Ein Gedi Seminar Weekend

Shalom Ya'll! Happy April to all you fools. I hope you had a prankful day! I am not feeling very mischievous after the long weekend and Sunday work week. But let's be honest, I don't need it to be April 1st to cause mayhem.

Last week I completed my third week of interning/handed in my time sheet for March. I met with my internship coordinator over coffee and a croissant. He asked me about my likes/dislikes/hopes/fears/aspirations/etc. It is nice because I believe his Tel Avivian "campers" (for a lack of a better term) had a 20 minute session. I sat with him for nearly an hour. I think he was surprised when I said I loved Jerusalem and am happy here. My only complaints statements were that the majority of the people (and my friends) live in Tel Aviv, and 98% of everything (including public transportation) is closed on Shabbat in Jeru...which is inconvenient to say the least. Oh, and the sidewalk hills are very slippery...but what can you do? Go back in time and ask King Whats-His-Face to use a different stone? Everything is fine - הכל בסדר

But I digress... This weekend we had a seminar in Ein Gedi (for those of you who don't know, it is on the Dead Sea). Our program hosted this seminar so we could meet Israelis our age and discuss a wide variety of topics. Most of the discussions got heated. Especially the last discussion we had. Our facilitator gave us a word or phrase, and we had to say "Beseder" or "Lo Beseder" (Ok or Not Ok). Topics included, but were not limited to, legalizing marijuana, the release of Gilad Shalit, marrying Jewish, and Big Brother. (obviously I said beseder for Big Brother for my big brother). Israelis and nonIsraelis alike are very opinionated - and in a room full of advocates and future-lawyers, you are destined to have an intense debate.

We had time on Friday to go to the Dead Sea before Shabbat. I went on Birthright ::cough:: a few years ago, so I was really excited to go back. Unfortunately, the terrain was a bit more rugged than the spas they take you to on Birthright... so after cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof stepping it, we made it out in onto the water. It is a crazy sensation - for any of you who have not gone in the Dead Sea - I highly recommend it. Just don't splash...because if you get it in your eyes, it burns like a B. Floating around is quite the workout, too.... I mean...if you are trying to doggy paddle over to your friends, and then someone grabs on to your ankles and hitches a ride....and maybe even someone grabs on to her ankles! I became the human tug boat.

Synchronized swimming would be less impressive if it took place in the Dead Sea...

And of course we took a few of these.... before Aaron came and started to Gator-Chomp us...

I love how Molly still manages to sit like a lady in the water...

Saturday we took a hike walk out doors with a man-made path/stairs through the Ein Gedi Nature Preserve. I don't know if that is its official name, so just go with it. We "hiked" David's Stream - the Hebrew translation probably sounds better, you lucky I remembered the English! So we enjoyed the beautiful weather. Some of us enjoyed the waterfall/fresh water pool.

Ein Gedi... Israel's Niagara Falls. So naturally we took the Maiden of the Mist to get there.

I really enjoyed seeing the diabetic sand rats (remember from the Negev?). They were just chillin'...in trees - managing their blood sugar, checking their A1C levels in the shade, and laying spread eagle on a rock. These rats (hyrex - also microwavable safe) are pretty awesome. I even saw one scamper across the land - it makes me happy to see they know the simple steps, like exercise, they can take to prevent diabetes.

It's 4pm, and this poor guy probably needs a glass of orange juice pick-me-up.

All in all, it was a great weekend. (Though, I could use a nap). I met some cool Israelis and learned their perspectives on a wide range of topics. Also, sorry for taking pics from the Internet or the guy who took pictures all weekend long... I left my camera in Molly's bag...so I'll get it this weekend before our 4 day hike: Yam L'Yam (Sea to Sea)!