The in's and out's of Tel Aviv life

Well well i've been here for a good period of time now and what have i been doing you ask. What a question, let me tell you!
Without giving a day by day account i shall give a highlight--though all activities link up with one another somehow.
To begin with, i've been making friends. Met with 3 people from couchsurfing. The first (i've forgotten his name), took me on a lovely walk through jaffa it was a fun evening but it was a once off. The second was a guy called Nir, we met at Max Brenner (the chocolate shop!), and really hit off. Nir told me about a burning man group which was basically a group of israeli's who either loved the ideas of burning man or have been. As i later found out most have been. SO he told me about this group and then organised me a lift to their meeting at park hayarkon for the next night.
the Burning man meeting  was great, everyone brings stuff to give away, that's how it works you give. As it turns out there was too much food. but basically a group of about 20 people got together at first i knew no one as Nir was coming later, but it really didn't matter. As soon as i arrived i'm talking and making new friends. They really are a very cool group of people.

I met also with a guy called Daniel, when i saw his profile i realised i would have to get along with him just such similar taste. With him i went to do some volunteer work for the dog shelter in Netanya. That was a bitter sweet day. The shelter itself is over crowded and with all very healthy looking dogs (which is almost worse), but we collected 5 puppies in his car and drove them to a nearby place where there is a sort of dog market. The set up is about 50 or so big dogs chained to individual posts around and then a puppy section (where i was working), and a kitten section. The idea is that if you want to adopt an animal you go there and there's a nice selection, lots of people to help etc etc. It was really sad to see that only about 15 animals in total got adopted. As daniel was telling me he doesn't go everyweek because he doesn't want to see the same dogs over and over. (they only keep them for 3 weeks). It makes me sad that it's like this but i suppose its great that there is events like that, and that there are shelters.

More activities: couchsurfing meeting on the beach, met with a whole bunch of people and watched the sun set--still refuse to get over the fact that it sets at 8pm! the meetup was fun and afterwards on a walk with a new friend i managed to get us incredibly lost, was absolutly positive sure we were walking the right way....clearly not. But that ended well with an icecream for dinner.

Spent the day in the art museum. which though my lack of art appreciation still resides, i really enjoyed. To be honest i'd decided to go to escape the heat for a day. But it's just the biggest place three buildings or something, and i did quite enjoy the break of jesus paintings!

Eh been meeting for drinks most nights, OH YES i found an apartment to sublet. It's in Florentin which is this most awesome area, during the day its gots streets of shops. Relevent because the whole street sells the same thing basically, was talking over the logostics of this with Nir and it was decided this is a postive thing. Right yes Florentin, at night it's got all these little bars-infact there's a street full. Heaps of little cool places. Really excited to move in there, which i will do on thursday.
As for the drinking went out with the new room mates twice, with Nir and co a few times and with Adaya and her room mates once. Not drinking alot each day but a beer or two, must stop that! Felt the repercussions the other day when after a night of having 3 beers i woke up as death. The room was spinning i couldn't stand straight i felt like throwing up. Infact i stumbled into the loungroom in my undies with the pretence of getting a drink and ended up crashing on the couch. Turns out i handed drank enough water. i guess it's quite dangerous in the heat of Tel aviv. Needless to say i learnt my lesson and the next night came home to drink 3 full jars of water (yes drinking out of a jar).

I just returned today from an overnight trip to the hot springs at the dead sea. That was with the same burning man group of people. Was so lovely. We car pooled for the hour or so journey ( i may have slept most of it!), but then the hot springs oh la la. Unfortunatly they are smelly of sulphur and the weather was still in the top 20's so the water was too hot. but still an amazing night. Skinny dipping with a group of people in the most beautiful area, but then to top it off sleeping under the stars and waking at sun rise. It really was incredible and an added bonus that we left before it got hot.

Unfortunatly of course the photo's don't give it justice but an incredible area and of such beauty.

