Galilean Bonfire

These pictures are of sunsets over the sea of Galilee--northern Israel. (Though, it really isn't a sea, because it's fresh water. The Jews have it right, they call it "Lake Kinneret," the word for heart, because it is heart-shaped. Anatomic heart--not valentine.) The sunsets are lovely there; the atmosphere is relaxing and sweet. After nine days of living in a kibbutz on the eastern shore, it was time for a final bonfire--our last party. We split class by class into two fire-pits for our fun.

Somehow we procured marshmallows (that weren't like Jet-Puffs at all) and we made s'mores. Cookies were also on the docket, as well as Mirindas soda--a very tasty substance. American sodas are sweetened with corn syrup, even when it is common knowledge that corn syrup isn't half as scrumptious. Mmm, Mirindas soda. The green-apple flavor that I had in Egypt made me think that I was actually drinking a liquid jolly rancher. So good. Anyway, the treats were good.

We started to sing and play silly games like Murder-in-the-dark, charades of things we'd done over the semester, and telephone. Emma (our wilderness chief, by title--she's run those wilderness intervention camps for troubled youth and all that--she can make backpacks out of palm fronds and stuff) anyway, she pulled out her guitar and her drums that she bought in the old city and started playing songs and stuff. Then, with a wicked smirk painted on her jaw, she announces that we're going to learn a chant. She taught us to sing uga-chaka-uga-chaka and overlap it in a "round" with "Book of Mormon Stories." The result was a half-crazed aboriginal war cry/rain dance. Then the really brilliant plan began.

Emma had us tiptoe silently towards the other class until we had them surrounded, and then we got em! Booming yells and flailing limbs, we tramped in a ring around the other class--singing and uga-chaka-ing. "UGA-CHAKA Lamanites in UGA-CHAKA...ree! Long ago our UGA-CHAK from far across the UGA-CHAKA!" and if you know the song you can get the drift. We were fearsome to behold. And very loud. No doubt the Israelis staying in the kibbutz that night were shaking their heads and saying, "stupid Americans."

I wandered down to the beach and gazed across the water to the night lights from Tiberias, and then up at the stars. Orion had come out, and I was very glad to see him. After the bonfire, it was a very peaceful night. My last sleep in a kibbutz. :D (for the near and foreseeable future, anyway.)