Elation

Its 11:15, and I feel as if Ive already had the best day since I've been here. Minor exaggeration, but I'm trying to make a point here. Just a lot of small developments have contributed: Ducks trouncing the Beavers, I talked to Cody (always brightens the day) a few moments ago, as well as TCole, Vinny, JoeShow (soullll) and OT, I heard from Jacob Janin for the first time since I've left which was awesome, I'm going to IChat Shannon later tonight, and I got to talk to the momma bear last night. I heard my sister is loving school; I'm so happy for her promising future. It's a beautiful day in Jerusalem, and the view from the Hostel is breathtaking. All of these factors are contributing to my amazing day/afternoon.

Today I had my first day of class. I have only one real class on Sundays which is Ulpan (hebrew). It was ok, but I have a feeling I'll learn a lot quickly. I anticipate it'll go much better than my ulpan class in Bat Yam. I'm excited for some classes, others not so much. Israeli dancing, however, I'm stoked for.

This weekend, Year course made everyone stay in the Hostel, even the apartment kids. I learned quickly why everyone who comes to Jerusalem tells you to leave on the weekends. A) J-Ru sucks on the weekends B) The Hostel is worse. It's not close to anything. On Shabbat( the weekends, Friday and Saturday) the buses don't run, and cabs are more expensive. Inside the Hostel, there's nothing to do. You can't go on computers or watch T.V in the lounge because they're not on for Shabbat. You can't play music too loud because you're technically not allowed to, and some people observe(obey) Shabbat. It's boring. It's not awful because it's fun hanging out, playing games and just talking with people, but it's no picnic. Everyother weekend at the least I plan to leave.
On friday night, Year Course visited the Cotel ( the western wall, which I have pictures of from my October 8th blog). As most of you know, praying is not my shtick. I guess you could call what I did praying. It was freezing cold, I had hours to go before we were allowed to go back to the Hostel, and I was staring at one of the most Holy artifacts on earth. I got time to reflect on life, as well as religion. The hostel is about a 2 hour walk, but my apartment is only 25 minute walk. I might go again on the weekends I stay here. Looking back on it, I enjoyed it more than I thought. In Bat Yam, I rarely got time to think, let alone about life. It aint healthy. I got alotta stuff floating around upstairs, and sometimes I need to sort it out. This blog helps, but only to a certain extent. I think future trips to the Cotel would be very beneficial. I gotta run to lunch now. As of tomorrow, I've officially been here three months. Six more to go.
Luv
Jakey

Relaxin at the Hostel

Today we had a so called "orientation," but frankly we didn't do anything. Tomorrow is the thorough intro to our classes. I decided to stay at the hostel tonight because I didn't want to get up early because the bus ride to the hostel is 30 min, and if I stay here tonight I get a bomb breakfast in the morn (yay!). Today was the first day everyone in the Hostel got there rooms. I'm staying in Eli and Avi's room tonight, as I'll probably do often for the next three months. The Hostel is truly amazing. It's breathtaking. I'll try to do a video tour and post it someday. It has four floors, a dining hall, a lounge upstairs with couches and computers which I'm using right now, outside there's basketball courts and a pool. It's awesome, but I'm so glad I live in the apartments. The hostel isn't close to anything, and it can feel like a prison at times (from what I'ev heard). I can stay at the hostel whenever I want, and I get other perks for living in the apartments such as stipend money and a buspass. Nonetheless, it's so cool having most of my section in a dorm setting. I love just walking around and seeing friends pass by. Ok Im tired and going to bed. I get internet at my apartment now, but it's very slow. Luckily, I'll be here a lot so hopefully I'll keep this thing updated
Late
Jakey

A matter of moments

I'm sitting in my apartment, waiting for the O.K to go to Ulpan to eat lunch and take off for Jerusalem. These past couple days have been a little crazy. My cousin Jerry left Israel yesterday to fly back home; it was unfortunate his weeklong trip overlapped my final week in Bat Yam, but at least I got to see him a couple times. He told me had a powerful experience this time, which was great to hear.

Thursday night Year Course had a final party at a club in Tel Aviv called the V.I.P lounge. It was kind a small place, but I had fun. Friday our apartment went to Ohad's house in Hertilyah for dinner. It was far and away the best meal I've had since I've been here. It trumped the final sports track meal I wrote about, no question. I gorged myself on a variety of meat, including possibly the best steak I've ever consumed. Ohad's parents were wonderful and gave us a few presents, and Ohad and Nitzan gave us picture frames with a picture of us together in it. It was overwhelming to be honest. Getting the presents from Ohad's parents was special.....................................................................................................................................

