Hi folks,
In my typical fashion, it has been too long. Here I am, sitting in a family friend's house in Jerusalem just two days before my flight back to San Francisco and the end of this year in Israel.
In this, likely my last blog entry, I will share a short recap of what I've been up to this last month (mostly sitting on the couch. This will make sense soon), and how I'm feeling about the closing of this chapter and the opening of the next.
July was what we call a disaster. I had been living and working on the Kibbutz for about a month. I had finally gotten a hand of the activities that I was leading, and felt confident and excited about the work ahead. And then I got sick. But there was a 24-hour stomach bug going around, and I had all the symptoms, so there was nothing to worry about. But then the 24-hour stomach bug turned into a sinus infection, which I thought was odd but still not so alarming. But then my throat started to hurt. And then it started to really hurt. The kind of hurt where you want to stuff your mouth with cotton balls so you won't have to swallow. Where you would do just about anything to not have to swallow ever again for the rest of your life. So I went to the local clinic and received antibiotics for what they said was Tonsillitis. This certainly wasn't exciting news, but I figured that after a few days of antibiotics things would clear up and I'd be back on my feet. But then it was three days later and I was waking up in the middle of the night having cried in my sleep from the pain, so I went back to the local clinic and was sent to the Emergency Room to receive a shot of antibiotics (the fastest way to treat an infected tonsil). But then the doctor at the Emergency Room didn't want to give me a shot and just put me back on (a different kind of) antibiotics and sent me home. But then it was two days later and the fact that I hadn't been able to eat or drink nearly anything in about 2 weeks (remember the painful swallowing?) had caught up to me and I just wasn't getting any better. So I went back to the Emergency Room, where the lovely doctor from two days earlier took one look at me and said "Whoa. You really don't look very good" (why thank you, genius doctor, for the observation) and admitted me to the hospital. Once admitted, I was able to receive antibiotics and fluids through an IV and within two days was on my way to recovery. On the second day of my hospitalization my mom arrived (!!) for what was meant to be a fun visit to Israel and turned into a "Mommy taking care of Kate" visit to Israel. I don't know what I would have done without her - she and Matan were a great team. At any rate, I was finally back to my usual self and my usual weight a week after being released from the hospital. And there went July.
But then I was better! And we went to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt! Yes, it's true - Matan, my mother, and I picked up on a Sunday morning, took a bus to Eilat, walked across the border and up to our hotel in Taba, Egypt. We spent a day farther south in huts on the beach, snorkeling along the amazing reef and eating freshly caught fish. It really was something.
And now here I am, getting ready to leave. In all truthfulness, I have hardly begun processing this situation. It's something I tend to avoid. Like the plague. But from the small amount of processing that has occurred, this is what I can tell you: I know I will miss Israel. I know I will miss my friends and Matan's family very much after spending this year deepening my friendships and connections with this, my Israeli family. I know I will miss the no-nonsense, straightforward (yes, these are nice words for rude) Israeli attitude that, all kidding aside, has taught me to ask for what I want and self-advocate. I know I will miss not having to work at feeling connected to Judaism. And the list could go on. However. And I think this is a big However, worthy of a capital H, I am really and truly ready for the next step. I know I am ready to start school in a serious way and dig my teeth into a challenging academic experience. I know I am ready to set some roots for more than a year, build a community that I can dedicate more time to, and find meaningful places to devote my energy. I know I am ready to eat burritos. And dim sum. And sushi. And Thai. And pretty much everything at Trader Joe's. And I think we can all agree that food is really all that ever mattered. So seeya Israel, I'm going home to eat!
(By the way: Thanks for coming along with me on this year-long journey through the complicated reality of Israel. I truly had an amazing time and learned so much about myself, and I deeply appreciate all of the input and feedback from all of you in your corners of the world. I couldn't have done it without you, so cheers! And for the last time, at least this time: Much love and many kisses from Israel!)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Kibbutz Ketura - Hoorah, Hoorah!
before I begin, I will clarify two things:
1. I am no longer living in Jerusalem. However, as it is still the same "Year" and making a new blog would be a silly waste of time, I will continue posting (infrequently, as usual) from here. My apologies for the discrepency between the blog title and what will now be discussed within it.
2. The title of this particular post sounds a) really stupid or b) rhyme-y depending on your pronunciation of the Hebrew language. So to avoid sound stupid, I will give a brief tutorial: Usually, the emphasis is on the second syllable. This is indeed the case with the name of the Kibbutz at which Matan was born and raised and we currently reside. Say it with me now, "ketu-RA" which then rhymes quite nicely with "hoo-RAH", yes? Yes.
Moving on.
Hello, blog readers! As usual, it's been a while. At least I'm consistent.
