Click here to see where I went on the Map of Israel!
I had another opportunity yesterday to get out of Herzliya. My friend Hilla (a Finnish girl whom I met during the Orientation Trip) and I were invited by her friends for dinner, in the city of Netanya. Netanya is located about 22km north of Herzliya, a 15-min drive along the Tel Aviv-Haifa Highway. Since Israel is a small country, like what most locals would say, everywhere is close to everywhere. However, even though Netanya is close to Herzliya, it is so different from Herzliya in many ways, and it was indeed an eye-opener when I went there in the evening after a journey on a sherut. (Sheruts are shared taxis that travel fixed routes, often the same as followed by buses, both between the major cities and along bus routes within cities. The fare is much cheaper than taking the normal taxis.)
To the local Israelis, Herzliya is a very Western city. Many wealthy people and diplomats stay in Herzliya, and therefore the standard of living and cost of living is higher than many parts of Israel. Netanya, according to the locals, looks more like an Israeli city. Many people are poorer compared to those from Herzliya, and you could see the difference from the housing and the dirtier streets there. Also, Netanya is one of the closest Israeli cities to the West Bank (only 15-min drive away). In fact, on our way from the Central Bus Station to the apartment where we were going to have dinner in, one of Hilla’s friends David pointed to us (at a distance) the Park Hotel, where Hamas carried out a suicide-bombing terrorist attack in March 2002, claimed 30 lives and injured 140. (You can read more about the attack here.) According to him, Netanya used to have more of such attacks because of its close proximity to the West Bank. Thankfully, the situation improved significantly after the government built a security wall separating the city from the West Bank recently.
What made the dinner most special yesterday evening was that all of us (about 9 of us) are Christians, and it was a great time of fellowship among believers. Among us there is an Arab Christian called Steve (who cooked us authentic Arab food! Yummy!), and he shared with me much on what he faces as an Arab Christian living in Israel. (For those who want to find out more, please email me directly.) Another believer whom I have spent much time talking to was a local Jewish Israeli girl (unfortunately I couldn’t remember her name… =( ), and Israelis called Christian Jews as ‘Messianic Jews’. She accepted Christ about 3 years ago, and during the fellowship dinner she accounted how her life was changed since her salvation. I was so moved and encouraged by her testimony! I must say that when I walked out of the apartment after the entire fellowship session, I have just got more educated about the complexity of the people living in this country, that I would never know if I didn’t meet and converse with them face-to-face here in Israel.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Readings, readings, and more readings…
I have been doing lots of readings lately for my study here at IDC Herzliya, trying my best to follow through the progress of the various courses I’m taking. Either I am having a bit more free time here, or I am taking lesser courses than other IDC students… I seemed to become a bit more hardworking than the usual me back in SMU! Some of my courses are rather heavy on readings (and you will understand why as you read on…), and I was quite surprised by myself that I actually managed to finish 2 books (with abundance of details) in 3 consecutive days (one 400+ pages, another 200+ pages). =)
Anyway, to those of you who may be wondering what courses I am taking here, here goes:
From the Arison School of Business –
1). Direct Marketing
2). Tourism and Hotel Management
From the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy –
3). Globalization and International Political Economy
4). The Arab-Israeli Conflict and the Peace Process
5). Role of the States and Non-State Actors in the Combat Against Terrorism
Anyway, to those of you who may be wondering what courses I am taking here, here goes:
From the Arison School of Business –
1). Direct Marketing
2). Tourism and Hotel Management
From the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy –
3). Globalization and International Political Economy
4). The Arab-Israeli Conflict and the Peace Process
5). Role of the States and Non-State Actors in the Combat Against Terrorism
Elvis’ Cooking Skills – Progress Report #1
Eating out in Israel can be very, very expensive, especially in Herzliya where the residents are generally wealthier than many other parts of Israel. Although the portions are generally bigger than what I usually had in Singapore (Thank God! … that’s because my appetite is BIG lah! =P ), the prices can be easily 1.5-3 times more expensive than those in Singapore. As a result, I hardly went out to eat since I came to Israel 3 weeks ago (unlike in Singapore where I will probably eat out for almost every single meal!).
So what’s the alternative then? There’s only one… COOKING!
I must admit that I have never been good in cooking. I have tried occasionally, but they were limited to really, really simple dishes. When I went to the supermarket for the first time in Israel weeks ago, I bought instant noodles, instant soup packets and instant pasta and macaroni packets. Yes, that’s instant, instant, and more instant. However, I am so glad that right now I’m moving to the next level, and that’s non-instant cooking (which means I use plain food instead, such as the many types of pasta) BUT with instant sauces… =P
Hehe. Slow progress, but I know I am progressing. Do stay tuned for the next progress report. I shall aim to be a decently good cook by the end of my international exchange here! YES!!! =D
So what’s the alternative then? There’s only one… COOKING!