Annnndddd I got interrupted because our apartment got the O.K to go to Ulpan to leave for Jerusalem. Back to what I was saying, the dinner at Ohad's was really something special. We got together the next night and got burgers for dinner before going to the bars, but coming together at Ohad's was different. I think we all realized how much fun we had and how much we'll miss eachother, or atleast I did.

After arriving at Ulpan, we muched on pizza and hung out before splitting up on the buses. Those living in the apartments got on one bus, hostel in the other. Saying goodbye to Ohad and Nitzan was rough. Wellllll thats not entirely true. Our goodbyes were aweomse; we had some chants and some dancing. It was a pretty funny sight, but once we were on the bus it was hard, and it hit everyone. It was hard to swallow the fact we didn't live with them anymore.

Our drive to Jerusalem was about an hour and fifteen. When we arrived, the look on everyones faces told it all. We were purely ecstatic. Our apartments aren't necessarily big, but they're very high quality, and the neighborhood is awesome. It's so cool living in a building that's all year course kids; we just leave our doors open and hangout with everyone. After unpacking all my stuff, I got a tour of the area. There's a plethora of places to shop and eat. Ben Yehuda Street, which I mentioned in a previous blog, is only a 15 minute bus ride. I went there last night in an effort to watch the Dolphin game with Mike. It was unsuccessful, but I went to a few places were other games were on bigscreens which was awesome. One noticeable difference in Jerusalem is how Americanized it is. I'll turn a corner and see a dominoes pizza. I'll elaborate in a later post. Right now I'm hanging out at the Hostel in my boy Avi's room and using his computer. Today I ate lunch here, played ball, and caught up with some friends. Right now we have a three day transition period where we have nothing to do, so a ton of kids are staying at the Hostel. I gotta go eat dinner, I'll try to write another post as soon as possible. I have no internet as of now at my apartment, so that might be difficult. I hope not.

Avi Behar Avi Behar Avi Behar Avi Behar Avi Behar

Jakey G

I can't believe I haven't written since Saturday. This week has been pretty mellow, with each day having some sort of goodbye activity. Sunday night we had a talent show, which ended much better than it started. The highlights included my boy Landis doing some Hip-Hop dancing, a Shalem girl named Debbi who played piano and sang A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton and a song called Many the Miles. After her, my friend Kunis played two of his songs on guitar, and then him and Debbi finished with a duet. Debbi really blew the crowd away. A lot of people had heard Kunis play or knew that he did play, but Debbi's talent was relatively unknown. She really stunned everyone; I looked across the room and saw a good 50 jewish boys falling in love simaltaneously ( she's quite gorgeous as well).
Monday was the first serious packing/cleaning day. It was pretty overwhelming trying to cram everything back into my suitcase, given the fact I've also added a few items since I've been here and I was barely able to close it when I left Eugene. Our apartment went through a vigorous cleaning session, which left me pretty disgusted at the filth that had amounted in our apartment. My allergies have been awful as of late; everyday I feel I'm sick. I don't think I would be able to last a day longer than I have to in this place given my condition.
Tuesday we had an Ultimate Frisbee Day in Tel-Aviv, where the sports track were required to go, and the Tzofim and kids from Holon joined as well. It was fun to toss around and stuff, but it wasn't too competitive. The Sports Track won the championship easily, 7-1. After the championship, we played a team composed of the better players from other tracks, and some of the Israeli pros that were helping out. We played a game to 3, and had a 2-1 lead before losing 2-3. It was still fairly sloppy, but I got to guard a guy who played for Cal two years ago and went to Nationals. He was very good, and it reminded how much I love the sport and competing in it. Lately I've been talking with Mike about how much I've lost in terms of sports ability and how much I missed it. I was use to playing ball everyday at the Y, lifting everyday, playing frisbee whenever possible, and just flat out playing sports daily. Over here I don't play anything competitively, so I never get a good chance to push myself. In Jerusalem we're participating in a flag football league, and I talked to one of the Frisbee guys about joining a Jerusalem team as well, so I'm optimistic that things will pick up in J-Ru.

