Rockets from Gaza targeted at Tel Aviv

Thanks  everyone who has reached out to see how we're doing.  As you might expect, the US media paints a less than accurate picture of the experience here.  Here's what I understand of my personal experience so far:

In general, most of the rockets from Gaza are short range, only able to make it 40km, which is less than half the distance from there to Tel Aviv. However, the Iranian's have supplied longer range missiles to Hamas which has allowed them to reach Jerusalem and Tel Aviv a few times in the past few days. We have had 4 sirens here in Tel Aviv, one per day the past 4 days. (Just finished my morning visit to our bunker here, so hopefully that's it for today).  We know the drill, which is to go to our bunker immediately until the siren ends. It is only a couple minutes. We have heard the boom (like fireworks) each time, near the end of the siren. No one has been hurt up here as the IDF moved one of their 4 Iron Dome trucks up to our region (these are counter-missile technology, in which rockets intercept and explode the incoming rockets in the air so no one on the ground gets hurt). This costs $50,000 per use, so you can imagine how expensive it is for the IDF to defend citizens this way, but it seems to be the only thing that doesn't draw international criticism. I have a new appreciation for how Israel is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Doing nothing is not an option, because the rockets just keep coming, and there would be many more casualties here, but anything they do to defend us against the attacks is getting them criticized by international media.

Thanks to the Iron Dome, I feel relatively safe/"normal" or whatever you might call it.  I heard, however, that 40% of the people living further south have moved up to friends and relatives homes in Tel Aviv or further north.  And I know a number of women who's husbands have been called into reserve duty, especially the women from my pre-natal yoga and birthing classes, making this a particularly hard time for them. 

As for me, I have 3.5 weeks to go until my due date on 12-12-12. 

News from Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv from the air

Well, off to a slightly slower start than planned after that first post last week.  We took a mini vacation to Kos, Greece over the weekend for 3 nights.  I feel spoiled that with a one hour flight we can do that, but glad to take advantage of the opportunity, as that will be the last time I get on a plane for a few months, now that I am going into my 3rd trimester of pregnancy.  That is a whole additional topic for discussion which I will hopefully get to - my experience with healthcare here in Israel (spoiler alert:  they have excellent quality care, and the US has a lot to learn about taking care of ALL it's citizens).

I have also started a few posts with thoughts on my year in the environmental studies program, and will have to get back to that soon.

But I know at least a few Americans have asked me what the news is on the ground here regarding Iran.  I admit that I don't keep up on the media reports.  I'm not sure there's anything reliable in them anyway.  What I do hear comes from Israeli's.  It is definitely on everyone's mind, but I wouldn't say there is panic.  But concern is real, and it's based on news such as designated shelter announcements on the radio.  In fact, the hospital that we go to, Tel Aviv Medical Center, has reported that within days (maybe hours?)  they can sterilize and operate additional facilities out of their underground parking levels.  People have a (false?) sense of security in the bomb shelters we all have (ours is directly in our apartment, while older buildings have shared rooms, usually in basements).  There is a fair amount of speculation as to whether Israel will try to bomb the nuclear facilities in Iran.  If they do so, it will require the bunker-busting bombs from the U.S.  Of course, the U.S. official position is that they don't support such action.  So who knows what is happening behind closed doors.  In the meantime, life goes on more or less as usual here.  The consensus I hear from the Israeli's I know is that everyone hopes nothing happens - they don't want to start anything, and they hope Iran doesn't start anything.  Sounds good to me.  Let's all put our energy into constructive projects - there are plenty of great opportunities, starting in our own communities.

School is out!

Last Thursday I turned in my last paper, for my last class, for the inaugural year of the International Masters in Environmental Studies at the Porter School at Tel Aviv University.  Our graduation ceremony is this Thursday evening.  Then it is on to new things for me.  One of those new things will be an attempt to re-commit myself to blogging.  I have plenty of content from this year of study to share.  Please let me know if you want to hear more or less about anything in particular as I jump back in.

