The Last Day Of Camp

Really, the similarities are striking. I won't be sleeping tonight. I didn't sleep well last night. The goodbyes are tearful and drawn out. And living in the dorms here in Haifa has been pretty similar to living in cabins with your friends. I fly to London at 8 in the morning, and have about 80 minutes to connect to my second flight at Heathrow, which will take me all the way to O'Hare. It's going to be a long day.

I guess I should start by saying boker tov. It's about 4 A.M. and I'm at Ben Gurion Airport. I've got time to kill and I need to provide some closure for myself. I'll be honest, at times this blog has been a hassle to write. It doesn't always flow and I went through a long period of writers block. However, right now I am inspired to put my thoughts on the page, as though I can soothe the heartache with a clever turn of phrase. This post will be as flow-of-consciousness as I can muster.

Today would serve as a reasonable metaphor for my entire stay in Haifa. The time seemed to trickle by slowly, but at the end of the day I don't know where it all went. My day began at around 9, when my restless sleep turned to restless wakefulness. I've never been able to sleep well when I am anticipating a big change, and last night was no exception. Knowing I had a lot ahead of me, I pulled myself out of bed and showered off. I spent the remaining part of my morning finishing my packing and cleaning my room. I expected to have to provide a walk through of my room with the dorm staff to prove I had cleaned it. I forgot this was Israel. The dorm mother simply wished me well and gave me an envelope to put my keys in when I dropped them with the guard upon leaving. Oh well.

I met with Nimrod and Ayelet and went up to their place to hang with them while they lunched. I had plans with Menachem so I didn't eat. At around 12, I walked over to the Ulpan office where Mina had told me she would be working today so that I could wish her goodbye. As it turned out, Rina (my old Arabic teacher) was also in the office and I got to wish them both well. I knew they were fond of me, but I came as close as I know how to blushing when they began to pour on the praise.

I went up to Karmit's office first to say goodbye. We chatted for about 20 minutes about the family and about relationship BS. She couldn't join the two of us for lunch because she had plans with friend's of hers. I headed down a floor to meet Menachem and we headed to our regular spot in the main building for lunch. It was a pleasant, serene lunch and we shot the shit like it was a regular summer afternoon. After lunch, we walked over to the art building to wander and talk in a more stylish setting. I've never really explored the art building and Menachem showed me around. It's quite beautiful. Even though this was less than 24 hours ago, it feels like an eternity has passed. Within the hour, we were back at the top of the steps that lead back into the heart of the campus and towards the dorms. Menachem hugged me and I thanked him for everything. Typically, he told me no thanks were required. He's been like a father to me the past year, and he treated me like his own son until the moment we parted.

I sort of wandered back to the dorms at this point, unsure of what to do with myself. I eventually found myself back in Nimrod and Omri's room and stayed there for a number of hours. The afternoon wore on until it was time to get back to my place. We had a goodbye 'party' for me at my apartment, which would stretch on from 7 P.M. until 1 in the morning. We ordered pizza, sat out on the porch and just hung out. Nearly all of my friends stopped by at some point to say goodbye, and it was gut wrenching every time one of them turned to go home. The last big group shuffled off at about 1, leaving me with Dani, Aaron and Bill, who had promised to help me bring my luggage up to the bus stop. We sat in my empty room for a half hour talking about women and trying to ignore the gnawing sense of void. My room has felt homey to me for as long as I can remember. Now that it was bare, it just felt sterile and cold. Aaron compared it to a cross between a hospital room and a jail cell. It's an ugly and apt comparison.

At 1:30 we brought my things up to the bus stop, where the sherut was already waiting. I said my final goodbyes to the guys, and then loaded into the van. I felt sick. I was the first of 6 or 7 stops that the driver would make in Haifa. A dark, quiet Haifa can do remarkable things for one's ability to reflect. I was mesmerized as we rolled down the familiar streets of Ahuza, Nave Sha'anan, Hadar and Bat Galim, past dark storefronts and shuttered Carmelit stations. Eventually we finished our spin through the neighborhoods of Haifa and got onto route 2 headed South towards Tel Aviv. An hour later, I found myself where I am now, emotionally torn and more than a little bit exhausted. I imagine that from now on, I will never feel totally settled in either the U.S. or Israel. Part of me will always be yearning to be home in another place. Pauliene put a nice spin on that last night; I will always be home in either country. And so it goes. I left my home in Haifa last night, and I will return home to Chicago this afternoon.

See you soon.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

With my time remaining in Israel having dwindled to a scant week, I've been thinking a lot about readjusting to life in the States. Many things about Israel are frustrating to me, and I won't miss them much. Other things in the Israel experience are so similar to the U.S. that it hardly makes any difference whether I'm here or there. Then there are those things that, because of personal experience or impersonal observations, cannot be replicated back home. These are just a handful of the things that are distinctly Israel to me, and that I expect to miss when I go home.

