Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back!!!

So, Ulpan is now over! And as much as I complained about it before, I now miss the hectic structure of the 25 hours of Hebrew being involuntarily shoved down my throat. I do enjoy being able to sleep in on Sundays and Wednesdays, but I still feel like we’re moving too fast, but now we’re not going over the vocabulary as well as we were. Not to mention, that I now have to keep up with all my other classes… and judging from the size of the readers that I had to purchase, it’s not going to be easy. I also do not enjoy the lines that have developed due to the regular Hebrew U students who also need to display ID and have their bags searched. It’s not all bad though. All of my professors are very interesting, and are excellent educators. As I stated before, the classes are very reading intensive and I’m not looking forward to the final papers of two, but hopefully it will be doable. It’s also an interesting experience not going back to my room during breaks. The 2 hour breaks that I do have during the day aren’t worth the trek back to the Kfar and then back again.

Beach in February!

After we finished Ulpan and took the final exam we ran to get to Eilat. Literally ran. I was the last of the group to finish the exam and I was the one who forgot their passport. So we grabbed a cab and booked it to the Central Bus Station. We got through security and then ran to try to get our tickets. However, do to a language barrier we stood in front of an ATM for about five minutes before realizing that we had to go somewhere else to get our tickets. We found the bus by a miracle and then began our five hour trek to the south. With five hours after a long stressful week, one would think that I would sleep. No such luck. But there’s so much to see that it’s almost impossible to sleep. The desert is absolutely fascinating. Especially driving by the Dead Sea, the desert looks like what I would imagine the bottom of the ocean would be like. And since we did drive by the Dead Sea, the bus was going up and down the hills like a very slow rollercoaster. I didn’t notice until we went back, but apparently a lot of people did. I saw my first camel and also there were a few Bedouin camps with families shepherding huge herds of sheep and goats. Interestingly enough, since we were going to a beach community, the entire back row behind us was filled with orthodox Jews. And for the record, it seems no matter where you go that little kids smell like peanut butter. Since it seems like half this country smokes, we had to take multiple smoke breaks on the way down.  Not scheduled ones, but where we would stop to pick someone up and a bunch of guys (no women, just men) would scamper off the bus to smoke. We finally made it to Eilat and we made it to our hostel. Which was fantastic! It was nice and clean and we also got the added bonus of having our own room. We had to share a bathroom, but that wasn’t bad either. We got pizza and wandered around Eilat for a most of the night. We found a beach, with a huge boardwalk that took several hours to go through, and my friend got the random award for the night with a random shoe shopping excursion. The next morning was cloudy and cool, but with the sun out it was warm enough, so we changed into suits and wandered down to beach, when we realized that it was most definitely not warm enough to swim in the Red Sea. It was warm enough when the sun was out, but as soon as the sun went away it was cold and depressing.  So, we packed up and, we went walking with the intention of finding the Jordanian border. It was too late to go in, but we were close enough that we could walk and at least see it. So we started walking east. As you go east in Eilat, the hotels and resorts get more and more expensive. On the beach there’s a huge Hilton that looks like a sandcastle, and the King Herod resort is fantastic, not that we could actually go in, but there was a lot outside as well. Almost right on the Jordanian border, there’s an Orthodox beach, where the beach was completely enclosed and there were sides for the women and the men. We got to see Jordan and then had to head back, which made us realize exactly how far we had walked.  As part of our vacation, we made reservations at a really nice Brazilian restaurant that literally kept serving us food. As soon as we finished one appetizer they world bring us another. It was fantastic food, and I was so full afterwards it was very tempting to go to bed right afterwards. The next day there was much better and we spent the entire day at the beach. It was so much fun with the and the ocean, which was still really salty. The sun was relaxing and made it such great vacation to prepare for the new semester.

Ani lo holecht la'Ulpan b'boqer !!

