Sorry for not posting yesterday. The day was busy, then we went out at night and I was too tired to post when we got back. I don't think that I will be posting every day from now on. The days are getting busier and there is less new stuff that we are doing now that we are actually starting conservation stuff. If there is an especially exciting day I will write a post, but otherwise I will give general summaries of a few days at a time in my weekly posts.
Yesterday we went to the local pottery lab. The pottery lab had shelves and tables covered in boxes on boxes of pottery, both whole vessels and sherds. There were four work tables covered in little pieces of pottery recently brought from excavations that the pottery expert was working on. She explained to us what happens in the lab, what she does with pottery brought to her, and her general experience in the Israel Antiquities Authority. She showed us some of the pottery she is reconstructing and how that process is done. I have a little experience with pottery documentation and reconstruction from my Italy excavation, so some of the material she talked about was familiar to me. In a few weeks we will be working in a pottery lab, and I am looking forward to it!
After the pottery lab we had a lecture about antiquities looting and trade. Israel has the only legal antiquities trade in the Mediterranean and Middle East, but there are lots of problems with looting of sites and illegal selling of artifacts. The guys talking to us told us of some of their first-hand experience catching looters, which I thought was pretty cool.
We finished the day with a tour of some cultural sites within the Old City. We went to the Ramhal's synagogue and learned a little bit about him and the synagogue. Then we visited the theater center, met the director of the center, and got a personal invitation to the show that night. The show was interesting. It was all in Hebrew, which made it difficult to understand. It relied heavily on movement and hand motions, though, so the general ideas of the story could be understood pretty well. The show was about a woman's experience in the Holocaust, told by her and her son directly to the audience years later as they baked in their kitchen. They were actually baking, and gave us (the audience) the food when the show was done. It was both a comedic and serious show, with different parts of the story conveying different emotions. After the show we stayed and listened to a band from Tel Aviv. The music (again all in Hebrew) was pretty good. I understood parts of the songs, which is about as much as I understand of today's American music too. Their singing needed a little work, though. Some of the harmonies were off, and during other parts it seemed like they were straining their voices. It was still entertaining, and it was good to be out at night. We usually go to bed between nine and ten o'clock, so we were all tired but happy to have gone out and done something.
Today I relaxed, I really didn't do anything. I went for a short walk in the early afternoon, but that was it. For dinner we were invited to a local artist's home. Yesterday during our cultural tour we met Shelley (the STS director) giving a tour of Akko to art students from Jerusalem, and Eitan, a local artist, was with them. He makes fabric art, stitching scenes into stretched fabrics. His house is nice, full of different artistic pieces he collects, like Israeli pottery and sculptures. Dinner was very good. There was lots of variety, and it was all delicious. A perfect example of Israeli hospitality!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Blow Dryers and Fires
Today was another day learning about archaeology. We had a tour of the Old City again and a lecture about the history of building styles in the Levant. Everyone woke up sore from the dig yesterday. Sitting in awkward positions around jutting stones for six hours can really make your legs and back sore, especially if you haven't been on a dig in a long time. We were all in pain and needed our joints to crack.
The tour was interesting, and we saw some new things and learned a little more about Old Akko. Eliezer Stern, the chief archaeologist of Akko and the Western Galilee, was our tour guide. It was cool getting personal attention from the boss of every archaeologist and in the region. On our tour he showed us where Napoleon lay siege to the city, gave us more information about the Crusader and Ottoman walls, and took us through areas of the Hospitaller Fortress that were not open to the public. We walked through tunnels underneath the city that were once ground level for the crusaders. One of the coolest parts was when we walked through the sewers into the pit beneath the latrine room above. It sounds disgusting, but I think it was really cool. Eliezer also showed us areas of the city where the Ottoman buildings incorporated the old Crusader buildings above-ground, including columns and stones that remained three-stories high and had survived naval cannon-fire. Even though we had already had a tour of the city, I'm glad we went on this one.