Dogs On Buses

And dogs in restaurants. And dogs in malls. And dogs in kindergartens. And dogs in hospitals. Israelis bring their dogs with them everywhere they go, and no one in this country gives a rats ass. Feeling jealous, dad?

Galgalatz

Sure, they play an indefensible mix of 80's pop, cheesy oldies, kitschy garbage and teeny bop Hebrew music, but Galgalatz is an Israeli institution. My friend Nimrod goes so far as to insist that their weekend program, םופשבוע רגוע (chilled out weekend), is auditory lithium intended to prevent riots or road accidents.

Chutzpa

I have a challenge for any of my readers who will be in Israel in the future: Go to any falafel stand all across the country, order a sandwich, and try to pay with a 100 shekel bill. If the cashier doesn't demand a smaller denomination (so called "small money"), he is either stoned or missing the frontal lobe of his brain. Just try it. Trust me.

Cheap Hummus

Supporting my half-kilo a day hummus habit is about to get a lot more expensive. What bothers me the most about the whole situation is that hummus is just about the perfect food, but it's seriously disrespected in the states. Think about it: You can use it as a main dish or a condiment. It's vegetarian. It has fat, protein and carbohydrates. And it's fucking delicious! I'm gonna have to spend some more time on Lawrence when I get back to Chicago. Not even sure where I'm going to find the stuff in Minneapolis.

The View From The Top Of The Carmel

I've lived here for a full school year, and this view still manages to take my breath away. My parent's house in Chicago is as close to the Lake Michigan shore as the university is to the Mediterranean, but because Chicago is flat we could never see the water. In Haifa, the water is not visible only when there is a building in front of you. The picture does not do justice to the view.

Maccabi Haifa

Maccabi Haifa didn't have a great season. In fact, they finished in fifth, costing their coach his job and giving Menachem plenty of heartburn along the way. Even so, I followed loyally all season and had a great time along the way. I learned something about soccer, although mostly I enjoyed the atmosphere at the games. These are cutallthebullshit contests, with legions of angry, somewhat unbalanced fans screaming their demand for nothing less than total domination on the pitch. The focus is always on the game too. There is no jumbotron, no contests in the stands or T-shirt cannons, and the only time the PA system is engaged is to announce a scoring play or a substitution. It's a novel idea, no? And there is way too much money in American sports for it to ever carry over. So for one last time in Israel, let me proclaim "הדם שלי ירוק."

Egged

Egged has been my primary mode of transportation, both in Haifa and all across the country. I've taken buses between Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Tiberias, Eilat, Netanya and Nahariyya, as well as innumerable intracity trips in Haifa. They aren't always timely or comfortable, but Egged has always gotten the job done for me, and it will be a shock to say goodbye to those big, green buses.

The Family

Israel can be intimidating, especially initially before one makes the adjustment. I had it easy. Most of my Israeli cousins live in Haifa, and I got to spend a full year getting to know them. My time with them ebbed and flowed depending on my schedule and whether or not I was traveling. I definitely spent the most time with Menachem, who I had lunch with semi regularly. I'm definitely going to miss Shahar (the little guy pictured above) and his little sister Tooty (real name is Shai.) Devora always made sure there was someone to look after me in Haifa, while Karmit and Shani were more than happy to share their kids with me. It's easy to say they are family, but they have been both family and friends while I have been in Haifa and I'll never forget it.

U of Haifa Dorm Life

Whether it's playing cards, drinking and nargila in the backyard, barbecues or weekend bonfires, I had an absolute blast living in the dorms this year. I lived in a dorm once before, my Freshman year in Champaign. And it was nothing like this. People at IT kept their doors closed, were involved in themselves and uninterested and meeting the other people in the dorm. Not so in Haifa. The overwhelming majority of my friends live here in the dorms, both Israeli and international. I've met Jews and Arabs, people who identify with Peace Now or the settlement movement, and international students from all over the world. I've made dozens of friends, and I've learned a lot about the world I live in.

Hebrew

I could write a long post just on my my complicated and ever changing relationship with the Hebrew language. As I was growing up, my attitude ranged from pride to distaste to indifference. When I first arrived to Israel, Hebrew was exciting and novel. However, after a few weeks I got frustrated with struggling with the language every day. Of course it got easier over time, and now it has become just another part of my day. I speak only Hebrew in my house and at work, and only Hebrew with about half of my Israeli friends and many of my family members. I hope that I'll be able to keep my skills up back in the states. Hebrew is an incredible language, logical and beautiful and uniquely Jewish, and I'm immensely proud to say that I finally speak it.

