This week has really put the holidays into a new perspective. It started out with another group Shabbat dinner Friday night. We made chicken schnitzle this time, and as usual, the food was a big hit. We capped off the night by all sitting around singing, Jaks and Sarah on guitar, and starting a jigsaw puzzle. Let me explain this puzzle; put it in perspective. 500 pieces, all black and white (what was Harold thinking), of an Eiffel Tower scene. Let's just say we worked for 5 hours Friday night, until my back was sore and our eyes hurt to much to keep going. We were about 2/3 done... Never thought I would get sore from puzzle doing, but this was the olympic trials...
Saturday was another wonderful beach day, after sleeping till about 1:00, our first sheirut trip, and then my first real theatre adventure in Tel Aviv. Tomer got Jaks and I tickets to 'Thrill My Heart" at Cameri theatre, one of the biggest commercial theatres in the city. The Opera House, where Jaks interns is in the same complex, but we still found ourselves arriving not quite sure what to do. Tomer had called me earlier saying we had tickets on reserve, but they were in the balcony which wasn't good enough, so we were to ask for Ron when we arrived. We asked around until someone knew Ron, and explained ourselves several times until Ron knew what we were asking, and the kind usher helped us find better seats. We were still on the balcony but front and center, so it was all good. The show was in Hebrew, but one of the special nights with English projected subtitles. Cool, but I definitely think some of the jokes were lost in translation. Timing was also not quite right the whole time, so sometimes people would burst into laughter and we had already read the punchline, so we missed the laugh. It was still a great experience though, and I'll definitely go back.
After the show we headed to meet some of the boys at this bar called Mike's Place on the beach. As it sounds, Mike's place is quite American, and literally next to the embassy. I changed into my Red Sox shirt upon arrival, to match Matt my fellow Bostonian, and we all watched the Red Sox/Yankees game. We were definitely more into the game than anyone else there, but it was fun to feel like we were back home for a few hours. There we met a British and an Australian tourist who mentioned they were heading to Jerusalem the next day. Neither were Jewish, so we warned them about touring around on Yom Kippur. We explained how absolutely nothing would be open and no busses or cars would be going, but told them it would also be a very unique experience. I wish I could check in with them to see how it was. As prepared as we were though, experiencing Yom Kippur in Israel was a very unique experience.
We got together with some of the others in the Herzl apartments for burrito night, early, on erev Yom Kippur. A food we had all been missing and craving, and I have never been so excited to have real cheddar cheese. We finished the puzzle that night, another 3-4 hour endeavor that culminated in 3 pieces left with 4 spots, but Harold quickly found the last one under the couch using the headlamp, which we all placed in together as we belted "We Are the Champions." Epic. We then headed out in to the streets to see what all the fuss was about. As we had been told, there was not a store open and not a car in sight. We went for a walk, down the middle of the street of course, along with half the city. Many people, especially kids, rode their bikes around the empty streets. We went for a long walk, Chelsea and I found ourselves doing pirouettes in the middle of the busiest intersection in our neighborhood, Yaffo and Ha'Aliyah. At one point, we all laid down with our heads in a circle, just staring up and watching the traffic lights change. This lasted a good 20 minutes. Some man on a bicycle rode several circles around us too, quite strange. We decided he either put a curse on us, or sealed us in the book of life. One of the two. We played some cheesy games in the road, just cause we could, including human knot and some trust circles. I have never enjoyed being a dork quite as much as I did that night. When we started getting hungry, and completed our victory celebration, we went to bed, preparing for a unique and special Yom Kippur.
Since none of us were going to shul the next day, since most people around here weren't, we aimed to sleep in as late as we possibly could. I woke up around noon, but stayed in bed for another few hours watching tv on my computer and reading. By 3:00, I decided it was time to start my day so I got up and showered and prepped for break fast. It made for a very different kind of fast. I was hungry of course, but really able to just think about it and think about myself, making the holiday more personal and special than it has been in the past. We left the apartment a little before sundown to walk the streets a little more, taking advantage of the empty quiet, and decided to find some synagogues in the area. We listened outside of one for a while, before moving on to find another. This one had the door open, and there were quite a lot of people gathered outside. Jaks and I decided to stick around and wait for the Shofar, which was another 20-30 minutes, but worth it. When we heard the shofar, everyone gathered around the door and stood in the street. Since it was just past sundown, cars were starting up, and a car turned to pull down the street where we were all standing. No one even looked up, and no one moved. The car was given no choice, and eventually backed up and out of the way. Powerful. When the shofar was done, we made our way to the new apartments for break fast, running into Jacob and Spencer (the 2 from our group who did go to shul) outside of services. They kindly grabbed up dates and cookies from inside, the best juciest date I have ever had in my life mind you, and we broke the fast. At the new apartments they had a buffet set up in one apartment and a long table in the other. Lox and bagels, kugul, fruits, cake, burekas, eggs; an endless spread of Jew food. All the traditional break fast items I could have hoped for. We all ate our little hearts out, had another wonderful sing along, this time with almost the whole group and a great collection of classics, and reflected on our new found appreciation for Yom Kippur. Not a happy holiday, but a time to truly reflect. This year has given me a whole new perspective, and will definitely change the way I view the day. So far I am enjoying this spiritual yet secular take Tel Aviv has on the holidays. In fact, I am enjoying everything about Tel Aviv. I can't believe we've already been here a month! Wow. Time certainly flies, but I am loving every minute. Hope everyone else had a meaningful fast as well! Back to work tomorrow after a nice long weekend. Talk later!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Work Week, and a Wedding!
I'm just going to start out by saying that I am proud of myself for writing this much. When I left I wasn't sure I would, but I'm really enjoying telling all my stories, and I hope you enjoy reading them.
So this has been another awesome week here. We had more sushi (right down the street!), more gelato, watched some House, and even had a mixer with some students from Tel Aviv University. Some of them came out with us after the event, and showed us some new places around town. Very cool. In addition to a great week of social events, I've had an awesome week of work as well.
For those of you who don't know what I do at my internship, let me explain. I'm working for the Association of Independent Theatre Creators in Israel, specifically heading up the International department. My job is to research and get in contact with theatre/dance/puppetry festivals as well as Jewish theatres all over the world, and spread the word about Israeli theatre. We represent a lot of the fringe and independent theatre creators all over Israel, so lot so different types and genres. I spent most of my time so far researching and making lists of festivals. Half of the time, researching one festival would lead me to a new list of festivals to browse, leading me to new ones, and I found myself making lists from a never ending supply of lists. Then the best part, I found a list, in the same format as mine, with almost 400 puppet festivals on it. Most of it was in Czech, and a lot of information was missing, but it gave me a nice head start. I called it my "czech list". Once I had made a big dent in the festival seeking, I started getting in contact with them, and later sending out dvds and postcards and info sheets about our shows. Office work, but certainly tolerable.
