Home Sweet Home

"It's been a long time coming, but I know a chage is gonna come, oh yes it will" - Sam Cooke lyrics

It has been bittersweet to be home, in part because it reminds me how rarely I get to be here and how soon I am leaving again. In general terms, I have been reading (Camus, because I can't help myself and Walzer's "Just and Unjust Wars"). I have been running and crossfitting; I have to say it is amazing to feel one's body wake up, one's muscles tense up and physically remember old exercises...I've been too sore to sit or stretch my arms out fully, but it is a good feeling. Other than this, I am working on my projects, tanning (a lot), studying for the GRE and figuring out my upcoming Grad School applications, seeing old friends, and restoring my own faith and optimism. Interestingly enough, to do so I have gone back to my old outlet: art. I've been drawing, painting, and in these simple expressions I find that my mind stops spinning and I feel serene and calm, for once. In terms of random things, I am taking a Krav Maga class (image: me and hand-eye coordination = hilarity), catching up on emails, helping out with some blood drives, cooking, and making obscene quantities of homemade blueberry preserves (it is stress-relieving).

Funny: I've become a bit of an old lady since I go to bed by 10:30 and wake up sometime between 6 and 7am, which is unheard of for me and which caused my dad to stare at me in awkward silences of disbelief the first few mornings I joined him for breakfast.

In some good news, I have accepted a position as Strategic Planner for Raices de Esperanza, a non-profit, non-partisan group focused on empowering Cuban youth on and off the island. The organization is one I am proud to be working for, especially because, with no paid staff positions, everyone who works for it does so on an extracurricular volunteer basis; as a result, the people I will be lucky enough to work with are extremely committed to this cause. It is a young and incredible organization, about which you will be sure to hear more from me over the imminent months! :)

Funnily enough, here is my boss on CNN yesterday:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/08/24/nr.is.castro.relevant.cnn?iref=videosearch

In any case, here I am, actually liking Miami a lot more this trip than I have in all the years I've lived here. Hey, I guess there is a reason why preconceptions are silly!! I should have some fun stories after this weekend but until then, this is really all that is going on.

Israel - Day 8

“And here is what I know now…goes like this, my salvation lies in your love, my salvation lies in your love” – Orange Sky (the OC Mix 1)

We woke up at 4:15am, ate some pound cake in a hurry, and walked to Masada. The face of the rock – completely devoid of any softening vegetation – rose up swiftly before us as we began the ascent. Masada, the desert fortress built by Herod the Great was the cite of the last great battle between the Jewish rebels and the Romans in the 70s CE. I was the 5th person up from our group and the first girl, which, modesty aside, made me (and our hyper intense tour guide) pretty proud.

After touring the top, we made our way down to breakfast at the hostel, before heading out to the Ein Gedi nature reserve, where we (gasp of happiness!!) swam in a waterfall!! Especially because it had been so hot in Israel, this was beyond refreshing! After returning to the hostel and getting ourselves cleaned up and packed up, we drove to Tel-Aviv. On the drive, we stopped at a rest stop, where one Mr. James Kimmey and I shocked the rest of the bus by buying chips and beer (of course, James bought some crappy, light beer and I went for a Guinness, as usual, thereby gaining respect points from our hilarious bus driver)! Once in Tel-Aviv we had a couple of hours to spend on the boardwalk, resting, eating, enjoying our last day together as twilight set in. And then, sadly, we made our way to the airport. The goodbyes to Ohad, Yisrael, and Avi were sad – I for one, being my usual sentimental self, had become legitimately close with them…I felt like I was leaving really good old friends.