Black Coffee

There is never a better Shabbat here than the chilled out Shabbat on campus. I love traveling, I love camping, and I love going out. Nothing holds a candle to truly resting around here. Today was a great day. I had planned to go on a morning hike with Paulien, but not surprisingly I overslept. My cell phone has crapped out and I had no way to set an alarm, so I left my blinds open in the hope that the morning light would wake me. It did not. I got up around 9:15 and stumbled out into the living room. There was Paulien, sitting on my couch, reading. I was rather startled. Luckily, she overslept too and had just arrived.

Rather than start a long hike we weren't really going to be able to finish before lunchtime, we just hung around at the dorm. We brought books out to the grass by one of the security posts, sat down in the shade and read. We went out to the park for lunch at the Druze pita stand that is out there every Shabbat. Then we sat in the shade and talked about international politics, culture, globalism and nationalism. It was a perfectly pleasant time. I drink several cups of black coffee and reflected on how I would miss something as simple as the Druze pita stand. Something like this would never fly in America. If the FDA didn't get to them for having no food safety standards, then it would be because the IRS got to them first for not paying any taxes. Plus, can you imagine someone just making a fire on the side of the road in the middle of a major American city in order to cook? There is something quaint and foreign about it that is comforting. It just wouldn't work back home.

We spend the afternoon at Aaron and Bill's flat, drinking more coffee on their patio. I spent all day outside which is just a pleasure in Israel in May. Around 5, Paulien and I walked out to the park and collected a huge amount of firewood. We put it in the usual spot and came back. 4 hours later, we were out in the park with a small group of friends and had an easy, relaxed campfire. All things considered, it was one of the quieter days I've had in this city, but it was magnificent in it's simplicity. Shabbat shalom.

The Eternal Learning Curve

Indulge me for a moment while I bitch about something trivial. I've been here since October, and I had never learned how to use the can openers that Israeli's use regularly. I know what your all thinking now. "It's a can opener, what could there be to figure out?" Allow me to show you.


No crank, no wheel, no nothing. The thing was baffling to me. I bought a junk can opener from Supersal just because it looked like one from home. Suffice it to say, it didn't work as well as one from home. It still gave me a sense of comfort. Then the unthinkable happened: I went to open a can of tuna last night, and discovered that my shitty can opener was broken. No longer would it open anything. I was left with but one choice. I could force myself to work the survival can opener, or I could stop eating anything that comes in a can. Being the hardheaded person that I am, there was but one choice. I grabbed the survival can opener, and I began to struggle. And how I struggled. I was sweating, my arm was aching, and I was making no progress. Then, suddenly, I braced the opener against the under lip of the can, and made a small bit of progress! Emboldened, I tried to replicate my technique. It was no picnic, but I eventually got into a rhythm, and by the time my pasta was done cooking, I had opened the can! (Don't ask about what I was making - I'm still a student.) I know this is all pretty nerdy, but it's very exciting for me.

Euroleague

The Euroleague final was played Sunday night between Maccabi Tel Aviv and CSKA Moscow. I can only assume that acronym is some kind of secret Russian police. The game was a huge deal in Israel, though I had a hard time getting worked up about it. Maccabi's roster is stocked with failed NBA players and college ballers who couldn't make it professionally in the states. Even so, the moadon of the dorms was packed with people to watch the championship game, and I came along for the experience.

It was a strange one indeed. First of all, the game play was weak. Maccabi got smoked by CSKA, falling 91-77. It wasn't as close as the final score would indicate either. Watching these teams play was like watching Big Ten basketball - not a compliment, believe me. If your interested, the postmortem is available here. Usually, I'm the one in the room with a ton of knowledge about the game, the competitors and the history of the teams. Not Sunday night. I was like THAT guy who shows up to a Super Bowl party, and then asks which team is wearing the lighter colors during the halftime show. Except I knew better and just kept my mouth shut.

The strangest thing about the whole thing was the way the room was divided down the middle. I was sitting on a bean bag chair on the floor, surrounded by people on couches, so I couldn't see across the room. Everyone in my area was cheering for Maccabi and groaning when they would mess up. It was the opposite way around at the other end of the hall. Someone was definitely cheering for the Russkies. I asked my friend Omri, expecting him to tell me that they were ex Soviets who had made aliyah but were still supporting their home squad. "Nope," he would tell me, "it's the Arabs." Apparently, just because it's Israel on an international stage, they have to cheer against her. It was really annoying some of the people sitting by me, but nothing came of it. What a fucked up country this is sometimes.