Since I last posted, I have finished school in Jerusalem and moved to the middle of the southern Arava Valley in the Negev desert - the southernmost part of Israel. As many of you will remember, this is where I spent the first semester of my gap year. So I'm back. But this time as a volunteer working in the Educational Programming department of the guest house. My job has many facets - I am part camp counselor, part hotel receptionist, part cafe barrista, and part odd-job doer. This keeps things spicy. Knowing me as well as you do, you can probably guess that my favorite of these tasks are those of the camp counselor. Throughout the summer, groups of teens from (mostly) North America and Europe come through the Kibbutz on their whirlwind tours of Israel. It is our job to give them a taste of Kibbutz life in the desert. I have learned to lead the various educational (and fun) activities that these kids participate in, like: Desert Arts Workshop (think sand painting and rock sculptures), Kibbutz Values in Practice in which the group becomes a kibbutz of their own and have to make a tough decision in the same democratic manner that Ketura uses, Desert Solo Experience (often after a bike ride to the dunes), and many more. We do pool-side barbecues, hikes up the mountains surrounding the Kibbutz, and tours to the date orchards. It's a lot of fun, a ton of work, and I'm learning something new every day. While doing the receptionist shift is admittedly not as engaging, it has done wonders for my spoken Hebrew as I'm forced to speak with (often impatient) Israelis on the phone about what our guest houses have to offer.
When not at work, you can find me these days at the pool or the pub, lounging with new volunteer friends and old Kibbutz friends. Not bad.
In other exciting news: my mama is coming to visit! I fought tooth and nail to take a bunch of days off while she's here, so maybe we'll take a fun trip somewhere!
I hope all is well with all of you, and for now I'm sending sandy, smiling kisses your way!
xo!
1. I am no longer living in Jerusalem. However, as it is still the same "Year" and making a new blog would be a silly waste of time, I will continue posting (infrequently, as usual) from here. My apologies for the discrepency between the blog title and what will now be discussed within it.
2. The title of this particular post sounds a) really stupid or b) rhyme-y depending on your pronunciation of the Hebrew language. So to avoid sound stupid, I will give a brief tutorial: Usually, the emphasis is on the second syllable. This is indeed the case with the name of the Kibbutz at which Matan was born and raised and we currently reside. Say it with me now, "ketu-RA" which then rhymes quite nicely with "hoo-RAH", yes? Yes.
Moving on.
Hello, blog readers! As usual, it's been a while. At least I'm consistent.
Since I last posted, I have finished school in Jerusalem and moved to the middle of the southern Arava Valley in the Negev desert - the southernmost part of Israel. As many of you will remember, this is where I spent the first semester of my gap year. So I'm back. But this time as a volunteer working in the Educational Programming department of the guest house. My job has many facets - I am part camp counselor, part hotel receptionist, part cafe barrista, and part odd-job doer. This keeps things spicy. Knowing me as well as you do, you can probably guess that my favorite of these tasks are those of the camp counselor. Throughout the summer, groups of teens from (mostly) North America and Europe come through the Kibbutz on their whirlwind tours of Israel. It is our job to give them a taste of Kibbutz life in the desert. I have learned to lead the various educational (and fun) activities that these kids participate in, like: Desert Arts Workshop (think sand painting and rock sculptures), Kibbutz Values in Practice in which the group becomes a kibbutz of their own and have to make a tough decision in the same democratic manner that Ketura uses, Desert Solo Experience (often after a bike ride to the dunes), and many more. We do pool-side barbecues, hikes up the mountains surrounding the Kibbutz, and tours to the date orchards. It's a lot of fun, a ton of work, and I'm learning something new every day. While doing the receptionist shift is admittedly not as engaging, it has done wonders for my spoken Hebrew as I'm forced to speak with (often impatient) Israelis on the phone about what our guest houses have to offer.
When not at work, you can find me these days at the pool or the pub, lounging with new volunteer friends and old Kibbutz friends. Not bad.
In other exciting news: my mama is coming to visit! I fought tooth and nail to take a bunch of days off while she's here, so maybe we'll take a fun trip somewhere!
I hope all is well with all of you, and for now I'm sending sandy, smiling kisses your way!
xo!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Latest and Greatest
Why hello there.
I have been away a long time and have no excuse so I won't even try. Instead, I'll just dive in.
In case you want to skim, here is a list of what this post will include:
1. Future plans: this summer and next year!
2. Ramallah
3. Shavuot
4. Ein Gedi Hiking
5. Ir Amim Tour of East Jerusalem
6. Dance Class
7. Crafts Club
So away we go:
1. drum-roll please....
I'M GOING TO BE A MILLS WOMAN! That's right, I have officially accepted a spot (and a very generous merit-based scholarship) at Mills College in Oakland to finish my degree in Public Policy! Depending on how things go, I might continue in their +1 program in which I can get an M.A. in Public Policy with one extra year. I am incredibly excited to sink my teeth into a more rigorous academic program (Israel has been fun but not exactly challenging..) and become a member of the Mills community which promises to be engaging.
