Around the World in 180 Days Part 2

As I sit over a bowl of porridge and honey somewhere within the depths of London Heathrow Airport T3, the time has come to finish what I've started. I have been extraordinarily graced with the opportunity to travel the world near and far, seeing things and meeting people in ways that I would never have imagined. Let's begin where I left off.

December 21, 2014: My parents and I left to our first family vacation in years. Working with an amazing agent at American Airlines, who made this entire trip possible (after I deleted the original itinerary I had booked by accident--whoops!), we flew from Chicago-Miami-Quito, Ecuador. We decided to drive to the airport and parked at a nice new lot, called "PreFlight." I surprised my parents by upgrading them to first on the Chicago-Miami segment, which happened to be on a 767-300ER, which meant that they got to taste the luxuries of an international business class product on AA before I did--go figure! We landed in Quito and immediately cleared customs, rushed to the taxis, took a taxi to the zigzagging bus to Tena to yet another taxi (this one more of a pickup truck, typical of Ecuador's small towns, after a bit of a slip-up on the hotel's pick-up), and found ourselves in the middle of the Amazon in the country's east.

December 22, 2014: After checking in at 6 AM to our hotel, Cotococha, we were able to go on some day trips, including a walk through the jungle. Our guide wielded a machete like no other and knew every nook and cranny of that forest. We also took a boat ride to the nearby local village. I got to attempt blow darts! That night, we lit the Chanukkiah with another Jewish family happening to be spending the night, thrilled that we brought one with us. We also saw a guide there make chocolate straight from the cacao plant, from initial processing, grinding, adding milk and sugar, and cooking, giving the opportunity to taste it along the way. The seeds are large and slimy, and the ground powder is so extraordinarily bitter. Whoever came up with the idea of chocolate as we have it, God bless you. We then had dinner and headed to our lodge. While there was no electricity in the hotel, the night sky and sounds of living nature more than made up for it.

December 23, 2014: After a hearty breakfast, we made our way to the thermal bath town of Baños. We took a taxi tour for the day, requesting time to hike down to Pailon del Diablo--a beautiful waterfall outside of town--followed by an evening in the El Refugio spa (it was interesting--they lock your body in a steam box for a half hour, pouring cold water on your head every few minutes; not sure I'd do that again).  On our hike, we even made a doggie friend! I named him Chuchi. We then made our way to our hotel, up the mountain in Runtun.

December 24, 2014: We saw a few llamas and colorful parrots before leaving the lovely Las Orquídeas hotel. We made our way to Quito by hired car (after stopping at the swing at the edge of the world, just five minutes from the hotel--picture below). First, we stopped in the Cotopaxi area, and were blessed with an incredible view of the volcano. We shared pita bread and tuna with our driver (who had never tried it) and hit the road. Quito, the ancient capital of Ecuador and the oldest of the region, was bustling with shoppers and churchgoers, trying to bring families together in the spirit of the season. While we didn't hit Mitad del Mundo, we were able to tour the city center, see the exquisite architecture of the old churches, and get caught up the crowds before making our way to the hotel. No Chinese food this Christmas Eve...we had to deal with pizza.

December 25, 2014: An early morning wake-up was needed to pack up and fly west to Baltra, the airport seated north of Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz. A pleasant flight of over two hours, with a quick stop in Guayaquil, took us peacefully over the Pacific Ocean to these distant islands. A miserably long check out process from the airport took over an hour, all in all. While Baltra itself was a wasteland, after the plane to bus to boat to taxi, we were able to see the greenery arise. We stopped at "Los Gemelos" (two twin former volcanoes), a refuge for island turtles, and a volcanic cave, before making our way to our hotel of five nights. We did a little shopping and walked around the Darwin research station before sleeping for the night.

                                                                                                       (Better late than never!)

December 26, 2014: We walked around the city center, exploring our options. We entered a mangrove area, a beautiful little enclave with fish and trees. I took a ride of the bay and its surroundings, seeing some ridiculously photogenic animals, snorkeling among seals, jumping into canyon waters, and viewing small areas around the main island. We then rushed back to our hotel, lit candles, and made ourselves a little Shabbat dinner.

