Sin Sydney

After a day relaxing and recovering from my flights I set to work on getting to know Sydney. I decided to start with the Sydney Opera house. A marvel of modern architecture, located a short walk from the beautiful Circular Quay, it was the site of much drama during it's construction. However, the harmony that was achieved through the turmoil is truly amazing. Our tour included a short viewing of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra rehearsing, which included a rare playing of the world's largest organ. Though an amazing performance space (both aesthetically pleasing and architecturally beautiful), I was hard-pressed to keep my mind from wandering, skipping along as the music progressed.

 

The Sydney Opera House.

 Inside the Opera House.

I then explored the sinful past of Australia's biggest city. I started in The Rocks, a neighborhood just steps from Circular Quay, once dominated by prostitution, gangs and convicts. Though, when the convicts became too much of a problem in open housing, the worst of them were moved to the Hyde Park Barracks. The barracks, now a most interesting museum, tell the tales of the Hulks (the prison ships which were used before sending the convicts to the Colonies). Since the Hulks were brutal places, New South Wales (NSW) provided an opportunity for a better life for English convicts. They led fairly comfortable lives, as far as convict life goes, however those who re-offended were sent to the Barracks. Later, it was used to house the aged and sick women. Following that, it was used to to house orphan girls from Ireland, brought over during the Famine, to help with domestic work as well as help populate the country. At the Police and Crime Museum, I learned about a city that up until about 15 years ago was rife with corruption, crime, drugs and prostitution.

The Rocks.

The Hyde Park Barracks.

The sleeping arrangements for convicts in the Hyde Park Barracks.

I managed to forget the city's dark past however as I explored the Sydney of today. Walking through Sydney's Royal Botanical Garden's, my mind drew parallels immediately of Central Park. The beautiful and expansive park is an escape from the non-stop action of the city. While Hyde Park looks over not only the city's high rises, but also to a beautiful cathedral as well as Sydney's first church.

Main Pond, Royal Botanical Gardens.

 St. Mary's Cathedral.

After a week of touring Sydney, I got to know it quite well. I learned about its history and its present - along with some science at the Powerhouse Museum! It was a most interesting week and I really enjoyed getting to know the city.

However, I have now escaped the city and am relaxing on Australia's east coast.

I will post about my coastal adventures soon.

Happy trails,

Jess

I've come to the land down under

Just over a week ago I left Israel. Three flights (a total flying time of 23 hours), ten hours of waiting in airports and a few good conversations passed before I landed in Sydney.

I met a very nice man on my second flight (FRA -> SIN) who happened to be going as far as Sydney on the same connecting flight out of Singapore as I was. He graciously offered to give me a lift from the airport once we'd reached our final destination. Having to first drop off his friend, I was the recipient of my first free tour of the city. Though I was tired, hungry and a little cold (it's winter here, don't forget!) I climbed aboard. We set out first through the Bondi Beach section of the city where we were treated to a view of the rising sun burning the mist off of the morning's breaking waves. We then moved through the downtown, which was uncharacteristically deserted for 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning, we saw the harbour bridge, the Sydney Tower and Sydney's many office buildings.

To see a city waking up is to see it at it's best. In Sydney, you can see the early risers out for their morning jog, the dogs playing in the morning dew (appreciating, of course, the size and number of beautiful parks in Sydney), and the caffeine junkies out for their morning fix that accompanies the reading of the morning newspaper. But best of all, most of the city lays dormant. Oblivious to the beauty of the morning's sunshine, and taking for granted the routine that brings the city to life day after day, most of Sydney's residents were sleeping, recovering silently from their hangovers (they are big drinkers in Australia). But me, I was just about to finish my 35 hour, 19344 KM trip.

