• Into the Lion's Den

    Into the Lion’s Den

    How many of you have heard the name “Transdniestr?” Not too many, I’m guessing. Transdniester – also known as Pridnestrovie in Russian – is a small rogue nation occupying a narrow strip of land along […]

  • Huashan: The Danger Trail

    Huashan: The Danger Trail

    On December 20th of 2006, I received an e-mail from my dad. It contained this Powerpoint file. The forwarding messages all included such phrases as: “I CANT EVEN LOOK AT THE PICTURES WITHOUT GETTING DIZZY!!” […]

  • Golden Week 2: Archery

    Golden Week 2: Archery

    Picture yourself looking up at a blue sky peeking through a huge canopy of leaves on a perfectly clear day in Kyoto. As the faint sound of Japanese flutes recedes softly into the background, it’s […]

  • An Average Night Out

    An Average Night Out

    The following is not actually a single narrative of one continuous evening, but a composite of many. It’s written as a representative summary of my average night out in Kyoto. Nothing is exaggerated. It’s Saturday […]

  • Mostar

    Mostar

    Although I’d suspect that most people have never even heard the name “Mostar,” a relatively small town in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia-Herzegovina, it turned to be one of the most intriguing places I’ve ever […]

  • A Different Experience

    A Different Experience

    I’m here. In Tokyo. Finally. During my idle time on the flight over I kept on thinking, “what am I going to write to everyone once I finally get to Japan?” Most of you already […]

I was last seen 5 months ago in Los Angeles, .

Birthright 1: Opinions

 Israel, Public  1 Response »
May 042008
 
An old woman in Jaffa. An old woman in Jaffa.

Most readers of this site are probably aware of my opinion on tours: avoid them like the plague, and always arrange your own vacation. You get a more authentic experience, and you get to do the things that you want to do.

That being said, when I heard that I could go on a free ten-day trip to Israel just for being a Jew between the ages of 18 and 26, honestly, tour or not, how could I say no? I hopped on the plane with a (truly) open mind and an (almost) empty wallet.

And sitting here a week later looking back at all the pictures, I can honestly say that it was fantastic. I wish it never had to end.

But…

If I had been paying for the trip, I would’ve been pissed.
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Hosteling

 Israel, Public  4 Responses »
May 032008
 
Tzach, one of my new Israeli soldier buddies, in front of the Dome of the Rock (a Muslim shrine in Jerusalem built over a sacred stone from which Muhammad was believed to have ascended to heaven). Tzach, one of my new Israeli soldier buddies, in front of the Dome of the Rock (a Muslim shrine in Jerusalem built over a sacred stone from which Muhammad was believed to have ascended to heaven).

Since Peder left, I’ve been generally staying indoors trying to catch up on all the personal stuff I wasn’t able to do during the first half of this trip. My general tactic for remaining productive and preventing distraction is to put in headphones, but every once in awhile I can’t help popping them out and socializing a bit.

One of the reasons I love hosteling is because it’s so easy to meet so many different interesting people. My last three roomates here in Tel Aviv:
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Back From Jordan

 Israel, Public  9 Responses »
May 012008
 
The magnificent Treasury at Petra…one of the Seven Wonders of the New World. The magnificent Treasury at Petra…one of the Seven Wonders of the New World.

After an ultra fast-paced trip through Jordan, I’m once again back at Sky Hostel in Tel Aviv, Israel. At last some time to start going through photos and catch up with e-mails – and hopefully, blogs.

Tel Aviv is such an awesome city that I’m seriously considering extending my stay for another month. One of my best friends is getting married in New York at the end of May, so rather than returning to the US and making the cross-country journey between LA and New York twice, I might as well just stay here and head straight to the wedding. That way I won’t have to rush through Egypt, and since I have my laptop I can program in the hostel (which has free WiFi) during the week.
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Quick Update: Birthright Extended

 Israel, Public  3 Responses »
Apr 252008
 
A Jewish boy in Tzfat, Israel. A Jewish boy in Tzfat, Israel.

This trip has been very, very packed. It was definitely a new and unique experience – a two-week tour with peers aged 18-26, everything completely planned and paid for. Definitely some positives and negatives…

Unfortunately I had so little free time that I wasn’t even able to keep any blog notes – the first time that’s ever happened since starting this site. I’m now back in Tel Aviv, having extended my stay until May 9th.

Peder also arrives today from Turkey, and after a weekend in the city we’ll be heading across the border to Jordan.

I’ll do my best to update as soon as I have a moment. If that ever happens 😛
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