Woah. Just, woah. Yesterday we had a siyur to a moshav right outside of the Ben Gurion Airport, which im gonna be honest was kind of boring but we learned about Thai workers working in farms in Israel which was kind of interesting and i spent 12 minutes trying to understand our guide when he kept saying "thais" and I kept hearing "ties" and it totally didnt make sense in context and then after 12 minutes i realized i was an idiot.
Hows that for a great sentence?!?! haha
Here comes the woah part: after we went to the moshav, Ricky took us to the Eretz Yisrael museum to see the World Press photo 09 exhibit, a photojournalist competition with submissions from all around the world. Mom and Joel, I'm really, really really really sorry. Im sorrier than I was about taking you to Ice Space. It's that bad, becuase this exhibit was THAT good. Ive had the privlege to see quite a few photography exhibits in my life, good ones at that, but you guys?? This is the best exhibit I have probably seen in my life.
I'm gonna link you to the website for press photo, so you can just get a taste of what was in this exhibit (and this exhibit was HUGE, and not only included the world press photos but local ones too which was even more moving/touching/inspiring/heartbreaking)
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_photogallery&task=blogsection&id=19&Itemid=223&bandwidth=low
They're seperated by category, but holy MOTHER this was an amazing exhibit. My favorite picture was taken by Yasuyoshsi Chiba, who is, i believe, Japanese but works out of Kenya. You can't tell on the website how stunning this picture is, but when its blown up to about 5 ft by 4 ft on a black background, the red pops and it is just SO visually stunning, I was blown away. I must have stared at it for 10 minutes. It was also just so much of a reminder that its the 21st century, and these men are still fighting with bows and arrows. As much as I hate fighting, when you're surrounded by images of highly-technologically-advanced war as I am every day here, it was somehow inexplicably comforting...beautiful? (that sounds weird but I cant really explain it better) to see an area of the world so untouched by that. And the visuals of it, just stunning. I'm still trying to figure out why a picture of war was my favorite, but I'll let you know.
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_photogallery&task=view&id=1429&type=byname&Itemid=224&bandwidth=high
(link to my fave photo)
Ok, thats all for now. Just wanted to give you a rundown on my day yesterday.
We also sat around last night and made hot cocoa and watched Elf, which we've been trying to do for awhile. That was Realllllly fun.
Miss yalll....
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
It's the mooost wonderful tiiiime, of the yearrrr (Or: overuse of the word Surreal)
Shalom Kulam! Greetings from the Motherland. Its about 75 today, sunny, beautiful, I'm in a tank top...of course it feels like winter!!!! muahahaha, I kid I kid. It feels like summer and its TOTALLY throwing off my holiday vibe.
Let me catch you up on what I've been doing since the International Exposure at my work ended.... CHANUKKAHHHHHHHHH!!!
It's been really fun to experience the holiday in a country where a majority of people celebrate it: It has also really really thrown me. Walking around the streets seeing decorations everywhere and menorahs everywhere and candle lighting with strangers on the street or in big city squares--its very surreal for me. I enjoy it, and Its been so fun and nice lighting beautiful Safed candles every night in my apartment with all of my program-mates, but It doesn't automatically register to me that its holiday time. I think it's a mix of the weather, the general Channukah-everywhere-ish, and the general absence of my family that is making me feel like it's not December. Don't get me wrong, I am absolutely grateful for this experience and think it's amazing, but the American in me is craving snow and fireplaces and Panera soup and red cups with snowflakes on them from Starbucks and ironic and corny red-and-green motifs everywhere. Sigh, ok enough whining.
Last week was adventure-tastic as Michal and I FINALLY WENT TO SEE NEW MOON SHE CAN"T DENY IT AND YES I"M A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL WHO LIKES TWILIGHT AHHHH. And then we sat like adults and sipped lattes and got on a sheirut (shared taxi) to Jerusalem to go see our roommate, Jax, and our friend Abby in the Jerusalem WUJS program play a show at a bar. It was reaaaaaally small and crowded but I'm glad we went, it was an adventure. Afterwards we got hot cider from my favorite little bar in Jerusalem, and had a very surreal experience there too as we lit Chanukkah candles in a bar on upside-down aperitif glasses, and everyone in the whole bar sang along. Very surreal. I don't overuse that word at all....haha
Let me catch you up on what I've been doing since the International Exposure at my work ended.... CHANUKKAHHHHHHHHH!!!