The lecture contained a lot of information that I already knew or used to know from my classes at OSU. We talked about the history of building construction in Israel going back ten thousand years. Seeing pictures of examples in places in Israel was interesting, and there was some information that I didn't know. Even though it was a repeat, it was still informative.
Today I was on dinner duty again, and we decided to make beef shish-kebabs. Getting the grill started was definitely an experience. After we finally succeeded in lighting the charcoal, we used a hair dryer to fan the flames and supply oxygen. Standing over a metal pan that's on fire with a blow dryer in the dark on a balcony was definitely a first experience for me. The kebabs came out tasty, though, so it was another dinner success.
The tour was interesting, and we saw some new things and learned a little more about Old Akko. Eliezer Stern, the chief archaeologist of Akko and the Western Galilee, was our tour guide. It was cool getting personal attention from the boss of every archaeologist and in the region. On our tour he showed us where Napoleon lay siege to the city, gave us more information about the Crusader and Ottoman walls, and took us through areas of the Hospitaller Fortress that were not open to the public. We walked through tunnels underneath the city that were once ground level for the crusaders. One of the coolest parts was when we walked through the sewers into the pit beneath the latrine room above. It sounds disgusting, but I think it was really cool. Eliezer also showed us areas of the city where the Ottoman buildings incorporated the old Crusader buildings above-ground, including columns and stones that remained three-stories high and had survived naval cannon-fire. Even though we had already had a tour of the city, I'm glad we went on this one.
The lecture contained a lot of information that I already knew or used to know from my classes at OSU. We talked about the history of building construction in Israel going back ten thousand years. Seeing pictures of examples in places in Israel was interesting, and there was some information that I didn't know. Even though it was a repeat, it was still informative.
Today I was on dinner duty again, and we decided to make beef shish-kebabs. Getting the grill started was definitely an experience. After we finally succeeded in lighting the charcoal, we used a hair dryer to fan the flames and supply oxygen. Standing over a metal pan that's on fire with a blow dryer in the dark on a balcony was definitely a first experience for me. The kebabs came out tasty, though, so it was another dinner success.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Playing in the Dirt
Sorry for not posting yesterday. It was a busy day and when I had free time I was just too tired. There really wasn't that much to write about anyway. In the morning we had a lecture about archaeology in Israel and the Israel Antiquities Authority. After the lecture we went to Tel Akko, also called Napoleon's Hill. The locals in Akko believe the hill was built by Napoleon during his siege of Akko in 1799, but it is actually a man-made hill dating from the Early Bronze Age to the early Hellenistic Period. The tel is huge, but only one part of it is being excavated. The tel is very underwhelming. There is nothing to see. It needs a lot of work and a lot of money. After we "toured" the tel we had another lecture about archaeology in Israel.
Today we went on a dig. We got up at 5am to travel to Ramat Yishai, where we participated in a rush dig before a house was built. The site was in the middle of the neighborhood. It was weird working in the middle of a town with people walking by, houses on either side, and the sounds of the city. The site was from the Byzantine Period, and the head archaeologist isn't sure exactly what it was. It looked like a wine press combined with a quarry. There were signs of of a quarry as well as plastered pits with mosaic floors and drainage holes leading to a shallow pool with a mosaic floor. Excavating the pool and the pits was cool because once we had parts of it down to the mosaic floor we knew what to expect, and it was cool to be digging and then come on the mosaic. There was one pit that was perfectly round, filled with pulverized rock and seemed to go on forever. Some of the hypotheses were that it was a toilet, or a dump pit. Finally it was determined that it was a test pit drilled by the company that was going to build the house, and that it probably went down for more than 8 meters. That would have been a long excavation! I really enjoyed working at the site. I love excavating, so it was nice to get back into the dirt. When the excavation day was done we went to Beit She'arim. We walked through some of the more famous tombs and learned a little bit about them.
Overall the day was very good. I'm going to miss digging, but hopefully STS can keep me busy!
