Yesterday was the first day of programming, and it was great to begin to meet my fellow ITF members better. We spent the early afternoon hours in our floor's bomb shelter--a room I now jokingly refer to as the sauna, as bomb shelters are not well known for their ventilation and air flow--covering some basics about the program and our locality. After that thrilling slideshow, which our program leaders Maor and Michal managed to make funny (albeit sometimes just as a result of poor English skills) we were divided up into groups for a city-wide scavenger hunt.
On this exploration adventure we had many tasks and locations to document. We scoured the city for monuments such as a statue of David Ben Gurion at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev and some local nighttime hotspots. The tasks included taking pictures with falafel makers and Israeli soldiers and nurses at the local hospital. One of the more challenging tasks was to take a picture of three strangers acting out the "hear no evil, speak no evil, say no evil" monkeys. While on the university campus we found a group of students studying on the lawn and quickly requested their assistance. After deducing they spoke English we discovered them to be German exchange students and became enthralled in a lengthy conversation about our respective experiences, their favorite local spots, and just enjoying each others' pleasant company. I was a bit embarrassed that I have lost all but snipets of my high school German, but regardless it was a welcomed interaction.
By the time we finished or conversation with our new found friends, we had accepted that winning the challenge was no longer in the cards; yet all of us agreed we had stumbled upon an experience few others would have gotten. After a few more hours of wandering and getting lost (my favorite way to learn about places) we made our way back to the apartment in time for our next activity--a picnic!
Our leaders had picked out a phenomenal spot at the Monument to the Negev Brigade which overlooked the entire city. The memorial, which commemorates the Palmach's Negev brigade that fought for Israeli independence in 1948 and conquered Be'er Sheva, is an abstract concrete fort with tunnels, towers, and spires. One part in particular, a dome shaped room, has amazing acoustic designs that make even the slightest sounds resonate and echo. As we munched on pita and hummus, surprisingly my first taste since arriving, the sun began setting over the sprawling city, illuminating everything with an amazing red glow that reminded me of the Binary Sunset in Star Wars Episode IV.
This may sound weird, but it has not really sunk in yet that I am in Israel and will be for the next ten months. So far it is almost as if we are just all beginning a regular college experience, but I am sure that will all change as we delve deeper into the program and begin teaching.
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