Qweekend to Jerusalem 9/25-9/27

Being that this is my first time in Israel and experiencing the Holiday’s I found myself with quite of few days off in September through October. I had no idea that so many Holidays such as Rosh Hosanna, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah took place this year from middle of September to beginning of October. Since I had a few days off of my Internship and Ulpan (Hebrew Classes) I decided to take a quick weekend aka “Qweekend” to Jerusalem. The time between Yom Kippur and Sukkot presented the best opportunity to go which was a Friday to Sunday.

Public Transit from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

Departing from the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv I was on my way for my adventure to Jerusalem. Traveling from one central city in Israel to another seems to be fairly simple and doesn’t take very long since Israel is a smaller country. I’ve lived in California for 2 years and if I wanted to get from Los Angeles to San Francisco via car it would take 6 hours and by bus would take nearly 8 hours! Getting from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem via car is about an hour and by bus is just an hour and fifteen minutes! I found that to be incredible and quite refreshing that I could take a Qweekend to another major city in Israel. The bus from Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv to the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem was only 16.90₪ NIS. NIS stands for New Israeli Shekels, which is the currency used in Israel and the approximate exchange rate between USD (United States Dollar) to NIS is little under 4 to 1. That being said a bus ticket from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem costs just over 4 USD. Arriving at Jerusalem Central Bus Station I departed for the Old City of Jerusalem, which is where I would be staying at a Jewish Youth Hostel near the Western Wall. From Jerusalem Central Bus Station I took the Light Rail (1) to Western Wall which only costs 6.90₪. Total one way from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was about about 5 USD!

Shabbat at the Kotel

After checking into the hostel a group of us headed to the Kotel also know as the Western Wall or Wailing Wall. Being in Jerusalem I was intrigued to see how the locals and people visiting Jerusalem for the Holidays would bring in Shabbat at the Western Wall. I had only been to the Western Wall once before and that was on my Taglit (Birthright) trip which I was with a large group of Americans from the States, so I was excited to experience it first hand this time from an Israeli perspective. Arriving at the Wall with my small group from the hostel we ventured for a spot to bring in Shabbat and begin prayers a little after 6:00 p.m. The whole area was packed with several groups and it was interesting to see the similarities and differences among the people. The similarities most easily seen came in regards to how the men dressed at The Wall. Mostly everyone was dressed with white dress shirt with black pants and a jacket. Ironically the differences among the men there also came with how they chose to identify themselves both personally and religiously by the way they wore head covering.Typical Jewish men will wear a basic kippa usually black or to be unique it will be a different color or an interesting design. However the main distinction came when I saw these large fur hats called shtreimel. The Shtreimel is a fur hat worn by most married hasidic men who tend to be from Galicia, Hungary, Romania and Lithuanian Jews. Most of these men with the Shtreimel could be found alongside The Wall praying, touching, or even kissing the wall. As I ventured around I spotted a group of IDF soldiers who were dancing and singing in a circle proudly wearing their uniforms with their weapons along their sides. Once Shabbat was brought in the prayers slowly began to cease and people moved in packs as friends, families,and strangers began discussing plans on where to have Shabbat dinner.

                                                       

Exploring the Old City

Having a full day of travels and Shabbat festivities at the Kotel I awoke to bring in my last full day of adventures in Jerusalem. I began the day walking to The Church of the Holy Sepulchre which little did I know had an amazing amount of historical significance.  I explored that church and all it’s cool sights then found my way strolling down Via Dolorosa also known as “way of sorrows.” Via Dolorosa is a street within the Old City of Jerusalem that marks the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. Along the route is where the 14 stations of the cross can be found and are marked along Via Dolorosa with circular plaques marked with the corresponding roman numerals of the events. After strolling around Via Dolorosa I discovered that a free walking tour of Jerusalem offered by a company called Sanderman’s NewEurope. During the tour they took you throughout all Four Quarters of the Old City (Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Armenian) along with views of Dome of the Rock, Church of Holy Sepulchre, and suq the local markets. After the tour I grabbed lunch which consisted of a famous Israeli falafel with pita. Since it was Shabbat and mostly everything in the Old City was closed I decided to take a stroll to Mea Shearim which is one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem. Mea Shearim is populated mainly by Haredi Jews which are strictly Orthodox. Walking into town I saw a couple of signs that asked visitor to refrain from smoking, photography, driving or use of cellphones (during Shabbat), and wear modest clothing. Ironically I was wearing shorts and brought my cell phone and DSLR Camera. I had no idea of these guidelines when I make the trek to Mea Shearim. Walking around I started to notice that most of the people in town didn’t speak traditional Hebrew but more of Yiddish which is a hybrid of Hebrew and medieval German. I was told they spoke Yiddish because since they were ultra-orthodox they considered Hebrew to be the Holy Language and weren’t worthy to speak it.

Feeling like I accomplished the Old City by bringing in Shabbat at the Western Wall, exploring all Four Quarters, visiting all fourteen stations of the cross along Via Dolorosa, free walking tour, and experiencing Mea Shearim I sadly departed Jerusalem and headed back to Tel Aviv. Having making this Qweekend I realized that many other trips like this can be done in Israel which gives me much to look forward to.

