I ended my last blog with the end of our stay in Kibbutz Ketura, an amazing experience. The next day, Tuesday, Sept 7th, bright and early, we packed up all of our stuff and got on the bus back to TA. So many things were going through my head.....what is the apartment going to be like? What's it going to be like living with strangers for 5 months? Ulpan, volunteering, beach, meeting new people, Hebrew, beach, getting around, shopping, groceries, beach, and did I mention BEACH?????
Four hours of non stop thoughts and we were back in Yafo where we left the rest of our stuff. We had to go in and get our suitcases because the Tel Aviv people were now being driven to the S. TA apartments. The living arrangements were divided into the following: 10 people in the big hourse on Israel Guri and 5 people in the smaller apartment on HaShofar (street names). Guess which house I was assigned to? The big house. Obviously.
We dropped off the smaller apartment people first and saw the sketchy area that they were living in and braced ourseIves and started wondering if it would have been better if we stayed on the Kibbutz! (Joking, sort of....) But then again, we all had to remind ourselves that we did not come here to stay at the Ritz Carlton, we came here to volunteer and that came with the territory. When we got to our house, it felt like I was on the Real World. Each room had the person(s) name on it who was going to be living there. We checked downstairs and our names were not there, so we went upstairs and found our room which seemed to very small but the plus side of this situation is that our doors open directly into the patio, which is SIIIICK! So, we made a slightly negative situation into a great situation! It's all about attitude, you see?
So about the house - after we heaved all of our crap to the second floor, we were ready to die and there is no such thing as the centralized AC in this house. I hate that I am spoiled by AZ. No AC is blasphemy to me, especually because I am used to the "dry" heat and can't deal with this thing called humidity, and my hair can't either, but I have given up on that the first time I was here in Israel! Anyway, the place has potential, let's just say that. We live right above a store owned by two guys from Samarkant, and our recruiting person told us if we speak Russian to them they will love us forever. So, after we toured around the neighborhood, I went in there and said hello. They were ok....maybe they will get nicer when they get used to seeing us around. Ten new people living above you is always a nice surprise! Back to the house - so it is definitely a drastic change from going from a nice apartment in PHX in Phoenix to a southside, sort of gross apartment....But I need to focus....think not Ritz, think not Ritz....it will be ok. So there are 8 bedrooms in this place. Two rooms are being shared and then 6 (now 5) people are living by themselves, which makes a grand total of 10 people! Two kitchens, 3 bathrooms, don't ask me which ones are functioning....ha ha ha. I am getting used to it, let's just say that.
The neighborhood is super conservative. So you always see people walking around with head scarves and who are fully clothed in 90 degree weather. We were told to be mindful of noise after certain hours and make friends with the neighbors because they will watch out for us if something happens. Good advice that will go a long way, I hope. Especially when we get bikes! The first night was sort of rough, not going to lie. There was no motivation to unpack nor clean, nor really do anything in this awful heat, but day by day we are all getting used to it. The good part is that for the most part that the people are cool so that makes it much easier. The heat is the worst part because I can't sleep in it but I will manage. I have running water, electricity and a roof over my head, everything else will work itself out. I came here for the experience and that I will get.....
The next day was the Erev Rosh Hashana (the eve of the Jewish New Year.) My roomate and I were paired up with a host family that is part of Beit Daniel and BINA, the hierarchy that funds our Tikkun Olam projects and volunteering. We talked to Tamar, our hostess and were invited for a 630 dinner. We decided to not waste any time that day and go to the beach. The walk was about 40 minutes but well worth it and we both agreed that with bikes the ride will be a joke and great exercise as well! On the way to the beach we stopped at a book store and I bought a phrase book, which is divided up into many different categories and situations. I have been reading it every day, very amusing! Anyway, when we got to the beach, the water was incredible and teal and clean just like I left it. Because we went through Yafo to get to the beach we had to go a little north but ran into the water at the first opportunity that we had. It was so warm! Ahhhh! We got out of the water and walked on the boardwalk for a little bit. We saw a photo shoot on the way, she was beautiful but had way too much make up on for the beach. Lisa and I decided to go sit on the rocks and watch the water crash against them, one of my favorite things to do. We chilled for a bit and headed back to get ready for dinner.
