I thought my first day in Jerusalem will be dry and boring. But my programmed assumptions failed me
[vc_row][vc_column][us_message color=โyellowโ icon=โfas|pencil-altโ]Authorโs Note: The author is responsible for the accuracy of the events, places and people in this story. All that is written here are personal experiences of the author. Names of the characters in this story were changed to respect their privacy.[/us_message][vc_column_text]If youโve never been to Israel before, you wonโt have an idea that Friday is one of those days you should be worried about. This wasnโt an issue in Tel Aviv as not 100% of the people do not follow shabbat. However, Jerusalem curates a different story.
In the Jewish religion law, Shabbat is observed from the sunset of Friday to sunset of Saturday. Shabbat observants are following a lot of complex rules and I donโt really want to discuss that here. Anyway, in easy saying, this day is shocking for people who donโt have prior knowledge.
I was one of them. Out of the many days that I chose to leave Tel Aviv and move on to my journey to Jerusalem, I chose to board the bus on a Friday. That Thursday was a crazy night and I often thought that partying in Tel Aviv was crazier than Jerusalem. I donโt want to get there and do nothing. My main goal in the Holy City was to do the religious touristy circuit. I donโt even claim Iโm the only person who has this way of thinking. Once you are in Tel Aviv, you hear other people stories about Jeruz and you canโt help but wonder.
Yes, weโre calling it Jeruz.
After an hour bus ride from Tel Aviv, I reached Jerusalemโs Central bus station around 17:30, which is, by the way, the worst time to arrive. All modes of transpo are already on hold. There was no other way for me to go to my hostel but a $9 taxi ride.
โTaxi! Taxi!โ a man chanted. I put down my backpack thatโs heavier than me, sat down, lit a cigarette and observed. Have you ever had those moments when you think, โis this the right taxi man?โ Whenever I am new to a city, I always feel the vibe of taxi drivers as a way to keep me safe. I donโt like this judgment but it is the only way that kept me alive through all these years I wandered in over 100+ cities.
Another taxi driver came to me and asked, โtaxi?โ
My cigarette was almost finished so I felt it was the right time to alight.
โYes. Do you speak English?โ
He put the โso-soโ hand signal and started taking my backpack. I didnโt say anything and followed him to his cab.
โWhere you go?โ I figured it is very unlikely he speaks perfect English but where you go works for me.
I grabbed my phone and Googled my hostel. I leaned forward and showed him, โhere.โ
He didnโt say anything so I assumed he understood. He looked forward and drove. This is the part where I tell myself I should just trust this man. There is nothing to be paranoid about.
The paranoia crawled as we went out of the station. The parking lot of the Central station in Jeruz is roofed so you wonโt be able to see whatโs really outside.
Streets were empty. All restaurants were closed. There were hardly people on the street. It looked like a scene from The Walking Dead. After a few minutes of turns, I saw a bunch of people in costumes. Well, theyโre not really costumes but they are Jewish clothing that is strictly enforced by the Jewish religious laws. They looked very formal in black suits with top hats from the 1700s. Their hairs had sidelocks. The womenโs hair was covered. Not like how the Muslims cover theirs but these women only had their hair shielded. They were wearing long sleeve blouses (God, it was really hot!) and long skirts. I have been in Israel for over 3 weeks before coming to Jeruz but Iโve never seen people dress this way. Even their children were dressed the same.
We stopped in front of a tall, red building when the driver said, โwe are here.โ
I gave him 32 shekels (about $9 USD), said โShabbat shalomโ and entered the building. There was a tiny elevator that didnโt look like an elevator but it seemed it was the right way to go. The elevator doors opened. I pressed 3 because the label says thatโs the hostel floor. Apparently, it was a shared building.
Colours popped as soon as the door opened for floor 3. Amazing artistry paraded a wall. It was a very modern place with workstations and dining areas with rustic fixtures. There were a lot of people sitting down (mostly foreigners) but there werenโt any people at the reception table.
I was about to ring the bell when a curly-haired guy in glasses wearing the hostelโs branded t-shirt came to the counter.