Health aside, I'm still sad to leave. I don't think there could have been a better living situation than the one I'm in now. Sure, it's really hard at times, but living with 6 other guys isn't supposed to be easy. It's our first time living outside our parent's housing, and in retrospect we did great together. I can't wait to come back to Bat Yam over the weekends to visit my Tzofim, Ohad and Nitzan. I hope over the next three months I make as good of friends as I've become with them. I wish I could be living with Seth and Zach next term, but we'll be in the same building so it's all good. Aside from leaving the Tzofim, there's not a whole lot to be sad over. It's absolutely nutty that I'm a third of the way done with Year Course. The funny thing is that I don't know why. It hasn't gone fast or slow; it's just happened.
In terms of going home and seeing family, I'm in a different position than most kids. Of my 4 American roommates, Mike and Seth are going home for winter break, Jeremy's parents are coming to Israel, and I'm not sure what Zach is doing. I know many kids who have already seen their parents. My mom's coming in March, which is a looonngg ways away. By then I'll be in my last term. If I could choose, I would definately have my mom come see me. Coming home would be too hard to leave again. Plus, the thrill of coming home for good after 9 months is pretty special. Oh, and I miss my mom a lot. If I go to Amsterdam though, that should offset some disappointment.
So what do I make of the trip so far? I've had so much fun and so much to be thankful for, I don't really have anything to attribute it to but luck. I'm lucky I got put with Shalem in Bat Yam, getting to meet so many awesome people. I'm lucky I got to be with Landis for the first three months. I'm lucky for each and every one of my roommates. I'm lucky I was in Community Volunteering first. I'm lucky that I was in Bat Yam first, so close to my family during the holiday season. I'm lucky that everything has been smooth sailing and haven't hit a bump in the road to date.
I hope my luck doesn't run out
Jakey G

The Blazers beat the Heat

Thank god. Although I did short change the Heat in my rankings, so I'll make sure to fix that in the next one. Thursday was uneventful. Ulpan in the morning, and the rest of the day was a big buildup for the arcade/club party. A lot of people had a good time; I wasn't one of them. The whole process of buying drinks with tokens you won was pretty misleading. You had to win an insane amount of tickets for one drink, so that part was a bummer. I would have been content on just playing the games then leaving, but the only buses that came back were at 3,4 and 5 in the morning. Not a big deal though. Friday my cousin Jerry arrived in Israel, and some of the family got together for a nice dinner. I relaxed when I got home and just played guitar. In the morning I got picked up for another family meal, this time Leot, Aviv and the kiddies came. We had lunch, looked at pictures from my cousin Gabe's (Jerry's son) wedding last June, and I went to the nearby playground and messed around with the kids. Now I'm at home and I believe I'm going to a bar soon with all my roommates. This upcoming week is a chilling and packing week. No volunteering, and we're not even allowed to stay in our apartments over the weekend because they're doing inspection. I reserved a room at the hostel in Jerusalem, where I'm sure a ton of kids from other sections are staying.
At a more opportune time I'll write a more reflective piece on this trip. I'm a third of the way done, and it's hard to say whether it's gone by fast or not. I feel as if it has, but I know that I'm not going home for awhile. Anyway, that's talk for a different post at a later time.
Much Love
Jakey

Bout to go to bed

I'm exhausted so ima be brief. Monday I had ulpan and went to a Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball game. Maccabi has Carlos Arroyo, former NBA point guard, who leads their squad, and the opposing team, Netanya, had former Ohio State star Ron Lewis as their leader. It was a quality game, but had a ton of BS fouls which slowed the game down. Afterwards I went out for Sushi for my friend Sammys birthday, which was scrumptous. I've realized my love of Sushi in Israel, go figure. Tuesday I had an Orientation for Jerusalem. I chose my classes and found out my typical schedule which was exciting. I take Hebrew classes five days a week, Jewish Text three days a week I believe, and I have an elective class that's an indepth look at the Israeli-Arab conflict. Oh and I have Israeli Dancing once a week. Some exciting developments: I potentially may be going to Amsterdam for winter break. It's a long shot that's still in the works.
Today we went to a waterpark in Holon. We had to wait an hour and a half before it opened which sucked, but the slides we got to go on were awesome. There's a funny story to be told..... I'll write it in depth sometime soon. Tomorrow night is a big going away party/ 5 way birthday party at a unique place in Netanya. It's a club/arcade. With the arcade tickets you win, you can purchase drinks. It's going to be a massive party, so I'm pretty stoked on that. My cousin Jerry is coming in to Israel on Friday so the fam will be getting together for some meals this weekend. Basically, I have a lot to look forward to. I got to talk to Susan from the Y today which was awesome; I owed her a call a long time ago. Next up is that Rich fella. Anyway, I gotsta go to bed. Tomorrow I have to be at the gym at 7 in the morn. Oden returns to the blazers tonight versus the Heat. If the Heat win, I'll never hear the end of it from Mike.
Jakey G