Because it was a holiday, the busses were not running so we had to take a Sheirut, which is a service taxi, sort of like a shuttle/ride share. They cost six shekels which is nothing and take different routes around the city. Some people from the house were going to services near our area so we all jumped on the Sheirut and in our broken Hebrew told the driver where we needed to go.
We all got off at the same stop, wished each other Shana Tova and parted ways. Our host family was not too far from Beit Daniel, about a ten minute walk. We got to the alley of houses and found the house and rang the doorbell. No one came. Interesting. A girl walked by and gave us a look and said something in Hebrew to which I answered, ani lo medaberet ivrit, at medaberet anglit? ( I don't speak Hebrew, do you speak English?) to which she said yes and asked if we were looking for her parents house because it was right next door. Aaaaand it began!
Tamar got the door and we were greeted by a huge dog and two little ones. The big almost knocked me over and you know how I am about animals.....I grow to like them I suppose. The house was gorgeous, it was 3 stories, lots of artwork from all around the world, family photos, glass design, beautiful kitchen and dining room. We started helping Tamar with last minute things for dinner. She was already so welcoming and amazing. Her first language was German and then when she was five she moved to Israel. Her and her husband lived in the Artzot Habrit (US) for 20 years so that is why her English was so amazing. They have three kids, two daughters and a son. They all started piling in with their significant others and families. The house was full and we were all starving a ready to EAT! We said the prayer for Rosh Hashana, the wine and then the Challah and it was game time! The food and conversation did not stop. Oren, the oldest son, also a huge smartass, happened to sit next to me. He asked me what we were doing at his parents' house. I explained, maybe not so well, that we were living in Israel and volunteering and were paired up with a host family to celebrate Rosh Hashana. This he twisted into thinking that we were volunteering for his family and that really confused him because his family happens to be the top 1% of highest earning families in Israel. Wow. That was hilarious. He spent the majority of his life in Canada so English was his first language, so he didn't waste any time giving us a hard time. The rest of the evening was great. I think I ate about 8 lbs of food AND she gave us some schnitzel and cake to take home like a typical Jewish mother. The girls were amazing. They all gave us there contact info and we are planning to meet up with them soon. We also took a family photo which turned out great. I promise I will upload pics soon! Seriously. The dad drove us home and we called it a night. What a great start to a new year!
The next day I had made plans to celebrate Jewish New Year's day with my real family in Israel. My cousin Michal and her husband Golan picked me up and we were off to Ida's (dad's cousin's) house 20 minutes outside of Jeru (Jerusalem). The drive was gorgeous. We were at a higher elevation so the surroundings included more pine trees and overall greenery, if that's even a word! It was a beautiful. The temperature was lower too because we were higher up. On the way there Golan informed me to be ready because Ida's house was like a museum. When we pulled up, I realized he wasn't exxagerating. The only thing that was missing from the front of the house were two lions and a fountain. The house is sort of built on a hit and has three stories, one prettier than the other. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, but my dad would really appreciate the design. Actually anyone would. Igal (Ida's son) came shortly after us. His English is probably the best out of the whole family, not including Aaron (Doba's (dad's cousin's son)). We chatted for a bit until the rest of the family got there. Aaron and his wife and kids were visiting Israel from Canada. They moved away about 2.5 years ago. Shiri, his wife is gorgeous and just overall a pleasure to talk to. Shahar, is 7 and is gorgeous and Tomer is 3, I think, and a huge troublemaker, but so cute so it's hard to not get sucked into his shenanigans! We all talked, ate, played with the kids and had a great dinner. It was hard for me though, there were three languages being spoken at the house but none of them at the same time. There are only a few people that speak/understand all three. I had an epiphany that quite possibly, many years from now, my family will be exactly the same. That freaked me out and validated how important language is.
