Hey folks,
It has been an epic last week, and one of the busiest of my trip so far. It hasn't been the busiest in terms of the program, just a standard week like always, but with the arrival of a new group in Ashdod and my attempts to get to know everyone and be a social butterfly, this feels like one of the first times I have sat down and had time to myself.
20 new Americans, Canadians and Brits arrived last Monday and were thrown into the whirlwind of Israeli culture and social experimentation that Oranim provides for its participants! 17 of these participants are girls and it seemed a little overwhelming at first meeting them all. However, I am happy and super relieved to say that I get along with not just some, but ALL of the new girls in the group so far and am finding it fast to make friends for my last month here in Ashdod. I have now moved to the apartments, and I'm finding it quite cozy and easy to adjust. There aren't nearly as many problems with appliances (actually none that I can think of!), and my new roommates are all great. My actual room-roommate, Dan and I get along very well and have been entertaining the new girls all week. We also both play guitar and I feel like I've been playing a lot more than usual, which has been responsible for a spike in my mood as well. I took it upon myself to be a little bit of a tour guide the first night and showed the new girls all around the neighbourhood, establishing myself as a familiar face for them and a friendly person that they could ask for help. This strategy seemed to work well and I feel now like I can comfortably slip into any of the small groups that have already formed in their program. We had everyone over to our apartment the first night for a little social gathering, and on Tuesday night we all headed to the famous Pigal in Ashdod, the home of the reknowned bottomless beer special and what my roommate refers to as Bad Decision Tuesday! We went out again on Thursday night, and I went bowling with members of my own program on Friday night. I also started exercising more again this week, going on two longer runs in Yud Alef, and yesterday I went down to the beach with a bunch of the girls, went swimming, and showed them the ancient ruins. We were hoping to catch the sunset, but it was hazy and the sun didn't end up being visible. I'm going to make an effort to go down as much as possible for my last four weeks, the sunset at the ruins being one of my favourite vistas in Ashdod and maybe in Israel overall!
This week has been a bit of a turnaround for me. Things were slipping a little too much into routine here in Ashdod and starting to feel a little stale. New blood has been rejuvenating for me and made me realize how important it is to seize every last opportunity while I'm still here, as I am incredibly lucky to be able to live in a country as beautiful as Israel for five months. I've started creating a bucket list of sorts for my last month (stole the idea from one of the new apartments) and although it really isn't that long because I've accomplished a lot of what I wanted to do already in Israel, I'm really going to try and achieve every goal, destination, or experience on the list! Getting into shape with more running is definitely high on my list, as well as checking out the Flour Caves near Ein Gedi, banana boating in Eilat, and making as many long-lasting friends as possible by putting myself out there and not isolating myself at all. This last one will be the hardest as my energy level is waning a little, but I'm off to a good start!
Anyway, that's all for now. I'm going to continue with all of this positive energy and see where it takes me. Let me know how you're all faring and hope to hear from you about your daily comings and goings. Miss you all!
Ciao for now,
Max
P.S. As always, guess the name of the song my blog title is derived from!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
From Nightmares To New Beginnings...
Hey folks,
It's been awhile since the last post, first due to a lack of much to report and then due to a very busy past few days which has kept me from spending time in front of the good old computer.
Since my last post, I had to say a lot of goodbyes, some of them with a sigh of relief, and others with a heavy heart. The Oranim group that started their program in August completed their 5 month tenure and the majority have headed back to the U.S and Canada. With only 6 weeks left in my own program at the time of their departure, it made it quite difficult to have to say my farewells and now be adapting to the arrival of a new group and a new living situation. But mostly, I found it tough cause some of my closest friends were part of their group, especially two of my roommates who I shared a bedroom with for the past 3 and a half months. I know it might be awhile before I see them again and I've really enjoyed their friendship. I will cherish the memories of hookah sessions on the balcony overlooking the city, copious amounts of card games, bonfires at the beach, sharing good music, and just good ol' argument for sport with my roommate Zach. If you ever read this Zach, I reiterate that the Star Wars prequels' storylines cannot be compared to all classic literature!!!