                                             

Orange County Weekend

What to do in The O.C? 

I visited my friend in L.A the prior weekend, so this weekend I decided to stay in Orange. Most of my roommates were either working or not home, so this weekend I was riding solo. I had heard that in downtown or "Old Town" Orange there is a farmers and artisans market by Chapman University every Saturday during the summer. From my house to the market i figured out was 2.6 miles, so I came up with the idea to run from my house to the market. Perfect combination of getting a workout in and taking an adventure to the farmers market. The run was a little difficult considering that I hadn't ran that far in awhile, but once I got there it was well worth it. 

I had been to farmers markets before but this was my first farmers and artisans market in California. The main difference was in the variety of people, things, and produce there. The attitude and atmosphere of CA in general is very "chill" as the locals tend to say along with "rad" and "gnarly." This is not a stereotype because they actually say these words and phrases here, but I have also learned that dialects or slang varies from Northern and Southern California. Anyways I enjoyed walking around the market and immersing myself to the local community and meeting new people. It was here that I properly learned how to pick a ripe avocado and I ever purchased some locally grown avocados, which I was excited to eat. 

 

The artisan part of the market included a couple bands playing live music. I grabbed some water sat down and enjoyed the music for awhile. It felt good to soak up the California sun which was starting to peak in the afternoon and breathe the fresh air. By fresh I mean I wasn't breathing in the smog and pollution that I witnessed in L.A. Right as I was about to head home the band started to play 'Houses of the Holy' by Led Zeppelin, so I had to stay for one more song before I headed on my run home. 

San Juan Who?

Sunday morning began with walking to St. Norbert's for mass. After mass as I tend to do, I came home and cooked some breakfast. After breakfast and doing some research I discovered that a "must do" in Orange County is to visit some missions. You may be thinking missions? What is a mission? To sum it up a mission or at least the ones in California were "established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1833 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. 

One of the most popular missions according to the Internet is the San Juan Capistrano, so I decided to take a trip there not knowing much about the place. Arriving to the town of San Juan Capistrano was like a flashback to the past. The town had that old historic feel to it, which you don't see or find very much anymore. Arriving to the mission entrance I knew it was going to be a wise decision coming here. Let's just say it was so beautiful that I ended up taking 91 pictures there. One of my favorite things is learning about historical things and events and San Juan Capistrano was filled of both! I learned so much about the mission in Capistrano and had no idea that it was such a famous place. 

Capistrano is known for swallows. Yes I said swallows and for those of you who didn't know swallows is a type of bird. Swallows fly 6,000 miles from their winter nesting grounds in Argentina and every year on March 19th they arrive to San Juan Capistrano. Back in 1940 Leon René wrote a song named after the tiny but beautiful birds called 'When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.' See you learn something everyday and I hope you enjoyed that little fact. 

The Serra's church at San Juan Capistrano is absolutely gorgeous and reminded me of the churches I saw in Rome. The reason why it reminded me of European style churches in Rome is because the sanctuary was created from over 200 pieces that was shipped over from Spain. Apparently the Serra church is one of the oldest churches in CA. In addition the side chapel called St. Peregrine gets many visitors from around the world because Peregrine Laziosi an Italian saint is the patron saint for persons suffering from cancer, AIDS, or other illness. So people from all around the world come to San Juan Capistrano to pray and seek healing.

 

Shortly after visiting the mission I wandered off to Los Rios. Los Rios is a historical street district and listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1983. Los Rios is the oldest settled\neighborhood in California. So it was nice being able to make a full Sunday walking around and learning about all these cool things in San Juan Capistrano. It is getting late and I could go on and on about San Juan Capistrano but this is where the tales of my journey shall end for now. If you happen to be in Southern California aka "socal" I would highly recommend making a trip to San Juan Capistrano and doing the mission and walking around to Los Rios. 

Time Spent in Los Angeles

First Weekend Trip: L.A.

So this past weekend I took a weekend trip to LA to visit my friend who I had made when I was 15 in Acapulco, Mexico. Our families have been friends and it was nice to be able to see her and hang out in LA. I left Orange around 8 p.m on Friday after work and packing, then got to Brentwood, CA where she has an apartment with her two roommates. After getting settled in and meeting her roommates, we decided to go to a local sports bar called Q's and got a couple of drinks then departed for "home."


Exploring L.A

We had tons of plans for my first full day in L.A and it all started with going out to breakfast. We went to this famous deli that was been around for 64 years called Nat' n Al's, which is located in Beverly Hills. Over the years Nat' n Al's has become a Hollywood hangout where directors, producers, and writers come to get some food. Larry King can be spotted there almost every Saturday. I had their famous baked salmon with scrambled eggs with a side of Lox and a bagel.



After breakfast we departed where my adventurers were about to begin. First stop was at The Witches House which is a storybook house in Beverly Hills, California. It is known for its fanciful design that intentionally causes it to look dilapidated and old, and is a landmark that is included on tours of the area.




