How Many Words Are A Thousand Pictures Worth?--Day 2

All pictures with little descriptions tonight, because it's impossible to use simple words to articulate the beauty of this city!

Trying to scout out a good photo place near Topkapi Palace, but candid photos turn out best anyway!

Our first view of Topkapi Palace!

The Council of Ministers. They met in this building til the 19th century!

Imperial Hall, where the women of the court (including the sultan's favorite concubines) would gather and hold company. 

When the site for Byzantium (aka modern day Istanbul) was being chosen, the seeking men were told by an oracle to look for the land "across from the land of the blind." Well, when they came across this beautiful harbor with this view, they realized that the tiny little town across the harbor HAD to be for the blind--not that they'd ever actually verify!

Lunch with a view!

Because when you see a tree with a hole in it, what else are you gonna do?

You can see the Blue Mosque in the background!

Split capture photo: me and the ceilings of the Blue Mosque. It might sound strange, but I think the mosque looks better in pictures than in person!

No shoes allowed in the mosque. Off they go--good thing I got them halfway shined yesterday! (;

A kind and welcoming sign in the mosque. We sat in the Islam Information Center for about 20 minutes learning the basics. 

Onto the ferry for a cruise through the Bosphorous Strait!

Going around sunset was a good idea!

Turkish baklava--yum!

The name of this bakery/restaurant is NOLA Istanbul. I know that in Tel Aviv, there is a NOLA bakery that takes its inspiration from New Orleans pastries! I loved seeing the NOLA bakery here, but it definitely made me a little homesick for some pralines! (Hint: NOLA=New Orleans LouisianA)

And finally--you can drop me in any city in any country around the globe, and I will ALWAYS find the dog!!!

Not Pictured:

Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Bazaar, where I actually successfully haggled for some souvenirs and gifts!

Numerous backstreets that showed off the residential life and hidden, non-touristy parts of Istanbul

And, the Hagia Sophia--because we wake up at 6 AM tomorrow to ensure we are the first ones there at opening!

Excited beyond belief--but definitely missing home,

Bittersweet Aubrey 

ISTANBUL! Day 1

Oh my gosh. SUCH an exhausting day of travel. But it turned into a beautiful night of exploring by the end!

I woke up around 5 to make my way to the airport for my 11 AM flight. Tragic, right? But I'd been told numerous times to get to an Israeli airport 3 hours early to ensure time for security clearance. I soon found out why.

So I took my public transportation to get to the airport, and in true Aubs travel form, I got there 4 hours early. Seriously, this happens all the time.

I go into the first terminal I see, thinking that it might be my flight--and I get bombarded with questions by a suspicious airport agent.

"Why are you here? Who are you with? What's their last name? Where are you going? Why are you going? Where are you from?"

My sincere reaction

I was about to cry. Which was not helping my whole not-a-terrorist thing.

And then--after all that--it turned out I was in the wrong terminal.

Lord help me.

"Why are you in this terminal??? Who told you to come here??? Why are you so early???"

AHHHH IM SORRY, I SWEAR IM JUST PUNCTUAL AND ON TIME, IM NOT A BAD PERSON, PLEASE DONT ARREST ME. 

I think my sincere panic and remorse convinced them of my innocence, so I was free to make my way to the correct terminal.

But that wasn't the end.

After more questioning, there was the searching of my bags. As in they emptied the entire backpack and tested every item for bomb residue?

"You sure read a lot, don't you?" said the TSA officer after seeing my three books for my three-day trip. Yeah, I guess you could say that.

Then there was the passport control booth to get out. Then the exit visa check. And finally, I was at my gate!!--two hours early.

The flight was uneventful--except for the airline charging me for coffee, ugh--and Turkey customs only took like 1 hour--as unopposed to 30 minutes, since I literally chose the longest line.

We (my two fellow interns and I) jumped on a shuttle with 6 other people to get into Istanbul more quickly than through public transportation--except it took THREE. FREAKING. HOURS.

Get me outtttt. But finally--FINALLY--we were at our beautiful hostel ready to explore!!

