Fall 2013

The fall weather here in Israel is delicious. Sometimes it cools off enough that you have to wear a sweater, and every so often you get a little rain. One day we had a fun lightning and thunder storm, but it only lasted a few hours, and then the weather went back to normal. What is normal? Blue skies, a few fluffy clouds, and warm temperatures. In fact, on the day before the first night of Hanukkah (last Wednesday), it was 95°F. What makes fall delicious? Because one day it could be 95°, and the next day it could be 72°. I love the days when I have to wear a sweater--those are the days when Israelis are wearing their thick coats. I love it when I don't have to turn on the AC, and when I can actually wear a long-sleeved shirt and feel comfortable. What's nice about the fall here in Israel is that those things actually happen about half of the time which is a vast improvement from summer.

On October 3rd I moved into my new studio apartment, which I love. I am on the 5th floor and have a view of the whole north end of Tel Aviv, including the Mediterranean Sea in the background. The apartment is brand new, and I don't have to share the bathroom or kitchen with anyone. Though I do admit I had wonderful roommates at the Einstein dorm I lived in for 14 months and am very thankful for such a positive experience, I am still very happy to have an apartment completely to myself. The apartments are called Broshim and they are situated right between the university and the train, which is quite convenient. There are 10 apartment buildings under construction, 3 of which are now occupied by residents. Plans are underway for supermarkets, restaurants, shops, and laundry facilities to be up and running on the ground level of the facilities within the next few months. When those are installed living here will be even more convenient. I love this place and hope I get to stay here for a long time.

Broshim. The bottom level will be shops and restaurants. The upper levels are apartments.

view from my window at Broshim

In October my Uncle Joe came to Israel for 5 days with his friend Terry. Uncle Joe is actually my great-uncle because he is my grandma's brother. He and Terry stayed in a hotel across the street from the beach in Tel Aviv and I had the privilege of showing them a few places around Israel. One day we went to Yafo (Jaffa) and explored the ancient stone passageways of that beautiful old city. 

Etsel Museum on the way from Tel Aviv to Yafo--perfect blend of ancient and modern architecture

view of Yafo from Tel Aviv

passageway in Yafo

Yafo is a popular place for wedding pictures.

pretty house in Yafo

Uncle Joe and Terry exploring the stone passageways of Yafo

another beautiful corner of Yafo

dinner in Yafo

sunset on the Mediterranean

On another day we took a train up to Haifa and visited Hadossa. Our friend Steve was also staying in Haifa and hung out with us.

Terry, Steve, Hadossa, Uncle Joe, Me

Uncle Joe and Hadossa

The day before Uncle Joe and Terry returned to the U.S. we took a train down to Ashkelon. We explored Tel Ashkelon, which was the largest Philistine city way back in the day, near the place where Goliath was from, and the place where Samson hung out because he was attracted to Philistine women. 

Tel Ashkelon

The ancient Philistine city of Ashkelon is located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.

an ancient residential area of Ashkelon undergoing excavation

Tel Ashkelon

Tel Ashkelon

ancient and modern Ashkelon

ancient and modern Ashkelon

Tel Ashkelon

Tel Ashkelon

more excavations in Tel Ashkelon

Terry standing in the ancient city gate of Ashkelon

Uncle Joe and Terry enjoying falafel in the modern city of Ashkelon

Terry took this picture of Uncle Joe and me back in Tel Aviv.

view from Uncle Joe and Terry's hotel balcony in Tel Aviv

view from Uncle Joe and Terry's hotel balcony in Tel Aviv

Uncle Joe on the hotel balcony in Tel Aviv

another beautiful sunset in Tel Aviv

There were a few days when Uncle Joe and Terry went exploring on their own because I had to work, so the time that they were here flew by in a flash, and I was so sad to have to say goodbye to them.

Almost immediately after Uncle Joe returned to the U.S., a new semester of teaching started for me at Ruppin. At first I had a class of over 45 students, which was then reduced because of a placement test, which got 9 of them exempt from English. Finally, the remainder of my class was split in half because their ability levels were so widely ranged that it was impossible to meet the needs of all the levels in just one class. Now I have just under twenty students, mostly men and only 3 women, who are all planning on becoming either marine biologists or engineers next year. This semester I work 3 days a week, and in addition to teaching the Science and Engineering English Mechina, I am also tutoring other students at Ruppin who need extra help in their English classes.

Almost immediately after the fall semester started at Ruppin, I took a little vacation down to Eilat to participate in Camp Bitnua for 4 days, a folk dance festival that happens once a year with Gadi Bitton, Israel's most famous rikudei am markid. Hadossa was too busy to come with me this year, but I had other friends of whom I dance with regularly who were there, and of course there wasn't a single dull moment. It was exciting to see how much dancing I have learned over the past year since the last time I came to Camp Bitnua. I was able to learn dances in the intermediate class this time instead of the beginner's class, whereas last year that would have been impossible. At one point during the weekend, I snuck away and went snorkeling in the Red Sea. I don't have pictures since my camera is not water-proof, but I must say that snorkeling in the Red Sea is one of my favorite things I've done in Israel so far. I recommend this activity to anyone who comes here. The corals and fish are incredibly beautiful. Some of the fish are huge and all of them are colorful and interesting in different ways. At one point I swam right through a school of silvery fish, each one of them staring hard at me with their little black eyes. It was like swimming through a dream. I wish I could show what it looks like, but I guess my readers will just have to come to Israel and try it themselves. Anyone with even partial vision would never forget the beauty.

harkada at Camp Bitnua

harkada at Camp Bitnua

Sagiv Cohen is a popular singer here in Israel, whose songs we often to dance to. Here he is in concert at this year's Camp Bitnua.

harkada at Camp Bitnua

view from my hotel room balcony looking down on the Camp Bitnua grounds, Luna Park beyond, and Jordan in the distance

View from my hotel balcony. You would never guess from this view that Eilat is a desert that gets about 1 inch of rain per year.

Recently I went with a friend to Caesarea for lunch and on the way back we dropped by the Alexander River. I was excited to discover giant, soft-shelled turtles living in that river. They get up to a meter long, are covered in spots, and have little noses that stick out like snouts. We also saw large catfish in the river which are also about a meter long, but unfortunately they were too fast for my camera to capture.

Caesarea

Caesarea

Caesarea

Caesarea

my view while eating lunch in Caesarea

Alexander River

Alexander River

Giant African soft-shelled turtle that lives in the Alexander River--this one is approximately 3 feet long.

These guys were huge and very interesting!

This bird was sitting near the shore of the Alexander River.

Now it is Hanukkah and Hadossa is staying with me for a few days. We have so much fun hanging out together and telling each other all the little things about life that no one else will understand. Hadossa is loving her classes at the Technion and is doing very well. She takes classes with names like "Analytical Mechanics" or "Waves" or "Partial Differential Equations" and other similarly strange words. I can't imagine taking those classes in any language, let alone Hebrew, but there's no doubt she is loving it. Happy Hanukkah to all my friends and family in the states. I love and miss you all and wish you could be here to soak in the beauty and wonder of Israel.

 

4th night of Hanukkah, November 30, 2013