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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Rounding third base, heading home

So my trip is coming to a close, I now have 4 more work days to go.  Its an odd feeling, I remember so distinctly unpacking me bag, readying myself for an adventure. And now all the sudden I am packing up ready to move onto my next.
Lets recap whats gone down recently. So the other weekend me and Brad and Jason (Aussies) spontaneously decided we wanted to go to a nature party we had been told of the week before.  A nature party is pretty self implied, but its a big scene in Israel, where a bunch of hippies gather in a random field, put together a massive sound system, and do drugs and dance all night.  So we thought that sounded good enough for us.  Also the only reason this was an option is because my friend Sunny (asian) sprained his ankle a couple of days before a planned hike we had.  The hike would have been epic, a 50 mile, 3 day hike.  But that went down the drain when Sunny came crashing to the ground.  So Me, Brad, and Jason found a ride, took a bus, took another bus and we ended up in Tel Aviv.  The party didnt start until 3 in the morning so we had alot of time to kill.  So we snuck into Hayacon, the hostel I had stayed in when I went to Tel Aviv, we went to the rooftop and drank with a bunch of cool people.  We then went to a lounge on the beach and drank and smoked hookah.  It was a great time and we started to think of not even going.  But then I got the call with the directions and we decided it was the "right" thing to do. We got a taxi, and ended up in the middle of some orange field 20 minutes from Tel Aviv.  We went in and there was great trance with so much base, people dancing, a bonfire, a little bar.  It was quite perfect.  Now I can't say exactly what we did there, only that an orange field was very fitting.  After an 8 hour adventure I ended up passed out on the beach near the hostel fully clothed... yup. 
We have a volunteer trip coming up in 4 days to Jerusalem.  I'm happy about this because 1. its going to be free (jewwwww) and 2. we are all going together with chaperones that completely lack any moral subsistence.  We are going to make the holy land very unholy hahahahha... yeah anyways, that should be a great time.  Also that trip will mark the end of my kibbutz experience, for upon our return I will be headed to Egypt to meet my sister. 
My trip to Egypt is going to be quite awesome, here is an itinerary for the 10 day excursion...

Day 1: Cairo
Arrive in Cairo airport, you will be met by our representative who will assist you through the formalities and then transferred to your hotel to meet your guide for briefing about the tour package; overnight at your hotel in Cairo.

Day 2: Cairo - Giza Pyramids - Aswan
After breakfast you will start the tour by visiting the awe inspiring Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza plateau, then head to Sakkara to visit the Step Pyramid- the first completed Pyramid in Egypt and some other amazing tombs. After a day of seeing 4500 year old ancient structures, you will take the overnight first class train up the River Nile to Aswan. (Upgrade to sleeper cabin for only £40 - one way)
(Breakfast)


Day 3: Aswan
Arrive in Aswan around 10:00, you will be transferred to your hotel in Aswan and start your Nile quest by visiting the Philae Temple, the Unfinished Obelisk and the famous High Dam of Aswan which after completion in 1971, created Lake Nasser. Free evening at your leisure, overnight at your hotel in Aswan.


Day 4: Felucca cruise from Aswan
After breakfast, check aboard the Nile Felucca and sail around the Islands temples of Aswan, Kitchener the botanical garden which has many imported trees and plants form several countries, next to the Elephantine Island which contains ruins of temples dedicated to the new kingdom in the pharaoh's era, overnight on the Felucca.
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)


Day 5: Kom-Ombo, Edfu to Luxor
In the morning you will reach Kom-Ombo to visit the temple of Sobek the Crocodile headed Evil God and Haroeris the Falcon headed Good God. And then you will head to Edfu to visit the most preserved and completed temple in Egypt, this temple is 2000 years old and dedicated to the Falcon headed God Horus the son of Osiris, then continue towards Luxor, arrive in Luxor transferred to your hotel, afternoon tour of the East bank of Luxor, There you will experience the massive Karnak temple and the historic Luxor temple, overnight at your hotel in Luxor.
(Breakfast)
Day 6: Luxor to Red Sea
After breakfast you will tour the west Bank of Luxor. Start the tour off with the World famous Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut (Deir El Bahary) and the great Colossi of Memnon, the last remains of Amenophis III's temple. 5:00 PM Bus to Hurghada, overnight at the red sea.
(Breakfast)

Day 7: Hurghada, Red Sea
This is a free day to be spent as you feel. Hurghada is a relaxing small resort. In Hurghada, there are many options available, snorkeling, swimming, sun-tanning, scuba diving and good food and drink, overnight at your hotel in Hurghada.