We saw some beautiful sights, made some friends (aka a nice Turkish fisherman) and some enemies (aka a shoe shined that tried to con us then persisted to grope us when we refused to pay-- uh uh, oh no, Sabrinas daughter was NOT standing for that. He got a firm talking-to, a finger wag, and no money.) We explored the books and cranniers of the harbor, and tomorrow we plan on being total tourists!! From here, I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Beautiful Istanbul street--a mix of European and Asian. 

So happy to be eating dinner after 9 hours of starvation!!!

Making friends with the wild animals of Turkey. Named this cat Pacific, because, of course, I have to name every creature I encounter. 

Crossing from Asia to Europe--and staying in the same city!

My first ever Turkish delight--in Turkey!

Our nice dessert spread

Watching the sun set

This Turkish fisherman saw me taking pics of the water and offered to let me hold his line. I convinced him to join in the pic with me. He was stoked about it.

A stunning mosque light display right as the sun set. 

It was a wonderful night that started off our trip perfectly. So excited to see where the next few days take me and my friends!!

From Turkey with Love,

Aubs

Getting Comfortable

Yesterday, I made sure to pay extra attention on the bus ride to work to ensure that I wouldn't miss my stop. I was so pleased with myself as the bus pulled up to the school... AND THEN IT LITERALLY DROVE BY MY STOP WITHOUT EVEN SLOWING DOWN. NO. I was NOT gonna let this happen again.

Me to my bus driver

I marched to the front of the bus and insisted to be let off on the side of the road. The driver moaned and groaned, but I made it clear that I was getting off this dang bus. So, he let the door slide open, and I basically jumped out and rolled as the bus sped off. Okay, not exactly, but still. Plus, this was of course the day I'd chosen to be all cute and wear four-inch wedges, so I hobbled down the street and watched my fellow interns' bus roll by like--

ow ow ow ow ow

Last night, I went to a wine bar with a few other interns, and it was absolutely amazing. Everybody is funny and fun and wonderful, especially out of the work environment. I really feel comfortable here now, and I love getting to know the people I'll be travelling the world with! 

Today, I decided to sleep in, tan, read, watch TV, etc. etc. etc. It was fantastic, and great rest, especially considering that I'll be getting on a plane in just a few hours.

And....

I'm going to.....

ISTANBUL!!! I'm headed to Turkey!!! The intersection of Europe and Asia, the land of Christianity and Islam. I can't wait!! Don't know yet whether or not I'll be able to post blogs from the hostel I'll be staying in, so watch Facebook for pictures and check here periodically (: Goodbye for now, my friends!

With love,

Travelling-the-World Aubrey

Skimm'n it

Every week, one of the interns has to present a quick briefing on Middle Eastern events. They are typically very informative, albeit serious and dry. That's why when I became the next briefer, I decided to still give the pertinent material but in a much more loose, chill, Californiannnnn, Aubs style--aka gifs and inside jokes. 

I modeled it after my favorite daily newsletter, theSkimm, which is a five-minute email sent to your inbox every morning in a manner that's exciting and often makes me giggle. I especially love when they give you ways to insert current event info into every day life and conversations.

My briefing actually got postponed to next week, which makes my finalized version for this week basically irrelevant for my presentation. So, I figured I'd share it with you guys! Without further ado, here's everything you need to know about the Middle East for the past few days:

What to say when your best friend is considering going back to her terrible ex…

                                     

I’m getting some vicious déjà vu. You’ll probably feel the same way upon hearing the news that Obama is considering sending hundreds more troops to Iraq in a move to amp up the fight against ISIS. However, there has been no official proposal yet, and White House officials insist that a decision over the addition of more bases and an increase of troops from the current 3,550 won’t be made for at least a few weeks. TBD.

When Kajsa (aka a fellow intern) finally gets rid of the cockroach in her apartment sink...

Good riddance. Same goes with al-Qaida-linked terrorist Belmokhtar, who was allegedly killed in an American airstrike on Libya this past Saturday, and Nasser al-Wuhayshi, al-Qaeda’s second-in-command. The latter death is said to be “the biggest strike on al-Qaeda since Bin Laden’s death in…2011,” while the former death is still unconfirmed by the United States.

