Back in the States/ Last Post

I've been back in the states for over a week now. It feels weird but I am getting used to it. First off, it's freezing cold. Like 8 degrees cold. It's also been weird adjusting to using dollars again and speaking to the bus drivers in English. Speaking of the bus, I met a crack head on the bus. A real live crack head. That was something I never saw in Israel. I'm also a lot more aware of the poverty that exists here in America. I also feel less safe in my own neighborhood in Pittsburgh than I did anywhere in Israel because there is legit crime that goes on here. I'm not writing this to trash Pittsburgh. I love this city, but poverty and crime were things that I was used to before leaving and once I got away from it, I pretty much forgot about it. But now I'm living in the middle of it and it stirs up a lot more feelings inside me than it did before. My adjustment to classes has been smooth. I like my courses a lot and am excited to learn about non-Jewish and non-Israeli topics this semester. I was on overload while I was in Israel and needed a break. It's very odd for me to be back in an environment that does not question Israel on anything, let alone relations with the Palestinians. I've tried to have rational discussions with people and they just get ugly and I end up looking paranoid and pessimistic. I was supposed to start the Union of Progressive Zionists chapter at Pitt. It was actually one of my goals for coming back, but I've been so busy adjusting back into life at Pitt that I haven't done anything about it. I've been invited to Hebrew practice sessions on Tuesday nights. I'm going to go. As frustrating as it was to learn Hebrew in Israel, it would be a waste to let all of that frustration produce nothing. I played my Israeli monopoly game last night with some friends. It was a lot of fun. The banking system in the game is messed up and if I could play with Monopoly dollars instead of shekels, I would clean house and win all the time.

This is my last post on this site. If you're reading this, thanks for coming. I really appreciated you reading this site and learning about my ups and downs in Haifa. Haifa is a great place and I highly recommend that you visit there if you haven't. Don't let anyone tell you that it's a dump and that there's nothing there except for factories and Arabs. That couldn't be further from the truth. Haifa is the embodiment of Israel and a shining example for Israel's future. It's not a city in its own little bubble like Jerusalem and it's not a playground like Tel Aviv. It's a real city, with real people, joy, and struggles. Check it out.

If you have any questions for me, please leave a comment or ask me in person.

Ben Gurion Airport

I'm at the airport right now. The first leg of my trip is from Tel Aviv to London, and then from London to San Francisco. I got here too early to check my bags and go through security, so I'm just hanging out and using the free wireless here.

Despite the fact that I'm leaving, tonight has been a pretty good night. I got to go have dinner with friends and then say goodbye. My roommate and I said our goodbyes and exchanged e-mail addresses. Getting the cab to the airport was really easy. He was just waiting outside of the dorms. I'm waiting for Murphy's law to take effect.

The ride down here was nice. I got to take one last trip to through Haifa and see all of the places along the coast that I had adventures in, including Atlit and Caesarea.

My stomach is acting up again. The doctor yesterday did nothing. Thankfully, I made an appointment at Student Health for Friday morning. I need some serious medicine, not just immodium. I found out yesterday that the guy is known to be a horrible doctor and that it wasn't until someone complained to the insurance salesman that a real doctor was brought in. Oh well, I just need to hold out for Friday. It's going to be a long trip.

Packing

I'm all packed and ready to go. The cable company came and picked up my modem today and I canceled my internet. I bought some last minute gifts for people and I've been saying goodbyes throughout the day. One of the hardest was actually with the guy from the mini market on campus. He was a nice guy and when I was sick he would always offer medicine. He lived in Pittsburgh for a while and he and I knew some of the same places and people. I'm going to miss this place. I've been saying goodbye to friends as they've been leaving. It's been sad. My cab to the airport is at 1am and my flight is at 7am. I have to get there early because of all the extra security in Israel. Plus, there's even more security because President Bush is visiting. It's costing the government $25,000 an hour to keep him protected. It's insane. I'm glad I'm leaving when I am. This place is a crazy.

Dr. Visit

I felt really sick this morning and had to cancel my trip to Jerusalem. I went to the doctor and it was a serious waste of time. The guy looked like Azmat from the Borat movie and did not want to see me because he was talking to his friend. He didn't speak English very well and got mad when I couldn't say things in Hebrew. I told him that my stomach hurt me for over a week and that I had really bad diahrea. He just stood there smoking a cigarette thinking what to do. He then went to go get a box of immodium. He cut out 2 pills and said to take them with lots of water, which was what I had already been doing. I went because the immodium stopped working! It took me longer to walk to the doctor's office than it did for the appointment.