โDo you have a reservation?โ
โWow, where did you come from? 2 seconds ago, I didnโt see anyone here.โ
โSorry! I was just having a break and having snacks with the guests. May I take your passport?โ
It took me 2 minutes to find my passport in my very cluttered handbag. I hate it when that happens!
โHere you go.โ
โWow, Philippines! Iโve never met a Philippinians person.โ
โI get that all the time. We are called Filipinos by the way.โ
โOh. Sorry! See, I never really met one! I learned something new today!โ
He opened my passport, scanned my Israel entry card, did a couple of clicks, printed something and handed me my keys and my passport. My mind always flies when hostel people say their piece about the hostel: your room is that way, the dining area is here, the kitchen is blah blah blah. Nothing registered.
โMy name is Yehuda and I am here if you need anything. This is your welcome drink stub. You can take one bottle of beer from the bar for free.โ
I smiled and walked away. I realised when everyone is Omri, Gal, Gil, Matan, this is the first Yehuda I know. It is very unlikely Iโll forget him.
I booked the slightly cheapest 8-bed mixed dorm so I was expecting total chaos upon entering the room. 2 Korean guys reading on their bunks to the left, 3 Chinese girls giggling in one bed to my right and at the center of the room screamed by bottom bunk number.
I worked in hostels in the past (in fact, this was one of my frequent jobs when I was backpacking South America) and I know how it works. Hostel staff have the freedom to choose the beds for the guests so I am pretty sure Yehuda (or somebody else) thought, โoh! Sheโs Asian. Letโs put all the Asians together in one room so itโs easier.โ Iโve observed it even in airlines but I have yet to clarify. In my mind, maybe we all have the same behaviour as a friend confirmed Arabs and Indians are seated together in the plane because they tend to be chatty during long flights. Other people will complain.
I, on the other hand was given a favour. Asians are always my favourite dorm mates because they are very simple and doesnโt make a lot of noise. They donโt get drunk (well most of them) and they always choose not to be in the dorm rooms. Theyโre traveling on a schedule so they always make the most out of it. They were probably all there when I arrived because of Shabbat. Nothing was open. It was a free day for everyone.
I said hello and they said hello back. Thatโs also one of the reasons they wonโt become overbearing room companions. The beds have bottom drawers where you can keep your stuff. First things first: secure the gadgets because this is my bread and butter. They are insured but youโll never know. One day without my laptop and I am paralysed as fuck. I took out my toiletries only to realise one of the girls went in the shower. With that, I decided to lay down, put my earphones on and read a book.
The book I was reading at the time was the life of Leo Messi in Spanish. I read it thrice when I was in Argentina (the perfect setting) but I had to reread it again because I wanted to perfect my Spanish writing. It didnโt excite me anymore so Iโd check the shower every 5 seconds to see if the girl finished. Hostel beds are one of my favourite places to read because of its setting. Thereโs a lamp, the sheets seemed fresh and there is always a curtain for privacy. I closed it a bit but only enough for me to see if the girlโs done. I got into the book again and drifted.
Fuck. I fell asleep. What time is it?!
The clock read 20:30. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I really wanted to go out and do something. The room was empty. Everyone were gone. I rushed to the shower and dressed up. As soon as I finished, the Shabbat situation registered again so I asked myself, โwhy are you such in a hurry? Thereโs nothing out there anyway.โ
But where did everyone go? Falling asleep in odd hours gives you real FOMO.
I didnโt know what to do or where to go but that wasnโt a problem for me. Iโve always been comfortable in just going. I remembered I have free welcome drinks. Of course, it took me ages to find the drink stub but I did find it. I walked out the room and went to reception.
โWhereโs the bar?โ
โOh, itโs right there, by the porch.โ
Oooohhhh, thereโs a porch. I can smell fun. It was a bit quiet but the area was packed. The floors were fake grass and there were bean bags everywhere. I took a drink from the bar and saw there werenโt any tables available. I didnโt want to go inside because it was a no smoking zone. As soon as I lit my cigarette, I saw Yehuda from the far left waving at me.
