Last week was packed with opportunities to learn more about Israeli culture with the Oranim program.聽 We stayed in Kibbutz Ramat HaShofem, one of the first kibbutzim set up in Israel.聽 The original kibbutz system was set up with a mix of socialist and zionist ideals, focused on communal living.聽 This kibbutz has lost many....
Three reflections from India
India is a land of vast diversity. So far during our time in India we have experienced a plethora of different religions, customs, rituals, ways of life, cultures, etc. A prime example of this has been the clear contrast of our recent village study in the Himalayan Mountains to the rest of our stays in....
Stories from Matella and Amritsar – India
Seeing the cities of India it is easy to believe that India is the second most populous country in the world with well over 1 billion residents. Ironically estimates place the rural population of India well in the majority with around 70% of the population living in towns, and villages of less than 1,000 people.....
Jerusalem
This has been such a powerful week for me. On Sunday Olivia, Steve, Andre, Ben and I returned from our week of free travel in Egypt. We found our way back to Old City, Jerusalem and to the Ecce Homo Convent. Thus began our week. We spent our free time on Sunday evening exploring the....
Poetry from Guatemala
I am tired of not being allowed to study where I wish And yet studying anywhere is a privilege I am tired of not being able to decide what I eat And yet having food is a privilege I am tired of not being able to wash clothes, dry dishes or clean my own room....
Free Travel reports from Israel
While many of our group chose to plan ahead and have a relaxing time, James, Tim, and I decided to leave much of our trip open-ended. The first day we spent at Tim’s uncle’s house in a town near Tel Aviv. All the people in that family were characters, and we had a good time....
India – Taj Mahal, zip-lining, camels, Delhi, and more
Let鈥檚 play a game. I鈥檒l say a word, and you say out loud what your first thought is. I know that I鈥檓 just a journal entry, but just do it anyway, alright? So what do you picture when I say 鈥淚ndia?鈥� I would bet 100 rupees that you just thought of the Taj Mahal, which....
Globalization, coffee, chai, and more
I am not sure that the best cup of coffee in India could beat the worst gas station coffee from the U.S. in a taste test. Just as Indian food in the U.S. only tastes half as good as a generic curry in India, the quality of many U.S. staples gets lost in translation/transportation on....
India – two reports
Kathakali, translated as 鈥渟tory-telling,鈥� is a classical dance-drama that dates almost 400 years ago. Actor-dancers, dressed in voluminous colorful skirts with elaborate headdresses and jewelry, act out climatic stories of love and valor involving frenetic drumming, emotional singing, and rhythmic movements. There are singers who sing the storyline in addition to the actor-dancer applying facial....
Guatemala – report from Lake Aititlan
Coming into the last 2 weeks of our time here with our host families and Spanish classes it seems that some of us are starting to get anxious for the end. For others it seems sad because they are just getting to really know their families and they already have to leave. It is so....