Architecture in general is frozen music ~Friedrich von Shelling
Huzzah, Israel! There's really not much to report at this time- since I've experienced little of Israel beyond customs, taxis, and guard towers- but I thought I would update with what few photos I've managed to take on my odd little disposable digital
I actually arrived in Tel Aviv yesterday morning, and I celebrated Shabbat by exploring the area around Tantur with Lisa and then falling asleep for approximately 12 hours. Tantur is lovely- nice garden, noisy birds, cool archways, and amazing views that would nonetheless be much more impressive if the surrounding area didn't look like a giant barracks. The entire country thus far has been a study in shades of dun; every once in a while someone sneaks greyish stone or a bit of reddish roof past the National Zoning Board, but that's about it. In aesthetics versus strategic value, looks like strategy wins pretty much every time.*
The security coming into the country was actually not as bad as I'd feared. Things were looking dicey back in Newark when they cordoned off the entire area around our gate and made us go through a second round of bag searches and metal wand-waving before we could board the plane. I was having serious concerns over the metal fillings in my teeth creating some sort of national incident. My fears were hardly alleviated when, with 45 minutes left til our landing at Ben Gurion Airport, we were told by the flight crew that Israel security policies required all passangers to remain in their seats for the last 45 minutes of the flight. During the resulting stampede toward the restrooms, I couldn't help but feel that the outlook for my teeth was growing gloomy indeed
But the airport security wasn't bad at all. Intimidation technique? I don't know, but I've had far worse trying to get into the United States
Things did get a little dicey at passport control, when the cutsoms official asked me what I'd be doing and where I'd be staying. I explained about the class I'd be taking at Tantur, that I'd be staying for two weeks, and that I'd be residing mainly on the campus. Then I gave her my bright, boy-I'm-so-excited-to-be-in-your-country grin that worked every time in China. She just gave me a flat, disapproving glare and said in a monotone Voice of Doom
"That is not an Israeli university"
Then, before I could give in to my sudden bizarre urge to apologize, she stamped my passport, tossed it in my general direction and barked
Next! ...in a monotone, non-barky sort of way
Welcome to Israel
So that was pretty much all of the excitement. Lisa and I trundled along to Tantur in our neshwar (shared airport cab). Shabbat meant we were one of only a dozen or so cars on the road, and the one checkpoint we passed through was fast and easy- lots of very young men with very big guns waved us through with barely a glance. Unattractive, airport-tower-like structures rose out of the barbed wire every other mile or so, keeping watch over emptry highways and tiered, rocky hills. The number of guardposts decreased as we left Jerusalem for Tantur, and there's only a few of the barbed wire-enclosed areas around the University
So, to sum up- scary customs officials, intact teeth, terrible architecture and nice scenery. Further explorations await, since tomorrow we head to Mazada and the Dead Sea! Yaaay
Lisa posing outside Tantur. Note the rocky hill in the background which is actually a city masquerading as a sand dune
Yay color! Flowers in the garden at Tantur
One of the two towers which rise on either side of the gateway into Tantur
**
I have been informed that this barracks-style architecture is actually an architectural style known as Bauhaus. Whatever. All I'm saying is that it's okay to have more than one architectural style per country. Freeze-fried post-WWII chic is not the only way you can go with earth tones. Though Victorian houses in tan and dun? Probably not incredibly attractive
PS: Sorry about any formatting weirdness. This thing keeps trying to type right-to-left and it's driving me absolutely insane
PPS: Apologies for picture quality. It's a dispoable digital, and it's a little weird
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