โHey, come over! Sit with us!โ
He was with four other guys. Three of whom looked very Israeli to me.
โCome, come here! Join us. Have a seat.โ
The guy on my right offered a small wooden chair. Deep inside, I wanted to ask if I can take his place on the beanie. It looked so comfortable, especially the porch was roofless.
โGuys, this is Terisha. She is from the Philippines. She is Filipino.โ He looked at me waiting for a thumbs up just because he said my citizenship correctly. I smirked. I ignored the fact that he pronounced my name wrong.
Being good with names is one of my inborn skills. I can remember people the first time I meet them but in this case, there were just too many duplicate names I couldnโt keep track. Why arenโt there Israelis named Tiffany? Or McKenzie? Julie? Francesca? Everyone chooses to be Gal, Dor, Omri, Guy, Yosi, etc. I feel like they are given a list of names to choose from the moment they are born.
When you are an outsider and you sit down with a bunch of Israelis, aside from the usual โwhere are you from,โ the common ground or the conversation starter is always their assignment in the army. Most of the guys on the table were born and raised in Jerusalem so they werenโt stationed away from home. Artillery, armor, tactical command โ more often than not, we get to have assumptions of what kind of people they are because their assignments are based on their pre-army skills. I donโt know anything about the military but I can never imagine being in mandatory service at 18 when I can just do something else in my life.
18? What was I doing? I was already traveling Asia and preparing for my study abroad in Italy. I didnโt question these โchoicesโ but these guys seemed to have it all figured out. After their service, most of them went to India, South America and some parts of Asia. University was far more optional than the Army as studying in Israel tends to be very expensive. Not everyone can afford it.
They were being polite. They were talking in English among themselves so I wonโt be out of the loop.ย I couldnโt help but listen to their conversations. I kept wondering, what if I lived the life they lived? What if I was Israeli and was mandated to military service against my will?
I find it really admirable they were still able to travel and do the things they wanted to do after service. To be honest, Israelis bring smarter conversations to the table. I literally want to pick their brains.
The guy to my left passed a spliff. I took a puff and passed it to the guy to my right.
โWe are heading out for drinks. Do you want to join us?โ
Itโs not like I have something scheduled that day but drinks on a Friday? I mean, where? How? Arenโt everything closed tonight? I imagined how my Chinese roommates were spending their night. I always attracted the local pack so why not? I was down for anything random. I didnโt have plans.
I was about to question Yehudaโs reception shift but figured he wonโt come with us if it wasnโt over. In the โadvancedโ fears I might lose it, I left my key card at reception. I can feel these guys will bring me somewhere crazy so itโs better to know that my keys are waiting for me when Iโm face-down drunk.
There was no way we were hailing a taxi but half the group had their bikes. In Israel, everyone has their own mode of transport (bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc) โ I barely met people who take the public buses. I walked next to Yehuda as he unlocked his bike and started walking with it.
โCan you please remind me the names of your friends?โ I whispered.
โGilad, Idan and Guy.โ He said as he pointed them one by one.
โI went to the army with Gilad and Guy. Idan is a guest at the hostel. He lives in the north of Israel. Heโs just visiting.โ
The streets were deserted. We walked, walked and walked. Compared to Tel Aviv, Jerusalemโs streets have a lot of uphills I canโt imagine how people can easily ride their bikes here. We turned left on a corner. It was too dark I couldnโt read the street name.
You might be wondering why Iโd wander the night away with some guys I donโt know but just as I am good with remembering names (in this case, not really), I am also very good in feeling peopleโs vibes. I can read their aura easily (you know, that sort of glow they have around them) and that makes me decide if I should go with them or not.ย More often, our intuition always has our best interest at heart. Mine never failed me. I didnโt feel an inch of fear that night.
