Arad

I just got woken up by some sirens. No one seemed too concerned. Last night there was a massive thunderstorm with hail and lightening. It made me feel like home. The morning sounds here are different. There aren't birds or someone making tea or something relaxing like in Portland/Csprings. Its always cars or my roommate shuffling through her makeup or someone banging their door shut on the way to the shower. But this morning- maybe because I'm up early and it rained so hard last night- there are birds. Its a nice way to wake up.

So, this weekend we went on a trip to Arad. This is a small, insignificant town in the Negev desert. We had to get on the buses at six (which was ok because they gave us chocolate milk in a bag) and to get there we drove through the West Bank. Its amazing how different the West Bank and Gaza are- before I came, I guess I just grouped them into one thing. The people who live in the West Bank don't even particularly like the people who live in Gaza, not just because of Hamas, but because they see themselves as two different peoples. Its pretty mind-blowing how complicated this conflict it. Anyway- once we got to Arad we drove to these bluffs that overlooked the Dead Sea and started the hike. Everyone thought it was going to be really easy and people were super unprepared (especially the girl who during an introductory activity where you were supposed to say something you brought with you and what it said about your personality, she said she brought her tan because she liked the beach and sitting in the sun). We started walking along this empty river bead but eventually we got down into this crevice that you had to ladder climb down and repel down using a sketchy rope that was attached to the rock. People lost it. I can't even keep track of how many people I told to put their feet where or how many cameras I climbed down with. That said, it was really fun. From the top of one of the bluffs you could see the Dead Sea and a lot of the desert. It was really beautiful. It made me redefine desert a little though. I have never seen anything so barren. Our trip ended at this weird compound with barbed wire around it that had a siren if you got too close- go figure.  

After the hike we checked into our hostels and did the shabbat thing. I was ALMOST as lost doing as the tan girls were climbing down the mountain, so I guess it evens out. Interestingly the two people in my room were both shommer shabbas, so they couldn't do any work. I didn't figure this out until after I turned the lights out in the bathroom and one of them went pee in the dark. I felt pretty bad. But they also couldn't ask me to turn the light back on so awkwardly tried to do it but they felt bad making me get up- I was so clueless-it could have been a comedy sketch for sure. But we had dinner and a service and sang lots of songs (which I am starting to pick up) and just relaxed. It was really nice.  I'm really starting to like this whole shabbat thing. What i'm NOT starting to like is that Sunday here is actually Monday. Meaning I have school in an hour. Shalom. I hope you are all well. Keep up the emails!

R

Ps. I forgot to mention that we drove past these huge factories which take minerals out of the dead sea water to use in beauty products. One of the byproducts is salt, so there were HUGE piles of salt all along the road- it looked like white sand dunes. Pretty cool. Oh. And I saw a camel. Also pretty cool.