Monday, February 14, 2011

Tel Aviv update

The more time I spend here, the more I love this city!
Like I said before, Tel Aviv is amazing.  I live so close to everything.  I'm absolutely obsessed with the shuk, where you can buy the cheapest goods ever.  You can literally buy anything you would ever need at the shuk it is incredible!  Like random housewares, electronics, clothing, fresh fruit and veggies, meats, candy, baking, etc.
There is also a mall right up the way from where I live where there is a fab grocery store that I like to go to when I am too tired to deal with the evil shopkeepers at the shuk (they rarely speak English, and for the most part they are quite mean!  The only drawback with the market).
Today I went to go do my laundry at the laundromat (this is a first for me that is for sure) and oh. my. god.  Best discovery ever!!!!!
The laundromat turned out to be inside of this delightful little cafe just off dizengoff square!  The food was incredible they had a quinoa salad that looked amazing, alongside many other kinds of soups, salads, sandwiches, and baking!  My friend had a latte that looked incredible..topped off with a picture perfect rosetta.
I had nana tea...it is this Israeli tea that has fresh mint leaves in it alongside a normal tea bag..sort of weird but amazingly delicious at the same time!
I went for a walk along the beach tonight for the first time and it was beautiful I cannot wait for it to be actually hot.
Yesterday we also went on a tour of Yaffo and it was super cool.  It is mostly Arab, and the city is full of old, but beautiful buildings.  A lot of them were all crumbling though, as apparently the majority of the city's inhabitants are extremely poor.
Afterwards we went for dinner to Dr. Shakshuka, which apparently started the whole shakshuka thing over here and makes it the best.  I am not a fan however and mostly ate the bread and salads they served alongside it.  For all you people who have not been to Israel, shakshuka is an egg dish, which is made up of a sort of poached egg in this tomato stew thing, served in a skillet.  The tomato stuff is really yummy but as you all know I am not a huge fan of eggs.
Ulpan (Hebrew class) is going really well, I am learning lots and lots of Hebrew I feel like my Hebrew has already vastly improved and I've only had a week of class!
Tomorrow I'm going to go to Save A Childs Heart to volunteer after ulpan, where I will get to play with underprivileged children from 3rd world countries who've recently had heart surgery!  It should be super interesting.
OK bedtime we have to get up extra early tomorrow because of the volunteering!  I will update again soon hopefully

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Settling into Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is amazing.
I am soo excited to be spending (at least) the next 5 months here!
I am living in a sort of crummy old building however it is about a 5 minute walk from the shuk (market), and is surrounded by various amazing shwarma and falafel shops, as well as random other electronics, home and clothing stores.  Basically we're in the center of the city and it is awesome!
So I may have told some of you that my internship fell through..however it is sounding like they actually did make space for me and that I'll just be working about 3 days a week.  So things are looking up!
Tomorrow I should be finding out what's going on with that.
Tomorrow as well we're going to this organization to hear them speak/have a look around that deals with migrant workers and refugees I believe which should be pretty interesting!
And on the weekend I'm going to Herzliya to visit Jenni for shabbat!
Anyways that is pretty much all for now!
Miss you all!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Shabbat Shalom!

I am still in Jerusalem and it is soooooooooooo rainy.  I did not bring any remotely appropriate rain shoes, so I had to wear my mocassins on our walk around the first Jewish neighborhood outside of the old city.  It was awful my feet were completely soaked through and now my feet are dyed orange.  Not a good look. Aside from the walk around the Jewish 'hood, we also went to the old city and sort of did a "3 religions" tour...we went to the church of the Holy Sepulcre (sp?) where Jesus was supposedly buried, so it is the most holy Christian site.  We also went to the temple mount which was super cool, it is sort of ill advised to go there by yourself so we were lucky to be able to go with the group.  Then we went to the kotel.  Unfortunately it was freezing this day as well and our tour guide was pretty terrible so I just sort of imagined what went on in these parts because it was so difficult to listen to him!  Ummm for you guys who have been to Israel before, the only place I have really eaten at is Aroma!  Soooooo good I am obsessed with the "345 calories of Good Health" sandwich there and the lattes of course.
It also sounds like my internship is a go, I still haven't had my interview but my co-ordinator basically said not to worry.  
I think that is all to tell for now.  It is shabbat and I'm being pretty BA by being on my laptop in the lobby!!!  

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

In Israel

Made it safe and sound to Israel!  I won't really have internet for the next few days so updates are to come!!