The top photo is of the Dan David building on campus, where I spent at least 10 hours per week in classes (we generally spent about 16-18 hours per week in class all year). This is a bare-bones building full of classrooms for a variety of programs with those old style desks that are attached to the chairs.  But at least it wasn't portables!  When we were lucky, we got upgraded to the Gilman building, the temporary home of the program, while they wait for the first LEED certified building on campus to be built for the program (scheduled to be completed next year).  

The lower photo is a set of signs as you enter campus from the security gates, with the Gilman building in the background.  This photo was taken back in March.  The Iris is the official flower of the University.  By the time such flowers were blooming in the U.S., these had come and gone. 

Can you read the signs?  With the addition of their many new english language programs, the university has additional work to do in the communications department.

The UN Embraces the Economics of Happiness by Laura Musikanski — YES! Magazine

The UN Embraces the Economics of Happiness by Laura Musikanski — YES! Magazine

Winter storm winds are picking up

The winds picked up on yesterday.  Apparently my olive tree and basil thought they were a sail.  

Solar bus stops in Tel Aviv

These solar powered bus stop information boards are starting to pop up around Tel Aviv.  I don't know much about them, but by making them electronic, I imagine they will have more timely information for riders.  It's a great idea for a city in the middle east!

Red Sea Corals

At the tail end of our trip to Petra, Jordan in October we spent one night along the Jordanian section of the Red Sea shore.  Mom and I took a boat tour with a see through seating level below the water line.  It was a fun way to see the coral reefs, including a sunken ship and an old American tank that was placed there specifically to try to encourage new coral development.

On our drive back to town, we talked to the staff of the company and it turns out they are involved in the preservation of the corals, as well as running their tourism business. 

Below is a summary I wrote following the speaker at the first class meeting on November 3rd. 

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During our first seminar, Eugene Rosenberg, Dept. of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology at TAU provided us an overview of his lab’s research into coral bleaching.  He shared with us the three anthropogenic factors contributing to coral reef deterioration – 1) water pollution, 2) over fishing, and 3) seawater temperature increases.  He elaborated on the impact of temperature increases which correlated with a loss of endosymbiotic algae every summer from 1995-2002.  

However, since then, his team has not been able to isolate V. shiloi, the bacteria studied and understood to act as an infectious disease for the O. patagonica coral found in the eastern Mediterranean.  This discovery led to development of his coral probiotic hypothesis.  The importance of this finding is that it shows that coral, like all other plants and animals, live in a symbiotic relationship with a set of bacteria.  This combination of host and microorganisms is called a holobiont.  The bacteria are more rapidly adaptable to changes in the holobiont’s environment than the host is.  Over time, the type and quantity of bacteria that joins the host impacts the overall function of the holobiont.  In this case, the coral acquired beneficial bacteria that killed V. Shiloi. 

It is only in recent decades that the ability to study bacteria that are “viable but not culturable,” (VBNC) has become possible.  New techniques like this have increased our knowledge, and yet we are only at the beginning.  For example, Professor Rosenberg shared the history of knowledge on bacteria in the human gut, believed to have about 100 types in the 1970s, and now known to have at least 40,000.  In addition, he stated that these bacteria hold 200 times greater genetic material than we, as the human host, do.  It is also important to note that the holobiont is not just the sum of the genetic material of the host plus the microorganisms.  The symbiotic relationship enhances the adaptability and survival of the collective group.

His findings are significant because he has extrapolated the coral probiotic hypothesis to the hologenome theory of evolution.  This theory has far-reaching, cross-disciplinary implications, from human health, to social structures, and just about every topic under the umbrella of environmental studies.  It has the potential to change the way we view relationships between species, from the Darwinian focus on competition, to that of cooperation.