In addition, Matan and I are moving into my parents' beautiful home while they relocate to Washington D.C. (for those who don't know, my Dad is a baller and now works for the good guys out there in the capital). We are renting out the other two bedrooms to friends, and are so excited to live in the gorgeous house and use the kitchenaid mixer and cuisinart!
As for the summer: We're moving to the Kibbutz! I will be working in the Education department of the guest houses which means I will be leading activities for groups of high school students who come to visit Israel and the Kibbutz. In particular I will be the head madricha (basically counselor) for a Green Seminar for a group of students who are interested in the environment. This trip will include going to a Kibbutz in the Golan and learning about sustainable development in Israel. I am really looking forward to the summer (even though I'm terrified about the heat!) and hope to share great stories with you in a few months.
2. I went to Ramallah! with my friends Julian and Dan. To be honest, it was sort of anti-climactic. We got on a bus near the Damascus Gate of the Old City (East Jerusalem) that cost just over a $1 and rode about 45 minutes. We hardly even noticed when we got to the checkpoint because the bus didn't even stop. In Ramallah we walked around and saw the sights (there are a lot of clothing stores), walked through the produce market and ate delicious hummus, falafel and fresh-squeezed juice (we got the "cocktail" - oranges, apples, pears, carrots and fennel). Then we came home. When entering back into Israel the bus stopped, everyone without a visa to Israel got out and walked through the checkpoint (this can take hours) but those of us with visas just showed them to soldiers and kept driving. I didn't take any photos because I was getting lots of unwanted attention just by looking how I look, so I unfortunately can't give you an image of it, but it sort of looks like a regular Middle Eastern city which is misleading because they only sometimes have water, electricity, etc. It was also very different to see Palestinians (the PA) with guns.
3. Last week was the Jewish holiday Shavuot which marks when the Jews received the Torah! Pretty big deal. The tradition is to study all night long, and in Jerusalem, to walk to the Western Wall at dawn to do morning prayers. Now you all know that I am not religiously observant in the slightest degree, but I decided to get into the spirit of things on this one, and dragged Matan to a lecture at Beit Avi Chai that turned out to be very interesting: a relatively young Rabbi gave a great talk about whether or not the Torah believes in humanity. Basically he said that if you take the Halacha (the laws) and the stories together, you learn that the Torah does believe in the goodness of human beings and in their ability to make decisions. He gave the example of King David who is the descendant of a forbidden relationship whose descendants technically should have been excommunicated from the religion by being banned from marrying a Jew. However, because the woman who entered into a forbidden relationship was in the right, she was able to have King David in her line. In this way, the Torah is telling us that there are "exceptions," and that while there can't be anarchy, there is room for human decisions. He finished by saying that the expansion of Halacha to govern ALL aspects of life by the ultra ultra Orthodox does not reflect an increased belief in G-d but a decreased belief in humanity. This is a thought that I've had countless times while living among the ultra-Orthodox in Jerusalem, and it was very interesting to hear it backed up by a scholar and his reading of the Torah. After the talk we went home and took a nap, and then woke up and walked to the Kotel. As we started walking there were groups of people walking around us, and by the time we reached the entrance to the Old City we were surrounded by people making the same pilgrimage – it was a very neat experience. I couldn't take photos because it's against the rules on a holiday and I would likely have been spat on, but when we got home I was hungry, and here is a picture of me eating a pb&j. The tradition is to wear white, so there's my white dress.
4. Ein Gedi Hiking!
A few days ago Matan and I took a bus down to the Dead Sea and the Ein Gedi kibbutz/nature reserve (about an hour south of Jerusalem) and went on an amazing hike. Ein Gedi is basically an oasis in the middle of the desert with two valleys, each with a river running through it. We decided to hike in the Arugot valley because the hike is a bit longer and typically (as we were told) less crowded. We had an amazing day hiking through and above the river, swimming in natural pools and under waterfalls, and seeing awesome wildlife (like Ibexes, frogs, crabs, and a weird rabbit/mole thing!) I am really going to miss the amazing desert here, which for me (and definitely for Matan) is a very powerful place. You can find many pictures on Facebook.