It's been really fun to experience the holiday in a country where a majority of people celebrate it: It has also really really thrown me. Walking around the streets seeing decorations everywhere and menorahs everywhere and candle lighting with strangers on the street or in big city squares--its very surreal for me. I enjoy it, and Its been so fun and nice lighting beautiful Safed candles every night in my apartment with all of my program-mates, but It doesn't automatically register to me that its holiday time. I think it's a mix of the weather, the general Channukah-everywhere-ish, and the general absence of my family that is making me feel like it's not December. Don't get me wrong, I am absolutely grateful for this experience and think it's amazing, but the American in me is craving snow and fireplaces and Panera soup and red cups with snowflakes on them from Starbucks and ironic and corny red-and-green motifs everywhere. Sigh, ok enough whining.
Last week was adventure-tastic as Michal and I FINALLY WENT TO SEE NEW MOON SHE CAN"T DENY IT AND YES I"M A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL WHO LIKES TWILIGHT AHHHH. And then we sat like adults and sipped lattes and got on a sheirut (shared taxi) to Jerusalem to go see our roommate, Jax, and our friend Abby in the Jerusalem WUJS program play a show at a bar. It was reaaaaaally small and crowded but I'm glad we went, it was an adventure. Afterwards we got hot cider from my favorite little bar in Jerusalem, and had a very surreal experience there too as we lit Chanukkah candles in a bar on upside-down aperitif glasses, and everyone in the whole bar sang along. Very surreal. I don't overuse that word at all....haha
Work has been going well: both of my bosses are not here this week (Claudio is out of town and Rachel is getting an operation on her teeth) so I am winging it and being productive, yay. Michal also had a tough night the other night so we decided to get a light dinner at this little cafe around the corner from our house that we always pass and mean to go to but never find the time. I am so darn glad that we went--when I tell you people that understand that we got like an Aunt Martha platter of veggies, you must know what I mean--we got this platter that had little dishes of pickled something and just straight radishes and sweet butter and perfect wine crackers with some black something seed in them that i cant remember but was awesome, and light cheese and almonds and raw cauliflower and olives and salami for the carnivore (ha ha) and it was just the lightest most perfect veggie meal ever. And it was ridic cheap, which is always a plus when you're living like a college kid still in a foreign country. yayy.
Becky's parents are in town, so last night they took us out to a late dinner. This was, of course, after our weekly fun program of karaoke, which they had set up at the music school for us nextdoor. Really fun, but we invited some music kids to come and boooooy did they show us up. Haha always think twice about inviting actual singers to karaoke--OI. Anywaays, dinner. We went to moon, a sushi restaurant in Tel aviv that has gotten stellar reviews from both my friends and from magazines I have seen. Now, let me say something about Sushi in Tel Aviv. it sucks.
You heard me right, it SUCKS. Granted, I have only been to one or two sushi restaurants in Tel Aviv, and they've been on the cheaper end (duh), but its just not good. I dont know how to describe it, but if you eat sushi you know what I'm talking about. not. good.
Moon--totally changed my mind about sushi in tel aviv. not only was their miso soup stellar, but their rolls were good and inventive, the fish was just plain awesome, and they had masago (flying fish roe). Raven and I have this slight obsession with flying fish roe, and at moon not only did they have a piece of a roll just stuffed with flying fish roe, but they had WASABI FLAVORED ROE. i died. AND, the roll was wrapped in salmon, which makes me die more. It was really awesome of Becky's parents to take us out for sushi, and it was aweosme becuase it was the first time all four of us have been together in awhile, and it was a really nice time.