As for my meetings, the current step is to get my visa, i shall try to do that again tomorrow (i've been to the place twice now! gah) oh and worse i can't fully work out the bus system so i end up walking km's on end. I suppose it's good excercise but damn its hot.


Apologies for this incredibly long post. I hope it was entertaining enough.

ah also Top thing i've noticed in tel aviv; it would appear to the outside world that nobody works here.Everyone is out all the time, average bed time is 01:00, average city wake up time is 10:00. Bars are always full, every night, and it's ok to wear whatever you want out.
FUN. :D

Till next time, Cheers.

Rolling and running...

OK. the ball is in motion now!
I arrived into israel lateish at night on the 10th which meant that once i'd arrived at the hostel i was completely rendered useless. In fact i think i fell asleep in record time. I'd really not slept much at all for the past few nights so was needing a good rest.
My first few days in israel were great, i ate palafel (of course), went for a run along the beach, and did large amounts of meandering. Since the days here are so long it seems that nothing really gets going until at least 10, but then, it doesn't stop until about 9. infact it's sunny till about 8.30. Crazystuff.
Last night i walked along the beach and people were still sunbathing at 7pm!
At the moment i am bumming at Adaya's house. She was my madricha from aviv and vey kindly allowed me to stay while i find somewhere else, Which hopefully won't be too long.
Today i had my very first meeting with the ministry of defence--we talked for ages as i had a long list of questions, and unfortunatly a lot of the answers were along the lines of we just have to wait. But i mean, what can you do?
Not to much exciting has happened yet (though i did ride on a scooter..woop woop).

Until next time,
:D

Updated. 
It does appear (and thankyou mummy for pointing it out), that i repeated myself...i kindof thought i hadn't written anything since i arrived into israel. WEll well...serves me right for not checking.
because of this i shall provide a more entertaining story.

Last night i decided to go for a run, not a big deal--infact fairlly common place at the moment. After talking to one of adaya's roommates it seemed like i needen't take a key with me (i have no pockets only a bra, this could end up with one very very sweaty key), as i could just buzz and she'd let me in.
Well a lovely run, not very far only about 5k, was had and when i arrived back at the apartment i was in quite a sweaty state. Less because of the run and more because of the humid heat. I think i'd be sweaty if i walked the distance at a leisurly pace. But anyway, so i'm standing outside on the street and ringing the buzzer. No answer. Hmmmmm. So i ring the buzzer's of the rest of the floors, i figure Goni (the roommate) must just have her music on, or is in the shower or something and that i could knock on the door inside, that'd be loud and she could let me in. No reply. hmmm, ok i go sit across the road for 10 minutes, surely by that time she's going to be done and will hear me. No such luck. I'm starting to worry ever so slightly, and plus i'm really thirsty and want to shower. I shout up as i know the veranda door is open, but no answer. This process continues for about half an hour or so. Now i'm really considering my options, i don't have a key, don't have  phone, don't know a number even if i could get a phone so it seems my only option is to wait. Something will happen and i'll get in. Maybe i have to wait a few hours but meh it'll be ok. i'll find a stray cat and make friends infact there was one ontop of the bin right in front of me.
Eventually i decide, i can break in. There's a grill over the shop underneath so i can climb up on the ledge easy enough. Problem then would be to get from the ledge to the awning of the shop next door. that's quite a distance. To be honest at this point i'm less worried about the getting up and more about the people. It is going to take quite a while to get up out of view, and their going to see me. My hebrew is DEFINATLY not good enough to explain that i'm infact not a delusional drug addict trying to break in but rather i'm living there and i want water and a shower.
Funnily enough a random guy who'd walked past me 15 minutes before walks past again and offers to get me a locksmith, after much discussion we discover that he is infact looking to rent out his place which is around the corner. Unfortunatly he wants to rent it for 3 months and i onlyh need for about 1. But still how funny if that ends up being how i get my room!
About 5 minutes after i hear a yell from goni who was getting worried i wasn't back. Apparently the buzzer sometimes decides not to work.
Good run that was!

