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.

What Day Is It Today?

I was up in the morning before dawn on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning this past weekend while on Tiyul. This has a way of scrambling one's mind to the point that my days blended into each other while I was in the south. As many of you know, I am very cranky in the morning, and getting up early is generally anathema to me. However, this trip was probably the best trip I have been on since I arrived in Israel almost two months ago, and that allowed me to rise early in the morning with a smile in my heart (there was still a grimace on my face from what I've been told.)

Dawn in Haifa, the first of many I would experience on this trip.

We left Haifa by 6:15 Friday morning and began the long trek south to Ein Gedi. I crashed pretty early in the trip but it was a fitful sleep and not very satisfying. I woke up as we were heading east down the hills on the outskirts of Jerusalem and into the desert. This came as quite a surprise to me since the only rule that the director of the International School laid out for us is "we are not allowed to travel inside the West Bank." I can only assume that this rule actually means "we are not allowed to travel inside the West Bank without a chaperon."

Emil goes for a short camel ride outside Jericho.

We arrived at Ein Gedi around 9:30 in the morning and began our day. Our first hike was along a trail known as Nahal Arugot, and it was seriously beautiful. Ein Gedi has a natural spring flowing underneath it (The word 'ein' in Hebrew is derived from "Ma'ayan", meaning spring.) This meant desert solitude and scenery combined with pools, streams, waterfalls and flora that you just don't find in the Negev. Plus, lots of ibex running around! Midway through the hike we stopped at a natural pool with a waterfall and nearly everyone got in for a swim.

Just a taste of the incredible natural beauty of Ein Gedi

After the swim we headed for a spot called the hidden waterfall. It is down into the wadi, completely covered by plants and hidden behind several narrow twists and bends in the cliff face. It is here that I slipped and fell in with my shoes on, making for a soggy denouement to my hike that day. The area around the waterfall was very crowded with lots of other hikers, so we didn't stay long. The group split at this point: Half walked back to the bus to drive down to the beach of the Dead Sea, while the other half (including myself) walked further on to see the upper pools. I found a fossilized sea shell along the way, which I put in my bag and brought back to Haifa with me. We finally made our way back out of Nahal Arugot around 3 o'clock, filed onto the bus and drove down to the beach where we met everyone else. We ate a little outside at th

e picnic tables, then shuffled drowsily back onto our bus and made for camp that evening.

Swimming hole!

Camp was a lot of fun on Shabbat evening. A few guys and I built the fire while others were preparing dinner courses for dinner. We made pita from scratch and generally feasted like I'm getting used to doing on tiyulim. Our guide Yisrael made a fantastic rice and meat dish that really stuck to the bones, along with warm and cold salads, fresh tehina, soup and drinks. Afterwards, everyone gathered around the campfire where we made smores. After dessert, people began to migrate in every direction. I stayed around the fire most of the night, chatting with old and new friends.

A look into the abyss of the Judean desert

The next morning, Per and I got up before dawn to watch the sun rise over the Dead Sea. This was a mistake. It was cloudy and hazy, so there was no visible sunrise. Our surroundings just went from black to grey to light. I did get to go back to the tent and sleep for another two hours before everyone got up to get a move on. We ate a hasty breakfast, packed up all of our things and then the hike left. Our Shabbat hike was along a path called the "Upper Darja" in southern Judea. This was the best hike of all. Lots of mountain climbing and clinging to cliff faces. We had to jump, crawl, hang and climb our way through the terrain. Parts of the walk were so steep, they were practically vertical. My mother would have had a heart attack just seeing it.

Mari and Anna at the edge of the cliff in Upper Darja

As always, education and history are a goal on these trips. We climbed up into a cave that had been used by the last remnants of the Bar Kochva rebellion and talked about what had happened there. The cave was covered in bird shit from floor to ceiling and everywhere in between, so we weren't inclined to linger for very long. Even so, it was humbling to think that Jews had been forced to live in such wretched conditions because they refused to submit to Roman domination. It was nice to climb back down. Even though we were all laughing and talking the whole time, there was still an unhealthy air in the cave. It was oppressive.

