I haven’t really had a good chance to get online and post! I have been having a great time here at Ulpan Etzion. There are people from all over the world including India, Iran, Romania, Russia (of course), South Africa, South America, Hungary, France, England and the list goes on and on. There are almost 200 students here in the ulpan and every day and night is an adventure! I already have more running partners and study buddies than I know what to do with.
I am going into my third week of classes and everything is really starting to make sense (thank goodness!). I am having the most trouble with verbs…but then I don’t know anyone who doesn’t so I’m just studying hard and trying to make the most of my five months here in ulpan.
I am really enjoying being so close to “The Center” (of Jerusalem). Any time I need food for my room I just go to the Shuk and find amazing fruit from the farms from all around Israel. I try to eat in the dining room most days, however the food is somewhat worse than I could have imagined! Sometimes it is okay but everyone is getting sick of the same food everyday.
My schedule mostly consists of eating and studying, but occasionally I decide I have time for fun. It takes a lot of self control not to have too much fun every night because there is always a few parties every night! I still cannot figure out how all of these people party every night and still make it to class in the morning!
That’s pretty much all for now! Hopefully I will have more time for updating in the coming weeks!!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
My first week!!
Hi everyone!
I am so glad that I am done traveling! I went from Texas to Pennsylvania to New Jersey to New York to Israel and holy cow I am so excited to be done with traveling for a while! Although the flight was really long I had a blast on the way to Israel. I met so many people that I will be going to Ulpan with! I was a little nervous that there wouldn’t be very many English speakers at the Ulpan but now I know that there are a ton of us. I suppose that could be a good or a bad thing since I wont be as challenged to use my Hebrew everyday in order to communicate. But I am also really glad to have met so many fun people in my age group!
One thing that was hilarious and a little embarassing is that no one knew that this flight is actually a J-Date flight. In other words the flight was supposed to be focused on singles meeting singles….I am so not ready for that! I think I need to get a handle of the language before I can go and meet men!
When I arrived my friend, Alon, came and picked me up at the airport in Tel Aviv and was there to greet me when I first got to the arrival ceremony. It was really great seeing a friendly face in the crowd! Of course I met so many people I cant even remember all of their names! There were ~200 people on the flight with me.
In the last few days I have done some really fun things. Alon and I went to a show that is similar to stomp, but with more talented and varied performances. The lighting and the music was amazing and created almost exclusively by all of the performers. All of them could sing, dance, play instruments, and a few of them could beat box. It was especially fun when they got people in the audience involved. I left feeling exhilarated and excited about life! What a great experience!
I also got to go bowling in the is cool little bowling alley. It was sort of a surprise find and going there made me feel grateful that I have a friend here because it’s the kind of place that only locals know about. I am not a very talented bowler but I do have to brag…I won 1 out of 3 games! Not too shabby! Of course the people next to us thought I was about 17 and on a birthright trip…but I suppose looking so young will come in handy when I’m not so young any more ;)
Today I got to do something so fun I would love to do it again! I got to go to a shooting range on a Kibbutz and shoot an M-16! This gun is powerful but the kick is minimal. I got out without a bruised collar bone which is more than I can say for my experiences with shot guns and rifles in Texas! The man helping me is named Ya’akov. He told me that I could not show too much excitement because I am a Texan and we are serious! So I put away my smile and somberly shook his hand. Shortly thereafter I jumped up and down and celebrated the fun I had just had. (I know Ya’akov was smiling on the inside!) After this Alon and I went and had some really delicious falafel at a popular place near his home. Can you believe that I have never had falafel in Israel?! Well I did today and I practically licked the wrapping clean!
Through all of my experiences since arriving the best of all has been just being here! I love being surrounded by the language and culture. Naturally I wish I had a better command of the language, but I know that will come in my months of Hebrew Ulpan! Hopefully I will get back on to do another blog entry sooner rather than later!!!
