Christmas in the Holy Land

Ok so I think it clear that there are not to many people outside my circle of friends who read these posts. So I don't feel like I have to explain too much into how much I dislike Xmas. So this year I was super pumped to spend it in the land of the Jewish people were xmas is not the least bit important!!!!!! So Sabba!!!!!

For some reasons not having xmas shoved down my throat or being forced to do anything, all I wanted to do was to celebrate xmas. So I rock the xmas Love here in the land of the Jewish!!!

So I started with making my family secret xmas cookies for the xmas party we were having at the campus. I made the dough, which is a large task, and then I figured no one is going to want to help me make the cookies because everyone hates making xmas cookies! Boy O Boy was I wrong! My three friends went nuts over rolling out the dough and cutting out xmas shaped cookies. I didn't even help once!! It was so great and they had so much fun!!! We rocked out the night with normal Jewish holiday food and my xmas cookies on Dec. 23.

I know how self-center this is going to sound but I figured that everyone knew about Santa/xmas story even if they were not Christian. Even though America claims to be freedom of religion, this is not very true since everyone’s holidays are around the Christian faith. So being the dumb American that I am I assumed wrong about everyone knowing about xmas. Almost no one knew the stories biblical or myths (red nose reindeer and all!). It was so much fun to tell everyone the xmas stories and even catch up on my biblical knowledge to share my holiday with everyone. So my friend Dor asked why doesn’t Santa visit the Jewish people and my very rude but fun answer is that Santa Hates the Jews and Muslim. So as xmas came closer in time we kept this joking running. Being the very sweet and nice person that I am I spoke with my mother and had her buy me 50 beer koozies for Xmas and mail them to me. There is a back-story to this gift but the moral here is that no on has seen a beer koozies till I showed up. On the night of xmas eve eve Santa made a special trip to visit all the Jews/Muslims here in the middle of the desert! It was so much fun to here everyone talking about Santa coming to their rooms and some claiming to hear Santa! Best part of Xmas!!!!!!

After being Santa little helper I packed up and headed off to find xmas!!!! If you got the hint from my last post you might be able to guess were I went, but I will help you out. THE BIRTH PLACE OF JESUS CHRIST!!! ON HIS BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!! If you don't know were this is its in Bethlehem in the West Bank. Unfortunately because of a bunch of conflict issues my Israeli friends were not allowed to come but I had so much fun. It was an experience of a lifetime to see people celebrating the birth of Jesus and nothing really about American xmas. The whole night was a party and to pray/celebrate Jesus Birthday. SUPER NUTS!! I got to walk the route that Mary came into Bethlehem to the church with the parade and then saw Manger Square. It is the exacted spot were the nativity set comes from that we all place on our fireplaces. I got to see it!!! Ok I am starting to brag too much I think but I ended the night by having a dancing party in the pub till 4am.  Here are the pics of the time in Bethlehem!

Honor

So I have been thinking a lot lately about the differences between Israel Vets and American Vets. I will be the first to say that I do not support the war in the least bit!! But I know when I see a solider in public that person desivesrs the most rececpest that I can give. I also believe that I will be hard pressed to find someone who dose not agree. It is see in American that people whom serve in the armed forces are hero and should be honored. I am by no means disagreeing with this fact and I believe the longer I spend in Israel I value this more. This issue I am having is that here  Vets are not viewed in the same light.

Once again I will start with a little lesson: every citizen of Israel must sever in the army, like a draft in America. So Israeli finish high school and start the army shortly after. The main difference here is that since everyone serves in the army or goes to jail that they don't view members of the armed forces as country heroes. To added gas onto this fire the Arabs really really don't see the israel armed forces in a high light. I truly understand why the Arabs have such a problem with Israel army but it is truly hard for me to hear them say it to people whom have severed in the army.

I believe that I am leftist person and that I truly don't support the war/soilder back in america. But, I have this problem that everyone in my family has served/drafted into the armed forces. This background has created this view I have on the Men and Women who serve our country. This who view/ideal is throw out the window here!!!!! We spend hours talking about one Israel severing in the Army because they have no choice but to go. This is viewed as such a bad thing that these men/women went to the army to protect the country. It also breaks my heart to see the Israeli be hurt by the actions that there army has completed.

This blog has been kinda all over but I am not sure how to express what is happing here for Vets. This could be because I am bad with words but I think it is because of the different life style that people live here. Everyone in Israel seaver in the army or goes to jail no problem, but the question comes for later in life. What do you say to the Arab that you meet after your time in the army for the action that have happened. In America we fight wars and create victims, but we don't have to see these people. In Israel these kids are shipped off to the army and told to follow orders till they are 21, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. I turely believe it is a shame that the Israeli people sometimes feel shame from serving in there army. At the same time I understand why they feel this shame and believe that they should feel this shame.