So to no surprise, I've been keeping up with the NBA diligently. College football hasn't captivated me like it has in recent years, most likely to the demise of the PAC-10. I have a fantasy basketball league with some friends in Bat Yam and Holon, which has me pouring over stats to an unnecessary extent. My favorite sports writer, Bill Simmons, does a weekly column ranking the NFL teams, and splitting them in to divisions to group them. So without further ado, here's the first ever Jakey Gelrod NBA summary.

The Doghouse Division

30. Oklahoma City Thunder

This article, I hope, will be unbiased and reflect what I feel is the current order of the NBA teams. Except the Thunder. Thankfully, they stink. They might merit the last place standing with their record, but they'll have this spot locked for the rest of the year. They're a gift for every other team in the league. If your a coach, you're not losing any sleep at night wondering " How can we contain Nick Collison and Earl Watson?!" Having them stuck in the West doesn't bode well for them either. This is the last paragraph I'll write about them all year. For now, they can call this division their own.

The Retief Goosen Division (gimmes, but not quite.....)

29. Washington Wizards

 As the NBA's last winless team, they left me no choice. They're opening loss to the Nets hurt. Gilbert ain't comin back for awhile, but even so they're giving up 110 a contest. Eddie Jordan should start searching the help wanted section.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves

27. New Jersey Nets

I know there's teams out there with worse records, but they beat one of the three teams ranked below them, and grinded a win with the Pistons in a transition faze that needed a career day from Devin Harris. The one nice thing about the Nets? They share the love. They have 8 players playing at least 20 minutes, not including Brook Lopez's 18 min pg. Definitely a lottery bound team thats looking ahead.

26. Charlotte Bobcats

Just a bad looking puzzle. Jared Dudley starting 4 of 5 games? Gerald Wallace isn't even shooting ten shots a game? I love ya MJ, you to Mr Brown, but if you guys don't make changes, you're joining the Thunder in the doghouse..... Ok that's a little too harsh, but seriously, it's move makin time.

The Darko Milicic Division (more likely to get worse than better)

25. Sacramento Kings

Love the three game winning streak. The fact that you're in west, I'll give you guys some dapps along the way, but you gotta show me some defense. Winning on the road would be nice. Giving up 107 a game? Not cutting it. K-Mart ( Kenyon Martin hasn't merited that nickname in 5 years people) is a stud, Spencer Hawes is improving, and John Salmons is a viable 3rd (no no, not second) option. It's just...... it's that defense........

24. Memphis Grizzlies

23. Golden State Warriors

An ugly 98-115 loss to the Kings help me justify putting them this low, as well as two losses to Memphis. They've still got good pieces and getting Maggette back will help, but it's still a bottom of the barrel team in the west. Don't forget the front office turmoil.

The Report Card division ( How they look on paper doesn't reflect on the court)

22. Milwaukee Bucks

They've lost to teams they should lose to, and beaten teams they should beat. A legit big man, two proven veteran scorers and two unselfish point guards is a nice mix, but it ends there. Depth wins in the NBA, and they don't have it. Neither does the next team. We'll categorize them as the "Jakey Gelrod vision division". And without further ado, I present to you.......

21. Miami Heat

20. Philadelphia 76ers

They're playing unselfish basketball to a fault. They have five players shooting over ten shots a game, with none of them shooting over 14. Regardless of Iguodala's struggles, he needs to shoot the pill 15-18 times a game, as does Brand. Note to Andre Miller and Louis Williams: You play point guard. Your team doesn't need you to chuck up 13 shots a game with your subpar 40% shooting. Distribute, defend, repeat.

The Peter Pan Division (the lost boys)

19. Los Angeles Clippers

Ok, I pity them. You try playing the Lakers twice in week!! They lost to the Jazz twice, lost to nuggets in OT, lost to Houston, and beat the Mavs. But that's the West for ya. It's not an excuse, but it is a exceptional reason to say a 1-6 team still looks better than a 3-3 team such as the Heat. Nonetheless, I don't think they're a good team. Baron Davis isn't the player he was a year ago ( repeat after me: Contract year!) and without him they have no viable offensive source. Al Thornton looks like a stud and a half.