 When you ask a co-worker when she’s due, and it turns out she isn’t pregnant…

                                      

Yikes. Wish I could take that one back. CEO of the major cellphone company Orange, Mr. Stephane Richard, is feeling the same way over anti-Israel comments he made last week. Richard apparently voiced support for ending a deal with an Israeli partner that operates in the West Bank. Richard came to Jerusalem in order to “clear up the confusion” with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Israelis and the French president have condemned his comments, with the president calling to better the government’s relations with Israel.

When you find out that Preeti, Kajsa, Kara, and I are about to leave for Turkey…

And be careful over there. Especially since ISIS just came head to head with Syrian Kurdish fighters in the Turkish-border village Tal Abyad. Thousands of Syrian refugees fled into Turkey as American airstrikes provided cover for the Syrian fighters. The Syrian Kurds have reported a victory, and the loss of this key city closes a direct route for ISIS jihadists and supplies into the region.

When your stomach growls hours before lunch break…

How much longer til I can eat? If you were in a Muslim country, it’d be til sunset—Ramadan begins Friday the 17^th. But with the fasting also comes (hopefully) a ceasefire in Yemen. The UN chief is bringing Houthis rebels to Geneva in order to discuss a temporary peace for the next two weeks. The outlook for compromise isn’t too great, but it is undeniably necessary—80% of the Yemeni population is in need of humanitarian aid. Hopefully the next two days will bring an end to conflict and essential help.

Hope y'all enjoyed your informative and undeniably Aubrey update!

With love,

Newscaster Aubs

Peaceful Shabbat and Panicked Sunday

Have I talked before about how much I value the peace and reflection of Shabbat? Even if I have, I'm about to extol its virtues again, so pay attention.

Setting a full 24 hours aside to think about your faith, to spend time with family and friends, to eat delicious food, and to praise God is one of the most worthy sacrifices of time I have ever witnessed. It's so simple and so lovely and so valuable. Even though I don't abide by the rules very well (I call my family, and listen to music, and change my cover photo), I try to use the silence and the meaning of Saturday to figure out how I want to spend the week and what my goals are for my summer and my faith and my life.

Right as the sun set on Saturday, my host family gathered around the dark kitchen, lit a plate of alcohol on fire with a small match and began singing a Hebrew song of thanksgiving to God. It made my heart feel warm, and it was the perfect end to a weekend I'd used to explore and reaffirm my faith. How cool.

Then.... today. Oh my gosh. Right when I start to believe that I'm practically an Israeli, I get lost on the way to work. There I was, little Aubs on her bus, reading her amazing book. I come out of my literary trance and see my stop rolling by....

And... There goes my stop...

I frantically got off at the next stop, which was like a little less than a mile from the school. If I'd tried to walk that, after my 10-mile weekend, I would've been like--

So I hopped on the next bus, the 29, which I was positive went to my internship. I happily sat down next to the window--and then it turned onto the wrong street.

Me: Nooooo GO THAT WAY!!!!

Arrived at the central bus station after some panicking, where I asked the attendants which bus to get on. After some conference, they insisted "the 29."

r. u. kidding.

So I sit there. Waiting for 29. Again. 

I get on, when it fiiiinally comes. And there it goes!!! Right towards my street!!!!!!! And then... it passes.

WHY. WHY. WHY.

Off at the next station. Waiting for any freaking bus that will take me to my freaking street to get to my freaking internship. By now, I'm an hour and a half late. WHY. WHY WHY. I ask every bus that passes by whether or not they go to IDC Herzliya.

And they're all like

And my face goes like

despair.

I got fed the eff up. It was late. I wanted to get to work and be productive. My outfit was adorbs, and I wanted to show it off. I was desperate. I hailed a taxi, and def got frikin ripped off by a guy who spoke only Hebrew so I couldn't argue. I forked over 15 bucks for a five minute drive.

But, I finally got to work. My topic for the rest of my research was approved. And I hung out with my awesome cool new friends. Yippee! 

Only a few days until my next adventure... Get excited for me.

