An Ending and a Beginning

Yesterday was my last day on Lotan and it was mostly spent packing and running around doing last minute things. The previous day (Sunday) was when I really said goodbye. It was a lovely day - chi gong in the morning, a final lesson with Mike, a closing circle, and then the certificate ceremony with dinner

I had an absolutely wonderful time on Lotan. I strongly recommend the Green Apprenticeship for anyone who is interested in living sustainably and has a few months to spare. I learned amazing skills and I am impatient to put them into practice upon my return to Seattle. I am thankful to the members of Kibbutz Lotan and the staff of the Center for Creative Ecology for their time and energy. The GA is a wonderful program because of them.

Farewell images:
Sunrise over the Jordanian Mountains, just East of Lotan:


I planted these sunflowers as seeds!


Award Ceremony (I am a certified permaculture and ecovillage designer. bahahahaha!):


Goodbye GA. It was a blast!


As I struggle with the transition out of Lotan, I am fortunate that Sheer is incredibly generous and offered to put me up for three nights in her family's apartment in Haifa. I don't know if I would have survived if it hadn't been for the condo on the 18th floor of an apartment building on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. It's been a difficult transition but at least I have a king size bed and balcony to make it a little bit easier. (Thanks to Sheer and her family for their generosity. This apartment is, without a doubt, going to be the nicest place I'll sleep for the next six months.)

Goodbye Lotan...
Hello Haifa!
-Katie

More Lotan Adventures

My time is winding down on Lotan, but I still have another week so I’ll do the whole “it’s been great and I’m going to miss it” thing then. I had a good week and one of the highlights was going to Timna which is like a national park. It has these ancient copper mines and beautiful landscapes. It was an all day hike and we had a ball.

Check it out:

We also saw Solomon’s Pillars:

At the end of the week we went to Neot Smedar which is another kibbutz that some people think is a cult, but I think it’s all a big misunderstanding. The members built this crazy craft center and it’s kind of... ugly, but still impressive, no?


Then, I had my second to last shabbat dinner on Lotan and enjoyed the quiet weekend.
-Katie

Kvetching

For some unknown reason this was kind of a rough week for me. I’ve been in Israel for two months and I think it’s a little too much time here. Perhaps part of it is kibbutz life, I have discovered some problems or shall we say challenges about this lifestyle.
“WHAT?!” say you?
Yes... I know it’s damn near impossible to believe that there are some hard components to living on a commune. But, it’s true.
For instance, I share a house with three other people and a room with one of those three. The door to our shared room in our shared house has been broken for oh... three weeks now. In a country where cockroaches are not really seen as a pest problem, I miss having a door to shut out undesirables: bugs, sights, smells, the occasional stray cat etc. And I have a hunch that the kibbutz isn’t going to get that door back on its hinges until well after we leave. Just a hunch.
Additionally, there is this expectation that “what’s mine is yours” or more precisely "what's yours is mine." While I appreciate that things should be shared (sharing is caring) and that personal property can be a problem (I mean, property is theft), I grew up in America. As a middle child. What's mine is mine and what's yours is yours. If I want to share mine with yours (which I do), let me offer it to you. I am not suggesting that all Americans are selfish little shits. I am suggesting that all American middle-children (ahem) are selfish little shits. Thus, the kibbutz mentality just doesn’t jive with me.

That being said it was still a pretty good week on Lotan.
We baked brownies in a solar oven:

We visited an Anarchist Kibbutz (What the hell, right? I just go on the trips I don’t plan them) where they had crazy boob houses:

I went snorkeling in Eilat:

And I made a mug (!):

The finished mug (just for you, Alex):

I’m in Israel for another month and then I think I will welcome the change of scenery as I venture to my second (and last) “I” country for this trip around the world: India.
-Katie

As We've Discussed, Shit isn't Waste... That Goes for Us, too

I've written before that the Arava desert, in which Lotan is situated, is an “extremely arid” desert. Needless to say water is a highly valuable resource. Flushing water down the toilet bowl is a ridiculous thing to do in this environment and as a result areas of the kibbutz utilize composting toilets to reduce water consumption.

Composting toilets convert human waste into organic compost and usable soil. Generally speaking, people don't use "humanure" (yes, it's a ridiculous term but I assume the opportunity was too good to pass up) as fertilizer or soil on annual garden plants. Not only is there a fundamental "icky" factor, but there are some potential health concerns as well. Instead it is used on trees and flowers.

I have seen a handful of composting toilets in my day and not all of them have been pleasant experiences. The Lotan composting toileting experience, however, is a dream.

Check it out, here is the bathroom building from the outside:

One of the FOUR stalls:

A close up:

The sink:

I am totally impressed with these babies. There is no god-I-hope-it-doesn’t-smell anxiety before I enter, it is fun (a handful of straw into the pot after you do your thing does the trick), and it’s good for the environment! Hats off to Lotan for making composting toilets respectable.
-Katie

Note: I apologize for back-to-back postings discussing shit. I will avoid all things fecal in my next installment.