December 27, 2014: On this lazy Saturday, we walked over to Tortuga Bay, a beautiful beach laden with iguanas and clear waters. We sat near the water, relaxed, and burned in the sun. After a good walk of over 2 kms in both directions to get there, we headed back sleepy to our hotel. Later that evening, we headed out to get some dessert. My mom managed to trip and hairline fracture two fingers, so we got to experience the local healthcare.The doctors were well trained, and wait times were less than they would be in the US. However, when it came to bandaging her up, they told me what type of casts to get from the local pharmacy, and I was instructed to go and buy it and bring it back. I retrieved it, they bandaged her up, and let us go. For free. Yes, that's right. It cost $8 for the casts, and that was it. However, when it came to getting an X-ray printout, they told me to take a picture with my camera phone, "porque somos pobres." It's a different world, but they took good care of us.

December 28, 2014: Another day, another beach! We took a cap to El Garrapatero beach, which was a bit underwhelming and poor for snorkeling, especially compared to the clear blue water of Tortuga Bay. We made a plan change to leave from the airport on San Cristóbal island, requiring us to travel by speedboat instead of our other plans to take a boat to Isabela island. (More things to see someday!)

December 29, 2014: Laundry day! In truth, we were getting a bit bored. I think we dedicated to much time to this island. After debating what to do, we took a taxi around other points of the island, to a place in which they made juice and clear rum straight from sugarcane (it was strong!). A donkey walks around a machine, and the force is used to grind the machine's gears. They also had wild coffee plants. We then headed to another part of the island with huge craters left by inactive volcanoes. It was a very misty day, and the views were poor. After the refreshing morning, we lazed away the afternoon and evening, picked up the laundry, and went to bed early.

December 30, 2014: A very early morning was necessary to catch a 7 AM "lancha," or speedboat, from Puerto Ayora to San Cristóbal. It was over two hours of hell--a totally choppy, no control, speedboat ride. So happy we only had to do that once. When my dad and his family came over to the US, he said that they were on a boat like that for seven days. I could only imagine...but I guess you have to get used to it. He laughed, and our backs hurt, but it was overall a miserable experience. We landed, arrived at our hostel by taxi, and then took a tour of the island. The weather was clear and excellent by the time the afternoon came along, allowing us splendid views of the island. We explored, saw more turtles, visited Puerto Chino beach, and my father and I climbed up into a local tree house, complete with bed and shower. We then tried some of the local fish, which was delicious.

(Ah, Inca Cola. Brings me back to my college trip to Perú! Pictured next to Ecuador's favorite drink, which tastes slightly better than flavored soda water.)

                                                                                                              (More turtles!)

                                                                                                           (To the treehouse!)

December 31st, 2014: My parents went down to the boardwalk while I hiked to the Interpretation Center and Punta Carola. I had a wonderful snorkeling experience (despite nearly being pulled out to sea), visited the small and lovely museum on the return walk, and then we headed to the airport. We landed in Guayaquil for a long layover, letting us take a taxi tour around the city, in which we were able to donate some goods for the local children at the oldest church in Guayaquil, absorb some phenomenal views of the city, visit to Iguanas Park, and attempt to visit Malecón 2000 (and getting caught up in New Year's traffic along the way), before we had to turn around and head back to the airport.

                                           (Pretty shnazzy for an airport in the domestic arrivals!)

                                                            (La Iglesia Santo Domingo de Guzmán, the oldest Church in Guayaquil)

                                                                                           (Spot the iguana in this picture!)

                                                                                              (Can you see the fireworks?)

January 1st, 2014: After flying through New Year's, we arrived in Miami. I sought out the LAN lounge, hearing good things, and we were not disappointed. We took showers, had breakfast, used the business center, and took short naps before heading out to see Miami. We visited my family's bakery (Almani's, highly recommended), bought my father some new shoes (he couldn't find size 10-11's in Quito), and went to see The Hobbit before returning to the airport for our flight home. We thought they had lost our luggage,  but to our relief, they did not, and we arrived home safe and sound. But I was not home for long.

                                                                                  (Just lounging around after our 4 AM arrival!)

Part 3--U.K. and U.A.E. coming up soon!!!