This week, though, I scheduled a meeting with one of the artists, Michal, to talk about her show and how to market it to festivals, what she was looking for, etc. It turned out I led the whole meeting by myself, Tomer was there for about 15 minutes of our hour and a half together. It really feels good to know he has enough trust in me to get things done by myself. I knew it was gonna be a good day when she walked in with a Wizard of Oz themed purse. I complimented her on it, and she asked if I like the movie. When I excitedly said yes, she showed me her ruby slipper necklace. I responded by showing her the ruby slipper bracelet I was wearing. It was perfect. We chatted a bit, and had a very successful meeting. It was a good day!
That same day, I found out about a great project we are working on involving The Laramie Project, a play I know and love. Laramie Project tells the stories of residents of Laramie, Wyoming surrounding the events following Matthew Shepard's death in a documentary style play. Now, 10 years later, members of the Tectonic Theatre Project have gone back to the town to get back in contact with those people, and reinterview them about how the town has changed now in the aftermath. These interviews have been made in to a new play, the Epilogue, and the piece is being performed in almost 150 theatres all over the world on the same day, October 12th, the 11th anniversary of the murder. We are acting as the producing organization for the Israeli cast. I am really glad to be a part of such a powerful project, and can't wait to find out more about it. The Lincoln Center performance and event in NY will be streamed live on the internet as well, so we can all be a part of this moment together. I'll post information here closer to then for those interested in watching.
Other big event of the week, following the W theme, a Wedding!! Yehudith invited me to join her and the rest of the family to a wedding this morning. Einat picked me up in Tel Aviv, and we made a quick stop at the hospital where she works on the way. We went to visit a 4 year old boy who had major heart surgery that she oversaw on eve of Rosh Hashanah. He seemed a little down in spirit, but was recovering and they were optimistic he would overcome the complications. The children's hospital, and the ward we went to, was full of tiny tiny babies, all hooked up to lots of equipment and tubing. Sad, but many of them were active and smiling. After a quick tour of the cardio ward, we went to pick of Tsahi. He broke down my relationship to the groom on the car ride there. Once I remember, I'll write about it...
Anyways, the wedding was a wonderful experience. We arrived to appetizers outside. I was surprised to see many people in jeans, but I guess I have to get used to the casual style here. The chuppa was gorgeous, white and soft, blowing in the breeze, with a small lake in the background. I am not sure I followed the entire ceremony, but I can comment it was incredibly quick. Parents of the bride and groom walked down the aisle, then the bride and groom, said some blessings, read the ketubbah, kissed, broke a glass, the end. All to an awesome Beatles soundtrack. How nice! The we went inside to a beautiful building for the reception. They had sushi, as any good wedding should, and an awesome buffet. I met a ton of new cousins, of all generations, including my 4th cousin Johnathan who got out of the army... wait for it... yesterday! I also met a distant cousin who went to school in the States at Brandeis, and said he took a screenwriting class at Emerson! How weird! It was great to get to fill in more of the family tree, which was again a HUGE hit. Thanks Pappa! And just nice to see people. Feels good to know there is family close by.
On that note, I'm going to go finish up dinner for Shabbat with the gang, and head out. Shabbat Shalom and happy fasting until we meet again!
So this has been another awesome week here. We had more sushi (right down the street!), more gelato, watched some House, and even had a mixer with some students from Tel Aviv University. Some of them came out with us after the event, and showed us some new places around town. Very cool. In addition to a great week of social events, I've had an awesome week of work as well.
For those of you who don't know what I do at my internship, let me explain. I'm working for the Association of Independent Theatre Creators in Israel, specifically heading up the International department. My job is to research and get in contact with theatre/dance/puppetry festivals as well as Jewish theatres all over the world, and spread the word about Israeli theatre. We represent a lot of the fringe and independent theatre creators all over Israel, so lot so different types and genres. I spent most of my time so far researching and making lists of festivals. Half of the time, researching one festival would lead me to a new list of festivals to browse, leading me to new ones, and I found myself making lists from a never ending supply of lists. Then the best part, I found a list, in the same format as mine, with almost 400 puppet festivals on it. Most of it was in Czech, and a lot of information was missing, but it gave me a nice head start. I called it my "czech list". Once I had made a big dent in the festival seeking, I started getting in contact with them, and later sending out dvds and postcards and info sheets about our shows. Office work, but certainly tolerable.
This week, though, I scheduled a meeting with one of the artists, Michal, to talk about her show and how to market it to festivals, what she was looking for, etc. It turned out I led the whole meeting by myself, Tomer was there for about 15 minutes of our hour and a half together. It really feels good to know he has enough trust in me to get things done by myself. I knew it was gonna be a good day when she walked in with a Wizard of Oz themed purse. I complimented her on it, and she asked if I like the movie. When I excitedly said yes, she showed me her ruby slipper necklace. I responded by showing her the ruby slipper bracelet I was wearing. It was perfect. We chatted a bit, and had a very successful meeting. It was a good day!
That same day, I found out about a great project we are working on involving The Laramie Project, a play I know and love. Laramie Project tells the stories of residents of Laramie, Wyoming surrounding the events following Matthew Shepard's death in a documentary style play. Now, 10 years later, members of the Tectonic Theatre Project have gone back to the town to get back in contact with those people, and reinterview them about how the town has changed now in the aftermath. These interviews have been made in to a new play, the Epilogue, and the piece is being performed in almost 150 theatres all over the world on the same day, October 12th, the 11th anniversary of the murder. We are acting as the producing organization for the Israeli cast. I am really glad to be a part of such a powerful project, and can't wait to find out more about it. The Lincoln Center performance and event in NY will be streamed live on the internet as well, so we can all be a part of this moment together. I'll post information here closer to then for those interested in watching.
Other big event of the week, following the W theme, a Wedding!! Yehudith invited me to join her and the rest of the family to a wedding this morning. Einat picked me up in Tel Aviv, and we made a quick stop at the hospital where she works on the way. We went to visit a 4 year old boy who had major heart surgery that she oversaw on eve of Rosh Hashanah. He seemed a little down in spirit, but was recovering and they were optimistic he would overcome the complications. The children's hospital, and the ward we went to, was full of tiny tiny babies, all hooked up to lots of equipment and tubing. Sad, but many of them were active and smiling. After a quick tour of the cardio ward, we went to pick of Tsahi. He broke down my relationship to the groom on the car ride there. Once I remember, I'll write about it...
Anyways, the wedding was a wonderful experience. We arrived to appetizers outside. I was surprised to see many people in jeans, but I guess I have to get used to the casual style here. The chuppa was gorgeous, white and soft, blowing in the breeze, with a small lake in the background. I am not sure I followed the entire ceremony, but I can comment it was incredibly quick. Parents of the bride and groom walked down the aisle, then the bride and groom, said some blessings, read the ketubbah, kissed, broke a glass, the end. All to an awesome Beatles soundtrack. How nice! The we went inside to a beautiful building for the reception. They had sushi, as any good wedding should, and an awesome buffet. I met a ton of new cousins, of all generations, including my 4th cousin Johnathan who got out of the army... wait for it... yesterday! I also met a distant cousin who went to school in the States at Brandeis, and said he took a screenwriting class at Emerson! How weird! It was great to get to fill in more of the family tree, which was again a HUGE hit. Thanks Pappa! And just nice to see people. Feels good to know there is family close by.
