12/18/11: Arab Jerusalem, The West Bank, And A Traumatized Sister... Part 1

Welcome to Jerusalem! 

Since Ida has pretty much been restricted to life in Tel Aviv, I figured that this weekend would be a perfect opportunity to show her a side of Israel that she had never experienced before; Arab East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Granted I probably didn't give much thought to the fact that Ida is a short, pale skinned, blonde, or the fact that she does not share my Arab obsession, but I'm glad that she was exposed to something new; it well rounds a person :-) 

On Friday my good friend Sarah and her friend Orlit picked us up from the apartment and joined us for our day in Jerusalem. It was so amazing having Sarah back in Israel, and it was just as fun meeting Orlit and forming new friendships here in Israel. Before we arrived in Jerusalem we decided to make a quick pit stop in Abu Gosh to eat some delicious, authentic Arabic/ Middle Eastern food. Abu Gosh boasts some of the best food in Israel and I haven't had the pleasure of going there since I was with Susannah 3 years ago. Though it was only 11a.m we decided to treat ourselves to all of the delicious luxuries the restaurant had to offer: Labne, Humus, Lamb, Arabic Salad, etc. It was so wonderful and it gave Ida a chance to truly get her Middle Eastern food fix. 

Delicious Lamb Meal  

So much delicious food

When we all ate our fill it was off to the Holy city for some sight seeing, shopping, and genuine girl time. After being surrounded by men in my apartment all the time, it was nice to have some time with just the girls. When we arrived in Jerusalem we parked the car outside of the big Mamilla mall next to the Old city, had some coffee, and then headed off to my favorite place in the world through Jaffa Gate. 

Entrance to my favorite city in the world 

Americanized Mamilla right next to the Old City 

Once inside the walls of the old city we went straight to the Shuk to do some shopping. We all needed some souvenirs and it was time to give Ida a taste of the true Arab shuk in the old city. I haven't been to that part of the Old City in some time, but the second we started walking around the streets in the Arab quarter I remembered why I fell madly in love with this city, this culture, and this language. The Arab Shuk is a magical place that completely enthralls anyone who walks through it. The Ashab Il-Ma7al (shop keepers) sit outside of their stores filled with bright and colorful souvenirs of all sorts, young children run and play in the streets, groups of men (young and old) sit around with their hookahs playing backgammon, while tourists from all over the world shop for gifts and experience this amazing area.

Heading to the Arab Shuk  

Ida thought this was photo worthy :-)

A tourist's dream 

7helwat!!! SWEETS

As we progressed deeper into the Shuk we were thrust into the heart of the Arab world, or so it felt. There were less tourists, more local businesses (butcher shops, restaurants, etc.), and all around us the call to prayer rang out from speakers in various shop windows.

Yummy... not very Hala or Kosher though 

While we were there I found a little shop that could make a necklace for me of my name in Arabic. If you know me you know that I am never without my Jewish start necklace unless I am in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, or various other Arab towns and countries that I have (and will) visit. However, not having a necklace at all makes me feel very naked, so I have been trying to find an Arabic necklace for some time. While the necklace was being made the girls and I decided to go to the Kotel to pray before Shabbat. We each wrote our Petekim (notes) to put in the wall, had a few moments to pray and usher in Shabbat, and then it was back to pick up my necklace from the Arab quarter. I will say this, as much as I love a culture that is so different from my own, there is nothing in the world as special to me as being Jewish, praying at one of my holies sites, and living in my homeland.

Me and my sissy before going to the Kotel  

Our Western Wall <3

Sissy at the wall 

Sarah and Orlit at the wall 

Ida and me at the wall 

I would be nowhere without my faith and God 

After we said our prayers and placed our notes in the wall we headed back to the Arab quarter to continue shopping, pick up my necklace, and then wrap things up before the start of Shabbat.

My name in Arabic! 

At around 2pm it was time for us to say goodbye to the Old City, drop Orlit off at the Sheruts back to Tel Aviv, say goodbye to Sarah who had to go to a friend for Shabbat, and check in to our hotel in East Jerusalem. It was so amazing being back in East Jerusalem at Hotel Azzahra, and it was just as I remembered it from this summer when I lived there. Ida was a bit overwhelmed at first by the surroundings, but she seemed to really enjoy the hotel.

