Here it is! I made my travel blog! I apologize again for the delay!
It’s difficult to decide how to begin, so I apologize if my first few posts seem scattered. I also apologize that this first post is very long. Please do not feel obligated to read it all at once!
I have been in Israel for about a month now, and I am really enjoying every moment of it! For those who don’t know the details, I recently finished an intensive Arabic program for the month of August to learn elementary written Modern Standard Arabic. Tomorrow, I will begin taking a month study tour that focuses on the history of the land. My fall semester begins in October, and I’ll be taking spoken Arabic (which is quite different from the written), a biblical theology course (from a Jewish perspective), Arab-Israeli Resolutions, and an internship course at the Hecht Museum on campus! I’ll be returning to the States in the beginning of January.
I guess it’s best to start from the beginning… (If you are not really interested in my flight and London day trip, then feel free to skip down a couple of paragraphs to hear about Israel.) :)
I left Georgia late at night on Friday, July 31st. That day was pretty hectic. I definitely underestimated the difficulty of packing for 5 months, but we made it to the airport, made some strategic shifting in my luggage weight, and I was on my way! (Thank you again, Mom!) I was little nervous because it was my first solo international flight, but it actually great! I have flown dozens of times but almost all of my flights have been with large groups of people I know - usually study abroad trips! When you fly in groups, you don’t have to think about where you’re going or the time… you just follow the person in front of you. I experienced my first and only solo flight in February when I flew out to meet my mom at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport in Texas. It was an enjoyable experience, but still really easy. There is something slightly daunting about your first international solo flight, especially when your also thinking, “hey, I won’t be back here for 5 months.” Well, I am very grateful that my flight went really well. I found that it really wasn’t difficult, and I could enjoy a nice sense of accomplishment when it was over. : )
I arrived in London at 10:20 am local time and had a 12 hour layover! Thus, began my 12 hour London Extravaganza! I have never been to London before so I was really excited about this opportunity. I am so grateful for everyone’s advice on how to get around and what to see! I really can’t express how much I appreciate it! As soon as I got off the plane I changed some a bit of money over and hurried to the tube information booth. My dear Amber Wilson let me borrow her Oyster Card (tube pass), so I added a couple of pounds to the card and was on my way!
I got on the tube and started going over my plans for the 8 hours I would be in the city. Unfortunately, on my way into the city, the Piccadilly line was temporarily shut down because a suspicious bag was found at the King’s Cross stop. We were stuck at the Osterley stop for about 25 minutes, but it turned out to be a false alarm and the tube continued into the city.
I decided to get off first at the Westminster stop. I was a little disoriented at first but I found an exit and emerged from the station to see Big Ben directly in front of me! I was so excited and couldn’t help but switch into stereotypical tourist mode. I stayed there for a bit and then walked over to Westminster Abbey. This was one of the sites that I really wanted to see. I walked on the grounds for a while and just took in the grandeur of it all. I wanted to see David Livingstone’s grave, but I was disappointed to discover that it was part of the tour. I debated whether or not it was worth paying for the tour, but ultimately decided against it. If I had more time, I probably would have done it. I’m pretty sure I’ll have a chance to go back one day anyway. (By the way, if you don’t know who David Livingstone is, you should definitely research him!)
After Westminster Abbey, I walked past Big Ben and Parliament to cross over the Thames River. I spent some time over by the London Eye, but didn’t ride it. The line was incredibly long, and I was quite content to walk along the crowded boardwalk. There were a lot of street performers that day and I found what I like to call Dr. Seuss trees. The trees along the boardwalk were wrapped in fabric that was red with big white spots! Definitely Dr. Seuss trees. I really enjoyed walking there and decided to the London Bridge instead of back tracking to the tube stop. I quickly realized that was not a good idea considering my time restraints and the fact that I had my laptop backpack and a large purse/carryon with me. Anyway, I bumped into someone who suggested that I walk back to the Jubilee Bridge and cross over to the Monument stop. So, I did and moved on to my next stop at Mansion House.
Here, I walked over the Millennium Bridge to see the Globe Theatre. I couldn’t help but mutter some sonnets and pieces to myself that I had memorized in high school. : ) I also went by St. Paul’s Cathedral before heading back to the tube station. Once again, I was content with not going in. One day, I’ll probably come back to London and take the time to really soak up places like that, but I am quite content with what I saw that day.
Next, I went to the Monument stop and saw “The Monument” and the London Bridge. I planned on going from the Monument stop down to the Borough market, but the connector between Monument and Bank was closed and I never had time to go over a different way. Not seeing the Borough market was really my only disappointment of the whole trip, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to see it some day. Instead, I went to Tower Hill and spent some time there. It started to rain so I made my way back to the tube station and made my way to my last 2 stops: Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace!
