Exactly a month ago I landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and officially begin my adventure abroad. In the last month I have traveled throughout the majority of Southern Israel, seen my family a few times, finished almost two-thirds of Ulpan, and learned a lot about Beer Sheva, Israel, and myself. I've ridden countless buses (and still haven't gotten lost, knock on wood), spent numerous hours at the pool reading and doing homework, learned a lot of new words in Hebrew, and have met some amazing people.
Looking forward to the next four months, I know I will have many more adventures, and I'll keep trying to share them with you!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Beaches and Birthday Parties
I have a quiz tomorrow that I'd really like to postpone studying for, so here I am again, blogging! Two weeks ago the OSP went on another one of our Friday trips, this time to the Nitsanim sand dunes and beach. We got to the dunes at about 8:30 or 9ish and hiked a few kilometers over the sand dunes to the beach. The dunes were beautiful, but I don't think I have ever sweated so much in my life, and that includes after running Mt. SAC or El Morro in ridiculous heat. It was so insanely hot and being sand dunes, there was not much plant life and certainly no shade trees. But when we got to the beach it was super worth it, since all we did was relax, nap, play in the water, and nom on a whole lot of awesome food.
After the beach, the bus dropped me off in Lehavim where my uncle Amir picked me up and brought me to Carme Josef where we celebrated Ivri's first birthday (my cousin's son)! This little one was just so cute I could not handle it, and Amit was such good big sister it was adorable. It was great being able to see family and take a little break from OSP people, especially when it included this guy:
After the beach, the bus dropped me off in Lehavim where my uncle Amir picked me up and brought me to Carme Josef where we celebrated Ivri's first birthday (my cousin's son)! This little one was just so cute I could not handle it, and Amit was such good big sister it was adorable. It was great being able to see family and take a little break from OSP people, especially when it included this guy:
Friday, August 24, 2012
Exploring the Old
Another trip sponsored by OSP was a tour of the Old City of Beer Sheva before our second of many Pub Nights in the Old City/Downtown area. Of course the "old city" in Beer Sheva is nothing like the Old City of Jerusalem, but is still pretty awesome by it's own merit. The city is named after the wells of Abraham spread throughout the Negev area, and as Beer Sheva was the sight of the seventh well, it was named after it! (Be'er meaning well, and sheva meaning seven). Unfortunately the well is being restored right now and so we couldn't see it, but we still got to see the rest of Beer Sheva.
This pedestrian street is a section of the first street in Beer Sheva that has obviously been blocked off to cars and turned into an entirely pedestrian road. It is lined with shops, restaurants, cafes, and every Friday they have street fairs with art, clothing, crafts, homemade things, etc. Seems pretty similar to First Fridays on Sante Fe, or any other Sawdust Festival type place, and I can't wait to go as soon as weekend trips with OSP are done.
On the tour, we also saw buildings from the Ottoman Period that were repossessed during the British Mandate, and still used as part of the Israeli community. The first building we saw was a police station during the British Mandate, and shocker, it's still being used as a police station! We also saw a statue of Allenby that was originally supposed to be in the middle of a beautiful garden, until people realized that you can't grow and maintain a beautiful garden in the middle of the desert. But perhaps the most interesting spot on the tour was the one building in the Old City of Beer Sheva that was not aligned with the rest of the buildings. It was a mosque, and therefore had to be built facing Mecca. However, during the beginnings of the state of Israel, many of the Jews in Beer Sheva feared retaliation from the Arab community that they essentially kicked out of the city during the War of Independence (1948), and so the Muslim community was forbidden from worshipping in the Mosque. Currently the mosque is a museum, but also serves as an interesting piece of history surrounding the Israeli-Arab conflict.
Now that our tour was basically over (yep, the Old City is pretty small) we went to a Tapas Bar before heading back to the dorms and watching a meteor shower. We couldn't see the stars too well but we got to see one or two really big, beautiful meteors going clear across the sky.
This pedestrian street is a section of the first street in Beer Sheva that has obviously been blocked off to cars and turned into an entirely pedestrian road. It is lined with shops, restaurants, cafes, and every Friday they have street fairs with art, clothing, crafts, homemade things, etc. Seems pretty similar to First Fridays on Sante Fe, or any other Sawdust Festival type place, and I can't wait to go as soon as weekend trips with OSP are done.
