Rebecca @ 11.45.am | June 12, 2003 ta DA! I am in Israel!
Rebecca @ 11.46.am | June 12, 2003 Hi everyone... Well tensions are running high as Rinat can attest to. All is well here...no worries. I'll check in often....thanks for your concern everyone also! I am excited to report a few of my favourite things: Also I love the dairy products here. Banana milk! my GOD why don't we have that in Canada??? Next on my list: must find a scorpion!
Lorien @ 01.17.pm | June 12, 2003 "A realistic view of Israel" is right, Rebecca. Only those who are there can really understand how it is. Now, "must find a scorpion" is not right!!! Please be careful, 'cause those yucky creatures can kill you. You... stay safe :-))
Mithrandir @ 03.17.pm | June 12, 2003 find a scropion... we got a real deardevil on our hands... 8-) Rebbeca, if u want a tour in Bar Ilan university all you need to do is ask !!!
Rebecca @ 10.36.am | June 13, 2003 Last night we went to Jaffa but the exhibits were closed because we came late; I want to go back during the day to take better pic...it was *gorgeous* Today I went to the shuk to see all the stands selling everything from fresh chicken and fish (still swimming in a tank!) to fruits (got freshly squeezed juice on the spot) to clothing, jewelry, and cd's. It was great...I love markets. One thing about Israel..lots of stray cats and dogs; much more cats than dogs. The cats run around throughout the cafes and try to charm you into sharing whatever you might have. I, of course, have taken pics of them too. It was quite hot today...I don't know the temp..but hot. thankfully the shuk was under umbrellas and tarps. I only WISH we had markets like that back home. Not sure what we are up to tomorrow...figure the beaches will be packed; maybe on Sunday. Next week I will be going to Eilat....eeek!! Can't wait! Must bring plenty of sunblock for my delicate Canadian flesh. lol And thank you so much for the offer Mithrandir! You're a sweetie...we'll see how my stay goes.. thank you all for sharing this has been a wonderful experience so far! I know I promised pics...and I will deliver soon, I promise. hugs!!!!!!
Rebecca @ 10.59.am | June 13, 2003 Oh and Lorien...thank you for this space..I am so very flattered!!!
Rebecca @ 11.59.am | June 13, 2003 One more thing.....uhhh..... should I be leaving just because Hamas said for all foreigners to get out?? HA! not a chance... (we'll also ignore the Canadian Embassy advising the same...lol)
Rebecca @ 03.35.pm | June 13, 2003 1:25am - We have watched and decided maybe we won't visit Jerusalem this trip... :-( It's not a good scene, and we all known Jerusalem is a hot spot (and not just because of the other day). If Rinat can offer me some compelling words to come I may reconsider...I still have over a week. In the morning we are going to Haifa. :-D
Lorien @ 12.03.am | June 14, 2003 Rebecca, though it's a shame not to visit Jerusalem, maybe it's the right decision. Write an E-mail to Rinat and ask her advice. I love the open markets as well, and yes, we don't have them here in Canada, and I miss them as well. Enjoy those while you can :-)) Eilat is beautiful, and you'll enjoy it very much. be careful with the sun! The Canadian version is not as hot as the Israeli one :-)) Thanks for the pics. I had a thrill seeing them. Hugz :-))) And send MORE :-))
Rebecca @ 08.46.am | June 14, 2003 We have postponed our trip to Haifa today because my friend is quite sick with a cold/sinus infection. I feel a bit bad because I was the one who gave it to her...I brought it with me when I arrived (was pretty sick my first day here). Her cousin has arrived and we are about to have a little dinner and then head out for the night...to Tel Aviv, I'm sure. I will send more pics!
Rebecca @ 02.01.pm | June 14, 2003 Just got back from Tel Aviv. Went to a cafe (Alperto?) across the street from where Yitzak Rabin was shot. My friend took me over to look at the memorial.....it was so sad...so moving. Very sad to think of a Jew killing a Jew in the struggle for peace. "Seems so impossible" I said to my friend. Interestingly, there was a wreath on the memorial from a Toronto Jewish group. A piece of my home so far away! It was nice to see some support from back home. Tomorrow, if my friend feels well enough we will take a train to Haifa to stay overnight with her uncle and get a tour there, and Nazareth. (am I boring everyone???)
Nancy @ 05.36.pm | June 14, 2003 You are certainly not boring me in the least. I have goose bumps just reading the familiar city names. I so envy you at this moment! Enjoy Israel, it's a beautiful country.
