12/2/2013

The university of Tel Aviv wasn't expecting me this week because it is Hanukkah. They are being very helpful and accommodating but gave me the day off so that they were able to figure things out. I was happy to have to day to explore and rest. The jet lag has me on a really weird sleeping schedule. When I woke up the first time I studied some Hebrew because I am miserably under prepared(actually I can understand about 75% of the conversation but don't ask me to speak). After a bit my brain gave up and I went back to sleep. When I woke up for a second time I took the bike to the beach. Estella, the owner of the B&B(? My personal host and tour guide?) has leant me her bike. It's an old fixie. It doesn't go very fast but is comparable to most bikes I've seen here. The bikes go slow because no one wears a helmet. I'm trying to find one but have had no luck so far. 

I biked to the beach and took a swim in the Mediterranean Sea. Swimming is really confusing because people swim right in front of the signs http say not to. I asked Estella about it and she told me, "Israelis are bad at following rules" 

Arter my swim I biked a bit further I went down the coast through Jaffa(Yafo) to Bat  Yam. I passed beaches, ports, shops, military bases, Mosques, churches, and something I wasn't supposed to go into. A man very nicely but incomprehensible explained to me(in Hebrew) that I didn't want to be there. When I looked like I was running out of bike path I turned back.  I took another dip in the Mediterranean and sat on the beach for a few minutes before returning home. 

After getting cleaned up I walked down Dizengoff street to Dizengoff centre where Chabad lights a community menorah every night. I seemed to miss the lighting(even though I was half an hour early and stayed half an hour late) but I ate a doughnut and talked to a few people. 

After I got back Estella and her dog bobo graciously took me around the old city of Yafo(Jaffa). Estella is a self-proclaimed shut-in but she is very friendly and an excellent tour guide. After a walk we had dinner at an Arab Israeli restaurant. I had a laffa which is a kabob and chips(fries) in a pita. It was amazing. 

My lesson of the day(well one of them) was the introduction to Christian-Arabs. I am familiar with Muslim-Arabs but was unfamiliar with other types. An Arab formally referred to a person from the Arabian penninsula. Now the definition has expanded since there are Arabs in other parts of Asia and Africa. Now the main unifying factor for Arabs is the common language. 

I got home and worked on organising a few more things. I actually made no progress in 3 hours but I have more ideas now. 

Also, sorry about format and spelling errors. I'm having terrible trouble since my browser switched to Hebrew. I can translate some sites but this isn't one of them. Silly google, just because I'm here doesn't mean I want to blog or Email in Hebrew.