I must admit that I have never been good in cooking. I have tried occasionally, but they were limited to really, really simple dishes. When I went to the supermarket for the first time in Israel weeks ago, I bought instant noodles, instant soup packets and instant pasta and macaroni packets. Yes, that’s instant, instant, and more instant. However, I am so glad that right now I’m moving to the next level, and that’s non-instant cooking (which means I use plain food instead, such as the many types of pasta) BUT with instant sauces… =P
Hehe. Slow progress, but I know I am progressing. Do stay tuned for the next progress report. I shall aim to be a decently good cook by the end of my international exchange here! YES!!! =D
An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away!
No worries. I’m not saying that I am falling sick here. NOT AT ALL!!! =D
One good habit I am building here is the habit of eating apples. I used to buy apples when I was in Singapore, but note the word ‘buy’… I bought apples, but I usually forgot to eat them and simply left them in the fridge (and I don't think I need to say what happened after prolonged storage...). Haiz… However, since I came to Israel, I have been eating apples, and it’s increasing in frequencies. I have yet to achieve the frequency of one apple a day, but right now I am at one apple every 2-3 days. Most importantly, I know I am very much in good health here in Israel.
‘An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away.’ – A truth that never grows old with time. =)
One good habit I am building here is the habit of eating apples. I used to buy apples when I was in Singapore, but note the word ‘buy’… I bought apples, but I usually forgot to eat them and simply left them in the fridge (and I don't think I need to say what happened after prolonged storage...). Haiz… However, since I came to Israel, I have been eating apples, and it’s increasing in frequencies. I have yet to achieve the frequency of one apple a day, but right now I am at one apple every 2-3 days. Most importantly, I know I am very much in good health here in Israel.
‘An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away.’ – A truth that never grows old with time. =)
Unusual Weather Change
When it rains in Herzliya, it usually doesn’t last very long. Passing showers does happen from time to time, especially during the Fall (i.e. Autumn). However, the weather was very unusual yesterday. In fact, the rain almost never stopped for the entire day, and it surprised even the local residents and many of my friends who have been staying in Israel for quite some time.
What really caught most people by surprise (and somewhat unprepared) was the drastic drop in temperature here. It was still somewhat sunny and warm on Friday, with a temperature of 20-27 deg C. However, the rain and the accompanying wind yesterday pushed the thermometer down to the level of 15-19 deg C, literally within 24 hrs! It was so much cooler to the extent that I had to take out more winter clothes from my wardrobe and wore them for the entire day. Issac and I also decided to keep the windows and blinds mostly closed, stayed in the apartment and studied for the whole day, because it was so cold outside the apartment! (Actually 15-19 deg C with rain and wind is not exactly cold, but given the contrast with what it was like 24 hrs ago, it was still something…)
When I went to school on Friday, everyone were still in their Summer/Autumn attire – t-shirts, short-sleeve shirts, shorts, skirts, tank-tops, spaghetti-tops, and etc… However, when I went to school today (which was 48 hrs later), everyone were in their Winter attire – long-sleeve tops/shirts, trousers/jeans, sweaters and jackets! The change was simply drastic.
Some of the people whom I talked to told me that such temperatures should only come around mid-November. Some told me the otherwise. In any case, I really hope that the winter this year will not be so cold here in Herzliya, but cold enough to make Jerusalem snow. Haha! It will be great if I get the chance to capture Jerusalem in the snow... =)
What really caught most people by surprise (and somewhat unprepared) was the drastic drop in temperature here. It was still somewhat sunny and warm on Friday, with a temperature of 20-27 deg C. However, the rain and the accompanying wind yesterday pushed the thermometer down to the level of 15-19 deg C, literally within 24 hrs! It was so much cooler to the extent that I had to take out more winter clothes from my wardrobe and wore them for the entire day. Issac and I also decided to keep the windows and blinds mostly closed, stayed in the apartment and studied for the whole day, because it was so cold outside the apartment! (Actually 15-19 deg C with rain and wind is not exactly cold, but given the contrast with what it was like 24 hrs ago, it was still something…)
When I went to school on Friday, everyone were still in their Summer/Autumn attire – t-shirts, short-sleeve shirts, shorts, skirts, tank-tops, spaghetti-tops, and etc… However, when I went to school today (which was 48 hrs later), everyone were in their Winter attire – long-sleeve tops/shirts, trousers/jeans, sweaters and jackets! The change was simply drastic.
