Elyssa in Israel

Hey everyone.  Here's my study abroad blog from Spain.  Now I'm in Israel and don't have another blog, so here goes.  

As you know, hundreds of rockets have been launched into Israel by Hamas in the past few days.  It started in Southern Israel, which has been dealing with this reality for years.  When my parents called to tell me how nervous they were I assured them not to fear, they would never hit Tel Aviv; they didn't have the technology.  Less than 12 hours later a siren went off here and we were forced to go into the bomb shelter in the basement of our building.  Sirens have also gone into Jerusalem... literally there was one just afternoon, and that is particularly disconcerting because it shows that Hamas doesn't care who they target.  It is a holy site to the Palestinians, and they can easily hurt their own.  It's terrifying that the places we thought would be untouched at first, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, are now under attack.  Thank goodness, though, Israel and the US created the iron dome, which is now deployed here and hits 90% of interceptors in the sky.  When this happens it creates a loud boom, and although it is terrifying, it means that the rockets can't land and hurt civilians.  I'm unbelievably grateful for this technology.

Some areas haven't been as lucky such as Ashdod and Beersheba.  A missile hit a car in Holon a couple of days ago, a city right outside of Tel Aviv that I've been to numerous times to visit a friend.  Earlier today, a soldier was wounded in the South, and a friend just texted me that rockets were fired in Rishon.  I am not worried for myself, but rather the people in the South, the thousands of soldiers that have been called to fight, and their families living in constant terror back home.  Right now they're talking about a cease fire and the IDF is stalling a ground operation for 24 hours.  If a ground operation were to occur, I'm not sure if this means that we will be more protected or the rest of the Middle East will be against Israel and it will be worse for us.  

I know that I am safe in Tel Aviv.  People are still on the streets, public transportation is running, people are going about their everyday lives as normal.  Many Israelis are used to the drill of hearing sirens, going into the bomb shelter, and going back to their routines.  For us though, it's terrifying.  This is not a life we are accustomed to.  Maybe it's over now.  But I grew up in a small town on Long Island where the biggest, scariest explosion sounds were thunder and fireworks.    It's not okay that my friend just sent me a picture of a building destroyed in Rishon an hour ago.  I will never be able to accept the fact that rockets are fired and innocent civilians are getting hurt everyday.  It will never not make my chest tight and my eyes well up and my head not clear enough to sleep at night.  Lots of people tell me I have nothing to be worried about.  No sirens have gone off in the past couple of days here, so maybe they're right.  One Israeli even said not to think about it, though I do not think that sentiment is shared among most people.  It would be obtuse and ignorant to not accept the reality of what life is here in Israel.  

More than ever, I am truly starting to understand Israelis.  Why they live the way they do; how intense they are about everything, how they don't really plan ahead and rather take each moment as they come. I remember telling some Israeli friends about my 5-year plan and how crazy they thought it was that I'm thinking so far ahead.  I've noticed that things like money and material things aren't important to them; it's all about spending time with family and friends.  They are a generous kind, often offering and homes to people who need them, or foreigners like myself.  They take you in as if you are their family.  

But I am not Israeli, and neither is any of my family.  I don't even have family friends here.  Therefore, my family doesn't understand why I would want to stay in a place where a siren can go off at any minute and I would have to go into a bomb shelter.  It's hard for them to hear things like, "Yeah I'm fine.  Went into the bomb shelter for a few minutes but I'm out now."  I am having such a difficult time deciding what to do, because I so desperately want to stay but it's so hard hurting my family like this.  I can hear the worry in their voices.  They are living on edge at every moment.  And it's not just my parents, it's my entire family in the states.  (Which is huge by the way. I'm a lucky girl.)  They're such amazing, supportive, special people... all of them.  I hate doing this to them.  I never listen to anyone about anything they say; I do things like take 24 credits a semester, go to Israel for a year instead of starting grad school (or acting conservatory, call it what you will), I've chosen to pursue a career in the arts when they don't want me to.  These are small in the scale of life though, and my family has learned to accept the type of person that I am, that I make decisions like these, and we maintain a loving, strong relationship anyway.  But I'm thinking I might need to listen this time.  They don't deserve this.  I know I'll be okay here, but they don't.  It's not fair doing this to them, but I don't know what else to do.  My parents are saying I could come home for a week-10 days and then I can come back.  I don't know though.  That would probably be even harder, not to mention expensive.  I still haven't made up my mind.  

The funny thing is, I was super unsure about coming to Israel in the first place and even considered coming home the first month I was here.  I was absolutely in love with everything and everyone here but desperately missed acting and singing and thought I should be home working on my craft.  However, I decided alongside my parents that at the age of 22, a year away from my art wouldn't make or break my career, and it is probably the last time in my life that I'll be able to spend a year basically on vacation with a dream job in a foreign country.  Now I'm devastated at the idea of leaving and fighting it hard.  Even for a week.  Because what if I leave and things get better?  Or what if they get worse, and all my stuff is here?  