Today we went on a dig. We got up at 5am to travel to Ramat Yishai, where we participated in a rush dig before a house was built. The site was in the middle of the neighborhood. It was weird working in the middle of a town with people walking by, houses on either side, and the sounds of the city. The site was from the Byzantine Period, and the head archaeologist isn't sure exactly what it was. It looked like a wine press combined with a quarry. There were signs of of a quarry as well as plastered pits with mosaic floors and drainage holes leading to a shallow pool with a mosaic floor. Excavating the pool and the pits was cool because once we had parts of it down to the mosaic floor we knew what to expect, and it was cool to be digging and then come on the mosaic. There was one pit that was perfectly round, filled with pulverized rock and seemed to go on forever. Some of the hypotheses were that it was a toilet, or a dump pit. Finally it was determined that it was a test pit drilled by the company that was going to build the house, and that it probably went down for more than 8 meters. That would have been a long excavation! I really enjoyed working at the site. I love excavating, so it was nice to get back into the dirt. When the excavation day was done we went to Beit She'arim. We walked through some of the more famous tombs and learned a little bit about them.
Overall the day was very good. I'm going to miss digging, but hopefully STS can keep me busy!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Archaeology Week
Welcome back friends! In Israel the work week starts on Sunday, so today we got back to work and here is a new blog post.
I'll give a brief summary of what I did over the weekend. The weekend starts on Friday, so I will start there. Friday I went to the mall. That is really all I did. Since my camera broke on the airplane I needed to buy a new one, and I thought that the mall would be a good place to get one. Nzar was taking two of the girls to a store and was going to show them a little bit of the city, so I decided to go along and then continue on to the mall after. After they bought what they needed Nzar took us up on one part of the walls. He told us a little bit about them and then showed us the direction to the mall. We walked there and then went looking for the things we needed. We spent a while there. The mall closed at 2, and we were there past closing time. One of the girls wanted to buy her SIM card there, and that took time. They also went shoe shopping (typical girls!). I found a new camera, so my trip was successful. We finished by eating sushi in the food court right before the mall closed. Altogether a good day.
Yesterday (Saturday) was a relaxing day. I woke up late and didn't really do anything. I did a little exploring of the Old City, to help me better know my way around. I walked around the walls, through the harbor and around the moat. I tried to walk as far as I could on the walls, but I didn't walk through hotels or restaurants. I ate some delicious falafel and pita from one of the store fronts, and just relaxed.
Today started archaeology week. A lawyer for the Israel Antiquities Authority came and lectured to us about the history of archaeological laws in Israel and the IAA. This afternoon we started Hebrew lessons. Everyone else in the group either doesn't know Hebrew or needs to relearn it, so my level is significantly better than their's. Their lessons, which are at a first grade level, would be too basic, so I am doing readings separate from them. After ulpan it was time for me to help make dinner. We made chicken salad with cucumber, onions, bell pepper and sweet chili sauce. It was pretty good.
I will put up some pictures soon. The internet is being rather slow right now.
I'll give a brief summary of what I did over the weekend. The weekend starts on Friday, so I will start there. Friday I went to the mall. That is really all I did. Since my camera broke on the airplane I needed to buy a new one, and I thought that the mall would be a good place to get one. Nzar was taking two of the girls to a store and was going to show them a little bit of the city, so I decided to go along and then continue on to the mall after. After they bought what they needed Nzar took us up on one part of the walls. He told us a little bit about them and then showed us the direction to the mall. We walked there and then went looking for the things we needed. We spent a while there. The mall closed at 2, and we were there past closing time. One of the girls wanted to buy her SIM card there, and that took time. They also went shoe shopping (typical girls!). I found a new camera, so my trip was successful. We finished by eating sushi in the food court right before the mall closed. Altogether a good day.
Yesterday (Saturday) was a relaxing day. I woke up late and didn't really do anything. I did a little exploring of the Old City, to help me better know my way around. I walked around the walls, through the harbor and around the moat. I tried to walk as far as I could on the walls, but I didn't walk through hotels or restaurants. I ate some delicious falafel and pita from one of the store fronts, and just relaxed.
