#ancientworldproblems

SHALOM!

Two posts in one night? I am on a roll!  Procrastination overwhelms my life. 

So after my hike through the Northern Galilee I went on a trip to Jordan with four other girls. We left Haifa for Nazareth and after a failed attempt of bartering for a decent taxi price we made it to the bus station with large holes in our pockets. Nazareth was nothing like what I had imagined it would be. It was crowded and dirty and had an Arab majority. Apparently only 45% of the people there are Christian. We did drive by the Church of the Annunciation, which is said to be the location Mary met the angel Gabriel. That was pretty cool. I would like to go inside and see it. Hopefully I can make it there before I leave.

Passport? Check.

Money? Check.

Ipod? Check.

Ice cream for breakfast? Check?....

In case you were wondering, ice cream for breakfast is delicious. Don't judge. The bus ride to Amman, Jordan was about 5 hours. This includes multiple Chinese firedrills around the bus to cross the Israeli-Jordan border. When we got into Amman we managed to make it alive to our hostel after sitting through an hour of straight traffic and honking. I thought Israel was bad. There are literally no traffic laws in Jordan. None. I think we might've seen one or two stoplights. It was probably one of the most insane driving experiences I have ever had. And it was only the beginning. The people at the hostel were so so nice. If you ever want to go to Jordan stay at the Abbasi Palace Hotel. After a complementary cup of tea (or coffee if you can handle it) we went out on the town. 

A couple notes on Jordan:

1. Where are all the women?  Not out, that's where.

2. Dress like a saint. Or as close as possible.  (Put the ankles and shoulders away!)

3.  Tell the taxi driver what you will pay. In Jordan it works. In Israel they kick you out.

4. Eat whatever you find in front of you. You will be surprised what tastes amazing.

The night was spent eating at a local restaurant (I had lamb and rice inside a pastry with a dipping yogurt) and visiting the Roman theatre nearby. It was awesome. Apparently early Christians would sneak into the theatre and hold services when the Romans weren't nearby.

We woke up to the sound of the calling of prayer and made our way to the bus station. We loaded up on the bus and made our way out of town before the sun was even up.

Petra is in the middle of the desert.

I had never seen that much sand before. Petra is one of the wonders of the world and is located outside of the town Wadi Rum. We spent the entire day roaming through the stone city. It was nothing I had ever seen before, nor will see anywhere else. Imagine an entire town carved out of stone. Giant slabs of stone. In order to get to the city you have to walk through The Siq. This is a giant canyon of red stone that towers over you that is created by nothing other than natural forces. No water involved. Water canals were carved in it to serve water to what was the ancient community. Bedouin people now inhabit Petra and I definitely had my fair share of offers for rides in a "nice air conditioned taxi" (aka a horse or donkey). I wish I could describe the experience but the only word I can think of is awe. I could barely take it in. The amount of work and history that resides in the monuments of Petra is massive. My outstanding moment in Petra was definitely riding a camel.

After the initial fear of falling off  while the camel gets up and down it's easy riding. They are oddly graceful animals. I also got to ride a donkey. I felt terrible taking it up a huge mountain. They are working animals, but still. After staying in Petra for the sunset we left and ate a hearty dinner at the Cave Bar. It is literally as it sounds. It was a bar made out of an ancient cave. The food was delicious. We spent the night at another great hostel and then left Petra in the afternoon to go back to Amman.  

The second time in Amman was less of a culture shock. We made it back in the late afternoon and decided to eat dinner at the most famous shawarma joint in the world. It's called Reem. The king and queen of Jordan eat there! It was delicious and only one Jordanian dinar! ($1.50). Fatty had two (don't judge me). Then we found the local dessert shop and I tried an Amman favorite. It was melted cheese with caramelized sugar and pistachios on top. It doesn't sound good, but it was amazing.