On the tour, we also saw buildings from the Ottoman Period that were repossessed during the British Mandate, and still used as part of the Israeli community. The first building we saw was a police station during the British Mandate, and shocker, it's still being used as a police station! We also saw a statue of Allenby that was originally supposed to be in the middle of a beautiful garden, until people realized that you can't grow and maintain a beautiful garden in the middle of the desert. But perhaps the most interesting spot on the tour was the one building in the Old City of Beer Sheva that was not aligned with the rest of the buildings. It was a mosque, and therefore had to be built facing Mecca. However, during the beginnings of the state of Israel, many of the Jews in Beer Sheva feared retaliation from the Arab community that they essentially kicked out of the city during the War of Independence (1948), and so the Muslim community was forbidden from worshipping in the Mosque. Currently the mosque is a museum, but also serves as an interesting piece of history surrounding the Israeli-Arab conflict.
The final spot on our tour was a place I had already seen before, the cemetery for British and Australian soldiers who died in Israel in World War I. The cemetery was pretty well maintained, and definitely beautiful, especially because we were there right as the sun was setting behind it, making for some great photos.
Now that our tour was basically over (yep, the Old City is pretty small) we went to a Tapas Bar before heading back to the dorms and watching a meteor shower. We couldn't see the stars too well but we got to see one or two really big, beautiful meteors going clear across the sky.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Sand, Sunsets, and Shabbat
As part of the OSP (Overseas Student Program) here at Ben Gurion University, there have been a few planned trips so that we could get to know Israel. The first of several was an afternoon trip to Machtesh Ramon (more commonly known as the Mitzpe Ramon Crater). While it is known as a crater, Machtesh Ramon was created by a fold in the rocks and the eventual run off of the sandstone underneath the top layer.
View from the outer rim
Our hike went through the center of Machtesh Ramon, and while it was still pretty hot late in the afternoon, it was absolutely beautiful. We sat in the sand and contemplated the reasons why in Hebrew, the word for desert (midbar) is derived from the root medeber, which means to speak. The hike was timed such that as we were finishing, we were able to see the sun set over the desert ahead of us. It was a gorgeous view and even though the hike ended on an uphill, it was totally worth it.
After the hike, we returned to a campground where a bonfire and delicious meal of poike was waiting to be prepared for us. To pass the time, Abby and I decided to run down and up the adjoining ridge to get more pictures of the sunset before it ended completely. And when I say run, it was more like sprinting with the threat of a few broken ankles on the mostly loose rocks. But it was worth it and it was a great view over the whole surrounding area. All in all, a pretty great day even though it meant not getting back til well after midnight.
The next day ended up being pretty relaxed as we had gotten back so late the night before and since it was Friday, everything closed around 4:00 in the afternoon. Also through the OSP office, Abby, Melanie, and I got paired up with a student who lives near the university who was opening up his apartment for Friday night Shabbat dinner. The three of us joined Chen and a few of his friends for dinner that started out a little awkward, but ended up lasting long into the night as we hung out, talked, and completely lost track of time. Saturday was much of the same as just about EVERYTHING is closed on Shabbat. Luckily the pool was open, and since Chen lifeguards there, Abby, Melanie, Sam and I went to the pool to see Chen and his friends again as well as relax and do our homework in the sun. Seeing as it's the only thing open on Shabbat, I think Saturday pool days are going to become a common occurrence unless I'm actually travelling on Saturdays. 'Til next time world!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Iron Chef Israel: Episode 1
So since I'm in Israel for about 5 months (only 4 and a half more now, I guess) and I don't have any sort of meal plan here, I have decided that I'm going to learn how to cook. So far, I've only really cooked twice but both times they have been pretty successful.
After an afternoon wandering around the Beer Sheva Shuk (market) buying fresh fruits, vegetables, and nice soft pita, me, Abby, Shelley, and Sam decided to have a "family dinner" of sorts and make our first truly Israeli meal: shakshouka. Shakshouka is made with bell peppers (red and/or green), tomatoes, onions, and garlic all sauteed together, with an egg cracked and fried over the top. Just to make it a little more interesting, we decided to add eggplant as well. Usually I'm not a big fan of eggplant, but in the shakshouka it was actually really good.
