Who would have thought Israelis wander the streets on Yom Kippur like it's Isla Vista & DP!!

Yom Kippur in Israel was like nothing I've ever experienced.  First, my roommates and I made pre-fast dinner and we ended up making way too much so we had a few friends join us, and after feeling like I was gonna vomit if I moved we started fasting.  On Yom Kippur, the entire country shuts down and since there are no cars on the road (except for emergency vehicles) everyone in Israel gathers in the middle of the streets walking around.  It was an amazing thing to see, everyone in the city in white just hanging out, kids riding bikes in the street, and people playing games to pass the time without using electricity or anything like that.  We starfished in the middle of the street just because we could and that was really cool.  A few of us who were fasting decided to stay up as late as possible Friday night so we could sleep as late as possible Saturday and avoid the feelings of starvation.  We played cards and charades and talked until I crashed at 4:30AM.  The next day we did the same thing until we went to synagogue to hear the Shofar blow at the end of the holiday, and then of course had a delicious break the fast.  Unfortunately, you really aren't supposed to take pictures of what happens, but I found pictures to show what this experience looks like.

We have a 10 day break for Sukkot coming up and my friends and I are planning on doing a 4 day hike called Yam L'Yam (Sea to Sea) where you hike across Israel from the Mediterranean to Lake Kinneret which I'm very excited about.  Then I think we're renting a car and driving around Israel and stopping in a bunch of places like the Negev and the Dead Sea and hiking and camping and roughing it.  We don't have any for sure plans yet so we shall see what happens!!

Lindsey

Blooooggggggg (I couldn't think of a clever title...)

Happy new year to all you Jews out there, everyone else, happy start of school...? For Rosh Hashanah, Julian and I went with our host dad to a kibbutz (Givat Hayim) that his friend lived on where we had that biggest holiday dinner I've ever been to, but it doesn't take much to beat the size of our family functions.  There were 30-40 people from all over Israel -- the lady who was hosting the dinner had posted on a message board inviting anyone who didn't have family to go to for whatever reason like divorce or travel plans.  Everyone was super friendly and there was so much food and it was all very good (minus the gefilte fish that I obvs didn't touch).

Avi, Julian, and me

The next day I went to services because I couldn't be in Israel for the High Holidays and not see what it was like.  Not surprisingly they were long and boring and hot and incomprehensible and we woman had to to be shunned to the back on the 2nd level.  I then joined my friends Arielle and Michelle at their host family for lunch where I played chess with a hilarious 7 year old boy AND BEAT HIM 3 TIMES!  When I told the mom, originally from Maryland, that I was from the Valley, she commented that I didn't look like a JAP which I thanked her for.  The rest of the weekend was spent watching Entourage and other random stuff on our computers which makes dead holidays like Shabbat more interesting.

We've started working in our schools, and by working I mean hanging out with high schoolers and talking about fun things like T.V. and sports and music.  In 11th and 12th grade here, the kids have oral English tests where they pretty much just have to talk about their lives and our job is to practice with them.  We've already heard some funny lines (besides all the annoying Justin Bieber fanatics everywhere).  A kid asked me at least 10 times if I liked to live in California because of earthquakes and if they were scary.  I said no not really, they usually aren't a big deal, and then I shook the table and said that was how it is and he thought that earthquakes seemed fun.

I haven't started volunteering at the motor disabilities place but I will on Sunday.  My Hebrew is improving I think/hope.  I'm working on my USC application which is tedious and frustrating...I forgot what applying to colleges was like and I don't really want to have to do it again!

Going to sleep now.  Tomorrow we are packing food for the holidays and Thursday we are going hiking in the Israel Valley which should be fun!  (Especially because the weather has cooled down a little and it's really nice out now)

If you want to mail me a beautiful package, our address is:

Har Metzada 89/17ב (that is the Hebrew letter bet for you non-Heb people, I think a B will get to me too  though)

77711

Ashdod Israel

Loves youuuu

!!סלומ החברים ומשפחה שלי

Tel Aviv!

I've been a bit of a failure at updating this blog, but I am using the lack of a camera until now as an excuse! I bought a cheapy digital camera, and that's just gonna have to get me through this time abroad.  I've really enjoyed these last few weeks in Ashdod (and our various trips to Tel Aviv for a more entertaining nightlife that Ashdod doesn't quite have much of).  Besides Ulpan, we've been meeting with the teachers of the schools where we will be teaching English in -- my roommate Josh and I are going to be working in Mekif Bet, which is unfortunately a religious high school, so not only do I need to buy some more long skirts, but the kids will most likely look older than me, but whatever! I can speak better English :)

our view of the sea

my bed/half of the room while still organizing and unpacking

living room with couches that look like butt are quite comfy though we've tried switching with the other apartment's leather couches

my fav pasttime!

