhat difficult to write a blog this time around, because I feel as though I already blogged about so much of the Israeli culture and random "only in Israel" moments last time around! So I won't be writing nearly as much as last time, but I'll do my best to write whenever I encounter new experiences.

Last week the Masters students all went to the Dead Sea. I actually never went to the Dead Sea on Career Israel. I did go on birthright, but considering those ten days four and half years ago were such a blur, I almost felt like this was a brand new experience. We went to Ein Gedi Spa where we all put on our bathing suits and made our way to a tremendous barrel of thick, viscous, black mud. We scooped it up by the handful and slathered it all over ourselves-head to toe. The object was basically to not allow even a minute part of flesh to peek through the mud. I'm confident we all succeeded in this goal! The mud from the Dead Sea is supposed to work wonders for the skin and act as an exfoliate and emollient. We walked about a quarter mile from there to the Dead Sea, while the mud hardened and caked on our bodies. The water used to come up right to the spa, but the sea is apparently receding at a rapid pace. We walked timidly into the sea...the place where bathers are allowed only goes up to the waist or a bit higher. Yet as soon as you attempt to lower your body in the water and lift your legs off the ground, your legs immediately fly to the surface of the water and you're inadvertently floating--you have no choice in the matter! You could truly sit on the surface of the water and read a book if you were so inclined. However, beware if you have any cuts anywhere on your body. Oceans and seas are normally about 3-5% salt. The Dead Sea is 30%...so you can only imagine the pain that would result from an open cut! Not fun. Putting your face in the water is probably the worse idea imaginable. One drop of water splashed into my eye and the ten minutes of pain was interminable. But the water is also supposed to work wonders for the skin. We all know the Israelis who hustle us all to buy Dead Sea products in the malls throughout America!! But hey--everyone loves soft skin. We stayed in the sea for about 15 minutes, which was quite enough for us (and about the suggested time limit).

Look Ma, no hands!

 Yesterday I moved into what will be my permanent residence for the next year. We had previously been staying in a temporary apartment while they readied these. I'm living at the Port (called the "namal" in Hebrew) in north Tel Aviv. It's a wonderful area with upscale restaurants, stores, and nightclubs. I have an amazing, perfect view of the Mediterranean from my bedroom window. Right now I'm staring out the window at the expanse of blue ocean and dozens of sailboats cutting through the water. Every night I'll have a perfect view of the sun setting into the water. We also live about a one minute walk from Hayarkon Park-a large urban park that extends along Tel Aviv and into a neighboring suburb. The Yarkon River runs through the park and reaches the Mediterranean at the park's western edge. Runners, cyclists, rowers, playgrounds, dogs, picnickers...it doesn't get much better than that. The apartment is cute. Small kitchen, decent sized bathroom. I have my own bedroom, which I'm thrilled about!!

View from my bedroom window, not too shabby

Tomorrow is my last day of classes before I have two weeks off for Pesach break! I have no concrete plans for the break, but hopefully I'll travel a bit or find some exciting events to attend. Pesach in Israel is really special. It seems like everyone in the country is traveling and having fun, and restaurants serve matzah instead of bread! I'm going to Ari's best friends in-laws for seder. Ari actually won't be there (he is attending a seder for lone soldiers with the head general of the IDF) and these in-laws apparently speak no English. Should be interesting!

Back in Israel!!

I left Israel last July, absolutely devastated and sure that I would not be returning to Israel for quite some time...years, possibly decades. So I truly cannot believe that I am continuing my Israel blog 8 months later. This time around I am venturing into a one year graduate program through NYU Poly. NYU Poly actually has an extension campus in Tel Aviv (who would have guessed?!), so I will be graduating next March with a Master's in Organizational Behavior. It's a fantastic opportunity for me to gain a competitive edge (hopefully!) by having an advanced degree from a prominent American university. I just happen to attend class in Israel! But I think the best thing about being back in Israel is all the amazing hummus I have been eating nonstop!!!!! Americans truly have no idea what real hummus should taste like!

I arrived ten days ago. It felt so surreal to be back, and at this point, it almost feels like I never even left and the past 7 months in El Paso (never mind those weeks in Europe!) were all a dream. I've already encountered rude Israelis and the things that annoyed me about Israel last time, but all I can do is sigh and say "yep...I'm back in Israel!" Last week was all about settling in and getting acquainted with the program and the group. It is a small program...only 12 people in my particular program, but there are 25 people in the same graduate program that started this past October. I am temporarily living in a studio apartment with a roommate, but will be moving to a nicer apartment complex in 2 weeks (hopefully with our own bedrooms). Yet I'm sure everyone will be jealous to hear that I live about 20 meters from the Mediterranean. No exaggeration. It is truly unbelievable. There is a famous boardwalk that runs along the beach in Tel Aviv (called the tayelet) that is amazing for running, walking, or people watching. The apartment I will be moving to in 2 weeks is further north, but still just as close to the beach. Prime real estate.

Tayelet (famous TA boardwalk)

It has already been quite warm here and perfect beach weather. However, because of the fact that it is early March, I am already dreading the summer and the horrendously hot and humid weather the summer months will surely bring!! Although I live in an amazing location near the beach and smack in the city center where everything is happening, I'm having a bit of a hard time adjusting to Tel Aviv. It's incredibly noisy...cars, honking, sirens,people, etc can be heard at all hours of the day and night from my apartment. I'm sure it will just take some getting used to, and before I know it I won't be able to sleep if it's too quiet! But everything one could possibly need is within walking distance. I am also missing Jerusalem quite a bit, but I've already been there twice in ten days, and planning on going again this weekend! Thank goodness Israel is such a small country. Ari lives in a small community outside Jerusalem, so it's nice to have a quiet place to escape to when need be.

My first day of classes were today. Our classes are held at the Israel College of Management, which is in the top floor of a mall (yes, a mall!). So that also takes some getting used to! It is only about 12 miles away, but the ridiculous bus takes an hour! Speaking of buses, I have already navigated my way by bus to and from quite a few new and strange places. Considering the Israeli bus system is the second largest in the world, (and so confusing and annoying) I'm awfully proud of myself.

Back to school...The year is divided into 4 semesters (each season) with 6 weeks off in the fall for the high holidays. I also get 2 weeks off for Pesach in a mere 3 weeks! Israel is great sometimes. :-) This semester I'm taking Information Technology (hmmm, should be interesting considering I know nothing about computer systems!), Career Management, Entrepreneurship, and Project Management (also..no idea!!). Our classes are all taught by Israelis, but they seem to all have almost perfect English, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'm also taking a statistics tutorial course that I basically just need to get through. And I will be taking ulpan (Hebrew courses) every week for the entire year. So maybe this time I'll actually learn Hebrew! Maybe this time I'll actually try!