The moral that I am trying to make here is that Happy Vet day to every member of every country Armed forces. I what you to know that becoming a Soilder to serve your coutary is the Ulimate action. I also want to say that not matter what happen or whom the fight is with, the point is that you deceived to be honored because of you services.

PS. If you know any thing about Christianity you might have a good guess about what my next post will be about!!!

Trip

So my plan for this post was to talk about this super cool trip that was planed to the north into Bedouin villages. So the trip came around and my American boss came to town so no trip for me!!! So I pack up left the Kibbutz and started the journey up north to the Bedouin Village were I work. It was great to final meet everyone and start working!!! Later everyone from the Mochan came to see my project and I join them to see Gaza!

Yes I have seen the crazy place known as Gaza!! If you not understand how crazy this is then study up on the middle east. The moral of the story here is that no one can go to Gaza or leave Gaza since the 90's. So most people inculding arab to have not even see Gaza but one of the Mochan Student here lives on a Kibbutz about 5 Km from Gaza and actual has had rockets fly toward her home before. It crazy to think is all I have to say!!!!! So here are the picture of Gaza.
 PS: The smoke is Gaza burning trash because they have no other way to remove trash from what I understand and the tank is posted there because something was going on but not sure what.

Since this post is also about three weeks late I though I would also say that I came back to the States for one of my BEST FRIEND WEDDING!!!!!! What a trip I had as well. Most people though I was nuts for doing it but I am so happy I went to spend the special day with Bethany and Chris!!! I believe that is all the updates in my life but its the end of the first day of the week so you never know what will happen here!!!!

I want to Start with I am not in the right state of mind!!!

If you didn't get from the header I am not sure you know who I am. No problem!!!!! All I really wanted to say is I am not sure if any of you are reading this blog or if you really like this blog. I really don't care either way. So I though I would ask what you would like to know about my life here in Israel. If you know my email feel free to let me know if not please comment. It is that time again and I am not sure what I want to talk about or if any one cares? So I want to know what you what to know.

Thanks

What a Difference in Life!

I have been thinking for some time now that I wanted to post something about the conflict here. The problem about writing about the conflict is that I really am not apart of the conflict. Yes if you at any point have seen the news John Kerry is working on a peach agreement. But, I personal am not effect by the conflict or in the past been effect by the conflict. I am not jewish nor do I have any roots to Israel so I can not even claim that I have this small connection to the conflict. The point I am trying to make here is that I really have no place speaking about the conflict.

What I would like to share is that I am living in Israel which is located in the Middle East (just in case you didn't know) and life is so different than in America. The Kibbutz which I live on is located just 10 Km from the boarder of Jordan and every day I get to enjoy the sun setting in the east. But, every day I also enjoy sign of the past tension between Jordan and Israel. These sign of tension have not left the daily sight of Israel an most likely will stay for some time. The most in your face sign is a build code set in place by the Israeli government.This build code states that every building needs to have a BOMB SHELTER. It is crazy as an engineer to think that building are built with the idea that they might be bombed. These bomb shelters not just with in the homes of Israel but every were in public. Myself being an American who have not been raised around these fears. I at first didn't see these public bomb shelters  as Bomb shelters  When walking by them and being from the midwest they look like a tornado shelter but with my time in Colorado I knew is was very unlikely that tornados would hit the region. So after weeks of trying to firguare out what these shelter were to the point were I couldn't take it any more I asked a friend. Why do you need the tornado Shelter in the middle of the Desert? She just laughed at me for think that these shelter were for tornado. So lets just say every one got a good laugh about this story.

This story got me thinking about what different lives we all have grown up around that a shelter can be too completely different things. So I was thinking that I would share the differences between living in a country at Peace vs. Conflict. Like I said before there are bomb shelter every where not tornado shelters. The next major difference is the amount of air traffic which is heard. I can not tell you a day were I have not hear a fighter jet flying over me or helicopter back in the states. These sound still after two months stop me dead in my tracks because they are almost always flying over. Most of other students are so used to these nosies that they don't even notice it. When I was up north very close to the West Bank and Gaza I don't think the sound of fighter jet didn't stop for three days. These sounds are something that if heard in America people would wonder what are the plane doing or not even sure it was a plane. In Israel they are so common that its like hearing a car drive by.

The moral of my story here is that Israel within a conflict and because of these the people have large tolerance for sign and sounds of conflict everyday. These are sign/sounds that to me make me feel very uneasy and worrisome like some of the other Americans. It is crazy to think that a whole country dosnt stop dead in there tracks at what I view as sight/sounds of War!