18. San Antonio Spurs

 The only win they have, they had to grind in to OT vs the wolves. I don't know what to say. They're reserves, except for the surprise of Roger Mason, play such a minor role compared to recent years. Michael Finley is fading, the Kurt Thomas/Fabricio Oberto faithful are getting nervous, and Tony Parker's now out until early December. They got a favorable November schedule that helps, but even when Parker's back, there's some question marks.

17. Dallas Mavericks

The Geena Davis Division ( they look good...... but not that good)

16. Chicago Bulls

Definitely a blessing with the Kirk Hinrich injury, as well as Larry Hughes, to D-Rose. When has a number one pick ever been such a surprise? With all the talk of Beasley and Oden, people seemingly forgot just how good this kid is. He's an exception to the Geena Davis Division. There are few guards in this league who will be able to guard him over the next 7-9 years, he's just too big and quick. Chi-Town has to make a move on a suitable big man, because they have a point guard talent who can lead this team in to the postseason. And if those questions whether Ben Gordon deserves that extension are still hanging around the front office, than there's really no way he's sticking around next year.

15. Indiana Pacers

14. New York Knicks

13. Denver Nuggets

Starting off 2-0, the Billups trade seems to be working in their favor as most expected, but they still have problems. With Kenyon Martin out with an injury, they really have no frontcourt. Nene can't shoulder the load of the down-low dirty work when you gotta play in the West. They gotta face Cleveland and Boston back to back later this week, so I'll get back to you on Sunday.

12. Detroit Pistons

Great win versus Toronto, bad loss to the Nets. Nobody's got a harder schedule than the Mo-Town boys coming up. Lakers, Suns, Cavs and Celts in a week span............................................... That was me saying a pray for em'.

All Hands on Deck Division (Ready to improve Captain! )

11. Orlando Magic

Started out 0-2, peeled off four in a row, and dropped one the other night to the Blazers. If you got Dwight on your squad, you're prolly near the top ten. He just needs a little coaching. Not like Patrick Ewing coaching or Olajuwon tutoring, but some mugging tips from Mike Fetters or something. If this guy gets a snarl down, the east will crumble. But I digress. Rashard Lewis and Hedo gotta start shooting over 40% at some point, am I right? If they win the games they should, steal a couple here and there, they'll be fighting for homecourt come April.

10. Houston Rockets

9. Portland Trail Blazers

OK OK FINE. I said I hoped their wouldn't be a bias in this article. I got my reasons so hold on to yo britches. Their losses are to the Lakers, Suns, and Jazz, while their wins include a healthy (well not fully) San Antonio team, an OT win against Houston which should have taken up atleast 4 of the Sportscenter top ten spots, and a road win versus the Magic. Some look to the scores and point to the margin of victory, but this early in the season I take it as an encouraging sign. To fight off the Spurs and Rockets the way they did shows a helluva lot for such a young team. Those are the games they aren't expected to win. Oden reportedly looks ready for game time. Be skeptical if you'd like, but all he does is make them better if he's healthy.

The DMV Division (waiting in line to contend)

8. Phoenix Suns

The likely candidate to be the team that drops off in the West has surprised over their first 8 games ( minus the 17 loss to the bulls, with D Rose throwing a hammer in Barbosa's mug). They've had 5 different top scorers, and you gotta love the production from the Big Aristotle. Nash is no doubt declining, and he's the difference maker between a playoff team and a title contending team. When it comes time to face the premier guards/teams in the west, we'll truly see how good this team can be.

7. CP3

6. Toronto Raptors

Despite the record that included losses to top teams, they look spectacular. They have an allstar pointguard, a top 5 player offensive talent in the league, and 3 point shooters to boot. Their best ball has yet to come.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

No bad losses, no good wins. In their two losses, Bron Bron averaged 42% from the field, 18.5 points and only went 7-12 from the line combined. So it's no surprise, but we know that he dictates the games. The man's puttin up 30, 8 and 7 and I feel like he's underachieving. Is something wrong with me? The averages don't tell the story. I feel like he picks and chooses each game what he's going to do and sticks to it. 

