I arrived at the airport on Wednesday and met two girls who were going to be on my flight. Haifa had told me that they were going to be there so after facebook stalking we knew what each other looked like. Once on the plane, I had a window seat next in the back of the plane. Five really bad things that can happen and did happen while on a plane are as follows:
1. screaming baby
2. screaming baby two rows ahead of you
3. screaming baby screaming for 10 hours straight
4. the person next to you practically sitting in your seat
5. the guy on the end sleeping for 8 of the 10 hours and won't wake up no matter how much you have to pee
This was not exactly a good flight, but I dozed and watched a movie so the time went by...extremely slowly. The lady next to me was coming home after a 3 month stay in New York and I was on my way to Israel for a 3.5 month stay. It was interesting in the roles.
Once at the airport, there was someone waiting for us because on of the girls's mother was paranoid that she wouldn't get to Haifa so she called a taxi so we were taken to passport control with no waiting in line and we got help with our luggage. The ride to Haifa was a little bit naseuating...almost like my dad driving up the switchbacks during vacation, but worse.
My dorm is in Federman...the small jail-like run down double suite, not Talia the new good-sized single suite. When I first go to my room there was no one there except for a refrigerator stuffed with food. After being abandonded in my room by the madrichim (activities counselors), I went to get my suitcases. The other two girls from my flight live right next to each other in Talia so I went with them to see their room. For dinner we went to the mini mart right across the courtyard and I hung out with them for a little bit before unpacking. When I got inback to my room, I met my Israeli suitemate, whose name I forget and my roommate Anna, from Florida. She isn't Jewish so it will be interesting to see her perspective of Israel. After interneting (yes, that's word), I went to bed for a good night's sleep...except that it was 90 degrees and we had no fan.
Friday morning, Jordana and Hannah--the girls from the plane, Anna, another girl Alisa, and I took a bus to the Haifa Mall, except that the bus driver couldn't understand what we were saying and there are like five malls around so dropped us off at the bus station which ended up being ok because now I know where to take the train. It was a ten minute walk to the Haifa Mall. Once inside, we got the necessary items-- shampoo, soap, tissues, hangers, etc. Using the little bit of hebrew that I knew, I helped Jordana find sheets. We didn't find everything (like a plug adaptor even though there was an Ace Hardware), but it is enough to last us for the next few days. We took the bus back and had lunch and then hung out in the courtyard and met a bunch of people. I went back to the room to shower for Shabbat services and dinner. Dinner was really good...I hadn't had a real meal in a while and met more people from various countries: Colombia, Denmark, and Hungary.
Today, we went to the Bahaii Garden. Breakfast was at 8:30 and I met some people from South Korea. We took a bus from Haifa to some town right near the Garden. On the bus, I met a kid from Switzerland so of course I told him I went there this summer and I told him where I went. When I said that I was in Interlaken, he laughed and said that the Americans always go to Interlaken.We took a tour of the gardens and they are absolutely gorgeous. According to the tour guide, there was guy in the 1800s named Bob, which is Arabic for gate or door, who founded the Bahaii religion, but he was jailed and publicly killed for his beliefs, but later on another guy came and agreed with Bob and officially founded the religion. (Iman, I'm sorry if I got the info wrong, tell me and I'll fix it) I thought that the gardens had been there for a while, but the tour guide said that they started in 1987 and opened in 2001. After the tour, we went to the Arab shuk for a lunch of falafel. It turned out that the owner's son goes to Brandeis, and there are 6 people from there in Haifa and one of the girls knew his son. After lunch, I bought some fruits and vegetables and bonded with a bunch of people that I am currently hanging out with.
Tonight there is pizza and a movie showing and tommorrow is the first official day of orientation. I'll eventually put pictures up.
1. screaming baby
2. screaming baby two rows ahead of you
3. screaming baby screaming for 10 hours straight
4. the person next to you practically sitting in your seat
5. the guy on the end sleeping for 8 of the 10 hours and won't wake up no matter how much you have to pee
This was not exactly a good flight, but I dozed and watched a movie so the time went by...extremely slowly. The lady next to me was coming home after a 3 month stay in New York and I was on my way to Israel for a 3.5 month stay. It was interesting in the roles.
Once at the airport, there was someone waiting for us because on of the girls's mother was paranoid that she wouldn't get to Haifa so she called a taxi so we were taken to passport control with no waiting in line and we got help with our luggage. The ride to Haifa was a little bit naseuating...almost like my dad driving up the switchbacks during vacation, but worse.
My dorm is in Federman...the small jail-like run down double suite, not Talia the new good-sized single suite. When I first go to my room there was no one there except for a refrigerator stuffed with food. After being abandonded in my room by the madrichim (activities counselors), I went to get my suitcases. The other two girls from my flight live right next to each other in Talia so I went with them to see their room. For dinner we went to the mini mart right across the courtyard and I hung out with them for a little bit before unpacking. When I got inback to my room, I met my Israeli suitemate, whose name I forget and my roommate Anna, from Florida. She isn't Jewish so it will be interesting to see her perspective of Israel. After interneting (yes, that's word), I went to bed for a good night's sleep...except that it was 90 degrees and we had no fan.
Friday morning, Jordana and Hannah--the girls from the plane, Anna, another girl Alisa, and I took a bus to the Haifa Mall, except that the bus driver couldn't understand what we were saying and there are like five malls around so dropped us off at the bus station which ended up being ok because now I know where to take the train. It was a ten minute walk to the Haifa Mall. Once inside, we got the necessary items-- shampoo, soap, tissues, hangers, etc. Using the little bit of hebrew that I knew, I helped Jordana find sheets. We didn't find everything (like a plug adaptor even though there was an Ace Hardware), but it is enough to last us for the next few days. We took the bus back and had lunch and then hung out in the courtyard and met a bunch of people. I went back to the room to shower for Shabbat services and dinner. Dinner was really good...I hadn't had a real meal in a while and met more people from various countries: Colombia, Denmark, and Hungary.
Today, we went to the Bahaii Garden. Breakfast was at 8:30 and I met some people from South Korea. We took a bus from Haifa to some town right near the Garden. On the bus, I met a kid from Switzerland so of course I told him I went there this summer and I told him where I went. When I said that I was in Interlaken, he laughed and said that the Americans always go to Interlaken.We took a tour of the gardens and they are absolutely gorgeous. According to the tour guide, there was guy in the 1800s named Bob, which is Arabic for gate or door, who founded the Bahaii religion, but he was jailed and publicly killed for his beliefs, but later on another guy came and agreed with Bob and officially founded the religion. (Iman, I'm sorry if I got the info wrong, tell me and I'll fix it) I thought that the gardens had been there for a while, but the tour guide said that they started in 1987 and opened in 2001. After the tour, we went to the Arab shuk for a lunch of falafel. It turned out that the owner's son goes to Brandeis, and there are 6 people from there in Haifa and one of the girls knew his son. After lunch, I bought some fruits and vegetables and bonded with a bunch of people that I am currently hanging out with.
Tonight there is pizza and a movie showing and tommorrow is the first official day of orientation. I'll eventually put pictures up.
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