Surprise Falafel!

This day seemed like it would be ordinary, but it wasn't. However, the day before yesterday was also important. Something that looked like a mantis, but brown and fat, the size of my thumb, made its way into the corridor. It made noise, really loudly, Howard, the finder, thought there was a person outside our room. Kevin the hero shoved it out the door with a broom, while Simon screamed, slammed his own door, and ran into the room across. I've been told you could hear the shouts from all of us in the other corridors.

Anyway, Martin is back! The very charismatic danish guy arrived earlier, awesome as ever. Yesterday, I don't think a lot happened, but today, a ton of things happened. Got up, went to work, going to my usual place when the foreman tells me I'm working at another place in the apple factory today. A lot like the regular place, but more relaxed, and you can actually talk to people while you work. The Druze girls who work there are really interesting, so I could chat instead of listening to music. Druze is a religion that's supposed to be pretty strict - the girl belongs to first the father, then husband, and is not allowed to talk to men, drive, go anywhere on their own, and they have to marry another druze or leave their village. The ones I work with, are really nice, normal, talk to everyone, and don't seem to follow even half those rules. Just a nice change. When I get back, I get ready to wash my ties...

Martin shows up going "Hey, you want to go to Haifa in 8 minutes?", completely out of the blue, but I'm all for that. He's gotten a ride from Eliran the member's mother, who is helping Eliran's brother Ishai move in Haifa. So off we go, an hour and a half later and we're in the German Colonies, looking up at the Ba'hai Gardens, it's beautiful, but we couldn't get in since there was a massive convention for the leaders of the Ba'hai religion. Still, pictures will come tomorrow. We talked a bit to a guard there, and she recommended we take the bus up to a promenade with a beautiful view of the city. We did, but got off at the wrong stop, about 6 kilometers off when we asked for directions. Still got good pictures. Then we headed down towards the city centre, had falafel on the way, then took the Carmelit, which is a mix of a ski lift and a railway - the cars are built at an angle, it looks really weird. Well there, we were supposed to take the bus to meet up with  Eliran's mother, but Martin felt like hitchhiking instead. So off to Akko we go, meeting a new friend on the way, so now I know people in Haifa AND Tel Aviv. Got a sim card too, so I'll be able to use my phone now. Woo! :D Anyway, exhausted, and I have to work somewhere else tomorrow, so I have to sleep now. Plus Howard's bugged by the klatter of my keys. Well, goodnight world!

"I was pooping!"

Iannis the french guy said this thursday night, in an unusually french accent. We were watching Firefly, and I've become quite the fan. We played basketball, just about everyone was awful, but absolutely no one cared. It was so much fun. AND I got off work early that day. Not quite worth getting up at 4, but still, it's something. Then last night, parties, trying to learn how to tie an Eldregde Knot, will keep working on that. Partying, and I as usual lent people ties. Most were returned without hassle, except the last one. When I got it back the day after, I got it from someone I'd not known had worn it. So, it has been around at LEAST 6 necks that night, and between one person's teeth. People here know how to party.

Anyway, on to the important stuff today! The kibbutz organized a trip, so it's the first time I've been outside the kibbutz since I got here.

 On the bus there, I had an hour to kill, and realised we usually had an amazing view, and could see far, far into the distance. It's not as good as Ireland in that respect, but it's still been oh so lovely.

 Beit Shearim, a wealthy person's house, from about the 2nd century BC. It's been speculated that it belonged to Rabbi Yehuda Hannasi, the person responsible for writing down the Mishna, the second most important jewish document. It's a gathering of all of the oral tradition from his time, stories told from father to son over generations, all the way back from Moses, I think.

 Just Windzer, Swedish Daniel, Pernilla and Philip chilling by the ruins. Philip's leaving soon, sadly enough. I'll miss the naughtybottom.

 The entrance to the Necropolis, where they buried all the dead from Beit Shearim, not much more to say about this part. It was interesting just walking around, looking at all the sarcofagi.

 Interesting carvings on one of the sarcofagi, the guide couldn't tell me what it was, but it was interesting nonetheless.

 Amanidav, the guide, posing next to a replica of the Menorah carved into the wall in the largest part of the Necropolis. One of the few times he wasn't currently telling us anything interesting.

 Nicolai and his interesting hairstyle posing during lunch. He's still trying to creep me out from time to time, and failing miserably. For lunch, it was nothing fancy, just the basics - bread and hummus. The most important parts of any israeli meal. Any further questions about this, I'll answer gladly. In the morning. I need to sleep now, though. Bye! :D

Pirates. Pirates everywhere.

