Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Day 3


TODAY was the Dead Sea and Masada! An easy day! 
Masada is a symbol of Jewish survival. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masada <---for a little bit of history. I could explain it, but I would probably loose you because my thoughts would be all over the place. Herod the Great's Refuge. What an amazing site to see something like this built over thousands of years ago. Seriously, this guy would bathe all day in his steam room, he even had a room they worked out in.  We got there and had to ride the "SKI LIFT on steroids" to the top or we could of taken the snake trail, which looked like about a million steps. Yes, people were walking to the top,brave soles. HA!
It was breath taking at the top, we looked over the dead sea and all of the ruins. Just to be in a place where people stood, and people fought that long ago, it kinda makes you speechless. Not even to mention the view. Herod knew what he was doing when he built that refuge. Food storage to last a lifetime! WOW! 
 Next, the Dead Sea! We got to the Tsell Harim hotel, changed and of course put plenty of sun screen on. The sun here is different, and it doesn't get humid. Then we hit the beach. WHEW HEW!! Our Rotarian hosts guided us on sitting down properly in the sea. Apparently, you don't move fast in the Dead Sea! I would try so hard not to float, but it truly is impossible! I had to see it for myself.  I loved it...not to mention how wonderful my skin feels now. The hotel gave us beauty mud to put on, and then rinse off in the Sea.  You have to leave it on until it dries, and don't wash it off of your face in the Dead Sea, you'll burn your eyes. Eww, it didn't taste so good when I got a bit of it in my mouth. The route to the Dead Sea reminded me in a way of Palo Duro, minus the color. Roads were windy. I recommend everyone takes a visit to the Dead Sea!
This evening we attend the Be'er Sheva Omarim Clubs speech tournament at the Air Force Academy. Five high school students participated. I am not sure what the criteria was for judging, and we couldn't understand a word of it. It was interesting though to watch the body language of the students and try to predict who the winners would be. It was obvious to us who had won even though we had no idea what they were saying. 
  This is our last evening with our first host parents. I think I have mentioned before, John and I are staying with the same family. Sari and Alon Bendet. They have 4 daughters and a bird Bambah (pronounced to us like La... BamBah) Their home is lovely, the beds here are different. No feather beds at this home like mine, still cozy though. They use a solar panel to collect heat for their water. SO COOL! 
We had dinner tonight with all of our hosts. The Be'er Sheva Omarium club has only been chartered for 6 months. WOW! I am so impressed with how this club functions and it's still so young. They are involved with the community in many ways, and they have a wonderful group of people who are members. Doctors, bankers, teachers, city council men...I am truly blessed to have met this club. Our teams were the first to be hosted with this club... What and honor. 

The Netherland team is great! Tons of fun was had at the beach, and we are warming up and beginning to understand each other. Absorbing everything!!!

Love to all!!
~katt 



 WOW! Let me just tell you, my skin feels baby soft! LOVE IT, could of floated all day...

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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.