Let's talk a little about culture shock. Culture shock is defined as the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. Remember how I had said that I had never visited a foreign country? To be fair, moving from one state to another within the same country comes with it's own learning curve, but it isn't nearly the same as an entirely new country. I was about to experience culture shock to a degree I never had before, but I was also about to experience culture shock in a way I had never anticipated.
When we first set foot in Israel, it was either very late at night or very early in the morning. All I could tell you was that we had been traveling for the better part of the last 24 hours, and I was more than ready for bed. First, we needed to get through customs and Passport control. This actually took barely any time at all. More than likely this was due to the time of our arrival, but soon we were walking out into the terminal and meeting family who had out come to greet us.
It was a huge relief for me to know that soon, I would be heading to bed for some much needed sleep and beginning my sightseeing tour. What I did not know, is that sleep would still be a number of hours away and that we would begin sightseeing, starting immediately. My brother-in-law, knowing how many people we had planned to see wanted to spend a little time with us before we retired for the evening and gave us a quick driving tour through Tel Aviv.
What I can say about my initial impressions of Israel is just how alive everything is at that time of the night. Coffee shops that are open 24 hours a day were filled with people, talking, drinking coffee together, and enjoying each others company. The streets, while empty of actual drivers, had their fair share of foot traffic, dog walkers, and joggers. People here were on the move. If my internal clock hadn't been hijacked by jet lag, I would believe this was more suited to early morning than almost midnight.
Before too long, we would make our way back to our rental car and drive to my in-laws house in Kiryat Malachi to spend the night before heading to Jerusalem the next day.
One thing I forgot to mention, and this will be in your best interests to remember should you ever visit this part of the world: Everyone Will Try To Feed You. Everybody, all the time. It doesn't matter if you still have food on your face from the last stop you made, everyone will assume you are in need of nourishment. By the time we got back to my in-laws, it was pushing 2:00 AM in Israel, which would make it 4:00 PM my time in Oregon. I was exhausted, but first, we eat.
A funny sort of desperation comes over my mother-in-law when you politely decline sustenance, she will continue to root around in her kitchen until she can find the thing you will accept and, once you accept, you will magically find yourself surrounded by several other things that you don't remember being an option. The generosity here is unparalleled, not just with my in-laws, but with virtually every other person we would come in contact with over the next couple weeks.
We forced ourselves out of bed at a regular hour the next morning because we had a lot to do. One unexpected side affect that came from this early morning rally was that we somehow negated the effects of jet lag. We had only managed to grab about 5 hours of sleep, yet I felt rested and ready to go. We took a brief tour around Kiryat Malachi before setting on our way towards Jerusalem but, before we left, we needed to make a stop to see some friends who lived nearby.
We would make several more stops here over the course of the visit, to recharge, to relax, to have great conversation and, of course to eat. I have to admit there was an ulterior motive for me to keep stopping by, be cause it was at this house that I met my best buddy in all of Israel.
She is the best of the good girls. We bonded.
Some of the people I would meet up with were people I already knew, having met them here in the states. Most I would be meeting in person for the first time. Some I knew of from hearing about them in conversations, some I knew from social websites, some I may have talked to over the phone at some point but this would be my first face-to-face with many of these people. I was welcomed with open arms every time and treated as though we had known each other our whole lives.
I said that I was about to experience culture shock in a way that I had not prepared myself for and this was just one of the many ways I had misinterpreted what my visit was going to entail. One of the most significant errors that I allowed myself to believe, would be how Israel actually looks. I had been raised on American news, bible stories, and second hand accounts. My brain had created its own landscape of deserts, sand, and tents, pieced together from limited information. In short, I expected this:
Not this:
Or this:
Or this:
If you asked me 'what was the one thing I was most unprepared for?' my answer would have to be that I was most unprepared for how beautiful this country is. True, you will pass through desert areas but, more often than not, you will find yourself in a thriving city or driving along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea surrounded by life and growth on all sides.
I have expounded on many of the things I love about Israel so I feel it's only fair to even out that love by touching on the one area of Israel I do hope to never experience again... driving. I never drove, not one single time in the entire trip was I behind the wheel of a car. If I had been given the task of driving, we would never have made it out of the airport parking lot.
Once, while we were driving through Denali National Park in Alaska, we found ourselves behind the most timid driver I have ever had the misfortune of running into. This driver braked for everything. A car coming down the other side of the street? Hit the brakes. Passing a signpost? Hit the brakes. Coming up over the top of a hill? Hit the brakes. I wish I could say I was making this up, but we still believe this driver is still in Denali, constantly hitting the brakes, trying to find the way out of the park. I tell you this, because I know I would have done no better on the streets of Israel.
A few things of note on the subject. First, traffic signs are apparently suggestions at best. Second, the stoplights are set up in such a way that miraculously keeps drivers out of the intersections, but add a whole new layer to the fun. A traffic light will blink when it is about to change to red to let everyone know to hit the brakes, and they do. It isn't very often you would see someone stuck in the intersection after the light had changed because there is a camera that will take your picture and you will get a ticket. Third, these same traffic lights will blink to let you know that they are about to turn green. This is also to let all of the drivers know it is time to rev their engines and hit the gas when the light changes. Additionally, scooters and motorized bicycles are a preferred method of transportation in Israel because they are allowed to split lanes. If you ever find yourself in the front row of the traffic line, expect to find yourself surrounded by scooters that have crowded to get through to the front of traffic. Fourth, and most important, your car horn is not optional and is to be pressed down at all times. Whoever has the loudest horn wins. Those are all of the observable laws I noticed, other than that it seems to be a free for all on the roads. I have never been more terrified in my life.
We finally made it into downtown Jerusalem on the evening of our first night. We were looking forward to seeing one of our really good friends who we had first met living in New York almost seven years ago. She had since moved back to Jerusalem and, ironically worked as a driving instructor.
When we got to the apartment, we sat for coffee and to catch up a little bit before we headed out for dinner and to the Mahane Yehuda Market, affectionately known as 'The Shuk'.
"Shuk" would quickly become one of my favorite new words along with "Afook" which means "upside-down" and refers to a latte. The Shuk was established in Jerusalem decades before Israel was established as a country and has undergone several significant changes during that time. Originally, the marketplace was known as 'Shuk Beit Yaakov' and was made up of merchants operating out of tents and temporary wooden stalls. In the 1920's, the merchants were cleared out of the area and a more permanent stall installation took place. Most recently, in the early 2000's, a new round of renovations took place adding roads and roofing some of the open areas. There was also a push at this time to attract more regular foot traffic through the area. Where once there were paths lined with shops on every side, you could now finds cafes and restaurants to relax in.
This place is lively. There are rows upon rows of shops to explore, street food to try, and souvenirs to take home. On Thursday and Friday, the Shuk is busiest when people come to shop in preparation of the Shabbat. Usually, the hours of operation are daily until 7:00 at night with some restaurants staying open until later. On Friday afternoon, roughly around 3 PM, a bugle will sound signaling the beginning of the Shabbat and most of the businesses will close down and will remain closed until 8:00 Sunday morning.
When we finally had enough of shopping for the evening, we made our way back to the apartment for a quick shower and a more regular night of sleep. The next day we would be visiting the Old City of Jerusalem, where I would come face to face with some of the stories from my childhood, visit yet another marketplace, and take an even bigger look into the culture surrounding Israel. I was quickly shedding my preconceived notions of this country, but I knew there was still more to come.
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