Artsy Fartsy

For those of you who have never been to Israel, you should know that it really is a beautiful space. The land itself exudes this natural beauty that can't be seen anywhere else, but that's not what I'm talking about today. I'm talking about the actual hand-drawn art that can be seen in the streets of this country. For instance, most of the electrical panels that are found outside people's homes are painted with beautiful imagery. I never saw anything like this living in California and people around these parts probably think I'm strange but every time I pass by an electrical panel I have to stop and look at the graceful painting on it. Seeing these paintings makes living in a town with no movie theatre or mall slightly less painful.

Aside from these electrical panels, there's this little sitting area right up the street from where I'm staying and it's utterly beautiful. Th

ese cement benches are covered with shattered tiles that create an image of birds and flowers.

It kind of looks like it belongs somewhere in Venice beach but don't be fooled, the nearest body of water is about an hour and a half away. This charming little space is surrounded by dry, scorched land. A simple glance over the fence reminds me that the people living in the homes below aren't exactly Israeli's biggest fans.

Nevertheless, I'm slowly getting the hang of living in this rather rural part of Israel. I feel like I get the best of both worlds because I go to school in tumultuous Tel Aviv and rest my head at night in airy Ariel.

TTFN XX