Enough about food--onto the holiday season. I think that I am going to join Becky and her parents in Bethlehem for Christmas Eve--not only is that a huge tradition here, but it will also be really interesting to see that part of Christian culture. Triply interesting becuase bethlehem is in the West Bank. I am quite excited to experience this, and will update you all on my plans. As of right now for Christmas, I am just planning to skype with the family and open my stocking that Gran shipped to me (!!!) And probably get some Chinese, just because it's a when-in-Rome kinda thing. Do like the jews do!! haha
Happy holidays, happy new year, and as always, Love from the Motherland.
HWOTD: Yom. it means day. i thought that was really necessary since you all get words of the day from me but prolly dont know how to say day. It can be used as in days of the week, or as in "fun day" (yom kef).
Monday, December 14, 2009
Really, Adventures in the Motherland.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3110/3934989966_ae64d1b003.jpg (picture i LOVE....streetart in tel aviv)
Ok, ok, I stink. You can say it--I stink at blogconsistency. Your well-guided angerannoyance can be directed at me: I accept it.
Now, wanna read some 'bout what I've been doing? Do ya do ya?
Ok, here we go.
Let's start a while back: Dum dum dum......Mom and Joel arrive in Israel. Their mission: to bring me a suitcase full of stuff. Hahaha just kidding. But that part did happen.
We started with a day (shabbat day, to be exact) in Tel Aviv. Mom and Joel got here in the afternoon and I went over to their hotel to collect them and walk them to my apartment, where my roommate Michal and I had prepared a fabulous Israeli breakfast-for-dinner for them, complete with herb chavita (kinda like an omlette-fritatta), tons and tons of awesome dips like turkish salad, eggplant and tahina, hummus ful, lebneh with zaatar, etc etc. And i made a bomb-diggity Israeli salad, shwangg! AND who can forget the best pitot ever?? ...apparently they can. They practically blacked out the whole night from exaustion/cultureshock/sleepdeprivation. Darn dinner--shoulda been smarter and made it for them the LAST night. There i go not being smart again...oh well.
The next day we hung out in Tel Aviv--they took their first city bus, and we travelled down to Yafo to see the sights. We checked out the flea market there, and also had a bomb lunch at Dr. Shakshuka. After we got back up to tel Aviv, we checked out the Carmel Shuk (big outdoor markety thing) and bought little treats and just wandered the streets--fun. Dinner that night was Falafel, quite good.
The next day was the trip to Jerusalem-- or as my mom likes to call it, "the (shiver) central (shiver) bus (shiver) station (shiver)". She was totally overwhelmed/grossed out by the Tel Aviv central bus station, which I will give to her isnt in the best neighborhood and is a bit big and dirty. I dont mind it that much--she is uber freaked by it. The only teeeensy sketchy part was when we got in an elevator with some rando ppl, and there were no lights in the elevator. Pitch black. Kinda sketchy, but we survived and got on our bus to Jerusalem just fine (what an easy 40-minute ride?) Once in Jerusalem, we used the last of the light left to scramble from our hotel to the Kottel, since M +J wanted to see it. They both thought it was pretty cool and we got to take some cool pictures from this overlook that I remembered how to get to (go my memory).
The next day we just did more of the old city- finding cute cafes, back to kottel, muslim quarter, church of the holy sepulchre (which was very dark and ornate). We also managed to make it to the Israel Museum, which was under construction but we got to see the dead sea scrolls which was pretty cool.
Then we bussed it down to Eilat--not so bad--and spent a few days down there seeing the sights, going to Petra in Jordan (which was a realllly cool experience), snorkeling the red sea (SUPER AWESOME), and generally relaxing. We ended back up in Tel aviv for a day, where we got to go to my fave restaurant in Florentine and to Max Brenners. yay!!! Overall, an amazing trip.
After a tearful goodbye, I got right into the swing of my international Dance festival at my work, the Suzanne Dellal Centre. It was so fun on opening night, dressing up and meeting everyone from around the world. I was impressed I remembered almost all of the names, and my only blunder was not knowing what Country Amsterdam is in. Amsterdamn.
Got to see a lot of interesting performances, including one with water (trout) which was pretty cool. We also had a chanukkah party at my apartment for the first night of chanukkah, complete with a gift exchange, a latke-off, and a dreidel tourney. It was really really fun, and I'm enjoying chanukkah in the motherland. If only I liked doughnuts!!!!