Some of the people whom I talked to told me that such temperatures should only come around mid-November. Some told me the otherwise. In any case, I really hope that the winter this year will not be so cold here in Herzliya, but cold enough to make Jerusalem snow. Haha! It will be great if I get the chance to capture Jerusalem in the snow... =)
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Do you have any prayer requests?
I have been hearing many things about this city…
I have been longing to go to this city…
I have been thinking about going there soon…
And finally, it’s time for me to put all of the above into ACTION! =)
I will be going to Jerusalem, Israel’s Capital and the Holy City, this coming weekend! Yay!!!
I am going to spend just 2 days and 2 nights there for this very first visit (of course, I will definitely go there more than once during my exchange!), but for sure I won’t miss the Western Wall (or the Wailing Wall), located in the Old City of Jerusalem, and spend some time to pray there.
If you have any prayer requests, please do not hesitate to send your lists to my
email by 4am, November 2 (Thursday), GMT+8 (i.e. Singapore Time). I will pray for you at the Western Wall (and in my own prayer time thenafter too). Looking forward to receive your lists soon!
I have been longing to go to this city…
I have been thinking about going there soon…
And finally, it’s time for me to put all of the above into ACTION! =)
I will be going to Jerusalem, Israel’s Capital and the Holy City, this coming weekend! Yay!!!
I am going to spend just 2 days and 2 nights there for this very first visit (of course, I will definitely go there more than once during my exchange!), but for sure I won’t miss the Western Wall (or the Wailing Wall), located in the Old City of Jerusalem, and spend some time to pray there.
If you have any prayer requests, please do not hesitate to send your lists to my
email by 4am, November 2 (Thursday), GMT+8 (i.e. Singapore Time). I will pray for you at the Western Wall (and in my own prayer time thenafter too). Looking forward to receive your lists soon!
Saturday, October 28, 2006
1 Week to 'Arise & Build'!
These are the 3 points which God has spoken really deeply into my heart, from the sermon of today’s weekend service:
1). Pledge with a right ATTITUDE.
2). Pledge out of something you know you HAVE.
3). Pledge an amount that TOUCHES you deeply.
The 2nd 'Arise & Build' is only a week away. Although I am far away from Singapore, I am very excited about this coming Building Fund and I can’t wait to pledge (this time round online!), and can’t wait to sow the first fruit a month after that! God has already started challenging me to give from my heart for the offering, and my tears almost flowed out from my eyes and I knew the offering pleased God. I knew that this coming 'Arise & Build' I will see myself growing even more in the Lord and becoming prosperous in all areas of my life! =D
1). Pledge with a right ATTITUDE.
2). Pledge out of something you know you HAVE.
3). Pledge an amount that TOUCHES you deeply.
The 2nd 'Arise & Build' is only a week away. Although I am far away from Singapore, I am very excited about this coming Building Fund and I can’t wait to pledge (this time round online!), and can’t wait to sow the first fruit a month after that! God has already started challenging me to give from my heart for the offering, and my tears almost flowed out from my eyes and I knew the offering pleased God. I knew that this coming 'Arise & Build' I will see myself growing even more in the Lord and becoming prosperous in all areas of my life! =D
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
What have you done, Mr. Postman?
I have been expecting a SpeedPost (EMS) package to arrive from Singapore these few days, from Zing who has helped me to purchase in Singapore the replacements of my lost Canon lens cap (which fell off from a cathedral at Cologne, Germany… You can read more about it here.) and my lost Bible (I lost it on a train in Germany… still have no idea how it went lost, and neither sure if it was stolen, or just disappeared… sob…). I keyed in the EMS code in the Israel Post website in school in the early afternoon, and the system told me that it has already arrived in Israel. I rushed back to my apartment, eagerly waited for the package, and… there was no postman.
The weirdest thing happened when Tal and I left the apartment for the mall to have dinner and do some necessity shopping. A note was in the mailbox, and it said something about the package delivery, and Tal noted the time: 4pm. I was in my apartment at 4pm! In fact, Tal and Issac were also in the apartment then. All of us were in! I couldn’t help but wonder why the postman didn’t come upstairs and ring the doorbell and deliver the package! Why did he stop at the Ground Floor? ARGH!!! Unlike the usual practice in Singapore where you can collect your package at the nearest Post Office or at the Singapore Post Centre, my package actually went out of Herzliya with the postman and is now in the city of Netanya (north of Herzliya, and some distance away…)!!! MY GOODNESS!!!
The note has asked me to arrange another delivery time in the next few days. Since the note is all in Hebrew, Tal will help me with that tomorrow morning. Still, I was like… what have you done, Mr. Postman??? It's supposed to be SPEEDPost, not a delayed post...
