Advice #2: Travel. Go to places you haven't been, by blogger of the month Tim Lee

Israel is geographically advantageous for traveling. It is conveniently squished in the middle of Europe, Africa and Asia. MSIH students take advantage of this on every holiday (there are a lot of Jewish holidays). Many have taken the bus to Jordan to see the wonders of Petra and Wadi Rum (highly recommended). Some have managed to cross the border to Sinai and Egypt, though that was before the brouhaha. Many take cheap flights out of Ben Gurion Airport to Europe (EasyJet and Pegasus are quite cheap).

Get that disk!

This past weekend I had the unique opportunity to go to Amsterdam to play in one of Europe’s largest Ultimate Frisbee tournament, Windmill Windup. One of my friends aptly called it the “Burning Man of all Tournaments.”  There were three divisions: open (men’s), women’s, and mixed. I played with Team Israel (yes, a Korean represented Israel in a tournament in Holland). Israel entered as a mixed team and faired pretty well for having practiced together as a team only two times. We won 6 out of 8 games and placed 9^th out of 26 mixed teams. Not bad. The weather wasn’t ideal as it was rainy and windy for part of the weekend. But the competition was still fierce and the games were super fun to play and watch.

Team Israel at Windmill Windup

Not only did the tournament have fun, competitive games but also evening activities, good food, music, and parties. They had a live jazz band play in the morning for breakfast. Acrobatic yoga instructor taught yoga for those who wanted a little extra umph to start their day. There were also live bands in the evenings and DJs spinning music all night. Stomp the balloon (tie a balloon to your leg and try to stomp everyone else’s balloons, last man standing wins), mingle mingle (google it), ultimate beer race, and more. To top it off, they had the Euro Cup games screening every night. It was exhaustingly awesome experience.

Tournament aside, Amsterdam is a pretty cool city. I had a day and a half to be a tourist before the tournament so I walked around the city with my teammates. Holland happened to be playing and it was very orange. It was super fun atmosphere to be surrounded by such excitement. The next day, I also managed to take a glimpse of the van Gogh museum, which was extraordinary. I wish I had had more time to explore the city.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam was awesome and it was just the umph I needed to finish this year off strong. One more week to go! Then, some more traveling! -blogger of the month Tim Lee

Bete' Avon! by blogger of the month Nicole Magpayo

Joel Robuchon's Restaurant L'Atelier in Paris, France

Hello again! Since we’re nearing the end of Endocrinology and Caroline House (which for you incoming first years will get to know a little too well J ) starts to get more packed- the studying continues and is starting to get more intense as the exam approaches. Unfortunately, that means I really have nothing exciting to share. No random trips to Tel Aviv, no outdoor excursions to Jordan- sorry, all those cool adventures are put on hold since we only have about 8 days left (*containing hand-waving up in the air excitement*).  However, I realized the other day a big part of the everyday cultural experience being in Israel and being in medical school is food.

Brunch for 6 people - yes, we're hungry :)

I’m a HUGE foodie. I love trying new things- whether it’s a run down place on the corner, a family place on a quiet street or even a super fancy restaurant filled with tourists. I want to and will try it all. I think I started to become a huge foodie after living in Italy for a year (really, how could you not?!). Food, in my opinion, is probably one of the best parts of life (insert fat kid joke here) and insanely creative.

As students, especially medical students, who constantly are either in class or studying or usually both- I think food becomes even more important and difficult to find. First, we’re in a foreign country, so accessibility to the usual things you eat in the States is hard enough (my bit of advice: bring the things you can’t live without!). Second, as students who are stressed out, snacking, especially during exams can be a bit of a dangerous habit. Third, finding the time to cook an amazing dinner in itself is difficult.