The next morning we attended a Turkish Bath. It is basically a day spa. They gave us massages, let us sit in the steam room, sauna,  hot tub and scrubbed off all our dead skin. It was definitely worth the invasive technique they used. That afternoon we  left Amman to go back to Israel. I bought a Jordanian scarf as my souvenir. 

Israeli customs doesn't like me.

I was stopped at the border (again) and they legit checked me for weapons. I'm saying hands on searching (and not the mediocre kind like in America. I'm talking jail style) and  metal detection. Sometimes I think they do it because they are bored.

All in all, we made it back to the University in one piece and I had a blast in Jordan. The trip was way smoother than I even imagined. 

Did I mention I ate Jordanian McDonalds? They have a menu item called a McArabia. I got a cheeseburger (can't have them in Israel).  It was a little different, but still delicious. 

If a Bedouin invites you to a bbq in the middle of Petra (nothing nearby), it's probably in your best interest to say 'no.'

Did I also mention that riddles from Arabs are way funnier than American ones?

(Oh the life of a study abroad student)

Stefani

Savior, He can move the mountains. Me? I just climb them.

Shalom Chaverim!

(Hello friends!)

I have  been terrible at updating this. So we are going to do a fast track  of what I have been up to in the past couple weeks. This post is going to cover my 3-day hike to the Sea of Galilee. I have officially been in Israel for almost a month (man, time flies!) and other then all the people I love in artzot habrit (The U.S.) I really don't miss  the states that much. If you have ever been to Israel, you know what I mean. There is like a  natural pull of the soul to be here. Luckily for my soul, I'm not going anywhere just yet. Not a moment goes by that I don't see God's hand print on this nation. 

Israel eretz yefa.

(The country Israel is beautiful).

Unfortunately, the 11-day Sukkot holiday break is over and now I have to return to the real world of getting a college education. But in honor of my lack of productivity in anything school - related let's go back in time to my YAM el YAM hike (Literally, Sea to Sea).It all started on a hiking trail about an hour-ish North of Haifa.  Here, 35 students joined me on what would turn out to be a very rewarding yet exhausting trip.  If I could sum it up in two words : organized chaos.  We marched through the mountains (they might be hills, I'm not sure. I'm a Florida girl.  If it's above sea level, it's a mountain) and saw a part of Israel that can only be seen by being completely immersed in it. We camped underneath the stars bare-bag-on-dirt and lived off of dried fruit, nuts, and peanut butter. We hiked through creeks, springs, forests, and even climbed a few cliffs. The scenery was like an oasis in a desert.  There was a point on the trip where we could see the border of Lebanon. It's hard to miss the bare sand of Lebanon when it's against the lush green vegetation of Israel. The guide (oddly enough named  Israel) told us that it's because Lebanon doesn't have laws regulating overgrazing. However,  my reasoning is because Israel is the chosen land of God's people. He could make it however he wanted and it's no surprise to me that the fertility and beauty of Israel beats any of it's neighbors by a ten-fold. 

Can you tell I'm in love? 

Anyway, we hiked up the largest peak West of the Jordan River and the views were phenomenal. We also visited a Druse Prophet (a small religion prominent in the Northern Galil) grave site and  the ruins of a Crusader castle.  The Northern Galilee was probably everything I could have wanted it to be. I'm  jealous Jesus got to spend so much time there.

Then there was the  Sea of Galilee.

It was an amazing feeling to finally get to our destination after 3 long days of hiking. The sea is relatively large and surrounded by mountains. Tiberius (the newer version, not the one from the bible) is located on the water and it  was hard to believe  a multitude of miracles happened there.  The water was cold and murky and the geographic location was perfect for a storm. Based on the boats they were using I'd be scared to get out and walk on water too. Speaking of walking on water, 

I tried. I failed.

(I wasn't on my A game.)

I'm glad I got to experience Israel on that level. It felt real and as tacky as it sounds I felt as though Jesus was walking beside me. Showing me the land as He knew it. The land He grew up on. Jesus spent three years in Tiberius and part of His ministry was done in the Galilee. I'm still getting used to being where He grew up.