All my love,
Jesyca
I am so glad that I am done traveling! I went from Texas to Pennsylvania to New Jersey to New York to Israel and holy cow I am so excited to be done with traveling for a while! Although the flight was really long I had a blast on the way to Israel. I met so many people that I will be going to Ulpan with! I was a little nervous that there wouldn’t be very many English speakers at the Ulpan but now I know that there are a ton of us. I suppose that could be a good or a bad thing since I wont be as challenged to use my Hebrew everyday in order to communicate. But I am also really glad to have met so many fun people in my age group!
One thing that was hilarious and a little embarassing is that no one knew that this flight is actually a J-Date flight. In other words the flight was supposed to be focused on singles meeting singles….I am so not ready for that! I think I need to get a handle of the language before I can go and meet men!
When I arrived my friend, Alon, came and picked me up at the airport in Tel Aviv and was there to greet me when I first got to the arrival ceremony. It was really great seeing a friendly face in the crowd! Of course I met so many people I cant even remember all of their names! There were ~200 people on the flight with me.
In the last few days I have done some really fun things. Alon and I went to a show that is similar to stomp, but with more talented and varied performances. The lighting and the music was amazing and created almost exclusively by all of the performers. All of them could sing, dance, play instruments, and a few of them could beat box. It was especially fun when they got people in the audience involved. I left feeling exhilarated and excited about life! What a great experience!
I also got to go bowling in the is cool little bowling alley. It was sort of a surprise find and going there made me feel grateful that I have a friend here because it’s the kind of place that only locals know about. I am not a very talented bowler but I do have to brag…I won 1 out of 3 games! Not too shabby! Of course the people next to us thought I was about 17 and on a birthright trip…but I suppose looking so young will come in handy when I’m not so young any more ;)
Today I got to do something so fun I would love to do it again! I got to go to a shooting range on a Kibbutz and shoot an M-16! This gun is powerful but the kick is minimal. I got out without a bruised collar bone which is more than I can say for my experiences with shot guns and rifles in Texas! The man helping me is named Ya’akov. He told me that I could not show too much excitement because I am a Texan and we are serious! So I put away my smile and somberly shook his hand. Shortly thereafter I jumped up and down and celebrated the fun I had just had. (I know Ya’akov was smiling on the inside!) After this Alon and I went and had some really delicious falafel at a popular place near his home. Can you believe that I have never had falafel in Israel?! Well I did today and I practically licked the wrapping clean!
Through all of my experiences since arriving the best of all has been just being here! I love being surrounded by the language and culture. Naturally I wish I had a better command of the language, but I know that will come in my months of Hebrew Ulpan! Hopefully I will get back on to do another blog entry sooner rather than later!!!
All my love,
Jesyca
Friday, December 11, 2009
Feeling grateful
As time continues to hurtle past me I realize only now how little time I have left! So it seems strange to me that I keep thinking silly things like…I haven’t had a chance to perfect homemade tortillas yet, and man, I still really want to make it to a few more shows in Austin!
Thank goodness I have fantastic, loving friends and family who keep me grounded. I might just float away into a mental abyss of random tidbits and end pieces without my friends to remind me what really matters! Tonight my longtime friend, Amber, took the reins and made my travel plans from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to New York. I had been dreading trying to figure out that mess! Not only did she save me that mess, she then “forced” me to go to a girly movie in which we giggled and joked through. It is these moments that I will wrap around me when I am feeling lonely or homesick in Israel.
I have so many kindred spirits in Austin. I am glad to know that no matter what part of the world I am in there are people I love and who love me no matter what! I could write volumes of the love and growth that I share with my friends and I will miss all of them deeply! I cherish every moment I have with them.
What I am really trying to say is:
THANK YOU! Thank you everyone for the continued love, support, joy, growth, warmth and wild abandon you have allowed me to share in with you. It has been so beautiful.
With all the love I have,
Jesyca
Thank goodness I have fantastic, loving friends and family who keep me grounded. I might just float away into a mental abyss of random tidbits and end pieces without my friends to remind me what really matters! Tonight my longtime friend, Amber, took the reins and made my travel plans from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to New York. I had been dreading trying to figure out that mess! Not only did she save me that mess, she then “forced” me to go to a girly movie in which we giggled and joked through. It is these moments that I will wrap around me when I am feeling lonely or homesick in Israel.