In Israel, you’ll find a mix of falafel, hummus and shawarma (wait, is there more? Jk!). But I’ve realized that part of actually LIVING here or anywhere for that matter is learning how to use what’s available to create something of your own. For me, I love to cook! When I was living in Boston, I used to cook these fancy, elaborate meals after work. But nowadays, finding the time to a. go grocery shopping (Tiv Tam aka our Americanized grocery store haven) or b. to actually sit and cook something that could take hours, is just difficult. However, even with all of these limitations, I actually do cook everyday. I find it both healthier (since I know what’s going into my food- thanks, but no thanks for the pound of butter) and relaxing. Cooking is a relaxing activity for me, mostly because I enjoy it and after making something yummy I can say – wow, I just made that!

My first gluten-free cake!

Baking, on the other hand, is quiet a challenge- especially when you don’t have an oven. Yes, most apartments here in Israel don’t have ovens. Don’t panic though- they have huge toaster ovens, and yes they work just as well! Just take a look at the picture below, this year I made my first gluten-free cake! It was also my first double layered cake with homemade frosting J. Birthdays are pretty big in our class- just this past week people brought watermelon, salad, cookies, cupcakes (yes, usually in our class, we have 3 cakes for ONE birthday, but that’s just because we’re awesome like that).

Homemade strawberry scones!

Anyway, the point is that even if things are limited here- it’s easy to find a way to use what you have to make something satisfying. The fruit stand in Bet is one of my favorite spots to visit on a weekly basis as it has all the basics at a good price- bananas, apples, zucchini, lemons, mushrooms, avocados – I even found fresh coconut! I also think that’s the fun of moving somewhere culturally different and whenever I visit a place- I always want to try what’s local there. Food is a huge part of the culture and very unique in any country you visit.

Mexican themed birthday party!

As corny as it is- food also brings everyone together. I’ve been to a few Shabbat dinners and I think it’s a wonderful tradition. A family gathering over food with several courses- why not?! Just a few weeks ago, we had a dinner for a classmate’s birthday (Hi Kiki) which was nice, since she is an amazing baker and usually bakes for everyone else, so it was a great day to treat her! We had a Mexican “themed” party with enchiladas, homemade guacamole and homemade salsa! See, even if we’re not in States- we still make it work! Ok, all this writing about food is making me hungry – happy eating!

Challah French Toast made by Chef Tony!

Fruit stand in Bet.

P.S. If you ever happen to go to Paris, this is probably THE BEST MEAL I’ve ever had in my life- it’s not cheap, but trust me, your mouth won’t care J   - Nicole Magpayo, blogger of the month

Summer in Beersheva, by May blogger of the month Nicole Magpayo

Greetings once again! Sorry for my delay in posting, even if it’s a cliché excuse- I’m in medical school : ). Summer has officially kicked in here in Beersheva and the temperatures are in the lower 90s (yes, I’m using Fahrenheit when I should be using Celsius- what can I say, I’m 18 days from going home!). I can’t believe that this year is almost coming to a close and that it was just about a year ago when I first came to Beersheva and started medical school. It’s been a crazy packed year full of classes, meeting new people and studying for exams- but all worth it! 

Iced coffee and Guyton = my two favorite things

We just finished hematology and are in the midst of endocrinology. I have to say that it is very interesting focusing solely on a specific part of medicine and learning everything from the basics to the physiology and pathology of that system. This transition into systems makes me excited for next year. 

Student week outdoor concert

As expected, life as a medical student here is jam packed with studying, especially during finals. Sometimes, you would only step outside to throw trash out or buy milk (no, I’m not kidding). However, even with all the studying, we still find ways to relax and have fun. A few weeks ago, Ben Gurion Student Life held events during student week here in Beersheva. Israeli music groups, such as Infected Mushroom, performed at an outdoor concert in the outskirts of town with food vendors and small shops posted around the venue. It was interesting to experience an environment where you don’t know the lyrics but everyone around you is having the best time of their life and singing along, so, really, you can’t help but have fun too- even if you don’t know why you’re dancing!

Student week pool party!

