Its strange to write 'day nine' at the top of this post. Besides for it meaning nine straight nights of barely any sleep...it also means that this program is almost over and its really sad. This is one of the most amazing experiences in lives and its flown by too fast!
Anyway, there will be time to be sentimental when it is over...for now, lets review today!
So we struggled to get out of bed (as usual) and (I, at least) sleepwalked onto the bus.
When we arrived at the school, our first activity was run by on of my favorite people ever, Shani! And since she is probably reading this...thank you so much for everything and have a great deserved holiday!!!
She introduced the theme(s) of the day: Education (and later, Nature).
She asked us each to say something positive and negative about the schools we are in and stressed the fact that our entire childhood, about 12 to 14 years, is spent in school! Then she asked us to write down something that a teacher said to us about five years ago. The responses were hilarious, especially becuase we had to say it in the accent of the teacher!
After her activity we met my other favorite person ever, Yaakov Hecht!!! The reason behind everything! He showed us a fascinating slideshow about Education in the world and what it is doing to people and what Democratic Education is and the difference between its methods and the regular education system. I have tried to take pictures of the slideshow so you can see what it said in general there. Then we were joined by Michal and Galit! the AllGo designers from the first day of the program. They gave us all a present of a slideshow of the pictures of our activity with them and we al got their autographs on the cd's and exchanged email addresses. I must say, the most amazing thing I personally am taking from these ten days is great friends! It really was an emotional farewell to Shani, Galit, Michal, Yaakov and Reshef.
Then we had a bit of a break and chilled out in the playground followed by a much appreciated lunch of unlimited pizza!
Then we had a cool activity led by the one and only Reshef in which we had to make up our own language! The results were brilliant! I must admit that I was writing the blog hakadosh while the next activity went on but rumor has it that it was amazing!
We had another short break before we all piled into the Ethiopian hut.The pictures will have to do justice to the structure because it is/was indescribable! We were greeted by a man (pictures!) who is 45 years old now with three teenagers but who, when he was 15, fled from Ethiopia to the Sudan and from there was helped by the Jewish Agency to come to Israel. We were joined by his lovely, gorgeous daughter, Cherut, for the presentation with him and we all hope she will come back tomorrow!). He was followed by his family of 12. He lives in Givat Olga and has built a hut just like his home in Ethiopia (except that theirs had two floors and was bigger) and is planning to grow ethiopian plants around it and furnish it just like his home. It is beautiful and extremely intricate, yet he managed to build it with the ethiopian children of all ages in Givol.
We started our walk through the sand dunes soon after. It was sweltering hot so wasnt easy and we kept on being stopped by Ila to be shown different animals homes in the dunes! We finally sat down in the middle of the desert. Ila started to translate what the Ethiopian man was saying (I apologise, I have forgotten his name!) and he was saying how in his country they use the sling in wartime and it is a very effective weapon and is made out of the Eucalyptus plant. It is also used in many other ways. He then demonstrated the slingshot. It was incredible! It went so far and made all the sand shoot up like a bomb had hit it when it landed! He then told us how when he lived in Ethiopia he used to catch 24 partridges for his mother every day! He said there are a few partridges in the desert we were in and there would be a good chance we would even see one.
We then climbed up the most impossible sand dune but every step was worth it when we reached the top. The highest point on the coast for miles. It was breathtaking and gorgeous! Just check out the pictures! We watched the sunset and had a group picture. Unfortunately, Meri, Linor and Avital werent there and were really missed. Of course we will have more group pictures though.
We then walked about ten minutes to the local forest (of course there would be one!) and were greeted by our local lifesave, ROTEM!!! She had set out a whole mat for us to sit on and started the fire and preapred the food. She is/was amazing!
In short, because i must sleep, we had a beautiful bonfire and barbeque followed by an equally beautiful kumzitz! We were there in the pitch dark till about 10.30pm when our buses came to pick us up. It was sad to leave but tomorrow will be really cool but wont ruin the surprise!
Guest Tomorrow: DANNI FRANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good night!
Brocha
Monday, August 4, 2008
Day Eight
I apologise to all the avid readers of our blog for the delay in the report of one of the most interesting days so far: Sunday. The theme was the comparison between rich and poor.