El Al showed a commercial during the game that really should be a part of the state's hasbarah efforts. It began with Israelis from all sects of the country singing individual lines of the national anthem: A black Jew, a couple of Mizrachim, some religious Zionists, Europeans, children, Druze... Then they all joined together in harmony for the last couple of lines of Hatikva. They really ought to show this ad in the states. Just bring together 150 or so wealthy American Jews, put them in a room, serve them bagels and orange juice, and show this 45 spot on a projection television. They would pull out their check books and practically beg to give their money away. So are you listening, Israeli government? There's some free money out there for you, and I know how you can get your hands on it.

The Return Of Moadon Bishul

We're back, and it feels so good! After a long intersession where our dinners were usually limited to 3 or 4 people, we've moved the day of the cooking club to Tuesday and made the effort to invite a lot of the new international students tonight. It paid off, big time. Because it was a cold and rainy night, we decided to make a big pot of chili. We ended up with 11 people at dinner, maybe our biggest since we began this whole thing. People meshed and the conversation flowed seamlessly, the food was hearty and tasty, and everyone went home happy. I think we're on to something good.

Now for something totally different. Last night I was sitting in the lobby of the dorms at my computer, talking to Elliot Gordon, another new American student. He told me he was from Woodmere, NY. I know a girl from Woodmere, Sheryl Gordon, who I went on Ramah Seminar with many summers back. I rolled the Jewish Geography dice and asked him if he knew her. His response was classic: "She's only my older sister! You're Eddie from Chicago..... You were at my house!" And indeed, I was. I was quite surprised although I probably shouldn't have been. This stuff just has a way of happening. It is a small, small Jewish world.

Getting My Shit Together

Today was one of those days for doing all the unpleasant things that need doing. I woke up around 9 and the mood to be productive came over me. I've learned from experience that if I ignore that feeling, it could be a long time before I feel it again. First step was gathering all the clothing that littered the floor of my bedroom into my laundry bag and hauling it up to the laundry room. Once my clothes were in the wash, I tackled the filth that has been accumulating in my bedroom. I gave the room the complete treatment: Garbage was thrown out, the multitude of unnecessary papers and read magazines were gathered and removed, dust bunnies were ruthlessly swept up and tossed out as well. I washed the floor, I cleaned my entire bathroom, and I reorganized the rest of my things.

I picked up my clean and now dry laundry and put it all away nicely. I'm especially looking forward to having clean sheets to sleep on tonight. My productivity mood had mostly faded by now, but I had one more big errand to run. I've been running dangerously low on food for days. The pantry was empty and the fridge was almost empty. I headed to the Super-Sal and stocked up on everything I could need. I'm now set for 2 weeks on perishables, and I've got canned and dry food for a month. It wasn't fun transporting everything home on a bus, but there is no satisfaction quite like looking up at a full pantry!

Barbara's Birthday

Barbara's birthday was yesterday and we took her out for dinner. Everyone met in the German Colony at the Faces cafe, which we first ate at the day we walked from Mercaz HaCarmel to downtown. The food was fabulous as usual. We ordered several salads and entrees to share, and wrapped everything up with this unbelievable cake. Lina brought sparkler candles and Barbara made her wish and blew out her candles.

29 candles go out.

The dinner was a lot of fun, and a little outrageous as well. Nate, Lina and I serenaded Barbara for her birthday. It drew some funny looks, both from other people at our table and people at other tables. There is a reason I've been told I have chutzpa. No one here had more than a glass of wine, so this was just us!



After dinner, we came back and continued the celebration at the dorms. We threw a dance party at Nate's flat and got everyone in the right frame of mind with the powerful mix of nargilah, Turkish coffee and wine. I went to bed at 3 A.M. Barbara is going home in a week so it was a nice chance to throw one final party with her. Changes are coming to the international school once again. Shabbat shalom.

(Left to right) Sebastian, Barbara, Shoaq, Nate, Lina, and lil' old me.

Haifus - Interruptus

Last night was supposed to be the long awaited rematch between Maccabi Haifa and Beitar Jerusalem, following this 0-0 debacle at Kiryat Eliezer stadium in early November. Omri and I joined a score of Israelis in the dorm moadon to watch the game. Everything started off the way I figured it would - fans cheering and taunting each other, players going for each others throats etc... Then without warning, the power at Tedy stadium in Jerusalem failed. The field and stands went dark and thousands of cell phones were immediately lit. At first the fans took this as a sign to up their baiting to deafening levels, but after it became apparent that the game wasn't going to start up again any time soon, everyone quieted down and just stood waiting. The power company tried to kick start the generator, but when black smoke started billowing out onto the field, they gave up. The game was canceled and will need to be rescheduled. In the meantime, this just reinforces in my mind that everything in Jerusalem is shitty and falling apart. אם אשכחך ירושלים תשכח ימיני... Riiiigggghhhhtttt.