With Adoration,

Full of Contradictions Aubs

Most Amazing Weekend in the World--Day 2

I awoke to my alarm clock at 2:50 AM and almost sobbed. It was SO FREAKING EARLY. But as soon as I remembered my itinerary for the day, I practically hopped out of my skin. I was about to go on an adventure.

lol classic me.

It was time for a hike up a 350 meter mountain, which I guess is like .2 miles high. "Psh," I thought, "piece of CAKE."

Ha. No.

What I Expected:

After 1 minute:

I mean, look at this thing!!!!

HOLY CRAPOLA

It was ginormous! And it wasn't even a sloped path--it was a bunch of actual stairs! Talk about an intense stairmaster. But--it was absolutely worth it. PLUS--I was the first person of our tour group up the entire hike!! Wahoo, Aubs!!

Looking out over the Dead Sea about 20 minutes before sunrise

Exhausted and very proud Aubs

Only true Israelis bring pita and hummus for breakfast!

Look at that sunrise!!

And if that intense sunrise wasn't enough reason to make the trek--there were Roman ruins of Masada all over the hill!

Wowza

Look at those dwellings!

This was the final Jewish stronghold in their war against the Romans thousands and thousands of years ago. It was used as a settlement by the Romans after the Jews were defeated. I was freaking out. Of course, I'd been travelling with Kara and Kajsa for almost 24 hours already, so they were accustomed to my frequent bursts of exhilarated and probably abnormal emotion. I'm probably like the funnest person to travel with--simply because you get to laugh at me all the time. I mean, I'm basically Buddy the Elf when he thinks Santa is coming--but I'm like that all the time. 

"LOOK AT THIS TREE." "HOLY MOLY, WE ARE IN JERUSALEM." "TAKE MY PICTURE." "THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!"  "I LOVE EVERYTHING."

From Masada, we rode on over to the natural oasis and springs of En Gedi, where King David took refuge in some caves. Of course, an Aubrey trip wouldn't be complete without me obsessing over some animals, so here are some adorable--and quite fearless--ibex and groundhog things that I want as a pet/want to be in my next life.

Hard to see, but they're there. A momma and her baby!

Groundhog chillin out, snufflin' for some grub. I wanna be him.

We hiked a little more (and our legs hated us) to get to some stunning waterfalls.

One of the little waterfalls

There are actually four waterfalls in this picture, and I make my way to the top one!

Accompanying my obsession with animals is a love for tunnels and caves. This is a cool natural grotto formed from overhanging palm fronds.

Terrible lighting, but I hope you get the idea!

And then... King David's Waterfall

OMG! It's out of Indiana Jones! Or Veggie Tales!

It was dangerous right in this area, because of the dangers of falling rocks.

Debbie Downer

So of course I followed the rules....

Yeah right.

YOLO

But seriously--I wasn't letting some signs stop me! Israel has a way different perspective than America on rules and the like. In America, you best believe there are secret cameras watching your every move and that there are dams that will block the waterfall if you step under it and an omnipresent NSA officer will call over a hidden speaker "EXIT THE WATER IMMEDIATELY."

"I just wanna--" "NO."

In Israel, it's kinda like "eh, you might die, you might not, do what you want." Fences are suggestions and warnings are careless afterthoughts tossed in the breeze. I mean, I think. Idk, maybe I just haven't been caught yet...

Anywho! Off to the Dead Sea!!!

Of course I exfoliated with some mud.

Got a nice tan.

My newest date look

The floating sensation in the Dead Sea is bizarre. It's not just buoyancy. The water is actively pushing you to the top! It's almost like laying on a barrel that's on its side. It's wobbly and takes a lot of balancing effort, but you don't have to kick or exert any upwards motion. I don't know scientifically why that is--I took Science and Cooking for physics in college, I'm not gonna give you any info.

Just keep floating

The tour was over around 1 or so, and we headed back to Jerusalem. It took me about three hours to get back to my street in Raanana--and now I'm EXHAUSTED. Shabbat is about to begin, so I'll be heading up for a family dinner shortly. But this weekend was one I'll never forget.

With all the love and joy and peace in the world,

Exploring the Great Outdoors Aubs