Back to School

I haven't been posting much lately, as I have become a bit busier this past month. After 10 years, I am going back to school. I signed up for the International Environmental Studies masters degree program at the Porter School of Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University. This is the first year of the new English language program, but it is based on the Hebrew program that is internationally recognized, and many courses are taught by the same Professors.  I have 15 classmates and they range in experience, from an Economics masters, a school teacher, a variety of social science majors, and several environmental studies undegrads.  Some are just out of undergrad, but I discovered that my German classmate shares my birthday - yes, my exact birthday!

The last week of October was orientation week. We began on Monday and Tuesday with meetings on campus at Tel Aviv University.   I had to temper my expectations for organization as the University runs like the rest of Israel - they don't seem to get too concerned about the details. ID cards weren't ready, course offerings were not finalized (and therefore neither were syllabi), online access was not yet available, and yet we were being asked to meet deadlines utilizing these tools. To our program coordinator's credit, it appeared that our class was considerably more organized than other programs. But she was running into the same institutional barriers that we were, and working feverishly to address them.   As an American who immigrated to Israel about 10 years ago, she has been wonderful in helping us navigate this new experience.

Wednesday and Thursday of orientation consisted of a "Tiyul," or field trip. We were taken north to Israel's national water carrier, Mekorot, for a tour and lectures about the country's water sources. Israel has only one fresh water lake as I have mentioned before - the Sea of Galilee, known locally as the Kinneret. It also has two natural aquefers in the north. Already over 30% of their water comes from desalination, and this is expected to become 50-70% in the next 5-10 years. They re-use grey water (waste from homes) at a rate of 78%, far beyond any other country in the world. They treat it, then send it out for agricultural use.

We stayed overnight at a simple kibbutz hotel, common in the north, then visited one of the few significant year-round water sources (I would call it a stream, but they call it a river). It is in the Banias Valley (We visited this site with my dad last May, when it was rushing full of muddy water from spring rain. This time it was clear.)

Our last stop was the Hulu Valley, where feeding practices have made it a major stop on the bird migration from Europe to Africa and back. We saw pelicans and cranes by the thousands. They gave us a brief demonstration of the bird research they do here, and I released one of the tiny tagged birds.

In case you are interested in learning with me, our pre-program reading included:

1. Tal, Alon, Pollution in a Promised Land: An Environmental History of Israel, 2002. Chapters 1, 2, 12.

2. Meadows, Donnella H. "Envisioning a Sustainable World," 1996. http://www.sustainer.org/?page_id=107

3.  Hardin, Garret "The Tragedy of the Commons",

Science, December 1968, Volume 162, pp. 1243-1248. 

http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_tragedy_of_the_commons.html

4. Lovins, Amory; Lovins, L. Hunter; Hawken, Paul "A Road Map for Natural Capitalism," 1999.

http://www.rmi.org/rmi/Library/NC99-08_NatCapRoadmap

Summer Reading

Two books that I read over the summer, and highly recommend:

Last Child in the Woods:  Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv

Changing Planet, Changing Health:  How the Climate Crisis Threatens Our Health and What We Can Do about It, by Paul Epstein and Dan Ferber

I have run out of free reading time outside course assignments at this point, but I will try to share interesting course readings this year as well.  There have been some great ones already in the first four weeks - in Environmental Economics, Ethics, and Corporate Environmental Strategy. 

Lots to think about, and maybe even to build a career around....

Finished my beginner jewelry class

My 11 sessions of metal jewelry making classes are over.  In addition to the two rings, I made a pendant (right) which required sawing out a design, saudering the thin sheet of silver to a thicker one, saudering a raised, open edge (this was a technique they wanted us to learn), and then using acid to change the color of the silver.

My final project was a pair of earrings in which square stones needed  be set.  I found some little moon stones, and designed these silver flowers to go with them, with the flower stem acting as the piece through the ear.

I also snuck in a little extra project between waiting for assistance from the teachers, which you can see on the right side of this photo - small rounded and hammered silver stud earrings. 

