One Week In

So I've been here for just short of a week, and I have to say...this place is amazing.  The people I'm studying with, for the most part, are incredibly nice.  The town close to the kibbutz is big enough that it has pretty much everything one could possibly need.  The malls here put American malls to shame- I have to go back to take some pictures to do it justice, because my words alone cannot.  But, here is a tongue in cheek summary of what I've learned so far during my first week, and some pictures of interesting things.

• Shwarma is a dish best served cold
• Everyone in Haifa is beautiful
• The buses here are safe, colored green, and quite comfortable
• You can negotiate prices for a cab fare, sandwich, and pretty much anything without a price tag. 
• "In case of war..." is a legitimate cautionary statement when giving a safety briefing.
• Israeli kids love Dropkick Murphy's
• Despite the fact that Sunday (yom rishon) starts the work week- banks don't open until Monday.
• I had the best cheeseburger I've ever eaten at a place called Burgus Burger Bar.
• My bomb shelter has a ping pong table
• I have an entirely new appreciation for the term "africa hot."
• Snoop Dogg is universal.

Here.  Look at some pictures!!

Peacocks walk wild in these parts..

One of the sections of Old City Haifa..I'd tell you where, but we were walking around aimlessly at this point and I've got no clue where we were.

The Baha'i Gardens from the bottom

Overhead view of the fountain at the bottom of the gardens.

We could only go to the first terrace, but this is looking up to the second terrace from the first.

The other side of the walkway to the second terrace

Haifa, from the gardens

Camel Beach by Hof Ha'Carmel

more beach, same spot

The beach exit, or "eetzeeya" in transliterated hebrew.

Just to test some things out..

 

Here's a video from my last trip to Israel.  This was taken walking through the main plaza/town square (kikar) in Netanya.  Its called "Kikar Ha'Atzmaut", or "Independence Square" in English.  Side note-  "kikar" also can mean "traffic circle," depending on the context.  

 

...and this is a video taken from the beach promenade looking out across the Mediterranean Sea.  After watching it again, I'm pretty sure I was watching that kite surfer.

Flickr photostream up and running

my flickr photostream is up and running.  Right, now there's some pics from my previous trip to Israel and also some photos and videos of my trip to Hawaii in December 2009.  T-minus 15 days!

the blog is coming for you

So, i figured i'd jump on the travel blog band wagon and make one for my little adventure. Check back soon for pictures, videos, stories, and whatever else i feel like sharing with the world. T-minus 19 days until launch!! woohoo!!!!