On that note, I'm going to go finish up dinner for Shabbat with the gang, and head out. Shabbat Shalom and happy fasting until we meet again!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
This One Time... On the Gaza Strip...
Yes. Today was the Siyur we've all been thinking about. I am home safe and sound, but it has been a very interesting, enlightening, and emotional day. I'll start from the beginning.
We left our apartments at 9 this morning, picked up Sheldon, our guide, as well as our good friend the medic and his gun, and headed to Sderot. I was familiar with the name of the town, because it is the known target of Qassam rockets, and not very far from Gaza, but never thought I would find myself there. In fact, the city is about a mile away from the border, meaning you have maximum of 15 seconds from the moment the Tzeva Adom or Color Red alarm sounds to run to a bomb shelter. The air had been clear for about a month, until this past Sunday when two rockets were launched and the alert sounded. This left us Americans a little nervous to enter the zone, but we trusted our guides and prayed for clear skies. The first thing they did when we got off the bus in Sderot was point out the nearest shelter and explained what to do should the Tzeva Adom alert sound. There were small bomb shelters at every bus stop, and in all of the schools and city buildings, including the building where we began our tour. The conference table we sat at was the location where police, fire men, government officials, etc meet up during days of heavy fire, to discuss options and make plans. Around the very same table, we met with a representative from the Sderot Media Center (Jacob, who recently made Aliyah from Maryland) who explained to us the feeling of being in constant fear of attack, daily life in Sderot. He showed us several videos of children running for the shelter and people of the town dealing with the missile threat. Some of them you may be able to see on their website, http://sderotmedia.org.il/ It was a very eye opening experience. Many children experience post traumatic stress disorder at a very young age, and the town exists in a constant psychological state of terror. The trauma hospitals are losing funding quickly. One thing he shared with us that I really connected to was the use of theatre as therapy. A group of high school girls have formed a troupe, and created a theatre piece telling their story and sharing their feelings. The play is called Youth of the Qassam Way. I picked up a few articles about it, and will definitely read up on the project. If I can get the guts to head back to Sderot, maybe I'll even go see a performance.
The next person to talk to us was a woman named Shula, whose house had been directly hit in one of the most recent attacks. She explained the us the situation her family was now in, and how the government compensated, but didn't come close to covering the expenses required to rebuild her house and her life. She spoke Hebrew and Jacob translated as she shared her story with us. At the end, they opened up for questions, and we of course asked why she didn't move. She explained very simply that this was where her family was, and that this was the town she knew and loved. Hard to imagine, but hearing it from a woman who lived and breathed this lifestyle is the closest I'll ever get to understanding for myself.
After that, we went to the police station to see the missile museum. Its basically a large shelving unit full, and I mean full of missiles, fragments, and remnants of the rockets that had landed there over the years. We were able to see them up close and personal, including the one that had destroyed the house of the woman we just met. Yikes. From there we walked through the streets a bit, all a little anxious I'll admit. Sheldon, our guide, told us it was the same street Obama had walked during his visit last year. We were able to see some houses with bomb shelters in their backyards, and some houses with roofs being fixed from previous attacks. He told us that every house on the street had taken a direct hit at least once over the past 8 years. We turned a corner to approach a school, and were surprised to find bomb shelters decorated and built to blend in with the playground equipment. A giant yellow caterpillar in the park, for play as well as for protection. Something so foreign to most of us, yet such an expected sight around Sderot.
We got back on the bus and rode to a field near Nir'am. We were told to get off the bus, and leave our cameras behind. We found ourselves looking over the border into Gaza, able to see the buildings of the city and surrounding towns. We could see the fence surrounding the region, and the power station in nearby Ashkelon that provided the power for both the Israeli city and for Gaza. If I didn't know any different, it may have looked like a city I would have wanted to visit, or even live in. Its just painful to think of how beautiful a region it could be for tourists and locals alike if only some sort of solution and peace could be reached. Sheldon then told us we couldn't take cameras due to possible snipers int he area, and we all scurried quickly back to the bus.
Next stop was Yad Mordechai, a kibbutz and museum not too far from there. The kibbutz was named for Mordechai Anilewicz, who led the uprising from the Warsaw Ghetto. This kibbutz and town was also the site of a major battle, and basically the last stop preventing the capture of Tel Aviv. A guide showed us around the museum, both commemorating Mordechai Anilewicz and the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and the history of the town and the battle there. Part of the museum included a mock up of a bunker like the one Mordechai would have lived and planned in, and a clip from the movie "Uprising". Outside the museum was a staging of the battle with metal soldiers in the field where the fights had taken place. Nearby was a giant statue of Mordechai Anilewicz. Also part of the kibbutz, a cemetery for those who fell in the War of Independence. Quite a touching experience.
We rode the bus home with a new frame of mind. Having experienced the fear of terror firsthand, seen the Gaza Strip for ourselves, and witnessed a major site in a war that helped make Israel what it now is, all the lectures Sheldon had given and all the history and current events we had learned had a new life to them. I can say I'll be paying better attention now that I have the personal connection. Overall, it was a tough day, and quite scary at times, but I learned a lot and I am very glad I went. I have now lived to tell the tale of a trip to both the West Bank and to the Gaza border, and in addition to a new sense of trust in Ricky and Sheldon, I have a new personal relationship with the conflict and with the state of Israel. I can't believe I've only been here 3 weeks, and already have crammed so much into my time. Your eyes are probably tired, so I'll stop here, but I'll check in again soon. Pictures from today and earlier trips/adventures are posted on my photo site at http://picasaweb.google.com/price.rebeccaa. Check them out, and feel free to comment here, there, or send me an e-mail. Can't wait to hear from you all! Love from the Holyland!
We left our apartments at 9 this morning, picked up Sheldon, our guide, as well as our good friend the medic and his gun, and headed to Sderot. I was familiar with the name of the town, because it is the known target of Qassam rockets, and not very far from Gaza, but never thought I would find myself there. In fact, the city is about a mile away from the border, meaning you have maximum of 15 seconds from the moment the Tzeva Adom or Color Red alarm sounds to run to a bomb shelter. The air had been clear for about a month, until this past Sunday when two rockets were launched and the alert sounded. This left us Americans a little nervous to enter the zone, but we trusted our guides and prayed for clear skies. The first thing they did when we got off the bus in Sderot was point out the nearest shelter and explained what to do should the Tzeva Adom alert sound. There were small bomb shelters at every bus stop, and in all of the schools and city buildings, including the building where we began our tour. The conference table we sat at was the location where police, fire men, government officials, etc meet up during days of heavy fire, to discuss options and make plans. Around the very same table, we met with a representative from the Sderot Media Center (Jacob, who recently made Aliyah from Maryland) who explained to us the feeling of being in constant fear of attack, daily life in Sderot. He showed us several videos of children running for the shelter and people of the town dealing with the missile threat. Some of them you may be able to see on their website, http://sderotmedia.org.il/ It was a very eye opening experience. Many children experience post traumatic stress disorder at a very young age, and the town exists in a constant psychological state of terror. The trauma hospitals are losing funding quickly. One thing he shared with us that I really connected to was the use of theatre as therapy. A group of high school girls have formed a troupe, and created a theatre piece telling their story and sharing their feelings. The play is called Youth of the Qassam Way. I picked up a few articles about it, and will definitely read up on the project. If I can get the guts to head back to Sderot, maybe I'll even go see a performance.