I hope to continue learning, but need to see how demanding my masters program is first.  Even fun activities lose their appeal when they become another thing you have to squeeze into a week.   

Visiting Dubai

I am glad that I joined Dan to "see" Dubai for a few days back in March, but I wouldn't want to live there.  And I don't have any particular need to go back.  It impressed me as a screaming example of what is wrong with the world.

Shortly after my visit, I saw this article - UAE minister reveals that Dubai is amongst the top producers of waste in the world .  I noticed a lot of wasted water to create green grass around highways, A/C cranking with doors open, and what appeared to be a culture based entirely on consumerism.

Dubai is steel and pavement plopped down in the middle of a totally dry, arid desert.  The road noise makes the outdoors unpleasant (as does the heat). 

All the beaches are private (this made me appreciate the fact that the entire shoreline of Tel Aviv is designated public, so the hotels and rich can not prohibit the rest of us). 

There were a few remnants of the traditional culture that we saw, including building design with an open steeple that draws airflow into the building and acts like natural air conditioning.  We could learn from that.

We went up to the observation level of the Burj Khalifa (the building I am standing in front of).  From there I took the photo of the city from the sky.  The air quality was never clear while we were there.

The malls are bigger than the entire town that I spent my childhood in, LaConner.  We walked through to see the indoor ski area (see photo with Dan).  Otherwise it was too much, at least for me, as I do not enjoy shopping in general, and this was definitely shopping on crack.

Dubai is probably the most liberal Muslim place in the middle east.  But even here, practicing Muslim women are usually covered head to toe, sometimes including face masks, and accompanied by a man to go out of the home.  The reason for this, as I understand it, is that men can't control themselves, so women need to hide.  This sounds incredibly disrespectful to both genders.  It doesn't give any credit to either's ability to act as mature adults.  I want to have an open mind, but any culture where the rights of women are less than those of men feels too unjust for me to accept. 

As I said, it was interesting to see once.  I wouldn't have made a separate trip for it though.  There are MANY more interesting and meaningful places in the world.

 

Ford Motor Co. Day of Caring

Each year thousands of companies have an employee volunteering day.  Ford Motor Company is no exception.  They call it the Ford Global Week of Caring.   

Two weeks ago we went out to a small reserve (although typical in size around here) to help mark the trails.  We worked with a guy from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.  He has a PhD in marine biology, and is responsible for a large area of coastline just north of Tel Aviv. 

There is a line in the dirt in the picture to the right that is hard to see, but he told us it was a turtle track across the trail.  There are also fox prints, so this may have been the turtle's last trek.  

I'm always amazed by how much life can exist in dry climates with limited vegetation. 

And the Movement Spreads

When I said Americans should take a page out of the Israeli book with civil disobedience protests, I didn't know it was coming so soon.  It is clearly in it's infancy, but over the coming weeks we will see if Americans can accomplish what the citizens in other countries around the world have had varying degrees of success with - fundamental change in their government and it's priorities.

Today is the first I have heard of these protests, although they have been going on for over two weeks already.  This article talks a little about the lack of media focus on this growing movement.

It will be interesting to see where Occupy Wall Street goes....

Northern Israel

We've made it up north a few times in the past year.  It's only 1-2 hours driving, but there's a mental divide.  It has usually required visitors from abroad to make the trek. 

We had just such an excuse in early September.  We drove north and saw the Roman aqueduct ruins by Casarea, had a snack at a favorite winery visitor's center, and spent the night in Nahariya, the northern most city in Israel.  We enjoyed a delicious seafood tasting menu dinner at the port of Akko, an arabic town inside a 2500 year old fortified port.  The top right photo is of the port as we walked around before dinner.  The middle photo is a mosque inside the fortress walls.