Today started archaeology week. A lawyer for the Israel Antiquities Authority came and lectured to us about the history of archaeological laws in Israel and the IAA. This afternoon we started Hebrew lessons. Everyone else in the group either doesn't know Hebrew or needs to relearn it, so my level is significantly better than their's. Their lessons, which are at a first grade level, would be too basic, so I am doing readings separate from them. After ulpan it was time for me to help make dinner. We made chicken salad with cucumber, onions, bell pepper and sweet chili sauce. It was pretty good.
I will put up some pictures soon. The internet is being rather slow right now.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
End of the First Week
It's Thursday, the end of the week in Israel. We started off the day giving our first presentations. We got through three of them, and I was the third. The other two were very interesting. It was cool to see what some of the other participants have done and what their interests are. After the presentations we went on a little excursion, to Rosh Hanikra. We spent the rest of the day there, touring the cliffs and grottoes. It has been a while since I was there last, and it was nice to go back and see it again. I always enjoy going back to places more than once, even if I have visited it before. The experience is always a little different. The people are different, the information is different, sometimes you learn something different. Even if you go somewhere twice with the exact same people and all the information that you learn and see is exactly the same, the experience can still be different. There is a time difference, and maybe you have changed since the last time you were there. What you see could have different significance for you the second time. You could see a different meaning in the site than you did before. Whatever the experience is like for someone, it is always different, just as it was for me at Rosh Hanikra. Some things though do remain the same. I bought an ice cream at the little shop inside the train tunnel, just as I did eight years ago. The cheesy movie about the grottoes was the same. But that is part of the experience. Going with people that had never been there before was also interesting, since they didn't necessarily know what to expect. Whether it is explaining something from Hebrew into English or taking someone's picture, the experience is interesting.
After we left the grottoes we walked across the beach south to a swimming beach where we ate lunch. The shore was a moonscape of eroded holes and hills, littered with pieces of pottery that had been abandoned. We joked that we shouldn't have a competition for who could find the most impressive piece of broken pottery since I found several handle shards in short succession that were particularly interesting. We ate lunch on the beach and played hot seat, and then took the bus back to Akko. Dinner, which was schnitzel, was quite good!
Since I'm not traveling this weekend and probably not going to do anything exciting, I am going to delay my next post until Sunday, when the week begins again.
Have a good weekend everybody!
After we left the grottoes we walked across the beach south to a swimming beach where we ate lunch. The shore was a moonscape of eroded holes and hills, littered with pieces of pottery that had been abandoned. We joked that we shouldn't have a competition for who could find the most impressive piece of broken pottery since I found several handle shards in short succession that were particularly interesting. We ate lunch on the beach and played hot seat, and then took the bus back to Akko. Dinner, which was schnitzel, was quite good!
Since I'm not traveling this weekend and probably not going to do anything exciting, I am going to delay my next post until Sunday, when the week begins again.
Have a good weekend everybody!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
We Survived Dinner!
Happy Wednesday everyone. Hope you are all having a good week and a good February. Today in Akko was heights training and security day. We started with short personal interviews with the staff about the program so far, our thoughts, feelings, and expectations, and really anything else we and they thought was important. They were very surprised when they learned how much Hebrew I actually know. Now I can't eavesdrop on their conversations while they think none of us understand! Oh well. I always love doing that at the beginning of programs where I know the native language. I did it in Spain last summer too.
After everyone had their interview a heights safety trainer came to teach us how to use the scaffolding and construction safety equipment safely so we don't die while we are doing our reconstruction work. It started with the instructor going through a presentation covering the basics of scaffolding and heights safety. He spoke poor English so he had to be translated. Sorry Michael if you're reading this, but your translating skills need some work! I definitely understood more than just what he told us in English, and there were some things missing. Anywho, we got the gist of the message and didn't miss anything too important. Hand gestures and pantomiming are a universal language. After the presentation portion was the practical. We went out to the Ottoman Walls in the moat where there was scaffolding built, and we practiced using the safety equipment. In order for us to be able to do most of the work during the rest of the program we had to pass this quick-course, and I think we all did pretty well. After we all finished the "test" our day was done, so we headed back to the apartment.