The package was so near, and yet so far……
(Latest Update: The Israel Post website said that 'attempts were made to deliver...'. What attempts??? Haiz... no wonder the Singapore Post website said 'Failed Delivery'...)
The weirdest thing happened when Tal and I left the apartment for the mall to have dinner and do some necessity shopping. A note was in the mailbox, and it said something about the package delivery, and Tal noted the time: 4pm. I was in my apartment at 4pm! In fact, Tal and Issac were also in the apartment then. All of us were in! I couldn’t help but wonder why the postman didn’t come upstairs and ring the doorbell and deliver the package! Why did he stop at the Ground Floor? ARGH!!! Unlike the usual practice in Singapore where you can collect your package at the nearest Post Office or at the Singapore Post Centre, my package actually went out of Herzliya with the postman and is now in the city of Netanya (north of Herzliya, and some distance away…)!!! MY GOODNESS!!!
The note has asked me to arrange another delivery time in the next few days. Since the note is all in Hebrew, Tal will help me with that tomorrow morning. Still, I was like… what have you done, Mr. Postman??? It's supposed to be SPEEDPost, not a delayed post...
The package was so near, and yet so far……
(Latest Update: The Israel Post website said that 'attempts were made to deliver...'. What attempts??? Haiz... no wonder the Singapore Post website said 'Failed Delivery'...)
Monday, October 23, 2006
First day of classes, at last!
I blogged about my first day of Orientation last Sunday, and today, again on a Sunday, I am blogging about my first day of classes! It’s SUNDAY, you know!!! I am still not very used to it. =P Anyway, I think I bumped around outside classes long enough, and finally my semester starts (while my friends back in SMU are already in their Week 10!). Many of the classrooms here in IDC Herzliya look very similar to the seminar rooms in SMU. No wonder SMU and IDC Herzliya decided to establish an exchange agreement… they are so alike!!!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
YouTube: Interesting comments from NTU students to their professor
I was chatting with Yewei on Windows Live Messenger this morning and he sent me an URL and led me to a really funny clip on YouTube. It contains some really interesting comments the students at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) wrote about one of the professors in the School of Electricial and Electronic Engineering. I almost fell off the chair when I watched it. Enjoy!
My very first Shabat dinner
Today is my second Shabat since I came to Israel. The Hillel House at IDC Herzliya organised a dinner on campus for the freshmen to get to meet new people. The Hillel House is a student-run organisation which was set up to promote Jewish culture, and it is also found in many educational institutions all around the world. Although I am not a freshman here in IDC Herzliya, I wouldn’t miss this dinner for the world! This dinner was my very first Shabat dinner in Israel, and it was a real eye-opener to see how the dinner progressed, from singing, saying grace, breaking of bread, washing of hands, to having a Kosher dinner, sharing session quoting from the Torah (the Jewish Bible, also the first 5 books of The Old Testament), and more singing at the end of the dinner! It was a real enjoyable evening… after all, the food was delicious!!! Haha! (Those who knew me would certainly know how satisfied I would be whenever I have good food! Hehe.)
Friday, October 20, 2006
Simply Awesome: Orientation Trip to the Judean Desert
Click here to see where I went on the Map of Israel!
Since I arrived in Israel on Oct 9, I have been staying in the city of Herzliya and haven’t really ventured out to other parts of Israel, very much because of the fact that I used my first week to adjust to the new place and after that, the Orientation programme. On October 18 and 19, however, I had the opportunity to step out of Herzliya by participating in the Orientation Trip to the Judean Desert organised by the school. Yippie!!! I was so excited to the extent that I slept very little the night before the actual day… =P
We left rather early in the morning from IDC Herzliya, and reached En Gedi Nature Reserve in the late morning (which by the way, it is already on the other side of the Israeli territory… Israel is really small…). We went along Wadi David for a short hike in the lower section of the stream, where David’s Waterfall was located. According to the Old Testament, David came to En Gedi and hid there after he fled from King Saul (1 Samuel 23:29). It was very interesting when the tour guide showed us how some of the details written in the Book of 1 Samuel match what can still be found at En Gedi today. Some of my friends took the opportunity to swim in one of the pools under a small waterfall along the stream, and I must say that the water was so fresh and clear and most importantly, very cooling!!! I regretted wearing the jeans and not my bermudas for this hike… =(
Hiking along Wadi David.
David's Waterfall at En Gedi.
