Tel Aviv
I went to Tel Aviv this weekend. From a city over 3,000 years old to one under 100 years old in under an hour. I can't really describe this weekend better than these pictures.
I think two other experiences are worth noting. While staying in the hostel, I roomed with a 31-year old Japanese botany student named Mitzulo. Although he didn't speak much English, I learned that he had been traveling the world for the past few years, visiting places such as Thailand, Laos, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. We talked about many things: Israel, our travels, Japanese popular opinions, global warming, religion, food, and finally BASEBALL. The globalization of the game is incredible. Although we were two people from opposite sides of the world, we were able to discuss the same players. It was interesting to hear about his experiences, but it was even better just being able to connect with someone from the other side of the world.
The other experience I wanted to share was my ride back in the Taxi. Because the taxi driver was from Tel Aviv, he did not know how to get to specific areas of Jerusalem. Luckily, he had a GPS system in the cab that allowed him to type in an address and receive oral instructions in Hebrew. The only problem was that the thing would always give him the direction right before he had to turn. So, the whole ride back, this machine would spit out instructions too late and he would mumble back at it angrily in Hebrew. When we reached Jerusalem, the GPS led him to the ultra-orthodox village of Mea Shearim. Because it was Shabbat, he was not allowed to drive through the village, so he had to go around it. "The GPS does not know Shabbat." I just thought that conflict between religion and modernity was an interesting story.
I think two other experiences are worth noting. While staying in the hostel, I roomed with a 31-year old Japanese botany student named Mitzulo. Although he didn't speak much English, I learned that he had been traveling the world for the past few years, visiting places such as Thailand, Laos, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. We talked about many things: Israel, our travels, Japanese popular opinions, global warming, religion, food, and finally BASEBALL. The globalization of the game is incredible. Although we were two people from opposite sides of the world, we were able to discuss the same players. It was interesting to hear about his experiences, but it was even better just being able to connect with someone from the other side of the world.
The other experience I wanted to share was my ride back in the Taxi. Because the taxi driver was from Tel Aviv, he did not know how to get to specific areas of Jerusalem. Luckily, he had a GPS system in the cab that allowed him to type in an address and receive oral instructions in Hebrew. The only problem was that the thing would always give him the direction right before he had to turn. So, the whole ride back, this machine would spit out instructions too late and he would mumble back at it angrily in Hebrew. When we reached Jerusalem, the GPS led him to the ultra-orthodox village of Mea Shearim. Because it was Shabbat, he was not allowed to drive through the village, so he had to go around it. "The GPS does not know Shabbat." I just thought that conflict between religion and modernity was an interesting story.
posted by Nate | 2:45 AM
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