Carlesberg And Carlebach

Since my return to Haifa, I've spent most of my days putzing around and my nights meeting new international students and hanging out with my friends. Last night we had an event called Carlesberg and Carlebach, named for the Danish beer and the famous singing Rabbi, respectively. If you combined a USY event with a Jewish tent revival meeting with a frat party, that is how this event went down. Everyone had a great time, people were singing and playing with tambourines and a darbouka, and there were more than a couple of students who were a little bleary eyed by the time the event ended. Maybe its because they had at least a liter of beer for each person.

The singing mostly focused on the Kabbalat Shabbat service, my favorite service of the week because of the music. While not all the tunes we sang were Carlebach innovations, we focused on them and used his famous version of לך דודי. Every time I sing that song in a new situation, I am brought back to the Friday nights my mom and I would spend in the library at Ezra Habonim with all the old people singing the same song. It brought back some vivid memories from when I was younger.

I am relishing the opportunity to write shorter entries for a little while, as the Egypt blog entries took a lot of energy to compose. Just a little housekeeping note for everyone who is keeping score. I have now been accepted to the following law schools: University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago Kent School of Law, Depaul University, and Saint Louis University. I'm still waiting on a handful of other letters. Shabbat shalom.

Attempted Suicide

Er.... Sort of. Actually, I wanted to take this time to tell you about my adopted cat. For those who don't know, I am allergic to cats. Very allergic. Some might say "deathly" allergic to cats. So it doesn't really seem like sound policy that I should have a cat. Allow me to explain: This cat chose me. It is a small (but growing) stray kitten which lives on my floor in the area of my dorm. It is very shy around most people, but for some reason took a shine to me early on. He follows me around, mewing, looking to be petted and played with. I didn't at first, but I do love animals, and eventually I broke and started to play with him a little when I saw him.

Me and my kitten. Should I name him?

For those of you who would worry about these things, know that every time I do stop to play with the kitten, I immediately wash my hands and change out of any clothing he may have come into contact with. I'm not stupid. I even took a benadryl this afternoon after taking these photos, just in case. I do pity the poor thing. It is still bitterly cold outside and he doesn't get the chance to come inside to warm up like I do. I took some of my older, rattier undershirts and made a little bed out front for him. I think I will get a small box to put them in, as it would be warmer than lying on the stone, and it would provide some wind protection. I am such a sucker for pets.

He is playful and energetic. Reminds me of Sparky when he was a puppy.

I guess he is more interested in me than in the camera.

Boy this is not a good idea.

Poker Night

My buddy Omri recently got a nice set of poker chips, and last night we broke it out for an evening of Texas Hold 'Em. Partly because I don't like to gamble (as many of my friends back home already know), and partly because I had to teach the game to more than half the people at the table, we decided no money would exchange hands.

Learning the game.

Omri and I knew poker the best coming in, but I had an additional challenge. Being the only non Israeli at the table, I quickly had to learn poker table talk in Hebrew. I picked up a handful of useful terms, like לערבב (to shuffle), קלפים (playing cards), נסיך (Jack), and that Israelis pronounce the game "Po-care." I was a little better at keeping up with the chatter unrelated to the game. We played two seperate games, going for about 3 hours. We had 8 people playing at one point, which made the game much more interesting.

Nimrod celebrates with his winnings.

I ended up heading home around 1 A.M. I won the first game outright, but went out pretty quickly the second time around, so I guess this just reinforces that I'm not good enough at gambling to make it a profession. Speaking of professional news, I am excited to tell you all that I have now been accepted to both the Loyola University Chicago and Depaul University law schools! I'm going to have some difficult decisions to make once I have heard back from all the schools I applied to.

Katja smiles while Omri grimaces.

Today is a "get back to work" kind of day for me. Yesterday afternoon I got the books I needed to research my final paper for "Arab-Israeli Relations." Today I need to begin culling all that information so I can put it into print. I also did two full loads of laundry, I had lunch with Menachem, I'm going to the gym this afternoon, and I've got my cooking club as usual this evening. For those of you who know Menachem, he is smiling and feeling more comfortable after have dental implants put in last week. Send him an email or something to wish him well!

Exciting News On A Droll Day

Not much happening today, as the campus is pretty much deserted. I'd like to go out tonight, but I don't know with whom. In the meantime, I have some very exciting news: Last night my parents called to tell me that I have been accepted to the UW - Madison Law School for the Fall 2008 semester! Now I have an option for next year. Of course I still look forward to hearing from the other schools I applied to. More updates on that to come.

