Sup Syria!

So today after waking up too early, I re-woke up on the border of Syria and Israel... It was quite an experience that I doubt can be matched my many other things in life. Our tour bus pulled up to the border check point so naturally our tour guide got out and asked if we could exist the bus and talk to the soldiers, they obliged so we piled out and started snapping pictures (the tourist thing to do).

At the Syrian border check point

Aviv, the 20 year-old Israeli soldier 

I was able to talk to an Israeli solider who was my named Aviv. He was questioning me about American pop culture and the college party scene, all while heavily armed with a large machine gun across his chest. It pained me when he so innocently said, "it sucks that we have to stand here all day without any fun and you get to study and party like they do in the movies", it really made me contemplate my life and how different it is from other kids my own age. It was a hard but necessary way to start such a day.

After our visit to the border check point we were taken up to an old military bunker that we were able to explore and see where the soldiers slept, as well as the different lookouts etc.

Damascus is only 60 Km away...

The view into Syria

The view from an Israeli bunker

Our tour guide was a religious Druse so he took us to his apple processing factory, then to his village, and finally to his actual home where I was enlightened about the Druse culture and religion and what it actually was about verses the generalizations placed upon them, it was fascinating.

Lunch at a wonderful small restaurant in the village was our next stop. We had a fresh lunch of hummus, baba, pickled vegetables, AMAZING goat cheese with evoo and za' atar(an amazing spice blend), cabbage salad, pita, and falafel. I eat this stuff all the time but surprisingly it never gets old, I hope I can still say this in December :)

YUUUUUUMMMMMMM

After our bellies were full of hummus is yummus we left and went to our second military bunker where you can see Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. It was quite an odd feeling thinking of how much beauty the land holds and yet how much hate is associated is put upon it.

Next, we went to our tour guide's apple and plum orchards where we were able to pick our own fruit and take some home- this was my kind of tour.

My tour guide on the left and his friend dressed in traditional Druse garb to the right

Fresh figs from a tree at my tour guide's house

We had to have a body guide travel with us, that was interesting

How much stache can one man have?

Sitting in the sitting room learning about the Druse

We almost hit a herd of goats that was in the middle of the road

The antenna used during the war with Lebanon

Lebanon

My friend Jess (London) struggling in to get out of a bunkcr

We had to lighten the mood with some vogue

apples, and plums, and pears OH MY

Tea time (tire style)

Israel

We pickeded them fruits so good!

Once again I had an intellectual, cultural, physical and emotional stimulating day. It is now almost midnight and I am just finishing up the last of my arabic homework before going to bed in my 8000 degree room. I am exhausted, but so thankful for everyone and everything that has made this experience possible.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”- Mark Twain

xx

Bragging Rights

Today was just another rather uneventful day learning Arabic, working out at the gym, getting offered to free tutor session by a new Arab-Israeli guard- who then proceeded to show me pictures of himself and his pitbull on his phone (awkward... especially since he kept on repeating,what seemed to be a comforting mantra, that the dog was his best friend...not the best pick up line, bro).

Anywho, what I really wanted to post about is my 98% I earned on my Arabic midterm. Normally I hate telling anyone about my grades, but this may be the most proud I have been of an exam in a LONG time. In addition, my Arabic professor told me that if I don't continue with Arabic it would be a mistake because I am "fantastic" at reading it and my comprehension is "impeccable". I think those superfluities were the ESL coming out, but nonetheless I am pleased and wanted to share my good news.

At this moment I am headed out the door with some people from the program to go to a restaurant/bar/pub thing for celebration on our hard work...it is supposed to have a fantastic beach view.

Tomorrow will be just another mundane day, but on Tuesday I set sail A.K.A. take a 2 hour bus ride to spend the day in the Golan Heights! Woo Hoo

I am actually the crazy cat lady, send help!

xx

Beach Bum

Yesterday was a good day. I was able to wake up early, workout, grocery shop (and more importantly master the joke that is the Israeli bus system), and spend the rest of the afternoon on the beach with some friends. It was a beautiful time spent basking in the sun and playing in the friendly waves. The sun was so kind to burn any image from Thursday's Arabic midterm out of my mind and to replace it with a sun-kissed glow and a smiling face.

We ended our perfect beach trip by buying a large pomegranate juice to share between the four of us. This juice is not any bottled crap- it is the real deal straight from the fruit. The shop has a juice press and fresh pomegranates that they then cut in front of you and fill the cup up with straight juice- I am going to come back as the bionic woman from all the antioxidants I am ingesting on a regular basis!

Sunset on the beach, the perfect way to begin Shabbat

After the beach my roommate and I  came home and cooked a nice dinner before getting ready to attend a party thrown for us (international students) by the guards of the dorms. I have actually become quite good friends with the guards, they are all students and are slightly older than I am due to the mandatory military service- but are so kind to me I feel right at home. Last night they threw a party in the student centerish place complete with a DJ, bar, hookah, and dancing. I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore- I do not know if I would ever see such a scene in an American university with university staff hosting the party...

It was a joy to see all the students, no matter where from, come into the center and start dancing or signing along to songs and slowly bridging any gap of culture difference with the sweet sounds of the Backstreet Boys blasting out of the speakers. Music is truly a powerful force that can overpower the most opposing views.

International Love

Today is effectively Sunday, therefore I am working on Arabic in preparation for the treacherous week to come. Having to complete a month's worth of material in a week was a lot easier in theory than in actual execution... In addition to my Arabic one of the guard's, Tzviran (try and sound that one out), promised to teach my Hebrew while I am here- so either I am going to come back multilingual and awesome, or with a whole in my head from the multiple explosions that are the consequences of trying to comprehend these insane languages.

xo
آني

Road into Nazareth...

