"Squeeze the World"

Yesterday we started the morning by accompanying our contact (who shall be refered to as "EB" as in "E.B. White" who I think wrote Charlette's Web) to a new alternative school in one of the poorer areas of Cairo. The school itself was very nice, but the neighborhood reminded me of driving through the outskirts of Guadalajara. It was near the Pyramids, so we went directly to them after EB finished his work there.

The Pyramids are truly amazing. One factor is their obvious size and mass, but also the amount of time they have survived. Throughout history, nearly every prominent figure has visited them. They certainly aren't in the same glory as back then, but they are the same stones and in the same surroundings. Around the pyramids were about a hundred camel and horse riders hassling the tourists. They actually use the term "hassle" to describe it, too. I was told several times that I was very beautiful and everyone wanted to know my name and where I was from. Fortunately, having a guy with us drew off some of the attention, especially since many assumed that he was a lucky man with two young wives.

Today we visited the Citadel, a fortress which has been used by various empires and kingdoms. Now it is a tourist location and home for mosques, but it gives an amazing view of the city. The architecture was amazing, and we spent a good amount of time wandering around. We also visited the Military Museum there, which was very interesting. It's strange how my mental time-line always has a gap between the Roman Empire and the very end of the Ottoman Empire, but a lot of things happened in there. Every child who walked by would ask us how we were or what our names were, but they didn't understand the answers :) When one boy asked my name, I asked him what his was in Arabic. It threw him off completely, and his mother found it very entertaining. Then she either asked if I was Syrian or said that they were, I'm not sure. Then I said that I didn't speak Arabic and looked very sheepish, which she seemed to find even more entertaining. I don't understand, but I'm glad I brought her some joy.

We spent some time just walking around, and it was really cool to see the variety of life there. Everyone seemed very excited to greet us and practice their English. I'm not really sure what we'll be doing tonight, but it's been nice to "tour at leisure." Though I'd like to see everything I can, it's not a bad change, especially when it gives more opportunity to interact with the locals.

So, it's my first day in Cairo. We didn't leave the flat until late because we slept in after arriving in the airport at 2:30am, weary and tired of airports. The later flight that we caught was a full twelve hours different from our original flight, so we had a lot of time to read. Thankfully, I think our waiting time prepared us well for going through security. Usually in those situations, we're anxious and in a hurry, but this time we knew we had plenty of time, we felt rather at home at the airport, and everything really went smoothly. During one phase, we were pulled out of the rest of the lines, but I think it was because of our destination more than whatever profile we match. And after that, we had a whole new part of the airport to explore! Yofi!

So today we went on a little boat on the Nile, which was really quite gorgeous, and that was so relaxing, as well as awe-inspiring. It's amazing to come across bodies of water which have had so much history based around them. It took my entire self-discipline to not splash my hand into the river. That's just what you do in a boat, you know? But the Nile is so infected by pollution and parasites that really even just an innocent splash can haunt your health.

We walked around part of Cairo for a while, visited some restaraunts and explored the culture. It really is much different than any other place I've been. Some things are very similiar, but only enough that it seems contradictory. That's really the best way I can explain it so far. Also, since Cairo is such a vast city, I think that it's impossible to really catagorize it.

The contact we're staying with has been leading the youth activities in an international church, and they're planning an Israel trip for a month from now. So we went along to the planning meeting, to give insights and comfort the parents some. It didn't help that there was just a suicide bomber in Eilat, first in Israel for nine months now. But, most of them seemed excited about the opportunity, and it was cool that we got to talk to them about our own experiences. Also, I got to play some fooseball afterwards and that was quite refreshing.

The autobus is the main form of transportation for the regular Israeli, but for the traveler on his or her way to the airport, it is a terrible mistake. We thought we'd be saving time and money by bypassing the train this time and taking a direct bus to Tel Aviv, but that was a naiive decision we now regret.

Everything seemed okay this morning, despite the fact that God did not intend Man to rise before the sun, and we boarded the bus only fifteen minutes later than scheduled. But traffic had it's own ideas, and we entered the Central Bus Station with 90 minutes before the flight leaving, instead of the three hours we had allotted. The "direct bus" to the airport from there wound up in a dingy village outside the city. Apparently we were supposed to stop earlier and pick up the other "direct bus" that connected there. It seems that they use a different definition for "direct."