The End Of An Era

The semester draws to a close this evening, after one final edition of "Arab - Israeli Relations." It's been a really awesome semester, my recent exam stress notwithstanding. I took my Hebrew exam this morning, my 4th exam in 4 days. It wasn't easy, but I have no doubt that I did well on it either. Arabic was yesterday afternoon, and my anticipation was worse than the test itself. I'm not quite as confident about that one, but we'll just have to wait and see. In the mean time, everyone is steeling themselves for the inevitable goodbyes that come at the end of the semester. We are going to have a lot of turnover between now and the start of the spring term in about 6 weeks. Most of my close friends are taking off for parts unknown, but I'm not worried about that. I will make a new circle of friends next semester. The program will be much bigger next time around, ballooning from around 90 students to somewhere in the 150 range.

Hanging out at our fall semester farewell dinner.

We had a goodbye dinner this week which was really nice. Good food, lots of people showed up, and it was in a nice little room on the absolute top floor of the Rabin building that they must only use for catering. In order to get their, you have to take the internal elevator all the way up, and the elevator doesn't go up to that floor at all unless management punches in an authorization code first. In other words, this was a sweet set up. The best part was the slide show that Oshrat put together of all of us from this fall. It was kind of corny and reminded me a lot of "No Smoking" slide shows of Ramah summers past, but there is certainly a place in my heart for that kind of cheese ball sentiment.


Now that the semester is over, my focus can shift to other things. I finally got the lead out and bought a gym membership this morning (thanks, Dad!) I've got some catching up to do to get back into shape but working out is not a chore for me, so I'll get there. I'm going to say something that many of you may consider blasphemous. Even I have a hard time believing it. I watched a half of a random soccer match between two Spanish League teams while running, and it is a better workout sport than baseball.

Before the State Department revokes my U.S. citizenship, allow me to explain myself. Soccer moves very quickly and there is a lot of contact. This is great for when your moving, as it holds your attention. Baseball is a more cerebral game, and you really need to watch it with others and discuss the action in front of you to truly enjoy it. Outside of that, what truly made this a better experience than baseball is that soccer has no whistles and no time stoppages, and that means no commercials. Imagine, 45 minutes of straight action without having to stop and be reminded yet again that you have no interest in the newest razor model with 8 blades. It's just magical! I jogged for 25 minutes until the half rolled around without a single interruption.

Of course getting in shape is not my only winter goal. I also plan on traveling. I will be spending nearly a week in Cairo, Egypt towards the end of January, and I plan to travel for a few days in Jordan as well, possibly as early as next week. Plus there is lots to see and do inside Israel that I hopefully won't find myself sitting around in the dorms. If I do, I will just lose my mind.

Cacti in Haifa are just one of the many cool things I want to see on my travels.

Perhaps it's ironic that today, on the day the international school semester ends, the University strike has now reached the lengthiest work stoppage in the history of the state. All I can say is that if the government insists on putting a gun in its mouth, no one is going to keep them from pulling the trigger.

Fairy

Not a whole lot going on today, so instead I wanted to note another one of life's little culture shocks.


This is a mostly empty bottle of dish soap in my kitchen. Thing this would fly in America? Neither did I. My family arrived today and I am eagerly awaiting their first hike north to Haifa.
ברובים הבאים, משפחת ברנר!

Strange Happenings At Haifa U

The student strike is well underway as the union promised. There have been demonstrations every day since Monday, and the student union built a physical barrier blocking the interior road that runs parallel to the university. Today they burned car tires. Even so, I've been a little disappointed with what seems to me to be a contrived demonstration by a student base that is not terrifically committed to the stated cause. The end result has been the effective closure of the university without making an effective statement to the professors or the government about their rights and expectations. I've taken part in better protests than this one. If I was the student union, I would be embarrassed. I stopped by the barrier to see the protest in action. There were maybe 20 students there, and they were sitting around eating. Totally pathetic.

The student's "demonstration" on Monday afternoon.

The strike has not canceled my classes, but it has succeeded in making things really inconvenient for me and the other international student types. We've held class in the dorm area for the last few days. We nearly had a full on disaster in Hebrew class Monday. We were given the dorm synagogue as space to hold class, which is not optimal to begin with. It was cold in there so we turned on the radiator. 20 minutes later we began to smell something acrid. The fucking radiator was going up in flames! The class went bananas, running around trying to find a fire extinguisher. Here's what really gets me; there was no fire extinguisher in the synagogue! I just can't believe that. We even found a room in the back filled with hookahs and board games, but no fire extinguisher! It's unconscionable. Thank God the fire burned down on its own. There was a stack of wooden chairs leaning up against it. This could have been a disaster. Clearly, the University of Haifa does not take fire safety seriously.