Around the World in 180 Days Part 1

My dear friends,

I want to first thank each and every one of you for your amazing support and encouragement as I decided to take a leave of absence from medical school to pursue a business degree. This process has been a rigorous and challenging one, but I am more convinced everyday that this was the right choice. I have been studying basic courses of finance, marketing, operations, and managerial organization, as well as how to "brand" myself and my image. To be honest, it feels like I have to act like a pompous jerk to be able to tell everyone how much more amazing I am than all of the other applicants to a job, which is a weird feeling (but it's okay, 'cuz I am). And it's paid off, because starting this January, I'll be working part time as a financial analyst for a group called Radiology Protocols, which is on the forefront of streamlining medical processes. And I'll be continuing to teach a bit at the local Hebrew school, too, which I really love to do!

So...Iowa! I bet a few of you are wondering what life is like over there. Well, the corn is really good. And we midwesterners always have an air of kindness to us (see, branding!), and you can really see that in the people. Obviously, Jewish life here is fairly small, especially compared to Israel and NYC, but I make due with what (and who) I have and try to do what I can to increase yiddishkeit a bit around these parts.

What else can I say? Business is really an entirely different field. When I talk about NPV or the Star Model or Kotter Model or utilization, I (almost) feel as if I'm talking about PPIs or gram stains or oncogenes. It's amazing how unique each field is, and I really appreciate the diversity of interests among people in our collective societies, and how much we depend on said diversity to function. We continue to advance intellectually (although perhaps not socially, and I blame borders and religion for that) and diversify through specialization, and as long as we attempt to use these tools for the good, it's only up from here.

Oh, and my adventures! So many things to write. Let me summarize the events since last I wrote:
May 2014: I returned home for two weeks in expectation of remaining in Israel over the summer to take the USMLE. While home, I received an email from Tippie MBA to apply. They catered specially to the one free day I had in the US, and the rest, they say, is history.

June 2014: I frantically packed (and had some nourishment along the way due to the amazing cooking skills of my roommate Brett), got a small cage for my bunny, and hopped over to the airport with an overfilled taxi of 3 70lb bags, a carry-on suitcase (filled with my glassware and probably weighing more than one of the suitcases), a backpack, a suit bag filled with much more than a suit (shhh), and, of course, the bunny. How I managed is beyond me. Then I get to the desk and they ask me for my paperwork (and, of course, I have none, because the CDC has no restrictions for rabbits from Israel). The agents in their broken English (mind you, this is Iberia, so they speak Hebrew and Spanish mostly) attempt to glean knowledge from the US policies on pets, mix up "rabbits" with "rabies" (and other such foibles), call upstairs (God?) who doesn't want to take responsibility, fight with one another for a good hour and a half, and then tell me to go pay for the rabbit but that he'll never make it and "good luck." (He did, of course, and now keeps me company in Iowa.) The day after I arrived home, I proceeded straight back to the airport to head to California (via Boston, of course) to meet up with good friends for a fun road trip along the California coast, seeing new places (Mystery Spot!!!) along the way. I also was able to hop over to San Francisco to see a good friend, and then to Seattle to witness a beautiful wedding, before flying back from there (via Charlotte, of course) to Chicago.

July 2014: Most of my days were spent busily at home. Not too exciting.

August 2014: After finishing up some stuff at home, I packed and headed out to the new frontier of Iowa City, meeting my 4th year medical school roommates (3 years running now!) and getting settled into the community. I took care of my loan paperwork (terrifying total!), bought and assembled some furniture (chair, desk, bed frame, box spring), stocked my kitchen, and headed off to a wonderful orientation week (MSIH could learn a lot from it). And then, of course, classes began.

September 2014: An incredibly long month, September was! The classes proceeded per usual, I began teaching Hebrew and Sunday school, I started my summer job search, and I continued to meet my classmates. I invited quite a few people each week to Shabbat dinner (a wonderful tradition of open invitations that I still keep in Iowa) and prepared myself for the High Holydays.

October 2014: School began moving much more rapidly. The Japanese class I was auditing seemed to have a test or quiz nearly every other day, and we had finals in the middle of the month as well. I was learning a lot, but I was getting ready for a vacation. Luckily, the holiday of Sukkot made for a great excuse to head back home for the start and then to St. Louis to visit friends for the end.

