As it's been a while since I've written anything for this, I have a lot to say. And yes, it is past midnight. And yes, I have to wake up very early tomorrow (later today, actually). Anyway: we've started Ulpan (intensive Hebrew classes) and we are still doing more Green Apprenticeship work. We built a bench around a fire pit on the kibbutz, made compost piles, planted, transplanted, harvested, and decorated pots in the garden, and we've taken many tiyulim (field trips). We've bonded with the ShinShin-im (Israeli army soldiers gap year), kibbutz members, and other volunteers. We've had to made our own meals on the solar appliances and we've had to clean our neighborhood (including peepee patrol once a week). There have been three birthdays since we've been here: Jeff turned 19, Abby turned 19, and then I finally turned 18! We've taken a bus down to Eilat for shopping and a night out, and we've played some intense games of football and ultimate frisbee (my face is almost healed!). The Southern Shnatties led a Shabbat B'Yachad, where we had two themed services (laughter and Juno), many competitive games, and some… interesting games. They also took us out to the Red Door, which is a red door in the desert. We've experienced other kibbutzim, also. Yotvata, makers of the best ice cream EVER, and Qetura, where we learned about the on-going plethora of research experiments. They have the only solar field in Israel now (although plans are being made for others), and they are currently implementing many research experiments. We also learned about the Arava Institute on Qetura, which is a graduate program or year abroad that focuses on environmental studies with a side-focus on peace and cooperative-ness in the Arava and whole of the area. They take students from Israel, Jordan, Egypt, the US, and many other countries, and assimilate how-to-get-along-to-fix-problems into their curriculum.
On Lotan, there have been many current events. We had the birthday celebrations, improvised night activities, pub nights, Halloween, and many other fun things. My Toms are barely holding up in the desert, but I only wear shoes when it is absolutely necessary (hikes and working in the eco-kef) My legs are so mosquito bitten, I look like I have small pox. I'm wearing jeans in the middle of the Arava because of the mosquitoes. It's not as bad as it sounds because it does get quite cold there, not only at night. Yesterday, we had a morning tiyulim to the Lotan Southern Nature Trail (I picked the very first date I have ever eaten. I'm pretty sure I'm allergic). We then went on a tiyul to various historically significant locations. We stopped at a military bunker that dates from the Romans and at a place called Timna Park. We watched a movie about how Timna park came to be such an important site (coal mining owned by a series of different nationalities) and then walked through the mountains. We saw actual hieroglyphics and cave drawings, as well as a fairly elderly man climb mountains faster than a group of teenagers.
Right now, however, I am Kiryat Moriah in Jerusalem for a Keshet Seminar. This is a three day program intended to connect various youth movements on gap years in Israel. We are here with FZY, Young Judea, and Noam. We had ice breakers, peulim, and a tiyul already (tonight/today is the first day of three). The Keshet Seminars were created for the British movements, but other countries can attend as well. For example, Netzer Olami contains both RSY Netzer and LJY Netzer, which are British youth movements. Thus, Netzer Olami as a whole is invited to the Keshet Seminar, and hence I am here because I am a part of NFTY, which is a part of Netzer. There are also French, German, Spanish, and other nationalities here. I think the weirdest accent is still Naomi's. She's from Chi-caaah-go.
"What's next in my journey?" asks the inquisitive mind. The knowledgable mind (mine) answers: I have two weeks left on Kibbutz Lotan as part of the Green Apprenticeship and Group Experience. We'll continue using our compost toilets and working out on the football pitch. The cows will be ridden eventually, and maybe we'll clean our moadome (a moadone is a club house, ours is dome-shaped…). We'll say good-bye to our good friends, the Southerners, and tiyul to Qetura and Eilat. We'll learn Hebrew but forget to do our Ulpan homework. We'll sit around playing music for hours and play games for even longer. We'll get more football injuries and send more Shnatties to the clinic because of sickness. We'll continue to freak out every time we see a huge beetle and continue to say, 'I can wait to shower tomorrow…' Late nights in the Green Room will be held. Some people (me!) will go for runs in and around the kibbutz, while other people will go for "runs." I'll drink too much shoko cham (hot chocolate), and everyone except me will eat too many apples. I'll keep losing my shoes and stubbing my toes. We'll grow really close as a group and become the epitome of kehillah. We'll all get crazy bad fomo when we have to split up in two weeks for Options.
Basically, I'm loving it here. And I may be in the desert with spotty internet, but I do get e-mail and Facebook and you can comment on this blog, and we can all keep in touch!
P.S. I'm sorry if this whole post is disjointed and hard to follow. It's past 1am here, and I've had such a crazy day. My current situation involves me tipping my chair back to dangerous angles and heroically pulling myself back at the last moment, listening to music and singing way too loud, and wondering how my feet still aren't clean, among other things. I'll save posting this until later, the internet here is sketch. Until then, I'm going to go wash the Arava off my feet and, 'some sleep for me!'
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