5. I went on a tour to East Jerusalem with an organization called Ir Amim http://www.ir-amim.org.il/eng/ I'm not certain that I agree on all points with what this non-profit stands for, but it was a great opportunity to get a comprehensive view of "who lives where" in Jerusalem and about the various areas where the Separation Wall runs. A few interesting tidbits: We visited (on the outside) the Shuafat Refugee Camp which technically is inside the municipal boundary of Jerusalem (which by the way is not internationally recognized), but when the wall was built it excluded the refugee camp in order to effectively subtract 35,000 Palestinians from the balance of demographics in the city. We also saw an Arab neighborhood where a private company bought land and built apartment buildings for ideological Jews. On one side of the street there are sidewalks, a playground, and access to water/electricity/garbage collection (which means that while this area is run by a private company, there is government involvement). On the other side there are black water tanks on the roofs to collect water and garbage everywhere. It's so complicated and sad here. My tour guide used to be the chief of operations for the Jerusalem police force which was fascinating. He told us something I didn't know which was that in 1967 the residents of East Jerusalem were offered full Israeli citizenship and (for some understandable reasons) refused at the demands of their leaders, partially leading to the limbo state that they're in now.
6. I've been going to two hip-hop dance classes at a studio in town and it's been amazing. It's great to get back into dance and also to feel like I'm part of a studio – somehow having a regular exercise routine really makes you feel like you live somewhere.
7. And lastly, I have started a Crafting Club with a couple of friends! Ariella and Drorit, the daughters of the family that Matan and I have nearly every Shabbat dinner with (close friends of Matan's mother, and the most generous people on the planet), and I have been making hair bows and headbands, and are tackling canvas tote bags next. We're having a great time being creative, buying beautiful ribbons and digging around Judy's basement to find gorgeous fabrics. I'm going to miss this family so much and am so thankful for what they've done for us this year, and the Crafting Club has been the icing on the cake!
I'm off to try to finish up the semester – 2 weeks of taking exams, writing papers, and packing up the apartment we've lived in for a year. Wish me luck!
All my love,
Kate
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Pesach, Paris, and other Tantalizing Tidbits
Ah, the joys of vacation, and the struggle of going back to school.
Pretty much as soon as we finished classes for Pesach vacation we mosied down to the Kibbutz. Most of our close friends and Matan's family was there, including his three nieces and newborn nephew! I've never spent significant time with a teeny tiny baby and it was really quite an experience. I was happily on baby duty quite a lot, and really became enamored with little Eitan who has an adorable old man's face on his itty bitty baby body. Yowza.
The seder itself was a blast - almost 100 people! - and I even read in Hebrew :)
Speaking of Hebrew, Matan and I have decided to seriously integrate it into our relationship and our life together. We realized that now that I can understand him, he should be empowered to talk in his native tongue! It's quite fascinating to see the ways in which he really is different based on what the Hebrew language allows (for example - straightforwardness) as opposed to his "English" personality. It's a bit of a challenge, and I still speak a lot of English, but I'm hopeful that it will help us both with honest communication and, crucially, with preserving and improving my Hebrew, especially next year when I'm not surrounded by it.
After Pesach I went to Paris!! I had a lovely visit with my dear high school friends Grace, Emily, and Natalia who are studying abroad there this semester. I have to apologize to my grandparents who might be ashamed of me, but I didn't set foot into a single museum! I've been to Paris before, and although you could spend a lifetime at the Louvre or the other amazing museums I decided that I had experienced the "art visit" to Paris and this time I wanted to have a "friend visit". So instead we walked around the entire city, ate unbelievably decadent and delicious food (none of which was kosher for Pesach. woops! But how can you go to Paris and not eat baguette, crepe, and pain au chocolat?!) and generally made merry. It was so great to see these friends who I haven't been able to spend as much time with as I would have wanted since we all left San Francisco, and spend some time in a new culture and a language I completely couldn't understand!
While I was gone Matan got his cast off! woohoooo!!!!! He's like a little boy released into the world for the first time, running around and swimming in the ocean (we went to the beach) even when it's cold and windy. Of course I went with him - we Nichols-Cohens mean business when it comes to oceans :)
I came back to midterm exam week. Great. I am chugging along.
I also came back to the beginning of two weeks of what are known as Israel's Secular High Holy Days - Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZicaron, and Yom Ha'atzmaut. Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, was yesterday here in Israel and I attended a moving ceremony at Hebrew University. The history of this day in Israel is incredibly fascinating and serves to illuminate some important aspects of Israeli culture, so if you will indulge me I will share a short history lesson:
When Israel was first founded shortly following the end of WWII, boats full refugees from concentration camps arrived to Israel, the safe haven. However, they were not greeted with open arms and open ears ready to hear their stories and elevate them as heroes. Instead, this young Israeli culture wanted to ignore the Holocaust, as it represented to them the image of Jews throughout history - lambs walking quietly to the slaughter, not standing up for themselves. These new Israeli Jews considered themselves fighters, and did not identify with survivors. Not until the pressure of other countries establishing days for Holocaust remembrance and the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem did Israeli leaders set aside a day for remembrance in the Jewish State. And even then, true to form, they chose the commemorative date on the anniversary of (the end of) the Warsaw Uprising, emphasizing their identification with the fighters of the Holocaust. Since then there has been much more space made for remembering the Holocaust and understanding survivors, and all Israeli teens visit Poland in 11th grade, but I think the history of this day is quite interesting indeed.