The horror of Ulpan is over! Finally! After the intense rounds of study group after study group, late night stressing and watching students wander around muttering random words under their breath, the last days are over. With the oral exam in the morning, in which we were required to know two passages very well and be able to answer several questions about ourselves. We also all brought food and had a picnic that was a nice little break before taking the final exam an hour later. Which was long, drawn out and painful, but I survived. Now I go from the overwhelming joy of Ulpan 25 hours a week to the fun of 8 hours a week. 

Via Dolorosa

After feverishly cleaning the apartment, which needs to be cleaned again, my roommate and I went out to explore the Via Dolorosa, which extends through the heart of the Old City.  Starting at the Lions Gate leading in the Christian Quarter, the first station is currently a school, but was the site of a Roman Fort and is held to be the site where Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus. Across the road are two churches, the Church of the Condemnation, where Christ was condemned to be crucified and where Pilate wiped his hands of the decision. Opposite the courtyard is the Church of the Flagellation, where Christ was given the crown of thorns and mocked by the Roman soldiers. At the third station, we got stuck behind a group from Nigeria that had to touch EVERYTHING, which made them take about four times as long. Luckily we lost them by making a wrong turn and going to the fourth station before going to the third. The fourth station is a huge imposing church called the Church of Our Lady of the Spasm, which is a very weird name if you ask me. It’s the spot where Mary stood to watch Jesus go by. Down in the crypt there is a fantastic fifth century mosaic in which you are supposed to be able to see the outline of a pair of sandals, said to be Mary’s footprints. How Mary’s footprints appeared in a mosaic that was created five hundred years after her death seems rather bizarre to me, but I guess it’s an interesting commentary on the power of faith. I didn’t actually see the footprints, so I can’t attest if they look like Mary’s footprints or not. The third station is attached to the fourth and is the just a marker commemorating the first place Jesus fell on his journey to Golgotha . The fifth station is  a site where Jesus leaned against the wall  and there is a handprint in the side of the  chapel. Once again, I don’t know how much of this I believe, and I do find it fascinating in the differences in people’s faith. This is also the site where Simon the Cyrenian was forced to carry Jesus’ cross and there is a small chapel of commemoration. The sixth station is where Saint Veronica wiped the face of Christ with her handkerchief. A small pillar marks the spot that says “6 St./pia Veronica faciem Chisti linteo deterci” (trans: 6^th station, pious Veronica wiped the face of Christ with a cloth). The cloth was held to have healed Emperor Tiberius of an illness and was stored in the Vatican until the 16^th century when it was lost. The seventh station is the second spot where Jesus fell. This spot is also called the Gate of Judgment, since it is here that would have been the exit of the city and the names of the condemned were affixed to it.  We missed the eighth station, but it’s a stone with a hole in the middle inscribed with an “IC XC” for Jesus Christ and “NIKA” meaning victor. It was here that Christ consoled the women of Jerusalem. The ninth station is where Jesus fell a third time and is marked by a Roman pillar on the way to the Ethiopian compound. The Ethiopian Compound  is on top of a roof, and has been the center for intense debate. The Ethiopian Church managed to take the rooftop away from the Coptic Church and after the paperwork that specified their rights were burned, the Ottomans gave the roof back to the Copts. Then while the Copts were praying, the Ethiopian Monks came in, changed the locks and reoccupied the village. The site is still fought over, even though it’s been assed that the roof is in danger of collapse.  Another bizarre circumstance of this very sacred area is that there monks, men of God, are willing to have fistfights over one little spot. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is even more controversial. It’s nowhere near as impressive as the Dome of the Rock, though I think it’s more impressive than the Wailing Wall, not that I should say that here.  The Church is the site of Christ’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection.  It contains the final five Stations of the Cross: the tenth, where Jesus stripped off his clothes; the eleventh, where he was nailed to the cross, the twelfth; where he died on the cross; the thirteenth, where his body was removed from the cross; and the fourteenth, his tomb. Quick Background: The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is such a Holy site that it is shared by the Roman Catholics, the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Orthodox, the Jacobites, the Ethiopians and the Copts. Each individual division’s rights to the Church are defined by the Status Quo on Holy Sites, fixed by decree of the Ottoman sultan in 1757.  Under the Status Quo, each division is given rights to specific parts of the church and can hold services at certain times of the day or night. There have been frequent brawls between the factions, with the most recent being in 2008, but I’ve already rambled, so theres no point in going into it now. Also, since the factions cannot trust one another, the key to the Church is in the hands of a local Muslim family who has opened and closed the church for centuries.  The entire interior is dark, smoky and loud. At the very entrance to the Church is the Stone of Unction, which according to the Greek Orthodox tradition, is the stone where Christ was taken from the cross and the Roman Catholics believe he was anointed before burial. Following a very steep set of stairs that takes you through a very low archway to Golgotha. I didn’t actually get close to the last few stations, the crowd was huge and I had no desire to wait in line to sightsee. The whole altar is very ornate. More than I’ve ever seen in my life. You can’t even really see the rock underneath, except for the small peeks. Otherwise there’s so the thirteen station,  and next to it is the  Stabat Mater, a statue of Mary with a sword piercing her heart, marking where the Roman Catholics believe that Mary stood at the foot of the cross. Descending the stairs from Golgotha, we made our way to the Rotunda, where the Tomb of Christ is. Once again, there was a huge line to go see it, so I didn’t want to go to close. It was cool to see, but and I didn’t know how close I was allowed to so. Also, most Protestants believe that Christ was actually buried in the Garden Tomb, which is north of the Old City. I do really want to go there, and I do find it to be a little odd that the tomb is so close to Golgotha that it could be in the same Church, but who knows. I guess it’s just another expression of faith. 

