Arrived in Tel Aviv!
I have now been in Israel for a week and I am loving it! Here are 7 things I love about Israel:
1. Welcoming People: Israelis are among the most welcoming people I have met. Even before I got to Israel, friends here were already trying to help me find an apartment. Then, once I arrived in Tel Aviv, my friends took great care of me and brought me to various sightseeing spots in the city.
2. The warm weather: After 4 years in California, I am tired of being cold all the time. I don’t know who originally came up with the rumor that San Francisco is warm. Sure, it is warmer than many other places in the winter, but it also never gets hot. Here in Israel, the weather is wonderful, I can finally wear skirts during the day and in the evening. It is warm without being too hot and there is always a nice breeze.
3. Liveliness: In Tel Aviv, it seems like people never go to bed. You can walk in parts of the city at 3am and you will meet at least 10 other people that are also just walking. Some supermarkets, coffee shops etc are open 24 hours. People eat late, you can go to numerous good restaurants at midnight and they will still serve you!!
4. Food: The food in Israel is amazing. You can get a variety of huge salads, fish, humus and other great food. There is very little international food (Chinese, Indian, etc.), but the local food is really great!
5. Parks: Tel Aviv is a very bike and pedestrian friendly city. It has numerous parks and boulevards where you can peacefully ride your bike or sit on a bench under a tree. I often just spend the morning or late afternoon sitting on a bench and reading papers. I love the quietness of these parks and people leave you alone (which is almost impossible in the States where random people stop and always try to chitchat…).
6. Dogs & Cats: The whole city seems to be very animal friendly. Every second person seems to have a dog and every building has a cat. Even at the university, administrative people keep cats in their offices.
7. Safety:It is funny, especially after all the stories we hear in the news, but I have never felt as safe as in Israel. The other day we were out and I wanted to get home at around 2am. So I walked home. I didn’t need to worry about walking home by myself, because I met so many other people on the streets walking their dog, hanging out on benches or like me, just walking by themselves. I feel that people are so busy facing real problems here, that attacking random pedestrians is really not common. And it is wonderful to feel so safe!!
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