A Tale of Two Cities

Today I went to Tel Aviv, and it was so much fun! We spent most of the morning and early afternoon playing in the water. The water was so blue, and it was just the perfect temperature! We had chicken-fights, made pyramids of people in the ocean, did flips, and just had a great time! My shininng moment was when we played toe out of water (basic idea: you try to pull someones leg above the water. The moment their toe is above the surface, they're out). There was one guy getting most people out, and I was able to sneak up and pull his leg up. It was really funny! After we played in the water for a while, we played in the sand. A big group of us made a sand-castle of Herod's temple. Well, once that was finished, we kept going and made our version of all of Jerusalem! We even made a model of the Jerusalem Center! It was a spectatular sand castle! I can't wait to show you picture when I get back!

Around 1: 30, we changed and split up into groups to see Tel Aviv. The city was extremely different than Jerusalem! While modesty in dress is important where the center is located, the opposite seemed true for Tel Aviv, also, the stores along the streets seemed very much like the clothing shops in the states. Minus the Hebrew signs that I couldn't read, I felt like I was back in the States!

So, we spent the day walking around and exploring. After dinner (Falaffles! I liked it a lot more this time!) we went back to the beach. Sarah, Jessica (one of my roommates) and I just strolled up and down the coast, walking through the surf. It was so relaxing, and the conversation was amazing! We talked about our dreams, our fears, and... guys (girls can be so shallow sometimes!) But it was really insightful conversation, and it was relaxing to talk as we heard the waves crashing into the sand!

Downside of the trip: about an hour before we left, four people's bags were stolen! They had come back down to the beach for a late night swim, and they didn't know anyone else was on the beach. They tried to hide their bags, but all four were stolen! They all lost cameras and things. It was really sad! It really taught me to be a little more vigilant in keeping up with my stuff!

The bus ride back was fun. I got to talk and get to know two guys in our group a little more. Everyone here has a little different background, and its interesting what sort of insight they can add to any conversation! I really love the people here! Our trip to Egypt next week will really help us get to know each other more!

Oh, kind of backtracking... last night we had a really cool forum. It was given by the Director of the Americna Jewish Council. He talked about the Palestinian-Arab conflict, and the conflicts in the Muslim world in general. He also presented an idea I hadn't heard before. He suggested to realign regions in this area of the world creating a Medittereanean region and than an Islamic region (as opposed to just a "middle eastern" region.) The idea was interesting, and it gave me a lot to contemplate. His comments also helped deepen my persepective on the conflict over here. I realize I've had a very simplisitic perspective on the conflict. I've seen it as side A vs. Side B, when in reality , it is a serious of seperate groups with different objectives. It's more of a continuum than two polar opposite groups. This perspective helped me see why this conflict is so difficult to solve! It was a lot of food for thought, and I would love to disucss it with anyone. I'm still in the stage where I'm trying to bounce my ideas off people as I try to clearly understand everything that's going on here!"