Many of us had a reeaallyy late night and had trouble waking up but we all made it to our first activity at the hotel...the Israeli girls came to us! We played a really funny game where everyone, once reaching a certain point in the game, had to make up a new rule for the game and it was unchangeable. For example, someone made up a rule that whatever anyone rolled on the dice was split in half...making the game reeaallly slow! The point of the game was that everybody is trying to move forward and reach their goals, yet simultainiously we must bear the effects of the decisions that other people have made.
Then we all climbed onto the bus for our ride to Tel Aviv. Tefilas Haderech was courtesy of Linor and Dana this time and we arrived at our destination: the slums of south Tel Aviv, with a short stop at a Falafel shop. Rotem made an announcement that anyone who wants to wash as the falafel was hamotzi, should do so inside the shop... soooo we got off... to our amazment, Emanu also wanted to, then Noa and Koral also came! I showed them how to wash, step by step...the broachos etc etc and after I was so proud of them! We were hugging and taking pictures lol... the best part was that THEY were the ones who initiated it and THEY were the ones who were proud of themselves :-)
After lunch we met our tour guide who led us in the sweltering heat past the Central Bus Station and then stopped in a park to talk to us. She explained about the problem of Israeli immigrants, about how they're not jewish, and the non jewish immigrants cant get citizenship and nor can their children, even if they are born in Israel. However, in comparison, the Jewish Imiigrants who make aliyah get money and citizenship. This creates a big gap in society.
We will write about Monday on tuesday because Brocha reeaallly needs to sleep tonight so please bear with us!
Many of us had a reeaallyy late night and had trouble waking up but we all made it to our first activity at the hotel...the Israeli girls came to us! We played a really funny game where everyone, once reaching a certain point in the game, had to make up a new rule for the game and it was unchangeable. For example, someone made up a rule that whatever anyone rolled on the dice was split in half...making the game reeaallly slow! The point of the game was that everybody is trying to move forward and reach their goals, yet simultainiously we must bear the effects of the decisions that other people have made.
Then we all climbed onto the bus for our ride to Tel Aviv. Tefilas Haderech was courtesy of Linor and Dana this time and we arrived at our destination: the slums of south Tel Aviv, with a short stop at a Falafel shop. Rotem made an announcement that anyone who wants to wash as the falafel was hamotzi, should do so inside the shop... soooo we got off... to our amazment, Emanu also wanted to, then Noa and Koral also came! I showed them how to wash, step by step...the broachos etc etc and after I was so proud of them! We were hugging and taking pictures lol... the best part was that THEY were the ones who initiated it and THEY were the ones who were proud of themselves :-)
After lunch we met our tour guide who led us in the sweltering heat past the Central Bus Station and then stopped in a park to talk to us. She explained about the problem of Israeli immigrants, about how they're not jewish, and the non jewish immigrants cant get citizenship and nor can their children, even if they are born in Israel. However, in comparison, the Jewish Imiigrants who make aliyah get money and citizenship. This creates a big gap in society.
In contrast, we then went to the Ramat Aviv mall in North Tel Aviv where we met Shani who gave us a questtionnaire that we had to fill out in pairs throughout the mall. We had a great time, between iced coffees,"Pull and Bear" and our inexplicable attraction to the Sherutim... We sat outside the beautiful beautiful sanctuary, and had a discussion, led by Shani, about the difference between North and South Tel Aviv and the intangible (financial & psychological) barrier that stops the people from the slums going into the mall.
Afterwards, we took the short trip to Eurocom where we were going to meet Moti Elmaliach and Arnon and KEREN!!!! Uri, our bus driver, was a good sport and got himself stuck in an impossible dead end just to bring us door-to-door. After confusion about which floor 'komah Shtayim' was exactly we entered the most incredible room ever. Please please just look at the pictures, it was indescribable.
Hi Michelle here, gonna try describing! It felt very empowered just sitting there, in that room, with more tvs and gizmos.....ahh i give up just look at the pics....
Hi Michelle here, gonna try describing! It felt very empowered just sitting there, in that room, with more tvs and gizmos.....ahh i give up just look at the pics....
He showed us a video clip of a well known international musician and then showed us an example of a child from Givat Olga with the same talent who had fulfilled their dreams at such a young age. Then he told us his story:
He grew up in Olga. When he was 13 - he sold watermelons until his religous dad choose to put him in boarding school in Jerusalem. This, he says, was his break into the world and he is eternally grateful to his father for pushing him although at the time he didnt appreciate it.