Bar Kochva's rebels, or university students? You decide.

We stopped for lunch in a ravine soon afterwards and sat around relaxing for an hour. Cold rice-meat from the night before and raw canned corn never tasted quite so good! The second half of the hike was more of the same. Climbing, scrambling and working our way through very broken terrain. I spent most of the time yacking with Mari and Anna about literature and theatre, or with Sam about baseball. I am who I am. The walk back to camp was actually fairly boring by comparison. It was along a gravel road with nothing new to see. Everyone was tired out from a 6 hour hike anyway, so people just sort of moved along talking and looking at their feat for the last 45 minutes of the hike. We were supposed to be able to shower when we got back to camp, but the campsite's owners had washed the bathrooms and then locked them, so they would be clean when the next group arrived that night. What a bunch of bastards. I taught euchre to 3 friends and we played a few hands before it was time to load up and move on.

Yisrael giving a shpiel along the trail.

We drove to Arad to eat dinner in their mall. I don't have much to say about the trip except this: Arad is a dump, and our bus driver is a maniac. He was weaving and swerving along an already choppy rode the whole way there. It was stuffy on the bus too. By the time we arrived, I was so green I might as well have been pickled. I bought a shawarma which can only be described as 'adequate' and then we left for our campsite under Masada. I did get to shower at this campsite, and I felt like a new man after getting clean. Most people went to bed on time. I stayed up drinking beer with some of the Europeans, and didn't get to bed until after midnight.

A dry riverbed in the Upper Darja

We rose once more before the dawn and quickly packed up the tent. After a heartening cup of tea, we walked up to the base of the mountain. I missed the sunrise on Masada last time I visited because we arrived too late. I missed it again on this trip, but not because we weren't on time: we walked up the mountain in a driving rainstorm! It rains 4 or 5 days a year in the region, and we picked one of those days to visit.

Rain on Masada

It was cold on top of Masada, so I was very glad I brought my sweatshirt. The rain tapered off about 15 minutes after we reached the plateau, and it was actually quite beautiful once the rain cleared. We toured the archaeological sites and talked about the history and mythology behind Masada. We were getting ready to start walking down the snake path, when we began to hear thunder crashes again. We took shelter in one of the buildings, and the rain began pelting down again! We rested inside and watched the rain for a half hour or so, before heading over to the lift to carry us down. The other group walked down the mountain in the rain: Either they are more bad ass or just stupid.

The birds and I enjoy the view from the top

The rain mercifully stopped eventually and we were able to finish what we planned to do that day. Next stop was a beach on the Dead Sea, where we got to wade in and walk across the salt formations. I was so tired I was giddy, and I hammed it up pretty good in front of the camera. We found a hat in the water that was half encased in salt. I tried tugging it out, but it was no use. Do you realize that if you were to stay in one place at the Dead Sea long enough, the same would happen to you? Not that you would be around to see it or anything, but the thought is still pretty cool to ponder.

A classic pose!

We had one final stop back in Ein Gedi, to do a short walk in Nahal David. There was very beautiful scenery, although it was quite similar to Nahal Arugot. Yisrael yielded to pressure and kept it short and sweet. People were beginning to get grumpy with the walking. We stayed in the Nahal for perhaps an hour before leaving the area for good. There had been so much rain that morning, parts of the road were washed out. Cars had to turn back, but not our mighty tour bus! We drove back up to Jerusalem and stopped at a restaurant in Abu Gosh for what turned out to be my lunch and dinner. It was massive. It is an Arab hummus restaurant with a special on the menu: 40 shekels for all you can eat of every salad they make with pita, followed by coffee and baklava. The whole group went in on it. They brought us what had to have been 20 different fresh salads. It was epic.