We work in the schools Sunday through Thursday from like 8-1, and they want us to have every afternoon also filled with some type of activity.  Monday and Wednesday is an option continuation of Ulpan, which I will be doing because I figure I should try as hard as possible to learn the language while I'm here and get as fluent as possible.  Tuesdays we have a group enrichment where the coordinators talk to us about different aspects of Israeli/Jewish life, history, etc.  Therefore, at least one afternoon a week we must do at least one other volunteer project.  We've been visiting places over the last couple weeks, and I think I'm going to go to a center for kids with motor disabilities.  Josh and I have Sundays off I think though, so we have to work at a different school/youth at risk center thing during the time.  And some Thursdays, I might volunteer at a coup kitchen where they package food for poor families in Ashdod just as a fun, rewarding bonus way to spend time.

working at the soup kitchen for Rosh Hashanah

Since we still have a good amount of free time before work work starts, much of that time is spent going to the beach (a whopping 5 minute walk), laying on the couch on balcony and reading or enjoying the view of the ocean, or wandering the city getting lost on buses for hours at a time (this has happened on more than one occasion).  I've gone to Tel Aviv a couple times with my roommates to visit friends of theirs and it was really fun.  Tel Aviv is obviously a much bigger, livelier city but I'm very happy with living in Ashdod because we can make whatever fun we want out of life -- we can go to a hookah bar or a pub or just hang out at our apartments without feeling the need to go clubbing every night or spending a lot of money which I think would happen if I lived in Tel Aviv.  We saw the accommodations the Tel Aviv Oranim program is living in now and let's just say I'm very happy I chose the FREE program right next to the beach.

Apartment 17 Bet! (Julian, Gabby, Me, Arielle, Sophia, Josh)

beach in Ashdod

September is really whacky because of all the holidays so we don't really start consistently working until October, instead we're kinda more observing and figuring out what exactly our jobs will entail.  This week is Rosh Hashanah and I think Julian and I are having dinner/doing something with our host family which will be nice.  Last week, my roommates and I didn't have Shabbat with our families so we made a precious and delicious Shabbat dinner.  One of the most difficult things to get used to living in a smaller city in Israel is that almost everything shuts down on Shabbat and the few places that remain open (mostly Russian owned businesses) are hard to get to without having to take a cab.  If you need to go to the market on Friday, you have to make sure you get up and out by the early afternoon.

pub/club in Ashdod (so sweatyyyy)

I am going to continue to try to update as much as possible.  I apologize if I forget to or think that not enough super exciting stuff has happened, because while I am having fun, it might be doing things that are hard to come across on a blog about life in Israel as being really cool (aka learning some crazy Canadian version of crazy eights).  And I cannot stress this enough, Birthright Birthright Birthright! Do it.

And I just decided it's late and I'm tired and need to steal some pictures from people so I will post this now and then tomorrow post pictures.

להיתראות
לינדסי וולף

It's been one week since you looked at me...

Shaloooooom!!!!

Everyone here has the chance to be set up with a host family to spend Shabbat and other holidays with, so on Friday almost everyone heard from their host families, and while some people had horrendous experiences, Julian (one of my roommates) and I lucked out with ours. We got a phone call Thursday asking if we wanted to go to somewhere we couldn't quite understand because of the thick Israeli accent the man spoke in, so we got ready for what we thought was an overnight camping/hiking trip. All we were told was to bring a sleeping bag (which neither one of us had) and shoes. Our host family (consisting of a dad and his 13 year old son who both spoke really good english and were really nice and welcoming) picked us up for a few hours drive to Lake Kinneret in the north of Israel where we camped with some of their friends and a fairly crowded campsite where there was a water park and the lake. It was really hot but not humid, so I felt like home sweet Calabasas home. Unfortunately, the water we were swimming in was warm, therefore not pleasant at all...And since we didn't get the memo on bringing bathing suits and towels, I had to swim in my clothes and then sit while they dried and then sleep in them... Needless to say, when we returned to Ashdod our roommates were not happy with how bad we smelled.
I really enjoyed just hanging out and playing cards (fun crazy Canadian version of crazy 8's and we decided next time we'll play in Hebrew) and relaxing with some fun Israelis. Since all Israelis are very knowledgeable about their country, we got a good tour and history on our drive. We saw where Jesus was baptized or whatever in the Jordan River, and stepped one foot into Jordan (safely and quickly haha don't worry!) and I'm sure Avi (the dad) will show us many other amazing places. Thank god he's technologically advanced and took lots of pictures and then emailed them to us so you can finally see me in Israel!!!!!!!

Emile, LRW, Julian over looking Lake Kinneret

my "bathing suit" (go Dodgers!) (Are they still sucking?)

going to step a foot in Jordan

our wonderful campsite

I can't believe we've only been here for a week, it feels like months already! My apartment mates and I are having a lot of fun and we've already got a good bond going. I'm almost fully settled into my room, I just need to find some posters or pictures or something to decorate the boring walls. We started Ulpan (Hebrew classes) Sunday and I'm in the "advanced" class, basically because I can read the letters and somewhat know what's going on. So far so good, I'm remembering whatever I used to know and it's easier to speak and learn it here than in a classroom at UCSB obviously...we're also visiting all the volunteer places these next 2 weeks to see where we want to help out. I am most interested in either a place that specializes with kids with motor disabilities or youth at risk.