People have left, but now new people have arrived! An english bloke sharing my room, and a new swedish girl named Jilena, interesting name. So we've mostly been showing them around, though I've been grumpy. Had to get up at 3.45 to work, and I couldn't sleep since the new guy is interesting. The good news is that I only had 6 hours of work today instead of 8. So I've been out in the sun since I got off work at 10, reading the second Game of Thrones book. Well, trying, and falling half asleep.

Now we've mostly been making awful jokes during dinner, things have been lost but I have lazily solved problems. Now I'm off to try and play basketball! :D

Small nipple explosion.

That is the only phrase I know for sure in korean. Why you'd ever need anything else, I don't know. The last few days have been really mixed, and odd. Jack, the great british guy, has just left the kibbutz, not working  hard enough apparently, so they wanted him out. I think we'll all miss him, though he's gotten a new job just 20 minutes by car away. He's a really good person, but sometimes things just don't work. In response I've worn my black tie. Felicia left today as well, and Santiago is leaving soon too, but they've been here long enough already, they'd have to become citizen to stay here any longer. On the bright side, there's a new volunteer joining us in a few days. A swedish girl, apparently. And everyone's positive about that - there's been too many guys getting here lately, or so I'm told.

Anyway, on to the better stuff. I've started scaring the crap out of Nicolai. He's been trying to freak people out since he got here, it seems, and I do that to him in less than a minute. So much fun. After what he described as "a bad experience at a gay bar" (involving 5 other guys, but only 1 pair of handcuffs, apparently, but hey, I don't judge.), he spazzed out when he sat next to me in the club, and our thighs accidentally met. I'm having so much fun with that.

I've watched the latest Game of Thrones episode with the other enthusiasts... It was, as usual, awesome. Then Firefly, but sadly Helga was hogging all the Lasse. I had no one to cuddle with (Well, could have done with Harald, but... He's small and boney. No dice.) but enjoyed it nonetheless. Might pick up roleplaying games again, since Iannis the French Guy and Harald the Bony Parkour Norwegian were up to playing as well. Now... I need to sleep, you have to if you're going to work. After all, all those apples aren't going to pick themselves! Goodnight!

No photos for you!

Just a general update - the internet's been down the last few days, but I've not done much anyway. It's been raining the entire weekend. It's just been making plans for next week, watching firefly with the other volunteers, playing with my old Nintendo DS - surprising amount of people wanting to fight me on it.

And ties. Ties have become the center of attention. My ties, of course. Wore one of my more awesome, pink ones, to a party, and a girl wanted to try it on. It looked great, said just about everyone, so it stayed on her. I lost 3 more ties to people that way over the night. Getting them back, but realising I need more of them. I wonder if I might have started a fashion... I'm doing the Tie Committee's work, without realising it at first. Now, sleeping, since the apple factory's waiting in the morning!

Electric Cat Throne

Also known as The Ocean Of Apples, or Day The Second... Without Sunscreen!. Yesterday was Independence day, so we had the day off, which meant I don't think anyone ate breakfast after the massive party, everyone was knocked out. The partying kept going pretty long, and everyone seemed to have a great time.

 On the day off, we had a barbecue, lots of meat and pitas filled to the brim with vegetables and hummus. Then we watched some films. Well, some did, and kept watching Workaholics after The Hangover. While the more sensible ones were playing chess. Everything was indoors since it was the first day it'd rained since I got here. Of course, holiday means rain. :D

 At dinner, Eliran, a member at the kibbutz, and Naama, seen above (With Martin pointing at the door, for some reason, but I'm going to say that he's drunk and falling over while making a nazi joke.), sat by us, talked, laughed, and stuff. Turns out Eliran was looking for someone to play video games with, one of the characters naming this entry. Me and Simon joined him gladly, until he had to sleep early - had to get up early to get back to the navy and invade Fra- uh, mop the poop deck. so we hung out with Naama a bit more, learned that she's got a couch for couch surfers, and she apparently loves to make new friends, so if you're ever in Tel Aviv, I suggest meeting her, she's great. :D

Today, more apple packing, I've been really busy, and all over the place, and ate pancakes twice today because... Kibbutz! And I've repaired my computer, that's been acting up lately. At least it's working now. Well, off to new adventures!

