July 15
Hello Everybody!
So, last weekend, in Israel...we explored Tel Aviv. It is a a busy city with something to do 24 hours a day. From my experience, the average weekend in Tel Aviv (for a tourist) goes something like this...This is actually 2 days crammed into one, but you get the idea) Wake up (obviously) and grab a something delicious to eat at a cafe at the corner. The food here is definitely a highlight. Walk around the streets. I was lucky enough to have a friend with an apartment on Dizengoff (I can spell it in Hebrew...English, not so much), which is a main street in the city. We walked around on the port, located just a block away from us. This was comparable to parts of Baltimore by the bay, with restaurants and shops right on the water.
A long walk in the opposite direction brought us to Shuk Ha'Carmel (Carmel Market), the largest Market in Tel Aviv. Here you could find anything you wanted, from clothing to good falafel to exquisite hand-made crafts. It was a very lively place to be, and fantastic to just look around. We went later in the afternoon when everyone had to close down and there was lots of bartering going on and such. It was really interesting to watch and try to understand exactly what was being said. It is definitely something you must go see if/when you are in Tel Aviv.
Walking around all day makes one very hot. Luckily, Tel Aviv is located on the Mediterranean Sea, which is located just 4 blocks from our apartment. The Mediterranean Sea is absolutely beautiful. With soft sand and fairly warm water it is probably now my favorite beach. It somewhat reminds of the beaches in LA in that surfers crowd the beach, and there are plenty of sports to play on the beach from paddleball to volleyball. The difference in Tel Aviv is so much nicer. The water is clean and has a nice green-ish blue color, and the surrounding city is so clean compared to LA. There are parts of the water that are relatively calm and families play in, and there are parts with the big waves that surfers hang out in. It is a beautiful beach, the perfect place to spend a hot afternoon.
After the beach and dinner the sun starts to come down, and like any big city, Tel Aviv's night life possesses endless options. My group headed out to a popular place for Israelis to hang out, Ha Mosad. It was a 'really happening' place, with several rooms to dance and several different kinds of music, and a roof top filled with big comfy sofas and big projection screens to play video games on. Eventually, we headed out to the beach for a night walk in the sand.
All in all, I must say a weekend in Tel Aviv is rather enjoyable. There is plenty to do and see, and it is impossible to be bored. I must say though, it was nice to get back to Arad which now kind of feels like home. Back in Arad on Sunday camp started back up again. Camp is still really fun, but it is a real challenge to teach the kids English because they really don't want to learn it out of school. It is a good challenge and I like it a lot, I just wish the camp was longer so I would have more time to figure out what works and what doesn't (and the kids I have are in fourth grade and are absolutely ADORABLE. I like them a lot).
After most days of camp, the program takes us out to do see more of Arad. We have been to a glass museum, which was far more interesting then I thought. I was expecting bottles and plates and such, but what I got was an array of optical illusions and beautiful art. We were lucky enough to have the artist come around the museum with us and get our interpretations of the art and then hear his.
We also went to the Earth Museum, which didn't focus on the science of the earth but man's spiritual connection with the Earth. Once again, I was expecting something totally different, but was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the trip. The museums were all great, but my favorite activity was by far meditation in the desert. We went to a building about 5 to 10 minutes outside of Arad so all you could see were the rolling desert mountains and the Dead Sea in the distance. The view was absolutely breathtaking. There we practiced Tibetan breathing exercises and some meditation. It was a very relaxing experience, and one that I could not see going so well anywhere else. That's all for now. Coming up next weekend we are going to the Dead Sea, Masada, and Ein Gedi.
Can't wait to tell you all about it.
Julie
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Julie France- Written June 25
June 25
Hi Everybody!
So it is only my 2nd day in Israel and I absolutely love it. A lot has happened the last two days, so I will keep this short and to the point.
The Culture
The culture is fabulous here. The people are very helpful and most of them speak English. I did run into someone on the plane who spoke only a few words of english, but we managed to have a conversation in broken Hebrew. Seeing that I was able to overcome the language barrier was exciting and a little (I mean VERY) surprising.
We have been able to go to out the last two nights, and I was even able to catch the Turkey-Germany game in a pub.
They are much more interested in soccer than Americans (what a surprise). All the tables were full and they projected the game onto a big screen. The energy there was amazing. It was something I haven't seen before in the States.
The other cultural highlight was Israeli folk dancing. Our make-shift mom/sister, Shani, took us to her class the first night we were in town. Now, I have Israeli danced before at camp and sunday school which was always a little lame, so I thought that, like in the States, it would be a little dull. I was absolutely wrong. There were all kinds of people there from older hassidic Jewish
women to secular children. Once again, the Israelis brought incredible spirit. Being able to interact with the local Israelis has brought out the spirit of Israel. It is truly something unparalleled to anything I have ever experienced.