I'm excited for the shuk on wednesday. It's a big open market every Wednesday here in Ashdod where you can apparantly find everything you could ever want for cheap. I also just discovered what avocados looked like here so I'm very very excited to get some of those deliciousness.

Unfortunately fixing my camera is a no go, it's not worth the cost when I could just buy a new camera for not that much more, but as I say it's just moneyyyyy!! :(

Loves you alllllllll,
LRW

P.S. Skype works, inny49..do it!
P.P.S. Just got an email that Birthright registration for winter starts in like 3 weeks, hint hint wink wink...
P.P.P.S. Aroma here is this amazing Starbucks like place that has great coffee and can't get enough. They give you a little chocolate piece with every drink, fabulous...Also met a couple Israelis who used to live in Sherman Oaks, love it.

When will someone invent the cure for jet lag??

So here I am, sitting on one of the couches in our living room looking at the sun rise and the day begin because IT'S 5:44 AM. After going to sleep at 1 because we stayed up playing this amazing game called the Game of Things even though we were still all pretty tired, I assumed I'd get a solid amount of sleep before we had to get up for more orientation meetings at like 8, but no. So alas, I decided to update the world of my life.

After a pretty uneventful airport and plane experience minus the third degree interrogation by the El Al worker who wanted to know my favorite Four Question and the horrible movie selection that forced me to endure The Bounty Hunter I arrived in Ashdod to a wonderful man named Omri holding a sign with my name on it ready to take me to our apartment...first potential crisis averted (if you know my travel experiences at all, you know I don't react well to crises in the beginning).

Our apartment is on the 9th floor (thank God there's an elevator) and has a beautiful view of the beach. It is a lot nicer and more modern than I expected; after the ancient Rome apartment I lived in, this is a breeze. There's 6 of us here, 4 girls and 2 guys to kill the spiders. My roommate's and my room is the "safe room" -- apparantly every newer house/apartment/building has one designated safe room where in case of a missile attack you run to, so that's a plus i guess...

This week is orientation so lots of boring meetings that aren't helping with the fact that I feel like I'm always tired 100% (benji percent) of the time, but that will go away soon. We start Hebrew Ulpan class next week and begin to check out the schools we will be volunteering in. I've learned a little more information about what we're doing here (it's about time right). We'll spend pretty much the rest of August and September (minus a holiday break we have for Sukkot at the end) finding places to volunteer in and start really volunteering steadily in October. 2 days a week we will have Ulpan, volunteer in schools teaching English I'm not sure how many days a week, and volunteer somewhere else a couple afternoons a week. We have a lot of free time in the afternoons and on weekends for beach, hanging out, traveling, etc. It may take a little time to get used to weekends being Friday and Saturday and having school/work on Sunday.

What else, what else...It's VERY hot and humid here but we have A/C so it's good in here. Everyone's cool, the coordinators are cool. I wish I could post pictures, I wish I could take pictures...I took my camera out of my bag last night to make sure the battery was charged and surprise surprise, it's messed up, some lens error or something..I'm gonna see if there is a camera repair shop nearby, but I don't know what to doooooo so it's very sad. I should just buy a bunch of disposables and be old school...we'll see! The languages spoken here in Ashdod are Russian, French, Hebrew, then little bit of English (in that order)...might be a hopeless search.

Miss and love you all,
Lindsey

P.S. Skype calls are kinda if-y here I think but video chat on iChat worked really well!
P.P.S. My hair is holding up AMAZINGLY (thanks for reminding me to share this very important experience Barrie)! It's so hot and humid here but my hair is perfect and I'm so so happy I got the blowout...thankfully by the time it will start to grow out the weather should settle down a bit. People don't believe this isn't my natural hair, so I tried to find some crazy fro hair pictures to share. They will see the truth in time...

Israel tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everybodyyyy! 

So tomorrow's the big day!! I leave for my 5 month volunteering adventure in Israel, and I am so so excited!  God knows exactly what I'll be doing there, but I will find out shortly and whatever it is I'm sure it will be an amazing experience.  I'm going to make a blog so I can post pictures and stories and will attempt to keep updating it, but as I told my mother, if i'm not on here a lot that means I'm busy having too much fun!  I definitely will have my computer so we can video chat, skype, email, etc., and I have a super fancy hi-tech Israeli phone so if you really want to call that I can send you the number!  Feel free to visit! It would be funnnnnnnnn!  And those of you who haven't yet gone on Birthright, you should do it over your winter break! It would be fabulous to hang out in Israeeeeellll!!!

Shalom and love you all, 

Lindsey