After saying my goodbyes, I had my 9 days off from the program, free from volunteering and free to travel around the country. I spent a few days in Tel-Aviv with my cousin Shira and her husband Omer, enjoying great food, watching True Grit, and catching up on some well deserved sleep and then headed to Haifa for a few days to spend some time with my aunt and uncle, where I did pretty much more of the same and got their help in further prep for my trip to the far east. After that, I returned to Ashdod and spent some time with friends in the city. The original plan was to do a hike at the end of my week off, but after looking at the cost for my friend and I to travel and do the hike, it wasn't worth the 400 shekels for us so we chilled in the city instead. I watched a few more movies including The American, 127 Hours, Leaves Of Grass, and The Fighter, all highly recommended!
The past few nights I have been tossing and turning and having nightmares, although I can never remember what they're about when I wake up in the morning. I think this is due to fact that I have had some anxiety about having a new living situation so late in the program, the stress of moving, and I have been worrying about a job interview I had today for a summer camp job in Israel this summer. I also have penned-up anxiety about the fact that my future over the next 6 or 7 months is not completely planned out for me and this is new for me. I'm used to having a plan in life and there is an exploratory part of my brain that is incredibly excited for my trip to SEA, the adventures it will bring, and the memories it will provide me with, however, the OCD part of my brain nags at me about not knowing the date I'm heading home and not having a job, a place to live, or a reserve in my bank account when I finally do land in Vancouver.
Today was by far one of the craziest days I've had since leaving home so far! I started with 4 hours at school alone because my partner didn't show up and neglected to notify me or my teacher. This meant that the teacher gave me some extra students to alleviate their disappointment in not getting a private English block. Great for the kids, but more stress and work for me! I then headed back to the villa, packed up all of my stuff and moved it to my new apartment (amidst nagging from one of my program supervisors), had a shower and took off to Kefar Sava for my job interview with E-Camp. It takes a little over an hour to get from Ashdod to Tel-Aviv by bus, where I thought I was catching a bus straight to the offices for the interview. Unfortunately, there was some miscommunication and they neglected to tell me that the bus was from the train station and not the bus station. I talked to Information, and the woman seemed very helpful when I told her the address and wrote me the directions by bus. It was supposed to take about an hour and fifteen minutes to get there, but after an hour and a half, I was getting nervous. My interview was at 5:00PM and I got off the bus exactly on time, except it really didn't look right, mainly cause the bus driver assured me it was my stop and I was on a bridge on the highway! I called the office only to find out the woman at information was completely wrong and I had to take two buses back in the opposite direction and it would take me close to an hour. Thankfully, they were both understanding and apologetic for the bad directions, and I arrived at the interview chuckling and not too phased by the situation.
The interview went quite well and 8 hours, 9 buses, and 65 shekels later, I arrived safely back in Ashdod! I haven't had the chance to unpack yet, and I'm typing this late at night, but my head is swirling with thoughts about the day and the new start I have tomorrow. I'm now getting quite excited for my new roommates to show up, 4 girls from a new program coming from the US and the UK, and I already know my other two roommates 'cause they're from my own program. It's time for new beginnings and at this point in my life, that is something I'm embracing more than ever! I think I'll sleep well tonight...
Ciao for now,
Max
It's been awhile since the last post, first due to a lack of much to report and then due to a very busy past few days which has kept me from spending time in front of the good old computer.
