Flying Among the Stars

lianarothman — Sun, 4 Nov 2012 16:20:00 GMT

Leaving Israel last night was refreshing, exciting, a little nerve wracking, and dream-like. Ever since I attended an international interfaith program two years ago and met people from Cape Town, I knew I wanted to go. Hearing about the aesthetics, culture, and people from South Africa, I was enticed. Who would have thought two years ago when I was dreaming about coming, I'd be sitting in the airport in Johannesburg about to spend two months here?

The flight from Tel Aviv to Addis Ababa was an overnight flight. Occasionally, when I looked out the window, I saw an unbelievable amount of glittering stars, as if they were winking at me, saying, "see what happens when you wish upon a star?" I had never flown among the stars before. And last night, it felt like they were my stars. Like everything was lined up exactly as it was always meant to be.

The airport in Ethiopia was fascinating. I met a woman from Thailand and a women from Moldova. Everywhere around me was bright, colorful clothing with full patterns. Everyone seemed to have a slight smile in their face, as if everyone knew exactly how I was feeling.

Flying into Joannesburg, South Africa, it seemed like every house around the airport had pools. Unlike Ethiopia, which looked like a giant checkerboard from the plane, with green and beige squares, villages thrown in between, and a few towering mountains scattered around, Johannesburg seemed filled with houses and trees and a lot of green.

I am heading to Cape Town in two hours and will begin my one month volunteer teaching project tomorrow with an orientation. I am unbelievably excited and ready for this experience.

I don't know how often I'll have Internet access, but I'll write when I get the chance. Feel free to email or Facebook me and I'll respond whenever I can!

Much love.

A Morning in Jerusalem

lianarothman — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 02:08:00 GMT

Stepping out of my brother's hip, centrally located, apartment building in downtown Jerusalem, a cool gust of wind greets me. I look around. To the left there are three men taking out the trash, or cleaning up around the big trash can and the area, or really just standing around smoking cigarettes. Next to me, in the cute little all-natural foods cafe, the employees are preparing their shop for what's sure to be another busy day. Across the street are two Hasidic men, either arguing or praying... sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. There are your typical, grungy, Jerusalem cats, meandering around the area, looking for food and friends, and seemingly finding neither. I wait to cross the road until a taxi drives by, honking as it passes to see if I might be the first customer of the day. The sun, still low in the sky, is making me wonder why I'm wearing jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. Crossing the street, I pass two elderly men, sitting at a table, their coffees untouched, just watching the morning unfold. Turning the corner, I narrowly avoid a head-on collision (no thanks to her) with a rushed business woman holding a briefcase, a coffee, a newspaper, talking on her cellphone, and looking through her purse flung over her shoulder, presumably wondering if she remembered her keys this time. 7:55am my cell phone reads. I pass a few more cafes and stores preparing for their day, as well as a few more rushed business folks. A young boy and girl are running down the street, probably late for school, with the girl's braids flying out from behind her and the boy's backpack carelessly left unzipped. Now I am at the train station, and seem to be the only person actually pleased to be awake and going somewhere this morning. Everyone is tending to their own business: talking on their phones, eating a croissant from Marzipan, or just sleeping on the benches next to the ticket machine. The train arrives with it's gentle dings, reminding me of the church bells that would ring every few hours in Italy, no matter where you were. The train is practically empty, and still has that clean and airy feel that it loses by about 1pm everyday. Whizzing through the streets of Jerusalem, I get off at the square a few blocks from the apartment. Everything is as it should be, and my morning in Jerusalem is quickly passed, with the sun a little bit higher in the sky, and the morning dog-walkers already finished their duties.

Gap Year-ing it Around the World

Flying Among the Stars

A Morning in Jerusalem