Hello again, and I have an early update for you today because I will run out of purchased internet time in about two and a half hours, presumably during dinner. It feels strange to me to be typing about the day we just had as your day is just beginning!
Today we remained at the Kibbutz all morning between breakfast and departing for the festival. While the Kibbutz is beautiful and very scenic, with stunning views of the town and countryside and the West extremes of Jerusalem, it is very boring here. I wish we could spend more time exploring the town. All we do is eat and chat. And while the respite is certainly welcome, and we have ample time to nap if our jet lag catches up with us, I feel as though I want to go see the real sights of the country! For those of you who are unaware of what a Kibbutz is, it is a self-sufficient quasi-utopian social community that is comprised of several families working together. They often open hotels on their property as a source of income. We will be staying in several kibbutzes (I have no idea if that's the plural...) throughout the tour. Tomorrow will be another full day at the Kibbutz with little to do before the concert. I am quite excited to move on and away from this place to the next location, hopefully with more time to be tourists and less time to just sit around.
One of the most amazing things about Israel is the climate and the flora. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced. The temperature when it is slightly cloudy is literally perfect, and a sea breeze is constantly gently blowing. My roommate and I keep our hotel room door and window open even while we sleep to feel the breeze. It is wonderful, but the mosquitoes come pouring in as we sleep, and both of us are plagued with multiple bites.. I can best describe the climate as similar to Southern California and Northern California combined. It is lush and green, with desert underpinnings. It has also been kinda hazy, I assume because of the volcano's ash cloud that is still hanging around. But the most stunning things are the flowers! There are flowers everywhere in this country, and they are so beautifully vibrant. This is especially true in the Kibbutz, where they maintain a series of lovely gardens on the property. I took a photo today of the most gorgeous bed of petunias I have ever seen!
Today, almost all of the choir members, still plagued by jet lag, were awake and moving about by 6 AM. Our bodies are confused because the sleep at night feels like an afternoon nap to our biological clocks, so none of us slept particularly well. As a result, we are all still very tired, and are so thankful for the rest we get on the lawn of the kibbutz! They had, once again, a very impressive spread for breakfast, and we ate many strange and wonderful dishes that many of us had never seen before, but would like to see again many times! After a strong cup of coffee I felt ready to go, and decided to head to the gym for a nice workout. Unfortunately, they charge 30 NIS (about $7.50) for one visit to the gym, so I decided it wasn't worth it and took a short walk around the kibbutz. I found an rose-lined arbor on the edge of a patio overlooking the town, complete with plastic lawn chairs. New favorite spot.
Lunch was rushed because we had to quickly make our way to the concert venue, but it was still very delicious. The desserts are the best part, and that should say something considering how incredible the food is. And the hummus... I may never be able to eat hummus in the states again! Afterward we made our way to the concert venue, the beautiful church on top of the hill, and rehearsed vigorously to prepare for our program that afternoon. The house was packed. Not a seat or a wall in the whole building from which to view and listen. Even outside there were crowds of people hoping to be able to hear us sing. The concert was a rousing success; we received several unison claps (the equivalent of a standing ovation and a thing I think Americans should adopt) and even a standing ovation from some audience members (an almost unheard of compliment in Israel). After the concert, we greeted the exiting audience, and they showered us with choruses of praise and appreciation. A certain man asked one of the Singers how many wives he had, assuming that he was LDS and that meant he was a polygamist! Too funny.
I am having a great time but am very ready to move into the next phase of the trip. Tomorrow we have a second concert at the same church at 3:00 and then we move to Emek-Hefer, which is just between Netyana and Haifa near the coast. There we will have a meet and greet with a local choir and will stay with host families for two nights. Thursday is a free day until our concert in the very late evening, so I am hoping my host family will take us somewhere incredible.
I apologize again but posting pictures will not be a possibility here. The internet is simply too slow and intermittent. I am hoping for WiFi at my host family's home in Emek-Hefer, or at least a nearby network I can find and connect to, but I am, of course, uncertain. I will try to post pictures and blog as we move on. If not, I am certain the connection will be better as we get to the bigger cities, and I will make up for my photo deliquency, until then, shalom, and to dah for reading! Much love to all our family and friends back in the States.