(Breakfast)


Day 8: Hurghada, Red Sea
This is another day free to be spent as you see fit. With snorkeling, swimming, sun-tanning, scuba diving and good food and drink available you will find much to do; or nothing to do but enjoy the sun, overnight Bus to Cairo. (Breakfast)

Day 9: Back to Cairo
Arrive in Cairo, be transferred to your hotel, and at the right time you will start the last tour in Egypt with the Egyptian museum, the old city of Cairo where you can explore the Coptic area and the seven churches there, the citadel of Saladin to visit the Mosque of Mohamed Ali, the cave church with the sculptures that shows the incredible miracle that happened when a mountain have been moved by the power of praying! And finally to the open market (Khan El Khalili) the Bazaar with the numerous souvenirs shops and the coffee shops, overnight at your hotel in Cairo.

Day 10: Cairo - Flight back home
After breakfast the trip will end in Cairo where it began. Transfer to the airport. Take your memories and adventure with you on the flight
I'm so pumped to sail on the Felucca down the Nile. Should be quite an experience. I will have a hefty post for that trip.

Most people who read this probably have no idea who Gilad Shalit is so I shall explain.  He is a soldier in the Israeli army who 5 years ago was captured by the Hamas, an extreme political faction.  Well the other day he was finally released in exchange for 1000 arab prisoners.  Just goes to show you which side values its own. 

Lastly I want to put say a little something about the Occupy Wall street movement (dont worry I'm not there to argue with you)
I keep hearing people say that the protesters are a bunch of lazy people that don't want to work.  Well what I think they are, are people with ambition and vision.  It's not about the jobs, its not about the money, its about life and what we all have become to apathetic and blinded to see.  Myself and many others can call themselves "liberals" if there needs to be a label.  We feel that EVERYONE deserves a chance, EVERYONE deserves healthcare, and that the pursuit of happiness is a right and not a privilege.  It seems now more then ever, that while so many struggle to make ends meet, and have little time for leisure, others sit on mountains of money that they do not need and SOMETIMES but not always do not even deserve.  The banks embody this injustice, because not to long ago when these institutions were about to fail for their greed, the government and the people came to help them out.  What do they do? They hand out massive bonuses to the executives who got us in this mess, and they start charging people for the right to even use their own money.  On top of this, we look to the government that has been hijacked by conservative extremist.  They somehow think that the government defaulting on its debt was a good idea, they somehow think that cutting taxes for the rich is going to make things better.  These people are evil and disillusioned, they are so far removed from the everyday people of this country and care little for them (evident through their actions).  So the movement is not about one company, or one thing, what it is, is the release of anger felt by many for so long when reading the news and seeing what has become of our great nation and the world.  Mmmm I feel much better now. Anyways dont hate me too much over my opinions.
I wish I had some pictures for you guys, but i dont... sorry!
Love yall mutha fuckas, and see u soon ;)

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Its been a long time, since ive got you on my mind, oowaahaaa