The next person to talk to us was a woman named Shula, whose house had been directly hit in one of the most recent attacks. She explained the us the situation her family was now in, and how the government compensated, but didn't come close to covering the expenses required to rebuild her house and her life. She spoke Hebrew and Jacob translated as she shared her story with us. At the end, they opened up for questions, and we of course asked why she didn't move. She explained very simply that this was where her family was, and that this was the town she knew and loved. Hard to imagine, but hearing it from a woman who lived and breathed this lifestyle is the closest I'll ever get to understanding for myself.
After that, we went to the police station to see the missile museum. Its basically a large shelving unit full, and I mean full of missiles, fragments, and remnants of the rockets that had landed there over the years. We were able to see them up close and personal, including the one that had destroyed the house of the woman we just met. Yikes. From there we walked through the streets a bit, all a little anxious I'll admit. Sheldon, our guide, told us it was the same street Obama had walked during his visit last year. We were able to see some houses with bomb shelters in their backyards, and some houses with roofs being fixed from previous attacks. He told us that every house on the street had taken a direct hit at least once over the past 8 years. We turned a corner to approach a school, and were surprised to find bomb shelters decorated and built to blend in with the playground equipment. A giant yellow caterpillar in the park, for play as well as for protection. Something so foreign to most of us, yet such an expected sight around Sderot.
We got back on the bus and rode to a field near Nir'am. We were told to get off the bus, and leave our cameras behind. We found ourselves looking over the border into Gaza, able to see the buildings of the city and surrounding towns. We could see the fence surrounding the region, and the power station in nearby Ashkelon that provided the power for both the Israeli city and for Gaza. If I didn't know any different, it may have looked like a city I would have wanted to visit, or even live in. Its just painful to think of how beautiful a region it could be for tourists and locals alike if only some sort of solution and peace could be reached. Sheldon then told us we couldn't take cameras due to possible snipers int he area, and we all scurried quickly back to the bus.
Next stop was Yad Mordechai, a kibbutz and museum not too far from there. The kibbutz was named for Mordechai Anilewicz, who led the uprising from the Warsaw Ghetto. This kibbutz and town was also the site of a major battle, and basically the last stop preventing the capture of Tel Aviv. A guide showed us around the museum, both commemorating Mordechai Anilewicz and the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and the history of the town and the battle there. Part of the museum included a mock up of a bunker like the one Mordechai would have lived and planned in, and a clip from the movie "Uprising". Outside the museum was a staging of the battle with metal soldiers in the field where the fights had taken place. Nearby was a giant statue of Mordechai Anilewicz. Also part of the kibbutz, a cemetery for those who fell in the War of Independence. Quite a touching experience.
We rode the bus home with a new frame of mind. Having experienced the fear of terror firsthand, seen the Gaza Strip for ourselves, and witnessed a major site in a war that helped make Israel what it now is, all the lectures Sheldon had given and all the history and current events we had learned had a new life to them. I can say I'll be paying better attention now that I have the personal connection. Overall, it was a tough day, and quite scary at times, but I learned a lot and I am very glad I went. I have now lived to tell the tale of a trip to both the West Bank and to the Gaza border, and in addition to a new sense of trust in Ricky and Sheldon, I have a new personal relationship with the conflict and with the state of Israel. I can't believe I've only been here 3 weeks, and already have crammed so much into my time. Your eyes are probably tired, so I'll stop here, but I'll check in again soon. Pictures from today and earlier trips/adventures are posted on my photo site at http://picasaweb.google.com/price.rebeccaa. Check them out, and feel free to comment here, there, or send me an e-mail. Can't wait to hear from you all! Love from the Holyland!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
1 Cousin, 2 Cousins, Old Cousins, New Cousins
Happy New Year!
I just got back from a wonderful weekend of Rosh Hashanah celebrations, eating, meeting family, eating again, and meeting more family. It was fantastic. I went to stay with Tsachi, Einat, and Yael in Hod Hasharon for the weekend, my 3rd cousins once removed and 4th cousin respectively. I know this because of the wonderful family tree Papa Sel made me before I left. There was a long letter outlining the family history of the Prusanski (Price) as well that we all enjoyed reading very much. I met several other members of the family as well at Rosh Hashanah dinner, including Yehudith, Ohad and Michael. Dinner was delicious, and the company was great. My favorite part was chatting with the little cousins. Their English was about as good as my Hebrew, so we had great conversations helping each other practice. One girl, Noa, was 13 and really had great English, and she insisted that she talked to me in English and I answer in Hebrew. It was fun and I learned something as well. I'll have to do this more often to supplement my Ulpan.
The weekend itself was quite nice as a whole as well. Merav, their 24 year old daughter is currently in California, so I stayed in her bedroom and had my own room, bathroom, and TV. It was my first TV since I got here so I hate to admit how much I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the opportunity to relax and have my own space, and even though I had just met them it was nice to be with family.
Tsachi also took me on a bike ride on Saturday. It was my first Rosh Hashanah not in shul, so I figure I would do something different and give it a go. I've done my share of biking, but this was certainly not a beginners trail. He gave me a few options, and I chose a path to Jerusalem. Granted, I thought I chose a path. Path in my words means paved and maybe uphill, but smooth pavement. This was not only uphill, but also gravel, rocks, and sand. It was a little rough, and my knees are certainly angry at me right now, but it was beautiful so worth it in the end. After several hours of the uphill and "flat" riding, we got to the outskirts of Jerusalem and decided to take a road back. We rode the whole way back downhill on the road, coasting and just letting the bike go. I have to say I enjoyed that more. Oh! How could I forget to mention the rain. I happened to be riding my bike through the first rain of the season in Israel. As soon as it started I could hear cheers. In the end, I was exhausted and sore and wet, but it was a great adventure.
I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing, reading, and working on my Hebrew as I attempted to understand the conversations going on around me. They would switch back and forth from English to Hebrew and sometimes stop to translate, usually when something was funny and everyone laughed but me, but I also enjoyed just picking out the words I knew and trying to piece things together. It was a nice challenge and helped my Hebrew skills for sure. Overall, it was a great weekend and I will definitely be back to spend more time with them. Nice to know I have a house to escape to if I ever need to get away.