I just arrived home from a whole day in Nazareth and I am dead. It was long, hot day full of touring and walking around the city. Where were the segways- apparently Jesus didn't use them so we can't either.

A short synopsis of the places I saw is as follows:
1. Mary's Well (aka the church where the Greek Orthodox Christians believe the Annunciation happened)
2. Russian Hostile for the Russian immigrants during their arrival to Israel
3. Some place that was not that important that I don't remember
4. The Basilica Annunciation (built over Mary's house/cave)
5. The market (souq)
6. The synagogue-church (it is said that Jesus preached there)
7. White Mosque
8. THE MOST AMAZING BAKERY EVER

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation

Mary's Well- throw a coin in and make a wish. The tour guide singled me out and told me to throw one in and wish to be married...cool

The Basilica of the Annunciation from the outside gates. This is the fourth church that has been built on top of Mary's home.

Croatian Mary depiction. There were Mary's lining a wall in the courtyard of the church, everyone of them from  a different country depicting Mary in their own way. Very cool!

Mary from Greece

Mary from Korea 

Mary from Ireland (I think I spot some freckles)

The cave where Mary LIVED!!!!!

The upstairs operating alter in the Basilica of the Annunciation

Mary from Amuuuurica

Stations of the cross Arabic Style

Outside the Basilica

Arab coffee A.K.A. THE SINGLE BEST CUP OF COFFEE EVER MADE. Cardamon, orange blossom water, and a lovely German professor treating you is the recipe for magic. 

Annina and I in the Souq (market in Arabic)

Naturally Soergel's needs to take some lessons from this guy

The White Mosque. The carpet pattern is actually to tell people where to kneel, place their head, etc... I thought that was interesting.  Also, to the right of this picture was a digital clock telling the different times one had to pray that day.

My friend Ina (Germany) at the White Mosque

YUM, MORE YUM, AND THE MOSTEST YUM 

Backstage tour of the bakery, he is making filo dough for baklava.

She is having to work during Ramadan...her willpower should be bottled and sold

The whole place smelled of butter, I found out why. 

We became friends and he gave us his contact information so he can give us the recipe!

Owner of the bakery (he loved us and gave us free samples)

Free samples and a smile. 

Even though I have black feet and a pounding headache, the day spent in such a historic and beautiful place was well worth it. I learned so much and now I am excited to attend mass and realize when Father says, "Jesus of Nazareth" I can visualize exactly what that looks like.

Side note: being blonde got us the free samples (words from the owner's mouth), why would I ever dye my hair if I can get free baklava everyday?

Now it's time for Arabic flash cards and simultaneous impromptu Hebrew lessons from my newly made Israeli guard friends. 

xoxo

Who's Druse?

I totally lied about where I was going for the birthday celebration...it was at the Technicon aka the MIT of Israel. It surprisingly had a very nice pub located in the student center where we spent the evening listening to bands play- celebrating birthdays- being the obnoxious group that spoke English which overpowered all other conversations- and for me learning some beginner Hebrew. To be fair to us though, a Saturday night bar scene should have been pretty poppin', BUT then we all remembered that Israel starts their week on Sunday so a deserted bar on Saturday is rather normal.

The guy on the guitar was the bday boy and his friend is to the left...the other one is a guy from a previous act who just stepped in and started making it more of a jam band session...I was completely fine with that because he was amazing. (plus he had the pretties green eyes ever-thanks for the warning Angela)

We got home later than expected from the pub and I had to wake up early for class which was a struggle, but I did it. 8:15 my roommate and I were walking out the door to only get the text that class was at 9:30 on Sundays...so we "carped" and got some coffee and had a nice chat on a bench overlooking the shoreline. My life is a real drag.

After enduring the whole day of Arabic class I was sure my head was going to explode. The language is not too hard to understand when spoken, but writing and reading it is a whole other ball game. The fact that the letters are all connected together and then change forms when placed in different parts of the word makes for beautiful script but one unhappy Annie.

Therefore, after school my friends and I decided to visit the local Druse village for groceries because we got a tip from a local guy that it was the cheapest place to go for anything and everything. We had a vague idea of how to get there but did not have a stop name or address...bad idea.  So, we thought it was useful to ask someone on the bus where it was- this proved to be an ineffective method and led us to a MINISCULE village that had not seen an "outsider" in what seemed like...ever. The people were all dressed in their traditional Druse garb and all over the age of 70. We were quite the spectacles to be seen, 5 young women in casual attire looking around for a market that did not exist there. We were so lost so we just went with our gut and followed a group a Druse women down a hill that then turned around and shooed us away. They were very sweet, but very serious about keeping their lives secret.

We made it to the Druse market after making complete fools of ourselves only to find that the selection of food was minimal compared to the antique-type shop collection. It was enjoyable to search through old jewelry and such but it did not make me any less hungry, so we all made an executive decision to get back for dinner and the 3+ hours of homework that awaited our arrival. Luckily, the bus system is very punctual in Israel so when we arrived at the bus stop at 6:00 we were promptly picked up at 7:30...

Homemade dinner with Annina (Switzerland) and Katie (Texas). We had to carbo load for the homework we stayed up until 1am finishing. 

Today was just another day of school, homework, gym, homework, dinner, homework, and soon some much needed sleep. TOMORROW my Arabic program is going to Nazareth for the day!!!!! You can expect pictures ASAP.

مع الحب (with love)
A