Jaffa and Tel Aviv

In all the guidebooks I’ve read, Tel Aviv has been touted as this modern, cosmopolitan city, especially compared to Jerusalem. We toured Jaffa and Tel Aviv, and honestly I preferred Jaffa. Originally Jaffa was the only major port city of Israel, and was a bustling city… until the Arabs revolted against British rule. British retaliation involved basically bulldozing the city and allowing the Jews to build the city of Tel- Aviv next door. Jaffa is a beautiful city with gorgeous old buildings, beautiful flowers, artistic windows and is full of designer and artistic stores. I don’t know how true it is, but we were told that most Christian churches face east, and we were pointed out a church the faces the Mediterranean, which is to the west. It was a beautiful Catholic church… no matter what direction it faces. We got to see the rocks of Andromeda, where Pericles slew the sea monster and saved the beautiful princess Andromeda, on our walk to one of the best bakeries in Israel. The bread was very good, though I was told it would be spicier. Eventually we did get to Tel Aviv, and we had a stirring lecture on the original foundation of the state of Israel. Even though Jerusalem is the capital of the Israel, the declaration of Independence and the original parliament was in Tel Aviv. The main thing that they brought us to see was the artist market, which was interesting, and very modern, and as per every artists market, was very expensive. I’ll need to go back when it’s warm and sunny, so I can see it in a better light.

Psych Testing

As I can’t work here, when the opportunity arose to make 160 shekels to participate in a psychology study, I jumped at the chance. The group was studying how people learn Hebrew and they were looking for native English speakers that were in the Aleph level in Ulpan. The first session took two hours and I have never felt more like an idiot.  I had issues replicating patterns, I couldn’t intentionally make spoonerisms of nonsense, and the proctor of the test gave me lessons on speaking English. It is bizarre how they determine the how well someone can learn a language. Most of what they did was recognizing patterns, first in images and then in words. I’m kinda interested to see what the tests are next time… and I’ll make the last 120 NIS :) 

