Ski Trip!

Two weekends ago I went skiing! A group of us from the university got up at 3:30 for the four hour drive up north so that we could hit the slopes around 8:30, joining a group of students from Hebrew U and Tel Aviv U for a weekend of skiing and Shabbat. Hit the slopes we did… at least I did. I don’t think I had a single run where I didn’t hit the ground or another person. Fortunately, this meant I met tons of other nice friendly horrible skiers. Between lift rides up and very VERY slow stops to return a stray ski or pole to stranded owners, my Hebrew was definitely put to a good use.

Eventually, I let myself be convinced by some friends (experienced skiers—that should have been the first warning bell) that another trail, aside from the nice easy straight path I’d been attempting to conquer for the past four or five runs, was “just as easy, this is nothing like America!” As I sat in the lift, I realized that the lift… just… didn’t stop going up! As I helplessly watched the mountain pass by below, I started mumbling, “I’m gonna die…” Believe it or not, the mumbling just got louder as we disembarked from the lift and prepared for the descent.

We finally reached the top of the mountain, and for the first relatively flat stretch I did okay. As soon as a steep curvy monstrosity loomed ahead, however, I knew that the honeymoon was over. I have to say that the guys up there with me were amazing. Clearly none of them went up intending to slowly coach a beginning skier down a non-beginning mountain, and despite my frequent falls and declarations of unavoidable imminent death, they stuck with me, applauding me when I didn’t fall (oh let’s be honest—most of the applause was when I got back up), never abandoning me, even though I repeatedly told them to go ahead and let me tumble down on my own.

After that run, bruised and exhausted, I headed into the lodge where most of the group was gathered for some lunch. I’d had it with skiing at that point and headed up a scenic lift ride to the top of the mountain (same view as before, plus joy of taking the lift back down as well). Supposedly on a clear day, from the Mt. Hermon you’re supposed to be able to see all the way up north to Lebanon and Syria and all the way down South to Eilat. Imagine being able to stand somewhere in the US and see north to Canada and south to Mexico. Never gonna happen. I’m honestly not sure exactly what I was able to see from the top, but it was beautiful nevertheless.

On the way back down he lift, my friend Avital and I were fooling around with our cameras and I yelled to the people we passed in the lift going up, “You’re on video!” One Israeli yelled back, “Do you have facebook?” Talk about globalization…

After skiing, the whole group headed back to buses and traveled to Tsfat (Safed) where we were to spend Shabbat. Tsfat is one of the four biblically holy cities in Israel and is the hometown of most Jewish mysticism as we know it today. On Saturday we had a walking tour of some old synagogues which are intricately decorated and each very unique. On the way I had some interesting conversations about Judaism with different people I met on the trip, easily inspired by this kind of Shabbaton. After hearing about other American students’ experiences at Hebrew U and Tel Aviv U, I’m really glad I chose to come to Beer Sheva. Though the city itself has less to offer than Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, partly due to its smallness, it’s really offered me the chance to integrate more fully into the population, from the ample volunteer opportunities to the Hebrew around me every day. People seem pretty good natured (by people, I mean taxi drivers). Avital and I tired to pass on some Israeli politician jokes at frisbee told to us by one taxi driver but our delivery must have been less than perfect since the reaction we got (raised eyebrows and rolling eyes) isn’t what we were going for. Oh well, you win some you lose some. Anyway, I hear that at other universities the Americans basically exist in a little American colony and I’m glad I’m in a place where it’s easier to branch out.

My computer science midterm is in a week and a half and who knows how that will go, first I have to get through assignment 2. I enjoy lectures and my TA has been great about re-explaining things I’ve missed, so overall I can’t say I regret the class—yet. (If I fail, I won’t get the credit, which means I’ll have to do some credit finagling with my home university.) But it’s too early for failing right now!

Now, a week after skiing, I still have a bruise on my leg and a spot on my ribcage that hurts when I sit up, but at least my intense cheek to cheek sunburn has faded (pathetic, my first real sunburn here was due to brightness of snow) and I’m in one piece. Can’t wait to do it again. Just kidding.