The rest of my trip took place in the country of Jordan. 

Stay tuned.

In the words of my  Turkish neighbor, "Why would you go live outside for three days? Don't you know we worked for 2000 years to get hot water and electricity?" 

At about the 2nd day, I couldn't have agreed more.

But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

Matthew 26:32

Stefani

Let Go of My Akko!

Shalom!

I'm going to get better at posting on this, I promise!

So much has happened since Friday...I can't believe I've already been here for a week and a half. I'm loving it! I thought I would do my posts as they would be in Hebrew which is from RIGHT to LEFT. Odd huh? Now you know how I feel.

Holla out to my fellow left-handers : The school supplies here put the spiral on the right side, AKA easier to write without the spiral thing bumping into your hand. My conclusion? God was left handed. 

He is perfect after all.

Saturday (Shabbat)

As you might remember from my Jewish culture lesson: Friday and Saturday this past week were  part of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. This means there is nothing going on in the town. On Saturday morning, me and a couple friends decided to have a cultural experience at the local reform synagogue. We walked (no transportation, remember?) about two miles to the synagogue and sat through part of the service (it went all the way to 6 at night!). It was in all Hebrew so I didn't understand a word of it. But it was pretty cool because the rabbi invited all the international students (us) up to stand next to him while he read/sang  the Torah portion. It was exciting being so close to it. Around sundown I went on a hike with a couple students to the  Carmel National Park which is right next to the university. As we walked up to the trail entrance, we were overcome with the intricate sounds of modern Arabic music and the smell of what I want to think is hookah smoke, but in reality was more like that of a green leafy species found common in the U.S. The trail wraps around Mt. Carmel and the sunset from the park is phenomenal. The return to the university was driven by an instinct so strong it can only be considered part of my being: college football (more importantly, GATOR FOOTBALL). Some of the students here from UF joined me to watch the game on my laptop. Sadly the luck wasn't in our favor but "in all kinds of  weather we all stick together." The gator nation really is everywhere!

Sunday (Yom Rishon)

I spent all day Sunday in a city just north of Haifa named Akko (AHH-koh). This city is rich in history even back as far as Paul's missionary journey. Most of what I experienced was from the Crusader period (not the proudest part of Christian history, but nonetheless) . We stopped first at the founding site of the Baha'i religion (they just love their elaborate gardens) and it really was breath taking. We then ventured to the Old City of Akko where we ate probably one of the top 10 best meals of my life at a fancy, yet humble Arab restaurant. We ended up with 11 toppings on our table for our pitas with a salad and french fries. And that's just the appetizer! We were brought a platter of meat fit for a king with sausage, chicken breast, chicken cutlets, and beef liver. It was all delicious and I even tried liver for the first time. I'm not sure I will ever forget the consistency of that. I tried Arabic coffee as well. It's definitely got a kick! You have to sip it slowly, that's how strong it is. We then traveled under the city through a series of tunnels that the Crusader's once used to get around. On the other side we wandered into a beautiful Arab market that hosted a variety of products from scarves to hookahs to spices and veggies to even bootleg movies and cd's.  It was probably one of the coolest cultural experiences I've had so far. After the market we made it to the Crusader fort. It is a large fort built during the Crusader period that was eventually sacked by the Persians and buried underground. Interestingly enough, parts of it still haven't been excavated.  We crawled through the sewage/escape tunnels (it's a good thing I didn't have dessert) and made our way out of the city after trying some good ole Israeli ice cream. 

Monday (Yom Sheni)

After an eventful  holiday weekend it was back to class. I'm getting more confident in my  Hebrew and I can say it's probably my favorite class. Monday was uneventful for the most part. However, we have adopted a tiny kitten (it has a new name every day) that was found downtown abandoned by it's mother. We have nursed it back to health and it loves being around our dorm. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever, other than my cat Zoe back home.  I'm calling it Armageddon.

