Wednesday, May 27, 2009

5/27/09

Today was a great day!
I will write a quick email since I have a tad bit of time...tad...really!
I visited with Daphna Greenstein. She owns her own Landscape Architect firm here in Haifa.
We had a wonderful visit! Landscape architecture here is very young. It's been around for about 40 years, but only has been taken seriously in the last 15-20. Your degrees are licensensing enough to practice. So, there are not test to become licensed in Israel. It's not a common practice the Techinon University we visited yesterday only graduates 20 a year...plus it's a female dominated practice since the pay is so low. Males steer clear of the practice here.
Dahpna's firm only works with municpalities...here is her web site...her work and projects are quite impressive. One project was the old German road that leads to the Baha'i temple. She had to make the "line" in the middle of the road lead to Akko from the Gardens. This is because the Shrine of Bahlaula is in Akko...we visited there last week.
We got to have a lengthy visit. She showed me her projects and her office, we also enjoyed dinner by the sea!
Then off to the Baha'i Gardens and the Shrine of Bab! I think I had to pick my jaw up off the ground at least 200 times, because it truly is one of THE most beautiful places I have visited. The Shrine is under construction...a 2 year rejuvinating project, cleaning etc. Our tour took us inside where Pilgrams were worshiping...WOW times 1000000000! I truly enjoyed it. We had a guided tour with Anthony from Harford Con. He was great!
We were running late from the Gardens so we only got to spend about 20 minutes at the Science Museum...which was ok because we are all tired.
Tonight, it's dinner on the beach with the whole group!

Love to all!
Katt


Yesterday was a long day! (5/26/09)
We visited the Technion Institution where a lot of technologial wonders happen, then the Hecht Museum at Haifa University...
Afterwards a Druze village, and a home of a Druze fallen soilder. His parents are Rotarian and they shared with us the story of thier son, and of another womans son who is in Rotary. They were killed minutes apart in a terriost bombing January 22, 1995. It was a heart touching story, we were all pretty emotional when we left. Our final visit was a Druze memorial for the fallen Druze over the last 60 years I believe...
Last night was relaxing.
I enjoyed a quite evening with my host mom Hanna. She is an Architect who works from home...She is so great and funny, she says " I want you to feel like home, don't be shy, you won't see me after three days!" Then it's something like..."you have to eat..."
The stay with her has been nice!
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In the Beginning....

In about mid September Beth Duke of Center City Amarillo called me at work and said "I've been thinking about you." Naturally, my response was, "Really, what did I do this time?," after a few chuckles she explained to me the Rotary International Group Study Exchange, and how she thought I would be great candidate to the team, and that my dad would let me have my job back after four weeks of being away.
I thought, WOW this would be so awesome! Then, she told me where they were going this year....Israel....my first thoughts were " I would love to go, but not with what's going on, where will I stay ....in a manger...because the first thing I think about when I think of Israel is of course God, then the song "Away in a Manger."
So I applied, wrote my essay and interviewed. In January I was invited become a part of the 2009 Rotary International Group Study Exchange to Israel.
There are 4 of us and a team leader.
Me,
Aida Almaraz a social worker from Boys Ranch
Fernando Valle, an assistant professor of Education at Tech
Shirley Davis, an assistant professor of Mathematics at South Plains College in Levelland.
John Kanelis and editor at the Amarillo Globe News.

We have been working hard to put together a presentation about ourselves to present to the different Rotary clusters through out Israel. We will spend 4 weeks there exploring our vocations in their country while were share a bit about ours with them.