That's all for now--more to come later. Misses and kisses, Chelsea
HWOTD: siampti-- it meants im finished. I leanred this when my roommate pointed at her empty cup and said "siampti" which i heard "see, empty!" which helps me remember it.
Ok, ok, I stink. You can say it--I stink at blogconsistency. Your well-guided angerannoyance can be directed at me: I accept it.
Now, wanna read some 'bout what I've been doing? Do ya do ya?
Ok, here we go.
Let's start a while back: Dum dum dum......Mom and Joel arrive in Israel. Their mission: to bring me a suitcase full of stuff. Hahaha just kidding. But that part did happen.
We started with a day (shabbat day, to be exact) in Tel Aviv. Mom and Joel got here in the afternoon and I went over to their hotel to collect them and walk them to my apartment, where my roommate Michal and I had prepared a fabulous Israeli breakfast-for-dinner for them, complete with herb chavita (kinda like an omlette-fritatta), tons and tons of awesome dips like turkish salad, eggplant and tahina, hummus ful, lebneh with zaatar, etc etc. And i made a bomb-diggity Israeli salad, shwangg! AND who can forget the best pitot ever?? ...apparently they can. They practically blacked out the whole night from exaustion/cultureshock/sleepdeprivation. Darn dinner--shoulda been smarter and made it for them the LAST night. There i go not being smart again...oh well.
The next day we hung out in Tel Aviv--they took their first city bus, and we travelled down to Yafo to see the sights. We checked out the flea market there, and also had a bomb lunch at Dr. Shakshuka. After we got back up to tel Aviv, we checked out the Carmel Shuk (big outdoor markety thing) and bought little treats and just wandered the streets--fun. Dinner that night was Falafel, quite good.
The next day was the trip to Jerusalem-- or as my mom likes to call it, "the (shiver) central (shiver) bus (shiver) station (shiver)". She was totally overwhelmed/grossed out by the Tel Aviv central bus station, which I will give to her isnt in the best neighborhood and is a bit big and dirty. I dont mind it that much--she is uber freaked by it. The only teeeensy sketchy part was when we got in an elevator with some rando ppl, and there were no lights in the elevator. Pitch black. Kinda sketchy, but we survived and got on our bus to Jerusalem just fine (what an easy 40-minute ride?) Once in Jerusalem, we used the last of the light left to scramble from our hotel to the Kottel, since M +J wanted to see it. They both thought it was pretty cool and we got to take some cool pictures from this overlook that I remembered how to get to (go my memory).
The next day we just did more of the old city- finding cute cafes, back to kottel, muslim quarter, church of the holy sepulchre (which was very dark and ornate). We also managed to make it to the Israel Museum, which was under construction but we got to see the dead sea scrolls which was pretty cool.
Then we bussed it down to Eilat--not so bad--and spent a few days down there seeing the sights, going to Petra in Jordan (which was a realllly cool experience), snorkeling the red sea (SUPER AWESOME), and generally relaxing. We ended back up in Tel aviv for a day, where we got to go to my fave restaurant in Florentine and to Max Brenners. yay!!! Overall, an amazing trip.
After a tearful goodbye, I got right into the swing of my international Dance festival at my work, the Suzanne Dellal Centre. It was so fun on opening night, dressing up and meeting everyone from around the world. I was impressed I remembered almost all of the names, and my only blunder was not knowing what Country Amsterdam is in. Amsterdamn.
Got to see a lot of interesting performances, including one with water (trout) which was pretty cool. We also had a chanukkah party at my apartment for the first night of chanukkah, complete with a gift exchange, a latke-off, and a dreidel tourney. It was really really fun, and I'm enjoying chanukkah in the motherland. If only I liked doughnuts!!!!
That's all for now--more to come later. Misses and kisses, Chelsea
HWOTD: siampti-- it meants im finished. I leanred this when my roommate pointed at her empty cup and said "siampti" which i heard "see, empty!" which helps me remember it.
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