Its been a couple weeks since my last post and shall explain in great detail for my extended absence. Firstly something catastrophic has happened to my computer, the screen has cracked right down the middle.  Now I can only see one third of the screen which makes using it frustrating, beyond normal frustration and computers.  Secondly, I have been very very busy doing lots of traveling and partying, so sitting down to write a blog has slipped my mind.  Anyways let me try to review some of the more major events that have occurred recently. A couple weekends ago, I went to Haifa with Josh and stayed with his family for Rosh Hashana (the Jewish new years)  That was a really great experience, we partied at the bars everynight, found some dudes who just got back from Amsterdam and they helped us apprehend the good shit, chilled on the beach, and ate some amazzing food. His family was so nice and welcoming, and lots of them were there.  There  back porch overlooks a valley leading to the Mediterranean sea, so I chilled out there quite often.  One of his cousins is an Oxford graduate and got a Ph.d in ANARCHY. How cool is that? well you can imagine how interesting of a guy he was.  So after that relaxing weekend, we came back to quite a mess.
Let me tell you all right now, Ryan Venn is a saint! One day before I went to Haifa, Ryan and a bunch of people were doing some harmless? day drinking when Ryan decided it would be a good idea to bush dive out of a window. Well it ended with him knocked out cold with his head in between two rocks. He was dead... Im just kidding, but he was concuss and had to go to the hospital.  Well when me and Josh got back from Haifa I found out that both Ryan and Chanel had been KICKED out of the kibbutz and were both gone.  This lead to some serious investigating, and the story goes like this.  Rosh Hashona led everyone to go absolutely wild the whole weekend, which was a longer one then normal.  So one night, after pub, Chanel decides to steal this golf cart looking thing that all the old members of the Kibbutz use and drove around eventually going to the dining hall for a late night snack.  Ryan saw her and jumped into the cart but left before she got to dining. The cart ends up breaking down, and security comes to find Chanel.  They come on bikes, and during the investigating, someone took their bikes and rode away! Good stuff, I know.  During this time Ryan took a statue of a man at dining, like one of those Italian men holding signs, went back to volunteers with it and passed out in the bushes with it.  Our volunteer leader found him like that and was a little upset.  So the next morning, Ryan being a gentlemen informed the vol. leader that he was a part of the trouble hoping to help out Chanel and he got kicked out of here.  I didn't get to say goodbye to either of them which was very sad. Well the tensions have been high here ever since. So high that both my buddy David and my roomate Josh have been kicked out as well! Josh got kicked out because he has a deep hate for this place and decided he no longer wanted to listen to them anymore, and David because he was too chill for them and couldnt make it to work at 6 fucking 30 every morning. So spirits have hit some lows at this place, and its basically a voluntter uprising against our superiors. They even closed down the bomb shelter so now we just party outside.
One night I showed everyone beirut and relay, and they all had soo much fun. It was good night.
I have gained quite a bit of weight since coming here, the food is very unhealthy and after a long day of work you eat lots and lots of it.  One thing im excited to come home to is a proper gym, creatine, and getting yoked lol.
This past weekend I went to Tel Aviv which was one of the best weekends of my life.  A bunch of us went there on a bus and got an apartment.  The apartment was amazing and we partied constantly in it.  The first night we got the stuff, and the good stuff. Using both of them we got trashed in our apartment dancing around blasting music, then we went out on the town.  Went to an area known as the port, it was very very crowded, lines at every club and chaos all around us.  We decided to head back, and I was so drunk I fell right asleep.  The next morning we woke up, continued partying and went to the beach.  There we brought music, food nd more alcohol, and chilled on the beach all day.  It was marvelous. We then went back to the apartment and chilled out until David and Leron who are both former members who have been kicked out.  That was alot of fun and we again partied hard in the apartment.  The good stuff got to a lot of people so Me Ben and Signa went out on the town again.  We ended up going to a club, Cats and Dogs.  It was a challenge getting in but we managed.  Once inside it was quite intense, so many people and loud music I was a bit overwhelmed.  I danced a little and had to go to the bathroom when something quite bizarre happened.  When I was in the bathroom and waiting, all the sudden my lungs started to burn and I could no longer breathe, everyone around me started to cough and gasp for air.  