I have a very difficult decision to make.  I just wish there could be peace.  I wish that all of this hatred didn't exist, and there would be mutual respect for all human beings.  I don't know what will become of this land, or what will transpire in the next couple of days.  I can only pray for the soldiers and innocent civilians, and that I will make the right decision for myself and my family.  

I'm back and blogging again! Time to talk BARCELONA!

Hello family and friends!  I am now home, graduated, and my computer is fixed (if you are my facebook friend, you probably already knew that by the influx of photos I’ve added in the past two days!)  Anyway, it’s time for me to finish this blog. 

The weekend after I went to Morocco I traveled to Barcelona with some friends.  What a unique and fun city!  It is so different from Seville because it is large, cosmopolitan, diverse, and very touristy.  Touristy isn’t necessarily a good thing, but it was great to see people of different ethnicities and orientations.  When we first got there, we dropped our stuff off at the hostel and went to the city center to get tapas.  I shared my delicious go-to tapa Patatas Bravas with my friend Rachel and then took a chance on ordering a salad.  It was actually delicious!  Props to Barcelona for making the only good salad I had in Spain the entire semester! 

            After lunch we walked down La Rambla, a famous street lined with shops, restaurants and bars.  Our first stop was a beautiful market called La Boquería.  We tried EVERYTHING. (Well, I didn’t try any meats but my friends all did.)  We had cheese, fruit, candy, pastries, vegetables, and chocolates. I tried so many fruits that I’d never had before!  My two favorites were Dragonfruit and Passion Fruit. 

            At the end of La Rambla we went to the Picasso Museum.  At first I was reluctant to go because I felt “museumed-out” after having gone to so many in the weeks prior, but I am so glad that we went.  The museum displays his earlier works and formative years.  It shows his raw talent from the very beginning and I loved experiencing his development as an artist.  My favorite exhibit was the Blue Period.  There was also an exhibit of his ceramic works which were stunning, and frankly, I did not even know that they existed before that trip. 

            After the museum we went to get dinner and then headed back to the hostel.  But the day went sour after my friend got pick-pocketed on the subway.  It is so scary how skillful this pickpockets are.  She had her purse close to her body and still, they were able to get into her wallet.  Another one of my friends got pick-pocketed in Madrid.  It is disgusting that it occurs but it is fact, and one must be so careful when traveling, especially in Barcelona, which is known for its pick-pocketing.   

Barcelona is filled with landmarks designed by the famous architect Antoni Gaudí.  He was inspired by his religious faith, love of nature, and deep connection to the Catalonian culture.  His most famous piece is the Sagrada Familia.  It is a Christian Cathedral that was begun in 1882 by Francesco de Paula del Villar i Lozano and taken over by Gaudí in 1883.  However, he died before finishing it and to this day, it is still unfinished.  George Orwell called the Sagrada Familia “one of the most hideous buildings in the world,” but I thought it was fabulous.  The mere fact that it is so unique filled me with a love and appreciation for Gaudí’s work. 

My friends and I also headed out to his Park Güell, which was my favorite part of the whole trip.  It is filled with famous mosaic pieces, the most beautiful benches I’ve ever seen, two gorgeous buildings that look like Gingerbread houses, and the Gaudí House.  The whole park was like nothing I’d ever seen before.

I truly wish that I had spent more than a weekend in Barcelona, but I am thankful that I got to see the city.  I know that I have so much more to explore of the city, and I hope to make it back there one day. 

Thank you so much for reading and don’t forget to check again for posts about the rest of my semester. 

Elyssa :)

Unfortunate Occurances Keep a Girl from Blogging

Dear loyal blog readers, As luck would have it, my computer broke the week of finals and I will not be able to post here until it gets fixed. Know that I am doing well and enjoying my last week in Spain. Right now I am on a friend's computer and can't keep it for too long because she needs to write a paper. At this point, all blogposts are written in a journal and once I get home I will transfer them here and add photos. Thank you for being patient and still reading when I actually DO post! Don't forget to check back this month! Elyssa

Trip to Morocco

Hola familia y amigos!  Lo siento, it has been much harder to keep up with this blog than I’d imagined!  I have so much catching up to do that it’s overwhelming, but my time here is almost up so there will be many blogposts coming to you in the next couple of weeks! 

