Welcome to Israel!

Off the plane, no lost bags, change some money, get on a bus, drive three hours. Stop at a parking lot in Karmi'el to pick up the 12 Galilee Circus performers we will be working with. We got off the bus to meet them. There was some juggling done, including a 5 ball takeaway with our Lemond and their Noam.

Back on the bus and everyone sits with someone from the other group. We go to the Kibbutz Sasa where we will be staying for about a week. First, lunch. There are people of all ages there from the kibbutz. It is like a cafeteria and there is a lot to choose from but some of our children won't try the food. We think the vegetables are from the kibbutz farm. For me, there is a wide selection of coffee drinks but all the signs are in Hebrew. I end up with cappuccino. The kids say it is the Hebrew signs that make them feel they are in a different country. They cheered when they passed a McDonalds with the regular golden arches. After lunch, we go to our rooms. We have a three-story building with guestrooms that sleep three or four each. The kids split themselves up. Some stay with the ones they know and some mix up with the others.

The names are what is really strange. We can't pronounce theirs and they have trouble with ours. But the kids are getting along great. We go to the gym and present our new friends with the circus gifts we have brought them: the trapeze (from Which Way Is Up? RIgging Consultants), web (from Custom Built Equipment), globe (from Renegade Juggling Equipment) and juggling equipment (from the American Youth Circus Organization store). They have been wanting a globe very much. They are very happy with the trapeze but have never seen a web. Juggling equipment is always in need.

The kids start to play--- basketball and circus. Two international languages. Our kids try their strap-on stilts, their kids try the minitramp (they borrowed one for us to use but after we leave, I bet they find one for their own).

Several of them work hard on trapeze. Elle is taught a trick on the wire where you walk inside a bike wheel rim. The American kids haven't slept for 36 hours. They put the minitramp under the basketball hoop and make great, flying shots.

We stop and all go to dinner. Then, the kids hang out and the teachers talk about the presentation we will prepare for the kibbutz tomorrow. Some in words, some in pictures.
Keaton finds a cat and Rianna names it "Fierce". There are a number of dogs just running around the kibbutz. It's like Circus Flora, Renaldo says. The kids finally go to sleep. It has been a long day and a half!