In a panic we all shoved our way out of the bathroom and decided there was a terrorist mustard gas attack, but that wasnt going to stop us LOL. We went back out and started to dance, we danced all night and when I could no longer dance I left the club alone. Yeah I was fucked up.  When I emerged the sun was up, which I hate. I got a cab, went back, the apartment was still with bodies everywhere, I found a nice spot on the bed and fell asleep.  Next morning we woke up and had to leave the apartment, we thought we had gotten another but this was not the case. So we all went to a great hostel, Hayarcon 48, right in the center of town near the beach.  We got an entire room for us, and settled in.  That day another 10 or so volunteers came to meet us, including Ryan who I had not seen in a while.  it was great, there was almost 20 volunteers all in the same place. That day, me, Ben and Jono met an American from Denver who told us of some crazy wilderness parties.  He told us of one that night and gave us the invite.  We decided thats what we were doing no matter what. So while all the volunteers partied on the roof and went out me, Ben, Jason and the Denver dude took a cab to some random field near the beach. We got robbed by the cabi what were fine because we were about to rave and have an awesome time.  We had to walk a long path, and as we did our anticipation grew, we could see lights and hear music.  When we arrived we were horrified to see that the party was more like a club and not a rave.  There were walls surrounding it. We were annoyed at this but went inside.  Once inside the shit hit the fan, this was just a normal club party and nothing more. We walked around looking for some extra special stuff but to no avail. We all sat and sulked at our failure of a night.  In our delirious state we wandered around and lit up as much as we could.  I was laughing so much at how sad we were.  When time came we left and walked 15 kilometers on a highway! it was the worst thing I have ever done, we had no water or food, and I thought I was going to die.  We went to a gas station, got some food, and got a cab home. We were dead, it was 7 in the morning and it was the worst night of my life. A night to remember for all the wrong reasons, we decided this guy from Denver is a curse and we named him "the fuck". Me and Ben were so exhausted that when everyone else left the hostel for check out we just kept sleeping. We woke up late, and went to the roof and sat there for hours smoking and pondering our night. We then went on a journey for food walking far and wide, and then deciding to eat at the place next to the hostel, another fail. Then we went to the beach to look for everyone but we found no one, we left and then suddenly I spotted them getting ready to leave.  We all ate together and me and Ben decided we were going to stay with Ryan who was leaving later for his other Kibbutz, and Lena who was going home the next day.  We ended up chilling on the beach us 4, getting some food, and hanging out on the roof for the rest of the day.  We used the hostel as if we were still paying guests. We said our goodbyes and me Ben and ryan got a bus to central bus station, we drank wine and beer on the way.  It was a good time.  We then had to rush to catch our bus and said goodbye to Ryan.  We had no idea what we were doing, Ben had crumpled up notes in his pocket on how to get back.  We got off at a junction and had to wait a little while.  We chilled and rolled up and right when we were done a little kitty came out of nowhere and started to play with us.  It was the coolest kitten ever. Ben and I decided we were going to keep him and named him spliff. He was so fun and playful. When the bus came though he freaked out so we said goodbye and got on. You will be missed spliff :(  On the bus me and Ben drank some beer, watched the Inbetweeners, a British show which is bloody brilliant. and Talked the whole way home. We got off at the nearest junction to Baram at about 1130. We spent an hour and a half at that spot trying to hitchhike when finally a sketchy group of 3 guys offered us a ride.  They legit looked like terrorist.  But we were desperate.  The whole ride I had my hand on the door handle ready to jump at any moment.  But they were cool and brought us near the kibbutz, a 45 minute walk. We started to walk, and it went on forever and ever, it was pitch black out. Then a kibbutz member drove by and brought us the rest of the way.  We were finally back, so I went into my room to find a new roomate, Shimone from England had taken the place of Josh. So that's my story of Tel Aviv.
Lets see what else has happened...
O i got fired from dining for refusing to do dishes, so now I am in apples, and I realize my mistake. Some new volunteers have come, and others have gone.  I guess its the way things are here.
I have been here for almost 1.5 months which blows my mind.
I miss home and my sexy girl.
Well thats enough for now, anyone that gets to this end I'm proud of your attention span.
Love you!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Drink, Wake Up, Ouuuch