Anyway, a few weeks ago I went to Morocco.  It was definitely the most different and interesting place I’ve traveled to.  I went with Discover Sevilla, a touring group of American students, figuring that would be the safest way to visit Northern Africa.  Morocco is a rich place with a culture thousands of years old, and highly Arab-influenced.  We were told by Discover Sevilla before going to dress conservatively due to local customs.  My program director, Michael, warned me that part of this is because men in Morocco think that all western women are prostitutes, and if a woman even so much as looks them in the eye they think it is an invitation for sex.  Having been there I'm not sure if this is true, but then again, I wasn't exactly making eye-contact with the locals.  We were also told not to take photos of women or children because it is not only a sign of disrespect, but if we did it, we'd be asked for money.  Michael asked me not to wear my Star of David necklace and to not discuss politics with ANYONE.  He said that many Moroccans are critical towards American government policies, especially since 9/11, so it is best to avoid talking about anything remotely controversial.  I was also warned not to drink the water or even brush our teeth in it.  I was buying water bottles all weekend. 

  Morocco wasn't as scary of a place as I felt like it had been made out to be.  We began with a tour of Medina (old town) in the city of Tetouon.  We had a very personable tour-guide that spoke beautiful English, and was so passionate about what he was talking about that he was really fun to listen to.  A few girls expressed that they were nervous about being in Morocco and he said, “If anything happens I will protect you.”  It was very sweet.  He showed us the royal palace and we walked all around the city and saw people performing their crafts and selling traditional Moroccan goods.  During the tour we passed by a few women folding traditional Berber garments.  The guide asked for two volunteers, and soon enough the women were dressing up girls in our group!  I didn’t originally volunteer because I didn’t know what I was volunteering for, but now I wish I did.  I love playing dress-up!

            After touring the city for a while we went to a Pharmacy where one of our guides showed us a plethora of Moroccan oils, spices, and teas.  We got to smell every spice, try every oil, and try out a sinus-clearing herb.  I got an AMAZING massage with this incredible oil.  I bought the sinus-clearing herb because it totally worked, and a bunch of spices for my Mom and Aunt to cook with.  After that we went to get lunch, and I had the most delicious vegetable cous-cous and tea.  There was a man performing for us… dancing with a plate on his head, playing with fire, and break-dancing on the floor.  While he did that, men in the corner played some Moroccan music on the drums.  It was such a fun way to dine! 

            After that, we hopped on the bus and took a two-hour ride to Tangier for the long-awaited camel rides!  When we arrived the camels “weren’t ready yet,” which I think is hysterical, so we hung out on the beach.  The weather was absolutely stunning.  We played soccer and took off our shoes, enjoying the sand and the crisp blue ocean.  Finally, the camels were ready for us, and we headed over for our camel rides.  It was a little anti-climactic after having gone on much longer camel ride in Israel a few years ago, but it was fun nonetheless.  There were two baby camels on the side and they were so cute! 

            The following day we had a buffet-style breakfast at the hotel before heading off to Chefchouen.  Chefchouen is really striking because all of the houses and shops are shades of blue.  We had a tour of the city and saw typical public Arab baths from the outside, which are heated with firewood.  After touring the area we had another delicious lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the city.  Then our trip leaders set us free to roam the marketplace and do some bargaining with locals!  I was looking for a purse for my mom but didn’t see anything that I thought would strike her fancy, so to speak, so I just watched some of my friends practice their bargaining skills.  The only thing I ended up buying was a traditional looking Moroccan candle-holder.  While roaming the streets, tons of beggers came up to us, and they were relentless.  Even if we said no to someone 5 minutes before, they would come back and beg us again 10 more times.  I understand that beggers and poverty are unfortunate realities in the third world, but I was shocked to see so many children begging.  It made me think of the innocence of my childhood and how it seemed to be lacking there.  It broke my heart that they were begging in the streets when they should be playing.  The saddest thing I saw was when two kids, not even 12 years old ran after our bus and tried to get under it to get our luggage.  The bus driver had to stop short in order to avoid hitting them at one point.  It was a little scary, and the thought of kids doing that blew my mind a bit.  But that was one of the many things that Morocco opened my eyes to.

            After shopping in Chefchouen, we headed to the busses to get on the Ferry back to Spain.  (Did I forget to mention we took a ferry?  Yeah, we did.)  When we were entering the ferry we saw two men hiding in the rocks, and eventually they ran and tried to sneak onto it but the police managed to get them away.  Anyway, after a rocky ferry ride, I hopped on the bus back to Sevilla.  I was so sad to say goodbye to my new friends and tour guides, but I couldn’t wait to get to a place with real toilets and toilet paper instead of holes in the ground. 

            I hope to visit other countries that open my mind and my eyes the way that Morocco did.  It was such a cool experience and I’m so thankful that I was able to go. 

            Now I am off to cook dinner, but check back here every few days for new blogposts!

Hasta luego!

Elyssa