Descriptive Essay

Tiffany Salah
Professor Sandowicz
ENG 100
11 February 2013
Anywhere in the World
Given the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world I would go to the country of Israel. It’s a small country bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Lebanon, with its size being relatively smaller than that of New Jersey. It’s somewhere I have traveled before and I would take full advantage of the chance to go back another time. I have more than a handful of relatives in the Middle East. Some of my family members live throughout the many small cities in Israel, with the majority living in the city of Jerusalem, also known as “The Holy City”. Aside from that, I have a couple of my grandfather’s family living in Beirut, Lebanon, a fairly small country that stretches across the Mediterranean Sea and lies directly North of Israel. Along with my family being a strong reason for my return, the cuisine is absolutely outstanding and pretty exotic and there will always be opportunities for me to try new things. The country itself is the most beautiful place I’ve ever laid eyes on and there is so much I’ve seen and have yet to see. The Mediterranean Coast is a wonder, and I would love to visit again to see my loving family, try some crazy new foods and venture into areas I have never experienced before. The love I have for my family and their culture in the Middle East is immense. Although I get a pretty good dose of culture with my Arabic family members living in Southern California, I would take any opportunity I had to fly more than half way around the world to see them again. I have a huge number of extended family living throughout the country and some surrounding areas. My dad is full Palestinian and he moved here with my grandparents when he was nineteen years old along with his sister and a few aunts, uncles, and many cousins. I was about twelve years old when I took my first flight to Israel with my dad. In fact, it was the first time I had ever been on a plane and with the flight expectancy of the trip being 15 hours or more, I was pretty terrified. Not having my mom there with me also played a part in my experience on the trip. With my dad being more outgoing and knowing the area, I had seen and done so much more than I would have if my mom came along. When I was first presented with this opportunity I didn’t know whether to be terrified or excited but my feelings changed drastically as time went on. I just couldn’t even wrap my mind around the fact I was going to be somewhere other than the United States. Being so young, I never really got a first hand feeling of what the culture and lifestyle was really like. Growing up with my grandparents living so close, I’ve learned so much more and become more appreciative of the differentiation I have been given in my life. With the Palestinian culture that I grew up around, the language and writing is something most people don’t get the experience on a daily basis. For years, as a kid after church on Sundays I would go over to my grandparents and sit down in the office with my grandpa and have him teach me to write my name. I did this over and over and it’s all I ever really got a hold of. As I got older I gave up and stopped putting so much time into learning the writing and language, which I now really regret. When I was in Israel I can remember myself sitting in the living room listening to all of my cousins talking in Arabic. All I could do was listen because I would only get a couple words out of every sentence or two. Something I love most about the culture is the music. They have a wide variety of genres just like we have in our music industry here. There’s something about it that makes me calm and at ease every time I listen. Every singer comes off as one of the best voices I’ve ever heard and it’s an amazing feeling. Being around the music for a month got me to really love it, but every time I was in the car with my grandparents it was the only thing on. It definitely grew on me over time. I even took belly-dancing lessons from my cousin as a kid and it became my favorite type of music. Another reason I would love to take another trip to Israel would be because of the food. They don’t call it the land of milk and honey for nothing! The agriculture and climate in Israel plays a big part in the organic produce that makes its way into some of the best Israeli cuisine you will ever experience. As much as I eat the Arabic food here, sometimes on a day-to-day basis, I will never get tired of the sensational flavors and varieties that Middle Eastern food has to offer. Although I think I may have tried it all, I know that there is always something else out there waiting for me to experience and fall in love with. My experience with the food has always been a positive one. My grandma is an outstanding cook, which is why I’ve been eating this type of food my entire life. Traditionally, Middle Eastern women spend a lot of time cooking while their husbands are working. From the simple pita bread and hummus to falafels, a brown deep-fried ball or patty that is made from chickpeas, fava beans and spices, Middle Eastern food has always been my absolute favorite and always will be. My third and most valued reason for wanting to go back to Israel is to experience new areas and the natural beauty of the country. While most people first assume the Middle East is just a big, boring, dry desert land with a few palm trees, pyramids, and camels, there is so much more to the country that people do not know. Religion plays a huge part in this country and its beauty as well. While the country is now defined as a Jewish State, the three main religions that make up the area are Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. When visiting a very historic and religious place in the Old City of Jerusalem, my heart was touched when I saw people of many races, with heads bowed in an extremely large courtyard. I was in absolute awe as I listened to the hundreds of people cry out in prayer. Notes can also be placed into the cracks of the walls as another method of prayer. This may have been one of the only places during my stay in Israel that had such great impact on my outlook of the country and the people. Everything about that place was so peaceful and beautiful. This is somewhere I would definitely go again when visiting Israel. Another amazing place filled with so much beauty is the Dead Sea. I’ve always had so much love for the ocean and the water in general. There is something about the Dead Sea that I love so much more than any body of water I’ve ever experienced. It is typically famous in the country for its psychical characteristics so I’m not the only ones who strongly appreciates its appearance. It borders the city of Jerusalem and contains more than 25% of salt. When in the water, the salt causes you to effortlessly float, making it a comforting and relaxing experience. It is by far one of my favorite places, and even more so when the sun is setting. The sun glistening off the water and reflecting off the rocks of salt that lie around the body of water is so beautiful and causes the whole area to light up with a pinkish-orange glow until the sun fully sets behind the desert hills. Although I would go back to these amazing areas, there are some outstanding places I haven’t ventured into when visiting the country. I have always wanted to be in an oasis-like environment full of tranquility and silent noise; Slow streams running through and rocky areas that make it only possible to get there by hiking. There is a place in Israel that my family has told me about called Ein Gedi, and it’s basically a stunning oasis located west of the Dead Sea. The scenery is extraordinarily beautiful and the area is surrounded by the nearby wildlife. It also has a reputation to be like a spa because of its hot springs and mud baths. I can see why it has been said to be such a fascinating and peaceful place, a place that I would love to call my kind of paradise. Taking the opportunity upon myself to go anywhere in the world it would be easy for me to say that Israel is one of the first places I would choose to visit. Its beautiful scenery, culture, and outstanding exotic food make it such an appealing place to me and for other people as well. The lifestyle is so much different and I love to witness new things and learn more about my culture with any chance I get. I would love to venture out of my everyday reality and live it through another. With all that has changed since my last visit, I am sure that my next experience would be an unforgettable one.