Hope everyone had a great Rosh Hashanah. Shana Tova and have a happy, healthy, and exciting new year.
I just got back from a wonderful weekend of Rosh Hashanah celebrations, eating, meeting family, eating again, and meeting more family. It was fantastic. I went to stay with Tsachi, Einat, and Yael in Hod Hasharon for the weekend, my 3rd cousins once removed and 4th cousin respectively. I know this because of the wonderful family tree Papa Sel made me before I left. There was a long letter outlining the family history of the Prusanski (Price) as well that we all enjoyed reading very much. I met several other members of the family as well at Rosh Hashanah dinner, including Yehudith, Ohad and Michael. Dinner was delicious, and the company was great. My favorite part was chatting with the little cousins. Their English was about as good as my Hebrew, so we had great conversations helping each other practice. One girl, Noa, was 13 and really had great English, and she insisted that she talked to me in English and I answer in Hebrew. It was fun and I learned something as well. I'll have to do this more often to supplement my Ulpan.
The weekend itself was quite nice as a whole as well. Merav, their 24 year old daughter is currently in California, so I stayed in her bedroom and had my own room, bathroom, and TV. It was my first TV since I got here so I hate to admit how much I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the opportunity to relax and have my own space, and even though I had just met them it was nice to be with family.
Tsachi also took me on a bike ride on Saturday. It was my first Rosh Hashanah not in shul, so I figure I would do something different and give it a go. I've done my share of biking, but this was certainly not a beginners trail. He gave me a few options, and I chose a path to Jerusalem. Granted, I thought I chose a path. Path in my words means paved and maybe uphill, but smooth pavement. This was not only uphill, but also gravel, rocks, and sand. It was a little rough, and my knees are certainly angry at me right now, but it was beautiful so worth it in the end. After several hours of the uphill and "flat" riding, we got to the outskirts of Jerusalem and decided to take a road back. We rode the whole way back downhill on the road, coasting and just letting the bike go. I have to say I enjoyed that more. Oh! How could I forget to mention the rain. I happened to be riding my bike through the first rain of the season in Israel. As soon as it started I could hear cheers. In the end, I was exhausted and sore and wet, but it was a great adventure.
I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing, reading, and working on my Hebrew as I attempted to understand the conversations going on around me. They would switch back and forth from English to Hebrew and sometimes stop to translate, usually when something was funny and everyone laughed but me, but I also enjoyed just picking out the words I knew and trying to piece things together. It was a nice challenge and helped my Hebrew skills for sure. Overall, it was a great weekend and I will definitely be back to spend more time with them. Nice to know I have a house to escape to if I ever need to get away.
Hope everyone had a great Rosh Hashanah. Shana Tova and have a happy, healthy, and exciting new year.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Photos
My photo website is now up and running!
My Photos!
I'll try to post a link here whenever I add a new album.
Enjoy!
.
My Photos!
I'll try to post a link here whenever I add a new album.
Enjoy!
.
Art and Archetechture
I got the day off today, a loong weekend for the holiday, so the plan is as follows: sleep in (it is now 11:20, CHECK), blog (in progress, obviously), laundry, relax. Can't beat that. So here's what's been going on since I last wrote.
I finally met Jen! My long lost cousin as I've been describing her. Since we never met up when I arrived to the the flight delay incident, we made plans to meet up the other night. A bunch of people from WUJS were going to a beach party, and afterwards several of us went to meet up with her and osme of her Tel Aviv U friends to see one of their classmates play at a bar. It was called the English Pub and reminded me of a bar out of Boston. Everything was English, and it was mostly Americans there, so it was a nice blast back home for a few hours. A lot of hours actually. Her friend was really good and we stayed to see his whole set until around 3am. I told you, this city never sleeps. We ended up walking home, and going to bed around 5am. Those of you that know me have probably figured out this is not something I do often, but in TLV I couldn't resist and we lounged around and ate falafel in bed the next day recovering. It was quite an adventure. We definitely plan to have a Tel Aviv U/WUJS reunion one of these days.
One a more cultured note, there is a really cool art set up going on in the city right now. For the 100th birthday of Tel Aviv, there are art galleries spread all over town set up for the month of September called arTLV. For my friend's birthday we went out for lunch (had shakshuka again) and then wandered around to explore some of them. We didn't enter any of the buildings that required tickets, but we still managed to have a nice long day of free art. Some of the stuff was really interesting actually, junk art as I like to call it, pieces created out of wires and chunks of clay and old cans and random things. Really cool. One of the galleries had an old fashioned hair dryer chair and when you sat in it and put the shield down it talked to you... In Hebrew... I later learned that it was a meditation tape telling me to relax and breathe deeply. I picked up post cards and explanation packets along the way, and soon will make a collage to decorate my white walls. We had some ice aroma after a long day of walking through the city (Aroma is the starbucks of Israel, and ice aromas are these frappaccino like coffee/coconut/icee drinks that are simply amazing), and enjoyed our first Shabbat without the beach.
Have I successfully, culturally redeemed myself from my all night partying? If not, get this. I went on an architectural walking tour of Tel Aviv with the group for our Siyur this week. We learned about Bauhaus style, and saw some beautiful houses from important people, including the founders of Tel Aviv. Along the way we got a bit distracted from the guide by a smoking trash can, and us silly Americans, instead of running away thinking it could be dangerous, decided to stop and watch it smoke and smolder and eventually burst into flames. Someone around us called the fire department and several guys with fire extinguishers went to work on it. It appeared to be out by the time we pulled ourselves away and continued on our tour, just an exciting (and potentially dangerous) distraction along our way.
Another part of the arTLV exhibitions was a giant flower carpet set up in Rabin Square for the new year. My office is right near there so we stopped after our lunch break at work yesterday to see it. It was this beautiful spread of 500,000 flowers laid out in several tiles spanning across the square. I'll post pictures soon. I'm glad to be in the city during this important time, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Centennial, and to be able to be a part of all the celebrations along the way.
Other big news, we went out for SUSHI. If you know the Price family, you know about all of our sushi adventures, and apparently Tel Aviv is the third largest sushi market in the world (in per capita terms) behind only New York and Tokyo. I have to say it wasn't the best I've ever had, but we sure enjoyed sounding out "shrimpim tempura" and "fotomaki" in Hebrew on the menu. We followed our sushi dinner with a visit to Iceberg, a fabulous gelato place that Galit, my Hebrew teacher from this summer told me about. I had half lemon mint, half passion fruit. Holy cow amazing. I will certainly be back. They have a lot of obscure flavors too, like halava, and red fruit with taragon, so it'll be a while before I've sampled them all and can give a true recommendation.
Well, that's all for now. I should start my day. Heading out for the holiday tomorrow morning, but I'll update you all when I get back on Monday. L'Shana Tova and a happy, sweet, New Year to everyone in Israel and Abroad. Have a good Rosh Hashanah and eat some yummy food for me. I'll be sure to do the same.
