So...you like hummous?

Forgive the randomness of the title, it's very late here but I felt compelled to blog now.

Life continues in its odd, counter-intuitive, Israeli way here in Tel Aviv and I've again had many reminders of how small the world really is. For example, I met an Israeli by chance through an Aussie guy who's living here for now, and he met this Israeli guy totally randomly in Jerusalem at Machane Yehuda. So this guy is telling me he was getting advice from friends and cousins about where to go when he finishes army and how they all say he has to go to Australia, and how his 1st cousin went to Australia and he's been living there for 4 years now because he met a girl and they're getting married next month. I said, "oh that's nice, are they getting married in Israel?" And he says that they are, so then I asked "what's your cousin's name?" and he says Amit. "Amit *****?" I ask...and he stops dead in his tracks and looks at me like I'm crazy and says "yes?! how did you know?" and I tell him that the Aussie girl Amit is marrying is an old friend of mine who I've known since we were 5 and I'll be at the wedding too! The world is shrinking daily in this little country.

We went on a siyur (excursion) a couple of weeks ago to the Ayalon Institute and the Palmach Museum. The Ayalon Institute was the site where all of Israel's ammunition from the Independence War was manufactured clandestinely under the guise of a working kibbutz, where even the people who lived and worked there had no idea what was going on beneath them.







After the Ayalon Institute we went to visit the Palmach Museum where we learned about the underground Hagana (defence) in its early stages prior to Israel's establishment in 1948. I feel like every time I go to another site or museum I add another piece to the puzzle that is Israel's history. I am getting a more complete and rounded understanding of what makes this country tick and the mentality of the people who fought and continue to fight for its existence.

Last week, instead of going on a siyur, a few of us opted in to go to the MASA Conference in Jerusalem called "The Next Step". It was intended to show MASA participants what comes next after their programs in Israel - whether they decide to stay on, make aliyah (immigrate) or return to their home countries. I don't think they really achieved that but it was an interesting day regardless as we got to see Natan Sharansky being interviewed by a well-known Israeli TV journalist, and also we got to see...BIBI!



Yes, the one and only Benyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu - Israel's Prime Minister. The line to get through security to get into the theatre to see him took a ridiculous 45 minutes, but he was worth the wait. It was very propaganda-ish, telling the packed theatre that we (the program participants) "are home - welcome home!" to raucous cheers and applause. He was certainly charismatic though. Now I've seen the President and Prime Minister of Israel. Checking off my list as I go along my merry way.

And this week our group had a tiyul (hike) in the North at Mt Meron which has a stunning view and is not far from the Lebanese border.



Once the hike was finished and we'd had lunch we got back on the bus to visit Netua, to see the moshav where Ricky (our program coordinator) grew up to help her brother collect the eggs from his chicken coop. Surprisingly fun, but also stinky.



Getting on the bus again we drove to Rosh Hanikra. Now I've been dying to see this place for ages and it lived up to expectations. It's breathtaking and leaves you in awe of how brilliant nature is. Will definitely have to get back up there to spend some more time in this amazing place.



That's it, all up to date now with our siyurim and tiyulim. Next week we have an overnight tiyul in the South and a trip to Eilat (yay!) and we're all pumped for that. Oh, ve od chag (and another festival), Shavuot is next week too, so chag sameach everyone.

Until next time, lehitra'ot.