Rebecca @ 03.06.am | June 15, 2003 Well it is 1pm and my friend is still in bed; she was up most of the night coughing and unable to sleep... So this means that Haifa has been postponed again. I feel badly having given this to my friend, because I know how it feels..I just went through it. So I am patient, for I am the bringer of the sickness. lol We have been discussing plans this week....Eilat is still on board for Thurs - Sat. We are looking to take a side trip to the Dead Sea before heading down, and we are thinking to maybe still go to Jerusalam. It would be a shame not to go... Meanwhile I will enjoy the company of my friend and her mother and she works to feel better; they are like a second family to me and I have missed them since they moved here from Canada nearly 9 months ago. It is good to spend time with them again. :-)
Lorien @ 06.03.pm | June 16, 2003 Tell your friend I wish she'll feel well soon. The time you two got to spend together is priceless! Waiting for your future reports, sweetie. Stay safe, and enjoy every minute you have there :-))
Desiree @ 12.14.am | June 17, 2003 great that Rebecca can share this trip here. :)
Rebecca @ 01.44.am | June 17, 2003 GRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!! There seems to be problems when I post .... whenever I post it gives me a 404 error message, but still the post shows up. Except for my last post! Damnit! Yesterday's post didn't stick! *pout* Well let me see if I can rewrite it... Sunday night we went into Tel Aviv and went to the marina. We looked at some boats, and sat in a cafe by the water and had I think the best iced coffee I ever drank. Heaven!! But yesterday! *grin* Yesterday started with a trip to the beach..just a quick one while we waited for my friend's cousin to pick us up. We walked around, splashed in the water, looked at jellyfish washed up on shore...it was beautiful. I loved it, and could see where a person would want to just live on the beach. Then her cousin picked us up and we heading for Jerusalem. YAY!!! Then we finally made it into Jerusalem. It. Was. BREATHTAKING! My friends cousin works for Egged, so we went to the Egged buiding in Jerusalem whcih shares the building with Reuters and CNN. This was cool because we went up to the roof and saw where CNN does all it's reports from! You could sit in the chairs and booths they have set up for the reporters, and see all the satellites. And of course the view was specacular since it's used for t.v. so I took a lot of pics. I really enjoyed the rooftop view. I got to go to the Western Wall and just soak up the energy of it and the people...very moving. I touched the wall and just closed my eyes, imagining all those who came before me. After driving around a bit more we made our way back to Rishon... on the way we stopped and looked at the beautiful fields of sunflowers plants and grapes. It was truly a gorgeous day. And I got a little bit of a sunburn. Note to self: don't just put a little lotion on in the morning..take it WITH you. Lesson learned!
Lorien @ 06.12.am | June 17, 2003 Yea, the comments tend to make a mess from time to time. Try to type elsewhere and then copy and paste into the comments... This way, if it fails, you won't need to retype :-)) What a wonderful joy, to wake up to your photos, girl. Sure made me emotional this morning!... especially the ones from Jerusalem. I'm so glad for you, that you had the chance to visit this special city. I remember that whenever I entered Jerusalem, I had a special feeling... One can almost "taste" the holiness of the place, know what I mean? :-)) Again, be very careful with the sun. Put lotion on you every few hours. The Israeli sun is very mean :-)) Thanks so much, sweetie... for sharing your time with me. It means a lot :-))
Rebecca @ 06.35.am | June 17, 2003 ok. finally I have some extra time on the computer without the guilt of being anti-social with those I am visiting. (everyone is busy doing their own thing) Here are a few of my observations on this fair country, mingled with a few of the things I like. Ready for a long post? (god help me if this doesn't post properly) ok. first of all....could someone explain to me why Israelis are SO damn loud??? haha...they are just yelling all the time when they talk!! I am happy with the toilets here. Two handles, for varying amounts of water depending on how much you..."deposited". Brilliant, and an excellent way to conserve water. Canada should really take a lesson from this..hell, the whole world should. Also, the excellent use of solar panels. Another brilliant use of a natural resource, that many more countries could adopt; well okay, maybe not Canada, but there are PLENTY of other places. The world needs to follow a few of Israels leads.
Rebecca @ 06.37.am | June 17, 2003 Driving. What can I say? It looks like a terrifying prospect. I watch carefully when out with my friend, to learn how it all works here. I notice that Israeli drivers are a very impatient bunch and you have about TWO seconds to respond to the light changing before you get honked at. lol. unreal. Though I do enjoy the green, to yellow, to red, to yellow, to green again. We don't have this in Canada and I find it fascinating that you get a yelllow before a green....it's like it's warning you that you can almost go (or really in this case, they just start moving on the yellow). In Canada, we only get the yellow before it turns to red. Also, this strange use of a circle in the road instead of traffic lights....you enter the circle and follow it around until you get to the street you want instead of waiting at an intersection and making a left. Okay, I'm not explaining it very well, and I'm not sure if it's a good thing yet or not. Must observe it more. :-) I love the buildings here. LOVE THEM. Not too many tall buildings cluttering the beautiful skyline...and the buildings all have interesting shapes and cuts in them...they aren't like the giant mirrored rectangles in Toronto. Very beautiful! And that sandstone/whitewash colour used everywhere....gives it such a nice look. The old buildings have such character, and the new buildings blend in and don't overpower the old ones. There is great care taken to make it all flow, and it shows. Laundry. My friends mom just did my laundry and hung it out on the balcony...and chik-chak! it's dry. AH-mazing. lol. The sun dries your clothes faster than a dryer would (of course it doesn't hurt that it's 35C today). As I covered before, I love the shuk. I only dream of having a market like that near my home...fresh bread, fresh fish, fresh fruit...everything! *sigh* Once again, I'd also like to thank Israel for their many fine dairy products. Banana milk. Milki. And Skee (ski? how would you spell it in english??). Puddings and cheese.