Talk to you next year!
I finally met Jen! My long lost cousin as I've been describing her. Since we never met up when I arrived to the the flight delay incident, we made plans to meet up the other night. A bunch of people from WUJS were going to a beach party, and afterwards several of us went to meet up with her and osme of her Tel Aviv U friends to see one of their classmates play at a bar. It was called the English Pub and reminded me of a bar out of Boston. Everything was English, and it was mostly Americans there, so it was a nice blast back home for a few hours. A lot of hours actually. Her friend was really good and we stayed to see his whole set until around 3am. I told you, this city never sleeps. We ended up walking home, and going to bed around 5am. Those of you that know me have probably figured out this is not something I do often, but in TLV I couldn't resist and we lounged around and ate falafel in bed the next day recovering. It was quite an adventure. We definitely plan to have a Tel Aviv U/WUJS reunion one of these days.
One a more cultured note, there is a really cool art set up going on in the city right now. For the 100th birthday of Tel Aviv, there are art galleries spread all over town set up for the month of September called arTLV. For my friend's birthday we went out for lunch (had shakshuka again) and then wandered around to explore some of them. We didn't enter any of the buildings that required tickets, but we still managed to have a nice long day of free art. Some of the stuff was really interesting actually, junk art as I like to call it, pieces created out of wires and chunks of clay and old cans and random things. Really cool. One of the galleries had an old fashioned hair dryer chair and when you sat in it and put the shield down it talked to you... In Hebrew... I later learned that it was a meditation tape telling me to relax and breathe deeply. I picked up post cards and explanation packets along the way, and soon will make a collage to decorate my white walls. We had some ice aroma after a long day of walking through the city (Aroma is the starbucks of Israel, and ice aromas are these frappaccino like coffee/coconut/icee drinks that are simply amazing), and enjoyed our first Shabbat without the beach.
Have I successfully, culturally redeemed myself from my all night partying? If not, get this. I went on an architectural walking tour of Tel Aviv with the group for our Siyur this week. We learned about Bauhaus style, and saw some beautiful houses from important people, including the founders of Tel Aviv. Along the way we got a bit distracted from the guide by a smoking trash can, and us silly Americans, instead of running away thinking it could be dangerous, decided to stop and watch it smoke and smolder and eventually burst into flames. Someone around us called the fire department and several guys with fire extinguishers went to work on it. It appeared to be out by the time we pulled ourselves away and continued on our tour, just an exciting (and potentially dangerous) distraction along our way.
Another part of the arTLV exhibitions was a giant flower carpet set up in Rabin Square for the new year. My office is right near there so we stopped after our lunch break at work yesterday to see it. It was this beautiful spread of 500,000 flowers laid out in several tiles spanning across the square. I'll post pictures soon. I'm glad to be in the city during this important time, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Centennial, and to be able to be a part of all the celebrations along the way.
Other big news, we went out for SUSHI. If you know the Price family, you know about all of our sushi adventures, and apparently Tel Aviv is the third largest sushi market in the world (in per capita terms) behind only New York and Tokyo. I have to say it wasn't the best I've ever had, but we sure enjoyed sounding out "shrimpim tempura" and "fotomaki" in Hebrew on the menu. We followed our sushi dinner with a visit to Iceberg, a fabulous gelato place that Galit, my Hebrew teacher from this summer told me about. I had half lemon mint, half passion fruit. Holy cow amazing. I will certainly be back. They have a lot of obscure flavors too, like halava, and red fruit with taragon, so it'll be a while before I've sampled them all and can give a true recommendation.
Well, that's all for now. I should start my day. Heading out for the holiday tomorrow morning, but I'll update you all when I get back on Monday. L'Shana Tova and a happy, sweet, New Year to everyone in Israel and Abroad. Have a good Rosh Hashanah and eat some yummy food for me. I'll be sure to do the same.
Talk to you next year!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Check us out on YouTube!
One of our group members made this video. Enjoy!
WUJS 1st Week Video
I'm not in too much of it, someone who lives in the other apartment building made it, but its still a great record of our first week here.
WUJS 1st Week Video
I'm not in too much of it, someone who lives in the other apartment building made it, but its still a great record of our first week here.
Shabbat Shalom
Another week gone by. It is now Shabbat, our day of sleeping in and relaxing. We had another potluck style Shabbat dinner last night. this time organized all on our own. We ate quite well, split a few bottles of wine, some folks pulled out the nargila on the porch, and we later played a rousing game of spoons. Now, it is noon, and I am curled up in bed in my pjs. As soon as I drag myself up, we'll head over to the beach. I'm enjoying getting used to this.
Wanted to do a recap of some excitement from the last week before we reset for another week of work. This week, hmmm, so much has been packed in its hard to choose the highlights. I'll start with the Tuesday siyur. We went to Har Adar, or Radar Hill as its called in English. One of the highest points in the country, it has been an important military location in Israel, and now, for us, a great chance to see the spread of the country. It is technically on the West Bank, although not over the dividing fence, but our guide Sheldon assured us we were safe. In addition to the lookout tower where we could see the entire width of the country including a foggy distant view of our new home Tel Aviv, Sheldon explained to us what regions we saw would become Palestine and how the country would divide should the two-state solution come through. It was informative, but above all a great view.
Wanted to do a recap of some excitement from the last week before we reset for another week of work. This week, hmmm, so much has been packed in its hard to choose the highlights. I'll start with the Tuesday siyur. We went to Har Adar, or Radar Hill as its called in English. One of the highest points in the country, it has been an important military location in Israel, and now, for us, a great chance to see the spread of the country. It is technically on the West Bank, although not over the dividing fence, but our guide Sheldon assured us we were safe. In addition to the lookout tower where we could see the entire width of the country including a foggy distant view of our new home Tel Aviv, Sheldon explained to us what regions we saw would become Palestine and how the country would divide should the two-state solution come through. It was informative, but above all a great view.
After Har Adar, we got back on the bus and stopped at a gas station/restaurant to eat. Most of us brought our lunch, but when we discovered that the restaurant was Elvis themed, we had to go in anyways. There were statues and murals outsise, and a complete 50s style diner look inside, complete with Elvis memorabilia and a gift shop. Seriously? We flew 11 hours out of the US to see Elvis in the holy land? Love it. Got some great pictures, especially of the Elvis statue wearing a star necklace. We were supposed to go to a monastery after lunch, but it was closed for some reason when we got there. Oh well.