It’s a good thing I will be back here in several months though! I am looking forward to spending more time in actual Tel-Aviv (especially since I have decided to move here in a couple of years), to doing some intense hiking, to seeing Avi and Ohad again, and to seeing Israel when it is not in the middle of its dry season (I want to see her hills covered with green!). In the end, we boarded our airplane at 1am. As we did so, I looked down at a ring I had personalized and ordered in a little shop in Jerusalem…in the sterling silver is inscribed, in Hebrew, “Ahava,” meaning “love.” I couldn’t help but smile even as I was leaving, for I had found a place that touched me greatly and differently than any of my other travels, a place that had renewed me in many ways, a place that challenged and welcomed me at the same time; and that, my friends, that is love.

On that note, I should say that I am separating from newfound friends whose friendship I hope to keep for years to come. (Some of us are already making plans for a reunion). In all honestly, I must also admit that even though I have apparently rubbed off on them with funny hand gestures and Nataliaisms (it’s been pretty funny actually), the people on this trip have contributed something much greater to me, for they have injected me with a renewed sense of serenity and a belief that the surprises, the luck, the pure joy in life is always greater than the knocks, hectic stresses, and pains and disappointments we may experience! I consider myself thankful and blessed to have crossed paths with some of the people on this trip.

And so, as they say during Passover Seder, "Next year, in Jerusalem…"

Israel - Day 7

“Aint no one gonna break my stride, aint no one that can hold me down, oh no, I’ve got to keep on moving” – Matisyahu lyrics (originally from Ace of Base?)

The theme of day was ‘The Judean Wilderness,” enough said. In the morning we began our descent into the desert to the south. On the way, we stopped in Tiberius to volunteer with Christians who had emigrated from Lebanon; for almost twenty years they had formed the South Lebanese Army and fought on Israel’s side, but after Israel pulled out in 2000, they were harassed, persecuted, and forced to flee from their homeland. As a result, they are in Israel. We did some crafts with the kids, played soccer, learned traditional Lebanese dancing (!!), and ate amazing carbohydrate concoctions. They were extremely thankful to have us there and to have the support of the larger international Christian community; it was incredibly touching to see their response to such a small gesture on our part, which once more served as a reminder of the kind of positive effect our smallest actions can have!

After this, we drove to the Dead Sea, where we swam (or rather, floated), covered ourselves in mud, and generally relaxed for the rest of the day! In the late afternoon, we went into the pool at our hotel room, where we stayed for (no joke) several hours. On a tangent: at one point we chose to entertain ourselves with chicken fights, and I must say that I won all of the girl matches!!

In the evening we had a Shabbat dinner. The women lit the candles and Avi and Ohad sang the traditional songs…in the middle of our hostel we had a truly heartfelt dinner. Then we all went to bed early, in preparing for the marathon day that our last day in Israel was sure to be!

Israel - Day 6

"All my live I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we dont wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play" – Matisyahu lyrics

This morning we went to the border with Lebanon, where we were given a presentation by an IDF Commander. Having been to the Syrian border, it was enthralling to realize the complexities of Israel’s relationships with its various neighbors; for examples, since the 2006 war, the IDF focus mostly on civilian protection at the Lebanese border, seeing to maintain the status quo in the area. Having seen both these borders and stood at the edge of Gaza, one of the things that most amazed me was how small and unprotected the borders looked. We were well aware that they were nothing if not well-protected, but from our vantage point they looked like mere fences…how is that really meant to keep terrorists out, especially from Syria? On an interesting tangent: the IDF uses Arab Bedouins to patrol the borders…by simply looking at the ground, these people can tell if someone has crossed the path and then give you their gender, weight, height, etc. Incredible (especially because they are Arabs, although Israeli citizens)!

After the border, we went to the national park of Tel Dan for a walk through the beautiful natural preserve (again, I had a huge urge to go hiking here when I return in a couple of months!). Interestingly, in the middle of this preserve one can also find one of the oldest stone arches in the world! After Tel Dan, we went kayaking down one of the tributaries of the Jordan River!! Ralph and I paired off in our own kayak and really enjoyed the 30 minutes of making our way down the river, stopping at strategic bends in the river to splash the other members of our group. At one point, a group of Orthodox Jews who DID NOT KNOW US, grabbed our kayak and held us hostage while they splashed us with their paddles – what??? On the drive back, exhausted, cooled down, and content, Ralph and I listened to Matisyahu together (he had a headphone splitter!) as had been our custom throughout this trip!