Rebecca @ 06.37.am | June 17, 2003 Ah! And here's another good thing that I only WISH Toronto did!! The bus drivers give you CHANGE!!!!! In Toronto you have to come on with exact change or forfeit the difference...here, the bus driver takes your money and gives you change in return....and so fast!! My god, Canada needs to get on that...these bus drivers are saints. 100 shekels? no problem, here's your change. *sigh* Dreamy! Back to the driving for a moment. Not only is driving a pretty scary adventure...PARKING is a challenge all its own. Seems you can park just about anywhere...sidewalks, side of the road, wherever. lol! Right on the sidewalk!!! I had a good laugh, coz you would NEVER get away with that in Canada. Okay here's something that I just don't understand about Israel....the payphones. You can't put change in them you gotta buy a calling card....and not every convenience store sells the damn things. Israel needs to catch up with the rest of the world here, coz that's just horribly inconvenient, especially to confused tourists. lol. What possible reason could there be for this, and *don't* tell me security!! Also, another thing I have to work to wrap my brain around....telling time. While I am fully aware of how to read a 24 hour clock (ie: 23:46) it's a bit of an effort to do the math everytime I wonder what time it is. Not saying it's good or bad, just a slight pain in the ass. lol And finally....I said it before and I will say it again...I love the trees and plants here. They are gorgeous. Feels like something straight out of a movie. I have been picking leaves and flowers everywhere I go. heh. something to be said for the cold in Canada! stunts the growth of cockroaches! :-D more another time!!
Nancy @ 11.13.pm | June 17, 2003 You gave me a good chuckle with a couple things...like the payphones. I remember quite well how my canadian bell calling card wouldn't work and of course you can't use money. Yep, it was hilarious for me that day......
Rebecca @ 05.54.am | June 18, 2003 Well nothing much to report today....slept until early afternoon as I have not been sleeping much and my body finally took over and forced me to crash and sleep for nearly 14 hours. So sadly I won't be able to post for a few days....try not to miss me too much, and I will tell such tales of fun when I return...
Lorien @ 08.47.am | June 18, 2003 Good that you listen to your body, Rebecca. When we do, it's easy to follow its leads. Joe read your comments about the Israelis and giggled. He knows most of these things because I told him, but still enjoyed your report :-)) Have a wonderful time in the Dead Sea and Eilat. Wish I could be there with you :-))
Cynthia @ 07.38.am | June 22, 2003 I am so jealous of Rebecca! ;) Some of those photos are very thought provoking and emotional. Love the Amsterdam Canal and the beautiful beach too. She's so fortunate.
Rebecca @ 06.58.am | June 25, 2003 Well, I am back! What is WITH the coloured toilet paper?? Everybody but EVERYBODY uses pink toilet paper. It's very bizarre. Don't see much of that around here. And my god...I have never seen anyone use condiments like Israelis. You sit down to a meal, and while you wait you get about 6 - 10 little dishes of salads, sauces, olives, and a host of other things I can't readily identify. I was amused by the chronic use of olives.. especially at the bars. You order booze, you get a tray of olives, like you would a dish of pretzels or peanuts in North America. It's awesome. :-) Have I gone on and on about the hip-hugger pants phenomenon in Israel yet? Are we all familiar with the type of pants I'm referring to? Low riders? Anyway, all the women here wear them. ALL of them. 12 - 55 years old. It's unreal...they just aren't the nicest pants on most, and they are so prevalent that they are more like a uniform, since they all have them. I even went into a few stores to see if it was possible to buy pants that WEREN'T hip huggers and it was a total no go. I was amazed. I said it before and I'll say it again. I loves the shuk. I went to one in Jaffa and bought FOUR little hand drums for $40 CDN!!! an AMAZING deal!! got all my presents for everyone there..necklaces, oil lamps, etc... awesome. loved it. Ok ok...time to put up a long post about Eilat. *grin*
Rebecca @ 07.05.am | June 25, 2003 Off to Eilat.... After mucking around a bit we hopped back in the car and got back to business...the long drive to Eilat. I didn't sleep a wink because I couldn't take my eyes off the views..what a beautiful drive. Then we went to Eilat......*sigh*...