After an afternoon wandering around the Beer Sheva Shuk (market) buying fresh fruits, vegetables, and nice soft pita, me, Abby, Shelley, and Sam decided to have a "family dinner" of sorts and make our first truly Israeli meal: shakshouka. Shakshouka is made with bell peppers (red and/or green), tomatoes, onions, and garlic all sauteed together, with an egg cracked and fried over the top. Just to make it a little more interesting, we decided to add eggplant as well. Usually I'm not a big fan of eggplant, but in the shakshouka it was actually really good.
In the process of cooking
The Finished product!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
One Man's Trash...Another Child's Playground
Over the past weekend, the students of the Overseas Student Program went on an orientation trip to Eilat and Kibbutz Lotan. Eilat is the southern most tip of Israel, and while it is typically extremely hot, the beach is fantastic. Across the water we could see Jordan, and for most of the time we hung out on the mid-water dock soaking up the sun, looking at fish through the clear blue water, simply relaxing after a stressful day of travel (for most people).
We didn't stay on the beach long before heading to Kibbutz Lotan, a completely collectivist Kibbutz in the Arava Valley (aka middle of nowhere desert). In Lotan they focus a lot on sustainability, ecotourism, and being very low waste and low impact on the environment (interested? check out their website! http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/). One of the first things we did once we got to Lotan (after splitting up into our different rooms) was go on a tour of the Kibbutz checking out the volunteer houses, the Eco Park, and even making our own mud bricks at the end of the tour. Throughout this tour we learned all that Lotan is doing to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The volunteer houses were all made by the volunteers from a dome-shaped metal structure, surrounded by hay bales, and covered with a thick layer of mud. All of the houses are personalized based on the people that live there, and while they are equipped with air conditioning, they are extremely low impact and energy efficient. The coolest area of the Kibbutz by far was the Eco Park.
Everything in the Eco Park was made with recycled or organic materials, aka old rubber tires, filled with glass bottles and aluminum cans, and then covered with a layer of mud. The park was filled with kids play things like a dragon, alligator, a car, all kinds of different things for kids to play on (anyone from Irvine, think the frogs at Woodbridge Village Center). Everything was painted and it seemed like an awesome place to grow up and play on as a kid. If we didn't have to finish the tour, I probably would've played on it right then and there. Another fun part of the Eco Park (the part that I'm pretty sure was our tour guides favorite thing ever) was the fact that the bathrooms in the eco park were not connected to any sewage system but rather connected to large trashcans that stored the waste and after a year of sitting in the trash cans, were essentially converted into human fertilizer that went back into the soil of their gardens. Altogether a pretty cool system, almost completely ridding the area of waste (quite literally).
After the tour the group basically just hung out, playing little get to know you games, and participating in the Kibbutz's Shabbat services. The next morning Abby (one of my new friends who coincidentally is from Denver), a couple other people from the group, and I got up super early to meet for a morning nature hike. The hike was fairly interesting, as we wandered around the 3 different types of desert (sandy, rocky, and salty) around the Kibbutz and saw a bunch of animal tracks fresh in the sand dunes. Since it started so early, it wasn't too hot which was good cause there's not too much shade out in the desert... After 2 and a half hours, and a kilometer and a half of distance covered, the hike was over and we were able to get on with our day, which included a discussion based on the week's Torah portion and various commentaries on the section, a great 2 hour nap, closing Shabbat services, watching the sunset, stargazing, and watching the (almost) full moon rise over the mountains. All in all, a pretty great day and it ended back in the dorms with our ulpan starting the next day.
We didn't stay on the beach long before heading to Kibbutz Lotan, a completely collectivist Kibbutz in the Arava Valley (aka middle of nowhere desert). In Lotan they focus a lot on sustainability, ecotourism, and being very low waste and low impact on the environment (interested? check out their website! http://www.kibbutzlotan.com/). One of the first things we did once we got to Lotan (after splitting up into our different rooms) was go on a tour of the Kibbutz checking out the volunteer houses, the Eco Park, and even making our own mud bricks at the end of the tour. Throughout this tour we learned all that Lotan is doing to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The volunteer houses were all made by the volunteers from a dome-shaped metal structure, surrounded by hay bales, and covered with a thick layer of mud. All of the houses are personalized based on the people that live there, and while they are equipped with air conditioning, they are extremely low impact and energy efficient. The coolest area of the Kibbutz by far was the Eco Park.