After lunch we departed En Gedi and went to Masada. King Herod, who ruled from 37BC to 4BC, built a winter palace at Masada. After the Jews rebelled against the Roman rule in AD66 and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in AD70, Masada was used as a fortress by the rebels, and it fell to the Romans around AD73/74 after the Jewish community in Masada decided to end their own lives and the lives of their families instead of living in shame and humiliation as Roman slaves. (Yup, very sad/tragic stories here…) Masada is now a world heritage site and a Jewish cultural icon, and it was really amazing to see how well-preserved and well-maintained the whole site is till this very day, including the camps, fortifications and assault ramp built by the Romans and now, the most complete surviving ancient Roman siege system in the world. When I was standing on the top of Masada and looking over the surroundings (including the Dead Sea and across the sea, Jordan), it really made me wonder how a palace could be built in such a remote and high-altitude location more than 2000 years ago! We went up to Masada via a cable car, but came down along a snake path that took us about half an hour to finish the walk!
The ruins of the Northern Palace at Masada.
Behind me is the Dead Sea, and beyond that, Jordan.
Walking down the Snake Path at Masada.
We spent our night at a Bedouin-style holiday village at Mezuqe Deragot, somewhere in the Judean Desert. The temperature indeed dropped drastically as darkness took over the sky. We were treated to a delicious buffet dinner, and after that, a percussion performance which got many of us involved in trying our hands on the many types of percussion instruments from the different cultures around the world, before we all headed back to the tents and sleep (emm, actually, not everyone slept that early, but I was ‘gone case’ already. Haha!)
Dinner at Mezuqe Deragot holiday village. (Look at the food!!!)
Relaxing in the tent after dinner and enjoying percussion performance.
The interior and exterior of the tents which we spent our night in.
I woke up around 4:15am the next morning… again, I got too excited about the programme on the second day… nah, not exactly, I actually woke up early to catch the sunrise over the Dead Sea, and also to get myself prepared for a challenging hike at Mashash/Wadi Darga, the first of this kind in my life! The 3-hour hike involved going down the canyon, walking on the river bed (which will only be flooded with water in Winter), climbing up-stream and walking back to the starting point in the desert. I must admit that it was really challenging for me at the very start and I was not all that confident. Some of the slopes were really steep, and I was wearing the wrong type of shoes (well, I couldn’t bring all types of shoes for exchange lah!) and it became even more inconvenient with my camera bag. Nonetheless, it was a great hike, and I am looking forward to do more hiking in the future!!! Haha! This trip also marked my very first time walking in a desert, and I got dehydrated so fast in a desert!!! I thanked God that the trip was in the season of Autumn, couldn’t imagine how hot it would be if I did this in Summer!
Sunrise over the Dead Sea.
Hiking at Mashash/Wadi Darga. Both the scenery and the cliffs/slopes will take your breath away. =P
In the middle of the desert.
We left Mezuqe Deragot at noon after the freshmen class did a whole series of teambuilding activities, and reached the Mineral Beach at the Dead Sea. Like any first-time tourists, I took the opportunity to float on this largest inland lake in the world, and of course, the saltiest! The sea bed was filled with so much salt that you would think you were walking on oil, and that was before the water reached my knees! The rocks on the sea bed were more like ‘salt rocks’ – salt solidified and hardened to the extent of becoming rocks! Another popular thing that people would do on this beach was to put the mud filled with minerals all over themselves. I tried it, and the result was coming out of the water having very, very smooth skin which no bathing lotions can ever offer! Haha! =D
The Dead Sea Road along the coast of Dead Sea.
The Mineral Beach, Dead Sea.
Me floating on water in Dead Sea!!! The only time I need not to worry about sinking in the sea. Haha! =D
Yup, I was covered with the mineral-rich mud. =)
We left the Mineral Beach around 3pm and made our way back to IDC Herzliya. The bus which I boarded, however, included a stop in Jerusalem for those who live there. Jerusalem is nonetheless THE city which I have been longing to visit, especially after I came to Israel. When the bus was on a road at a height overseeing the city, I spotted Temple Mount from far!!! The weirdest thing was that the bus was in Jerusalem for close to half an hour, but I didn’t manage to take any good pictures of the city, even the streets! I was thinking, hmm… God probably wanted me to come to this city properly and not as a passer-by lah. Hahaha…
Sunset on the way back to Herzliya, after leaving Jerusalem.
Since I arrived in Israel on Oct 9, I have been staying in the city of Herzliya and haven’t really ventured out to other parts of Israel, very much because of the fact that I used my first week to adjust to the new place and after that, the Orientation programme. On October 18 and 19, however, I had the opportunity to step out of Herzliya by participating in the Orientation Trip to the Judean Desert organised by the school. Yippie!!! I was so excited to the extent that I slept very little the night before the actual day… =P
We left rather early in the morning from IDC Herzliya, and reached En Gedi Nature Reserve in the late morning (which by the way, it is already on the other side of the Israeli territory… Israel is really small…). We went along Wadi David for a short hike in the lower section of the stream, where David’s Waterfall was located. According to the Old Testament, David came to En Gedi and hid there after he fled from King Saul (1 Samuel 23:29). It was very interesting when the tour guide showed us how some of the details written in the Book of 1 Samuel match what can still be found at En Gedi today. Some of my friends took the opportunity to swim in one of the pools under a small waterfall along the stream, and I must say that the water was so fresh and clear and most importantly, very cooling!!! I regretted wearing the jeans and not my bermudas for this hike… =(
Hiking along Wadi David.
