The beginning of the Kibbutz

After being on the kibbutz for a week and a half, I am starting to find my feet and settle in. I have started to make friends and enjoying it so much.


When I arrived it was very intimidating. All of the volunteers had their "clicks"- they had made friends and did their own thing. Being the new kid isn't easy in any situation but slowly I started to get to know everyone. 


I work in the pardes (orchards) and work with such great people, they are so friendly and really take care of you. (all the kibbutzniks - the people that live on the kibbutz - are actually). It is really tough work and physically demanding but as time goes on I am getting into a rhythm and finding my feet. I am learning so much working in the pardes, I have learnt so much about trees and how to care for them, irrigation and insects. It really is fascinating and enjoy it so much. It is so peaceful.


The volunteers are from all over the world, we are like a mini united nations, it is so interesting to hear about who all these people have come to the kibbutz and what their lives are like. After hearing why some of the people are at the kibbutz, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have an amazing family, who supports me and care so deeply for me.


I am having such a great time and learning new things all the time, at work we have made a rule that I should learn one Hebrew word a day - I am really starting to get the hang of it and can have a small conversation, I really hope that I will be able to learn a great deal more and learn as much as I can.

The Holocaust Museum, Jerusalem, Israel 2 May 2012

Gloomy day in Israel today. I wanted to go to the old city in Jerusalem but sand storms and a bit of rain it wouldn't be very nice.

Instead I went to the Holocaust Museum. No words can describe it. Its a hard hitting realization of what Jews went through during the time of Hitler; the German takeover, the killing of Jews, women and children alike. If they were not being shot at point blank range into the pits that they themselves had dug, they were being gassed in huge chambers.

You are not allowed to take photos inside the museum, there is just too much to tell about, something everyone should see, if not because they are Jewish but because it has to be heard and people should know about it. It was a hard hitting realization of what people of families went through and the tragic battle they had lost.

Throughout the museum, there were many artifacts and remains such as letters, clothes, shoes and jewelry from the people that had died.

I remember reading a book called "the boy with the stripped pajamas"today after seeing the actual 'stripped pajamas'- the uniforms that Jews had to wear during the Holocaust - sent shivers down my spine.

It is a real moving experience. A lesson I learnt from it was that no matter who you are - black, white, pink, blue, Jewish, Christian, Hindu or Muslim - everyone has a past, everyone has a dream and everyone deserves a future. We are all people and should be given the same respect and humanity as anyone else

Jaffa, Israel. 30 April 2012

Today I walked around Jaffa - what a beautiful place. I walked through the old city and saw such beautiful buildings, so old and quiet. The people are all very friendly.

I took a bus into Tel Aviv and walked along the beach front to Jaffa, the sea is so calm and so blue. There is so much activity going on, people running, fishing, eating at restaurants and enjoying the beautiful day.

Along the beaches there are what looks like parks but they are exercise machines

I went into a mosque where i had to cover my arms and head, the lady didnt speak a word of english but brought me some tea and with mint leaves while I walked around the mosque and the gardens.

In the old city of Jaffa there are many curio shops and galleries, as I sat on a bench I watched all the tour guides come past - such enthusiasm, knowledge and excitement abouth THEIR city.

It felt as though I was walking through a history book. You hear about all the places in the bible and history books and its so amazing that you can actually walk the streets and be in those places that they speak of.

A very memorable day!

Week 1 in Israel

Greetings.


I arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel on Thursday, 26th April 2012. Not knowing what to expect I was excited and more that ready. After a very long stop in Germany I was tired and very irritated. 


My cousin met me at the airport when my flight came in at 3 am. I was lucky that I could go back to her house and sleep for a while.


It was independence day here on the 26th April so much celebration was taking place. We went to a barbecue (braai) the day I arrived where it was very interesting to see how there were so many people coming and going, each person that arrived had a dish in hand and settle into the festivities.


After spending the day here it suddenly hit me that I was a million miles from home and so far out of my comfort zone I was blown away. For weeks and months before I left, i was hardly phased about my departure and I was waiting in anticipation for the moment it would sink it. I think that moment struck while I was getting out of the cat at O.R Tambo International Airport where I thought I was going to have a heart attack but I survived it and started my journey. It was not until I was in Israel that I had realized and it had sunk in.


It was a tough day but I was fortunate that I had family around me. I think the hardest thing to comprehend was the language barrier, I was fully aware and prepared that I was going to a country where English was not in fact the first language, however I don't think I was fully prepared to the extent of my limitations. Not being able to open the fridge and read one word, not being able to watch a lot of TV, small things such as getting into the car on the wrong side. looking the wrong way when crossing the street. It is all part of the experience though and I am learning day buy day. I am already adjusting quite well I think, well... I can at least get into the car on the correct side for now.


I spent the weekend (Friday and Saturday) at the beach where everyone plays 'tennis' - bats and balls, plays their guitars and plays backgammon - apparently a very big thing in Israel. I have learnt how to play backgammon while being here, its not as easy as it looks but not as hard to learn either. Still very confused but im sure i will get better. 


I have 1 week before I go to the Kibbutz so will be trying to do a bit of traveling while i pass time. Would like to see a bit of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the next few days.


'till next time

A post from Germany

So, yesterday I left South Africa - what an emotional rollercoaster. I honestly didnt expect it to be this hard to say goodbye to my family.

I was so calm building up to the event until I got to the airport. But with the new life in mind and the full support of my family behind me made it easier to get through.

I landed in Frankfurt, Germany this morning to very chilly weather, thought the sun would come through but not today. I fly out again tonight and should arrive in Tel Aviv, Israel in the very early hours tomorrow morning. It is Independence Day in Israel tomorrow so will be spending the day with the family, whatever we will be doing.

Will be posting another update when I get settled in Israel, hopefully by then I will know what Kibbutz I will be going to and what I will be doing there.

Until then...

Im out.

My last day at work

Today marks the last day of work.

As I look around and start my goodbyes, I am reminded of the last few years that I have been here. Truth is, it hasn’t always been easy. There have been some extreme lows but I have also had some really good days. More importantly I have learnt a wealth of knowledge that I cannot only use in my career but also in life.

I am excited to take the next step in my life and learn so much more.

My graduatation day

As most people do, I went straight to university when I finished matric. As a naïve 17 year old, I had no idea what I was in store for. I had no idea what I wanted to be, what I was going to study and what was expected of me.

Luckily having an older sister who was already in the university system I thought I knew or had an idea of what I was doing. Little did I know.

I remember orientation week, where you go and mix with other first year students, a week where you are supposed to make friends and find your way around. It was not what I had expected and really thought and still do think that it is unnecessary.

Over the years of studying, I made some incredible friends and created bonds with some amazing people that will carry on for a life time.

University teaches you life experiences that you cannot learn anywhere else. You are given a timetable and left to be, you learn so much about yourself in terms of what you can handle, how you handle situations and what you can do to overcome it.

Varsity life. There is just no way to describe it until you have lived it. Partying all night, 7:30 lectures in the middle of winter, a staple diet of burgers and toasted sandwiches, winging exams, lift clubs, the library – the single most distractingly quiet place on earth.

I could not have gotten through the years if it was not for my family and friends. They were behind me every step of the way.

Thank you to all who were apart of my experience!