By some bizarre sequence of events, it took me about an hour to get from Tower Hill to Piccadilly Circus. I couldn’t cross over to the Piccadilly Line from Monument, Embankment, Westminster, or Victoria due to closings. When I finally tried to connect to Piccadilly at South Kensington, the platform was terribly crowed. (It was Saturday evening and everyone was heading to Piccadilly Circus.) The tube was delayed, then one arrived that was out of service, then I literally could not squeeze into the next train, but finally I made it. I really like Piccadilly Circus. I have never been to New York City so this was my first “big city lights” experience. I walked around for a bit until I was satisfied and went on my way to the Palace. I really debated even going to the Palace. I knew I need to be heading back to the airport shortly and by that time I was really starting to feel exhausted. I ultimately decided to go for it, and I so glad I went. It was raining, and I discovered there is something wonderful about walking through Green Park in the rain. (I wish that the classic green and white chairs were still scattered across the fields, but it was still great.) I had a unique experience on the way to the Palace that I will never forget.
After I left Buckingham Palace, I said goodbye to London and went back to Heathrow with plenty of time to spare before my flight. It was honestly a wonderful experience! London was never on my top 10 list of places to visit because I’ve heard so many stories and seen so many photos from my friends. This brief trip has definitely changed my mind. I was really impressed by London. There’s something really intriguing and enduring about it. England in general has finally made it to my top 10 list of places to go visit (again), but I still need to see a lot of other things first. : )
And finally, Israel….
I left the Heathrow airport at 10:30 pm and arrived in Israel at 5:30 am local time. I knew there was another student going to the University of Haifa on the flight, but I actually didn’t meet her until we arrived in Tel Aviv. We talked as we went through customs and such, and then she left to visit family before going to Haifa. I had met another student via Facebook who would be arriving around the time I would be, so we planned on going from the airport to Haifa together. I waited a while for him, but ultimately decided to go alone. (His flight ended up landing a lot earlier than expected so it was good that I went ahead.) I took a sherut (a shared taxi for about 8 to 12 people) to Haifa, and the driver to me straight to entrance of the dormitories at the University. I finally arrived!
I LOVE HAIFA. It’s wonderful. The University sits on the top of Mt. Carmel and looks down on the port city of Haifa on the Mediterranean Sea. The view is breathtaking. You can see most of the city Haifa, Akko, the Galilee hills, and Lebanon on a good day. Because the school is on a mountain, it’s isolated from the busy city, but I can get on a bus and be in the heart of the city in 20 minutes and on an incredible beach in less than 30 minutes. If that wasn’t enough, the University is in the middle of the Mt. Carmel national park. So, I’m surrounded by forest, looking out on the beach, city, and Galilee hills. I love it here!
So much has happened in this month, and there is so much I want to share with all of you! I think it may be best to give a brief overview of the main points for now. I apologize that most of this will be pretty vague. In the future, I will post blogs that will elaborate in detail on these experiences. If you would like more information sooner, feel free to email or facebook me! I would love to tell you more about it!
This past Thursday, I completed the August Intensive Arabic Program here at the University of Haifa! Over 200 students from over 40 countries were here during the month of August to study Hebrew or Arabic. Of over 200 students, only 20 of us were in the Arabic program. That should tell you something! It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun! The goal of the program was to teach us the basics of written Modern Standard Arabic. By the end, we learned the alphabet, basic syntax and grammar, and hundreds upon hundreds of vocabulary words. We seriously have about 40 new vocab words a night! We had class on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday for three and a half weeks. Each class was from 8:30 am until 1 pm with a thirty minute and a ten minute break in between. Usually, we would have four to six hours of homework each night. Several times a week we had “Arabic Zone” where we all worked on homework together and got help from our Madrichim Aboud, who is an Arab Israeli from a nearby Druze village. Each week, we also had lectures in the evenings, hiking trips, and Israeli movie nights on Sunday. In addition to all of this, our Arabic class also went on trips each Tuesday to visit Arab communities, learn about current issues, and understand more about what it is to be an Arab in Israel. I truly enjoyed each of these trips!
Our first trip was to the Golan Heights. We visited inactive military bunkers that sit on the hill tops looking into Syria and Lebanon. We also spent a lot in Druze villages learning about the people and how their lives are affected by Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights (which used to belong to Syria). This trip was by far my favorite and one of the most interesting and eye opening experiences I have here so far. I promise to write a blog solely devoted to this experience very soon!
