Black Country excursions

Two weeks ago, I spent the week at my cousins' house in a suburb of Birmingham, England. Every day, I went for a new walk in the Lickey Hills or another excursion to the places that are pictured below. The photos show: Tolkien's cottage in the area, the Cadbury factory, New College at Oxford, where Harry and I went to visit my friend Sarah, and a thatched-roof cottage from the Cotswolds area, where my uncle took my parents and me to a beautiful tourist town called Chippen.

The entire area surrounding the City of Birmingham is called the Black Country for the time during and following the Industrial Revolution when the entire sky was black with soot. Over the past generation, the city has been revitalized. Today, huge immigrant populations are changing the face of the city, notably those from India, Pakistan, China, and Jamaica, according to my observation over a week :) It is to say that it is a rainbow city, where you can find good, spicy food around every corner. A very different England even from that of my childhood!

capability blue (and white)

Israelis keep cool. They offer you tea and chocolate when you arrive out of nowhere to their safe room when yours is locked and your missing roommate has the key. They bring out "The Princess Bride" and "Narnia" for your viewing pleasure, serenade you with a guitar painted with flowers, translate the news for you, and help you learn your new vocab words. When you lie down on their bed, they ask, sincerely, "Are you tired or scared?" When you say, "Both," they say, "There's no reason to worry. Everything's fine." They advise you when you struggle with how to word the text to your parents. When you have a ride to a place outside of Haifa, they tell you to visit again soon (and it's not ironic :)

For two weeks, I hiked the Israel Trail from the northern border at Kiryat Shmona to the Arab village of Shilbi, at the base of Mt. Tabor. Over those two weeks, I counted the people who gave me vital help--filled my water bottles, offered me food or a bed for the night, gave me hiking tips while I was on the trail. Guess how many? 70. If that was two weeks, imagine how many people have hosted and toasted me over this year!

I am now being hosted at my cousin and her husband, Desiree and Yochanan's place on Kibbutz Maga'an Michael, for the next few days until I set my plan. Today I rested, swam with my 4-year-old cousin Adi and called all my expatriot American friends here in Israel to talk about all the deep, irrational feelings we have about being here at a difficult time.

Don't read the news too often, but if you can't help it, I recommend Ynet (www.ynetnews.com) or Haaretz (www.haaretz.com). Also, if you can't help but daydreaming about what a safe room is like, picture it with a lot of chocolate. It's the first thing both women and men think of when they enter. First chocolate, then whether there's any alcohol in the house.

This whole world is an accidentally huge party with the parents out of town for the weekend!

I'm safe here on the kibbutz, and I'll be home sooner than you know it.

Pray for peace,
Jenny

petra photos