I have experienced my first volunteer group trip.  It was fun, but I drank heavily the night before, so not that fun.  The night before was a fancy themed party and everyone looked really nice.  It was also a goodbye party for Camilo, Charlotte, and Sebille, which somewhat dampened the fun, but also got everyone to go all out.  People went around with water guns filled with tequila and squirted it in people's mouths, I got some in my ear (i heard any hole works) Anyways, yeah, it was a shit show and a ton of fun and I don't think I got into bed until 5 in the morning. 
Then suddenly! I was awoken from my deep drunken slumber to both my roommates.  We were leaving at 8 for Akko and Rosh Hanikra and we had to get breakfast.  I hung on to my bed for dearlife as they pulled at my legs to get up.  Eventually I realized I had come here to travel, not to sleep in hungover, so I got up and went to breakfast with them.  Its always fun to see everyone the next night after going "large" as the South Africans call it.  We all ate and got in the bus.  I wore pants for some reason, probably because I was still drunk and had no idea what kind of mistake I had made putting them on.  I fell asleep on the bus ride and woke up when we arrived at Baha'i gardens, and no not the ones I went to in Haifa.  These are different and house the remains of the religions founder.  We all went inside the building with his remains and one of the security guards told us to be quiet when we went inside.  But whenever someone tells me that I have to be quiet I always get the urge to laugh and it started coming out while everyone was in silence. Once we got outside I had a hysterical laughing attack, I actually thought I was going to die of suffocation.  I was triple D at this poing (delirious, dehydrated, and drunk).  We then got back on the bus and I fell right back asleep.
We arrived to Akko and had some lunch before we started exploring.  The city is very beautiful and very old.  We were right near a port that was very lively.  We all went down into some tunnels dug during the Crusades, due to my delirium me and Roie (my roomate) were being complete idiots and laughing at everything.  Everyone got annoyed but that just got me going even more.  We explored for quite some time and then we reached a marketplace.  It was very cool and typical of a middle eastern market. It smelled of fish and had so many old school things.  I got ice cream, mmmm ice cream.  We then chilled by the harbor and some people went swimming, I couldn't because I wore pants :(  We then got on the bus and.... I fell asleep.  I was now exhausted, going on 2 hours of sleep, disgustingly sweaty, and hung over.
We arrived at Rosh Hanikra, a cliff against the Mediterranean Sea that has famous grottoes carved out of them.  We took a cable car down the side of the cliff and came upon a cave opening.  We went inside and marveled at water splashing around.  It was humid and quite miserable, but hey, lots of people go there so yay! Then we went into a movie theater carved into the cliff side, it was cold in there so I was very pleased, but the movie itself was corny.  "You might hear the missing brides calls with the waves"... No way, Fuck you.  We were right next to the border of Lebanon, you could see markers out in the water and they said if you swim past them they come by and shoot you, so I guess no swimming for me.
We all got on the bus and went home. Josh says hi.
That was on Saturday, today is Monday.
Today I explored the Kibbutz.  I went to the Museum with Roie, we sprinted through it.  Then we went to the farm/zoo.  Goats, lots of birds, and a car, Woohoo!  Then I had a emotional breakdown and started scheming how I was going to leave this place and backpack around Europe.  Then I chilled out and became happy again.  I signed up for couchsurfing.com, what a great idea, will try to use it when I get the chance.  I climbed a watchtower on the perimeter of the kibbutz, it was not that exciting.  Then went to the pool and lost in backgammon without getting a piece off the board. Yeah, that's my day...
I think I am manic depressive.
Love you all soOoO much!
Vip club