Our semi suite at Hotel Azzahra  

Huge hallway and balcony 

Extra bed for storage? I'll take it! 

Our terrace 

Once we were all settled we planned our day trip to Ramallah (scheduled for the next day), played around with our head scarves just to see what we would look like in Hijabs and Jewish head wraps, caught up on some work and emails, and then got ready to head down to the hotel restaurant for dinner. 

Muslim Jordana  :-) 

Jewish Jordana :-) 

 The food at the restaurant was just as delicious as I remember, although Ida and my stomach's were both having some problems with the water. I wasn't surprised at all since when I lived in East Jerusalem I had the same thing happen, but since we were there for such a short time it was not the most fun thing in the world. After our meal we headed back to the room to get a good night sleep before our big day in the West Bank. However, being that it is East Jerusalem, there is never a dull moment. While we were in bed we heard what sounded like gun shots outside of our room. We are not sure that that is what the sound was, it might have been fire crackers, but airing on the side of caution, we both got into the bathroom away from the walls and windows. I remember hearing sounds like that when I lived on Al-Harir street, and I'm sure it was nothing, but we didn't want to take chances.

It was a wonderfully full day in Jerusalem and Ida and I were both very ready for a good night sleep. The next day we were off to Ramallah and we needed all the rest we could get before that adventure! Stay tuned for my next post on Ramallah! It was quite an experience and I'm pretty sure I permanently traumatized my sister, but it will be something she never forgets!

Until we meet again (which will be in about an hour or so when the next post is finished!) <3,
Jordana Simone

12/14/11: It Was Just That Good!!

Today was yet another fantastic day spent with my sister here in Israel. In the morning Ida got up and decided to come to class with me to experience the academic part of my new life here in the Middle East. It was a very interesting class on Islamism and Democracy, and I think she really enjoyed the experience of going to her first graduate seminar. After the seminar we walked around campus for a bit and then decided to venture towards a more American place in Tel Aviv; The Coffee Bean! I think it was nice for Ida to have something that was familiar, and I had never been before so it was a new place for me to try out as well. In the states I stick to Starbucks but this was a nice alternative! 

It was a bit chilly outside today but not cold enough to keep us from eating outside. I decided to order a nice, hot Chai Tea Latte to keep me warm, and Ida treated herself to a very sizable cappuccino. We both ordered a little something to eat and had a very lovely little brunch.

Enjoying my hot Chai 

Ida and her coffee in a bowl

After our lovely brunch we headed back home to unload all of our bags and get ready to head out to meet an old friend in Herzliya. Luckily this trip was a lot more successful than our last attempt to see our friend Talya. It was a beautiful day (no rain thank God), and we had a lovely few hours in the neighboring town. When we arrived in Herzliya we met Talya at a new cafe that just opened right in the heart of the main shopping district. We had a lovely meal/ catch up session and then I asked her to show me a place where I could get my hair cut. It had been so long since my last cut I just needed to suck it up and put my faith in the hands of some Israeli hair dresser... 

Fate was on my side yet again. Talya took me to a shop she had recently visited and it was one of my best hair experiences to date! The reason I was so reluctant to get my hair cut in Israel was because 99% of the time I get my hair cut in the states it does not turn out how I want it; people just don't seem to understand curly hair in the states. In Israel, however, a fairly large percentage of people have curly hair, so I merely had to state that I have "taltalim" (curls) and the man knew just what to do. 

My hair was in pretty bad shape so we had to come up with some creative ways to keep the overall length while still taking off all of the dead hair. In the end we decided on choppy layers, and I must admit that I almost had a heart attack when he first started cutting. Some of the short layers are pretty short but it turned out brilliant. We also wanted to get the red out of my hair so we did a full color on top of the cut, blow dry, and style. I really can't describe how amazing the whole experience was. My hairdresser was so adorable, he decided to give me a 10 minute head massage when he was taking out my color (he literally made love to my scalp with his hands as awkward as that sounds... it was AMAZING), and he charged me less than I would have paid in the states for only highlights. He did my hair curly to show me how it would look, and then dried it straight and styled it. Now that I have found someone who is so good here I really have no reason left to go home ;-). 