I have so many kindred spirits in Austin. I am glad to know that no matter what part of the world I am in there are people I love and who love me no matter what! I could write volumes of the love and growth that I share with my friends and I will miss all of them deeply! I cherish every moment I have with them.
What I am really trying to say is:
THANK YOU! Thank you everyone for the continued love, support, joy, growth, warmth and wild abandon you have allowed me to share in with you. It has been so beautiful.
With all the love I have,
Jesyca
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Oregon Trip
So I have been crazy busy these past few weeks! The highlight of it all was going to Portland, Oregon to see family. It was a short but sweet trip (and sadly my last one there for quite a few years).
My family is awesome because I didn’t really plan this trip, I just told them I was coming and magically everything came together…what that really means is that all the family members helped make this trip successful by planning things to do since I left that very important aspect of trip planning out!
I stayed with my Grandma Goldie and every day we went to visit my Grandfather (AKA Grandpa Grumpy, AKA Grandpa Leonard :) at the Robison Home. Aunt Carolyn set up a fun dinner and I got a chance to see her and Uncle Larry, Cousin Heather and Steve along with their two adorable children, Cousin Aaron and Vanessa and their two boys and of course Buddy!
I got to see Aunt Mary several times and one night Uncle Jerry took Grandma Goldie, Cousin Rick, and Me to Dinner.
I am so blessed to have such a fantastic, fun, quirky, LOVING family!
My family is awesome because I didn’t really plan this trip, I just told them I was coming and magically everything came together…what that really means is that all the family members helped make this trip successful by planning things to do since I left that very important aspect of trip planning out!
I stayed with my Grandma Goldie and every day we went to visit my Grandfather (AKA Grandpa Grumpy, AKA Grandpa Leonard :) at the Robison Home. Aunt Carolyn set up a fun dinner and I got a chance to see her and Uncle Larry, Cousin Heather and Steve along with their two adorable children, Cousin Aaron and Vanessa and their two boys and of course Buddy!
I got to see Aunt Mary several times and one night Uncle Jerry took Grandma Goldie, Cousin Rick, and Me to Dinner.
I am so blessed to have such a fantastic, fun, quirky, LOVING family!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The very beginning :)
I GOT MY YES!!!!!
Hello friends and family!
I wanted to start this blog so that when an ocean separates us all, the internet can still connect us!
I have finally found myself hurtling towards to finish line and I cannot believe how quickly this has happened! I am told I have finally finished alllllllll of my paperwork and I have successfully submitted all of the documents needed (thank goodness for that!). Now all that is left is waiting on a few more ‘yes’ answers from various agencies…and I am in business!
Anybody who knows me knows I’ve been trying to make this dream happen for over a year! This never seemed real until yesterday when I called the JAFI office in Chicago and found out that Israel has approved my citizenship!!! So, what do I do next? Naturally I start shopping for dorm stuff! I am going to Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem for my first 5 months of living in Israel (still waiting for approval…but it’s pretty much guaranteed). I have never lived in a dorm room, I was spoiled in college and I had an apartment with my own room and bathroom. So I suppose at the ripe old age of 23 I will have to live with strangers and learn to compromise my space and privacy. I know this will be a fantastic (and maybe trying) way to start my life in a new country!
I need to whip my Hebrew skills into shape so that I can attend college in Israel. I am in the process of applying to Shenkar College of engineering and Design to study my passion; Graphic Design. By the way the classes are ENTIRELY in hebrew! I am so nervous and excited…but mostly excited!
Right now I want to go through all my stuff and start purging…but it’s too soon. I just want to be ready to go so I’m getting ahead of myself. I am already doing what I do best…researching! I am reading everything I can get my hands on about other young people’s experiences going through what I am going through!
I will continue to update as often as I can!
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