In the evening, several of us got quite the treat: a Shlomo Artzi concert!! He is an incredibly well-known singer/songwriter who has been performing in Israel for several decades. The concert was outdoors on an absolutely perfect night, and the grounds were filled with people of all generations, entire families, dozens of IDF soldiers dancing in their uniforms. The air was buzzing with (no joke) good, clean fun! Interestingly enough, Israeli President Shimon Peres spoke (LIVE! IN PERSON!) at the beginning of the concert! Although we could not understand a word he was saying, Rach, Brady, Scott, Hunter, Ohad, and I danced the night away! I also feel obliged to point out that Dr. Brog knew all the words to every song! What a wonderful way to wind down and laugh on a clear Israeli night. Perfection.

Israel - Day 5 (L'chaim!!)

“I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind” – Bon Iver lyrics

The first half of the day was spent “walking in the footsteps of Jesus’ Ministry” in Galilee, visiting the site that symbolizes the Sermon on the Mount, the place that symbolizes the miracle of feeding the 5,000, etc. We dipped our feet in the Sea of Galilee as well - so refreshing!

After this, we traveled to the Golan Heights and immersed ourselves in the political debate over the area. In part, we visited the ancient town of Gamla, where one of the epic battle-sites of the Roman suppression of the Great Revolt. The Golan is a place of incredible hiking and I was pretty sad to be rushed through it all; however, when I return in several months, I have arranged with Avi and Ohad to go on a solid hike with them…the weather will be much cooler then, so it will at least be bearable to be outside!

Having learned about the Great Revolt, we traveled to the Israeli-Syrian border to learn about the strategic importance of this area to the state of Israel. Lastly, we headed to the Golan winery for a wine tasting!! The Israeli really have made the dessert bloom, growing twenty-two different kinds of grapes in an area with incredibly different topography, weather, and elevation! The wine tasting provided a much-needed break from the heat and sun of the day and it solidified (at least for me) the economic successes that the Israelis have reached in this region. The drive back to the hostel took a while, so Hunter and I sat on the bus and listened to Bon Iver’s calming music and felt incredibly content. I felt simultaneously at peace and inspired…after a summer of hectic travel, I had a moment of calm in which I reminded that whatever mistakes we make and whatever wrongs are done to us, there is always more good than bad in life.

At night, we met with some Israeli soldiers. The gathering was actually somewhat frustrating for me because we were not allowed to ask them “political” questions since they were in uniform…as a result, the quality of the questions being asked deteriorated to “what are your hobbies?” and “what do you think about women being in the army?” On a tangent on that last note, Israel recently created a new infantry brigade of women that fights alongside men on the ground, instead of being in Intelligence, etc. Pretty damn cool!! In any case, despite the frustrating caliber of the questions, after the Q&A was over, we all spent some time underneath the stars on our usual blankets with hookah and wine (from the Golan!!). This opportunity was one of my favorite moments of the entire trip, as we got to freely interact with locals!

Israel - Day 4

"Strip away the layers and reveal your soul
Give yourself up and then you become whole" - Matisyahu lyrics

Today was an absolutely beautiful experience!! We said our goodbyes to Jerusalem and drove up along the Coastal Road to the ancient city of Ceasarea Maritima. No surprise here, it was also built by Herod the Great, but the most important aspect is that it was literally an invention of genius at the time of its creation! It was the first ever-artificial harbor!! This may not sound too impressive, but imagine literally singing limestone into the ocean and then building an entire harbor and port on top. Thanks to my obsession with the HBO show “Rome,” I knew some of the history surrounding Herod’s association with Marc Anthony and, as a result, his wish to build a city in honor of Octavius (later known as Augustus) to gain the Cesar’s graces…it was nothing short of awe-inspiring to be walking on such a piece of history! Fun fact: Herod brought the Olympics to Ceasarea and created 2nd and 3rd places for the first time!