The wet, curly look

The straight, styled look 

After 3 hours in the salon Ida and I were on our way back to Tel Aviv. While on the bus we happened to run into my roommate's sister (who I am completely in love with), and we all headed back to the apartment together. Morgan, Ida, and I had a goodbye party to go to for a friend who lives in our building so it was a really good thing I chose today to get my hair done up! We got to the bar around 10, met a bunch of great people, said our goodbyes to Jade (our friend), and headed back home. Unfortunately I am now completely sick with a cold and horrible cough so while I want to continue showing Ida a good time I need to take it a bit easier. We have a big weekend in Jerusalem this weekend, and then I plan on spending the next few weeks doing nothing but homework and sleep! 

Tomorrow we will get to see our friend Maayan again, which will be amazing, and then we will see what happens in the next few days before we head off to the Holy City and the West Bank! 

Tisba7 3ala kheir ya ashabi <3,

Jordana Simone

12/9/11: Ooops I Did It Again...

Just another night on the town

I feel the need to preface this post by stating that I am still a serious graduate student who is having amazing experiences and adventures around Israel and the Middle East, however, these last few days I have been recapturing a part of my collegiate experience that I definitely missed out on in Berkeley; a vibrant night life. Since Ida is here I also really wanted to give her a good feel for Tel Aviv, and a taste of what it is like to be a single girl living with four men. I have quite a life here I will say that much, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world :-). 

Last night, after a failed attempt at a day in Herzliya due to rain and awful weather, my roommate Gary had a friend who got us a table at one of the clubs in Tel Aviv. There was a group of about 12 of us, we had a small private area inside the club, and the music and drinks lasted well into the early hours of the morning. Since getting a table is a rare occasion in Tel Aviv (and quite an expensive one from what I gather), I decided this would be a good night to dress up and go all out. I bought a nice dress coat in Herzliya (a very good investment I might add), put on one of my new dresses, and was ready to start my night on the town. The boys tend to like to dress up and use costume props so we all had bunny ears and various different accessories on throughout the night. 

Dirtyyyy G and his girls  

Gary had it made that night :-) 

When we got into the club we were immediately shown to our table, got the party started straight away, and spent the next however many hours dancing, drinking, laughing, and having a great time. I realize that I might be trying to recapture days that are long behind me, but I have never really experienced going out with a group of just friends and hitting the town. Maybe this is a phase I need to get out of my system, but I feel that it is an essential part of my new life here. I mean how can having this much fun be a bad idea as long as I am still getting my work done :-), and if you are young and living in Tel Aviv then the social aspect is a must. I have honestly never had this much fun in my life, and sometimes still can't believe that this is all real. The best part about all of this is that I am starting this new life entirely on my own, and that makes this whole experience and situation a million times better and more meaningful. 

Dancing the night away  

We are a crazy group 

God bless France??

Stephan might as well be a roommate

I feel like life is so different here in Israel. In the States people live to work, but here people definitely work to live, and live well. There is such an importance put on down time, time with friends, family time, play time, that work seems so secondary. Sure everyone wants to be successful, but that isn't the only way to be happy here. You only have one life so you might as well enjoy it, and I feel that is a philosophy that I have adopted quite well :-). Of course I still want to save the world, and plan on doing so, but I might as well have some fun along the way! Lamah Lo? (why not). 

Now that Ida has been here almost a week I feel that things will settle down a bit. Sure we will probably do some more going out but we are also heading to Netanyah on Sunday, and Jerusalem and the West Bank next weekend. I am so so so beyond excited to take Ida to Jerusalem and the West Bank, and am so curious to see how it will be for a 5'1 blond female in Arab East Jerusalem and Palestine. I feel it will definitely be a blog worthy experience :-). 

