I thought today would be my last day at school but I texted my teacher last night and not to my surprise did she tell me that the students would not be there today. I spent the day running errands and hanging out with Anna before she left today. We had Ulpan where everyone said goodbye to Anna. Its crazy how far we have all come as a group and now it quickly ending.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Today I decided to get out of Ashdod and do some last minute exploring of Tel Aviv I went to see Sex and the City 2, to be honest it is so embarrassing watching these American movies abroad, what a horrible way to represent Americans. Afterwards I went to eat some interesting chummus for lunch then headed to Azrielli Tower. It is one of the tallest buildings in Tel Aviv. On the ground floor it is a huge mall and if you go to the top there is a restaurant with a beautiful view of the city. I headed back to Ashdod and began organizing and packing to go home.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Today was our Mega Event to close out our program. We had a ceremony where our host families, teachers and friends were invited to come celebrate our time and work here. The head of the Department of Education in Ashdod spoke, a host mother, my friend Aron and a student. We also had a nice slide show and Amalia made a music video of all of us. It was a nice event. Miri and Zahavah came so it was nice to have their support. After wards we all went out in Ashdod. It was nice to be together with everyone, there are some crazy personalities in our group, there is never a dull moment.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Today Jordan and I went to say goodbye at school, not surprisingly many students not there. It was a wonderful experience working there but a bit frustrating that for the last month we were really not needed. I met up for lunch with Molly and Sarah and we headed to the shuk. Gabby and I got small gifts for our host families and we went over to give it to them and say goodbye. Of course as soon as we walked in Miri was preparing drinks and desserts for us and they loved the gifts, they may have even liked our homemade wrapping paper better than the presents.
We stayed for a while and all talked and all of a sudden Zahavah was like, its time to do your hair, isn’t that why you came over. So before I knew it I was in her work room and she was giving me a hair cut. I admit she did a pretty good job but it is a bit shorter than I would have liked. It was time to say goodbye, it was hard for everyone but it means we really enjoyed getting to know each other and spending time together. They are really sweet women and Gabby and I are so thankful for all they have done for us. I hope to be in touch with Zahavah and see her when she comes to the states to see her daughters.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Today we had our last group meeting. There was a big map of Israel in the room and we all had 2 stickers with our names on it. One by one we all shared 2 places that we found to be meaningful or fun places to us. I chose Haifa because I think it is a unique city purely because there does not seem to be any dramatic culture or religious clashes going on there that occur in the other big cities in Isreal. The Jews and Muslims get along pretty well, it’s the Bahai capitol of the world, there are great universities there and it’s a technology hub which creates great jobs for Israelis. My second sticker I put in the Negev. It seems so simple and cliché but it was nice spending so much time there during Passover, hiking, exploring, cooking, singing and sleeping in the desert.
After the meeting I headed to Tel Aviv which ended up being more than I bargained for. I decided to take a sherut (shared cab service) so I could avoid security with my bags in the Ashdod and Tel Aviv central bus stations. When I showed up to the pick up area a man told me he has been waiting for an hour and he thinks no one has come because of the World Cup game. Meanwhile its boiling hot outside and I want to collapse. I little while later I talk to a man who you would assume his job would be to organize the cabs who says, they will come soon, later he says, they are in the way, later ten minutes. Meanwhile an old lady is bugging me to use my phone to call her mom and when I let her she drops my phone and says nevermind then proceeds to keep asking me for my phone, there is a man with one eye who I cannot really communicate with and many other people are speaking Russian to each other so I have no idea what is going on. Eventually I convince 2 men to share a cab with me, the one with one eye is playing child games on his iphone the whole time with obnoxious noises and the driver and other man are speaking Russian so its not even like I can pretend to know what they are taking about. Travelling with luggage (in the heat) is never fun but this, really was not fun. Hopefully soon I can look back and laugh.
I went out with a few friends for a delicious dinner and most of our Oranim group was heading out to celebrate some birthdays together and the end of our time in Israel. It was so nice that so many people showed up. We all usually traveled outside of Ashdod with the same few people so it was nice to be in Tel Aviv together. The night was a success.
Friday, June 18, 2010
This morning I met up for brunch with some of my friends, relaxed and headed to the airport. It’s been a crazy ride and I cannot believe its finally ending. I have made some wonderful friends, I have a new perspective and appreciation for Israel and its people and I have many new memories to bring home to the States. I am sure this experience will play a role in the decisions I make and the opinions I form the rest of my life.
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