Since my last post, I had to say a lot of goodbyes, some of them with a sigh of relief, and others with a heavy heart. The Oranim group that started their program in August completed their 5 month tenure and the majority have headed back to the U.S and Canada. With only 6 weeks left in my own program at the time of their departure, it made it quite difficult to have to say my farewells and now be adapting to the arrival of a new group and a new living situation. But mostly, I found it tough cause some of my closest friends were part of their group, especially two of my roommates who I shared a bedroom with for the past 3 and a half months. I know it might be awhile before I see them again and I've really enjoyed their friendship. I will cherish the memories of hookah sessions on the balcony overlooking the city, copious amounts of card games, bonfires at the beach, sharing good music, and just good ol' argument for sport with my roommate Zach. If you ever read this Zach, I reiterate that the Star Wars prequels' storylines cannot be compared to all classic literature!!!
After saying my goodbyes, I had my 9 days off from the program, free from volunteering and free to travel around the country. I spent a few days in Tel-Aviv with my cousin Shira and her husband Omer, enjoying great food, watching True Grit, and catching up on some well deserved sleep and then headed to Haifa for a few days to spend some time with my aunt and uncle, where I did pretty much more of the same and got their help in further prep for my trip to the far east. After that, I returned to Ashdod and spent some time with friends in the city. The original plan was to do a hike at the end of my week off, but after looking at the cost for my friend and I to travel and do the hike, it wasn't worth the 400 shekels for us so we chilled in the city instead. I watched a few more movies including The American, 127 Hours, Leaves Of Grass, and The Fighter, all highly recommended!
The past few nights I have been tossing and turning and having nightmares, although I can never remember what they're about when I wake up in the morning. I think this is due to fact that I have had some anxiety about having a new living situation so late in the program, the stress of moving, and I have been worrying about a job interview I had today for a summer camp job in Israel this summer. I also have penned-up anxiety about the fact that my future over the next 6 or 7 months is not completely planned out for me and this is new for me. I'm used to having a plan in life and there is an exploratory part of my brain that is incredibly excited for my trip to SEA, the adventures it will bring, and the memories it will provide me with, however, the OCD part of my brain nags at me about not knowing the date I'm heading home and not having a job, a place to live, or a reserve in my bank account when I finally do land in Vancouver.
Today was by far one of the craziest days I've had since leaving home so far! I started with 4 hours at school alone because my partner didn't show up and neglected to notify me or my teacher. This meant that the teacher gave me some extra students to alleviate their disappointment in not getting a private English block. Great for the kids, but more stress and work for me! I then headed back to the villa, packed up all of my stuff and moved it to my new apartment (amidst nagging from one of my program supervisors), had a shower and took off to Kefar Sava for my job interview with E-Camp. It takes a little over an hour to get from Ashdod to Tel-Aviv by bus, where I thought I was catching a bus straight to the offices for the interview. Unfortunately, there was some miscommunication and they neglected to tell me that the bus was from the train station and not the bus station. I talked to Information, and the woman seemed very helpful when I told her the address and wrote me the directions by bus. It was supposed to take about an hour and fifteen minutes to get there, but after an hour and a half, I was getting nervous. My interview was at 5:00PM and I got off the bus exactly on time, except it really didn't look right, mainly cause the bus driver assured me it was my stop and I was on a bridge on the highway! I called the office only to find out the woman at information was completely wrong and I had to take two buses back in the opposite direction and it would take me close to an hour. Thankfully, they were both understanding and apologetic for the bad directions, and I arrived at the interview chuckling and not too phased by the situation.
The interview went quite well and 8 hours, 9 buses, and 65 shekels later, I arrived safely back in Ashdod! I haven't had the chance to unpack yet, and I'm typing this late at night, but my head is swirling with thoughts about the day and the new start I have tomorrow. I'm now getting quite excited for my new roommates to show up, 4 girls from a new program coming from the US and the UK, and I already know my other two roommates 'cause they're from my own program. It's time for new beginnings and at this point in my life, that is something I'm embracing more than ever! I think I'll sleep well tonight...
Ciao for now,
Max
Monday, January 3, 2011
"What You Once Were Isn't What You Want To Be Anymore..."