I see you

the Bus!

Please let me sleep for the love of god!

Golf anyone?

No shoes, no laughing, no THINKING!

It smells bad

Man cave, three brosketeers, three stoges

cool motha fuckin cat

whoahhh

Shwarma mama

sybil and tea and a huuuuuge hookah, and a funny hat

Whos ready for a ride?

ooooo, ahhhhh, whooaaa, wooooow.... im hungry

water in cave, famous

dramatic pose that I asked for and am completely aware of

Friday, September 16, 2011

Hitchhikers guide to walking alot

So Wednesday was my day off.  It is a good day to get off because the night before is pub night and everyone gets really fucked up.  I did not drink because I am tired, slaving in a kitchen for 10 hours a day and waking up at the crack of down can have that effect.  So Gabrielle and I decided we were going to go to Haifa for the day.  Haifa is a city on the west coast of Israel on the Mediterranean.  Originally Natalya, a girl from Colombia, was going to come with us but her day off got changed so it was just us two.  We planned on hitchhiking from the kibbutz to Haifa which would be an amazing accomplishment considering I have never done it before. (Hitchhiking is the most popular form of travel for us volunteers)  So we utilized a service provided to us, we went to the volunteer coordinator and asked her if any members would be driving to Haifa on Wednesday, she said no but one is going to Nahariya which is somewhat close to our destination.  She gave us his number and we arranged to go with him on Wednesday morning.
That morning we woke up, got some breakfast, and waited outside the dining hall for our ride.  A sense of anxiety overcame me and I was hoping that we did not end up seeing him and we would stay.  The thought of leaving the comfort and security of the Kibbutz to the alien roads and cities frightened me.  But he did see us, his name is Gavi, a very nice guy.  We talked the whole ride there, he served in the army and had some amazing stories.  Once we got to Nahariya, he dropped us off and we walked a little and started to hitchhike.  Using your thumb here means your are a prostitute, there is another way to do it which I was thankfully informed of.  After a surprisingly short amount of time, a man picked us up.  He did not speak very good english and we figured out that he was Arab.  He said he was going to Akko which is a city halfway to our destination. He drove like a maniac swerving in and out of cars and trucks on the highway.  He then proceeded to drive into Akko which we did not expect.  I was terrified, all I could think of was him pulling into a garage and me being swarmed by terrorist.  (HAHAHA I guess I was being a little melodramatic but hey, I come from a little town in New Jersey, I am new to this.) Never the less, he dropped us off near the train station.  It was bittersweet because I was out of his car, but now we were in the middle of some city and we needed another ride.  We tried for about an hour to no avail.  So we took the train, a convenient option seeing that the ride took us right into Haifa and rode along a beautiful wrote right next to the Mediterranean.
Crazy Arab guy who picked us up
When we got to Haifa we exited the station and walked down a main rode.  I noticed the side walk was huge and that cars were beeping at us.  After walking on that for a little we realized we were in the bus lane! We laughed alot at our own ignorance.  We came upon a street which led right up to the Baha'i gardens.  We stopped in a tourist information store and a nice old lady told us everything we needed to know.  She also informed us that the gardens were closed, the site of Gabo's eyes widening in surprise was very funny.  But she told us we could go up the mountain and look down on the gardens which provided a spectacular view.  So we got a bus, made our way up the mountain and got off at the main gates to the garden.  They let us onto the first terrace.  The view was magnificent, we could see the entire city with the Mediterranean and the Northern coast of Israel stretching out to the horizon.  We admired the view and then we were on our way.  We walked down a very long and windy street all the way down to the bottom of the mountain.  On the way some local woman invited us up to her apartment for some dinner.  Would have been cool but we were too scared to say yes.  So we wandered an arab community and explored some marketplace until we came to a Shwarma restaurant.  I thought the food was delicious but Gabo was less then pleased. So we went from there back to the bus stop and we agreed to go to the beach the guide lady told us about.  We got on the bus and it brought us to a junction, we thought we were lost and began to panic.  We asked some guys how to get to the beach and they told us what bus to take.  Surely it came and we ended up right on the beach.  It was on the other side of the mountain so it was a much different place.  It was like Silicon Valley with google, microsoft, yahoo, and many other tech companies with buildings there.
The view from atop the mountain
The beach is by far the best one I have ever been on.  The sand was soooo soft, the water was clear blue and warm to the touch, the waves were gentle and long.  I went in while Gabo chilled on the beach (he didnt have a bathing suit).  I was euphoric, I just marveled at the paradise I had found myself in.  After a while of being in the water, Gabo and I went for a walk down the beach.  We talked about life, our homes and cultures, and examined the peculiarities of our differnet languages (he speaks Spanish).  We were on the beach for quite some time before we decided it was time to head home.  Luckily there was a train station right near the beach so we went inside and got a train to Akko.  Once we got there we walked for a while and ended up getting picked up by some kid. He too spoke very little English and he brought us halfway to Nahariya.  We walked the rest of the way on the highway.  I was exhausted at this point.  Once we saw a bus stop we got on and went all the way to Xaxa, a Kibbutz very close to Bar'am.  The walk would have been an hour and it was dark at this point.  Cars were zooming by us and it was pretty scary.  We stopped and waited at a bus stop and of all people to come and save the day, a cop pulled up and offered us a ride.  He brought us right up the gates of Bar'am where we went inside and rejoiced at the completion of our journey.
We were starving so we went to see if there was any food at the dining hall, but to our suprise when we got inside there was a big volunteer meeting, we literally walked in when people were introducing themselves, so out of breath and completely surprised I introduced myself to the room. 
All in all the day was a great success, and I only spent around 30 US dollars on the whole thing, which is insane.
So there is my first adventure in Israel, hope you enjoyed it, and cant wait to tell you of many more.