November 2014: I had the privilege to visit Minneapolis for Net Impact 2014, a conference in which I was able to learn more about sustainable and responsible business and hear from some of the biggest names in industry. Hearing from the likes of Unilever CEO Paul Polman and Mayor Betsy Hodges gave me the inspiration I needed to continue moving in my path (whatever that means) in pursuit of a better tomorrow. And the number of others there pushing for reforms and sustainability in business was inspiring as well. It just goes to show that no industry should ever be painted in broad strokes. Finally, I escaped the cold of Iowa City to reach the warmer Arctic Circle (I kid you not) near Lake Menesjärvi in Finnish Lapland with a dear friend of mine. We saw incredible things, like the Aurora Borealis, snow-capped forests, Santa Claus(!), and he even saw a reindeer. The sheer quiet and beauty of the north was utterly incredible. It really is just unspoilt nature at its finest.
Unending Silence
Through the brooks and pines alike
Frozen Wonderland

December 2014: As the semester (and this unyielding entry) came to an end, we celebrated our time together this semester with noontime drinking (and I took my audited Japanese course final in said state), a Chanukkah/farewell party, and cheers for a happy holiday season and wonderful vacations. I told my classmates the story of Chanukkah, and we kindled the lights and ate some latkes in celebration. We had a wonderful time. And now, it's time for more adventures a bit further south. But first, a couple more days of relaxation and celebration await.

From me to you, have a fantastic holiday season, and I cannot wait to update you next on my journeys--one south, and one east.

Saludos,
David

(P.S. My computer's data got totally erased, and dropbox didn't save it like I thought it would...sorry for the lack of pictures!!!)

יזכור

#יזכור

What does it mean to remember?

 

Could you imagine if sirens rang out throughout the United States on memorial day? If instead of sales and an excuse to get drunk or take a long weekend, we actually paused to think about those that fought to protect my country? To consider for a moment those who were wounded with battle scars, both seen and unseen? Those who died for the cause and those who died in the crossfire? Those who had a name and those who had neither name nor possession to speak of but simply a hope for a better future? Could you imagine stopping all of the traffic across America in order to take that minute or two, just to remember? And yet here I am, in a place where even the concept of waiting in line is all but foreign, in which people stop. And cry. And feel. And remember. Because most have served, and everyone has known loss. From the peace now activists on the left to the unyielding settlers on the right, everyone comes together on this day, putting aside differences to mourn. This is the burden that the Israelis share. And in its purest form, it is nothing less than admirable. 

The national anthem carries the eternal hope of the Jewish people: "To be a free nation in our land." Let us be clear. We are still far from that dream. Billions wish to see Israel and the Jewish people no more. To deny that is to turn a blind eye to reality. To ignore the injustices on the ground here--between Jews and non-Jews alike--is to live in a fantasy as well. Sixty-six years have come and gone, and the dream for this country and my people to be "a light unto the nations" is far from reality, just as the dream to be free of oppression and discrimination, both within and without, seems to be constantly going dimmer. But on this day, seeing and sharing in the losses and tragedies of my people, the dream begins to reemerge. The light escapes the darkness. The will to fight on for freedom and justice is restored. A prayer was said tonight: may we lose no more. Allow me to amend that. May we lose all of our biases and stigmas that lead us time and again to war, and through that may no more lives be lost in the struggle, instead remembering those that have perished in battle for only one thing: their pursuit of peace. And may the nations of the world learn by our example that through a true dedication to mourning and not to glorification of war, the longing for peace can overcome all battle cries. And maybe some day, after the ringing wail of the siren has pierced the heart of every individual around the world, the ever-present words of Scripture may finally be realized: "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." But until that day, I shall proudly honor those that have fallen to terror on this soil. For this nation was not given to me on a silver platter, and I will carry the memory of those who fought to create a state free of tyranny and oppression. I will continue to fight to make that dream into a reality.

 

I sincerely hope that the count of those who have fallen in defense of the State of Israel will rise no more, but that peace will prevail even in the face of pessimism and negativity. For as long as hate and mistrust reign upon us, the death knell will continue to toll. May there peace for us and all the world.

יהי זכרם ברוך.

Time flies when you're a second year medical student!

My dear blogfellows,

How it's been two.five months since I've written my last post is astonishing to me, but so it is, and it is time for an update! I'm still chugging away at school, having just taken a (ridiculous) head and neck written exam and (not as ridiculous) head and neck practical exam. The former was a multiple choice test, questioning my logic of mostly the holes in a larynx/pharynx (what's the difference!?).