Allan, Sarah and Tucker were also wide awake. My hosts in Sydney, very good friends of my family's, were there to greet me at the door. After eating, showering and going for a walk, we ventured out to my first Sydney pub (I told you, they like to drink). That afternoon the particular pub we went to was holding a beer festival...wait for it - a Canadian Beer Festival! I couldn't have planned it any better if I had tried. Travelling by one's self can get a little lonely from time to time, but walking in to a bar across the world from home and seeing the bartenders dressed like Mounties and Lumberjacks, and people wearing the colours and jerseys of my country's own hockey teams is a thing that would make any Canadian feel at home. And a pint of cold Canadian beer doesn't hurt either. It was the warmest welcome I could have hoped for.

Australia may not be home, but it sure feels like it.

Stay thirsty,

Jess

View of Downtown Sydney from the ferry to Manly.

Sydney Tower from Hyde Park.


The Harbour Bridge.

Adventures abound in Israel and surrounds

Over the past few months, I have done way too much to describe in one post. After finishing the ulpan, which was a great experience, I had my cousin Matthew join me for a two week trip around Israel with a stop in Istanbul. We climbed Masada in the dead of night to see sunrise over a site of Roman conquer; in Ceasarea we saw the power of Roman ingenuity and the remnants of Herod's amazing vision. We visited a Napoleonic battle site in Akko and floated in the Dead Sea. We explored Jerusalem's Old City, Nimrod's Fortress and the Golan Heights. In Istanbul we saw the extravagance of the Sultan's at Topkapi Palace, as well as the history of the Jewish community in Istanbul. On the final leg of our trip, we experienced the thrill that Indy Jones did as he came through the canyon to the Treasury in Petra. However, it is difficult for me to explain everything we saw and how much we enjoyed it. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words - so I'll let the pictures tell the story.



View of Tel Aviv coast line from Yaffo.



View of the Mediterranean from the Hilton Beach in Tel Aviv

My family on the kibbutz.

Matt in front of our hotel - St. Andrew's Church in Jerusalem







View from Ben Gurion's Grave in the Mitzpe Ramon (the Negev Desert)



My ulpan teacher Zippi and I in the Negev

The Dome of the Rock from Mount of Olives.


Dad and I at the Ba'ahai Gardens in Haifa.

Sunrise over Masada.

Matt at Masada.

Masada.

Nimrod's Fortress.

Nimrod's Fortress with a view to the Golan.

Though I wanted to ski on Mt. Hermon in the Golan, I didn't get a chance - next time!

A waterfall in the Golan.

Tandi and I in the Golan.

Sunset over Istanbul.

Topkapi Palace Gate, Istanbul.

View of Asian Istanbul from Topkapi.

The Blue Mosque.

Fishermen in Istanbul.

The Treasury in Petra.

Tiran Island, Sharm el-Sheikh.

The dive site at Tiran Island, Sharm el-Sheikh.

I am now in Sydney and having a ball. The next post will come quicker than this one.

Madan Koi

When I was told I was going to work at Madan, the ornamental fish farm at Ma'agan Michael, I didn't really know what to expect. I quickly found out what the recipe for a successful ornamental fish farming business is.

It all starts in the hatchery. There is one ulpanist that works there along with a kibbutznik. As the name would indicate, this is where the fish mate and the newborn fish are raised until they are of a size at which they will survive. From there, the fish are taken out to ponds. There are approximately fifty ponds (about 300 meters long and 75 metres wide) around the kibbutz property and they are shared between the edible fish and the ornamental fish farms. There is a crew of guys who work out in the ponds. They make sure that the ponds are well oxygenated, feed the fish and of course, haul out nets of fish so that they can be brought back to the packing house. Which is where my work begins.

First the fish need to be sorted. We deal with several different kinds of fish, so the sorting method we use depends on the type of fish. Either they are sorted solely by type (Goldfish or Sarasa) or they are graded by size then sorted by type (Koi). At this point, the fish have made it into the building Madan calls home. Inside the building there are about 100 pools. Once the fish are sorted, the Goldfish (and other small fish) are put straight into pools. The Koi, who are going to be grown to a larger size (either by us or by the buyers) are given an injection of antibiotics. They stay in these pools until a customer places an order. Once an order has been received, we count out the number of fish that the customer ordered (checking carefully for injured fish, which are not sent out until they have healed)and we put them into baskets which are then put into colder pools to get them ready for the journey to the customer.