Hey folks,
Happy New Year to everyone! I wanted to write about something a little bit different this time rather than my daily itinerary in Ashdod. Not much has changed in that department: school has improved a lot and I've settled into a routine, program day-trips are still pleasant and enjoyable, and I'm still getting along with most of the people in my program. Being the time of the year for New Years Resolutions, I thought I would take some time for introspection. I'm not the New Years resolution-making type. I usually don't have the motivation to stick to my guns and keep up with a resolution for a whole year and I prefer to take baby steps rather than making grandiose efforts. However, the coming of the New Year has caused me to think about the past three and a half months (I can't believe it's been that long!), how I've changed or haven't changed, and new things I have discovered about myself.
I came to do this volunteer stint in Israel for multiple reasons. First of all, I really do enjoy volunteering and helping people. Whether it has been my position in the fraternity as philanthropy chair, my musical efforts in highschool at the Kitsilano Tsunami Benefit Concert, or dating all the way back to my trips to Blenheim Lodge to spend time with seniors when I was 8 years old, I have always gotten satisfaction out of a certain level of benevolence. I hope to continue this trend for my entire life and will seek future endeavours to do so. Second of all, I fell in love with Israel during my brief trip here for Birthright during June of 2009 and wanted the opportunity to return to see the real Israel. I wasn't so ignorant as to believe that the whirlwind tour we were fed for free during our 10 day stay was a realistic representation of the country. I wanted the opportunity to explore for myself and see if my appreciation for the homeland was authentic. I am happy to say that I have not been disappointed so far, and Israel really is a magnificent country. The landscapes, the people, the language, and the heart of the state of Israel continue to amaze me and I will definitely miss the country when I eventually return to Canada. However, the third and most important reason I embarked on this adventure, though some may say it is selfish and cliche, was and still is for self-discovery. After 21 years of living in the same city, most of that time spent living in the same neighbourhood and hanging out with the same friends, I needed something drastically different to really learn about the world and about myself. I am happy to say that so far I have learned more about myself than I thought I would. I had a close friend tell me recently that going away for a year is a life-changing experience, but when you return back home, nothing has changed, nothing except you that is. As I near the beginning of my fourth month abroad, I am sensing more and more truth in her wisdom...
The first and most striking thing I have learned is about my living preferences. I have lived in many different accommodations and with many different people over the past four years. In a fraternity with thirty guys.... in a fraternity with 30 girls... in a tiny basement suite with one of my best guy friends... in a tiny basement suite with one of my best girl friends... in a party house with 4 friends my age... and now, in a villa with 8 other people, all with very different personalities and ideas of what it means to be a roommate. Before coming to Israel, I thought I had it all figured out. I thought "Hey, I've undergone enough difficult roommate situations that I can handle anything!" Boy was I wrong! Never let your guard down and assume that you have mastered anything in life. There is always more to learn and more experiences to knock you back down a notch. Living in this villa has been one of the most challenging experiences for me so far in Israel, far outweighing culture shock, inexperience in a classroom, threats of a looming war, and a no-bacon diet! The unfortunate thing about the villa is well... almost everything! The place is quite run down, appliances don't work very well, heating and air conditioning are sporadic, the house sounds like it's going to cave in during a storm, and the majority of the people I'm living with are incredibly noisy, messy, and overall verging on inconsiderate when it comes to sharing a living space. This experience has really made me realize the err of some of my ways in the past when I lived with other people. Never again will I leave a dish unwashed next to the sink! When I return to Vancouver, I plan on finding an affordable place on the East Side and will either live alone, or with one other person. I am at the point in my life that I no longer appreciate living with a large number of people or with a large level of noise, and I can't tolerate a large level of clutter or mess! Maybe that makes me lame and a prude, or maybe that just means I'm growing up...