Jakey: He Bron, how many times you gunna go to the stripe tonight?

LBJ: Dawg I went sixteen times last night! I'll try to board and dish, but I ain't takin it down the lane tonight (9 boards, 8 dimes, only 7 trips to the line but hoists 24 shots)

Jakey: What about next game verse the Bulls?

LBJ: Ima be straight with you........ Ima go off. No assists, just me doin' me.

And then he goes out, shoots 13-29, 11-13 from the line, and scores 41 agains Chi-town...... again ( oh and he dropped 41 again last night vs the bucks).

4. Utah Jazz

Despite the weak schedule, who here thought they would go 6-1 without Deron Williams.......... Precisely! Their just a good team. Excellent wing defenders in Kirilenko and Brewer, a bangers downlow with Boozer and Milsap, and the second best point guard in the world. When you talk of the logjam at the top of the west, the Jazz figure to play a part.

3. Atlanta Hawks

With the injury to Josh Smith, we'll see if they slide or not. They escaped the other night vs the Thunder, which isn't good. Great wins over the Magic, Hornets and Raptors are convincing, and the pieces of their puzzle look really promising. Depth is an issue, but aside from Bibby at the point, they got pretty young legs. It'll be interesting to see how Al Horford responds to the Josh Smith injury. Last night against the Bulls he posted 27,17 and 6 blocks. Yikes

2. Boston Celtics

They preach defense, they play defense. It'd be ignorant to argue with them potentially going back to back. If you don't think they will, it's most likely because you're siding with........

The Ring Bearer

1. Los Angeles Lakers

A trusted, credible source of mine told me he thinks this team can beat the 72-10 Bulls record. For obvious reasons, that's a stretch. The same thing was questioned about last years Celtics. All it takes is a two game losing streak for those whispers to end, but nonetheless this team is loaded and coached by the best. Based on Offensive and Defensive Efficiency ( points allowed per 100 possessions) They're 2 and 1 in the league. They're winning by an average of 20 points per game, and they're simply not going to drop games to bad teams. There's an argument to be brewed over on who's making a bigger impact on the team, Trevor Ariza or Andrew Bynum. Oh and did I mention that have the most talented player to ever play the game?

My trip with my family this weekend was awesome! I had a great time with them and getting to see a part of Israel that I hadn't got to explore yet. I wasn't with them for long, but I'm really glad I went and I hope to visit them again soon. My cousin Jerry is coming to Israel on Friday and everyone is coming together for dinner, so I'll get to see Leot, Aviv, and the kiddies again later on in the week. To add some clarity, Leot is Tal's sister and Yehuda's daughter, and Aviv is her husband. Friday I arrived to their Kibbutz around five. We had dinner, I played monster with the kidlets ( I get under a blanket and they jump on me while I growl), and by 9:30 everyone was exhausted. Saturday we visited a bunker that was used by the English during World War II as an escape precaution. It was also used to manufacture sulfur. I had my camera, but it was out of battery. My camera sucks the life outta those things, so Im probably going to use it very seldomly. After walking around we settled down for lunch and various games such like Frisbee and Matcot, which is a game where you and a friend hit a small rubber ball with a jumbo sized ping pong paddle and try to keep it in the air. Then we picked food from the fields of their Kibbutz as well as their neighboring Kibbutzim. We picked potatoes, carrots, oranges and some spices. Most of all, it was just fun being with them. I see them the least out of the family in Israel. They're genuinely nice people with adorable kids. I'm hoping during my two week winter vacation I'll get to stay with them for an extended period.
Right now I'm hanging out in my apartment. I had Krav Maga and volunteering today, and in a little bit im going to the gym. After that I'm attending a lecture about Israel's current water crisis. I would tell you a little more about it, but I don't know anything, hence I'm attending the lecture. To all my friends who enjoy sports and talking sports with me, I plan on writing an NBA column soon, just because I have to talk sports, whether it's to a wall or through a computer.