David's Waterfall at En Gedi.
After lunch we departed En Gedi and went to Masada. King Herod, who ruled from 37BC to 4BC, built a winter palace at Masada. After the Jews rebelled against the Roman rule in AD66 and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in AD70, Masada was used as a fortress by the rebels, and it fell to the Romans around AD73/74 after the Jewish community in Masada decided to end their own lives and the lives of their families instead of living in shame and humiliation as Roman slaves. (Yup, very sad/tragic stories here…) Masada is now a world heritage site and a Jewish cultural icon, and it was really amazing to see how well-preserved and well-maintained the whole site is till this very day, including the camps, fortifications and assault ramp built by the Romans and now, the most complete surviving ancient Roman siege system in the world. When I was standing on the top of Masada and looking over the surroundings (including the Dead Sea and across the sea, Jordan), it really made me wonder how a palace could be built in such a remote and high-altitude location more than 2000 years ago! We went up to Masada via a cable car, but came down along a snake path that took us about half an hour to finish the walk!
The ruins of the Northern Palace at Masada.
Behind me is the Dead Sea, and beyond that, Jordan.
Walking down the Snake Path at Masada.
We spent our night at a Bedouin-style holiday village at Mezuqe Deragot, somewhere in the Judean Desert. The temperature indeed dropped drastically as darkness took over the sky. We were treated to a delicious buffet dinner, and after that, a percussion performance which got many of us involved in trying our hands on the many types of percussion instruments from the different cultures around the world, before we all headed back to the tents and sleep (emm, actually, not everyone slept that early, but I was ‘gone case’ already. Haha!)
Dinner at Mezuqe Deragot holiday village. (Look at the food!!!)
Relaxing in the tent after dinner and enjoying percussion performance.
The interior and exterior of the tents which we spent our night in.
I woke up around 4:15am the next morning… again, I got too excited about the programme on the second day… nah, not exactly, I actually woke up early to catch the sunrise over the Dead Sea, and also to get myself prepared for a challenging hike at Mashash/Wadi Darga, the first of this kind in my life! The 3-hour hike involved going down the canyon, walking on the river bed (which will only be flooded with water in Winter), climbing up-stream and walking back to the starting point in the desert. I must admit that it was really challenging for me at the very start and I was not all that confident. Some of the slopes were really steep, and I was wearing the wrong type of shoes (well, I couldn’t bring all types of shoes for exchange lah!) and it became even more inconvenient with my camera bag. Nonetheless, it was a great hike, and I am looking forward to do more hiking in the future!!! Haha! This trip also marked my very first time walking in a desert, and I got dehydrated so fast in a desert!!! I thanked God that the trip was in the season of Autumn, couldn’t imagine how hot it would be if I did this in Summer!
Sunrise over the Dead Sea.
Hiking at Mashash/Wadi Darga. Both the scenery and the cliffs/slopes will take your breath away. =P
In the middle of the desert.
We left Mezuqe Deragot at noon after the freshmen class did a whole series of teambuilding activities, and reached the Mineral Beach at the Dead Sea. Like any first-time tourists, I took the opportunity to float on this largest inland lake in the world, and of course, the saltiest! The sea bed was filled with so much salt that you would think you were walking on oil, and that was before the water reached my knees! The rocks on the sea bed were more like ‘salt rocks’ – salt solidified and hardened to the extent of becoming rocks! Another popular thing that people would do on this beach was to put the mud filled with minerals all over themselves. I tried it, and the result was coming out of the water having very, very smooth skin which no bathing lotions can ever offer! Haha! =D
The Dead Sea Road along the coast of Dead Sea.
The Mineral Beach, Dead Sea.