The second thing I have learned is that I tend to want to be perceived as a nice guy and will make sacrifices in order to uphold this perception. I have noticed this most with my current living situation. I won't say anything if noise is keeping me up because I don't want to be "that guy"... I'll let it go if the girls are letting in the cat sometimes even if it's giving me sneezing attacks... I won't protest if a roommate asks to smoke out the window in the house even though every bone in my body is telling me to say "no" so I don't have to smell it for the next 24 hours... these things seem relatively minute, but they build up over time and I find myself asking why I don't say something? Am I being a pushover? Why do I care so much about what other people think? With most of my roommates leaving next week back to the States, I will be moving over to the apartments to live with new roommates, and I'm hoping I will adopt a new, more assertive role where I can speak my mind, hopefully in the least abrasive manner possible.
I have also further solidified some of my pre-existing interests and talents over here. I love playing cards and shooting the shit with friends, learning new languages, and pushing myself to hike for the exhilirating view from the top. New interests have spawned as well, including a strong passion for cooking (something that runs in the family), and a talent for research into traveling. In fact, while my friend Bianca was here, she was so impressed by my organizational skills when looking at my SEA itinerary, she actually had a dream where I started a business in which I planned peoples' trips for them based on their personalities and interests, down to the last detail. She said her mom would book through me in a second! I know over the next few months, I will continue to develop many new hobbies and interests and drop others. My tastes change gradually the longer I'm away from home...
Living in Ashdod makes me realize how much I really do appreciate my life in Vancouver. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family, such amazing friends, and such an incredible city as the setting for my journies through life. I know that my perception of Vancouver will be different when I return, as a city is never quite the same when you have had the chance to compare it to others, but hopefully, life will seem that much richer when I step of the plane into my adulthood. Scratch that, hope isn't necessary; I know it will be richer.
As always, I love to hear what you guys think and I miss you all. Any comments are appreciated, whether it be advice, support, stories from home, or disgust at the ego-driven essay I have just posted for the entire public to see. And as always, feel free to guess what song I took the blog title from.
Ciao for now,
Max
Happy New Year to everyone! I wanted to write about something a little bit different this time rather than my daily itinerary in Ashdod. Not much has changed in that department: school has improved a lot and I've settled into a routine, program day-trips are still pleasant and enjoyable, and I'm still getting along with most of the people in my program. Being the time of the year for New Years Resolutions, I thought I would take some time for introspection. I'm not the New Years resolution-making type. I usually don't have the motivation to stick to my guns and keep up with a resolution for a whole year and I prefer to take baby steps rather than making grandiose efforts. However, the coming of the New Year has caused me to think about the past three and a half months (I can't believe it's been that long!), how I've changed or haven't changed, and new things I have discovered about myself.
I came to do this volunteer stint in Israel for multiple reasons. First of all, I really do enjoy volunteering and helping people. Whether it has been my position in the fraternity as philanthropy chair, my musical efforts in highschool at the Kitsilano Tsunami Benefit Concert, or dating all the way back to my trips to Blenheim Lodge to spend time with seniors when I was 8 years old, I have always gotten satisfaction out of a certain level of benevolence. I hope to continue this trend for my entire life and will seek future endeavours to do so. Second of all, I fell in love with Israel during my brief trip here for Birthright during June of 2009 and wanted the opportunity to return to see the real Israel. I wasn't so ignorant as to believe that the whirlwind tour we were fed for free during our 10 day stay was a realistic representation of the country. I wanted the opportunity to explore for myself and see if my appreciation for the homeland was authentic. I am happy to say that I have not been disappointed so far, and Israel really is a magnificent country. The landscapes, the people, the language, and the heart of the state of Israel continue to amaze me and I will definitely miss the country when I eventually return to Canada. However, the third and most important reason I embarked on this adventure, though some may say it is selfish and cliche, was and still is for self-discovery. After 21 years of living in the same city, most of that time spent living in the same neighbourhood and hanging out with the same friends, I needed something drastically different to really learn about the world and about myself. I am happy to say that so far I have learned more about myself than I thought I would. I had a close friend tell me recently that going away for a year is a life-changing experience, but when you return back home, nothing has changed, nothing except you that is. As I near the beginning of my fourth month abroad, I am sensing more and more truth in her wisdom...
