Tel Aviv-Yafo Pictures

A few weeks ago, I saw the Hare Krishnas again while walking on the beach promenade. 

They actually looked quite healthy...

 

On our way back, they were still dancing and singing, but a random jogger ran by belting "My Way." There is something about Israel that makes singing and dancing in public completely normal.

A lovely Tel Aviv-Yafo sunset

 

 Full moon rising over Tel Aviv (sorry for the blur)

Coastline view from Tel Aviv all the way to Herzliya (lefthand side of the horizon)

Minas Tirith? Just kidding - view of Jaffa's [re-built] Old City

 And random graffiti. I have no idea what this means, any guesses?

Jaffa's famous Clock Tower

It is one of the six remaining towers built by the sultan of the Ottoman empire (because he could)

 

Detail of the Door on the ClockTower

Some creative uses of tree trunks :)

A sample of bizarre footwear. I may be re-visiting this store :)

 Just in case you haven't seen enough seaside pictures, here's one more

Know how small you are so that you can be part of the bigger thing

Ciao, tutti! Sorry for the long hiatus in posts, January was another transition month for me and I am finally getting back into the swing of things.

Last week, I finally had another lesson with Yehuda and we spoke about being aware of how small you are at the same time - and so that you can be part of - that you are aware of the bigger thing around you. His idea is that you must always be in yourself, in your size and shape and then build the connections to what is around you.  He always has me "work" on him so that I can really understand what it is that he is doing versus what I am doing and so that I really internalize what he is saying to/doing with me. I always find it difficult and awkward to write about Alexander Techniqu, I guess I will leave that task to Pedro :) AT is truly a "hands-on" (pun intended) technique/experience, but I really enjoy my "lessons" with Yehuda. They are a mix of Alexander Technique, life philosophy, and story telling. I am so lucky to be able to work with him.

Last Tuesday, I joined the Rishon teaching fellows group again for a day in Yafo. I always enjoy my trips with them because the madrichim really take the time to prepare interesting and thought-provoking tours. I learned a lot of things, like the fact that Andromeda (the mythological princess for whom my cat was named) was supposed to have been chained to a rock just on the coast of Yafo! We began with a food tour (which, unfortunately, I couldn't participate in, but everything smelled good!) and then moved on to more heavy topics, like life in a "mixed-city" and also the advantages and disadvantages of gentrification in the city. Yafo is a balagan of religions and cultures that live together but don't integrate. I think this is a trend/problem the world over because it is human nature to band together with those most similar to you. Here in Israel, however, it seems that every time people start making steps forward towards peace and understanding, some extremist does something that makes everyone take several steps backwards.

The school where I teach is very much a part of this "mixed city" - I have kids from all possible backgrounds and I think it is amazing that some of them already know three languages and they're only 13 or 14 years old. However, for some kids, this proves to be quite challenging and while they may understand what is being said, they may not be able to form a response. I really like working on Wednesdays and Fridays because I have one-on-one sessions with kids and I can really tell that they want to learn and are making progress.

When I was home in December, a friend who works at a local elementary school was able to have her students write pen pal letters to my kids. She also collected a whole bunch of books which I brought back with me (and had sent to me) to the center. Now we have a whole collection of books of various levels and it makes reading practice much more interesting. I had to wait several weeks to bring in the pen pal letters, but finally started having the kids work on them a few weeks ago and most of them are really excited about them. Some girls expressed disappointment that their pen pals were much younger than they: "But we want cute boys to write to!" Oy. Kids really are the same world-wide.

I have a few more trips to write about, but rather than write one colossal blog post, I will split it up. I hope that everyone is staying warm in the apocalyptic snow storms!

Daniella :)

Ein Gedi, Take Two!

At the end of November, my program headed back to the Dead Sea for a seminar. We stayed at the same hostel that I had stayed at on my Birthright trip, but I am sad to say that the friendly cats seem to have moved residence! Here are some pictures from the weekend...

The backdrop of the Ein Gedi Youth Hostel

Heading down to the beach, Jordanian mountains on the horizon!

Cobbles leading down to the beach

Crrrrrrusty cobbles!

 Pretty flowers! Sorry, I don't know what they are.

 Cat in a can!!! (He looks angry, but he was mostly surprised to have his photo taken)

Our last day, we went for a short nature walk on the Ein Gedi Nature Preserve. This is a rock hyrex, described by Itzik, our madrich, as "an Israeli rat" (not a bunny, because "bunnies is cute and he is not so cute"). 

Small waterfalls at the preserve

 With my awesome Israeli roommate, Nitzan!

BIG waterfall :)

These stalactites  formed over the plants hanging down from the rocks - phytotites?

Sweet clouds over the preserve

Leaving the preserve - Dead Sea and Jordan in the distance!

Picturas....

I fell behind on posting pictures, so here's a taste of what happened the past two months...

In early November (pre-Operation Pillar of Defense), Beit Leni witnessed a peaceful anti-Netanyahu demonstration. Our apartment building is right across the street from the Likud headquarters. Actually, the demonstration was nearly quiet, people were very lack-luster with their chanting and it was kind of anti-climactic.

Then a few days later, banjo man showed up across the street playing everything from "Happy Birthday" to "Hello, Dolly."

The following pictures are from when I went to the Ein Gedi Spa with a group from Rishon...

Camel friends at a gas station. 

Mountains surrounding the Dead Sea 

More mountains - palm trees for scale :)

These signs mark the waterline from 1991 and 2000, respectively. You can just barely see the current shoreline on the horizon.The Dead Sea is vanishing at an alarming rate!

 The geologist in me couldn't resist taking a picture of this :)

 "Bathing forbidden at this section of the beach" - maybe that's because there's no water?

Dessicated mud/salt - this was under water not too long ago...

Mud/salt cracks, close up!

One of the many salt formations at the "beach" - sorry, no scale! But it was at least 2' in diameter.

I finally reached the beach! I've learned that every beach at the Dead Sea is different - the surface of this beach was entirely salt crystals and extremely painful to walk on.

 Still, it is beautiful....

 

Dead Sea framboids!!! My toes for scale :) I did bring one home, but I had to pry it off!

After we were nicely relaxed/exfoliated, etc, we went to the nearby Ein Gedi Kibbutz to learn about the local flora. Our guide was a little 80-some-year-old Israeli man named Zoab (or something close to that).

One of the many baobab trees on the kibbutz.

I wouldn't mind having this for my backyard...

Zoab with "Obama Baobab," which is the same age as Obama and "Comes from Africa, just like Obama." According to Zoab. hmmm....