Next week we will commemorate Yom HaZicaron, a day to remember the soldiers who fell in the war for independence in 1948, and immediately following that is Yom Ha'atzmaut, or Independence Day. It will be interesting to experience the saddest secular holiday and then immediately (they share an evening) the most ecstatic. It will also be interesting to think about the meaning of April 1948 for Palestinians, and the always contradictory feelings that I hold within my heart about this place - both celebratory and saddened.
More another time!
Love from Jerusalem
There are many pictures from my trip to Paris, but my internet is slow and I am impatient, so here is one of me in front of the oh so famous Seine. Bye for now!
Pretty much as soon as we finished classes for Pesach vacation we mosied down to the Kibbutz. Most of our close friends and Matan's family was there, including his three nieces and newborn nephew! I've never spent significant time with a teeny tiny baby and it was really quite an experience. I was happily on baby duty quite a lot, and really became enamored with little Eitan who has an adorable old man's face on his itty bitty baby body. Yowza.
The seder itself was a blast - almost 100 people! - and I even read in Hebrew :)
Speaking of Hebrew, Matan and I have decided to seriously integrate it into our relationship and our life together. We realized that now that I can understand him, he should be empowered to talk in his native tongue! It's quite fascinating to see the ways in which he really is different based on what the Hebrew language allows (for example - straightforwardness) as opposed to his "English" personality. It's a bit of a challenge, and I still speak a lot of English, but I'm hopeful that it will help us both with honest communication and, crucially, with preserving and improving my Hebrew, especially next year when I'm not surrounded by it.
After Pesach I went to Paris!! I had a lovely visit with my dear high school friends Grace, Emily, and Natalia who are studying abroad there this semester. I have to apologize to my grandparents who might be ashamed of me, but I didn't set foot into a single museum! I've been to Paris before, and although you could spend a lifetime at the Louvre or the other amazing museums I decided that I had experienced the "art visit" to Paris and this time I wanted to have a "friend visit". So instead we walked around the entire city, ate unbelievably decadent and delicious food (none of which was kosher for Pesach. woops! But how can you go to Paris and not eat baguette, crepe, and pain au chocolat?!) and generally made merry. It was so great to see these friends who I haven't been able to spend as much time with as I would have wanted since we all left San Francisco, and spend some time in a new culture and a language I completely couldn't understand!
While I was gone Matan got his cast off! woohoooo!!!!! He's like a little boy released into the world for the first time, running around and swimming in the ocean (we went to the beach) even when it's cold and windy. Of course I went with him - we Nichols-Cohens mean business when it comes to oceans :)
I came back to midterm exam week. Great. I am chugging along.
I also came back to the beginning of two weeks of what are known as Israel's Secular High Holy Days - Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZicaron, and Yom Ha'atzmaut. Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, was yesterday here in Israel and I attended a moving ceremony at Hebrew University. The history of this day in Israel is incredibly fascinating and serves to illuminate some important aspects of Israeli culture, so if you will indulge me I will share a short history lesson:
When Israel was first founded shortly following the end of WWII, boats full refugees from concentration camps arrived to Israel, the safe haven. However, they were not greeted with open arms and open ears ready to hear their stories and elevate them as heroes. Instead, this young Israeli culture wanted to ignore the Holocaust, as it represented to them the image of Jews throughout history - lambs walking quietly to the slaughter, not standing up for themselves. These new Israeli Jews considered themselves fighters, and did not identify with survivors. Not until the pressure of other countries establishing days for Holocaust remembrance and the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem did Israeli leaders set aside a day for remembrance in the Jewish State. And even then, true to form, they chose the commemorative date on the anniversary of (the end of) the Warsaw Uprising, emphasizing their identification with the fighters of the Holocaust. Since then there has been much more space made for remembering the Holocaust and understanding survivors, and all Israeli teens visit Poland in 11th grade, but I think the history of this day is quite interesting indeed.
Next week we will commemorate Yom HaZicaron, a day to remember the soldiers who fell in the war for independence in 1948, and immediately following that is Yom Ha'atzmaut, or Independence Day. It will be interesting to experience the saddest secular holiday and then immediately (they share an evening) the most ecstatic. It will also be interesting to think about the meaning of April 1948 for Palestinians, and the always contradictory feelings that I hold within my heart about this place - both celebratory and saddened.
More another time!
Love from Jerusalem
There are many pictures from my trip to Paris, but my internet is slow and I am impatient, so here is one of me in front of the oh so famous Seine. Bye for now!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Hi everyone!
I write to you from the Kibbutz where we are visiting for Pesach!
I don't have too much to report, but I thought I'd say hi and share a few stories while I have the time.