A Sample GA Lesson or Why Mike Probably Won't Be Hired as an Academic Professor (even though he should be)

Here is a lesson we can reasonably expect on any given day as a GA on Kibbutz Lotan:

Clearly we are going to learn about shit and then put the lesson into practice:

For those of you who are wondering what type of shit this is, it comes from the Kibbutz dairy. More specifically from:

And then from there, we will make "shit tea." Yes, "shit tea." Yum:
I thought I would be a little more specific about some of the pleasures I get to enjoy as a GA. For everyone who doesn't know, "shit tea" is an amazing fertilizer. It's so potent it usually needs to be diluted before it can be added to your garden.
-Katie

Hanging Out

After a long day of working in the garden and exploring neighboring Kibbutz Grofit, I relaxed by lounging on a dog:

(continued thanks to Marisa for making the "Bikesexuals" silkscreen - everywhere I go people want my shirt. Like hell I would give that shirt away...)

The next day, my friend Michal came down to visit for the weekend:

It was really fun to see her and to catch up on things, considering we haven't seen each other since 2001(!) there was plenty to share. Hopefully we'll get to see each other again when she (maybe) joins us for a trip to Sinai.
-Katie

Another Lotan Week

Wow. I’ve been doing some crazy rad things in the desert these days. Check it out:
Building Geodesic Domes

Sorting dates factory style

Eating arugula from my own personal garden (I don’t even like arugula, but I guess if you grow it yourself it tastes better because it really wasn’t that bad!)

Going on a beautiful hike (those are ibex in the distance)

I also managed to get 1. a piece of glass in and then out of my foot (why am I such a wreck?!) and 2. a haircut (can you tell from the pictures?).
In other news, the mosquitoes have emerged from their summer slumber and have begun to torture me. The one good thing about the desert was the lack of skeeters. Now I don’t even have that. Stupid desert.
Regardless, I am having a wonderful time.
-Katie

Green Apprenticeship (GA) Education

Some of you have asked me about what I am learning in Israel. Here is a rough sketch of some of the topics we are discussing on Kibbutz Lotan.

-Natural Building: building structures (homes, benches, retaining walls, etc) out of mud, straw, tires, etc

-Permaculture: roughly defined as "the development of perennial agricultural systems that mimic the structure and interrelationships found in natural ecologies."

-Organic Gardening: growing plants without chemicals for soil, fertilizer, and pest control

-Healthy Living: including physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being (I know, I know, I'm ridiculous, but it's endearing, right? RIGHT?) consisting of Chi Kong stretching in the morning, Watzu lessons, among other topics. Here's the Watzu pool:

Those are the topics we've focused on thus far. I know we still have loads to learn. Oh! by the end of the program I will be a certified permaculture and ecovillage designer. Wow... So, if any of you have a garden, space, or ecovillage (bahahaha!) that you want help designing, just let me know.
-Katie

A-tone-mint

Yom Kippur began tonight. I did not, as originally planned, go to Jerusalem to observe other people celebrating their beliefs. Instead I chose to stay on Lotan and attempt to observe Yom Kippur in my way:
I have had a wonderful year. My family, my friends, the people I love are (mostly) happy and healthy. I met an amazing person who I love and enjoy. I have a variety of freedoms and privileges that allow me to make positive choices in my life.
In other words, I have it very good – and I am thankful.
That being said, I believe I have an obligation to work for justice so that other people have the ability to create their own happiness, too. I do not get to take from the world without giving back. That is my responsibility – or so I’ve been told.

I am not going to take up too much time discussing my mistakes. But needless to say they are numerous and I hope to learn and grow from each one, well... at least the big ones.
I hope you all forgive me for my transgressions, intentional or unintentional. Certainly, I forgive you for yours.
May we all be inscribed in the book of life for this upcoming year (but only if you want to be...)
-Katie

The half-moon over Kibbutz Lotan:

(BAHAHAHAHA that is a hilarious picture of the moon! It looks so small! You'll have to trust me that the sky over Lotan is amazing and gives me reason to stop and pause. I guess relatively cheap point and shoot cameras don't always perform the way you'd like... Google image search "moon" and pretend those pictures are what I see every night. Now you get it, yeah?)

A trip to Eilat

Yesterday was the first time I left the kibbutz since I arrived on the 3rd. It was, needless to say, a much needed break. Nine of us went into Eilat to enjoy the city and say goodbye to Serena, one of the GAs, who decided that the program was not right for her. Here are a few things that we enjoyed on our excursion:

The ride down

The scenery

The supermarket

The drinks

And the nightlife


It was a nice night and an important break. We were back to work today building a retaining wall made out of tires. We built it with one less person - good luck finding what you are looking for Serena.
-Katie

Goats. Not for the weak.