The six of us have developed a schedule of responsibility so we all know what we have to do each day in the apartment. Today was my day to help make dinner. Oy. I've never made dinner for more than just one person without having a recipe written in front of me and also knowing that we have all the ingredients. Tonight, however, we had to create something from scratch, on the spot, and hope it was edible. We decided to make chicken stir-fry, and I hoped it would turn out edible. The rice was overdone but not too much. The crunch gave it a little more flavor. The chicken and vegetables actually came out nicely. I was pleased and surprised. I don't think anyone is going to bed hungry, but I made sure they knew that I wouldn't be offended if they decided to go out to a restaurant for a quick bite to eat!
No matter, it was a good day. I'm up too late and need to go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, I can tell!
After everyone had their interview a heights safety trainer came to teach us how to use the scaffolding and construction safety equipment safely so we don't die while we are doing our reconstruction work. It started with the instructor going through a presentation covering the basics of scaffolding and heights safety. He spoke poor English so he had to be translated. Sorry Michael if you're reading this, but your translating skills need some work! I definitely understood more than just what he told us in English, and there were some things missing. Anywho, we got the gist of the message and didn't miss anything too important. Hand gestures and pantomiming are a universal language. After the presentation portion was the practical. We went out to the Ottoman Walls in the moat where there was scaffolding built, and we practiced using the safety equipment. In order for us to be able to do most of the work during the rest of the program we had to pass this quick-course, and I think we all did pretty well. After we all finished the "test" our day was done, so we headed back to the apartment.
The six of us have developed a schedule of responsibility so we all know what we have to do each day in the apartment. Today was my day to help make dinner. Oy. I've never made dinner for more than just one person without having a recipe written in front of me and also knowing that we have all the ingredients. Tonight, however, we had to create something from scratch, on the spot, and hope it was edible. We decided to make chicken stir-fry, and I hoped it would turn out edible. The rice was overdone but not too much. The crunch gave it a little more flavor. The chicken and vegetables actually came out nicely. I was pleased and surprised. I don't think anyone is going to bed hungry, but I made sure they knew that I wouldn't be offended if they decided to go out to a restaurant for a quick bite to eat!
No matter, it was a good day. I'm up too late and need to go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, I can tell!
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The program finally starts!
Boy am I tired! As much as I want to fall asleep right now, I'll write this blog post so that you people living vicariously through me can continue breathing. Then I'll hit the sack.
The city was much calmer today. The streets were clear and Old Akko was open. Today we were tourists. We did tourist things and acted like tourists. Shelley, the director of the program, said that today was the only day we were allowed to be tourists. That just shows that the rest of the time we will be special visitors, with "backstage passes". We started off with a tour of the Old City, starting at the Knights Hospitaller Fortress ruins, underneath an Ottoman castle and the British prison where Jewish "freedom fighters" were imprisoned during the Mandate Period. Watch the movie Exodus for a good representation of it, shot on location. The tour started with a very cheesy, kid-oriented movie about Old Akko, very much for tourists. Then we entered the fortress and walked around, with Shelley being our tour guide. We also saw the old Turkish Bathhouse, but it is unfortunately no longer in service. There are two bathhouses still in use, and I hope to make it to one of them!
The tour took us out through the Templar Tunnel, which leads to the coast where the Templar Fortress has sunk beneath the waves of the Mediterranean, right across the street from our apartment. We continued walking through the Old City back to where the tour began, where we caught a bus to take us on a tour of the modern city. After the tour of the modern city we went back to the bed and breakfast where we stayed the night and packed to take our stuff to our apartment, where we can now stay. After a brief respite and tour of the apartment we headed out on a trek to a grocery store in the modern city to get food. When we got back it was already evening, so we spent a little time on the balcony watching the sunset over the Med, drinking wine and talking to the landlord Nzar, and then ate dinner (burgers). That was our day.
One extra notice: I packed my camera in my carry-on luggage, but they made me check the bag because there was no room. When I picked the bag up there was a rip in the front pocket, things were falling out and my camera was shredded in the front, unusable. So until I can go and buy a new (cheap) camera I will be taking pictures with my phone. I won't be getting the best quality photos.