That night when I got dropped off, Ben came over and me, him and a couple of people from the house went out to northern TA to the beach area. It was sooooo pretty all lit up, I think my favorite part is night time TA and how beautiful the lights look and their contrast with the Med Sea on the other side. We went to a bar that we went to during the time when some of us extended on B-right. Yes, the one with the bad songs, as some of you remember! This time it was actually better. After that bar we went out to the beach and went to a beach bar where we drank and smoked Nargila (Hookah). It was a perfect evening! I looked at my clock and it was 4AM! Wow. Time flies when you're having fun! When Ben dropped me off, he invited me to his house for Shabbat dinner, which was the next day. I couldn't say no to pigging out three days in a row!
On Friday, a bunch of girls from both house decided to take a field trip down to Ben Yehuda St, one of famous beach streets in TA. Everything was pretty much closed for the holiday but the beach is never closed, so we went down there. It was packed! Amazing as always. We roramed around the quieter city for a few hours and then went home.
Ben picked me and took me to Ra'anana to his house. At this point, I feel sort of like a part of this Israeli family, even though we all barely speak the same language. It really helps with the learning because I am forced to improvise in Hebrew. Ben and I went outside to the patio, which is gorgeous by the way, in its own simple way. Then his mom came out there and he decided to leave to leave and it was game time. We talked about Russian and family back home and then his dad and his brother came out and I got stuck in the middle of pure ivrit. But I notice that because I know certain verbs and nouns I am able to pick up the context of many sentences. Maybe not so much reciprocate but that is still better than nothing!
We sat down to eat and the meal was AMAZING! Salad with tahini (tHina) Rice, kabobs, steak. For desert cake, and a salad of watermellon, pomagranite and leechy. Basically I could not stop eating as I predicted. But I don't feel bad about being a pig because I walk about 6 miles a day. No joke. It's pretty awesome. I couldn't believe how amazing Shabbat was, given the fact that there was a bunch translation and language barriers going on. I loved it. I hope to be back soon.
The next day was Saturday, which is Israel's Sunday, which means that the day after that was a work day and we had our first Ulpan (Hebrew) class and volunteering sessions (more FAQ's, etc). Ben and I went to the TA beach. One of my favorite places. I am sure I might have mentioned it maybe a couple thousand times. We spent all day in the water. It was amazing like always. We got hungry and he called one of his friends to see about a good place to eat. His friend told him Yafo. It didn't seem far when we looked at Yafo which on the southern coast of TA. We debated taking the car but then decided to walk. As we walked, we saw soooo many people out on the lawn. They were Arabs. They were celebrating the end of Ramadan. People grilling and smoking nargilah, kids playing, people swimming, music playing, it was very festive! We walked by a monument and something was written in Russian and Hebrew. I came closer to read what it was. It was a monument that was dedicated to a terror act that took place in a night club about 10 years ago and mostly Russians were killed. Ben told me. Right next to it on the lawn, in Russian it said "Eto nash dom - This is our house" and Ben told me that the Hebrew next to it said, "We will never stop dancing." That almost made me cry and the reality of where I now live rushed over me. But I wasn't scared, I was proud to be there.
The walk to Yafo was neverending but it was so VIBRANT! So many people trying to get, really the continuation of the end of Ramadan or so I think. It reminded me of Nogales or Rocky Pointe. People yelling from all different directions to buy their produce, music blaring from cars and restarants and people everywhere, just enjoying life. I loved it, I was soaking it up, every minute of it. Ben kept asking where this place was and no one really knew but they all kept telling us to go ahead. Kadima, yaseshar (straight). When we finally found the place I wasn't even that hungry anymore, typical, and the food was ok. The walk there was definitely way more enjoyable than the food but oh well. Anyway, my feet felt like they were about to fall off but we had about 3 miles left of a walk. I wasn't joking when I said I walk about 6-7 miles a day!
We started walking, walked more and then walked more. TA was once again lit in its amazingness. You will never hear the end of this just to let you know. On the way through town, Ben put his arm around me and for the first time in Israel, I felt like I was actually living there and not a tourist. It's times like these that confirm that I made the right decision. I feel like I am alive when I am here and even though life is not as convenient as it was back in the US, I enjoy it so much more. Ani osa chaim - I am enjoying life. After we got to the genereal area of the boardwalk, we went down to the beach again and just sat there for a good hour. It never gets old! This was a great way to end the free time and unwind for Ulpan and volunteering. Stay tuned, more coming soon!
L'hitraot!
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