A Little Q and A

As most of you know, I am living in Israel for a few months.  My cousin Tasha (horzempa.blogspot.com) encouraged and helped me set up a blog so it would be easier for me to share my experiences and life with my loved while I am not easily in contact.  I will be posting about my life here in Israel and other adventures I embark on! ((Like later today...I will be on a plane to Turkey!))  

Before I came to Israel I had no idea what to expect.  
Duh.  

Is going to be a city like Providence? Will it be clean?  Will we be safe from missiles sent by Hamas?  Will I need to be very conservative in how I dress?  Will my cross tattoo cause a scene at the beach?  The USD is worth 3 times that of the NIS, does that mean everything here will be inexpensive?  How many people here speak English?  CAN I LIVE WITHOUT PORK?!

I had a lot of questions.  Many had answered that I didn't expect.

No and yes. Tel Aviv is not like Providence-in every sense.  It is a very big city and there are places where it is dirty and rude, but there are also places where it is clean and beautiful too!  Our neighborhood if you will, is a quaint place which seems to be located in the art district of Tel Aviv.  Our streets are skinny and cobblestone, cats roam freely, restaurants and wine bars with chairs and tables on the sidewalks, art stores and not to mention the best gelato shop I've ever been (which we also happen to live above)!  We are a 5 min walk to small grocery stores, less than 10 from the beach, 10 from the Carmel Market, and about 15 minutes from old Jaffa!  It's such a perfect location!

Most buildings in Israel are old, original architecture and are only renovated on the inside.  

Surprisingly, there is a massive amount of street art in Tel Aviv! I love it!

This is a little Italian place down the street from our apartment.   

Yes.  We are safe from the rockets that were being shot from Gaza by Hamas.  Before we arrived, only one siren had gone off in our neighborhood since the fighting began in July and none since the cease fire in late August.  We have a safe room on our floor of the apartment building and there are public safety shelters just in case the fighting starts again.

Eh.  I do not dress in a provocative manner to begin with but I was warned many times to monitor the clothing I wear because some people may take offense.  Of course some people may take offense to the way I dress where ever I go, though there is no need to be extra cautious here.  Tel Aviv is just like a regular city, very modern.  Women wear short dresses and high heels, shorts, crop tops, sheer shirts, and nearly-nothing bikinis.  Men dress mostly as one would expect: shirt, shorts, jeans, tennis shoes, flip-flops, suites, etc.  The beaches are not conservative at all.  Young women wear thong bikinis, older women wear NO bikinis (if you catch my drift), naked babies everywhere, heck, most men wear their UNDERWEAR to the beach!!! 

Classic picture of my feet in the AMAZING water.

The sun setting over the Mediterranean. 

View of the cost from a walk to Jaffa I took yesterday morning.

Nonononononoooo.  It's expensive AF here!  When I go back to the States, I will never complain about prices again.

Yes.  Many people speak English here, if they aren't fluent then they know enough to find someone that does.  I am currently trying to learn Hebrew and I think it's so fun!  The accents aren't too difficult for me and I love to listen to others talk and see if I can find just one word that I know.  Hopefully I will be able to speak enough to hold a conversation or ask questions at the market by the time I leave! Thanks, Mr.Crouse, for the tapes and books to help me learn!!

No.  I cannot live without pork.  Good thing there is a Russian supermarket here that sells it! Woot woot!! ...now to find the bacon...

My next post will next week sometime about our trip to Turkey!!  :}  Love y'all!

My "Official" Introduction

Hey y'all!

So here it is.  I'm really starting my blog.  Really it's just going to be one long running thought about the experiences, adventures, and doings in my life.  I don't expect many people to read my posts, and that's okay!  (As I mentioned, I'm really NOT a strong writer!)  This is a way for me to keep track of what I do, what I like, where I want to go, where I have been...more so for myself than others.  Though, it may prove easier for my family and friends to monitor me this way instead of calling or emailing.  Not to discourage any calls or emails though! :)

To explain my title: "Abnormal Ang"
I see creating my blog name as that ice breaker game we ALL have played at some point in our lives.  "Okay everyone, now let's go around the room and introduce ourselves by first name and one adjective that best describes us."  Brownie Points for alliteration, am I right? So going on this guideline I thought about alllllll of the "A" words I've used to describe myself.  All were bland, boring, and basic.  I am none of those!  What am I then?  ... ... ...

1) I am not like any other.

I like turtles, I mean really like them.  I am very talented cook, with the degree to prove it.  Fittingly so, I love to feed people until they need to lie on the couch for a few hours afterwards to recuperate.  I have a terrible time understanding sarcasm and rudeness.  I am awkward in an awkward way.  I'm a nerd for nature.  I have a gifted imagination and extraordinarily crafty hands.  I love dirt and enjoy being totally manly every now again.  I love to read but fall asleep about 5 minutes into it.  I speak before I think more often than I'd like.  Traveling has always excited me but my roots are deep, deep, deep in Alabama.  Family does include those who are not kin.  I cry easily.  I also scare easily.  Organization is a guilty pleasure.  I tell stories that have little relevance to the conversation and then get lost in them and forget my point.  I love fire, knives, fishing, building things, and being handy woman-just like Daddy taught me.  I am not easily discouraged, I will not sit still if something is unjust, and I can sometimes have a severe case of HBIC-like mother like daughter.  I am not fearless.  I love music so much but I can't play and definitely can't sing (but that doesn't stop me).  I eat constantly.  I love sweating and working out but hate making myself do it.  My scars are internal and superficial.  Most importantly, I am a child of The One and Only.  He's the best.

I am ABNORMAL.  Not in a strange way, just I'm totally not typical. And I like it.

2)  I am Ang.  That's me.

I'm from Alabama.  I went to college at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI.  I met some of the most wonderful people there and made relationships for life.  I graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2014 with an AS in Culinary Arts and a BS in Food Service Entrepreneurship.  I currently live in Israel for a few months then I will be back in the States in time for the holidays then, potentially going back to Israel in the Spring of 2015.  Life is crazy and beautiful. I love it!