Other exciting news of the week... Ulpan! We have had 2 classes now, and despite my worry I remain in level 2. There are only 2 levels, so some of us aren't exactly getting what we need, but I think it'll work out in the end. Because of the way they split the levels up, I am too advanced for level 1, but still not quite ready for level 2. There are people in my level who are much better than me, but the teacher is pretty good about catering her questions and discussions with each of us to give us what we need. She asked one of the girls next to me what she wanted in life, and they had a long discussion about wanting love and marriage and kids and a dog and the whole shebang. She came to me next, asking me what I wanted, and I responded "ani rotzah eshcoliot", meaning I want grapefruit. It may not have been philosophical or deep as the others, but I was able to answer her follow up questions so it did its job. I'll give it a little more time, and if I need to move down a level I will, but for now I am enjoying the challenge. I will surely keep you posted.
Well, I think that is all for now. I should probably begin my day eventually. The phone is up and running, so call me whenever. I would love to hear from you.
Shabbat Shalom!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
SHAKSHUKA!
I am starting to fall into a routine here, but it still feels so surreal to think I am living in Tel Aviv. Insane. The theme of this entry: FOOD
I mentioned Michal has been teaching us authentic Israeli cooking, and let me tell you, we are eating well. Everyday we have our spread of various dips and pita to go with the main course, a very Israeli thing to do. In addition to the basic hummus, we have chatsilim (various eggplant), labne (a kind of cross between sour cream and cream cheese with zatar spice), and a ton more. We have made Chavita (egg fritata things), challah french toast (not necessarily Israeli but damn good), and of course shakshuka (eggs poached in seasoned tomatoes with onions, etc). Yummy. Although sometimes I feel like Alice, when I watch her cook amazing things and then do the dishes in exchange for a full tummy, but its totally worth it. I promise to make them all for you when I get home.
On another note, I am currently sitting on my balcony with a bunch of people, and the people across the street from me have their windows open. I'll admit, we are definitely watching them. Without a tv, we have to turn somewhere for entertainment and drama in our lives. News: she has left the building and walked downstairs. Convenience store? Who knows. I will keep you posted.
Alrighty. Work tomorrow (I sent 58 e-mails to almost as many countries today), then beach party tomorrow night and finally meeting Jen, my long lost cousin. Then making Rosh Hashanah plans and just enjoying my time here. Our air conditioner is now officially working, so its a lot easier to enjoy when we're not dripping with sweat.
Oh, she's back. But what is in her hand? Cookies? Pudding? We may never know. That's all for now! Peace, love, and neighbor stalking.
I mentioned Michal has been teaching us authentic Israeli cooking, and let me tell you, we are eating well. Everyday we have our spread of various dips and pita to go with the main course, a very Israeli thing to do. In addition to the basic hummus, we have chatsilim (various eggplant), labne (a kind of cross between sour cream and cream cheese with zatar spice), and a ton more. We have made Chavita (egg fritata things), challah french toast (not necessarily Israeli but damn good), and of course shakshuka (eggs poached in seasoned tomatoes with onions, etc). Yummy. Although sometimes I feel like Alice, when I watch her cook amazing things and then do the dishes in exchange for a full tummy, but its totally worth it. I promise to make them all for you when I get home.
On another note, I am currently sitting on my balcony with a bunch of people, and the people across the street from me have their windows open. I'll admit, we are definitely watching them. Without a tv, we have to turn somewhere for entertainment and drama in our lives. News: she has left the building and walked downstairs. Convenience store? Who knows. I will keep you posted.
Alrighty. Work tomorrow (I sent 58 e-mails to almost as many countries today), then beach party tomorrow night and finally meeting Jen, my long lost cousin. Then making Rosh Hashanah plans and just enjoying my time here. Our air conditioner is now officially working, so its a lot easier to enjoy when we're not dripping with sweat.
Oh, she's back. But what is in her hand? Cookies? Pudding? We may never know. That's all for now! Peace, love, and neighbor stalking.
Monday, September 7, 2009
EVE
Correction: Tomer is not my boss - he is my colleague. I have my own job title and everything.
Spent most of my day working through websites in Hebrew and, believe it or not, French. And watched some awesome clips of theatre and dance. I honestly love this job!
Spent most of my day working through websites in Hebrew and, believe it or not, French. And watched some awesome clips of theatre and dance. I honestly love this job!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Week 1
Shalom!
I am settling in nicely to my new neighborhood, and adjusting to the weather as much as I can. It has been HOT. We spent the day on the beach today. Apparently that's what people here do on Shabbat, because it was busy and very crowded, but still nice of course. Week one is coming to an end, and it has been amazing. Here's a run down of what we've all been up to since we arrived.
On Thursday, we met up with the Jerusalem group for a hike to Ein Gedi. We packed up our backpacks and got our first taste of Israeli wilderness, as we hiked through a dry riverbed to a waterfall. It never felt so good to swim after several hours of hiking when we finally arrived. I will be sure to post pictures soon. It was hard, but a nice bonding experience with the group and the others as well, since we hadn't gotten a chance to meet them before. I can't wait to go camping on my own in a smaller group to really set our own pace and stay overnight under the stars.
I mentioned that Wednesday I got a chance to meet Tomer, my boss, and he invited me to come see a show at a new play festival later in the week. Jaks, my roommate and I went to see it Friday afternoon. It was called A New Man and was put on by some German company. It wasn't a play in conventional terms, as there were no actors. It was a large room, with chairs on each side, and each "audience member" received a headset with their own private recording. Each of us went through the experience in 4 different stages in different orders, so some of the time was spent as a spectator and some as a more active participant. It was all about audience interaction and challenging the notion of what theatre and movement are through the studies of 4 different theorists. Laban, who I have both studied and taught, Meyerhold, Brecht, also both practicioners who's work I know well, and Charlie Chaplin. There were some moments where we came very close to random strangers through eye contact or some kind of interaction, but after a while we forgot how to feel self conscious and just gave over to it. It was a really cool experience, bringing some of the textbook theatre history I've done to life in a whole new way. I am very glad I went. I can't wait to see what other kinds of theatre I am introduces to through this job placement and exploration of what the Israeli Fringe scene has to offer.
We had a potluck dinner for Shabbat last night, each apartment making a dish. We made an Israeli salad of tomatoes and cucumbers as well as a traditional israeli dessert, chocolate balls. It was fun to make and something I will definitely bring home to the states. Michal has really helped us discover Israeli cooking, and I can't be more grateful. In fact, we are about to start dinner for this evening so I should go help out! Feel free to comment if you have any questions of things you want to hear more about! Thanks for reading : )
-Becky
I am settling in nicely to my new neighborhood, and adjusting to the weather as much as I can. It has been HOT. We spent the day on the beach today. Apparently that's what people here do on Shabbat, because it was busy and very crowded, but still nice of course. Week one is coming to an end, and it has been amazing. Here's a run down of what we've all been up to since we arrived.
On Thursday, we met up with the Jerusalem group for a hike to Ein Gedi. We packed up our backpacks and got our first taste of Israeli wilderness, as we hiked through a dry riverbed to a waterfall. It never felt so good to swim after several hours of hiking when we finally arrived. I will be sure to post pictures soon. It was hard, but a nice bonding experience with the group and the others as well, since we hadn't gotten a chance to meet them before. I can't wait to go camping on my own in a smaller group to really set our own pace and stay overnight under the stars.
