wow. i don't think i'd feel comfortable traveling in iran today, but maybe some day. in some ways, i think israelis have more in common with iran and lebanon than with some of our other neighbors, but maybe some day we'll all be united. i can't imagine wearing stiletto heels, regardless of where i was, though. this is something that is beyond me, utterly. slits in the coats too. i don't mind dressing a bit modestly myself, but then, as there's no societal pressure to do so, i don't have any need to rebel on that point. maybe in iran i'd be wearing heels and makeup as well. rock on to the troublemakers of the world!

hi Leila,

Longtime no see...

I'm in Jerusalem right now and I can tell you how amazed I am at how much it costs to live here relative to what people make. if you absoltely must make money here while visiting than I would strongly caution you to reconsider. Israel is an expensive country to travel in. Yes it's true that for the most part fruits and vegetables are of relatively high quality and are cheap but pretty much everything else is the same in the US or more expensive. usually when people travel, they have to rely more on restaraunts as opposed to buying groceries and cooking for yourself. israeli restaurants (I don't include felafel joints and traditional middle east fare) are expensive relative to the quality in the US, especially if your from the bay area. You have to remember that in America you have options and as Israel is a small country, you often dont have the opportunity to get the item you want in the quality or the price you wish. For example, in America you have the run of the mill supermarkets for cheap stuff, trader joes for slightly more expensive stuff for better quality, and if you really want to blow away your wallet, places like whole foods. In Israel, you pretty much have generic supermarkets and the souks, and that's about it.

Last I recall you were a vegetarian or a vegan. I'm still a veggie and have found it more diffucult to do so out here. There are fewer soy products out here so I rely heavily on dairy and legumes such as for my protein. "Vegetarian" translated as "simchoni" in hebrew doesn't include fish and I think things made of chicken broth would be considered "simchoni", so there is not much understanding out here for vegetarians. You can definately get by with standard middle eastern fare which is much higher quality in the states, but felafel gets old fast...

That said, you can make it here relativily cheap if your careful with your money. I wouldn't come here with the intentiion of making money here to fund your trip. You'd spend too much time looking for work for very little reward. Although, there is always demand for English here, there are many Americans here, so just because you are a native speaker, doesn't mean that you offer a service that is critically needed. Anecdotally, I've been told that competent tutors can fetch around 60-70 shekles an hour (around 15 bucks or so) but I dont know anyone who has done this.

Hostels aren't cheap in Israel either, they cost about as much as they do in Europe. In jerusalem, I can recommend the Petra Hostel in Jaffa Gate (about $10US in a dorm) if you are flexible with regard to cleanliness and facilities, but it's cheap and a backpaper's mecca in Jerusalem. Ask for Gabriel, an intersting guy who can point you in the right direction as far how to get by cheaply in Jerusalem.

I may have a way for to save some money travelling to israel, but would rather speak to you about is privately. Let me know if you'd be interested.

Also, I know Goa Gill will be in Greece in June and in other parts of europe during the summer. If you're interested, I'm very much intersted in organizing a posse from Israel to go check him out.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and I'd be happy to help if I can.

Mike