The first step in packaging the fish for shipment is to put together the cardboard boxes, and putting in a lining (a large plastic bag). We then put antibiotics and anaesthetic into the box and it is then filled with water. The fish are then put into the box and the bag is pumped full of pure oxygen, then it is sealed. From here, the fish are shipped by airplane to the customer and can survive the 24 to 28 hours (maximum) on their journey to the customer. They can survive this length of time in the boxes because, after having counted and checked them for injuries, we put them into cold water before being put into boxes. This serves to slow down their metabolic systems, allowing them to use less energy and survive longer once inside the box.
Meanwhile, back at Madan, the now empty pools need to be washed with acid so that the mineral deposits and biological matter left by the water and the fish are cleaned away.
To start a successful fish farm, repeat from the start.

That's the recipe we follow every day and here are some photos of the packing house (where I work) and the fish.

The inside of a packing house.

The Packing House's outdoor ponds

Me and one of the Koi.

Koi Fish

Koi

Me injecting some fish (sorry in advance for the neck cramps, I couldn't rotate the picture!)

Giving Koi antibiotic injections (one of my bosses on the left and my roommate on the right)

Koi

Happy trails,

Jess

Ma'agan Michael

How to describe Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael? First let me tell you where it's located. The two major Israeli cities on the Mediterranean coast are Tel Aviv and Haifa. About two-thirds of the way up to Haifa you can find Ma'agan Michael. I live in a room, a lot like an army barrack, which is ten steps from the kibbutz pub and a ten minute walk to the beach.



We are surrounded by palm trees and the Carmel mountain range lies just east of us - it is a beautiful place to live. We eat our meals in a dining hall with a view over the sea that continues to amaze me every meal I eat. The kibbutz itself has many ammenities. Tennis courts, basketball courts (which I use daily), a pool, a petting zoo and a private beach. Some might say I am living the life of reilly. However, it is not just fun in the sun. I am here to study, after all. For a half day I study (in a class pictured below), and for a half day I work at the Madan (the ornamental fish farm - about which I will post more later). My days usually last about 11 hours (with breaks for meals of course). However, come the weekend, we do get a chance to go out to the beach and enjoy the view and, of course, the hot Israeli sun.
Living on a kibbutz is quite an interesting experience. Ma'agan Michael is one of the richest kibbutzim (the plural of kibbutz) in the country. With many sources of income (ornamental fish, edible fish, a plastics factory, and more) it provides work for kibbutzniks and outsiders alike. The food is cafeteria style and it is wonderful to eat with so many generations. Eating some of the best kibbutz food in the country, one can look around and see some of the founders of the kibbutz (the kibbutz was founded at the current location in 1949) and you can see babies as young as a few months old. Last week, we took a trip to the Ayalon Institute. Where the kibbutz was originally located. The founding members of the kibbutz were offered this prime piece of land in exchange for a secret mission (of which they knew no details before accepting). They accepted, as they were anxious to start their kibbutz in this new location. They were to build a munitions factory under a temporary kibbutz located in Rechovot (just south of Tel Aviv). It was an operation that was illegal and punishable by death, as Palestine was then under British control. They were the only source of munitions for the Hagganah (the Jewish defence forces) for the Independence War. They worked for two years, in secret, underground, risking their lives and the lives of their families so that they could not only have their freedom, but have their freedom on a kibbutz they were going to start. We had a lecture from one of the women that worked in the munitions factory, and it was an awe-inspiring talk.

So there you have it, a quick overview of the kibbutz's history. It is now as modern as one could ever imagine a kibbutz could be. With a beautiful cactus garden (the biggest - and only - one I have ever seen), a sculpture garden and a great pub, Ma'agan is home to two high-tech factories and is home to almost 1500 people. It runs like a well-oiled machine, though still riddled with balagan.