โWhere are we?โ
โThis is Giladโs house. His fridge is always stocked with beers so weโll drink here because everything is closed.โ
I find it very uncomfortable to go to someoneโs house without anything at hand. I looked around hoping that maybe, just maybe, thereโs a liquor store open. Just so I can bring something to be polite. So far, everything is closed. His apartment building is in front of a bunch of what it seems like some non-functioning establishments. They looked like theyโve been closed for life but really, itโs just Shabbat.
Like most apartments in Israel, Giladโs was very small. There was an L-shaped sofa in the middle of the room. Next to it was a little porch with one colourful table with 2 wooden chairs. It was also filled with potted plans and a running vine on the railings. His TV was huge though (probably normal in Israeli homes) and his wallโฆ Wow. Theyโre all filled with guitars. There was also a shelf full of vinyl records. I mean. WOW. Israelis keep saying life is hard but looking at the collection makes me compute the costs.
Yehuda went straight to the fridge and grabbed 5 beers like itโs his home. Idan sat on the sofa. He doesnโt talk much. I assume heโs not comfortable in speaking English. Guy went to one of the rooms like itโs also his.
โTerisha, do you want to choose what to play?โ Gilad asked.
โBetach! By the way, itโs Trisha.โย T and R seems to be a bad combination of consonants in the Hebrew alphabet. Everyone keeps calling me Te-ri-sha. Betach is like โsureโ in Hebrew. I often hear my friends say it so I started using it.
โAt medaberet Ivrit?โ He replied. He literally means, โcan you speak Hebrewโ but in an exclamation point.
โNo, Iโm just trying to apply some expressions.โ
โItโs good! Youโre good! Kol hakavod.โ Kol hakavod means โgood jobโ in Hebrew.
I said thank you and he invited all of us to sit down. Yehuda was opening the beer bottles passing it one by one. Good thing he had Gold Star โ I never really liked Macchabi. It didnโt taste like anything though some people I know prefer it.
Gilad took a box from the cabinet. He laid it on the table, opened it and started taking out stuff that he needed to roll. He first mixed it with tobacco, took a small carton for the filter, rolled it and put it in his mouth. He grabbed the long papers and put the mixed product in it.
โIโve been to the Philippines, you know,โ Gilad started.
โOh, really? Where?โ
โBohol, Boracay, Siquijor, Cebu, and oh, Palawan!!! I love Palawan.โ He said Se-bu and Pala-wan in a heavy accent. This is not how we usually pronounce these islands but most foreigners had the impression it is the correct way.[/vc_column_text][us_separator style=โdashedโ type=โdefaultโ][vc_video link=โhttps://youtu.be/vc6xvHhr1dIโ video_title=โ1โณ][vc_empty_space][us_btn text=โSubscribe for more travel, life and dreams in motion!โ link=โurl:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fc%2Ftrishavelarmino%3Fsub_confirmation%3D1||target:%20_blank|โ size=โ13pxโ align=โcenterโ icon=โfab|youtubeโ][us_separator style=โdashedโ type=โdefaultโ][vc_column_text]โI did that trip with my sister. We finished army at the same time.โ
He had many stories about his trip in the Philippines and I listened carefully. Most of the people who visited my country are highly amazed and that energy is infectious. He even said a bunch of places I havenโt been able to visit but I am sure he hasnโt been around Israel as much as I did. For Israelis, a 3-hr drive to the south (Eilat) is a very long journey. For us, Filipinos, flights within the country are expensive. Weโd rather spend it to go to the neighbouring countries because they are cheaper.
Idan finally spoke after he puffed the split. He passed it to me.
โIโm sorry but most Filipinos I know in Israel are working as domestic helpers. What are you doing here? I am just curious.โ
Oh, he can speak English. Having been to many places being asked the same question, as usual,ย I have this script in my head explaining it in the most understandable way.
I told them about Vibe Israel inviting me to Israel for a blogger trip and I just decided to stay. The keyword that stings is always the blogger part. Israel is a non-blogging country. They might be the tech-savviest people in the world but the blogging culture didnโt arrive yet. For them, blogs are those kinds of things that your professors require you for a semestral project. Like a โdear diaryโ thing.
โIf only I can write good English, I will definitely put up a blog,โ Yehuda said.