On that note, check out the next post for a few photos from today's adventure!
The city was much calmer today. The streets were clear and Old Akko was open. Today we were tourists. We did tourist things and acted like tourists. Shelley, the director of the program, said that today was the only day we were allowed to be tourists. That just shows that the rest of the time we will be special visitors, with "backstage passes". We started off with a tour of the Old City, starting at the Knights Hospitaller Fortress ruins, underneath an Ottoman castle and the British prison where Jewish "freedom fighters" were imprisoned during the Mandate Period. Watch the movie Exodus for a good representation of it, shot on location. The tour started with a very cheesy, kid-oriented movie about Old Akko, very much for tourists. Then we entered the fortress and walked around, with Shelley being our tour guide. We also saw the old Turkish Bathhouse, but it is unfortunately no longer in service. There are two bathhouses still in use, and I hope to make it to one of them!
The tour took us out through the Templar Tunnel, which leads to the coast where the Templar Fortress has sunk beneath the waves of the Mediterranean, right across the street from our apartment. We continued walking through the Old City back to where the tour began, where we caught a bus to take us on a tour of the modern city. After the tour of the modern city we went back to the bed and breakfast where we stayed the night and packed to take our stuff to our apartment, where we can now stay. After a brief respite and tour of the apartment we headed out on a trek to a grocery store in the modern city to get food. When we got back it was already evening, so we spent a little time on the balcony watching the sunset over the Med, drinking wine and talking to the landlord Nzar, and then ate dinner (burgers). That was our day.
One extra notice: I packed my camera in my carry-on luggage, but they made me check the bag because there was no room. When I picked the bag up there was a rip in the front pocket, things were falling out and my camera was shredded in the front, unusable. So until I can go and buy a new (cheap) camera I will be taking pictures with my phone. I won't be getting the best quality photos.
On that note, check out the next post for a few photos from today's adventure!
Monday, February 17, 2014
Day 1 in Akko
Greetings from Akko everyone! Saving The Stones has finally begun, and I am with the group. The day began early as I set off on the 7:08 train from Beit Shemesh. The travel was uneventful, the view beautiful. The train from Tel Aviv to Akko passes right along the coast for a good while, and the view of the Mediterranean Sea was perfect. It turned out that one of the other participants was sitting across the isle on the train from Tel Aviv, but we didn't find out until we arrived. Meeting up with the rest of the group was easy, and they took us to Western Galilee University in Akko for the introduction to the program.
The beginning of the program this year is different from what they had scheduled. Some of you may have heard, but a gas line exploded in Old Akko and a building collapsed, and the authorities locked down the entire Old City. The Old City is small, so the entire area was affected. This meant that no one could enter or leave, and we are unable to go to the Conservation Center or our apartment. That is why we were beginning in Western Galilee University.
We started off by introducing ourselves, who we were and why we were interested in archaeology and/or conservation, and then we talked about the program itself. After all the formalities were through and we got to know everyone a little more, it was time for lunch. Oh boy, what a lunch! A full falafel spread, complete with different salads, pita, hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, chips (french fries) and other vegetables. It was delicious! I definitely ate more than I should. Akko is famous for their different types of hummus, and the program staff advised us to try as many different types as we could and decide on our favorite. I look forward to this challenge!
After lunch we set off for the bed and breakfast where we are staying tonight (and possibly tomorrow) while everything gets settled and back to normal in Old Akko. It is nice, the rooms and beds are big and well kept. The only downside so far is we can't find a light in the bathroom, but enough light comes in from the window so we aren't too worried. We had some time to rest before dinner, and I took a nap. Dinner began at 6, which seemed early. I still hadn't completely digested all my food from lunch! The spread was just as big as it had been for lunch, but this time we had our choice of meats. I ordered the pargiot (cornish hen). Other options were fried tilapia or codfish fillets, kebab, shwarma, or chicken breast. It was too much food, but I tried my best to finish. Delicious, as was expected! Now I'm off to bed, looking forward to the next five months. The schedule looks like it is going to be very entertaining, educational, and beneficial!