The next morning we visited Rosh HaNikra, caves in the cliffs at the border of Israel and Lebanon.  I was here with Dan in 2006, but we didn't do the cable car and cave tour then.  In the afternoon we drove inland and took our friends ATV'ing in the Golan mountains.  Then we drove home to refresh, before dinner and our friends' flight back to Detroit.  It was a whirlwind 5 day visit!

Although the climate is obviously quite different, and I am not sure I could ever love living in a semi-arid climate the way I love the temperate rainforest at home in the Pacific Northwest, it is a wonderful place to visit and see.  We have only made it out camping once so far.

It was back in June.  We joined local friends at the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) for our first overnight camping experience in Israel.  The lake is the lowest fresh water lake in the world, and that means the air temperature is HOT!  It was almost unbearable, even in the shade.  We slept outdoors under a canopy which turned out to be better than those with tents because the slight breeze kept it comfortable for the night.  Unfortunately the campground was packed with families, in close proximity, so it felt more like an outside city park sleepover than camping.  But we had a great time and felt a bit more like locals ourselves. 

What comes after Arab Spring?

There have been wide-spread civil protests this summer in Israel.  The one that has affected me the most has been the doctor's strike.  The one that has made the biggest splash has been the tenting students on Rothchild Street.

On September 4th, Israeli's organized the biggest demonstration ever in Israel.  We were on the beach that afternoon, and a group with banners and a bull horn walked through notifying everyone of the evening rally.  We went for an evening walk in the general direction of the rally, and joined a sea of wall-to-wall people on a major street, Ibn Gvirol, for about 5 blocks, at which point the march turned a corner to head to the square and we turned left to work our way slowly back home.

What felt unusual for such a large demonstration was my sense of safety.   There were families everywhere, with strollers and other baby carriers.  There were children marching along with parents, sometimes helping hold signs.  There were Israeli-Arabs taking part. There were Europeans, Russians, Ethiopians, Nigerians, French, British, Americans - most sharing the commonality of being Israeli.  There was no sense of danger that can sometimes come with crowds of such a large size.  This was a truly peaceful demonstration.

That was 20 days ago.  Focus has again shifted. It is not yet clear what, if anything, will come of the tent city movement.

Last night, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian territories made his bid for Statehood to the United Nations General Assembly.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke afterwards.  I encourage anyone interested in understanding a little about the country I live in currently to listen to this speech (click on the link).  It is not only informative, but he is an excellent orator.

Happy Anniversary

Today Ford launches the new Focus in Israel.  Unlike in the U.S. where new models are released every year, they haven't had a new Focus here in something like five years.  So they make a slightly bigger deal about it.  The press is currently on a cross country test drive.  They were flown to the north this morning, and will return tonight from Eilat. 

I woke this morning to this picture in my email from Dan.  It is hard to read, but this plane says Air Seychelles on it.  We flew this little arline the day we got engaged, in the islands of the Seychelles, just over four years ago.  Today is our three year wedding anniversary.  And Dan went up in the air on the same plane (it obviously was sold from their fleet, but has not been repainted since arriving in the little local airport north of Tel Aviv).  It was chartered for the Focus launch event.

Happy anniversary!

Somewhere warm for vacation

In August we flew to the Greek Islands of Mykonos and Santorini for a week.  We spent four nights with six friends from Toronto and Ottawa on Mykonos first, where we shared an apartment, worked on our tans, drove ATVs around the Island, and enjoyed the nightlife. 

Then we took a 2 hour ferry over to Santorini and met up with 30 others for the wedding of a friend from Canada/NYC.   

Their ceremony was held at the Captain's House at the northwest side of the Island, overlooking the white-washed cliff houses of Oia. 

On our last day, we took a catamaran cruise to the volcano, sulfer hot springs, and beaches around the Island. 















When we landed in the Tel Aviv airport at 4am, we were greeted by fans of the local soccer team, who were drumming, waving flags and chanting in the arrivals hall so loud that we could hear them throught the walls in the baggage claim area. 

