Deeply in love with my home city.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

For me couchsurfing is not just a cheap way to get an accommodation.
If I host - I don't enjoy being a free hostel, if I surf - it's not because I can't afford a hotel. It is more about meeting new people, breaking the routine, helping the travelers to make the best of the city or making the best of the city if I travel myself. On the other hand, you don't have to socialize if you don't want to - it's not some kind of price to pay :)

If it's a last moment request, take into account that I'm kind of having a life and it doesn't revolve around hosting strangers, so there's a good chance I will have other plans and won't be able to host; however, I myself sometimes invite people who got stuck if I have the time, the place and the mood.

I also don't appreciate people using CS as a dating site.

Interests

Travels, music, figure skating, books, not necessarily in this order :)

• books
• folklore
• beer
• running
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• hiking
• languages
• parks

Teach, Learn, Share

Well, it might sound obvious, but you really should do some research before you visit Israel :)
There are some things that might come as a shocking surprise (often unpleasant) if you didn't bother to google a bit.

1. The weekend is Friday-Saturday, while Sunday is a workday.
2. The day is measured from the appearance of 3rd star in the sky (app. 5pm-8pm depending on the season).
3. Israel is a Jewish state, meaning the holidays are Jewish and celebrated by the Jewish calendar (every year the dates are different).
4. On Saturdays (starting 5pm-8pm Friday and ending the same time on Saturday) and holidays working is forbidden BY LAW. It's not as straight forward, but principally it means that outside of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat and Arab towns most of the restaurants, shops and offices are going to be closed; most importantly - the public transportation is going to be practically non-existent outside Haifa, Eilat and Nazareth. Otherwise there are some shared taxis that operate without a schedule and for twice the price of a bus.
If you made the mistake of arriving or leaving on Shabbat, is possible to commute between Haifa and Ben Gurion airport using shared taxis Amal (have to be pre-ordered by phone going to the airport; from the airport no reservations needed, they are located near the exit from arrivals hall). Same story with shared taxis Nesher connecting Ben Gurion to Jerusalem. For any other destination including Tel Aviv, your only option would be a vastly overpriced taxi or a rental car.
5. Atonement Day (Yom Kippur) is the holiest day in Judaism, and during this day even the things that normally work on Saturdays are going to be closed, including the airports, gas stations and taxis. The streets and highways are going to be empty of cars and full of bicycles, and your only chance of finding food is to go to an Arab neighborhood. You really should check whether this holiday is during your visit.
6. Israel is very expensive, especially accommodation, food and alcohol. That said, the food diversity and quality here is fantastic.
7. Israel is statistically one of the most multilingual countries in the world, meaning that literally everybody speaks English on some level, including the children. Russian, French and Spanish are going to be a good guess too, in addition to the obvious Hebrew and Arabic.
8. Despite practically universal air-conditioning, during the summer months the high temperatures and humidity make the country quite hellish.
9. If you're planning to use public transportation, google "Rav-Kav". It's a magnetic oyster-like card that is going to be handy.
Other option is to install one of the transportation apps, Moovit is my personal choice. You can pay with it on all modes of public transportation in Israel, excluding taxis and shared taxis. Theoretically, the app should calculate the over all expenses and automatically find the cheapest possible contract. Bus tickets are paid using a barcode near the doors, train tickets can bought through the apps but only at the stations (geolocation is checked).
10. Despite all of the above, Israel is a very interesting and welcoming country. I like it anyway :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

The same things I expect my guest to share with me: experiences, information, laughs, good mood and good manners.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Israel, Russian Federation

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