Charlie’s Blog

Back in the USA! It’s good to be back, but I really had a great time on my trip. It was pretty hard at first to get used to the fast pace, time difference, and group of 40 Jews, but once I did, I started to enjoy myself a lot. We did so much, and I made some great friends! We kayaked, hiked through water, floated in the Dead Sea, rode camels, saw wild ibexes, climbed mountains, swam under waterfalls, slept in a Bedouin tent, and shopped til we dropped! I will be happy to never eat hummus again in my life or ride in a bus full of drunk frat boys, for that matter. My favorite parts of the trip include the Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem and exploring Tel Aviv. Unfortunately, there was a huge jellyfish problem in the sea in Tel Aviv, so I stayed out of the water while others in the group went in and got stung.

On the plane ride home, my friend showed me an article about a rabbi who blamed the gays for the current conflict with Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah. He says that the upcoming Jerusalem gay pride celebration incited Hezbollah to launch the initial attacks so it is our fault. I wish I could be in Jerusalem for its pride in a few weeks. The Christians, Muslims, and Ultra-Orthodox Jews of Israel have joined forces to stage a huge protest.  Last year, Jerusalem pride was attempted, but a gay man was stabbed by one of the protestors. Hopefully this year things won’t get violent.

Ben and I saw "Jesus Christ Superstar" last night at Starlight, an outdoor theater in Balboa Park. It was not so great, but it had a few things going for it. The effects were awesome. There was a weird hole in the stage into which they would pour water every so often. Also, after Jesus was crucified, the cross folded down behind him, but he remained floating in the air. I liked Mary because she sang with a twang like Britney. Judas was the worst, though. He has the biggest singing part in the show which was unfortunate. I wonder how he got that role! I wish I could see the production from "Saved" with Mandy Moore as Mary. Maybe one day. Wasn’t there a rumor that she was going to do Broadway??

Shalom from Tel AVIV! This keyboard works much better than the one at my Jerusalem hotel. Tel Aviv is the bomb. It’s very pretty, clean, and cool. There are awesome shops and white sand beaches on the Mediterranean.

We went to the Dead Sea the other day and floated. Let me tell you, that salty water BURNS!! It’s cool because not only do you float on your front and back, you can also float in a standing position like an astronaut. Yesterday we hiked up and down a huge-ass mountain. It looked like the grand canyon.

As for the war situation, everything is calm here. It was scary at first because we visited a bunch of cities in the north which were then bombed one or two days later. Luckily the rockets coming from the Lebanese border aren’t strong enough to reach this far south. It’s been really interesting to see how people here, even though they may be afraid, don’t stop living their lives. In the towns that are being bombed, you can be sure that they stay in their shelters, but here they go out and enjoy themselves.

In any event, I’m glad that I’m going home tomorrow. This trip has been fun and interesting, but exhausting. Group trips are hard, especialy with 40 Jews on a tiny bus with seats that don’t recline. I have made some new friends and learned a great deal about this country. Also, it sucks being away from my boyfriend!

This keyboard sucks. IT KEEPSERASNG WHAT I WRITE!

Having a great time here in spite of the war that hasbegun. It is not nearly as bad as CNN would have you believe.

I will see you all soOn!

Love,

Charlie

ps going to the dead sea tomorrow!!

That’s 25% of the Hebrew I know. I learned how to say bathroom.

Israel is pretty and not nearly as hot as I’d expected. This tour is way too much for me, though. They make us wake up at the buttcrack of dawn (practically) and then it’s go, go, go until the wee hours of the night. Last night, they didn’t get us home until 1:45.

We went on a water hike (which is like a regular hike except they make you walk through a dirty stream full of sharp rocks and scary looking fish), and our Israeli soldier guide who was walking in front of me slipped and fell onto his GUN. Later, they took us kayaking, and the soldier dropped his gun in the water. We got held up for a really long time while people searched the water for it. That was a good thing for me, though, because my slow-ass boat would have held everyone up if that hadn’t happened. Kayaking is fucking hard, especially when there are endless opportunities to get stuck.

I hope I make it through this trip without dying of exhaustion. I feel like Lindsay Lohan with this greuling schedule. Oh, and I haven’t had any time to listen to Carrie since I’ve been here.

The people on my trip are really nice for the most part. There are 40 of us, ranging from 22-26, although there is one who is 18. There are skinny stray cats all over Israel. It’s really sad. We were going to go to hot springs and a winery today, but they changed the itinerary so we’re instead going on another fucking water hike and listening to a lecture about shit. What a bore!!

Later!

Yesterday I found out that I got an open spot on a Birthright Israel trip to the Promised Land, leaving tomorrow morning! I originally applied to go back in February, but then I decided to cancel my application. It seemed like more trouble than it was worth to be herded around the desert in a bus of 40 perky Jews. Well, just last month, I met a girl who went on this trip last year, and she told me it was the best trip ever. I was bummed that I blew it, especially since I won’t qualify for the next round of trips in the winter because I’ll have reached the 26 year old cut-off age.  Luckily, a few weeks ago, the tour operator sent me an email saying they had an open spot. I responded that I’d take it, but I didn’t hear back…until Thursday. On Friday it was confirmed, and, again, I leave from LA tomorrow morning.

The free trip, paid for by philanthropists, foundations, and governments, is intended to "strengthen the sense of solidarity between Israeli youth and Jewish communities throughout the world." Also, it’s to promote the idea that a visit to Israel is a critical part of a person’s Jewish life. Please don’t worry about my safety. The program has assured me
that it takes every possible safety precaution…we’ll even have a
soldier escort with us the entire time!

To prepare for the long voyage, I put my Carrie Underwood CD on minidisc. I’m a little nervous that someone in the group will badger me for listening to "Jesus, take the wheel" on a Jew-trip, but I figure that Jesus is from Israel so it’s very appropriate. Anyway, I’m almost over that song. My new favorite by Carr is "Before He Cheats" in which she describes keying her bf’s car and carving her name in the leather seats after she finds out that he’s stepping out on her.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to post from over there to let all of you know how the trip is going. Until then, take care, y’all!