Jimmy's Back!

I'm back in Israel, so might as well get back to blogging right? After having finished binge watching The Office and Parks and Rec (working on West Wing now) again, and beating one too many video games, I decided I might as well get back to sharing things with people that mildly care about them. If you were wondering, I'm in Israel playing for the Israeli National Team, as we try to qualify for the European Championships that take place next summer.

We have played 6 friendly games (4-2), with round robin style gameplay in Moscow and Bamberg, Germany (about two hours north of Munich). The games that count start on Sunday against Montenegro, then Holland, then Bulgaria. Because of the current circumstances, our home games are being played in Cyprus, which kind of sucks. But on the bright side, I'll get to see Cyprus. Hopefully I'll get to see some of countries we visit.

Our last night in Bamberg a teammate and I strolled through the city and had a great time getting lost and talking to locals. I found that either I forgotten all the German I learned in school, or that German 201 vastly under prepares you for conversing with locals. Probably some of both. Not to worry, they all spoke English as well as I did and showed me around. It was a beautiful city.

I'll be back playing with Maccabi Tel Aviv this season, so I'll move right from national team to the club without going back to the states. All told I will be in Israel from June 2014 to June 2015. There certainly are sacrifices to this job.

Everyone knows, and has an opinion on, the conflict in Gaza by now. Jimmy Chitwood will try to stay away from being too political. But it has been an eye-opening experience. Growing up in the States, explosions, rockets, gunfire, and wars were all something we saw on TV, and you don't get the full gravity of those situations. Gaza is 50 miles away. I've heard the sirens, and I've seen rockets go over my head. I don't want to scare people, I've never felt unsafe or even worried. The Iron Dome does a great job of protecting populated areas. It's hard seeing people on Facebook and Twitter posting their opinions on who is right and who is wrong, what's really going on, motives, etc..., when they are uninformed. That's been the scariest part about being here. But I will save more on that for another blog post I think. I want to thank all the people that have checked in on me while I've been here.



I did get to see the beautiful Dead Sea a few weeks ago on an off day. It's a special experience, but it should be done right. In case you're planning a trip there, I will share with you a list of things you need to do to maximize your experience. And yes, I am an expert after going once.

Dead Sea To-Do List:
1.) Make sure you drive there in a supercar. The road leading down to the Dead Sea (the lowest point on the Earth) is a fantastic piece of road. Bend after bend, fresh pavement, well marked, beautiful views (of camels!) of the Sea, it has it all. I felt like Schumacher and I was driving a Volkswagon Jetta. Also, drive there on a Saturday, the roads will be empty (Shabbat), and you can utilize your supercar.
2.) Must bring sandals. The bottom of the Dead Sea is not sand, it is basically salt rocks. If you don't bring sandals, you will cut your feet, and those cuts will hurt thanks to the salt water.
3.) Don't put your head in the water. Even if you do close your eyes, the salt will get in and it will burn.
4.) Go with an amazing person.

That's pretty much it, on my trip, I only did number's 2 and 4, and it was still an amazing experience. Now cue the floating picture!

Thanks for reading, and sticking with Jimmy after his long hiatus. Hopefully he shows a little more perseverance this year with the blogging.

Jimmy

Thought I forgot the links? Not a chance. Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaghIdSJKvQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITuV2nNg8HU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsshwg2vulg