It was a long weekend in Israel because of Rosh Hashana. It was kind of boring (or relaxing, depending on how you look at it) on the kibbutz and I wanted to do something that would occupy some of my time. I heard there were baby goats (aka "kids") and that the workers could use some help feeding them. Off I went to be helpful and celebrate the new year with baby goats:
Cute, right? Wrong.
As I was sitting there feeding the smelly, dirty beast there were other smelly, dirty beasts entering the world mere feet away from me! Naturally, I ran over to where the mama goats were and looked in absolute horror as I saw this:

And then:

My first reaction was, as you would expect, EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW, SICK!!!!!!
Followed by: OOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!
It wasn't until a few hours had passed that I realized this was the first time I witnessed a live birth (perhaps my last?) Childbirth looks not fun AT ALL.
Clearly I am having an educational experience on the kibbutz in more than one arena. When all was said and done, 14 kids were born that day and I saw 5 of them. It was bizarre...
Let's hope things are eventually less exciting around here.
-Katie

New House.

I moved from the tourism room (see previous post) to a new, better place:

L'shana tova everyone!
-Katie

Lotan - Week 2

Since I last wrote one week officially ended (with Shabbat) and another officially began (with the end of Shabbat). It is a really amazing experience to have Shabbat on this kibbutz. While I wasn't a huge fan of the services (unfamiliar tunes and format), I loved the spirit. People were just hanging out and chatting, wishing each other "Shabbat Shalom" and giving hugs and kisses. It was totally great. Then, the next day was so chill and quiet - they really take the day of rest thing seriously here.
Sadly, Shabbat ended, but week #2 of the green apprenticeship (GA) began!
We started by working in the nursey which was fine until... A SCORPION GOT ON ME! No joke, I freaked out and brushed it off MY BARE SKIN. I thought that was a totally normal reaction to A SCORPION ON ME, but apparently I "over-reacted." Whatever, here is a picture of something vaguely similar to what was on me:

It didn't sting me so eventually I calmed down and continued with the day, but holy shit...
The next day we played with worms: (Efrat is eating this one, but most of them are used to make worm castings which is kick-ass fertilizer. I can't wait to make my own worm bin at my next home.)

and stuffed tires full of trash to make a bench:

Today I am a little sick - head cold nothing serious, it sucks, but I still planted a garden:

It's my first real garden and I forget what's in it, but hopefully I'll find out in a few weeks.

While we were planting the gardens, we heard sounds of warfare in the background. It was totally jarring and scary to hear bombs and missiles, although they are a normal component to life here. It's taking me time to adjust but there are some things about Israeli culture that I do not want to adjust to or welcome into my life...

Lotan - Week 1

Well, it hasn't even really been a full week here, but man it feels like we've been here for a month. In a good way, my days are really full and long. Here is a typical schedule for me:
6am - Chi Kong (stretching)
6:30am - First practical lesson (working in the garden, building buildings out of mud etc...)
8:30am - Breakfast (mostly salad stuff, it's really nice in the morning)
9:30am - Second practical lesson
11:00am - Classroom lesson (topics vary: the history of Lotan, learning about global issues, environmental topics etc)
1pm - Lunch
2pm - Second classroom lesson
4pm - Free time
6:30pm - Dinner
Evening - Activities vary: The pub (if it's open), singing together, a movie, free time, etc
These days are FULL. I have been asleep before 10pm almost every night I've been here.
Here are some more pictures of the things I've done in the first few days:

Desert Hike

I planted seeds into dirt I made!

Making a raised bed garden

New friends! (We used food scraps to make the raised beds - they STANK!)


OH! If any of you out there feel inspired to send me something, please do! Here's my address:
Katie Porter
Green Apprenticeship
Kibbutz Lotan
D.N. Hevel Eilot
88855 Israel
I hope to get into Eilat sometime soon to pick up postcards or regular mail stuff so I'll start writing mail soon.
-Katie

Lotan Beginnings

After enjoying only one night in Tel Aviv with Uri, I left yesterday for the Negev desert and Kibbutz Lotan. We drove 4 hours south to get here and since we arrived it has been pretty non-stop. I am staying in this little tourist house:

for only one week with fellow green apprentices Efrat (from Petachtikva, Israel) and Serena (from Concord, MA).
Today was pretty basic: orientation, why we are here, what we hope to get out of it, trust games, etc... The course syllabus is pretty cool, I am really looking forward to the next 11 weeks on Lotan.
We also had a chance to start making mud bricks:

That's not the greatest picture, but maybe you get the sense...
Also, we are literally a few feet away from the Jordanian border, check it out:

They told us we are not allowed to walk too close to the fense because the army will call them and we'll get interrogated. No joke. Whoa.
So, life is good here and I am enjoying myself. There are 11 of us all together, it's mostly Israelis which is a little difficult because I never know what they are talking about. Oh, and this shit is hot. It's the summer, in the desert, duh. But still, where the hell is the cloud cover?! Seattle has penetrated my soul it seems.
Enough internets, it's time to connect with people.
-Katie