We finally enter the airport, rushing to the security, and told that it was too late. After that blow, we looked at the signboard above with the red letters DELAYED next to the flight. ...Don't we have enough time? So we walked around having arguments with the security and Air Sinai employees with no luck. We walk out again and the plane still hasn't left, but there is no one at the desk to check us.

So. Now we are resignedly sitting at a bar in the Buy-and-Bye. Not drinking, mind you, but typing away on their computer in frusteration. We plan on catching an EL AL flight tonight, and will try to reimburse our other flight. Next time the $25 taxi ride down won't seem so extravagant.

Well, this should be an exciting update. First off, I have a picture from the Negev sojourn, this is from our viewpoint into the canyon, and rainbow even showed up! I have more pictures of the trip, but I'm trying to consolidate other pictures, and I'm having difficulties with internet access (again), so it might have to wait until after I get back from Egypt. Here's a teaser for you:



The second day after I got back, I went with the school on a teul (pronounced tea-ool), field trip, to Mount Hermon for sledding! It was strange to drive so far, then have to take a bus up the mountain to actually reach the snow. It was fun to watch the kids, especially since it was the first snow experience for some of them. I tried to explain to them the art of snow packing, but most were content throwing ice (ouch).



Also, I'm not sure if I mentioned before, but I'm housesitting/nanny-ing for a month, and it's turned out to be a bigger job than I thought. For example: when I left the house today, I never said "no firecrackers or water fights allowed," but I didn't expect other kids to come over while I was gone! This weighed very heavily upon me until someone reminded me "you're taking care of teenagers now" and I realized that I didn't intend to do so for at least another ten years. Fortunately, I have learned my lesson and have a new plan of attack ready for after I come back from Egypt. Hopefully it'll work.

I almost forgot! Because of my sojourn and the trip to Hermon, I've had a shorter week at the school. Fortunately, that has given me less time for big projects and more time to help out in class. So I've been busy dancing the Hokey Pokey and turning myself around, as well as singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes with the third graders. It's been very satisfying, and when everything comes down to it, that's what it's all about.

We began our journey in the late afternoon, dodging "Shabbat drivers" on their way home from the weekend. By the time we reached Arad, it was dark and we could only make guesses about our surroundings. The air was moist after the rain, but the scent was still distinictly desert. When we woke up, the sky was overcast and nearly blended with the long dunes stretched out into the expanse. We had a restful morning with hearty conversation before loading into the car again. The first stop was Mamshit, a long deserted Nabetian city. The Romans had also occupied it, and there are traces of two Byzantine churches. After that we toured Avdat, a larger Nabetian city which had lain along the Spice Route from Petra to Gaza. It was also used as a Roman army camp later on. Along the way, we had a few adventures involving flooded roads and trying to ford through them in our little rental car. The suspense was insane, but we survived with nothing worse than dirty windows. Our southernmost stop was at Mizpe Ramon, a lookout over Makhtesh Ramon, the largest canyon in the Negev. It was very impressive, especially when I imagined Abraham or other nomadic tribes traveling through the middle of the expanse on the road to Egypt.

The next day also included driving along the coast as we traveled back toward Tel Aviv, but first we stopped in Tel Arad and Tel Beer Sheva. Tel Arad was a particularly fascinating city as it was only a days journey from Sodom and Gomorrah. The digs in the city show a definite change in the climate and culture at the same time as the destruction- before, there are remains of healthy and large produce and rich pottery. After the time of the destruction, the remains in the area show a rudimentary and impoverished civilization. It was still a massive city, and the location gives a broad view into the distance. Tel Beer Sheva was a much smaller city, but is very important Biblically as the patriarchs spent a great deal of time there. It was amazing to see what sort of work it took to sustain a civilization out in the wilderness, as the weather patterns are extreme and not friendly to vegetation and other growth. Yet, people still live out there. The bedouin settlements were numerous, and the little shacks looked pathetic in the strong wind. Their animals were scraggly, but proudly staked out in front as symbols of their wealth. And as much as I have grown an dislike of sheep, it was sad to see them laying like flattened chipmunks on the side of the road.

On our journey back up, we stopped by Lakhish, another ancient ruin, before going to Ashkelon. When we couldn't find the national park there, we meandered through the residential areas before deciding to find the entrance into Gaza. We were also unsuccessful in that, but we found several military areas which weren't marked on the map, and settled for a pretty beach where we could just barely make out the skyscrapers of Gaza City. We found the main road again, drove by Ashdod, and went back north.