Rebecca @ 07.12.am | June 25, 2003 We arrived Eilat in the morning, to a town just waking up. We had breakfast and settled into our room. The hotel (Ambassador: www.ambassador.co.il) was gogeous, with three pools of various depths to choose from if you weren't a sea swimmer. We where right across the street from the Red Sea, so we could walk over and sit and sips drinks and the little restaurants there. Very nice. My friend's cousin was kind enough to take me diving while I was there. It was AMAZING!! I have never dived before, so he and his buddy gave me a quick lesson, strapped a tank on my back, and away we went. The reefs were simply STUNNING!! It was so much fun...and we did it again the following day. His friend was great because he brought his underwater camera and took pics of me when I was diving! Eeek!!! When I develop the pics I will pass them along. :-D
Rebecca @ 07.20.am | June 25, 2003 And of course, while in Eilat, we made our way to the underwater observatory there.(www.coralworld.com/eilat/observatory) At night I went out to the bars around the market/mall area, and hung out with a few of the diving buddies. Had some great laughs, and answered lots of questions about Canada. One Israeli chap really wanted to see Nova Scotia...he had seen a program on tv about it once. lol. I said it's all beautfiul, and that he should certainly come check us out. :-) What can I say? It was a gorgeous and relaxing trip. And by going diving I fulfilled a dream I had since I was a kid. Fantastic. (Sure it was 42C, but there's a nice breeze..lol) And with sunblock in hand, I'm happy to report no burns! Woot!
We finally came back to Rishon and tried to get back into the "real world" instead of the oasis we had been living in while in Eilat. Here's a little advice to the kids at home...make sure your bag is WELL out of reach of the waves. Even if you think it's far enough away..move it a little more. My bag got soaked, and therefore so did my camera. bye bye camera. :'-( I don't even wanna talk about it, but let's just try to look at the bright side..at least it happened at the end of my trip, when I had already taken most of my pics. :-) The next day we went back to Jaffa to the shuk, and to visit my friend's uncle. He has a beautiful huge home there, and has a family business there making shoes. Very cool to see the process, and a step in the past to see people making shoes by hand. It was awesome. Israel was a very.....educational...experience. lol It was fun, stimulating, enlightening, and moving all at the same time. As I recall I will post more, but right now I am in jet lag hell. My flights were a total nightmare (more on that later) and I am very very tired still. I am heading for a nap, and then when I get up I will send lots of pics to Lorien. Thanks everyone!!
Lorien @ 12.55.pm | June 25, 2003 So you made it back home! I thought you were still in Israel :-) It was great to read your report... All comes to life from my memories... with your words... mmm.. yummy! :-)) Pink toilet paper? Don't know what you're talking about ;-))) My mom doesn't use it! Waiting for your pics! HURRY!!! :-))
Rebecca @ 08.58.pm | June 25, 2003 OK ok...I remember, I had another question to put out for the home audience...can someone tell me why the population of what would be classified as a HOT country, generally wears PANTS and not shorts??????? Very few people (kids, mostly) wear shorts....most are wearing pants (see previous hip hugger post) and very often jeans. HELLOOOO???? tsk....crazy Israelis. lol
Nancy @ 09.59.am | June 26, 2003 I don't know what's up with the pink toilet paper either...our family always uses white stuff. Maybe it's just the latest fad. As for the pants and jeans in particular.....I still wear pants and particularly denim in the summer, even though I live in Ontario. Back home, we either wore pants, very short skirts or went to the clothing optional beaches. LOL! I personally don't know why that is but hubby just thinks of it as eye candy for the men LMAO!
Nancy @ 10.01.am | June 26, 2003 I forgot to wellcome you home and thank you for the wonderful information of your trip. BTW.....did you notice how GORGEOUS the people are in Israel?
Mithrandir @ 02.05.pm | June 26, 2003 Well , today we were pants to look more american ... you know
Rebecca @ 02.26.am | June 27, 2003 Another thing. (it's 5am and I'm still thinking about stuff...lol) Go Israel, go!
Rebecca @ 07.53.am | June 29, 2003 When sitting in a cafe and talking to an Israeli girl about what I liked about Israel I said that I loved the trees, that I would trade them in for Canada's (at least borrow for a while *wink*). And she said no! she thought Canada's trees were way better; I asked her why she thought that and she said: Because you guys have SQUIRRELS in them!! Ask me how hard I chuckled! It was only then that I started paying attention and noticed..hey...she's right! There arent any squirrels in Israel!!!!!!!!!!!! There are considered such a pest of a rodent here, that I thought everyone had them, like rats. Who knew????
Lorien @ 10.37.pm | June 29, 2003 Boy, the stuff that you noticed!!! You've learned so much in such short time. Amazing!!! :-)) |