!שלומ
So, I've made it. Its the final week here in Israel. I'm honestly not even sure how to deal with it. I'm so excited to go home but at the same time I know I'm going to miss it here.
My holiday season was truly unique. It was a far cry from the typical American December that's for sure. So much has happened since I last posted in here. Leggo.
My friend Michelle's birthday was on the 12th so in celebration for that I spent the afternoon on the Mediterranean with a Pina Colada in hand, and then the celebration continued to none other than Rak Basar for dinner. We literally go there for everything. Must be the 5 dollar all-you-can-drink wine.
Then later that week we all got together and held a Christmas Party potluck at our place. It was so much fun. We decorated the apartment with snowflakes and garland and blasted Christmas music till we couldn't stand it anymore. It was definitely a little piece of home for all of us.
I was definitely due for a tour, so in order to fill this craving I went with a group of students to Akko and Rosh Hanikra. I had previously been to Akko, but it was still beautiful. I had one of the best shwaramas I've had in Israel and got my fair share of Arab desserts. SO GOOD.
We then traveled all the way north to Rosh Hanikra. It is the northernmost point of Israel on the Mediterranean. We took a cable car down to the sea rocks and walked through the grottos (openings/tunnels in the sea rock by the water). It was easily one of the prettiest things I've seen yet. The water was pure aqua blue and the colors it created on the rocks was so cool. We then walked underground to the Israeli-Lebanon border. It was fun. After wandering around we made it back to the bus and back to the University. It was really cool being able to not only see the physical border between Lebanon, but we also got to see the border with Lebanon in the water. It's marked by a bunch of buoys.
I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas in Bethlehem. I don't mean to brag, but it was pretty tight. Bethlehem is located in the West Bank (Palestine). The politics surrounding the area is all over the news and Israel is currently occupying the area. It's about twenty minutes outside of Jerusalem but because its in occupied territory and has high terrorist activity, there is a massive wall and checkpoint you must go through to get in. (But mostly to get out...)
Bethlehem is an Arab town, like most of that in the West Bank, and was pretty small. We spent 3 days and 2 nights there in a humble hostel in a 9 girl dormitory. The people there were so nice and were strong in their Christian faith. I feel like it is a common misconception of the middle east to assume that all Arabs are Muslims. In Bethlehem, there is actually a relatively large perecentage of Arab Christians. It adds a completely new side to the conflict. Anyway, we spent Christmas Eve in the middle of the action. In Manger's Square (the main area) we watched concert after concert (they sang western Christmas songs in Arabic) and also enjoyed a parade full of children and bagpipes. Honestly, where did the middle east get so many bagpipes? I don't get it...
The weather stopped working with us soon after and we found shelter inside a Lutheran church where we attended an International service. It was cool, they spoke in Arabic, English and German. Saying the Lord's Prayer together in all 3 languages was breath-taking. I honestly can't describe it. We came back to the church later in the night to join a worship/Christmas song session. It was simple but perfect. I met a guy from Australia and talked with him about our cultures, and he agreed that Austrailia may or may not be the most dangerous place to live. I almost asked him if he ever saw Steve Irwin but then I thought that was far too stereotypical. oh well.
We woke up to a very anti-climactic Christmas and then headed back to Jerusalem, and then back to Haifa. I love these experiences because they allow me to meet people I would never know otherwise. The random shop owners whose hospitality is untouched or the stories of life in the middle east. I'm going to miss those moments.
סטפני