I've had classes in two different rooms in the moadon, the Federman lounge area where I normally check my email and post to this page, in the synagogue as I mentioned, even in the living room of my apartment! Starting today the union agreed to open one wing of one academic building to us so we could continue with class in an actual classroom. The result is that I stayed in one room for 5 consecutive hours today on a beautiful sunny day. What started out worth a few chuckles is quickly starting to get on my nerves. I really hope that this strike ends soon. Actually, I hope the government will finally sit down to negotiate a fair agreement with the professors, but it'll be a cold day in hell before that happens.

I went to a pub tonight to meet Menachem and Amir and watch the Maccabi Haifa - Beitar Jerusalem soccer match. Apparently tonight's game does not count towards the league standings as it is a game in the separate "Toto Cup" competition, but nobody told the players this. It was the dirtiest game I have seen since I got to Israel. A Beitar player drew a red card less than 5 minutes after we sat down. The refs are probably icing down their wrists tonight after having to reach into their pockets for yellow cards so many times. In spite of (or maybe because of) the dirty play, it was also the most exciting game I've seen all year! In Toto Cup play, there are no draws and if after a 30 minute overtime session the game is still tied, it is determined by penalty kicks. Maccabi and Beitar were deadlocked 2-2 after 120 minutes of soccer and headed to the penalty kick segment of the game. What a finish. Maccabi trailed early but got back back into it and eventually bested their arch rivals by a final score of 7-6. At one point in the extra session, Menachem pointed out the Beitar player lining up for his kick, and told me he was an old Maccabi player who had been their captain for years. I asked Menachem what his name was. Without missing a beat, he responded with "son of a bitch." God love that devotion!

On Strike

As Israel's education woes deepen, the combined student unions for all major universities are about to remind the government and professors that they are also a force to be reckoned with. There is no scheduled class on Sunday, as it is a special day off in celebration of Chanukka. Starting Monday, university students at all 8 major Israeli universities will strike, locking out the professors and any students who would attempt to cross the picket line. All classes would be locked out, including those taught by adjunct professors and other instructors. The strike is in protest to the continued deadlock in negotations over the professors contracts which has robbed them of nearly an entire semester. From what I understand, the university will physically be closed by the student union, with physical barriers including chains and piles of tires. Needless to say, I'm suffering from a touch of culture shock right now.

As far as I am concerned, the whole thing is a damn disgrace. I have supported the professors from the beginning, and I continue to blame the government for an impasse that threatens to cancel the semester. Now the students, who are rightfully pissed off about the situation, are going to exacerbate it with this action. It's just madness. We received a frantic email from the international school office this morning telling us that should the strike be carried out, classes will meet in the moadon of the dorms, or in individual apartments if necessary. At least it would probably entertain my roommates if we held Arabic class in my living room one morning. There's that to look forward to.

I took my Arabic exam this morning and I think it went pretty well. With that out of the way, midterms are officially behind me. I earned an "86" on my midterm assignment in Arab-Israeli Relations. Not too shabby. Frankly I'm not sure how he reached that number, since some classmates of mine got 85's, while at least one guy got an 87. I seriously doubt he used a rubric to grade these exams, so I have to wonder what made the difference in the grades there. Personally, I think he just assigned a number to each paper based on his gut reaction. Exams went pretty well for me this time around.

It's a cold and rainy day outside so I'd like to make weekend plans, but I don't really know what to do. I am going to a dinner party tonight and then hopefully out to the pubs. Some friends invited me over at some point this weekend to play cards so that may or may not happen. My only solid plans are spending part of Saturday night at Carmit and Shani's place for candle lighting and hanging out with the family. I'm sure I'll pull things together in the end. I always do.

Icky Sticky נקיון

My bedroom is immaculate. I gave it a complete wash this afternoon, complete with dusting, soaping, rinsing and squeegeeing. I threw out all the junk that had accumulated and picked up everything that got gotten strewn about and put it all away. Kiss my ass, entropy! The laws of physics have nothing on me.

It was an otherwise tame day. My only class today was Hebrew Ulpan, and we were in the language lab. I hate the language lab. It's the most boring class I have that is not called "Arab-Israeli Relations." It's worse in Hebrew though because I generally enjoy the class. On the days we have to sit there with those head phones on listening to 'kol Israel' news broadcasts, I feel like something positive has been stolen from me.

I missed the concert this afternoon because I was submitting a list of words to Rina for tomorrow's Arabic exam. I still got my recreation in though. I went to the gym with a couple of guys and played pick up basketball for an hour. It was uneventful except for one thing: I cursed in Hebrew during a game without even noticing! Nimrod heard and called me on it. I must say, part of me is pleased. Not that I need to start cursing in Hebrew like I do in English, but I think it adds an element of realism to my speech.