The Sights
I have only seen a few sights so far, but they are vastly different and equally fascinating. I landed in Tel Aviv which totally contradicted the typical image of Israel. The little bit that I saw was busy and very modern.
As a car ride continued to Arad you could see the terrain changing. Very shortly after seeing these busy roads and modern buildings, all of the surrounding area was farmland. Even more quickly it became desert. Before I knew it, the traditional vision of Israel was surrounding me. We saw several camels along the road and the occasional mosque in towns along the way. Then we were in Arad.
Arad is much larger than I thought. It has several large buildings (the building I'm in, 'WJUS' is 7 stories high). Despite the size of the town it does not feel metropolitan.
This evening we went to a look out point on the outskirts of the town. It was absolutely incredible. I cannot put into words how incredible this country is after seeing this. All I could see for what seemed like forever was desert. I was so entranced by my surrondings I almost felt dizzy walking out too the lookout point because of the endless sandy mountians. This area could give the grand canyon a run for its money. In the distance our friend Shani pointed out the Jordanian border. Seeing this in person made me realize why anyone would fight so hard for this strip of desert. I will send pictures when I get them on the computer, but it will not do it justice.
Safety
Contrary to popular belief, not all of Israel is a war zone. In fact, I feel far safer here any time of day than I do in Wilmington at night. I understand you need to be very careful in certain places, but the Israelis are doing their part to keep people safe when they can. We went to the mall to pick up some basic items, and before we entered someone was there to check our bags. This apparently is not uncommon.
That is all for now. Tomorrow I leave for Jerusalem until Saturday night (we will stay late because the program keeps shabbat, so we cannot leave until there are three stars in the sky Saturday night). I will also be going to Massada, Ein Getty, and the Dead Sea. I cannot wait to tell you all about it.
Much Love,
Julie
Hi Everybody!
So it is only my 2nd day in Israel and I absolutely love it. A lot has happened the last two days, so I will keep this short and to the point.
The Culture
The culture is fabulous here. The people are very helpful and most of them speak English. I did run into someone on the plane who spoke only a few words of english, but we managed to have a conversation in broken Hebrew. Seeing that I was able to overcome the language barrier was exciting and a little (I mean VERY) surprising.
We have been able to go to out the last two nights, and I was even able to catch the Turkey-Germany game in a pub.
They are much more interested in soccer than Americans (what a surprise). All the tables were full and they projected the game onto a big screen. The energy there was amazing. It was something I haven't seen before in the States.
The other cultural highlight was Israeli folk dancing. Our make-shift mom/sister, Shani, took us to her class the first night we were in town. Now, I have Israeli danced before at camp and sunday school which was always a little lame, so I thought that, like in the States, it would be a little dull. I was absolutely wrong. There were all kinds of people there from older hassidic Jewish
women to secular children. Once again, the Israelis brought incredible spirit. Being able to interact with the local Israelis has brought out the spirit of Israel. It is truly something unparalleled to anything I have ever experienced.
The Sights
I have only seen a few sights so far, but they are vastly different and equally fascinating. I landed in Tel Aviv which totally contradicted the typical image of Israel. The little bit that I saw was busy and very modern.
As a car ride continued to Arad you could see the terrain changing. Very shortly after seeing these busy roads and modern buildings, all of the surrounding area was farmland. Even more quickly it became desert. Before I knew it, the traditional vision of Israel was surrounding me. We saw several camels along the road and the occasional mosque in towns along the way. Then we were in Arad.
Arad is much larger than I thought. It has several large buildings (the building I'm in, 'WJUS' is 7 stories high). Despite the size of the town it does not feel metropolitan.
This evening we went to a look out point on the outskirts of the town. It was absolutely incredible. I cannot put into words how incredible this country is after seeing this. All I could see for what seemed like forever was desert. I was so entranced by my surrondings I almost felt dizzy walking out too the lookout point because of the endless sandy mountians. This area could give the grand canyon a run for its money. In the distance our friend Shani pointed out the Jordanian border. Seeing this in person made me realize why anyone would fight so hard for this strip of desert. I will send pictures when I get them on the computer, but it will not do it justice.
Safety
Contrary to popular belief, not all of Israel is a war zone. In fact, I feel far safer here any time of day than I do in Wilmington at night. I understand you need to be very careful in certain places, but the Israelis are doing their part to keep people safe when they can. We went to the mall to pick up some basic items, and before we entered someone was there to check our bags. This apparently is not uncommon.
That is all for now. Tomorrow I leave for Jerusalem until Saturday night (we will stay late because the program keeps shabbat, so we cannot leave until there are three stars in the sky Saturday night). I will also be going to Massada, Ein Getty, and the Dead Sea. I cannot wait to tell you all about it.
Much Love,
Julie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