As my Hebrew continues to improve, and my knowledge of fish expands, I know that you will all be happy to know that not only did I stay up until 4 a.m. to watch our Canadian women win Hockey gold, I stayed up until the wee hours to watch our men win it too. Wearing my Canadian Olympic shirt (thanks to the Oakville Overtons) and sitting beside one of the other two Canadians here, it was a moment so sweet I could taste it.

Happy trails,

Jess

Beautiful Balagan

My flight was a strange one. Contrary to a typical flight to Israel, I saw relatively few kippot, no minyan for davening (Sometime before takeoff, the head flight attendant, Francois, said to a Modern Orthodox father of 3 sitting in front of me: "Unfortunately sir, we can not permit 10 people standing in the rear galley because there are only 2 air masks. Should we experience a decompression, there would be serious problems. Since 9/11," he went on to say "the Rabbis say that it is ok to daven without a minyan in one's seat.") Furthermore there was no yelling, no dancing and almost everybody was asleep within an hour of take off. I ate my dinner quietly, and was somewhat perplexed by how quiet the Israeli gentleman beside me was. We spoke briefly pre-flight, but did not carry on any further conversation. I was sure, I thought, to see the Israeli-ness that I have come to love once I landed.

My cousin Zvi, with whom I am currently staying, told me: In Israel, when there is balagan, everything is going well. When there is no balagan, the system is not working. My cousin Marlene (Zvi's wife), defines balagan as organized chaos. It was this balagan that I seemed to be missing.

I found it, however, in South Tel Aviv. After our bus ride in to Tel Aviv, we walked in to Kolbo Shalom, Israel's first skyscraper, to take a look around. We were, of course, looked over by the security guard before walking in. After a walk through the beautiful neighborhood of old Tel Aviv we made our way to the old port. At the port in Yaffo, after being greeted by a cool sea breeze that brought the wonderful salty air ashore, we decided to stop in to a cafe. In this particular cafe all of the employees are hearing impaired (the building also housed a Blackout restaurant, where the servers are blind and the patrons experience blindness). It was a humbling experience to say the least. After enjoying our cafe hafuch (literally upside down coffee - I am not quite sure what it is, but a form of cafe latte in any case) we walked through Yafo. It is one of the oldest ports in the world and is home to quiet cobblestone streets and artist's studios. We ended up in shuk Hapishpeshim (the yafo shuk). Here there were shopkeepers playing Shesh Besh, vendors yelling and singing. The streets were packed with cars, scooters weaving in an out of traffic - but out of the chaos came the sound of music. It was the music of the Na Nachers. With two speakers on the top of the van, blasting out Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman - I had at last found the beautiful balagan for which I was searching.

It has been a great few days, adjusting to the culture has been fairly easy and the things I have seen so far have been fantastic.

For now, it is on to Jerusalem for Shabbat, and then to the kibbutz.

Happy trails,

Jess

You're a goliard, I'm a goliard, that's terrific.

What is a goliard you ask? I am.

A good friend of mine told me what a goliard was and why I should remember it. The word should be remembered for its Scrabble value. And its modern definition is: n. a wandering or travelling scholar in the late Middle Ages. For those of you who already know the word, you'll know that I don't fit the definition perfectly - I am neither intemperate nor am I riotous (Goliards are both), I am also not doing my travelling in the middle ages. However, I am going to stick to the definition as best I can without getting arrested. That's why I am travelling the world to learn more about myself and about other cultures.

So here is the plan: 5 months in Israel on Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael (a half hour north of Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean coast) to learn Hebrew. There I will work half day and study half day. It will be my home base for my travels within Israel. Then after a tour of a few countries in the middle east, it's off to the far east where I will be backpacking through Thailand, and as many other countries as I can in the area. The last leg of my trip is down under: Australia and New Zealand.

I leave in just over 48 hours. I have 7 days of clothing. 3 good books. A pair of sandals. A good attitude and a hunger for learning.

I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I do.

Be safe,

Jess