A bit of Boston

Yet another reason to appreciate the Internet....

I have been enjoying listening to sounds of Boston right here in our apartment in Jerusalem! 

My favorite radio station in Boston, WUMB 91.9 FM, features both fledgling/local musicians and the more successful and better known folk singer songwriters.  You can listen to the station live on the Internet.  You can also access 24/7 and commercial free music selections on this station's website. 

My favorite music stream choice is here.

For those of you living in the Philly area...this station is comparable to WXPN...but even better and worth checking out.

Random Ramblings

I know that everyone benefits from the wonders and conveniences of the Internet.  However, I do think that living abroad...one appreciates the Internet even more.  Not only is it incredibly easy to keep in touch with family and friends spread across the globe...the Internet is also such a great resource.  I have often thought about how challenging it would be to live in a new land if 1) it took 6 weeks to send/receive any news from home and 2) you had no where to turn to find immediate answers about your new land. 

I am also learning something else that is wonderful about the Internet...it is a great resource for cooking.  This website, Simply Recipes, is my favorite source of recipes on the Internet.  (Karen and Sharon - you should definitely take a look!)

And when living in a Metric World outside of the US, the Internet provides a reliable and quick resource when needing help with measurement conversions. 

Honestly I don't know why the US doesn't just adopt the more sensible metric system!  Metric is so much simpler...and as this picture reveals, the US is practically alone in its loyalty to the the English measuring system.... 

I was curious about why the US has remained so loyal to the English system.  I learned that the US officially legalized the use of the Metric system in 1866!  However, the use of the metric system remained voluntary and everyday Americans never adopted it and were never forced to adopt it.  US governmental efforts are ongoing (I was surprised to learn this!) to make the change to metric more mainstream in America.  Will we ever go metric in the US?!?   Just in case someone is interested in this rather random topic...here's the link to my source - History of Metric in the US.

In Search of a Mona Lisa

It is said that a Mona Lisa can be found in the Galilee region of Israel...and we went in search of her! 

Zippori is an impressive archeological site that are the remains of a major Roman city in the region.  Archeological work is ongoing and they expect to uncover a lot more in the future.  Although the remains are impressive...including a network of streets paved by the Romans and a large amphitheater...the mosaics are the most enjoyable at this site.  The attention to detail in each mosaic is telling of the creative artistry of the craftsmen who built these beautiful images out of bits of stone, tile and glass. 

The sheer number of mosaics that have been uncovered at this site attest to the wealth of this city during the height of its power. 

We were successful in finding the Mona Lisa!  It is an impressive image of a woman made out of bits of stone and tile...and she really does appear to be looking directly at you. 

 

 

An ancient water reservoir was also uncovered at the site.  It is believed it could hold enough water to meet the needs of the city for 2+ weeks! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An "alternative" group photo taken while resting in the shade and drinking some refreshing cold water.  Both are essential to survive the heat of the midday Israeli sun. 

Mount Tabor

We drove to the peak of Mount Tabor the evening of July 4th to enjoy the view and a beautiful sunset.  Mount Tabor is said to the location of the Transfiguration - when Moses and Elijah came down from heaven and spoke with Jesus.   So of course, there are a number of churches perched at the top of the mountain! 

 

The Gate of the Wind - the remains (the gate has been restored) of a wall that surrounded this area during the crusader period. 

 

 

Looking towards the Galilean hills and Nazareth through the gate. 

 

 

 

A beautiful sunset. 

 

 

A group photo taken in front of the Greek Orthodox Church.

 

 

 

The Nolt cousins planning their next Israeli destination!

Celebrating Independence Day in Nazareth

For the holiday weekend, J and I visited my cousin who is currently volunteering at an inn in Nazareth.  We have only ever passed thru Nazareth, and were therefore looking forward to spending some extended time in this Arab-Israeli city.  Nate is leaving Israel in the near future and will continue his adventures in Africa before settling back into the routine of medical school in September.  We wish him all the best and hope his time in Israel was all he hoped/wished/dreamed it would be.  In the picture, we had just finished lunch at Nate's favorite Arab restaurant. 

The lobby of the Fauzi Azar Inn, an inn geared towards independent travelers (i.e. hikers, people not traveling in a tour group, etc.).  The inn is located in an old Arab mansion in Old City Nazareth.  A maze of streets that can only be navigated by foot lead you to the door.  The lobby is beautiful with large windows inviting the sun and breeze indoors, high ceilings, and a lovely outer courtyard.