The next day, there was a student pool party at the BGU campus. Loud dance party music, more food and great company- what else could you ask for on a Wednesday at noon? It’s nice that BGU holds student sponsored events and was a great time to relax before jumping back into studying once again. 

In addition, one of our classmates held a small get together full of yummy deserts on Shabbat (Kady and I pictured below!). I have to admit, I’m starting to love Shabbat (minus the fact that nearly everything is closed). It’s a great time to get together with your classmates (yes, the ones you see every day) and show off your cooking skills!

Kady and I

Ok, enough about the past few weeks, let’s fast forward to real time. This week started off very relaxing - yoga and a day off tomorrow. Thanks to a friend of one our classmates, we had a nice relaxing yoga session tonight. Besides the scorching heat during the day, summer does have its benefits at night. Outdoor yoga? Yes, please! 

Summer nights = outdoor yoga

-May blogger of the month Nicole Magpayo

Advice #1: Find a Hobby, by blogger of the month Tim Lee

Winning teams posing with the championship cup.

Advice #1: Find a hobby, something to do other than your studies.

It doesn’t matter what it is. Some go to the gym everyday as if their life depended on it. Others play some musical instrument with the school orchestra or a band. Many choose to bake (and if you do, make sure to save me some). I play Ultimate.

Ultimate Frisbee has been a pretty big part of my life since I started playing freshman year of college. So when I got here, I was glad to find out that there was a small but vibrant Ultimate scene in Israel. And I have gotten more involved with Ultimate than I ever thought I would in medical school. This past year I started to volunteer as a coach with Ultimate Peace, a non-profit organization that promotes peace by bringing kids from Arabic, Jewish, Palestinian families to play Ultimate and bridging the gap created by the sociopolitical situation. Every other weekend, or as much as my schedule would allow, I went to different towns to help coach. It’s been awesome getting out of ol’ Be’er Sheva and visiting different villages that most foreigners wouldn’t bother going.

We just had our first systems exam, Hematology. So, I probably should have spent my weekend studying for the exam. But instead, I went to Tamra (an Arab city in the north) and helped run a hat tournament for Ultimate Peace. It was amazing to see how much the kids had improved over this past year. It was a very long day in the scorching sun but it was quite gratifying.

I came back to Be’er Sheva Saturday night exhausted.  All of Sunday was devoted to cramming 3 weeks of Hematology. And perhaps I didn’t do as well as I could have had I stayed here and spent the weekend studying. But these little excursions are what have kept me sane between all the studies of medical school.

Ultimate Peace is hosting its 3^rd annual summer camp this year and they could use some support. I will be volunteering at camp also. If you would like to donate, click on the following link. Thanks in advance!

https://friends.ultimatepeace.org/fundraising/2012-camp/people/tim-lee.html

- blogger of the month Tim Lee

Ten not-so-poignant insights on first-year medical student's life in Beer-Sheva, by R. Mayuri Garikepati

Wear sunscreen

 Know that it’s okay to be afraid of the Gimmel children.

   Buy meat in the Shuk only if you can see the freezer in the store.

    Magnums also come in golden wrappers—not condoms—but the finest ice cream bars

 Bring Sriracha sauce, if you want spicy food you’ll have to make it yourself

Prepare for romance in the Holy Land:

http://www.roadjunky.com/romancepage/401/israel-romance-and-dating

 Where to eat hamburgers: 

@ Tiv Tam: 30 sheks. Show student card. Comes with drink - option of beer/soda/etc

@ Coca: 35 sheks. Only hamburger+fries

@ Zygote: 35 ~ 38 sheks. By far the best quality, but only hamburger+fries

 Learn how to dance to electronic music.

  Deal with the fact that in Israel, you don’t get the ego-inflating white coat in first year

 Invest in nice PJs—you may meet your neighbors for the first time during a 3am rocket siren and first impressions count.  

-blogger of the month R. Mayuri Garikepati

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