I didnโt know how to respond to that but I thought: why canโt they write in Hebrew? Israelย is a traveling nation and Iโm sure some people will bite that. I even remember getting invited to do a travel talk to young Israelis but the problem is I donโt speak Hebrew. Some of them might not grasp a 2-hr workshop in English. Someone out there should write in Hebrew and they will discover how focused-niched blogs are more successful than blogs like mine.
The beers started flowing until I donโt remember how much I drank and how much I smoked. These people made me feel safe to be around with. I didnโt expect I would meet a lot of cool people who are good at their craft in Jerusalem. I thought those people only existed in Tel Aviv. Images of Jerusalem on the Internet are more often about war and religion.
The night will not be complete without discussing that, though. There will always be one person in the group who will bring it up. In this case, that person was Guy. He asked me what I thought about the Israel-Palestine conflict and my first rule when coming across this topic: โdo not say a word.โ Even if I was in Israel long enough, I always programmed myself to believe I donโt know what I am talking about so better shut my mouth. I also practised the non-absorption of other peopleโs opinions. In my case, Israelis (and the Palestinians I met) have very strong feelings about the situation so much they always blurt their opinion about it. No one is right or wrong. I was always fed with different information so thereโs not really a correct story here. You donโt know what to believe so playing Switzerland is the best possible way. I wasnโt there to discover politics anyway. I say it a lot to my friends: for the good of humanity, avoid listening to other peopleโs opinions and taking them as your own. This doesnโt just apply to the Israel-Palestine conflict but in all walks of life. We often believe the people we know and we take that side. Itโs best to explore a topic on your own, then have an opinion about it.
I didnโt want to start with Guy so โlet me just stop you thereโ was the good approach. You see, Jerusalem is really a cool city if we just avoid talking about that one particular topic.
I realised I didnโt have dinner. My stomach was screaming. I was very very very very hungry. I didnโt want to feel at home and cook though. Everything outside was closed. What the hell am I supposed to eat?! These guys donโt look like theyโre hungry. It looked like Yehuda read my mind.
โDid you have dinner? Are you hungry?โ
โYES. VERY.โ
They talked Hebrew among themselves. I could understand a few words. It looks like they were pointing/deciding which one of them will make the food.
โI can cook.โ I blurted. I really canโt take my hunger any more.
โOh yes. Perfect. Sure! Wow! Legit Asian cuisine! Please feel free to go to the kitchen and make whatever you want. Surprise us.โ Gilad said.
Where I am from, when you are blinded by ingredients, the easiest dish to cook is adobo. Everyone (sort of) likes it but the problem is vinegar is not really a key household ingredient. I donโt think he even had soy sauce. Israeli dishes tend to shy away from very saucy stuff. They canโt really it something that is drowning in sauce.
I found the soy sauce in the cabin but there was no vinegar. I know itโs a sin to defrost the chicken in the oven but the situation left me with no choice. I was really hungry and in a rush. 1:00 in the morning isnโt exactly dinner time for me or for them. I wasnโt sure how to substitute vinegar so I just used lemons and soy sauce.
I am not exactly sure how I managed to cook. I was high, dry and bloated with beer. But as I said, adobo is an easy dish to ace. Wait, was I making adobo? I donโt remember anymore.
You can eat sinigang, afritada, monggo and other Filipino dishes without rice but adobo without rice is just downright wrong. Like most Israeli kitchens, Giladโs fridge is loaded with vegetables so I mashed a potato to pair it with my dish.
It was a bit rushed and sloppy but as soon as I served it, everyone made the ooh and ahh sounds. Two things: they are just high and having a โlegitโ Asian cook for them just made them excited. More often than not, legitimacy is the key element of the food. Itโs who made it. Not what was made.
โTrisha, we should get married,โ Gilad said.