Leilah Tov!
The beginning of the program this year is different from what they had scheduled. Some of you may have heard, but a gas line exploded in Old Akko and a building collapsed, and the authorities locked down the entire Old City. The Old City is small, so the entire area was affected. This meant that no one could enter or leave, and we are unable to go to the Conservation Center or our apartment. That is why we were beginning in Western Galilee University.
We started off by introducing ourselves, who we were and why we were interested in archaeology and/or conservation, and then we talked about the program itself. After all the formalities were through and we got to know everyone a little more, it was time for lunch. Oh boy, what a lunch! A full falafel spread, complete with different salads, pita, hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, chips (french fries) and other vegetables. It was delicious! I definitely ate more than I should. Akko is famous for their different types of hummus, and the program staff advised us to try as many different types as we could and decide on our favorite. I look forward to this challenge!
After lunch we set off for the bed and breakfast where we are staying tonight (and possibly tomorrow) while everything gets settled and back to normal in Old Akko. It is nice, the rooms and beds are big and well kept. The only downside so far is we can't find a light in the bathroom, but enough light comes in from the window so we aren't too worried. We had some time to rest before dinner, and I took a nap. Dinner began at 6, which seemed early. I still hadn't completely digested all my food from lunch! The spread was just as big as it had been for lunch, but this time we had our choice of meats. I ordered the pargiot (cornish hen). Other options were fried tilapia or codfish fillets, kebab, shwarma, or chicken breast. It was too much food, but I tried my best to finish. Delicious, as was expected! Now I'm off to bed, looking forward to the next five months. The schedule looks like it is going to be very entertaining, educational, and beneficial!
Leilah Tov!
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Yes Post on Sunday
Hello again! Sunday is just about over. Yesterday was Shabbat, so no blog post (or any electronics for that matter). Spent the day relaxing and doing Shabbat things. After Shabbat was over I watched Annie Hall. I'm not really a fan of Woody Allen's movies. His characters are too weird, and there is no real plot. Also it was hard to follow the storyline since the flashbacks were all blurred together and I wasn't sure what was a flashback and what was the present. Not for me.
Today I did a little more work on my presentation, and then practiced presenting it to my aunt and uncle. My cousins left for their respective obligations. Noah went back to her army-training-camp-thing and Betzalel left for his dorm in Haifa to prepare for an exam tomorrow morning. I also got ready to leave for the program. The train leaves at seven o'clock in the morning tomorrow! That's too early, so I want everything to be ready to go tonight. I plan on sleeping on the train, but not too much that I miss my stop! Hopefully my presentation is good enough, I present myself and my topic well, and the project gets off to a good start.
Tomorrow in Akko!
Today I did a little more work on my presentation, and then practiced presenting it to my aunt and uncle. My cousins left for their respective obligations. Noah went back to her army-training-camp-thing and Betzalel left for his dorm in Haifa to prepare for an exam tomorrow morning. I also got ready to leave for the program. The train leaves at seven o'clock in the morning tomorrow! That's too early, so I want everything to be ready to go tonight. I plan on sleeping on the train, but not too much that I miss my stop! Hopefully my presentation is good enough, I present myself and my topic well, and the project gets off to a good start.
Tomorrow in Akko!
Friday, February 14, 2014
Day 3
I'm writing this post before Shabbat starts, so today is only half-way done.
Yesterday was good. After I posted I ate lunch, and then my aunt took me and my cousin to a nearby archaeology park. The park was riddled with caves in the limestone. The caves were either cisterns or columbariums. Also at the site was the only pyramid in Israel. I wouldn't really call it a pyramid. it was four layers of stones, with a total height of what seemed like 10 feet. Not very tall, and very irregularly shaped. Also there is no one buried inside of it. But it has four triangular sides, so I guess it is a pyramid.
When we got home I took a nap. Woke up and it was dinner time, and then I went back to working on my presentation. I did a good amount of it. Got an outline done and some content. Time for sleep!