The stream in Nahal David

Finally, we loaded up one last time to head back to Haifa. I tried to doze on the bus but there was a movie on the television and caffeine back in my bloodstream, so I talked to Mari most of the way back home. I slept for maybe the last 20 minutes. It's tough to get back into my routine now that I am home again, but I have little choice in the matter. School will not wait for me. I'll work and study and wait for the next time I can go out and experience this land the way it begs to be experienced: on foot.

Extreme relaxation.

Do you want to ram with me?!

Yes, I did go hiking in a bathing suit.

Gollum!

Oshrat and I try to warm up on the mountain.

יהיה בסדר

It means "it will be alright", but more than that as well. My friend Nimrod taught it to me a few days ago, over something that seemed important at the time and feels more superfluous now as I mourn Sparky's death. Even so, I am starting to make peace with it and move on a little bit. It comes and goes. Last night I couldn't fall asleep because I was focused on him, and I ended up sleeping through Hebrew this morning as a result. Still, the smiles are returning. It's been a little while so I'll get you up to speed on my life this past week.

This past Tuesday morning, Nimrod and I went jogging along this path that runs through the Carmel National Park, adjacent to the road that runs down the mountain from the University. The scenery is beautiful and the course is challenging, with hills and sharp curves as you wind around the upper Carmel. I always jog with my mp3 player in hand, and I slip my ID card and my bedroom key into the rubber case around my mp3 player. When we finished our jog, I glanced down and realized that my key was missing. It had fallen out somewhere along the road. I was ready to panic, but Nimrod mentioned that he had heard the sound of metal falling towards the beginning of our run but didn't think much of it. He assured me we would find the key, telling me "יהיה בסדר." As skeptical as I was, I will never doubt him again. He found it! It was laying in the middle of a parking lot. I was just stunned. I had a midterm exam at 3 that afternoon, and I didn't quite feel like going to my exam stinking and covered in dried sweat while I waited for my new key. I'm sure my classmates would have been just as appreciative if they had known.

The exam went alright. The structure of the test was a little loopy. I'm not sure how else to phrase it. A lot of my friends were upset with our professor over the test, although I didn't think it was terrible. Some of his questions were vague and some needed clarification, but overall I didn't think there was anything wrong with the test. I'll put up the results when I have them. My last midterm was a take home in Arab-Israeli relations, which I will hand in at 3 PM today.

Having supportive friends has definitely helped to soften the blow of losing my dog. Meredith has called me a few times, and I also spoke with Eli and Marc over the phone. Several other people have left me messages on facebook and on this page, and I thank you all for your well wishes and support. It's been important that I have that support network here in Haifa as well. I really started to feel a little bit better yesterday afternoon after Hebrew class. I went with a group of people to this week's featured Wednesday concert. "Monica Sex" were performing and they gave a nice show. The sun was shining, and everyone grabbed a glass of beer and just talked and listened to the music.

Culture Wednesday at the university: Things are improving.

My roommates have also been very supportive, especially Samer and Hamza. I don't know them very well, but I am going to make an effort to change that. They are both great guys who have made a point of talking to me and comforting me. I've been eating with them more and I hope to make this a habit from now on.

Last night at מועדון בישול, we made pasta bolognese. The club has really grown. We had about a dozen people last not, and that gave us logistical problems that we didn't have when there were only 4 or 5 people. Still, the meal turned out quite well. The meat was nicely seasoned and we made an interesting salad with fruit and pecans. Needless to say everyone went home as full and drowsy as usual. I felt like I usually feel after thanksgiving dinner last night.

This weekend I will be away from Haifa on tiyul. We are going to Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea, and finishing our weekend with a hike up Masada. By the time I get home on Sunday night, I expect to be exhausted and be badly in need of a shower. I'll put up lots of photos and stories when I get home. I love to see Israel on foot, so this weekend should be great for me. Shabbat shalom.