Me floating on water in Dead Sea!!! The only time I need not to worry about sinking in the sea. Haha! =D
Yup, I was covered with the mineral-rich mud. =)
We left the Mineral Beach around 3pm and made our way back to IDC Herzliya. The bus which I boarded, however, included a stop in Jerusalem for those who live there. Jerusalem is nonetheless THE city which I have been longing to visit, especially after I came to Israel. When the bus was on a road at a height overseeing the city, I spotted Temple Mount from far!!! The weirdest thing was that the bus was in Jerusalem for close to half an hour, but I didn’t manage to take any good pictures of the city, even the streets! I was thinking, hmm… God probably wanted me to come to this city properly and not as a passer-by lah. Hahaha…
Sunset on the way back to Herzliya, after leaving Jerusalem.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Elvis, a hairdresser…
I did something tonight which I have never done before in my life. My flatmate Issac was using his electronic hair shaver to give himself a haircut, but the shaver positioning device suddenly gave way and he accidentally shaved too much hair at the area just above his right ear. Oops! Desperate to restore his hair back to the presentable mode, he asked me to help him. And yup, I became a hairdresser! I took about 20 minutes to finish the haircut for him, and I realised, hey, I am not that bad in hairdressing! He was so satisfied with what I have done, and I felt satisfied too! Haha! Perhaps I will just put it under the working experience section of my CV: “Elvis, an (accidental/part-time) hairdresser…” =D
Elvis the hairdresser in action. =)
I am sure nobody will be willing to offer their hair for me to do hairdressing after they see this picture and give themselves a sensible second thought. Hahaha! =D
Elvis the hairdresser in action. =)
I am sure nobody will be willing to offer their hair for me to do hairdressing after they see this picture and give themselves a sensible second thought. Hahaha! =D
Monday, October 16, 2006
“The First Exchange Student in the History of IDC Herzliya”
I knew I am the very first SMU student who took the advantage of the MOU between SMU and IDC Herzliya and embarked on the international exchange programme here in Israel. But guess what, I realised yesterday that I was actually the very first exchange student IDC Herzliya has ever received… and I am feeling the ‘burden’ and the ‘stress’ for being the first! Today is the second day of the Orientation, and I was introduced to the current President of IDC Herzliya Prof. Ammon Rubinstein before the Raphael Recanati International School Opening Ceremony for Freshmen. We shook hands, and after that my student counsellor told me that I had a great honour to be able to meet him and shake his hands because he is very famous in Israel and worldwide. He is a former member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), former Minister of Communication, former Minister of Science and Technology, former Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and former Minister of Education, Culture and Sport! I was like, WOW! Haha! During the ceremony, the Vice-President for External Relations and also the Head of the Raphael Recanati International School Mr. Jonathan Davis suddenly introduced me to the freshmen cohort during his speech. So embarrassing!!! Hahaha! =D All ‘thanks’ to him, many more IDC students approached me after the ceremony and wanted to know me. What a way to ‘help’ me to get to know more new people!
IDC Orientation starts, and yes, on a Sunday!
This is my very first Sunday spent here in Israel, and I must say, I am not very used to the fact that Sunday is a working/schooling day!!! My goodness! I went to the university early this morning for the first day of Orientation, and it soon occurred to me that I am the only Chinese student around! I had the opportunity to meet many people today… after all, I am doing my exchange in the international programme here with students from 47 other countries!
Perhaps the most interesting thing which occurred to me today was that a female student suddenly came and talked to me, in Mandarin! She’s currently learning Mandarin from a private tutor. Her Mandarin was not fluent though, but I knew she was trying her best, and wanna ‘use’ me to practise speaking Mandarin and asked if I can help her to improve in the language! Hahaha! I was thinking, hmm… this may occur more often once the classes start next week, as the Chinese language class will open then and more people will definitely want to practise using the language. Hehe.
Took some pictures of the IDC Herzliya Opening Ceremony for Freshmen held in the early afternoon, and I must admit that there were so many eyes looking at me with curiosity, wondering why the only Chinese student on campus was carrying a professional camera around and shooting. Hahaha!
Snapshots of the IDC Herzliya Opening Ceremony for Freshmen.
Perhaps the most interesting thing which occurred to me today was that a female student suddenly came and talked to me, in Mandarin! She’s currently learning Mandarin from a private tutor. Her Mandarin was not fluent though, but I knew she was trying her best, and wanna ‘use’ me to practise speaking Mandarin and asked if I can help her to improve in the language! Hahaha! I was thinking, hmm… this may occur more often once the classes start next week, as the Chinese language class will open then and more people will definitely want to practise using the language. Hehe.
Took some pictures of the IDC Herzliya Opening Ceremony for Freshmen held in the early afternoon, and I must admit that there were so many eyes looking at me with curiosity, wondering why the only Chinese student on campus was carrying a professional camera around and shooting. Hahaha!
Snapshots of the IDC Herzliya Opening Ceremony for Freshmen.
