Trance Fest

O Boy O Boy what I weekend I had!! First it was a four day weekend score!!! Second party on the Kibbtuz! Third Eilat and last but not least Trance fest.

The start of my four day weekend was with speaking to a panel of bloggers from newspapers and the South African ambassador. Apart about being here at the Mochan is being a public figure in a way. There are always people coming here wanting to speak with us or interview us. Since I have been here I have spoken with at least 10 outside groups. After the panel I hitch a ride with a friend to Eilat and spent the day alone at the sea. It was SO peaceful!

Here on the Kibbutz there is a "pub" which is really a farm building but that is a story for another post. So Thursday night a Kibbutznik held a party at the pub because of some money he earn from being an officer in the army. (I know this was not clear but it was not clear for me as well) So for 15 NIS you could drink all you want and the money went to autism which meant we had to drink because it was for a good cause. The party was great but the best moment of the party was when one the blogger came up to me and said "It's weird to think that there are Palestine and Arabs here at a party celebrating someone in the Israeli army". What a moment to think yea how weird it is, but better yet how special it is that I get to live these moment everyday!!!!!!!

Ok enough about the Kibbutz party not the important stuff here. One of the Israelis (Shaked) asked if I wanted to go to a Trance Festival with her. It was called Desert Storm and it was located on the Dead Sea so Lama Lo (why not)!!! So Shaked, myself and 3 other American girls packed up our gear and headed to the Dead Sea for Desert Storm. We got to the Sea around 6pm and the Festival didn't open until 11pm so we set up camp at the sea. This trip was the trip of highs and lows starting with myself becoming ill from who knows what. So for the first five hours we camped on the sea my life goal was to keep food down and not total die of a head ach. So 11pm final arrives we pack up camp and move camp into the Festival and took a power nap till about 2am. Then the dancing began!!!!!!

The Best part about being in a Trance Festival in Israel is the way the Israeli dance!!! They move there whole body dance on there own and just look so strange, but it is so great! I have embraced the Israeli dancing now because it is so great just to move your body how ever and enjoy the music. So we dance until 4:30ish and then waited for the sunrise to begin dancing again until 9am. So if you are counting it is about 6 hours of dancing and it only 9am.

We came back to camp and found that two of our phones were stolen and a wallet. This brought the dancing to a halt and we dealt with the police for 2 hours or so. After dealing with the police and some more dancing the 3 other American and an Israeli boy (he join us around midnight) decide they were going to start hitch hiking home but Shaked and I stayed. We danced for 2 more hours or so and then decide it was time to head out around 2pm. So we packed up called some kibbutznik that were camping north of us for a ride. We get outside the gates of the festival and there are the 4 others still trying to hitchhike. IT IS NUTS TO BE WAITING THAT LONG FOR A RIDE. We felt bad since we had a ride and a place to go so Shaked went over to try and help. Man or Man was someone on our side because Shaked puts her arm out and a empty tour bus stops. The bus was heading down to Eilat to pick up a tour group so he agree to take the four of them for free all the way home! It has to be the best all time hitchhiking story ever.  With the four of them safely off to the Kibbutz Shaked and I are able to go up north and enjoy the spring with the Kibbutzniks. So you can now see why it was the trip of high and lows but it was the BEST TIME I could have asked for. I have so many more stories to tell about what happen but they will be so much better in person so don't forget to ask.

Kibbutz

I had a hard time this week trying to figure out what I wanted to blog about. Up to this point I felt like my stories have been over the top and this week was very clam. We had Halloween on the kibbutz and everyone picked on the Americans for this crazy holiday. So I was thinking that I would talk about life on Kibbutz Ketura even though earlier I post that you would wikipedia (Israel/Arabs say Vicky Paydea).

So lets start with what is a Kibbutz? A Kibbutz is an area which is collective community in Israel. Yes this means a Kibbutz is mainly a Socialist community. Everyone works together to make sure the Kibbutz makes money and continues to maintain this set lifestyle. This does not mean that you can just pack up and move on to a Kibbutz. There is a process/application which one need to go though to become a member of a Kibbutz. Yes it is like a gym you are becoming an apart of a Kibbutz you join as a member other wise you are an outsider. Being a member means that you have to work on/with the Kibbutz to make money, help clean, and take care of one another. There are different kinds of Kibbutz with different beliefs and some are becoming private. All Kibbutz are different but the main goal is equality.

I live on Kibbutz Ketura which is located about 40 Km North of Eilat and about 10 Km from Jordan. Kibbutz Ketura was founded 40 years about by a group of Americans and it about 7 Km^2 in area. I believe there are about 140 members on the Kibbutz but I don't really know for sure. There are more then 170 people that live here and there is a kind high archery in place. The highest people being the member of the Kibbutz this means that you are able to use all of the Kibbutz and live in one of the Kibbutz house. A member also has a job on/set by the Kibbutz and the wage is set by the size of your family. Kibbutz members also have more then just a job they also have Toranut some where on the Kibbutz. So a member that I know is a teacher/PhD but her Toranut is to wash the cows in the morning. The main point is that members are equal and all take part to ensure the Kibbutz makes money. Within the member there are different sections: bachelors, young marries adults, young families, families and older adults. All there people live and work on the Kibbutz.