The start of the real bit...

arrived into israel at 9, by the time i got through immigration etc it was about 10.30. JESUS. but they only gave me a one month visa as they figured that ministry of defence could work out those things....i do hope they were right!!

First day started off with me waking much too early (the city only really wakes up at 10), and just contemplating what on earth to do. Daily mission's: open bank account, get a phone.
well...i did one of the two, no i did 1/2 of 1 of the 2. I got a sim... i could only get a phone once i have an israeli credit card, but i can't open an account as i don't have an address....so it's all in motion but not quite there!
first meal in israel (negating the free toast at the hostel), was of course falafel....a really delicious one, with fresh pita and all. Unfortunatly i can't say the same for my dinner falafel (8 hours later!).

My evening run was lovely as it was along the beach front, 8pm and still light....actually i was hiding from the sun until then--it seems quite a few people where as it was a kind of jogging crowd.

Eh...that's about it so far. nothing really exciting, but what can you do?
OH my hostel room was me and 3 old ladies. wha????

Auckland times

Following uploaded in hotel in korea (koray ray):

Currently sitting in “relax” mode at Auckland airport. Woke up at a ridiculously early hour after approximately 2 hours sleep to get here 3 hours before (as advised), and there’s not even a gate which I’m destined for. Fun times…. Also accidently smuggled a bottle of water in. As long as I don’t fall asleep whilst waiting shouldn’t miss this plane!!

Auckland was a lot of fun, that’d be the word to describe it. What’d I do?: (yes elise I did just use a question mark followed by a colon…what’cha gonna do???

Well accidently spent quite a bit more money than I’d planned…that’s number 1. Eep!!!  Adventures included; getting lost when going for a run (even with a pre-planned route), playing with fire (always love a good heating fire) checking out an abandoned house…not sure on its asbestos status. We (Sophia and i) went on a hike which the odd kiwis call a tramp up a mountain. Unfortunately there was super thick fog so couldn’t see too much. But was still pretty awesome fun…even if I did spend most of the downward trip on my bum.

Did a bit of wandering around the city, in the freezing cold. Ok not freezing but still only like negative a billion degrees…that’s what the news said. Did a lot of talking like a bro…think I may be getting somewhere with that, new talent perhaps!

Went up rangitoto, which is a dormant active volcano, not entirely sure if that’s the accurate name for it…the dormant thingy I mean… That was a fun adventure nearly got rained to death...

Eh…just this weekend we took a bus down to roturua-what a smelly place. But holy bejesus what an amazing place. Just these geothermal steam things coming out of everywhere, was fairly tempted to go for an extremely hot swim rest assured I did not!  We took a tour thingy to wai-o-tapu which is this “thermal wonderland”. Now that was super cool…with a fluero green lake, an erupting gyser (after they put soap in…), even saw a waterfall thing which had water roaming underneath ice…not too sure how that worked. But it was worth going there even if it was an expensive weekend (just the getting there!).

OH YEAH. We went to this awesome old bookstore and nearly got flooded in…what’s with the floods?? But on the news quite hilarious, a seal ended up in an office building. Was a funny picture!
the art gallery was pretty cool even if I got in trouble from Sophia for not believing that anything even something that looks terrible was in fact a piece of art...apparently even a broken elevator could be an art instillation. Sorry what?? That made no sense to me.

Well I think that about covers it….lots of chilling both with Sophia and with the cold.

Now to just stay awake at least until they tell me what gate I’m at so I can sleep at the gate. (always a fun activity!).

Until next time! :D

The very beginning....

Well….the wheel is well and truly in motion now!
after two days of hectic packing and cleaning with the expert aid of Ms Emma thorsen, at 2am last night i was ready to go!
a bit of a teary goodbye at the airport and i was off….well after going back to do the stupid sheet thing.

funny story….when we were sitting at the airport drinking coffee i was saying that i wanted the airport people to call my name. Little did i know that not only would they call my name, they’d call it with the “final call for,” before it. wooopps.

arrived into new zealand all good and the flight attendent told us that it was “all gud bruu” well not quite, but still!