Yore – the First Rain…
This morning was unlike any other mornings I have seen so far in Israel. When I woke up, the sky was filled with thick, grey clouds, and soon it rained. My flatmates told me that this was the first rain (Yore in Hebrew) in the Jewish New Year, and also the first rain in the Fall (which also means that the season of Autumn has come officially to Israel). The rain didn’t last very long, but it was enough to flood the street in front of my apartment! There aren’t many drainage holes around in the neighbourhood. I supposed that it’s because rain doesn’t happen often here in Israel, and it seemed to me that this morning’s rain was already too much for the very few drainage holes along the street! Tal told me that he and his former flatmates used to name the water flow “Golomb River”, after the street name! Haha! Without further delay, I took out my camera and captured this memorable river: =P
The 1st rainy day since my arrival (view from my apartment).
Riding on the 'Golomb River'...
The 1st rainy day since my arrival (view from my apartment).
Riding on the 'Golomb River'...
Sunday, October 15, 2006
An Afternoon Walk to the Herzliya Beaches…
It is still taking me a bit of effort to get used to the time difference here. The sun rises around 5:30am daily, and sets around 5:30pm here in Herzliya. The sunrise and sunset hours are rather different from those in Singapore and HK, so I tend to wake up and feel sleepy earlier even though I have been living here for quite a while already. The weather has been great here, and I mean, really really really great: sunny with comfortable temperatures (20-27 deg C) and a relatively lower humidity, and with occasional breezes from the sea.
I have spent much time in my apartment doing cleaning work since I have arrived here, and after that I was still spending much time in my apartment, connected to the Internet and caught up with friends back in Singapore. Thanks to the time difference... if I wanna catch them in their evening/night time, I have to go online in the afternoon here! But today I decided to do something different – going to the beaches in Herzliya!
It took me about an hour to walk from my apartment to Nof Yam Beach, one of the 6 beaches in Herzliya. Well, the main reason I need to walk is because there was no public transport on Shabat (Saturday). But it’s ok… I don’t mind to explore the city on foot in such great weather conditions! Anyway, the beach was BEAUTIFUL, and I really mean it! The view was great… with the endless Mediterranean Sea in front of my eyes. When I reach there it was close to sunset, and since the sea is in the West direction, the beaches in Herzliya are the best places to catch a magnificent sunset! Took many pictures there, and had some wonderful conversation with 2 local Israelis. (Many Israelis are very very hospitable, and they love to talk and can’t really stop! Haha! Like me! =P)
Unlike what usually happens, the sun didn’t set into the sea today but instead into the clouds… (sob… =( ) There was a storm in the middle of the sea and the clouds were just above the sea and blocked my nice sunset!!! Nevermind, I will certainly go back to the beaches again, since there are another 5 more for me to explore! Haha! =D
Nof Yam Beach, one of the 6 beaches in Herzliya.
Sunset at Nof Yam Beach.
Shivat HaKokhavim Mall, the nearest mega shopping mall from my apartment (1/2-hour walk though). I have eaten there twice during my first week in Israel, at KFC and Burger King, to 'cure' my longing for familiar things. Haha! However, eating out in Israel is very expensive compared to Singapore and HK... =(
I have spent much time in my apartment doing cleaning work since I have arrived here, and after that I was still spending much time in my apartment, connected to the Internet and caught up with friends back in Singapore. Thanks to the time difference... if I wanna catch them in their evening/night time, I have to go online in the afternoon here! But today I decided to do something different – going to the beaches in Herzliya!
It took me about an hour to walk from my apartment to Nof Yam Beach, one of the 6 beaches in Herzliya. Well, the main reason I need to walk is because there was no public transport on Shabat (Saturday). But it’s ok… I don’t mind to explore the city on foot in such great weather conditions! Anyway, the beach was BEAUTIFUL, and I really mean it! The view was great… with the endless Mediterranean Sea in front of my eyes. When I reach there it was close to sunset, and since the sea is in the West direction, the beaches in Herzliya are the best places to catch a magnificent sunset! Took many pictures there, and had some wonderful conversation with 2 local Israelis. (Many Israelis are very very hospitable, and they love to talk and can’t really stop! Haha! Like me! =P)
Unlike what usually happens, the sun didn’t set into the sea today but instead into the clouds… (sob… =( ) There was a storm in the middle of the sea and the clouds were just above the sea and blocked my nice sunset!!! Nevermind, I will certainly go back to the beaches again, since there are another 5 more for me to explore! Haha! =D
Nof Yam Beach, one of the 6 beaches in Herzliya.
Sunset at Nof Yam Beach.
Shivat HaKokhavim Mall, the nearest mega shopping mall from my apartment (1/2-hour walk though). I have eaten there twice during my first week in Israel, at KFC and Burger King, to 'cure' my longing for familiar things. Haha! However, eating out in Israel is very expensive compared to Singapore and HK... =(
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