Everyone else went home to northern climates, and we returned to the heat and sun of the middle east.  Strange feeling....


Gettin' out of Dodge...

I received this update from the Tel Aviv US Embassy this evening.  It seems like a good time to get on a plane to go to Greece for a week.  We leave at the crack of dawn for Mykonos and a wedding in Santorini.  I hear it won't be much of an escape from Israeli's, but it will be great to see friends from the States!

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Emergency Message to U.S. Citizens Regarding Attacks in Eilat, August 18, 2011

An armed attack on a public bus occurred shortly after noon local time in southern Israel, north of Eilat near the Ein Netafim junction. Separate attacks on another bus and on a private vehicle, as well as a roadside explosion, have also been reported in the area in the same time period. Additional incidents have been reported in the press, but remain unconfirmed.

According to reports, Routes 10 and 12 leading to Eilat have been closed and the Ovda Airfield has been closed to all flights.  Police have reportedly established several checkpoints along Route 90, which remains open but is experiencing heavy traffic.

Emergency services and security forces are currently in the Eilat area to respond to the attacks and the Government of Israel has placed the country on its highest state of alert.  An Israel Defense Force public announcement has also recommended the public avoid the area to allow security and rescue services to respond to the incidents.

Until further notice, Mission employees and family members are required to receive approval before traveling south of the Be’er Sheva area. The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to avoid travel in this area until further notice.

U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs website, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information can be found.  U.S. citizens are also encouraged to review "A Safe Trip Abroad", which includes valuable security information for those both living and traveling abroad.  In addition to information on the internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747  toll-free in the United States and Canada, or outside the United States and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

U.S. citizens are advised to maintain valid travel documents. U.S. citizens living or traveling in Israel are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).  U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General.  By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate General to contact them in case of emergency
For further information, U.S. citizens may telephone the Consulate General in Jerusalem at (972) (2) 630-4000 or the Embassy in Tel Aviv at (972) (3) 519-7575 during working hours. After hours (for emergencies), U.S. citizens may telephone either the Consulate General at: (972) (2) 622-7250, or the Embassy in Tel Aviv at: (972) (3) 519-7551.

Current information on travel and security in Israel, Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free within the United States and Canada, or, from overseas,  a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).  Up-to-date information on security conditions can also be accessed at http://israel.usembassy.gov  or http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/.  You can also download our free Smart Traveler App for travel information at your fingertips. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well.

This email is UNCLASSIFIED.

Several Times in the Past Decade - and it happened today

I woke this morning and looked out at the patio before heading out the door to Tel Aviv Medical Center for my allergy shots.  It was overcast, which is in itself unusual.  But wow!  It was wet!  Uncle Igor would have been very unhappy if he had put his old TV in storage on his patio this summer instead of last!

In the year that I have been here, Israeli's say I have seen the hottest summer on record (last year), the strongest winter storm in 25 years (last December), the most pleasant spring in a very long time, and now rain in August!  Interested in why?  Check out the book I am currently reading, "Changing Planet, Changing Health," by Paul Epstein and Dan Ferber. 

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Rain falls in central Israel in surprise summer shower

Light drizzle falls in Tel Aviv, Rishon Letzion, near Ben-Gurion Airport, in a few other central cities.

Published 10:03 14.08.11Latest update 10:03 14.08.11
By Haaretz

Rain fell in central Israel Saturday night and Sunday morning, an anomaly for the usually arid month of August.  A light drizzle was reported in Tel Aviv, Rishon Letzion, near Ben-Gurion Airport and in a few other central cities. The precipitation may spread to north Israel on Sunday afternoon.         
It rarely rains in Israel in August, but this is not as unheard of as one would think. Although it does not happen every summer, rain has fallen in August several times in the past decade.   
 

 

Project #2

This ring took me three classes to make.  It involved calculating the size, sawing the metal, saudering, using sanding, polishing and texturing tools, and finally stone setting.