The only way heโd learn to pronounce my name correctly is through his stomach. Everyone laughed and we continued smoking and drinking untilโฆ. I donโt know. I literally passed out on the couch.[/vc_column_text][us_separator style=โdashedโ type=โdefaultโ][vc_column_text]I know itโs a bad habit but I donโt know why every time I am drunk, I wake up earlier than usual. The clock read 7:30. HOLY CRAP! I have a tour at 8:30! I was on the bigger part of the L couch while Yehuda was sleeping soundly below me. I donโt know what happened to the others but I am sure Gilad is sleeping in his room.
I left without saying goodbye. I donโt even have everyoneโs numbers to say thank you but I am sure I will see Yehuda in the hostel. He works there after all. I gently tiptoed out of the door and walked to my hostel. It wasnโt a long walk, especially during the day.
I was safe. I had fun. I was not harmed by the people I barely knew. It felt good. I wished I can go to places without feeling harm. I canโt imagine an adventure where I have to watch my back all the time.ย The sun was shining down on me while I was trying to absorb what happened on my first day in Jerusalem. All the images I made in my head before coming here were deleted. My brain disk was reformatted. I tried to remember the moment I first came to Jerusalem yesterday with no expectations whatsoever โ from that last minute bust ride to Tel Aviv, from sleeping in an odd hour to claiming my free welcome drink to meeting these guys at the porch.
I have a super planned itinerary in Jerusalem as I am sponsored by a tour agency but this is something I didnโt expect. I honestly hate organised tours. I am very bad at following call times and itineraries.
Whenever I feel good, I say things out loud. I say thank you to the Universe or to whoeverโs out there. I say thank you for giving me a good life. I say thank you for having something Iโd like to believe a life I deserve. I donโt know whoโs listening but I really have to say it all the time.
โThis city is cool. Thank you for bringing me to good people.โย
Now back to being a touristโฆย Old City tour, here I come![/vc_column_text][us_separator style=โdashedโ type=โdefaultโ][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=โ1/2โณ][us_single_image image=โ16672โณ][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=โ1/2โณ][vc_column_text]
Have you been to Jerusalem? Aside from the mandatory touristy circuit, what else did you discover that will prove the imagery of the Internet wrong?
Did you get to meet people? What activities did you do? Share your story in the comment box below and let other travelers learn from your experience![/vc_column_text][us_separator style=โdashedโ type=โdefaultโ][us_iconbox icon=โfab|pinterestโ title=โDo you use Pinterest to plan your travels?โ]Hover the image on the right and pin it! It might come handy when you visit Jerusalem.[/us_iconbox][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][us_separator style=โdashedโ type=โdefaultโ][us_cta title=โPlanning to visit Jerusalem?โ btn_link=โurl:https%3A%2F%2Fpsimonmyway.com%2Ftravel-coaching%2F|||โ btn_label=โTalk to Trishaโ]I stayed a traveled one whole year in Israel. I can definitely help you plan your Jerusalem itinerary or whatever you which to see![/us_cta][us_separator style=โdashedโ type=โdefaultโ][vc_custom_heading text=โExplore moreโ font_container=โtag:h1|text_align:centerโ google_fonts=โfont_family:Satisfy%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormalโ][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=โ1/2โณ][us_separator type=โshortโ thick=โ4โณ][vc_column_text]
VISIT ISRAEL
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DISCOVER TEL AVIV
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Been to Jerusalem twice, but I only did the religious touristy route… By the way, your friend might have mixed up ovedet bayt (domestic helper) and metapelet (caregiver) most Filipinos here in Israel are caregivers (metaplot), where we take care of the old people, it seems like we are domestic helpers because we live with the old person together in their house, some also lives with them in beit avot/nursing homes…but thereโs much of a difference between domestic helpers and caregivers… sorry trisha, i was taken aback by what he said… hehehe please donโt get me wrong… i am still an avid reader… โ๏ธโ๏ธ?
There are no right or wrong opinions, Sol! Nothing to be sorry about! In fact, you are just stating real facts. I will definitely let him know (or people I connect with in the future) about this. Thank you so much for reading and I hope we cross paths in Israel!
I hope so too… Let me correct myself ozeret bayt not ovedet bayt… safe travels