The following Tuesday, our Arabic class went to the Galilee region. Here, we visited one of the few schools in Israel that integrate Arab and other Israeli students. Usually, Arab Israelis go to one school while Jewish and other Israelis attend separate schools. We also met with a woman who works with a NGO that is working towards cooperation between Arabs and other Israelis. Afterward, we visited an environmental organization that focuses promoting green energy and aiding local Arab farmers. We ended the day by visiting a Palestinian heritage museum.
Last week, we visited Nazareth. We visited both the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches of the annunciation, as well as an excellently preserved Roman bath system.
I have also tried to travel as much as I can on the weekends. I am sure this does not surprise anyone at all. There is so much to say about these trips, but once again, I will just give you an overview for now. The first weekend, my friend, Andrea, and I woke up early Friday morning and went to Akko and Rosh Hanikra. Akko rests on the other side of the bay from Haifa. I see it everyday from the University. Akko is an old city that is rich with history and some of the best humus in the Middle East! Rosh Hanikra is just north of Akko and absolutely beautiful! It consist of bleach white cliffs that overlook the Mediterranean Sea and mark the border between Lebanon and Israel. A cable car takes you down to the base of the cliffs where you can explore beautiful grotto caves that have been carved by the sea. From there, you can also see fossils embedded all over the cliffs. Rosh Hanikra is definitely one of my favorite places in Israel!
The following weekend, my suitemate and I went to Tzat (or Sefat or Sefed or any other spelling you prefer). Nomi (who is from Holland) and I decided after class on Thursday to go! We checked the buses, found a hostel online, packed our things, and were gone! Tzat is only about two hours away from Haifa. When we arrived, we were happy to find that our hostel had a great location. We spent the evening walking around and then woke early in the morning to explore the city. We visited the Citadel, Artist colony, and the Jewish Quarter. Tzat is an interesting, old town with gorgeous views of the Galilee and Mt. Meron. It is well known for its artists and connections with Judaism, especially Kabbalah.
Last weekend, I went to Jerusalem! I thoroughly enjoyed this trip! I went down on Thursday evening and met with some friends from the University. A lot of students from the University came down at one point of another that weekend, and we went back to Haifa Saturday night. We found an amazing hostel in the Arab Quarter of the Old City! It was a European oasis with excellent prices and a beautiful view from the rooftop! I have been to Jerusalem before with the group from Shorter College. That was a wonderful experience, but there is something marvelous about taking in the city at your own pace. I was able to see so many new things as well as visit some of my favorite churches and sites. It also happened to be the start of Ramadan. It was really interesting and the Arab Quarter was draped with lights! It looked like Christmas! There is much to say about this experience! Definitely expect a detailed blog about this soon.
All this leads me to this weekend. I decided to not travel this weekend. Our Arabic final was
on Thursday and since then I have been spending time with friends, saying a lot of goodbyes, and resting! Almost everyone from the August Ulpan has left and the campus is deserted! Only a handful of remain and many have gone on trips for the weekend. Fortunately, I do have some friends who are staying here longer, so it has not been too bad. My Italian friend, Martina, has moved into my room for the weekend so we wouldn’t be alone in or empty suites. It is incredible how close you can get to people in a month! I really don’t like saying goodbyes.
Tomorrow is the first day of my Study Tour entitled “The Land of Israel: The Jewish Connection.” Throughout September, we will have lectures and field studies regarding the history of Israel. I am really excited about this course. Tomorrow and Wednesday we have lectures on campus, and on Thursday we are going to Tzippori (Sepphoris), Nazareth, and Tzfat.
Well, that is a glimpse at my experience here in Israel over the past month. I appreciate your interest and commitment to read this far. I will try to make future posts much shorter! I also plan on getting photos posted here and on Facebook soon. Unfortunately, I have experienced some technically difficulties with my laptop that are currently preventing me from uploading photos and downloading Skype. I will let you know as soon as possible when I get a Skype account! Thank you again for your patience!
Many of you have asked me about a mailing address. I do have a mailing address, but I do not recommend you sending me anything. It usually takes two to three weeks to get anything to and from Israel. It can also be expensive, so maybe wait and just send me a Christmas card in December! Instead, feel free to email me at rebekah.smith@students.shorter.edu. I also have a Facebook account! If you still really want my mailing address, it is:
Bekah Smith
c/o International School
University of Haifa
Haifa 31905
ISRAEL
I appreciate all of the prayers and support from back home! I cannot express how much it means to me! I miss all of you so much!
(Ep Sig Ladies, I miss each of you so very much, and you are all in my prayers! I wish I could be there for all of the excitement! I am thrilled to see such a great new pledge class! It also warms my heart to see all of you “Little Ones” taking Littles! I am so proud of each of you! All My Irish Love!)