Until we meet again <3,

Jordana Simone

12/8/11: Sisters And The City

Tel Aviv From My Apartment 

Yesterday was a great day spent around Tel Aviv. I really wanted Ida to get a feel for where I lived, and really get a feel for everyday life in general in Tel Aviv, so I took her to some big landmarks by my house. When we woke up and got our day started we set out for Azrieli Center (the three buildings in the picture above). In the center are businesses, a Synagogue (as I found out yesterday), and a huge shopping mall. We walked around for a little while, did some necessary shopping, and then headed out. Luckily, however, before we left the mall, we were made aware that a very important American store was about to open in Israel :-) 

After we left Azrieli we decided to explore my neighborhood and enjoy the nice sunny day, which was a good idea since it is cold, windy, and raining today! We walked around the park, I took Ida to a local supermarket by my house, and then we headed home to make lunch. It was such a nice day we decided to eat out on the patio and have a sister lunch/picnic. The rest of the afternoon was really relaxed and filled with class and homework, but the relaxation was very needed seeing as we were going out with the roommates at night, and that is always a late night adventure.

When I came home Ida and I got ready to meet our friend Maayan for dinner at the Burger Bar near to my house. It has been 7 years since Ida has seen Maayan (she was an Israeli Madricha at the Jewish camp we used to go to), and the reunion was amazing. It was so fantastic being with both Ida and Maayan, and made me really wish that more of my friends and family lived in Israel. We had a great dinner, played around on Maayans vespa in the middle of the shopping center where the restaurant was, and then headed home to meet up with the boys before going out.

Getting all ready to go out! 

Ida with Maayany 

I think I need to get me one of these! 

Riding home!

When we got back to the apartment we had a few pre-party drinks and then headed off towards a club on Dizengoff. It was really great being able to expose Ida to Tel Aviv night life with the people who know it the best. Tel Aviv is such a vibrant city, and truly a city that never sleeps, and Ida got a little taste of that last night. We had the best time just dancing and hanging out with the boys, actually made it home before 3am, got to sleep, and woke up for what we thought would be a nice, quiet day in Herzliya. 

Night out with the boys! 

Today the plan was to go into Herzliya, do some shopping, and meet up with our good friend Talya from back home. We decided to go into the city around 1, explore the area, shop, and eat, and then meet up with Talya around 5:30. Well, that didn't exactly totally work out as planned. About an hour and a half after we arrived it started pouring rain. Luckily we were in a nice cafe when it started, but we were neither prepared for this weather or dressed appropriately for it. With still 2 hours before we were expected to meet our friend, we decided it would be better to head home and meet her another time when the weather was better and we had more time to spend with her. We practically had to swim to the bus stop it was raining so hard, neither of us had an umbrella, Ida only had a shirt and jeans on (no jacket or coat), and we were soaked and freezing. Finally we got on the bus and made it back to a cold and rainy Tel Aviv. 

Tonight we have another night out with the roommates (which is always an adventure), and then tomorrow I'm showing Ida more of this beautiful city I now call my home. She will get to experience Shuk Ha'Carmel, Dizengoff and Allenby shopping, the city center of Tel Aviv, and who knows what else :-). Every day I fall more in love with this city and this country and I am so happy I am now permanently living here. I love the States, I love California, and I miss my friends and family terribly, but I don't think I could ever call any other place my home; at least not for the next many, many years. I took the need to "run away from home" very literally, and I've never been more happy. The fact that I can now share this new chapter in my life with my step sister (and hopefully one day my sister Elana and other members of my family) only makes it that much better! 

Tisba7 3ala kheir ya ashabi <3,

Jordana Simone

12/6/11: Sissys, Arabs, and Flea Markets! Hello Jaffa

Ida and me on our way to Jaffa

The profound happiness you get from family is truly overwhelming. Yesterday my step sister, Ida, arrived in Israel to visit me for two and a half weeks, and I have never been more happy. Ida and I have been friends since we were babies, and I have been lucky enough to call her family for the last 10 years. Yesterday I returned home from class to find her passed out in my bed due to the exhaustion of the 15 hour flight from California to Tel Aviv, but I had to wake her up due to my own overwhelming excitement! We had great sister bonding time, caught up on each other's lives, got her all situated and unpacked, and then headed out for a roommate/sister sushi dinner at the amazing restaurant by my apartment. After we ate it was time to head back, do some homework, and get Ida to bed so that she could get a head start on fighting jet lag. 

Today, since I only had one class, I thought it would be a great time for the two of us to go into Jaffa for the purpose of giving Ida a feel for some of Israel's old, mixed cities, and showing her one of my favorite places in Israel. We left my apartment around 1 and headed into the old city. Neither of us had eaten a lot so I decided to take her to one of my favorite cafes right in the heart of Jaffa. It turned out to be a great decision! First of all the weather was perfect so we decided to eat outside, the food was even better than I remembered it to be, and we even decided to indulge and treat ourselves to a glass of wine :-) 

Enjoying my glass of red! 