The first and most striking thing I have learned is about my living preferences. I have lived in many different accommodations and with many different people over the past four years. In a fraternity with thirty guys.... in a fraternity with 30 girls... in a tiny basement suite with one of my best guy friends... in a tiny basement suite with one of my best girl friends... in a party house with 4 friends my age... and now, in a villa with 8 other people, all with very different personalities and ideas of what it means to be a roommate. Before coming to Israel, I thought I had it all figured out. I thought "Hey, I've undergone enough difficult roommate situations that I can handle anything!" Boy was I wrong! Never let your guard down and assume that you have mastered anything in life. There is always more to learn and more experiences to knock you back down a notch. Living in this villa has been one of the most challenging experiences for me so far in Israel, far outweighing culture shock, inexperience in a classroom, threats of a looming war, and a no-bacon diet! The unfortunate thing about the villa is well... almost everything! The place is quite run down, appliances don't work very well, heating and air conditioning are sporadic, the house sounds like it's going to cave in during a storm, and the majority of the people I'm living with are incredibly noisy, messy, and overall verging on inconsiderate when it comes to sharing a living space. This experience has really made me realize the err of some of my ways in the past when I lived with other people. Never again will I leave a dish unwashed next to the sink! When I return to Vancouver, I plan on finding an affordable place on the East Side and will either live alone, or with one other person. I am at the point in my life that I no longer appreciate living with a large number of people or with a large level of noise, and I can't tolerate a large level of clutter or mess! Maybe that makes me lame and a prude, or maybe that just means I'm growing up...
The second thing I have learned is that I tend to want to be perceived as a nice guy and will make sacrifices in order to uphold this perception. I have noticed this most with my current living situation. I won't say anything if noise is keeping me up because I don't want to be "that guy"... I'll let it go if the girls are letting in the cat sometimes even if it's giving me sneezing attacks... I won't protest if a roommate asks to smoke out the window in the house even though every bone in my body is telling me to say "no" so I don't have to smell it for the next 24 hours... these things seem relatively minute, but they build up over time and I find myself asking why I don't say something? Am I being a pushover? Why do I care so much about what other people think? With most of my roommates leaving next week back to the States, I will be moving over to the apartments to live with new roommates, and I'm hoping I will adopt a new, more assertive role where I can speak my mind, hopefully in the least abrasive manner possible.
I have also further solidified some of my pre-existing interests and talents over here. I love playing cards and shooting the shit with friends, learning new languages, and pushing myself to hike for the exhilirating view from the top. New interests have spawned as well, including a strong passion for cooking (something that runs in the family), and a talent for research into traveling. In fact, while my friend Bianca was here, she was so impressed by my organizational skills when looking at my SEA itinerary, she actually had a dream where I started a business in which I planned peoples' trips for them based on their personalities and interests, down to the last detail. She said her mom would book through me in a second! I know over the next few months, I will continue to develop many new hobbies and interests and drop others. My tastes change gradually the longer I'm away from home...
Living in Ashdod makes me realize how much I really do appreciate my life in Vancouver. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family, such amazing friends, and such an incredible city as the setting for my journies through life. I know that my perception of Vancouver will be different when I return, as a city is never quite the same when you have had the chance to compare it to others, but hopefully, life will seem that much richer when I step of the plane into my adulthood. Scratch that, hope isn't necessary; I know it will be richer.
As always, I love to hear what you guys think and I miss you all. Any comments are appreciated, whether it be advice, support, stories from home, or disgust at the ego-driven essay I have just posted for the entire public to see. And as always, feel free to guess what song I took the blog title from.
Ciao for now,
Max
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