The ceilings of many of the rooms are so beautiful!  This is the ceiling of the main lobby, a mural painted around 100 years ago.  The picture doesn't do the ceiling art justice. 

 

 

Looking down at the outer courtyard at night. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nate took us to this delightful spice shop around the corner from the inn.  The smells were fantastic...I wish I could share them via a photo.  The shop has been run by the same family in Nazareth for 100  years.  The shopkeepers, two brothers, were very friendly and gladly showed us around their store. 

Graduation!

Two weeks of hard work completed...and I even got a real diploma!  I am far from fluent, but I must say that I learned a lot of Hebrew in these two weeks.  Thanks to the patient tutelage of my teacher (Idit) and my dear husband reviewing the vocab with me, I think I will even remember a lot of what I learned. 

I can now read Hebrew...very slowly, can write Hebrew...very slowly, have basic conversations using a lot of basic but helpful nouns and verbs, and ask some important questions.  
But I also learned some practical details from my teacher.  Such as - the location of a great clothing store in the new city center and where to find the best bakery in German Colony (our neighborhood) off the main street.

The challenge will be to continue using what I have learned and memorizing more vocabulary.  I am going to continue with some extra courses at Ulpan Or.  They have a program called "T-Ulpan" which involves touring different areas of Jerusalem.  You go with an ulpan teacher, but the student actually is the tour guide.  They give you a book beforehand filled with the vocab you need for each tour.  Sounds fun and a helpful tool to not only learn my Hebrew but also to learn a little more history about Jerusalem sites.  Ulpan Or also has a program called "Cafe Ulpan" where you meet a teacher for coffee at a cafe and practice Hebrew by ordering food and conversing with each other only in Hebrew.  Activities like this should boost my confidence and firmly plant Hebrew in my brain.  

So next week I am off to the Souk (market) with Idit (my teacher) and another student.  It will be extremely practical for me.  I will learn about the history of the famous market, and I will also get to practice my Hebrew firsthand in buying fruits and vegetables.  That skill will be useful for the duration of my time here in Israel!

Day 3 - Stukjes in a Barn

When J and I were planning our wedding, it was quickly apparent to me that a traditional wedding rehearsal on Friday evening would not "fit" our needs or desires.  Instead, we invited our family and friends to a party in the barn on the farm where I grew up.  While enjoying some delicious BBQ chicken and ribs, we were entertained with "stukjes" - traditional Dutch wedding entertainment about the couple and "performed" by family members and friends.  There are no rules with stukjes.  Stukjes can be serious or funny; read, acted or sung; involve the bride/groom or the audience, etc.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday evening is one of our best memories from our wedding.  It was such a fun time - filled with laughter, joy, memories of the past, anticipation of the future, and even a few tears.  Enjoy these photos of the stukje highlights!

My Boston roommates sang a song about a few of my favorite (and not so favorite) things...to the tune of "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music".

 

 

My sister and brother-in-law presented us with a bag filled with items representing the keys to a happy, strong and successful marriage. 

 

 

My London flatmates and college friends shared memories of that infamous semester abroad in '97 and the many wonderful experiences since then. 

 

J's uncle read us a poem which he wrote himself.

 

 

 

 

My parents shared memories of my childhood growing up on the farm and welcomed J into the Sauder family.

 

 

 

J's friends shared their favorite (and craziest) memories of J... and asked me if I was very sure I really wanted to marry this guy?!?

 

 

 

J's father shared memories and pictures of J throughout the years and welcomed me into the family by presenting me with a set of silver cutlery (which many European children receive at birth). 

 

J's sister presented us with an anniversary calendar made by J's aunt.  Each month, on our anniversary, we will pull out a little note about love and marriage.  

 

 

 

 

 

J's brother and sister-in-law challenged us to a series of Dutch games to determine which one of us is the "most Dutch"! 

 

 

 

J & I give a special thank you to my brother, sister-in-law and their children for all their hard (and very dusty) work to prepare the farm for this special evening.  Thank you!
And it only seems fitting to post a picture of this beautiful farm where we held our Stukjes party.  It's a beautiful place, and I am so happy that my brother and his family are now living there.  Selfishly, I'm just glad I still get to go "home" when I visit PA :)  Sharing my farm home with my family and friends is a very special wedding memory for me.