Tuesday (Yom Shlishi)

A couple fun facts for today:

1. The toilet paper here has hearts on it. Talk about a great bathroom experience.

2. No corn syrup. What does this mean? Coke = delicious.

3. "Throw up" in Japanese = gurrrrrraaaaa. I have no idea how to spell it, but that's what the word sounds like. (the context wasn't as bad as you think).

Today was spent in class and I have officially spent 3 hours contemplating the problem of whether or not Adam and Eve had children before or after they sinned. (Thanks Rabbinic Literature!) I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and attended an open mic event held for the international students this evening. It was fun and I've probably had my fair share of free pita and hummus for awhile.Tomorrow will be spent at the shores of the beautiful Mediterranean. It is my goal to come back to the states looking Israeli. (I still working on ze accent). I officially have a break off of school till the 24th of the month. I swear Israeli's  don't actually study. It is a study break due to the Jewish Sukkot holiday (It's not really celebrated too heavily in the United States). 

  

So the whole shorter post thing was kind of an exaggeration...if this bothers you try the following exercise: Stare at the nearest 5 pound book (this could be a bible, encyclopedia, biology text book etc...)  and then stare at my blog post. I know, I know, you feel like a new person. I'll be here all night.

If you want  a visual experience of Israel check out my facebook!

Deal Reached to Free Israeli Soldier

V'ahavta et Adonai Elohecha, B'chol L'vav'cha, Uv'chol Naf'sh'cha, Uv'chol Modecha.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

-Stefani

A Dog On The Roof & A Cat Named "Moo"

Shalom!

So I have officially been in the Holy Land for six days. Haifa is beautiful! Where to start?

    Let's try the beginning. 

   

      I left on October 1st from Tampa to the city of Philly where I would catch the second leg of my trip to Tel Aviv. Philly was gloomy but nothing could  dim my excitement. As I wandered through the airport searching for the perfect Philly Cheese steak and the gate to my flight, I approached what looked like a security checkpoint. To my surprise, it was a flight gate! Not just any, but mine. Complete with high walls, security, and metal detectors. Israel is what I like to call, "All talk, and all action." The 11 hour flight to Tel Aviv was ironically, a flight to hell. What started out as a perfect seating situation (Nobody next to me, YES!) turned into two people next to me (Mother and child) and a motion sick man in the row right by mine. Praise the Lord for earphones! 

    

     Tel Aviv was beautiful (There's a pattern here...) and once I found the sherut (group taxi) all that was left between me and Haifa was two hours of crazy driving and beautiful countryside. Now, by 'crazy driving' I don't mean Gainesville on a game day or downtown Miami or even (to my astonishment), Orlando. I'm talking no speed limit, oneinchfromeachother, horn blaring, lights flashing, swerving turns, leaving-the-seat driving. This was nothing short of insane. I did reach Haifa (alive) and settled in with my 5 other roommates. Four Americans, one German. However, we are visited every day multiple times by a mother cat named "Moo". Named so by her black and white coat. She is so sweet and will even come inside our apartment. 

     The first night we were invited by our madrichim (social coordinators) to explore the night life of Haifa. We took the bus downtown-ish to a pub. After finding an English menu, and meeting our cute waitress (whose favorite English word is "Appetizers"..as we found out) we ordered a pizza (Yes, my first meal in Israel was pizza) and an Israeli beer. The drinking age here is 18, and for trying beer for the first time in my life it was actually pretty good. It was fun getting to know some of the other students over a meal and to my surprise, the International School here currently represents: Germany, USA, Czech Republic, Ukraine, China, Japan, Cambodia, Romania, Canada, and a few more. So cool!

     Day two: Monday: Woke up to orientation alllllll daaaaaayyyyy. Luckily, the weather was AMAZING. No humidity + sun + 70 degrees = heaven?!? Later that day we went on a tour of the city. We visited the Baha'i Gardens (briefly), got food at the shuk (an outdoor market- kinda like the one in Aladdin), ate free homemade falafel, bought like ten pounds of baklava from an Arabic dessert shop, visited an old monastery that is built over a graveyard, saw a dog lying on the roof of a house (yes, a roof), and watched the sunset over Elijah's cave. Literally, the Prophet Elijah stayed in a cave right by where I was standing. I didn't get to see it, but I will. 