Next stop of the days adventure was the J. Paul Getty Museum which is located in the hills of Los Angeles. The really neat thing about the Getty Museum is that it is located in the hills, so in order to get to it you have to take a tram up the hill to the top to the museum. The ride was very nice and had great views of all the homes on the hills and such. The Getty houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. What I found to be interesting was being able to recognize all the Italian art that I has learned about when I studied abroad in Rome last summer. In addition at the museum were these beautiful gardens and had an breathtaking view of L.A from the top of the hill where the museum sat.

 

To top the day off we went to Encino, CA down in the "Valley" to have some sushi at a place called Cho Cho San. This was my first true experience of having sushi, which at the end of the night I really enjoyed it. The challenge was learning to eat the sushi with the chop sticks. After we had dinner at about 10 p.m which for people in L.A is a little later than what I am accustomed to. Then we went to a "Valley" party like they mention in the movie Clueless. A Valley party is quite the experience let me tell you. Lots of interesting people and a different lifestyle completely and the typical L.A city person frowns on upon them and the valley lifestyle.



Beach Day: Sunday

Even though it was an overcast day and the local Californians call it a typical "June Gloom" day in L.A, we decided to take a nice relaxing drive down the Pacific Coast Highway or "PCH" as the locals call it as well. On the way to PCH we drove down the famous Rodeo Road and Santa Monica Boulevard (which is mentioned in Sheryl Crows song "All I Wanna Do."). We took the PCH all the way to Malibu and saw all the surfers catching some waves and people just enjoying a day at the beaches. Once in Malibu we went to have breakfast on the beach at a restaurant called Paradise Cove. This was my first time truly having breakfast on the beach and it was awesome. The food was great I had a breakfast smoothie and Macadamia Coconut Pancakes with Coconut whipped cream and Macadamia nut butter. When in Rome I mean Malibu, order something you can't normally find.



After an amazing morning of driving along the PCH and breakfast at Paradise Cove we departed to head to Venice beach! Venice beach wow what can I say? There was so many things going on from freak shows, street musicians, street artists, famous muscle beach, interesting people, skateboarders, and of course great food places. At Venice is where they filmed a scene from the movie "I Love You Man," so it was cool to witness where it was shot and relive it. Fighting through the crowded walkways we made our way to Santa Monica Pier and Boardwalk. Approaching the Santa Monica Pier reminded me of Jersey Shore boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. The Santa Monica boardwalk has a Ferris wheel, rides, restaurants, and shops. After this I headed back to Brentwood to pack and head back home to Orange. Man what an action packed weekend in L.A and I will definitely will be making another visit before the summer is over.

Summer Internship in California

The Phone Call

During my drive home for Easter break from college I received a call that would change my life or at least my summer. I received a call from one of the original founders of a company called OrigAudio, who wanted to tell me that I was selected for the opportunity to intern for his company this upcoming summer. The internship would take place in Costa Mesa, California and would start about one week after I walked at my graduation from Quincy University.

Conference that Changed Everything

You may ask how did this all come to be and how did someone from Quincy, Illinois secure a summer internship right after graduation in California? Well let me tell you about this crazy and incredible opportunity. It all began in the fall semester in November when myself and a few other students from Quincy University went to the National Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) Conference in Chicago, IL. At the conference I went to breakout session to listen to this speaker on the topic of entrepreneurship. The main reason why I choose to hear this speaker with this company hardly anyone knew about called OrigAudio was because they were on one of my favorite TV shows called Shark Tank. After the hearing the presentation we depart for lunch and low and behold who is at my table but the co-founder of OrigAudio! The man I just listened to give a speech at conference and he is sitting at my table. We talked, took a picture, and then exchanged business cards before we had to depart to be on the panel of the keynote speakers at lunch.

Good News

About five months later on the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) website their was a job posting for an internship with OrigAudio in California. I knew that I had to apply and after applying I secured an Skype interview with the same man I had met at the conference about five months ago in Chicago. Then about a week later that was when I received the phone call driving home for Easter break that only two people were selected from out of state for the internship and I was one of them!

The Beginning

                                                               The Beginning

I graduated less than two weeks ago but to be exact it was 12 days ago. Transitioning from the mentality of studying to get good grades in school to the "real" working world is a struggle most recent college graduates face. This realization hit me when I received an internship with a company called OrigAudio, which is located in Southern part of California in Orange County called Costa Mesa. I had ten days to get to Costa Mesa after graduation to start my internship. My Mom and I traveled 1,221 miles from Streamwood, Illinois (Northwest Suburb of Chicago) to Costa Mesa, California  in a period of four days. Along the way on this road trip was an experience of a lifetime traveling across many state lines and reconnecting with family and friends along the way.

Reflecting on my new transition of lifestyle both personally and professionally brings me here to put my thoughts, memories, and words into this blog. The beginning but not the end. This first blog post is a start to my transition into the real world and beginning of a new stage of my life. So I hope you enjoy and stay tuned for more blog posts in the near future that will list my current and previous life adventures.