Arab Marketplace
Jemma loves her job

My roommates has gone American History X

View of the garden from below
View from above the garden

The beach

John looking cool as hell
Our hitchhiking adventure begins

Gabo trying to hide his fear of being kidnapped by an Arab dude

Jersey shore ain't got shit on me
Walking on a road at night, pissing my pants

Suprise volunteer meeting

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

mucho sueno

Today is Tuesday.
I have been working in dining for 3 days now.  I thought it was terrible but everyone here says to appreciate it because apples is 100 times worse.  I guess I have picked my poison.  Soon I will be doing dishes, which is very chill. Had falafel today, banginnn.  Waking up at 5:45 is brutal, but I have been managing.  I dont understand why I have so much trouble getting out of bed.  Its just a matter of standing up, once I do that I am good.
I bring music with me now.  Been listening to the likes of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Marley.  I need excellence to take my mind away from my body.  Its amazing how music makes the time fly and allows me to enjoy myself even while doing the most remedial jobs.  I have to moves every single table in the dining hall before and after breakfast using this god damned stubborn contraption.  I did it once without music and was very sad, did it with music and I was jumping around dancing and enjoying myself.  I even started singing out loud but when i noticed people scowling in my direction i stopped.  I downloaded the whole audio recording of  the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Its 52 hours long!  I hope to finish it before I leave here.
I have been trying to learn some spanish.  My first goal is to be able to roll my r's.  I have gotten a little bit better, I walk around trying to say perro, some people have asked me if im drunk, I just tell them I am determined! Coyotes and jackals bark and howl all the time, its kind of nice, like I am in some great wilderness.  I found out that state of Israel planted every single tree in the entire country.  it was once a barren desert, and now it is a lush and beautiful country.
My boss...
My boss is this guy named Ishiy.  He is..... interesting.  He loves to lecture me on ridiculous things like how to angle my body when pushing tables.  People say he has some social disorder. I think he likes me because I talk back to him and sometimes tell him what to do.
I drank some vodka last night, tried to get a party going, but it was only 4 of us. Fail
Gabrielle is from Colombia. Really cool kid. We have been chilling listening to music, he tells me of his country with beautiful women, cheap cocaine, and good times.  he lives in Medellin and says a giant handful of good coke would go for 30 US dollars... Pablo you dog.  I have never done it but that seems cheap to me. He has been showing me some good spanish music, me gusto.
Gabooo
A little drama, Josh offered me and Isaac to move into his room.  We both were contemplating it and Johan found out.  He is angry.  I will apologize.
I have been playing some guitar as well, Josh is very good and plays in bands, he will teach me if I stop being so damn inpatient and lazy and learn the notes. but i dont wannna!
When I wake up in the morning there are still sporting events going on back at home.  My Giants lost (american football ha), Yankees doing there thang. I will follow it as close as possible, cant believe I'm gonna miss the World Series :( 
Tonight is pub night and I have off from work tomorrow, so I shall drink a responsible amount and enjoy myself.
Love y'all homies

Some sort of soda they drink here, i approve

Santiago, Spanish version of Abbey Road

damn son wash them dishes

The kolbo (store), open at inconvenient hours

Tahini sauce, clutch
Making toast, cream of the crop in terms of jobs

Santiago and I paid the apple factory a visit, needless to say they were not thrilled

Hello little guy

Its a "surfboard on wheels that torments the lives of the innocent"

I HATE YOU!

At least the bread can smile

Sunday, September 11, 2011

hellz kitchen

Today I woke up at 5:15 to be at work by 6.  For those who have known me long enough, they know how much I love sleep, so be impressed.  It was my first day in the dining hall.  Clare lives in the room across the hall, she also works in dining, and at 5:45 i went to her room to see if she was ready to go.  She was sleeping, she looked at her phone and it said it was 4:45, she got very mad and told me to go back to my room and go to sleep.  I felt like a fool, I went back to my room and Isaac confirmed with my that it was indeed, 5:45. So i went back to Clares room and said once again that it is 5:45 so she went a checked a different clock and came to realize I was correct.  So she got ready and we walked over to work, it was still dark out.
I helped set up the dining room for breakfast, moving things around, setting up some of the dishes, etc.  It was not that bad.  Got a couple of breaks throughout the day.  In the afternoon I became a dishwasher.  That was HELL.  Endless dishes coming at me on a conveyor belt. After being a bus boy at Legends, I vowed to never work in food again... well that didn't last very long.  Well I survived, I feel somewhat delirious from the whole experience, but I have to go back tomorrow, and the next day, and the next... So goes life.
I think I might learn some spanish while I am here.  There is a whole group from Colombia and they speak it all the time.  The problem is I cant roll my r's so I sound like a stupid "american".
Alot of people that work with my mom keep coming up to me and asking how I am doing.  It's nice, they have invited me to dinner and been very welcoming.
Would it be weird if I don't drink on my 21st birthday?
Anyways I am going to workout and chill by the pool, I want to get in shape while I am here.  Since we have so much downtime here, I should make an effort to partake in some self improvement.
Much love.