As I'm sure many of you know, there has been some balagan (this is Hebrew for a pretty big mess) in Jerusalem the last few weeks with Netanyahu announcing more Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the following protests. To be honest, I had to seek out the affects of this if I wanted to feel them, which often comes as a surprise to people who aren't here and expect everything to be craaaazy. It's not. The Old City was closed from the Arab quarter and there were many more soldiers at each gate, and occasionally my bus to school had to take a different route because of big protests in the larger Arab neighborhoods/villages of Jerusalem. There was a big protest at the entrance to Hebrew University, full of shouting and flag-waving, but when it was all screamed and done, the two opposing sides walked into school to learn together. The irony of this conflict is felt every day. I must admit that like may I am very frustrated with Netanyahu's announcement, as it so clearly does not send a message of readiness for compromise or concession.
I posted this story on my facebook, but I just think it's funny enough to share again:
The other day I was sitting on the bus when a relatively young religious woman got on with a stroller. She parked the stroller in the aisle of the bus, picked up the baby, and handed it to me. She went to pay the bus driver, came back, and retrieved her infant. To me the strangeness of this encounter is clear, but it is made even weirder to me by the fact that normally the religious women don't want people like me (read: tanktops and shorts) even looking at their babies, and don't even think about smiling. So the fact that this woman trusted me to hold her small child without as much as an explanation was pretty foreign. Also the fact that since sharing this story I have heard many accounts of similar experiences from friends. I think it also speaks miles about Israeli culture and Jerusalem in general - it's like one big neighborhood.
Another funny thing happened that same day: I was outside one of my classrooms in the international campus when a girl came up to me and asked (in Hebrew) if she could take a picture of me and ask a question for a project. I said sure, she snapped a photo, and said, "Okay, so the question is: Where would you rather live - Israel or America?" Seriously?! I looked at her and responded, "Do you have six hours? Because we can sit down an talk about this, but I just don't have a single sentence for you." She was pushy, as any good Israeli is, and eventually squeezed out of me some statement about how I love the culture in Israel but have a hard time living without the food, fashion, and family of America. I felt like she casually asked me one of the biggest questions she possibly could have conjured up. Funny.
So I think that's all I've got for now. I'm very much looking forward to Pesach on the kibbutz (imagine a 150 person seder!) and the pool opens in a few days! Next Thursday I'm going to Paris to visit three of my dear friends from high school who are studying abroad there, so look for a Parisian post in the near future!
Chag Sameach to you all, and many hugs and kisses!
xo
k
I write to you from the Kibbutz where we are visiting for Pesach!
I don't have too much to report, but I thought I'd say hi and share a few stories while I have the time.
As I'm sure many of you know, there has been some balagan (this is Hebrew for a pretty big mess) in Jerusalem the last few weeks with Netanyahu announcing more Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the following protests. To be honest, I had to seek out the affects of this if I wanted to feel them, which often comes as a surprise to people who aren't here and expect everything to be craaaazy. It's not. The Old City was closed from the Arab quarter and there were many more soldiers at each gate, and occasionally my bus to school had to take a different route because of big protests in the larger Arab neighborhoods/villages of Jerusalem. There was a big protest at the entrance to Hebrew University, full of shouting and flag-waving, but when it was all screamed and done, the two opposing sides walked into school to learn together. The irony of this conflict is felt every day. I must admit that like may I am very frustrated with Netanyahu's announcement, as it so clearly does not send a message of readiness for compromise or concession.
I posted this story on my facebook, but I just think it's funny enough to share again:
The other day I was sitting on the bus when a relatively young religious woman got on with a stroller. She parked the stroller in the aisle of the bus, picked up the baby, and handed it to me. She went to pay the bus driver, came back, and retrieved her infant. To me the strangeness of this encounter is clear, but it is made even weirder to me by the fact that normally the religious women don't want people like me (read: tanktops and shorts) even looking at their babies, and don't even think about smiling. So the fact that this woman trusted me to hold her small child without as much as an explanation was pretty foreign. Also the fact that since sharing this story I have heard many accounts of similar experiences from friends. I think it also speaks miles about Israeli culture and Jerusalem in general - it's like one big neighborhood.
Another funny thing happened that same day: I was outside one of my classrooms in the international campus when a girl came up to me and asked (in Hebrew) if she could take a picture of me and ask a question for a project. I said sure, she snapped a photo, and said, "Okay, so the question is: Where would you rather live - Israel or America?" Seriously?! I looked at her and responded, "Do you have six hours? Because we can sit down an talk about this, but I just don't have a single sentence for you." She was pushy, as any good Israeli is, and eventually squeezed out of me some statement about how I love the culture in Israel but have a hard time living without the food, fashion, and family of America. I felt like she casually asked me one of the biggest questions she possibly could have conjured up. Funny.