After a morning in the hot Israeli sun at Caesarea, we made our way to Nazareth and had a finger-licking-good lunch of falafel and hummus (no surprise there!). A nice vendor also gave us some baklava for free! For being the place where Jesus spent his childhood, it is shocking to see that Nazareth population currently consists almost exclusively of Arabs… it is somewhat alarming in light of the billboards we saw there (one of them is pictured in my photos for this post). This particular sign was placed directly in front of the Basilica of the Annunciation, the largest church in the Middle East. Ridiculous, absolutely inexcusable. There is a really interesting story associated with the sign (and the mosque on which it is posted), so if you’re interested, ask me!

In the evening, we settled into our hostel and had a long advocacy-themed discussion with Dr. David Brog, sitting out under the stars. Afterwards, as would be our custom for the remaining nights we spent in Israel, we took our some hookahs, bought some Israeli beers, brought out some blankets from our rooms, and spent the evening under nightfall’s cooler breeze.

Israel - Day 3

"Out of darkness comes light, a twilight unto the heights
Crown heights burnin' up all through the twilight" - Matisyahu lyrics

Today we visited the Mount of Olives and walked on the path known as Via Dolorosa, which essentially is supposed to mark the route Jesus took carrying the cross to the crucifixion. I must say that, as a lover of contradictions, I found it particularly striking that most of the way snakes around the Arab quarter; the juxtaposition of religious pilgrims and everyday Arab merchants was arresting. On the way there we had visited the garden of Gethsemane (where Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested); seeing as how I am somewhat skeptical of religious cites that claim to mark some biblical story, I must admit that I really enjoyed being in the garden from an entirely literary perspective: Boris Pasternak has a beautiful poem that bears the name of the garden as its title and it is one of my favorite pieces of poetry in any language (the original is in Russian).

On the way to the first “station” of the Via Dolorosa we also stopped at St. Anne’s, a church dedicated to Mary’s mother. This church is renowned for having incredible acoustics so we asked permission to use them…we marched in quietly, took our seats, and began singing “Amazing Grace”….it was incredible! Holy acoustics!!! There is no way to really convey this, so I am posting a video taken by Hunter.

We then followed the Via Dolorosa until we ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which encompasses both Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified) and the area of the Resurrection. The church had a very marked Orthodox feel, which I found very comfortable, but which the Protestants in our group found new and somewhat disconcerting.

Overall, today had an incredible religious feel and very little political/archeological discussion took place.

On a tangent, let me introduce Ohad. He is our 22 year-old security guard and medic! He recently finished his service in the Israeli Defense Forces, where he worked in Counter-terrorism in Gaza (of all assignments). Having Ohad has been incredible, not only because we all seem to have adopted him as one of our own with great ease, but because he is opinionated and informed and can provide a perspective from a real Israeli; its an invaluable resource, especially for those among us who have never met someone from Israel before. Ohad is currently working as a security guard before beginning the application process for Medical School, and although he talks freely about his experiences in Gaza and the IDF, one can tell that they have scared him. As he says, “I was the medic, so you can imagine there are plenty of stories I don’t tell you.” How trite everything we say or do on this trip suddenly becomes if you forget that there are eighteen year-olds pulling shrapnel out of their friends in parts of this tiny speck of a country, no? Ohad keeps us grounded, he keeps us from forgetting what we are actually here to change.

Tonight we went out to celebrate Ohad's birthday in Jerusalem. We sat around a big table and talked and sang for a good portion of the night, even though we were all exhausted from a day of walking. Several of us did shots of Arak for his birthday, which is an aniseed liquor that has an incredibly high alcohol content (ours was at about 70%, but it can go up to 90%). Needless to say, my body was not too happy with me the next morning.