Everyone got lazy this week for the cooking club, so instead we ordered pizza. I'm glad we did it. Once you start feeling that you have to do something when you don't really want to (like cooking tonight), then it stops being fun and becomes a chore or a responsibility instead. This will help to preserve the integrity of the club. I did make a suggestion for changing the name. Up until now we have been calling it "מועדון בישול", literally "cooking club." During my zoned out private musings in class the other day, I came up with a much better, military inspired name! From now on, the club will be known as "חיל חטיף", or "snack force." It sounds like a candy commercial that the networks would air during Saturday morning cartoons.

Happy Chanukka!

I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy Chanukka this year. It's very nice being in Israel for Chanukka. For one, there is a being difference between saying נס גדול היה פה and נס גדול היה שם. I walk outside my friend door and I can just picture Jewish guerrillas wasting Syrian war elephants. It's pretty awesome! What's even better about being in Israel for Chanukka is that I am not party to the shameless commercial bastardization of a holiday that Chanukka has become in the U.S. Here, it is a fun and happy, albeit minor holiday. Exactly how I want it to be.

You like donuts? Well how do you like dem donuts?!

I did hit up two different holiday parties tonight. I started at a friends apartment for a private get together with a half dozen people. We lit the Chanukkiot, and then dug in to mountains of homemade latkes and sufganiot. She actually made the donuts from scratch. It was heaven. Afterwards we headed to the dorm moadon for the dorm party. There was music, arts and crafts, and more food, including chocolate and spiced wine. I'm feeling a little heavy and sleepy right now. Anyone else think we should be frying the chocolate coins in deference to the holiday?

Just a few notes about midterms before I shuffle off to sleep. My grades are coming back and I am doing extremely well. I earned an A on both my "Hebrew Ulpan" and "Terrorism and Responses" midterm exams. I'll be taking the closest approximation to a midterm in Arabic on Thursday, and presumably my "Arab-Israeli" relations exam should be returned then as well. Stay tuned.

Turkey Day Love From The Land Of Shawarma

I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving and I hope you are all enjoying your time at home with the family. Thanksgiving is probably the only major American holiday I really enjoy, so it is also probably the only major American holiday I will miss. Independence day always means crowds and bees and humidity at Navy Pier, and New Years day was always just a part of my winter break from school. Of course I do not even want to mention the wretched 3 month Christmas season in the U.S., and does anyone outside of Chicago even know what "Pulaski Day" is? Thanksgiving is different though. Thanksgiving means eating and hanging out with the family, arguing about football with my dad and enjoying the fact that we get three days to sleep off the meal before everyone goes back to work on Monday. In my absence, I request that everyone eat even more turkey and stuffing, watch even more football, and fall into an even deeper after dinner coma. Remember guys: This is one for you plus one for me, and no one has to pour a 40 on the ground.

On to my wheelings and dealings of late. My presentation in Terrorism and Responses went quite well. We were eloquent and thorough and probably earned an A on the whole thing. That night in the moadon, there was a class on how to make hummus and shakshuka. About 20 people showed up and we made a big dinner for everyone, complete with salad and pita, fresh tehina, red wine and chocolate balls for dessert. I made tehina.

Stirring the fresh tehina.

I am starting to feel like my days and nights revolve around food. Wednesday night was מועדון בישול (cooking club) as usual. We went southeast Asian this week. I made chicken stir fry and a huge pan full of vegetable fried rice. I've never made fried rice before and I didn't bother to check a recipe or even look at directions. I just winged it, as I am wont to do. It actually turned out pretty well, which will just reinforce my laissez faire approach to following directions in the kitchen. Late last night, some of the guys in the dorm threw an apartment party, so I was there for a few hours last night. I still love pubs, but house and apartment parties can really be a lot of fun, especially if you are there with friends. I had a great time.

There is a 40-something couple in my Hebrew class. The husband, Shlomo gave a presentation today on the carob tree. There were a few fun moments I would like to share. First of all, I got to class a few minutes early this morning, where Shlomo was setting up. For those who haven't experienced it firsthand, the male carob tree has a very 'distinct' smell. To put it lightly, this 40-something professional biologist smiled at me as I walked in, and told me he was doing his presentation on the 'sperm tree.' The laughs didn't end there though. He handed out carob fruit in class for people to try. Eva, the girl sitting next to me bit into hers, shrieked in horror and ran out of the room. Apparently, she looked at the bite and saw half a bug inside. Even our teacher Mina was laughing. Eva took it in stride once she came back so no real harm done. Needless to say, people stopped eating the carob after that.