So I think that's all I've got for now. I'm very much looking forward to Pesach on the kibbutz (imagine a 150 person seder!) and the pool opens in a few days! Next Thursday I'm going to Paris to visit three of my dear friends from high school who are studying abroad there, so look for a Parisian post in the near future!
Chag Sameach to you all, and many hugs and kisses!
xo
k
Thursday, March 4, 2010
A Triumphant Return!
Hellloooooo dear readers!
Wow, long time no blog. The good news is that I have a series of overwhelmingly legitimate excuses for my prolonged absence which I will now share with you in an effort to absolve myself of my immense guilt for this unprecedented hiatus. So this, my friends, is why you haven't heard from me in what feels like a decade:
First, my computer died. Splat. Crash. In the middle of finals week with most of my papers almost finished and conveniently not backed up anywhere else. This was really fun, as I'm sure you can imagine. Adding to the fun was the fact that there is one certified Mac dealer in the entire country, which is in Petah Tikva (read: hard to get to suburb of tel aviv). Matan kindly accompanied me on the day-long excursion which resulted in the removal of my hard drive (so I could access my papers!!) and the handing over of my laptop for what turned out to be more than a month.
Then, I went home to Oakland. Without my laptop. Home was fun (family, friends, snowboarding, burritos, thai, sushi) but didn't feel blog-worthy, especially under the title "This Year in Jerusalem".
After that I returned to Israel to find my computer happily restored (rejoice!) but my apartment mysteriously without internet. This mysterious internet loss lasted until two days ago. To call it a total internet loss would be a misrepresentation, because the truth is that we did have internet access. On the landing of the floor above us. Somehow I couldn't bring myself to sit on the cold marble stairs for long enough to compose a blog update. Forgive me.
This brings us to the end of the list of excuses. I hope you can understand my lengthy absence, and that you will believe me when I say that I will do my best to catch you up and return in a timely fashion now that the aforementioned calamities have been remedied.
Sooooooo, onto the question of the hour: What's New? How kind of you to ask.
When I got back from home I had grandiose plans of traveling around Israel and the West Bank with my dear friend Fran. Unfortunately, life got in the way and Fran was busy for the first half of what remained of winter break, and I was busy the second half, because (drum roll please) Matan underwent foot surgery! I will spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say that for the last 3 weeks and for another 3 to come he finds himself in a cast to his knee and a lovely set of crutches. We spent most of the time following his surgery and before school started up again on the Kibbutz where we were kindly given a club cart (hand-operated golf cart) and had 3 meals a day in the dining room. Now that we're back in Jerusalem I am *privileged* with the role of caretaker. I'll just say that I think we will both be glad when this ordeal is over. But do not fret, Matan is basically fine. Bored and frustrated by his immobility, but fine. Some of you will also be happy to hear that this surgery has forced us to assume some different roles in our relationship, including a complete reversal of cooking duties. I now cook. Every day. Woo hoo for me.
I have also started my second semester! Here are my classes:
1. More Hebrew.
2. The Arab/Israeli Conflict: A Documentary History. This title is confusing. Are we studying the history of documentaries about the Arab/Israeli conflict? Are we trying to document its history? In fact, we are studying the history of the Arab/Israeli conflict by reading the political documents that have shaped and come out of it. It is awesome.
3. Archeology of Jerusalem. I am not an archeologist. However, the opportunity to go on field excursions every other week to the most important archeological sites of this ancient city and get credit for it was just too good to miss. Stay tuned for exciting accounts of said excursions in the future!
4. Peace-Building and Conflict Transformation. This course follows the class in Conflict Resolution that I took last semester with the same professor. This time we will focus more on models of conflict transformation and practical applications of theories. SO excited.
YAY FOR LEARNING
In other breaking news: Matan's nephew was born!! Yoav and Daniele, Matan's brother and sister-in-law, along with their daughter Yael, welcomed the new addition to their family almost 2 weeks ago. His name is Eitan and he is tiny and perfect.
I will leave you with a few photos. The first is of arguably the most crucial thing that has happened since you last heard from me: the return of cheese to our lives! As many of you know, Matan and I are both ferociously lactose intolerant. For whatever reason, we both accepted this diagnosis whole-heartedly and decided never to eat cheese ever again for the rest of eternity. When the dust settled (some ridiculous 2 years later) we remembered that goat cheese does not have lactose in it! This was a revelation. Since then we haven't gone overboard (cheese=expensive) but we did make mini pizzas that nearly brought us to tears:
The weather has been crazy here, with more rain than this country has seen in a long long time (last weekend on the Kibbutz I saw the craziest desert flash floods ever to exist on the planet, including hail and insane lightening that caused our hair to stand up as if we had rubbed balloons on our heads) but at some point last month there was a lovely warm weekend and we went to the beach. Here is proof:
Okay, now I'm tired. I hope that all is well with all of you, and look forward to hearing news from your various corners of the world whenever you feel like sharing it.