More to come,
Jakey G

Quick summary

I'm leaving to get on a bus to tel-aviv in about five minutes to meet up with some of my family, Leot and Aviv, and their three kids. I'm going to stay at their Kibbutz in the south for tonight and tomorrow, and be back Saturday night after Shabbat ends. I rarely get to see them, but they're really great people and I'm excited to stay with them. Just wanted to give a quick update of the events that have transpired since my last post.
- I didn't do anything wednesday night because I still didn't feel good
- I talked to Eve for the first time this trip. It was great to hear her voice.
- Thursday was a sports day for section 3, but the sports track got to go visit, watch and participate a little bit. I saw Rachel Pergamit and some other friends from orientation which was excellent. When I'm in Jerusalem next term, they'll be in Bat Yam and Holon, so I'll most definitely visit them and the Tzofim quite a bit.
- That night I was feeling better and really wanted to go out, but I knew it would be a good decision to stay in. I got to clean up the apartment and rest up, so I can't complain.

I'm not sure if I'll have access to a computer over the weekend. This upcoming week is pretty much my last real week in Bat Yam, and then the following week deals with orientation stuff for Jerusalem.
Gotta run ..................................................... HOW ABOUT THAT BLAZER GAME!! I know given the circumstances (early season) it's hard to throw this out there, but that has got to be one of the most amazing finishes of all time.
Jakey G

Looking forward to the future

My thoughts are extremely scattered right now. I'm ecstatic over the election for such a wide variety of reasons. The one that distinguishes itself from the others is one that had honestly never occurred to me until now. I can say in all truthfulness I had never considered the epic proportion of having a black president. It had crossed my mind, but until six in the morning it had never settled in how meaningful it is. Seeing Jesse Jackson cry touched me, someone who fought against service stations that refused to provide Restrooms for African-Americans. Someone who stood alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, possibly the most heroic icon this world has ever seen, and was one floor below him at the motel in memphis when Doctor King was assassinated. To imagine what it must feel like to see Barack Obama be elected President of the United States of America through his eyes has to touch anyone and everyone. There are millions of African-Americans who must have never thought this day would come, and although racism is still prevalent, it gives implications to the type of change Obama preaches. Obama was elected because the content of his character could not be ignored, rather his skin color could be. He won't be sworn in as our President until January 20th, but already the inevitability of that day is inspiring and encouraging.

I haven't learned of any concrete stats, but the record turnout for voters has been widely reported, especially of those 25 and under. Obama won the electoral vote by a staggering amount, but with this system, it doesn't take many votes to swing a landslide victory to a slim victory, or even to a defeat. Ultimately, my generation decided the election. We decided our own future. By captivating the young voters, this nation will no doubt be politically active in the following election as well as elections in decades to come. For years and years before I could vote, I would constantly hear the message of "Rock the Vote" or "Vote or Die", a variety of messages aimed at young voters to get out and make a difference. I feel truly blessed that in my first election, that message came to fruition and played a decisive role in the outcome.

My final thought that I'd like to share: I believe in Obama. Although many political ideals I've obtained from my three mothers, I can call my belief in Obama my own. I've watched him countless times , and I'm confident that he'll deliver on his promises and will change the way this country does politics, and set the standard for the American president. 

loss of words

I want to say furious, just because that implies how mad I really am. I'm not really that heated though. I'll say perturbed. I'm extremely perturbed at the way my trip went today. Today was a 12 hour trip called "Riding for the Fighters". We were told we would bike around the Golan Heights and visit various battle sites, such as where the Yom Kippur war took place. Although it was a twelve hour trip, we were told that we wouldn't be riding bikes for that long........... We spent ten hours on the bus, and 15 minutes bike riding. I wish I were kidding. I had to get up at 6:30 so we could drive 3 hours to listen to a 10 minute shpiel. Then we drove another two hours where we got to the biking portion. I have no idea why we rode bikes. We went down a rocky path, and looped back around. I'm pretty sure the historical significance meter of the trek was at zero. If there was any, I wasn't informed. Then we drove 30 minutes to a huge gathering of other programs to watch tanks shoot bullets and blanks. Pretty exciting for a grand total of seven minutes. Then we hopped back in the bus and drove back home. Four more hours. I'm so disgusted. I'm pretty sick as well, and could have easily missed it. I thought it was going to be really powerful and educational. I'm really pissed I went. There's a trip tomorrow in Tel-Aviv that I signed up for, but now I need to bow out because I have to see a doctor and likely stay in the apartment all day.

Bummer

So I just buzzed my hair for the first time ever. I'm pretty satisfied with the way it turned out. Here's some other pictures I took on Mike's computer with a scout named Shir

Wild, wacky stuff

Im currently sitting in my apartment, filled on burgers and hummus, and I felt compelled to write a blog for several reasons

1) I was due

2) Being november 1st, it would be a good way to start the month

and 3) There have been several weird events that occurred in the past two days, I needed to document them to set them straight.