Everything in the Eco Park was made with recycled or organic materials, aka old rubber tires, filled with glass bottles and aluminum cans, and then covered with a layer of mud. The park was filled with kids play things like a dragon, alligator, a car, all kinds of different things for kids to play on (anyone from Irvine, think the frogs at Woodbridge Village Center). Everything was painted and it seemed like an awesome place to grow up and play on as a kid. If we didn't have to finish the tour, I probably would've played on it right then and there. Another fun part of the Eco Park (the part that I'm pretty sure was our tour guides favorite thing ever) was the fact that the bathrooms in the eco park were not connected to any sewage system but rather connected to large trashcans that stored the waste and after a year of sitting in the trash cans, were essentially converted into human fertilizer that went back into the soil of their gardens. Altogether a pretty cool system, almost completely ridding the area of waste (quite literally).
After the tour the group basically just hung out, playing little get to know you games, and participating in the Kibbutz's Shabbat services. The next morning Abby (one of my new friends who coincidentally is from Denver), a couple other people from the group, and I got up super early to meet for a morning nature hike. The hike was fairly interesting, as we wandered around the 3 different types of desert (sandy, rocky, and salty) around the Kibbutz and saw a bunch of animal tracks fresh in the sand dunes. Since it started so early, it wasn't too hot which was good cause there's not too much shade out in the desert... After 2 and a half hours, and a kilometer and a half of distance covered, the hike was over and we were able to get on with our day, which included a discussion based on the week's Torah portion and various commentaries on the section, a great 2 hour nap, closing Shabbat services, watching the sunset, stargazing, and watching the (almost) full moon rise over the mountains. All in all, a pretty great day and it ended back in the dorms with our ulpan starting the next day.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Welcome to Israel! Here's the nearest bomb shelter.
So even though I've been in Israel for almost a week now, I arrived at "Meonot Gimel" (The Gimel Dorms) at Ben Gurion University of the Negev last Thursday and almost the first thing they said to us on the tour of the dorms was an explanation of the signs directing you to the nearest bomb shelter. There are many shelters all around the building, so if any of you are worried about me, don't be if there should be a bomb threat, I'll be totally safe. The dorms here are pretty decent, definitely tiny compared to my cushy RA room in Nelson, but I could definitely survive here for 5 months. I currently have one Israeli suite mate (that I know of) who is a materials engineer and leaving for home soon because final exams are almost over. I hardly see her, however, so it's possible that she's already gone and I just didn't know it!
Also on Thursday I met the other people in the OSP (OverSeas Program) and they seem to be awesome. We already get along super well, and getting to know them over this pass weekend has been fantastic (separate blog post about our orientation trip to Eilat/Kibbutz Lotan to come). I think I'm going to be really good friends with these people and we're going to have a great Ulpan/Semester together. Just a quick explanation of what my semester will be like:
For the first 6 weeks (starting today) I'll be in Ulpan, intensive Hebrew lessons. Today we were split up into our classes based on level and I was put in Level Dalet, or the highest, advanced level. I'm a little nervous, but I think once I start speaking Hebrew again every day I'll feel more comfortable. We aren't starting real classes until Tuesday, but I'm super excited. During these few weeks, we'll have pub nights and movie nights to get to know both the city and each other, as well as weekend trips to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea to begin to get to know the country as a whole. It should be a pretty great 6 weeks.
After the 6 weeks are over, my semester will start. I'm still finalizing my class schedule for sure, but I'll be taking classes on Israeli history, culture, and politics from all different perspectives. It will be a great semester, I can't wait to start!
Also on Thursday I met the other people in the OSP (OverSeas Program) and they seem to be awesome. We already get along super well, and getting to know them over this pass weekend has been fantastic (separate blog post about our orientation trip to Eilat/Kibbutz Lotan to come). I think I'm going to be really good friends with these people and we're going to have a great Ulpan/Semester together. Just a quick explanation of what my semester will be like:
For the first 6 weeks (starting today) I'll be in Ulpan, intensive Hebrew lessons. Today we were split up into our classes based on level and I was put in Level Dalet, or the highest, advanced level. I'm a little nervous, but I think once I start speaking Hebrew again every day I'll feel more comfortable. We aren't starting real classes until Tuesday, but I'm super excited. During these few weeks, we'll have pub nights and movie nights to get to know both the city and each other, as well as weekend trips to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea to begin to get to know the country as a whole. It should be a pretty great 6 weeks.
After the 6 weeks are over, my semester will start. I'm still finalizing my class schedule for sure, but I'll be taking classes on Israeli history, culture, and politics from all different perspectives. It will be a great semester, I can't wait to start!
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