The Annapolis Conference

Annapolis has come and gone. I wanted to jot down a few of my thoughts and impressions regarding the conference. To begin, the fact that the Arab League was nearly entirely represented on the ministerial level already makes this a success for Israel, as it demonstrates that the Arab leaders have not bought into the fanatical rejectionism of Hamas, Hezbollah or their pimp Iran.

Next comes the hard part. Israel and the PA have agreed on a joint document and will immediately begin bilateral negotiations intended to create a Palestinian state and end the Israel - Palestinian conflict. This would in theory lead to negotiated treaties and a normalization of relations with all countries represented by the Arab League, as propsed in the Arab Peace Initiative.

It all sounds nice and pretty, but its totally contingent on the Israeli government and the PA reaching an agreeable compromise, something that has failed on several occasions in the past. There are a number of factors working against this potential outcome. The first is that both Ehud Olmert and Abu Mazen are weak, unpopular leaders who may lack the political clout to make such an agreement. Olmert is under indictment for fraud and lost the support of most of his constituency by failing to militarily defeat Hezbollah last summer during the Second Lebanon War. Abu Mazen's Fatah party was routed and thrown out of Gaza by Hamas, and there are questions about his legitimacy in regard to his decision to dissolve the Hamas parlimant after the civil war in Gaza.

Additionally, Olmert will face challenges to his government by members of his coalition in the knesset. (For those who don't understand the inner workings of a parliamentary democracy can read about them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_system) Essentially, Olmert's party "Kadima" cannot rule on their own because they lack a majority of the seats in Knesset, but are considered the dominant party because they have a plurality. In order to rule, they must form pacts with other less represented parties so that together they will form a majority. This is called a coalition. Olmert has several right wing parties in his coalition who are opposed to any land compromise, and may attempt to bring down the government by leaving the coalition. This would force new elections, and generally throw Israel's entire political reality into turmoil, thus postponing any peace agreement.

Finally both societies must deal with the extremists in their midsts, those who would choose violence and bloodshed over compromise. I can only hope that these people are neutralized to the greatest extent possible. We would do well not to forget that leaders on both sides have been murdered for pursuing a peace settlement. Anwar Sadat of Egypt was assassinated in 1979 by Islamic extremists, while Yitzhak Rabin was murdered in 1995 by a fascist Jewish settler.

With all that said, I am hopefull that an accord can be struck. Making peace with the Arabs is key to isolating Iran and limiting Iran's influence in the Levant. It could have a domino effect: Israel makes peace with the Palestinians, allowing her to then make peace with Syria. This would deprive Iran of it's steadiest Arab ally, while simultaneously choking off Iranian money and weapons from Hamas and Hezbollah.

Sparky

My family dog Sparky passed away last night at home in Chicago. We loved him dearly and he will be missed. My thoughts are only with him today. I will resume regular posts tomorrow.

Midterms

I'm in the teeth of midterm exams right now. All of the Hebrew Ulpan classes held exams this morning. I didn't find mine to be particularly difficult, but the 6th level (who I share a teacher with) almost unanimously found their exam to be brutal. I don't know if ours was just easier, or if I was better prepared, or if I should be worried that I bombed it. I don't think I will worry; its not really my nature to come unhinged over grades.

Posts will likely be few and far between for the rest of the week. My "Terrorism and Responses" exam is tomorrow afternoon, while my take home exam in "Arab-Israeli Relations" is due on Thursday. I really don't like take home exams. I feel like so much more is expected from me on every answer because I have no time limit and I can make use of all my papers and notes. I'd rather just take a standard test. Plus this means the class will be meeting regularly this Thursday, and I really can't stand "Arab-Israeli Relations." The professor is the worst lecturer I've ever listened to. No exam in Arabic (and I don't know if we will ever have one), and we only have a project and a final exam in Rabbinic Lit. I guess 3 exams in a week isn't terrible.