Trials of Laundry

I will never complain about Manhattan College laundry facilities again. In the entirety  of the Student Village where I life, there is one laundry room, and joy of joys, it costs 10 shekels to wash and 10 shekels to dry. That’s about $3.50! To put it in perspective, just a wash (not including  drying) is the same price as a kilo of lentils, or 2.5 kilo of oranges, or a half kilo of mushrooms. My one roommate washes her clothes by hand, which makes me feel really lazy. Luckily, I was able to infiltrate the secret world of the Jeff Seidel Jewish student center. All you have to do is sign up for a time and laundry is free!! It might take about 2 hours minimum, but with a comfy lounge and wifi, it’s a great place to go study. It’s a pain if people don’t abide by the sign- up sheet, but at the student center they will also feed you, making it even more desirable than the laundry room. It might be a pain once the semester start, but for right now, I would rather do my laundry for free and spend my money on oranges. J

American Food

I’m doing my best to learn how to cook and feed myself on a budget, which requires a trip to the shuk for groceries. I believe that I said that there is anything and everything at the shuk. My proudest moment was finding regular American cereal for half the price of the stuff in the supermarket and American Chewy bars for a third of the price of the ones in the store. We’re pretty sure they fell off a truck. The Hebrew nutrition facts are a sticker that was pasted to the side and all the rest of the packaging was completely in English. Also, the shopkeepers are more than willing to cut you a deal. I have bootleg American food!!!

Winter in Jerusalem

So… while I went to the beach this weekend, and it was 75 degrees there, it is still January and still winter here. Which means rain. And more rain. And more rain. It doesn’t usually pour, but it will rain hard and it will rain incessantly. It’s also windy, so my umbrella is kinda sorta useless. However, I do feel bad complaining about my forty five degree weather when it’s really winter at home. 

Masada and the Dead Sea

It wasn’t the first thing on my mind get up and 5:30 on a Friday morning to on a two hour drive to go hike, but I managed to roll out of bed and get dressed to go hike Masada. Which was amazing! We didn’t spend as much time as we should have since we had to get back in time for Shabbat, but it was still a fascinating experience. We hiked up the Roman Ramp and entered the fort near the place where the Romans broke through the walls. The hike up was really steep, but it only took about 20- 30 minutes. We got to see the ruins of the original palace that Herod built as a winter palace and as a place to run away to if there was a rebellion. It was amazing what expense that Herod went to in order to build it. The remains of food that was found showed that fish and cherries were imported and the Roman Baths that were built require a ton of wood and a ton of water, neither of which is available at Masada. After Herod’s death, it was taken over by a group of Jews who valued their freedom of religion more than their attachment to the Temple in Jerusalem. Well in the summary, they decided that there freedom was the most important thing to them and they all committed suicide rather than be killed by the Romans or sent back to Rome as gladiators. We then had a long talk about the significance of Masada to the Jewish people. How it was explained, and I hope I get this right, is that it is a symbol to the Jewish people of their situation in the Middle East and how there is always there threat that they might have to make a similar decision. I’m not sure if I really understand or agree, but that’s how it was explained. On the way down we took a path on the other side called the Snake Path. It literally winds up and down the side of the mountain and it is a long series of steep stairs. While it was quite a party to hike down, my legs were shaking upon reaching the bottom, and any other time I would stand still. We spent the majority of the time on Masada, but we managed to get sometime at the Dead Sea. J First of all, Israel may be a desert… but there isn’t much sand to speak of. There is a lot of dirt and a lot of rocks, but limited sand. The beach at the Dead Sea is a small strip of rocky beach and where the sea hits the rocks, the salt builds up into huge crystals. The bottom of the sea is also really rocky, but once you can start floating it’s amazing. I loved lying with my head back in the water and it was so comfortable! However, do not put your head underwater! While I was spared the pain of getting the water in my eyes, the water tastes disgusting. The water actually feels really oily when you get in from all the salt but it does make your skin feel great. The whole unfortunate part of this trip is that there we had to be back by two in order to be ready for Shabbat.