Is{this}rael?!: Israel at first glance

After spending a week in Israel my first thoughts on the country is that it is AMAZING ! I really do not even know where to begin. Probably the first thing I noticed was the food. I heard rumors of people losing weight When They came out here for a month But I do not see how That is Remotely Possible. Everything comes with a side of hummus and pita bread and the portions are huge. Just check out the photo below. That is Shakshuka Served in hummus. Are you kidding me? It was fantastic. Some of the best things I've Had out here are the fish and chips, Calamari, seafood paella, Shakshuka and Mediterranean pizza. The people are really funny too. I upset the cashier at the Cafeteria at work Because I only got a salad one day. She called the manager over and said something to him 'and gestured at my plate Which only Had a salad and some hummus. I was not very hungry and all I wanted was a salad. Well she was not having it. The manager Told me That They charge one price (36 shekels) for a meat plate, a side salad plate, a desert and a drink. I said OK well can I just pay the 36 shekels for the salad and he Looked at me like I was crazy. So I went back in the Cafeteria and got a soup, a desert and some chicken dish and went back through the line. I went to the same lady again and Asked "Is this good? " She Looked at my tray, Which was full of food, and shrugged Her shoulders. It was hilarious. Like an Entire tray of food was not good enough.

Shakshuka Hummus

That Leads me to the next thing I noticed about the country. The people here are really nice even Though They are a little forward.. But That is not Such a bad thing. Someone here Mentioned That Because everyone is so forward, you know exactly where you stand with them. They tell you exactly what's on Their mind But are Respectful about it. Everyone I've met has been super nice and excited to have people by visiting Their country. A country They are very proud of. Also, everything here is centered on family life. Families are always walking around together and there are parks all over the city. You Can just tell That family is the most Important thing here. You get the best sense of this on Saturday's or "Shabat." Saturday is Their holy day of Shabat. On Shabat, nobody works and a Majority of the stores and restaurants are closed. Families pack up and head to the beach all day. It's a really awesome culture .

Lastly, the sights are amazing and the country is beautiful. Israel is on the Mediterranean so the beaches are great and the weather has been perfect since I got here. Everything is very lush and green Which is a pleasant change from summer in Arizona. And the best part Of the sights is the history. We went for a drive today through a national park just South of Ashkelon, where we're living for the time being. While we were out we just came Across some 3000 year old ruins of the first city of Ashkelon. Then, last night. While some of the guys and I Were walking around Old Jaffa we came Across a church where Napoleon housed His wounded Soldiers. It's crazy to think about some of the most famous historical figures in history Walked down the same streets. The streets in Jaffa are made of stone and are worn down to a smooth finish. They're so smooth, almost slick.

Like I said, my first impression of Israel is it is a beautiful country with a rich heritage. The only thing I dislike so far is that my best friend Is not here to enjoy it with me. Soon enough Emily will be here and she ' ll love it just as much as me. This is going to be a fantastic adventure.

And by the way, this is my first blog post. I had to write it in a word document and then post it to the blog because I'm using an Isaeli website. Everything is written from right to left, So when i pasted it to the website random words were capitalized and punctuation keeps going to the beginning of the previous line's sentence instead of the end of the one I am typing. Hope the post makes sense.. Sorry if this is super confusing.