driving

I'll start off with a few photos I took while driving the van. Driving in Jerusalem is not so bad, but everyone is super aggressive and impatient. Lanes seem to be optional once traffic is moving, but I obey them for fun. It's especially hilarious in turns - traffic necks down from two lanes to one, not because there is an actual reduction in lanes, but so that everyone can place the center of their vehicle exactly over top of the dotted white line. (alas, no photo of this phenomenon)The photo above is as we near the MEET office in East Jerusalem. We have been going there almost daily for meetings, workshops, etc.
And I bet you've never seen a light that turns yellow and red before turning green. It's so the impatient drivers can throw the car in gear and get ready to go before the light turns green. Except everyone just goes the instant it turns yellow/red. Haha.

We've also been having quite a time with security at Hebrew University. In theory we should have a pass that gets us in, but, no. We seem to meet a new set of guards every night. We attempt each time to convince them that we are legitimate. Depending on how many attractive girls we have in the car, we may or may not require a trip to the main security office for a one-time entry permit.

A group of high school students in a summer program is staying in the same building as us. I've been playing soccer with them and watching the youTube videos they want to show me. They're a riot; I've been having a blast.

I'll leave you with a photo of one of the most inexplicable things I've seen in awhile. I guess the translation from Hebrew to English didn't go so well??

hard at work on curriculum

Hi!  More pictures in this post to show my surroundings.  Here's the outside of the building we're living in for now, which is on the Hebrew University campus in Jerusalem:

And in the deep dark depths of that building is our meeting room, where we write code, create lectures, eat nutella, and enjoy each other's company (most of the time)   :)

 Today we also spent some time doing a teaching workshop.  Each instructor had 5 minutes to present a topic and then got feedback on their teaching from the other instructors.  I chose to talk about skydiving, describing a typical jump.  My technical flow chart of the jump got rave reviews.

This was taken on the street where we went to get hamburgers yesterday (at 'MEAT burger').  There are scooters everywhere in this city!

 I've often been eating falafel for lunch.  They're really delicious here.  Here we are in East Jerusalem ordering lunch:

In other news, I must have really beat myself up in the Rachel Carson Trail Challenge.  Several days after arriving, my right foot was super painful with every footstep.  We found me a pair of crutches, which I've been using to keep my weight off it while it heals up.  As of today it's starting to feel much better.  At least I did fairly well in the race.

Good night!!

robot toilets!

I almost forgot!  In Frankfurt they had a toilet that wipes the seat for you!  There's a big clamp-looking thing on the back of the seat, and when you flush it, it rotates the seat 360 degrees, wiping it off with some magic hidden in the clamp-looking thing.  Whaa!!!  So cool.

in jerusalem!

I'm here!  But first, a little on the past day or two.  Back in Frankfurt, I did find a nice climbing gym out on the outskirts of town, and did a little bouldering (although I'm still sore from my trail run).  More importantly, they had a shower, which is a nice thing between two redeyes.

(the Frankfurt train map - I'm envious)

I enjoyed flying at night past the brightly lit north shore of the Mediterranean, and into Tel Aviv.  Then by car to Jerusalem and in bed by 6am.  Here's our current (temporary) housing:

Israeli drivers are terrible!  Especially at lanes.  I've been appointed as a driver, and I look forward to defending the MEET van from the insanity.  More tomorrow, as we dive into work on the curriculum.

on my way

Hello from a cafe in Frankfurt! (I have an 11 hr layover here)  My minimal knowledge of Deutsch has gotten me surprisingly far, although I'm pretty sure I accidently stole a seat in first class instead of coach on the train.  Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof sure is a happening place compared to South Station in Boston.

Yesterday, I ran the 35 mile Rachel Carson Trail Challenge , which has left me walking around like a cripple.  Also, I must be the only guy in all of Frankfurt walking around in tennis shoes. Now I'm off to try out a German climbing gym (or should I say Kletterhalle), then on to the airport and Tel Aviv.

(from the train in Frankfurt)

welcome

Hi everyone.  I'm spending a summer in Jerusalem, teaching for MEET.  In early June, I finished my research job at MIT, packed my life into my car (see photo) and went home to PA.  I'll be overseas from June 21 to August 10th, and then move to Berkeley for more schooling, among other things.  Hopefully I'll be good about writing down what's happening here, so my family and friends can follow along.