Getting Ready to Leave

I spent today getting ready to leave. I got my paperwork from the housing office and from the library saying that I don't owe any money. I bought laundry tokens to take care of laundry before I leave. I called the cable company to make sure that someone is coming to pick up my modem and cable on Tuesday before I leave. I got a ride to the airport. All I need to do is turn in my keys Tuesday night.

Tomorrow I'm going to Jerusalem to visit a friend for the day. Afterwards, I'm coming back and getting ready to pack. My roommates seem sad that I'm leaving.

I'm leaving on the same day that President Bush is coming to Israel. I'm expecting delays and chaos. Hopefully there won't be. I fly from Tel Aviv to London and then London to San Francisco. I spend less than a day at home and then I'm back in Pittsburgh.

I'm going to miss this place. I went to the far end of campus today to eat some lunch and look out on Haifa. This city is great and I recommend that all of you come and see it for yourselves.

Classes have ended

Classes have ended and I leave in 2 days. My finals went pretty well, I hope. I spent Wednesday afternoon in Tel Aviv with my mom and grandmother at Dizengoff center because they needed to do something to get away from their tour guide. It was fun. I bought monopoly in Hebrew.

Afterwards, we went to the airport. My mom exchanged some loud words with the tour guide at the rental car place because the bill cost more than what he told her it would or something like that. She then, literally, threw some money at him. He sat there counting it after being yelled at, resembling the worst of Jewish stereotypes: the greedy, kippah wearing, scraggly bearded, short, bald, money loving Jew. He was a disgusting person. If you ever come to Israel and decide to hire a private guide, DO NOT use Tuvia Grossman.

Anyways, after I said goodbye to them at the airport, I rode the train back to Haifa. On the train to Tel Aviv I studied for my Hebrew exam the next day and the Israelis next to me corrected the spelling mistakes on my flashcards and it was very productive. The ride back was completely different. I ended up sitting next to this senile old guy who kept rambling on and on about his life adventures. Apparently he came to Palestine in the 1890's as a kid (he'd be over 100 now) and helped do something or other with oranges (it was all in Hebrew). He said he fought with Moshe Dayan in WWII (which would have made him about 50 years old) and then he trailed off into these bizarre stories about how he has children all over the world and how he visited all over America. There was a girl sitting accross from us, and so when an ultra-Orthodox guy walked on the train he told him to sit next to her (he wouldn't because he can't for religious reasons). The old guy burst out laughing when the guy gave him a dirty look. He then went on a rant about how he hated the Orthodox and how they were ruining his country. After dealing with the horrible tour guide, I'm inclined to agree. However, I've met a lot of religious, non-fanatical, and optimistic people in Israel. So I'm back to being neutral. Anyways, the guy talked and talked and talked. I think it was the only thing that was keeping him alive.

Starting last weekend, I started having stomach pains. I think it was from the sushi I ate. Anyways, the pains culminated Thursday night. I thought they were originally from exam stress or something like that, but apparently not because I spent all day Friday being friends with the toilet. I went to the doctor at 12:30, but he left at 12 for Shabbat. I finally was able to get some medicine last night. Apparently in Israel you can't buy Immodium or Pepto Bismal from a store rack. You have to ask for it from the pharmacy. It was fun trying to ask for it in Hebrew. I didn't know if either of those existed here, so I just told the guy that I had "shilshul norah" and he understood. If you don't know what I said, look it up or ask an Israeli.

After the trip to the pharmacy, my friends and I went to go get some really good falafel in downtown Haifa. It was fun. One of my friend's roommate left and so she was pretty bummed and needed cheering up. After falafel, we went for coffee. I spoon-fed the tea leaves to my friend while making airplane sounds. And she ate them. It was funny. While I was sitting and drinking my tea, the medicine I got started putting me to sleep. When we got back to the university, I could barely keep my eyes open and went to sleep.

Finals Week

I'm in the middle of finals week. It's progressing slowly. I had my exam for Rabbinic Literature yesterday. It was tough, but I think I managed. Today I have my exam for Terrorism and Responses. My Hebrew exam in on Thursday and my final paper for Arab-Israeli relations is due February 3. I don't know how much I'll post during the rest of this week, so here's some random photos of me from Israel to tide you over. Seriously, I've been so busy that it kept my New Years celebrations to only a cigar outside my building.

Me wearing a headscarf for no particular reason.
My friends and I getting some lunch in Jerusalem.
Me at the aqueduct in Caesarea.