"Write About What You Know"

“Write about what you know.” So what do I know? I know that I like to tell stories. And I know that I like to explore the unknown. As far back as I can remember I’ve always loved to entertain, loved to get a chuckle out of my audience, loved to relay what I believed to be important information. “Hey, did you know that…?” “Have you heard yet…?” Maybe the majority of the time people don’t care what I have to share, but I still have this unexplainable urge that can’t be stopped. YOU MUST KNOW! One of my favorite topics over the years is the people I’ve met along the way.

I’m not talking about my friends or my family, but instead the strangers I’ve met at home and otherwise.

Last year I spent 9 months volunteering, studying, traveling, and enjoying living abroad in Tel Aviv, Israel. I left New York behind in hopes of being exposed to new cultures, new languages, new experiences. I found all of that and more. I had the great fortune of meeting so many diverse men, women, and children who inspired me to create this blog. It is these people that have opened my eyes to a bigger world.

Following my volunteer experience, I have resettled in New York City and have continued to quench my thirst of all things foreign. The Big Apple is by far one of the most eclectic cities in the country, if not the world. The diversity is unparalleled.

During summer 2008 I studied in Jerusalem, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, for almost 2 months. Upon my return to NY, I distinctly remember riding the subway to Brooklyn from Manhattan and realizing how comfortable I felt surrounded by so many different colors, religions, and ethnicities. I know how easy it is to take things for granted as an American, but it wasn’t until that subway ride did I realize just how lucky I was to live in such a mixed country. 

Have you ever heard an accent and tried to place it? Wondered where someone comes from just from his/her distinct look? Dared to ask if someone speaks a certain language? No? Well I have and do all the time. You may be wondering if it’s appropriate for me to pry into other people’s lives and pasts, but rest assured, I (almost) never overstep the boundaries. It’s important to read the person you’re conversing with before diving into family history, but even if I get a little exchange going on I’ll go for it. Ever heard that expression “Give an inch, take a mile?” Hi, I am the epitome of that.

As the blog takes shape and beings to evolve, I’m sure there will be different topics I’ll want to include. Right now I’m already thinking of the power of language. I have always been intrigued with languages, dead and alive, and have studied a bunch from the Middle East to the romances to the Far East. Communication is another luxury that we so often take for granted. To show you what I mean, take a look at an anecdote from my blog last year during my time volunteering at the African Refugee Development Center in Tel Aviv:

“When I arrived to the ARDC office on Sunday afternoon, I met another foreign volunteer with whom I will be working. Upon arrival to the center, I noticed there were a few people in the waiting area, and I was quickly informed that we needed to register one of the women who was visiting the ARDC for the first time. So one woman from America, one from Australia, and one from Africa met in a small room in South Tel Aviv.

“We immediately learned that this woman spoke no English or Hebrew (or French or Spanish or Mandarin) and therefore we had no way to communicate with her except through miming and drawing some pictures. It’s funny how this happens, but you can’t help it: Whenever it’s impossible to communicate with someone in your own language, instead of just not talking, you end up talking extremely slowly like that’s going to help. Totally did that and no, it didn’t really work. But we were able to fill out some information on this woman’s folder. Although she said that she was from Sudan, “Eritea” was written on her temporary visa. Also, she was definitely reading information in Tigrinya (the most commonly spoken language in Eritrea) and now Arabic (that spoken in Sudan). We were able to understand that she was six months pregnant, though, and completely alone in Israel. She couldn’t have been older than thirty years old. There was no way to communicate why she was here and with that, we started to collect the necessary items everyone receives when first registering at the ARDC.”

Comments, concerns, suggestions, questions, etc. are all encouraged. Visit often and enjoy!