First Thoughts from Tel Aviv
Shalom from Tel Aviv, where it is 75 and sunny with not a cloud in the sky. Jealous yet? Consider the fact that I spent the afternoon reading for class…on the beach. I would say that I’d never leave, but with prices that rival New York or London, a couple weeks is probably enough.
View from our hotel in Tel Aviv
Some initial observations:
-Tel Aviv is such a vibrant city. People are constantly out running, biking, skateboarding, whatever. There is a great boardwalk that runs the length of the beach, and it is crowded at all times, day or night.
-Security is a virtual non-issue here. Or so it appears. There are guards outside of shops and restaurants, but their presence is no more intrusive than the shoplifting guards one will find at department stores in the United States. The only “serious” security I’ve seen while here is at the U.S. embassy (just a block from our hotel), where stone-faced men with machine guns do not smile when a group of American students yells hello at them at midnight. Trust me.
-The beach here rivals any in the world. The sand is extremely fine and the water is crystal-clear. It’s not hard to figure out why people here smile so much.
-The drivers are unbelievably aggressive here. And this is coming from someone who regularly drives in New York. I’m supposed to rent a car here at the end of the month to drive to the north and am seriously reconsidering doing so after my cab from the airport to Tel Aviv yesterday almost hit at least five mopeds on the short, twenty-minute trip.
-And the food? The food is awesome.
Shawarma Pita
Tel Aviv sounds like my kind of place! What is better than a city combined with a beach??? I love keeping up with your adventures via this blog. (Now, if only I could get on your Facebook page…:)
And I do want to virtually-taste the falafel, so make sure to post a photo of THAT.
Enjoy the adventure~!
sheryl
May 31, 2011 at 12:55 pm
i wish i could come visit you! it all sounds awesome (minus the school work.)
fyi, my mom’s coworker (also a very close family friend now) Andrew, is friends with a guy that is totally in your program. His name is Luke and he told Andrew he was leaving last weekend to take some law classes in israel, and i just went on Facebook and saw you are now “friends” with him. tell him andrew says hi! haha small world, right?
talk to you soon
dana
May 31, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Yup, he told me about that on the first day. What a small world indeed. Wish you could come visit too, it’s awesome here, you’d love it. And the school work isn’t so bad, especially since it’s graded pass/fail.
jmkraft
May 31, 2011 at 5:27 pm