How to pick an olive

Since I now live in the land of milk and honey olives, I have seen more olive trees than I could have possibly imagined. But until this weekend, I was unclear about the whole process of how the olives get off of a tree and turn into the delicious things that you eat and cook with.

This weekend, I went on a group tour of an olive grove in an Arab village in the Golan. In this village, the inhabitants use olive oil for every meal. They even eat a spoonful of olive oil daily before breakfast and use olive oil to moisturize young and old.

The trip was labeled an "olive picking" adventure, but I'm afraid we were terribly inefficient. We painstakingly plucked several bucket-fulls of "ripe" olives only to find that the real way to get olives out of a tree is to thrash the tree with a long stick. We sorted the olives into green and purple and picked out the leaves and sticks that were also dislodged in the thrashing. FYI: green olives are actually just unripe black olives.

Next we smashed each individual olive and filled our jars with olives and water. After soaking for 24 hours, we made our own saltwater brine mixture and placed hot peppers and olives in the jar with the olives. We have to wait 2 weeks before we can eat them. Pictures and recipe to come if they turn out. Crossing my fingers!!

My First Race!

Friends, I have some exciting news to share with you. Last week I completed my first race! I participated in the Nike Night Run 10K on 10/10/10. I am by no means an athlete, but I have been training for a few weeks and I was proud to have run the whole thing. Some of my friends completed the course in less than half my time. But in the end we all got medals and popsicles and had so much fun. Sign me up for another!!

Impressions of the Old City

I am at a loss for words to describe my first visit to the old city of Jerusalem. It is hard to believe that only 60 Kilometers (37 miles) East of where I live, the country is so starkly different. This was no walk on the beach.

I don't know what I expected from the city, one of the oldest in the world, that has been captured and recaptured 44 times, a sacred site to three of the world's major religions, and the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What I experienced was a flood of emotions impossible to process.

My friends and I started our tour on the ramparts of the old city (built during Ottoman rule), from which we had beautiful views of the rooftops of the city. We covered our shoulders and descended into the Old City via the Lion's Gate (where Israeli paratroopers recaptured the city during the Six Day War) and started walking the Via Dolorosa, or the last footsteps of Christ. By the fourth Station of the Cross, we were completely exhausted by the historical significance of EVERYTHING.

We changed course and visited the Wailing Wall, or HaKotel HaMa'aravi, the remnants of the Jewish Temple where Jews from all over the world take pilgrimage to place prayers in the cracks of the stones. Directly behind it lies the Dome of the Rock, one of the holiest sites in Islam. We could hear the sound of their prayers echoing across the square. It struck me how these groups with conflicting claims have not finished negotiating what a future co-existence will look like.

After living in Tel Aviv for two months, this visit made me realize how complicated and diverse the country is. I'm glad that I went, and I know I will go back frequently with friends and family and to visit the sites that I missed: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Armenian Quarter, and much more. Next time I will be prepared for the emotional heaviness of the place and I will pace myself.

Tips of the Trade: Argan Oil

Before I left DC my hairdresser Angie turned me on to a wonderful product called Argan oil. Argan oil is derived from the nut of a UNESCO protected tree that grows in Morocco. It is harvested for sustainable growth and it is produced by a women's coop.

This wonder product has antioxidant properties and Vitamin E and is used for both cosmetics and flavoring. I can only speak for its use as a daily leave-in-conditioner, but boy does it work miracles. A tiny drop and my hair is protected from the sun, from heat styling, and feels soft and smooth all day. I'm convinced it allows me to go longer between showers, but this has not been verified. Unlike Jojoba oil, I can leave Argan Oil in my hair with no greasy residue or unpleasant odor. No more itchy scalp; no more frail, brittle hair. I highly recommend this product, even to men!

Here are links where you can purchase it in the States at Sephora (Josie Maran Argan Oil) or the less expensive version at Sally Beauty Supply (One n Only Argan Oil Treatment). Farmers have started to plant Argan trees in the Negev desert, but I haven't yet decided on the best local brand.

Do you have a favorite beauty secret? Do you love using natural products? Do share your tips!

Happy New Year!

It is the time of the high holidays in Israel now. Seriously, the month of September is FULL OF HOLIDAYS. That means a lot has happened since my last blog post. We're continuing to explore the city, finding new restaurants, grocery stores, and street markets. I'm happy to report that we're making good friends already. And I am finally starting to get the hang of my job. I'm getting faster and asking my colleagues less annoying questions throughout the day. We've had some pretty exciting moments over the past two weeks, which include:

1. Attending my first "national day" as an official American diplomat. My husband and I went to a celebration for the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

2. Sitting on the port and eating brunch for literally three hours. It was so relaxing, I think I could have stayed there for days. In fact, we have had several great dining experiences and are itching to get the rest of our cooking supplies so that we can have friends over for home-cooked meals.

3. Walking in the streets of the city... literally walking in the middle of the street. Today was Yom Kippur when the Jewish community fasts and dresses in white. No one is allowed to drive a motorized vehicle and everyone goes out into the streets walking, roller blading, and riding bikes. What an eerie and peaceful atmosphere!

So much is happening so fast! I had a dream last night that all my friends from DC showed up unexpectedly for breakfast and we sat on my porch drinking coffee. What a wonderful thought...

By the river

The colors of this scene caught my eye during a recent walk down the Yarkon river. I was on a rowing team for four years and toyed with the idea of joining a club here. I haven't seen any actual crews on the river yet. It is too hot to do anything athletic except in the early morning.

Alternatively, I found the perfect yoga studio around the corner from my apartment. Whatever I choose, I need to get my butt in motion. What do you think?

Mountains or Beach?

"Are you a beach person or a mountain person?" A friend asked on one of my last nights in DC.

"I like both." I responded, without much though.

"But, you can't be both. Which would you be if you had to pick one?"

"I guess beach... or maybe a giant lake by a mountain... to live or vacation? Wait, why can't I be both?"

Having lived near the beach for almost a month now, I still can't decide. Can't a girl just be both?