But beyond that, it was great to finish up first semester (and suffer the wrath of moadei bet at the start of the second semester). It just goes to show that I'm half way there, both through this year and my time here in Israel. It's crazy to think how far I've come, and how far I have to go (it's also crazy to think how unnecessary that comma was, but whatever).

Chicago was cool--actually, it was freezing. I had an epic travel saga to go with it (what would you expect? I'm even on hold with American Airlines as we speak!). I was supposed to fly Iberia (those of you that know me well know my feelings on the subject) but, due to expected inclement weather in Chicago on the Friday that I was slated to arrive in, combined with the close proximity of the flight's arrival to the Sabbath, I decided to instead find a way to maneuver a change to the ticket. And maneuver I did! I swapped out the IB flights for a British Airways/American combo to London and New York (I was even able to spend the day in London with a good ole friend from 日本語 class), then used award miles on a first-flight-out-last-flight-in to Chicago and Nashville, which I then was gratefully able to split in two. Had I booked into Chicago instead of New York, it would have cost me $500 more, but instead I got a voucher for the change! I then flew to Nashville for an amazing Southern road trip with a good friend from the college years, followed by a flight from Dallas back to Chicago.

What did I see on this road trip, you might ask. Well, it was quite the adventure. Took in some of the Honky Tonk and learned about the legends of Country in Nashville, visited the various caged birds of the Cypress Grove Natural Park in Jackson (TN), dipped down into Mississippi (I also dipped into the how-to-spell-MS chant), got to experience the home of Elvis Presley and more in Graceland, saw the Mammoth Cave and the Louisville Slugger factory, the Gibson guitar museum, the Dallas science museum, the Bill Clinton Presidential Library and the monument to the Little Rock Nine in Little Rock, AR, and so much more! Plus I got my fill of Taylor Swift, as well as the ability to experience all the women that Reba is. Between the celebration of a friend's birthday, the experience of a southern Shabbat hospitality experience, and the amazing culture and patience that the South provides, I'm happy to report to all my Yankee friends that the South is a place worth visiting if you want to turn the tempo down.

I then got home for a couple of days of R&R, extending it just a bit into the second half of the year. My bad. Because it dropped to negative forty-something (incidentally, I went out in just a long sleeve shirt during that stint to grab the newspaper, something I signed up for to get a "free" Bulls jacket and then subsequently cancelled--it was pretty cold outside). And they cancelled all of the domestic flights. On the plus side, they let me choose whichever flight I wanted for the return to make up for it. And I chose Royal Jordanian. Why? Who knows. I can now add it to my list of airlines I have flown (and really do not plan on flying again, although perhaps that was only my personal experience). But we learn from every experience.

And now, as I embark on the journey into the systems of the brain, I soon expect to begin reciting the old adage:

Brain, brain,
Go away,
Come again another day.

Until next we meet,
David

Time for an update!

Hello blog followers! How nice it is to check in once in a while and reflect on this cool Beersheva Friday morn. Currently I'm studying during a short lull in a busy week, one week before the next anatomy test and without the results of our pulm (respi) results, and I'm beginning to feel the stress of the second year in full form. Yesterday, for example, I met with arnona reps, attended class, has an AMSA meeting during lunch, cleaned up some of the arteries and veins of a cadaver, worked with a neighborhood child through the Perach (פר"ח) program, cleaned up the bunny cages (both mine and the cage with two bunnies I'm currently bunnysitting for, with the owner), ate, headed to visit all of my friends from last year's production of "Beauty and the Beast" at their rehearsal, learned some more Tractate Eiruvin with my friend Moshe, and (finally) met up with a friend. For better or worse, I did not awaken to my alarm this morning and missed my field trip bus to a refugee village, but it'll give me a little more time to study and finish writing this post!
Beyond that, life is pretty ordinary, albeit stressful with the upcoming exam (as is every week this year with an exam every 3 weeks), and I'm getting excited to go home and traveling over winter break in just under a month! I'm excited for seeing my friends and family, for my road trip, for Anchorman 2 (the sequel to the greatest movie of all time), for catching up on some good books, and for enjoying a little bit of me time! And that's pretty much it! I hope all is well with all of you, and please let me know on your end what's going in in your life.