I mentioned that Wednesday I got a chance to meet Tomer, my boss, and he invited me to come see a show at a new play festival later in the week. Jaks, my roommate and I went to see it Friday afternoon. It was called A New Man and was put on by some German company. It wasn't a play in conventional terms, as there were no actors. It was a large room, with chairs on each side, and each "audience member" received a headset with their own private recording. Each of us went through the experience in 4 different stages in different orders, so some of the time was spent as a spectator and some as a more active participant. It was all about audience interaction and challenging the notion of what theatre and movement are through the studies of 4 different theorists. Laban, who I have both studied and taught, Meyerhold, Brecht, also both practicioners who's work I know well, and Charlie Chaplin. There were some moments where we came very close to random strangers through eye contact or some kind of interaction, but after a while we forgot how to feel self conscious and just gave over to it. It was a really cool experience, bringing some of the textbook theatre history I've done to life in a whole new way. I am very glad I went. I can't wait to see what other kinds of theatre I am introduces to through this job placement and exploration of what the Israeli Fringe scene has to offer.
We had a potluck dinner for Shabbat last night, each apartment making a dish. We made an Israeli salad of tomatoes and cucumbers as well as a traditional israeli dessert, chocolate balls. It was fun to make and something I will definitely bring home to the states. Michal has really helped us discover Israeli cooking, and I can't be more grateful. In fact, we are about to start dinner for this evening so I should go help out! Feel free to comment if you have any questions of things you want to hear more about! Thanks for reading : )
-Becky
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
I'm Here!!
Hello Hello!
Sorry it's been a few days, but I'm just settling in and adjusting to my new home. My apartment is in Florentine, an adorable neighborhood in South Tel Aviv, and my roommates are awesome. Michal, the girl I share my bedroom with, was born in Israel and has been quite a useful asset when it comes to shopping and navigating the area considering none of the rest of us speak much Hebrew. The other two girls in my apartment, Jaks (Jaclyn) and Chelsea, are also really sweet and we are getting along great. Jaks is working at the Tel Aviv Opera House while here, working int he props department, so we've been bonding over theatre stories and planning thetare outings together. It already feels like I've known them forever. The apartment is not exactly new, but it is really cute, and we have 2 balconies. One connecting our two bedrooms overlooking the street (where the Israeli boys can serenade us Romeo and Juliet style) and another off of our kitchen with a table where we spend most of our time. We all cooked dinner together last night and ate outdoors. I can tell I'm going to enjoy this life here.
After a few days of orientation, meetings, tours, and getting to know you games, we all got a chance to visit our internships today and explore the city on our own. I met Tomer, my new boss at the Association for Independent Theatre Creators (EVE), and he seems like a really cool guy. After talking about the fringe theatre industry and what EVE is all about, he sent me home with several DVDs of shows they've worked on in the past and some that are still touring. I can't wait to watch them all before my official first day on Sunday. The office is in Northern Tel Aviv near Rabin Square, and I am looking forward to exploring the area more. Although Ricki, our group leader, or counselor as it kind of feels, dropped us off today, we had to navigate home from our offices on our own. Although I missed the bus stop at first, I did manage to realize that and get off at the next one, and found my way home no problem. With a little help from Michal on the phone. Quite proud I must say.
After that, I met up with Jaks and Chelsea and some others and we headed to the beach. We walked 20 minutes towards Jaffa, and found this enormous, sunny, stretch of sand. I have never lived this close to a beach before! The water was so warm, and after swimming for a while, I took a nice nap on my beach towel in the sand. Again, I could get used to this life. We walked home, grabbed falafel from a stand down the street, and changed for our evening group meeting. The falafel man was very patient as we attempted to order in half english half hebrew and pretended we knew what he was putting on our pitas. I'm hoping to be able to do it entirely in Hebrew before too long. I'll keep you posted.
Tomorrow we are hiking as a big group with the Jerusalem machzor, and getting our first chance to really meet them. Excited for that, and to see the Israelil landscape. More on that later!
-Bex
PS - Anyone who has tried to call me on my Magic Jack number, I blew out the phone with the wrong converter I think, so I'll let you know when I get a new one. For now, I can get voicemails, but not call you back. Hopefully that will be fixed soon.
Sorry it's been a few days, but I'm just settling in and adjusting to my new home. My apartment is in Florentine, an adorable neighborhood in South Tel Aviv, and my roommates are awesome. Michal, the girl I share my bedroom with, was born in Israel and has been quite a useful asset when it comes to shopping and navigating the area considering none of the rest of us speak much Hebrew. The other two girls in my apartment, Jaks (Jaclyn) and Chelsea, are also really sweet and we are getting along great. Jaks is working at the Tel Aviv Opera House while here, working int he props department, so we've been bonding over theatre stories and planning thetare outings together. It already feels like I've known them forever. The apartment is not exactly new, but it is really cute, and we have 2 balconies. One connecting our two bedrooms overlooking the street (where the Israeli boys can serenade us Romeo and Juliet style) and another off of our kitchen with a table where we spend most of our time. We all cooked dinner together last night and ate outdoors. I can tell I'm going to enjoy this life here.
After a few days of orientation, meetings, tours, and getting to know you games, we all got a chance to visit our internships today and explore the city on our own. I met Tomer, my new boss at the Association for Independent Theatre Creators (EVE), and he seems like a really cool guy. After talking about the fringe theatre industry and what EVE is all about, he sent me home with several DVDs of shows they've worked on in the past and some that are still touring. I can't wait to watch them all before my official first day on Sunday. The office is in Northern Tel Aviv near Rabin Square, and I am looking forward to exploring the area more. Although Ricki, our group leader, or counselor as it kind of feels, dropped us off today, we had to navigate home from our offices on our own. Although I missed the bus stop at first, I did manage to realize that and get off at the next one, and found my way home no problem. With a little help from Michal on the phone. Quite proud I must say.
After that, I met up with Jaks and Chelsea and some others and we headed to the beach. We walked 20 minutes towards Jaffa, and found this enormous, sunny, stretch of sand. I have never lived this close to a beach before! The water was so warm, and after swimming for a while, I took a nice nap on my beach towel in the sand. Again, I could get used to this life. We walked home, grabbed falafel from a stand down the street, and changed for our evening group meeting. The falafel man was very patient as we attempted to order in half english half hebrew and pretended we knew what he was putting on our pitas. I'm hoping to be able to do it entirely in Hebrew before too long. I'll keep you posted.
Tomorrow we are hiking as a big group with the Jerusalem machzor, and getting our first chance to really meet them. Excited for that, and to see the Israelil landscape. More on that later!
-Bex
PS - Anyone who has tried to call me on my Magic Jack number, I blew out the phone with the wrong converter I think, so I'll let you know when I get a new one. For now, I can get voicemails, but not call you back. Hopefully that will be fixed soon.
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