November 7, 2009 – 3:19 am
1. Catch the sunrise over the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv
2. Gaze out at Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives
3. Take a dip in the Dead Sea
4. Wander through the Old City
5. Learn how to say Thank You and Hello in Hebrew and Arabic
6. Take a walk through the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa
7. Yell at a cab driver who is trying to [...]
October 28, 2009 – 3:49 am
It is by far the best concert that I have ever been to.
After a one hour sherut ride from Jerusalem, we were in Tel Aviv. And what were we there for? To see Idan Raichel – the musician who has captivated audiences in Israel and worldwide. With his characteristic dreadlocks draped over his face, [...]
October 20, 2009 – 6:03 am
After 7 weeks of non-stop Hebrew lessons and 3 weeks of holiday, I am back to speaking English in class. After being forced to use my poor language skills out on the Jerusalem streets, I can now string sentences together and read all the road signs.
My grammar is still terrible, but the words are [...]
October 11, 2009 – 7:02 am
From the Central Bus station in Jerusalem, we took an hour long shared-taxi ride to Tel Aviv followed by a picturesque train journey to Haifa. I had Bernard Fanning’s Tea and Symphony album playing on my iPod the entire way.
We, like many others, had come for The Haifa International Film Festival, which takes place every autumn [...]
September 30, 2009 – 4:42 am
Yom Kippur; as it is known in Hebrew is the holiest day of the year for religious Jews. From the picturesque sunset on Sunday night till darkness approached on Monday night, observant Jews did not eat or drink, and observed all traditions pertaining to Shabbat.
Roaming the empty streets, I was wondering what in the [...]
September 23, 2009 – 12:19 am
Haifa is the third-largest city in Israel, and is home to the Bahá’í World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We left Jerusalem at 7am, slept through the mountainous journey and arrived around 9am, only to be awakened by the majestic Mediterranean Sea.
After a scenic view and too much gasping and murmuring of wanting [...]
September 10, 2009 – 4:47 am
There is a saying often repeated in my Hebrew class. If I could remember the grammatically correct sentence in Hebrew, I would tell it to you, but neither my memory nor my Hebrew is that good. As a matter of fact, I speak Hebrew like a 3 year old.
But yes, back to the quote, [...]
September 7, 2009 – 3:18 am
The Old City in Jerusalem is made up 4 quarters; the Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian quarters. It is really quite astounding to see how a 0.9 square kilometre walled area within the modern larger city of Jerusalem can be as varied as it is.
My flatmates and I have had dinner in two aesthetically [...]
August 31, 2009 – 12:39 am
There is no book in this world that could possibly prepare you to experience Israel.
The streets are unpredictable and filled with dashes of colour that intrigue the mind and enlighten the senses.
Randomness guaranteed, I chanced upon a party in the middle of a street for what seemed to be no reason at all. I [...]
August 26, 2009 – 6:21 am
When they told me Orientation Week, I expected bad ice breakers to get us talking. I expected Prosh Week type madness. I expected all the stuff that did not happen.
What I did not expect was a trip to the Old City where The Dome of the Rock blew me away.
What I did not expect was a [...]