Scary and sweaty morning at work

Today has been 34° with 70% humidity. Bloody horrible to garden in. I was running out of dry t shirt by the end of the day. As if the heat wasn't enough to make it a difficult morning add in running to a bunker twice in response to the tzeva adom alarms as Gaza attacked at 7am this morning. I've now experienced 5 of these in my time here. The first one today was by far the scariest. Being outside in the open and then being in a bunker on my own for the first time. The sound of the bomb hitting also came before the alarm had even finished. There is meant to be 15 seconds for you to run.

Luckily none of the bombs hit the kibbutz just the surrounding fields and everyone is okay. Here's what's been going down in a report from the Times of Israel. I am off to Beer Sheva with Jonny and Chihiro to watch The Edge of Tomorrow this evening, as ever normal life continues here.

Kibbutz Geva and Akko's Donkey advice for all humans.

Todays post a bit of a mismash of everything. Trips, Photos, goings on in Ein Hashlosha and music.

 

Firstly my visit to Kibbutz Geva was really nice!  The volunteers there were all lovely so thanks for a great weekend Geva!

The view from Kibbutz Geva

 
Their pub was very different to Mafia, has a pool table instead of a dance floor and it played lots of Jack Johnson and not Latino music.   It was good to see some different faces and meet new people.  The volunteers also get fed more than we do, Breakfast and lunch on working days and even get lunch on saturdays so I was well fed.   Having breakfast before I left on Sunday morning was a nice luxary.   They had some really nice yoghurts they make on the kibbutz apparently as they have cows and sheep.  Despite having cows like us,  they have significantly less flies (I have been told the cows attract the flies).  I think I saw about 2 in my whole time there while they are absolurtely everywhere here. 
 
I did pretty much the same thing as I do here on Saturday.  Spent all day sleeping and at the pool.  Decided to stay the next night too so I could go to Akko on Sunday morning and take the train home from there.


Akko Beach

Akko was interesting. One of the few places were I felt like I should get a guide as I don't know enough of the history. Unlike Jerusalem it isn't teaming with tourists where you can sneakily join in other people's tours for further information. It was nice to have a few hours wandering around anyway.

It's a little like deja vu in the volunteer house at the moment as we have now have 5 kittens living in the house. Back in October when I first moved in there were 3 kittens roaming around  the house too. They are super cute and all 5 have only just opened their eyes. Kinda glad I'm leaving before they start causing havoc though.

I am going to a lot of BBQs lately. 4 people are leaving tomorrow so we had a big leaving


View from inside guards qarters of the underground prisioners jail

BBQ for them at Tony 's workshop on Wednesday. This evening I am going back there for the guys who worked on getting the pool ready for opening,  much delayed BBQ. So much deliciously cooked meat.













I thought this car was pretty cool.. it says "Donkey advice for all humans: stop killing, violence, rape"



This song has been stuck in my head recently and its one I have picked up here so I'd thought I share it with you guys. The video has some very familiar scenes from my time in Israel too. Enjoy!

Come on England!

Before I came to Israel I didnt really follow football and it wasnt until I got to Tel Aviv that I'd even

attended a football match (thanks super friendly Northern Ireland supporters). After 9 months I think I might almost be considered a football fan, I've watched enough games in Mafia here.  What started as an excuse to get out of the volunteer house and drink a few beers has turned into something more.  I am looking forward to the England vs Uraguay match later this evening. Hopefully we dont get kicked out of the cup like Spain, last night. 

In none football related news, on Saturday we had the option of going on a walk in the Negev desert organised by the kibbutz.  If we could manage to get up for the 8am start, which meant a

few people didnt make it.  The walk wasnt very long but the scenery was beautiful and the weather scortchio! I cant remember what the place we went to was called.  It was very close to Ben Gurion's tomb which we also went to see.

Tomorrow I am going to Kibbutz Geva to visit my friend and see some new faces for a change.
I havent really made a plan but its close to Nazereth so might do a bit of travelling around on Saturday and Sunday too.  

Catch you in a week or so!


 

A month of swimming, gardening and another Jewish holiday

This kinda old news but the pool finally opened on the 24th of May!   All that painting and weeding finally paid off. Now a large proportion of my free time is spent swimming and cooling down from the 30 degree heat.
 

Welcome to the pool!

The pool opening has also meant me changing work again as there is nothing to do at the pool anymore.  I now work in the gardens, which I am loving even if the 5:30am starts don't feel so great at the time.  There isn't much planting to be done as most of the public gardens on the kibbutz are already over grown with plants and weeds.  Pulling out weeds and trimming bushes is how i spend most of my day. It is satisfying to see how much the work we are doing is improving the aesthetic of the kibbutz.  Especially when a kibbutznik notices and decides to buy all the gardeners a beer (that  really was a good day at work!)

Two British guys have arrived in the house! so I am no longer the lone Englander. Added bonus that one of them is northern (from Middlesbrough) so I can start talking like I do back home and be understood for a change. We even managed to play a game of scrabble the other evening. 

One Saturday night all the volunteers went to the Bedouin camp that is located in Ein Hashalosha fields.  We feasted on lamb, which I haven't eaten in about 8 months, rice and laffa.  It was delicious, and the lamb literaly melted in your mouth. 

The Bedouins preparing our food.

 
Yom Shavout was on the 4th of June, so we got the day off work and a half day on the Tuesday before, like Shabbat.  Yom Shavout is a celebration of agriculture and the kibbutz put on a meal and a live band on the Tuesday evening. The food was only milk products and wheat, lots of bread, pastries, cheese and yogurt, along with lots of chocolate milk (no wonder its so difficult not to put on weight here).   There was no free beer this time but some of the young people from the kibbutz made their own outdoor pub in the kibbutz gardens.  A few of us volunteers went along and drank and chatted the evening away there. 

The temperature on the actual holiday was unbearable 42 degrees.  I didn't leave my air conditioned room until the evening.  TOO HOT! Luckily it seems to be back down to around 28 -31 degrees this past week, working in that heat would be horrible. 

I have less than a month before I come home so I will try and keep you lovely people updated on a more regular basis.   

One plate between 3!