This morning I woke up bright and early to get to work on the presentation. I worked long and hard and I think it is finished. It is a little short, but I might be able to stretch it out when I actually give it. I still need to practice presenting it, but I'm not too worried about that. After a quick rest and some relaxing computer time, it's time for lunch.
Check the next post for pictures from the park.
Next post will come on Sunday!
Yesterday was good. After I posted I ate lunch, and then my aunt took me and my cousin to a nearby archaeology park. The park was riddled with caves in the limestone. The caves were either cisterns or columbariums. Also at the site was the only pyramid in Israel. I wouldn't really call it a pyramid. it was four layers of stones, with a total height of what seemed like 10 feet. Not very tall, and very irregularly shaped. Also there is no one buried inside of it. But it has four triangular sides, so I guess it is a pyramid.
When we got home I took a nap. Woke up and it was dinner time, and then I went back to working on my presentation. I did a good amount of it. Got an outline done and some content. Time for sleep!
This morning I woke up bright and early to get to work on the presentation. I worked long and hard and I think it is finished. It is a little short, but I might be able to stretch it out when I actually give it. I still need to practice presenting it, but I'm not too worried about that. After a quick rest and some relaxing computer time, it's time for lunch.
Check the next post for pictures from the park.
Next post will come on Sunday!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Day 2 in Israel
Hello everyone reading! This is my first attempt at a blog, and hopefully it satisfies people's curiosity about what I do every day while I'm here in Israel for the next five months. I will try to post at least every other day, hopefully more often if I have time. Since my program has not started yet I am not sure what my schedule will be once everything gets into high gear. Stay tuned for more info.
So. I am in Israel. I arrived around 4:00pm Israeli time on February 11th. That is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time for those who don't know the time difference. I am spending the first few days in Beit Shemesh with my aunt and uncle, who live here. When I arrived at their house I tried my best to stay awake, but a ten-hour flight can take a toll. I ate a small dinner and then went right to sleep.
Yesterday (February 12th) was a relaxing day. I didn't really do anything exciting. I woke up, ate breakfast, got caught up on computer things, and then went for a walk around the neighborhood. When I got back I took a nap. So exciting, I know. I woke up in the evening and ate dinner with my cousin, who had arrived from taking an exam. After dinner we watched a movie (Good Will Hunting) and then I went to sleep. As you can tell I like sleeping.
Today is February 13th. I woke up, ate breakfast, and went on the computer. Before my project begins I must create a 15-20 minute presentation about myself and my research interests for the project. Something that relates to the city of Akko (where the program is based), historical reconstruction and conservation, and my interests and background experience. So in other words, I have no idea what to do. That is what I am working on now. Well, what I was working on until I decided to procrastinate by creating this blog. So now it's time for me to get back to work. Watch for my post tomorrow to see if I get anything accomplished!
So. I am in Israel. I arrived around 4:00pm Israeli time on February 11th. That is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time for those who don't know the time difference. I am spending the first few days in Beit Shemesh with my aunt and uncle, who live here. When I arrived at their house I tried my best to stay awake, but a ten-hour flight can take a toll. I ate a small dinner and then went right to sleep.
Yesterday (February 12th) was a relaxing day. I didn't really do anything exciting. I woke up, ate breakfast, got caught up on computer things, and then went for a walk around the neighborhood. When I got back I took a nap. So exciting, I know. I woke up in the evening and ate dinner with my cousin, who had arrived from taking an exam. After dinner we watched a movie (Good Will Hunting) and then I went to sleep. As you can tell I like sleeping.
Today is February 13th. I woke up, ate breakfast, and went on the computer. Before my project begins I must create a 15-20 minute presentation about myself and my research interests for the project. Something that relates to the city of Akko (where the program is based), historical reconstruction and conservation, and my interests and background experience. So in other words, I have no idea what to do. That is what I am working on now. Well, what I was working on until I decided to procrastinate by creating this blog. So now it's time for me to get back to work. Watch for my post tomorrow to see if I get anything accomplished!
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