Next in the high archery is permeant residents of the Kibbutz. These are people who are not members but have a house/permanent home on the Kibbutz. These people are usually married to a member or work for the Kibbutz. Next is the Volunteers which are Jewish people who have come to Israel to spend time volunteering. They work odd jobs such as kitchen, Landry, and maintaince around the Kibbutz. Then there is the Garin which are Israelis doing a year of service before going to the army. These kids help out like the Volunteers but they also have army training like ROTC. Next are the Mohona which is what I am. Mohona stand for institute which includes students and intern. Last are guest to the Kibbutz, these are people who come on tour/visits. The last two have the lowest standing with in the Kibbutz we are unable to use all part of the Kibbutz and are kept further away from the main area of the Kibbutz.

Here on Kibbutz Ketura they have four main ways which they make money. First is the Mohona and the students which come here to study. Second is an Alge factory where they produce alge that is used to make fish food.  Third is Refit (Dairy Farm) and last is gardening. These four areas produce an income for the Kibbutz members and Kibbutz budget.

Kibbutz Ketura is not considered a religious Kibbutz but they are Kosher and observe Shabbat. This doesn't mean that all the member in there home observe these practices it just means that in public places everyone observes. The main part of this is remembering to not use my cell phone or electric doors on shabbat. Shabbat includes Friday night dinner and special lunch on Saturday for Kibbutz dinning. Dinning on the Kibbutz is a lot like dorms in colleges, we have set hours were you can go eat each meal.

I am not sure what else to say about what a Kibbutz is but life here is very slow and easy going. Everyone just takes life at there own pace and enjoys every moment they can. I never thought I would be living in a Socialist community in my life. Let alone really enjoying the life style of the Kibbutznik!!!!!

Hong Kong

I don't have much to say here mainly pictures. Before I came to Israel I stop off in Hong Kong to visit my friend Grace who lives there. Here are some of the picture from the trip.

Cheeseburger

Ok my new goal is to create a post once a week so I can keep a log of what is/happening to me here in Israel but also keep you all informed about my life here. So this post is about this past week and a lot has happened!!!!!! But I feel like most of it is not what I would enjoy sharing over the internet sorry!  So I have been thinking what would I like to share this week and I though Cheeseburger!!! So most of you might think what the f is she think Cheeseburger but trust me it will all make sense soon.

So an slight update about what has happen here at the Kibbutz over that past week before I get on about the cheeseburger.  So we got back from our trip in the old city and we also had the addition to our campus life crew! Lex whom is the head of our well being wife had there first child!!!  This Past weekend was the 40 anervissery of the Kibbutz so what else would you do but hold a big ass party!!!!!! Since so much had happened and there was a party what else shall we do but Party Hard!!!!! What A Night WE all Had!!! Most people don't remember what happen or just say Thursday night!! Also the next morning was rough since we had actives to attend to. O well it is a night we will never forget and a morning we all wish we could forget! So we had a busy week here with the 40 year, new baby, and coming home from the old city!!

Getting back to the Cheeseburger. So if you have forgotten or didn't know israel is a Jewish state. When people are jewish they more then likely observe kosher. Which is a dieter habit were meat and dairy can not be mixed. It might be dawning on you why I said Cheeseburger!!! THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CHEESEBURGER HERE!!!!!!!!!!! Your meals are either a meat meal or a dairy meal. The day start with a dairy meal at breakfast which mean there is no meat for breakfast. This is not a big deal for me since I don't eat a lot of meat for breakfest back home. The bigger deal is getting used to an israeli breakfast! Back home a meat free breakfast would be cereal or eggs no problem but here we eat veggies and sauces.  It is so weird the breakfast here it really just a salaed bar for breakfast! Then we have lunch and thank god it is a meat meal. This means we have a choice of a meat dish and the same salaed bar for lunch. Just a reminder there is no dairy with meat. So no milk, no cheese, no yorgort, no Dairy at lunch. It is something you might think what is the point of me bitching here but when you really don't have the choice to have dairy with meat you really miss it!!!! If someone is really kosher they can't even have dairy within a set amount of hours of meat. We also have separt dishes for meat and dairy meals. I alway fuck up the dish or I forget that my coffee cup (not kosher) can't be near the meat dish. Ok back to the meals after we have our meat meal at lunch we go back to dairy for dinner. Which believe it or not but dinner and breakfast is the same meal here. So for all those time back home or those time you say I love breakfast for dinner think twice about it! I eat breakfast for dinner every day and I am going nuts!! The moral of the story here is that a lot of crazy shit happened here this past week that doesnt need to be on the internet for the rest of my life. Also I really really want to have dairy with meat no questioned asked. Please feel free to eat a cheeseburger in my name this week!!!!!!