Ida having fun with her white

Our AMAZING food! 

It was a sign that going to Jaffa was the right decision for the day because right when we arrived the gorgeous Call to Prayer was sounding in the background, and I'm so glad Ida could experience that taste of, what I consider to be, the true Middle East. While we were eating my Arabic tattoo was quite a hit with both the restaurant staff and the group of Arabs sitting behind me. I could hear them talking about it and trying to figure out if I was Jewish or where I was from. Between the mix of Hebrew and Arabic I could make out a good portion of what they were all saying! I really just can't put into words how much I love being around Arabs, the Arabic language, and places where the Jewish and Arab cultures mix. It gives me such a sense of warmth and satisfaction, and if Jaffa were closer to my university it would be the only option of places for me to live. 

After lunch we decided to walk along the water for a little bit, see the port of Jaffa, and head off to the famous flea market, Shuk Hapishpishim. The port was gorgeous and while there we were stumbled upon two wedding parties taking their wedding photos there. It was a beautiful place for the pictures, and a perfectly picturesque day to have them done on. 

Port of Jaffa

Once we were finished with the sea we headed off to Shuk Hapishpishim for some window shopping in the market place. The culture is so vibrant there, and you can find almost anything and everything you could possibly want from Judaica to home decor, and so on. 

Entrance to Shuk Hapishpishim 

After we were done window shopping Ida needed a little coffee pick me up so I took her to my favorite, Arab owned, coffee shop in Jaffa. We each had a drink, I got to speak a little Arabic, and then we ventured back home. It was such a wonderful day and was topped off by my roommate Morgan cooking us an Indian dinner :-) I seriously have the greatest roommates! 

Who knows where the day will take us tomorrow but I'm sure we will have an amazing time whatever we do! 

Lilah Tov ya chaverim <3,

Jordana Simone

12/3/11: Did I Really Just Do That??

I had every intention of staying home last night... I really, really did. But, of course, my crazy roommates, who have perfected the art of peer pressure, convinced me to come out with them. I had done a bit of work during the day so I figured that I might as well go and enjoy the night. As I was getting ready I was told that a group of us, guys and girls, were going to a... well let's just call it a club for gentlemen, in Tel Aviv. When I heard this I immediately protested and said that they could have that kind of fun without their female roommate around, but they still pushed for me to go. At this point I told my self there is a first time for everything, and moving away is about experiencing new things... Though I usually save this kind of rationalization for things like traveling to somewhat dangerous places, or doing amazing things in terms of academic and personal experiences, and not for going to a strip club with my male roommates, the justification made me feel a little bit better about my decision.

My roommate Gary and I left from our house and met the other people at the club. When we got inside there were the few of us girls in our group plus probably 100+ men; talk about feeling significantly outnumbered. Now, though I am not a guy, I can pretty much guess that when we all walked in the boys were immediately taken with the half naked girls walking around, dancing on the stage, and sporadically giving gentlemen lap dances... I, on the other hand, walked in and immediately wondered A) what the hell am I doing here, and b) what cold possibly make a woman want to work in a place like this. It's one thing when you see scenes like this in the movies, but it puts things in a whole new perspective when you see it in person. I was a bit uncomfortable because, as a woman,  I could never see myself being even slightly ok with being so objectified (even if the money was fabulous). I won't go into details about what I saw since my parents and grandparents read this blog and it is bad enough that they now know I was there (even though I would have told them anyways :-p), but I really just had a hard time watching some of the things that went on.

With that said, the music was great and I figured since I was there I might as well have fun with it. "When in Rome" right? :-). Though I was the most clothed female present, in my tight jeans, boots, and long sleeve, v-neck shirt, I still got up and danced to my hearts content, getting good responses from the crowd that was around me. It was all respectable, in good fun, and I really did enjoy my time out. Give me good dancing music and a small piece of floor to move around on and I'll almost always have a great time. The guys were all up and dancing, us girls were all up and dancing, and there were points in the night that I really didn't even take notice to the fact that we were in a specific type of club. To me, at some points, it really just felt like any other dance club. I guess that is the good thing about being wrapped up in my own world sometimes.