More love than the amount of wind that almost blew our clothes off our balcony last night,
Kate :)
Wow, long time no blog. The good news is that I have a series of overwhelmingly legitimate excuses for my prolonged absence which I will now share with you in an effort to absolve myself of my immense guilt for this unprecedented hiatus. So this, my friends, is why you haven't heard from me in what feels like a decade:
First, my computer died. Splat. Crash. In the middle of finals week with most of my papers almost finished and conveniently not backed up anywhere else. This was really fun, as I'm sure you can imagine. Adding to the fun was the fact that there is one certified Mac dealer in the entire country, which is in Petah Tikva (read: hard to get to suburb of tel aviv). Matan kindly accompanied me on the day-long excursion which resulted in the removal of my hard drive (so I could access my papers!!) and the handing over of my laptop for what turned out to be more than a month.
Then, I went home to Oakland. Without my laptop. Home was fun (family, friends, snowboarding, burritos, thai, sushi) but didn't feel blog-worthy, especially under the title "This Year in Jerusalem".
After that I returned to Israel to find my computer happily restored (rejoice!) but my apartment mysteriously without internet. This mysterious internet loss lasted until two days ago. To call it a total internet loss would be a misrepresentation, because the truth is that we did have internet access. On the landing of the floor above us. Somehow I couldn't bring myself to sit on the cold marble stairs for long enough to compose a blog update. Forgive me.
This brings us to the end of the list of excuses. I hope you can understand my lengthy absence, and that you will believe me when I say that I will do my best to catch you up and return in a timely fashion now that the aforementioned calamities have been remedied.
Sooooooo, onto the question of the hour: What's New? How kind of you to ask.
When I got back from home I had grandiose plans of traveling around Israel and the West Bank with my dear friend Fran. Unfortunately, life got in the way and Fran was busy for the first half of what remained of winter break, and I was busy the second half, because (drum roll please) Matan underwent foot surgery! I will spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say that for the last 3 weeks and for another 3 to come he finds himself in a cast to his knee and a lovely set of crutches. We spent most of the time following his surgery and before school started up again on the Kibbutz where we were kindly given a club cart (hand-operated golf cart) and had 3 meals a day in the dining room. Now that we're back in Jerusalem I am *privileged* with the role of caretaker. I'll just say that I think we will both be glad when this ordeal is over. But do not fret, Matan is basically fine. Bored and frustrated by his immobility, but fine. Some of you will also be happy to hear that this surgery has forced us to assume some different roles in our relationship, including a complete reversal of cooking duties. I now cook. Every day. Woo hoo for me.
I have also started my second semester! Here are my classes:
1. More Hebrew.
2. The Arab/Israeli Conflict: A Documentary History. This title is confusing. Are we studying the history of documentaries about the Arab/Israeli conflict? Are we trying to document its history? In fact, we are studying the history of the Arab/Israeli conflict by reading the political documents that have shaped and come out of it. It is awesome.
3. Archeology of Jerusalem. I am not an archeologist. However, the opportunity to go on field excursions every other week to the most important archeological sites of this ancient city and get credit for it was just too good to miss. Stay tuned for exciting accounts of said excursions in the future!
4. Peace-Building and Conflict Transformation. This course follows the class in Conflict Resolution that I took last semester with the same professor. This time we will focus more on models of conflict transformation and practical applications of theories. SO excited.
YAY FOR LEARNING
In other breaking news: Matan's nephew was born!! Yoav and Daniele, Matan's brother and sister-in-law, along with their daughter Yael, welcomed the new addition to their family almost 2 weeks ago. His name is Eitan and he is tiny and perfect.
I will leave you with a few photos. The first is of arguably the most crucial thing that has happened since you last heard from me: the return of cheese to our lives! As many of you know, Matan and I are both ferociously lactose intolerant. For whatever reason, we both accepted this diagnosis whole-heartedly and decided never to eat cheese ever again for the rest of eternity. When the dust settled (some ridiculous 2 years later) we remembered that goat cheese does not have lactose in it! This was a revelation. Since then we haven't gone overboard (cheese=expensive) but we did make mini pizzas that nearly brought us to tears:
The weather has been crazy here, with more rain than this country has seen in a long long time (last weekend on the Kibbutz I saw the craziest desert flash floods ever to exist on the planet, including hail and insane lightening that caused our hair to stand up as if we had rubbed balloons on our heads) but at some point last month there was a lovely warm weekend and we went to the beach. Here is proof:
Okay, now I'm tired. I hope that all is well with all of you, and look forward to hearing news from your various corners of the world whenever you feel like sharing it.
More love than the amount of wind that almost blew our clothes off our balcony last night,
Kate :)
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