     Day three: Tuesday: AKA the first day of class. So to make a long story short, I can't read Hebrew. The University is in all Hebrew. It is hard to find your class when everything is in Hebrew. Got lost. Way lost. Missed class. Embarrassment. Bad start of the day. However, my roommate and I re-visited the shuk after getting lost on the bus (it's an inconvenient pattern I'm seeing) and got more food for the week. Now, let me clarify something. Food here is like this: Bread, Pita, Hummus (correct pronunciation, America: hoomoos), and Vegetables. I have recently branched out into the realm of cereal, peanut butter and mac n cheese (the brand here is called 'Wacky Mac'-rather humorous). Then in the evening we as an International School, probably about 70 of us, got together and did team building games for fun.

    Day four: Wednesday: Class was much easier to find and I began my studies in Hebrew! The classes here are extremely long (2-3 hours). Lame! But at least there is always a great view out of the nearest window. The University of Haifa is pretty much the "cherry on top" of Mt. Carmel. It's high up. After a brief meeting about hiking trips in the afternoon, (I will be hiking from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee next week. Yes! The Sea of Galilee! SO PUMPED) we visited the mall. It's pretty much legit. Three stories of stores and food for pretty decent prices. Too bad I don't have room in my suitcase for new clothes. More updates on the hike to come, if I walk on water...I'll let you know. 

    Day five: Thursday: Class. Class. Class.    Alefbetvetgimeldaletheyvavzayinchettetyodkafkhaflamedmemnunsamechayinpeyfeytzadikkoofreyshshinsintav.

     You just learned the Hebrew alef bet. After class and dinner a group of students and I met  up and went to an Israeli club named Loft. It was so fun! Israeli clubs are way more fun than American clubs and it was a fun experience being able to sing all the American songs with the Israelis and other international students. The bus ride home however, was a freak show! Picture this: 40 people packed on a bus. One homeless guy violently banging on the bus windows so we will pay his fare. One drunk guy puking all over the floor and it dripping towards the back of the bus. Four guys spitting sunflower seeds all over the bus and screaming at other passengers. The bus driver finally lets the homeless guy in, and then five minutes into the ride, all of the homeless guy's stuff flies everywhere and just adds to the excitement of the ride home. A kind Israeli citizen looks at us and says "Please do not think this represents the country. It is usually not like this. This is a freak show!" Well said my friend. Well said. 

   Day six: Friday. Today. Sabbath. Shabbat. Etc.

         Today I didn't have class and never will on a Friday while I'm here. In Israel, Friday's aren't work days. They are considered a weekend day. However Sunday is not. Sunday is considered a week day and the first day of the week at that. So we as students get to take advantage of the best of both worlds and have three day weekends every week. Today is the beginning of the two day holiday of Yom Kippur. It's a high holy day for the Jewish religion and is a day of asking God for forgiveness of your sins and fasting in order to be nearer to Him. Pretty beautiful, actually. The whole country shuts down after the sun sets. To fill in the little amount of time we had today to utilize the public transportation (it shuts down early on Fridays & especially Yom Kippur) we went to the beach. It's beautiful! The sand is soft and brown and the water is a bright clear blue. The Mediterranean Sea is just gorgeous. Tonight I am joining in on the festivities of Yom Kippur and fasting water and food till tomorrow at sun down. Since the sun has set there has not been one car on the interstate (that was almost 4 hours ago). It's crazy the dedication they have to holidays in this country. Sometimes I wish America was like that. 

g'mar chatima tova

May you be sealed in the book of life

Traditional Yom Kippur Salutation

Stefani

1. Learn more about Yom Kippur!
2. My school abroad!