At around 3am it was time for us to head home. It had already been a long night and I was very ready to get to bed. I love how I actually thought that was going to happen. When we got home there were some people over (we have a very social apartment), and we were all hanging out until about 5am... I barely got to sleep before sunrise but it was a very fun night. Of course, I am now going to confine myself to my room for the next month, but I don't regret going. I have to remember that even though I have a lot of work, sometimes it's not good to neglect the social aspects of life. The rest of this weekend, however, I will be completely fine NEGLECTING my social life, since I think sleep is much more important, and I want to be well rested for the arrival of my Step Sister on Monday.

Until next time :-) Masa Il-kheir ya as7abi,
Jordana Simone 

12/2/11: Once There Was The Sun

I have never had the pleasure of being in Israel during the winter months, so naturally I was not mentally or physically prepared for the very cold weather we seem to be experiencing. I don't know why I can't remember many winters, but every time I try to compare this cold to the cold of Berkeley or Palm Springs winters, I can't seem to really remember. I have no problem remember the 115 degree summer days in Palm Springs, and I don't have a problem remembering the cold and rainy summers in Berkeley, but I don't have many solid memories of winters, other than I would love to stay inside, snuggle up with a nice cup of tea, and watch movies to my hearts content. Maybe it is because this is the first winter, in a long time, where I have been completely alone (no family, no boyfriend, etc.) and that is why I am focusing on it more, or maybe it is because I am a desert girl who loves her hot summers, but for whatever reason, the cold and dreariness has taken some getting used to.

With that said, however, today was a beautiful break from the general sadness that seems to accompany winter. I had my first private Spoken Arabic lesson today and to get there I had to walk about 20 minutes into neighboring Givatayim. As I have come to sadly discover, the presence of sun does not mean warmth in the months of November and December, so I wasn't too excited when I woke up to a bright blue sky. I dressed in my normal jeans, long sleeve shirt, scarf, socks and boots, and headed downstairs to start my journey to Givatayim. When I stepped outside I was immediately struck by the warmth of the sun! I couldn't believe it and was so happy. I doesn't take much to excite me and a warm day in the midst of very cold ones was all it took. I ripped off my scarf, rolled up my sleeves, and wished for nothing more than the time to be able to just lay outside enjoying this weather. Luckily I had a long walk to soak it all in and it was amazing.

The lesson itself was absolutely fantastic. I had a long night yesterday (all you can drink margaritas... that's all I have to say about that!) and wasn't so excited about having to wake up early for a tutoring session, but the moment I spoke my first few Arabic words there was a new, fresh breath of life breathed into me. I couldn't ask for anything more wonderful than an hour of doing nothing but speaking in Arabic. We watched film clips, listened to some songs, talked about various subjects from class to when I used to live in Jerusalem, and I was surprised at all that I actually remembered. I don't know why I am so shy about using Hebrew when I will make the biggest fool out of myself if it only means more chances to speak Arabic. One of the things my teacher asked me was why I came to Israel and didn't go to Lebanon or Jordan or even Syria. I told him that those are all places I want to go and visit, but Israel is where I wanted to live. You can't get any better than a state that combines two aspects that completely define you... Jewish and Arab :-)

After the lesson I was really looking forward to the nice, long walk back. Aside from the gorgeous weather, I have really learned to value the time I spend walking, or riding the bus, where I can take time to put my ipod in and lose myself in my thoughts for a few minutes. To get home I have to walk through a park and this was the first time I really felt like I was totally at home. Call it an epiphany or what you will, but I just stopped, looked up at my beautiful apartment building, and thought to myself: "This is home".

My building from the park behind  

The park by my house

The park on this gorgeous day

I don't know if it is just the natural process of "growing up", or if it is something else, but making a home and a life for myself independent of my family and the comforts of home is a very powerful thing, and it has taught me so much about myself. To quote my amazing sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, I am becoming a "Real, Strong, (Independent), Woman", and there is nothing better than knowing that anything I want out of life I can get for myself. Now I just need to work on the PhD and the Israeli husband and I'll be totally set :-D!

Until we meet again <3,
Jordana Simone