It was a great time for adventure and discovery, but the trip was also a wonderful retreat from the usual worry and local drama. I spent a wonderful few days with some wonderful people, and came out feeling inspired. In all, a success.

So I'm on my way out the door, and thought I'd ask you something:

If you fall asleep with socks and slippers on both feet and wake up the next morning with one foot bare, would you have any immediate assumptions? Because I'm still confused.

I'll write again in a few days, off to the desert!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to wander around Tiberias with a toasted sandwich and muse about life, love and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. One of the issues on my mind was my sad neglect of this blog. I mused back to the different stories I would tell and my eagerness to share them with the world. Sadly, it seems that I have fallen into enough of a routine that I find things less fasinating. So. I intend to change that.



I have just typed out three different things and I didn't really like any of them, so I shall inform you when the inspiration comes. Until then, I'll give a general itinerary of the next few weeks. At the end of the week, I and some other girls are taking a trip to the Negev to tour through Arad, Eilat and Beersheva. I've been looking forward to this for a while and I'm glad we're able to schedule it in. Less than a week after I return, T and I are flying to Egypt to visit a friend of hers in Cairo. When I return, I will be housesitting for a month while still working at the school and whatever else may occur. I hope to also make another trip to Jerusalem, but I'm not sure how that will fit into the scheme of things.

Here's a bit of personal tid-bits. I've been working my way through Psalms for a while now, and just recently came to the Songs of Ascent. The modern day term for making citzenship in Israel is to "make Aliyah," meaning to ascend. This makes more sense if you've actually traveled into Jerusalem, as it involves a lot of climbing through the Judean hills. All of the psalms in the series are closely identified with Israel and Jerusalem, and it's actually very fasinating. That, and I'm glad to have finally made it through Ps 119.

Last week, a German volunteer who usually works at the kindergarten (or "gan") came to the school for a day. After a day of loading and unloading boxes, assembling shelves, and trying to make everything fit into a postage-stamp storage room, she made a perceptive comment "we are doing men's work!" Since then, I've been applying that phrase to most of my jobs there, and it especially suits this week. When I told the principal about it on the school bus, he actually seemed pleased. "Nobody can say we discriminate!"

However, it's all enjoyable, except for random occasions when I encounter an odd man or two or encounter soldiers while dumping suspicious loads into a public dumpster, but even that adds spice to the experience. However, my shoulders hope that tomorrow will bring some more domestic chores my way, other than cleaning :P

In other news, I have some more pictures! Here's a group of the students on the way back from the Tiberias Marathon:



And here are the coveted pictures from the school balcony:





I'm happy to report that the chilly weather has discouraged the speedo-wearers. I hope that that isn't a disappointment to anyone, because that would be gross.

So, I think it's safe to declare myself recovered, though I've had some nasty headaches here and there. I've been able to keep food down, and that's really the main thing. I'm glad that it was only a short spell and I'm getting right back into things. Today I went into Nazareth to help out at the Village, and I might go back in tomorrow after I finish at the school. They have a few volunteer groups coming through, and it sounds like they're giving them some hard labor. One group is a bunch of farmer boys, though, so their main adjustment will be working in a dress and using first century tools!

I didn't make it to congregation on Saturday, so I'm not sure how the rest of the community is faring, but hopefully more of the children will have recovered by now and things will be able to proceed as usual. I hope everything back home is going well, I've heard that things have been windy.

After my triumphant post a few days ago, and rejoicing that I had yet felt sick, I woke up this morning completely nauseated. That's right- I caught the stomach flu. Unfortunately, I have neither a couch or TV, so I've been improvising with my tactics all day. I really really wish I had some 7up, but today is Shabbat and no stores are open. Alas!

winter holidays

I posted new pictures from last month on a web album. Enjoy!

Everyone around me is sick!!! This epidemic is growing to absurd porportions! Thankfully, there are still hearty healthy people about the place, but whole families are coming down with the gross icky cold-flu thing. Yesterday twenty of the school kids were sick, and all of the teachers as well. Instead of working at the school, I ended up babysitting for a family and later watching Hoodwinked with some friends. That is an exceptional movie, I must say. I had low expectations back when it was in theaters, but it ended up being quite refreshing.

It seems like oranges and varieties of oranges have been my main staple as of late, and I attribute my health to my lazy diet. Oy vey, I am tired. Good night, and in case I don't see you, boker tov, lila tov, and shalom.