4 O'clock

Got up at 4 to work, cleaning leaves off the apples before they're sorted into boxes. Everyone had a half day, ending about noon, but so did I, which means I worked full time, unlike the other swedes that started at 9. So work work work, then watched Game of Thrones in the common room, lots of fans of the series here apparently. Then lying out in the sun, playing chess, half falling asleep. Next came Independence Night.

 The kids were cheering - had an organized number and everything, in a ring of candles. There were songs, poems, and then...

 Fireworks. Loads of fireworks, it was spectacular.

 The dining hall, it's about as big as it looks, and decked out for the celebration.

 Luan and his partner whenever Rain isn't nearby - bread. What'd Israel be without bread?

After the dinner, there was singing and dancing on the tables, for what seemed like ages. Everyone were in a really good mood, laughing and cheering all the time. So yeah, despite the awful morning, it was a pretty damn good day. And I have tomorrow off. :D Now, off to the pub with the rest of the volunteers!

15 Shekels worth of apples

 First day of work today. Got up at 6.20 to go to the "apple factory", where the work pretty much consisted of getting a box, filling it with the apples the foreman told me were good, then repeating for a few hours. After lunch, everything had to be cleaned. All in all, I worked about 8,5 hours, a normal workday around here, with 3 breaks all in all. The weirdest thing is breakfast, as you work for about 2 hours before you eat. I  make 15 shekels a day from the work, to be spent at the Colbo whenever I feel like it. I had friendly coworkers, and could just zone out and listen to music while working. But with the different classes of apples, I'll never be able to think of them the same again.

Tomorrow I'm getting up just before 4. Instead of the pool, where they said I'd work then, I'll be removing leaves from the fruits before they're sorted. Woo!

After we were done, we went off to the Colbo, the small store just over the street from the factory - they have soft drinks, tooth paste, peanut butter, staple removers... Just an assortment of odd and possibly necessary stuff. That's about what has happened today. I'll be playing tennis and getting to sleep early tonight.

Friends everywhere!

The day begun with Simon the swede, my roommate. Nothing special about him - not the smartest, strongest, or drunkest, but a really nice guy, and good at tennis. Glad to have met him. :D

 Then on to playing chess. I lost that one, but like the previous between Simon and Windsor, it was a close call.

Pernilla, one of 10 swedish people here. All in all, I think we have 6 colombians, the swedes, 6 south koreans, then a mix - american, british, french, etc.

 The brightest and most sober people always seem to make their way to the roof...

 Windzer playing what little guitar he knows. While looking awesome.

 The Common Room, where we don't hang out except while eating or watching films. Not shown is the wall with the massive flatscreen, and old PlayStation, and bookcases filled with DVDs, tennis rackets and the like.

 Lasse the danish guy, who actually knows how to play guitar, with Lucas the brasilian in the background.

Not much more to say, you now know more about the volunteers around here. All around nice people, communication's a bit weird, as half is in swedish, and the other half in english. A lot of different experiences, opinions, thoughts and crazy talk. Tomorrow, I'll start working, and I'll update you about that then, no sooner. Cheerio!

Night the second

Okay, I'm here. Took 17 hours from Kastrup, but I'm here. It could be worse, though. The other swedes had a longer flight to the middle landing in Prague, AND had to wait 7 hours in the airport. When we got here, we were all so exhausted we just slept, pretty much. Had lunch first, but sleep's much more important at that stage. Anyway! On to the pictures!

This is the main gate. One of the things to make me nervous - gates and barbed wire fences, and at least 5 people just on the train with loaded weapons. Then at least 7-8 AT the kibbutz, from the nearby military base, who visited hoping to buy some things from the local store. NOT used to that yet.

And here's how just about every road looks, well kept, and everything's just so GREEN. We have about 20 degrees here, which is apparently pretty cold for the israeli spring. But all the swedes agree that it's lovely.

Here we have my room, not much, but it's a good place to store all my crap. :D My roommate's the swede Simon, great guy, like all the people here.

The view from just about anywhere in the kibbutz is great - you can see tonnes of small villages in the distance, and if not that, forests.

Playing tennis is one of the main activities in the afternoon. At least right now, besides basketball and football. Later, it'll be swimming as well, once the pool opens. I noticed I'm terrible at tennis, but with practice, I'll be okay. Hopefully.

The art museum here, at the kibbutz, seems really interesting, but so far, I've only been able to get a look while passing. I'll visit and take more pictures later. Requests for specific images are always welcome. If you want to know anything at all about the visit, just ask. Might've missed something. Now I'm off, the other kibbutzniks want me.