But I'll go in chronological order, because wednesdays morning activity was unlike anything I had done before. Maybe I'm out of the loop, but I had never heard of spinning before. Is it just me? Is it Oregon? Spinning is like bike dancing. You listen techno music and pedal to the flow. There's two positions: leaning forward and standing straight up. Towards the end of the hour long session, we would have sprints that ranged from 30 seconds to two minutes(They're brutal). Nonstop pedaling for an hour. There were a few "spinners" who were raving about it, but I wasn't in a spinning mood because it was the day after the tournament, I was still a little sore (figuratively and literally). I ended up loving it! Finishing was definitely the best part. I took a killer nap afterwards. It's a quality workout thats difficult yet very doable. I was extremely proud of our group; not one person quit. We had a choice for next wednesdays activity between spinning and yoga, nearly everyone chose spinning. 

Thursday started with Ulpan class. I had to make up a test, so I had a written and an oral test. I did so-so (caha-caha) on the oral, and on the written test I did exceptional. After ulpan everyone started packing for a hiking trip on Mount Carmel in Haifa. A lot of my friends went, and at the last second I decided against it. I really wanted a relaxing weekend to myself, and the trip cost 200 shek. My roommates (all but one went) called me a second ago and said they should be back soon, and they mentioned I was lucky I didn't go, so it's nice knowing I made the right decision. Thursday night was weird. I went to Tel-Aviv with my shalem boys, and it ended pretty poorly. While getting Pizza, apparently Green spilled water on this russian guy who wasn't too fond of americans, and smashed his head into the table. Green's best friend, Zide, got in this guys face and the Russian headbutted him and socked him too. I ended up holding the russian guy back, trying to take ahold of the situation. Some Israelis saw that I was trying to get everything in order, and they let me know that this guy is not someone we want to mess with (he was fairly big too). Everyone was getting really heated up and it was just a bad situation, so I called a sheirut ( big taxi cab) and got everyone in. Green was fine, Zide's nose got a lil' jacked up, but we avoided what could have been something awful. I couldn't help but make some parallels to the basketball tournament and this incident (hear me out). What bothered me most about the basketball tournament was that I needed to step up and take control, which I didn't do, and we ultimately lost.  I don't know what would have happened if I wasn't at the fight, but I don't think it would have been good. There was a good six guys with us, none of which were making a strong effort to resolve the situation. Sitting on the bus, I felt pretty good that we averted the scene and all that came of it was a slightly crooked shnoz. 

Thursday and friday night, our apartment was having electricity issues. There was none. Very, very frustrating. Friday night we found out how we could have our lights on, but that was all. Even with that, they would go out every five minutes. I didn't do anything for halloween, pretty lame but oh well. All I did today was play basketball, which didn't end well. The shalem guys had a good friend visiting them, and towards the end of what would have been the last game, he got his arm caught between people and his arm popped out of his socket. It wasn't pretty. His arm looked like it was 4 feet long. As the ambulance took him away, I quickly ran through some of the events that had transpired the past few days: the fight, the power outage, Yoni's arm popping, and there's more random things that don't make sense( Avi's beating phil 8-1 in fantasy basketball, everyones baffled). I looked to my friend who inexplicably shaved his head except for the very front, and I say "weird couple of days huh?"

I'm starting to get nervous over the election. Upon the advice of my mother, I watched the sarah palin interviews ( and the SNL skits) and became terrified. Matt Damon summed it up very well. It's like a bad disney movie. The small town hockey mom from Alaska becomes president, who would watch that! She's a complete moron, which scares me for two reasons. A) a moron could potentially run the country ( the obvious one) and B) I think this helps her. For the past 8 years, our country has been run by a moron. He was voted in by morons. These people blatantly feel more comfortable with one of their own in office. Between the old guy and the moron, their quota must cover over 50% of America! OBAMA, STOP APPEALING TO SMART PEOPLE. He should just announce that he's hooked on phonics, I guarantee his numbers rise.

But I regress. I'm very nervous about the election. My eternal pessimist is coming out. I got an email from Democrats abroad telling me where I can watch the election around Israel. I think I'm going to Tel-Aviv at the American embassy, where there's supposedly a big screen. It should be fun I guess, we'll see. I'm getting antsy now.

And yes I voted

Cross your fingers

Jakey G