He explained how most schools teach maths science english etc but the givat olga school teaches hairdressing mechanics, building work etc. he told us about how Yaakov Hecht, the National Director of Democratic Education, was given 300m NIS from the mayor to open more schools like Givol and about how after 8 months they wanted to close the school down because there was not enough money and they didnt think it would work and then came along Arnon Katz, who saved it and helped make it what it is today.
Then came along Liora with worlds most classic question to the owner of one of the biggest communication companies in Israel that is the power behind companies like Panasonic among others. She says...'but what do you do - like whats ur job????'. Just classic!!!
Somehow it turned into another 'we love Brocha' fest in the middle as well. After his fascinating talk, Arnon told his story: He had just gone to India and he said that if you think givat olga is poor then they are kings to compare to what he saw in india (we reminded him that he said the same about Madagascar!) - you dont no how lucky you are and where ever life takes you always must remember your routes and never forget where you came from. Then we voted: which person is easier to succeed in the business world, someone from a rich backround or someone from an average income or less than average income backround? Also about the fact that if you believe in something, you have the power to make a change. Then Moti gave Brocha, Arnon and one of the Israeli girls a present: a digital photo frame to remember all the things that had happened. As a surprise, Moti and Arnon took us out to the Chinese restaurant (which was fabulous!) anyhoo to get there, we had to cross a bridge, which (MICHELLE said) was metaphorical of the bridge we all had crossed :-).
He grew up in Olga. When he was 13 - he sold watermelons until his religous dad choose to put him in boarding school in Jerusalem. This, he says, was his break into the world and he is eternally grateful to his father for pushing him although at the time he didnt appreciate it.
He explained how most schools teach maths science english etc but the givat olga school teaches hairdressing mechanics, building work etc. he told us about how Yaakov Hecht, the National Director of Democratic Education, was given 300m NIS from the mayor to open more schools like Givol and about how after 8 months they wanted to close the school down because there was not enough money and they didnt think it would work and then came along Arnon Katz, who saved it and helped make it what it is today.
Then came along Liora with worlds most classic question to the owner of one of the biggest communication companies in Israel that is the power behind companies like Panasonic among others. She says...'but what do you do - like whats ur job????'. Just classic!!!
Somehow it turned into another 'we love Brocha' fest in the middle as well. After his fascinating talk, Arnon told his story: He had just gone to India and he said that if you think givat olga is poor then they are kings to compare to what he saw in india (we reminded him that he said the same about Madagascar!) - you dont no how lucky you are and where ever life takes you always must remember your routes and never forget where you came from. Then we voted: which person is easier to succeed in the business world, someone from a rich backround or someone from an average income or less than average income backround? Also about the fact that if you believe in something, you have the power to make a change. Then Moti gave Brocha, Arnon and one of the Israeli girls a present: a digital photo frame to remember all the things that had happened. As a surprise, Moti and Arnon took us out to the Chinese restaurant (which was fabulous!) anyhoo to get there, we had to cross a bridge, which (MICHELLE said) was metaphorical of the bridge we all had crossed :-).
We had an amazing time!!! Michelle taught Arnon and Moti the table beats:
"EVERYBODY DANCE DOWN!!! *BANG CLAP BANG*
TWO TIMES!
*BANG BANG CLAP BANG*
THREE TIMES!
*BANG BANG BANG CLAP BANG BANG BANG CLAP BANG BANG CLAP BANG*
BREAK IT DOWN NOW!
*BANGCLAP BANG BANG CLAP BANG CLAP BANG BANG CLAP BANG CLAP BANG BANG CLAP DOUBLEBANG CROSSBANG DOUBLEBANG UP!!!*WOOOO HOOO!!
Needless to say; twas a big hit.
Brocha got up and said a massive thank you to Hed for all her work, rotem for keeping us alive and Nechama for everything. Lihi also said thanks to Arnon and Moti for what they were doing for us! We also discovered that one of the waitresses was from Givat Olga!! She joked "oh you are too? So you can help me with the dishes!" We took pictures, videos, had a blast in general. We love Keren, Moti and Arnon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We had blast on the bus ride back after an emotional parting from Arnon and Moti and Keren and collapsed asleep when we got back to the hotel.
We will write about Monday on tuesday because Brocha reeaallly needs to sleep tonight so please bear with us!
Love, Brocha and Michelle
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