Change

It is 6 am Jerusalem time and I've been up since 5am, jet lag is no fun at all. The past few days of traveling have been a roller coaster of emotions. From excitement to nervousness to scared, I've covered about all of them. 

My first major accomplishment of my trip was making it through El Al security. I was questioned over and over then more and more then again and again. I thought I was never going to be let on that plane. El Al openly profiles and asked questions from your religion to your studies to your family. It was intimidating but worth the safety of the flight. 

My flight was an uneventful 10 hours. A birthright trip was also on our plane so lots of students. Mid flight a group of Jewish men did their daily prayers. about 20 men gathered at the back of the plane and sang, chanted and prayed together. It was very different then a US flight where everyone would have been staring. In this case I was the only one staring, trying to figure out why they were singing so loudly! It was just the beginning of the Israeli world. 

After arriving in Tel Aviv we loaded onto buses and drove to Jerusalem. A beautiful drive. Israel is beautiful a combination of palm tress, beaches, desert, mountains and valleys. It is lush yet in the middle of a desert. Settlements are all over the banks of the valley. Both Arab and Jewish settlements. You can tell if they are Arab because they have large black barrels to collect water from. Since Arab settlements are not part of Israel, the Israeli government does not provide water to these settlements. Just my first taste of the tension in the region. You really can feel the tension here between Arabs and Jewish communities. Just a little bit from campus is an Arab neighborhood that we have been advised not to travel too. 

Speaking of security my apartment is very different from the US. My blinds are made of metal that come down and protect the window. One of the rooms becomes a bomb shelter is needed. The door and walls are a lot thinker and it is equipped with a one way filtration system. I had no idea what this was but apparently it is needed for a bomb shelter. 

I have 4 roommates. Two Israeli boys, an American boy and American girl. I was quite surprised when I arrived to find out I was in a co-ed apartment but they seem fun and nice. I have my own room and we all share a commons area. My room is very plain but I went shopping for bedding and found a pink quilt that made it much better. My apartment does not have heat and the building is made of stone. I was freezing so I slept in my sleeping bag under my quilt. 

Everything here is secure. To get into the mall you go through a metal detector and your bag is x-rayed. You can not get onto Hebrew University's campus without a student ID. And you have to go through security to get through the gate. We went on a tour of campus yesterday. It was beautiful. HU is on top of Mt Scopus so you have some of the best views of the city. At on part you can see all the way to Jordan and the Dead Sea. It is really weird how close everything is together. 

I would describe Israelis as aggressive. Not unkind just aggressive. Everything is very efficient and useful. If you just stand in line you will be passed you have to push and stand your ground. It is taking me quite a bit to get used to this. No 'excuse me' just a nudge to move aside. Very different from the South. 

Trying to buy everyday supplies was hard. I could not figure out what laundry detergent was what. Was I buying bleach or fabric softener or shampoo? It seemed like an easy task that took way longer than expected. For one thing Hebrew is so different from English you can't tell at all what you're reading. So staring at hundreds of bottles trying to use clues from the picture on the bottle to figure out what you are buying. Hopefully I bought laundry detergent but I will have to wait and see how my clothes turn out. 

A major challenge about being abroad is how simple things become such a task. For instance showering. You have to turn the heater on to heat your water 30 minutes before then turn the heat on in the bathroom. Then you have about 5 minutes in the shower before the hot water runs out. All while trying to translate Hebrew from your shampoo bottle to make sure you are washing your hair with shampoo and not laundry detergent. After a while I'm sure this won't be an issue at all but right now all the change is a lot to digest. 

Israel is different then I thought it would be but I have only been here for 2 days and I've already learned a ton! It is scary and new. I'm trying to adjust as quickly and smoothly as possible. I've already met some great people (all Jewish). I've never heard the word Gentile used in casual conversation until now. But as one of the few Gentiles at HU I am already learning. Tomorrow is a new day with lots to learn and do! New people to meet, foods to try and places to go!

xoxo, 

Katy Ann 

ps. my blog is now in Hebrew and I don't know how to change is back! Any suggestions That is why the typing is off?