Landed!
Our arrival at Ben Gurion Airport last Monday was a relief, especially after w I n T e R had started to assert itself in the Middle Atlantic states. Not surprisingly, appearances on this end remain familiar. On the other hand, "the more things stay the same, the more things also change": we were surprised by the fact that El Al passengers no longer applaud the pilot's success landing the plane. (Relief? Endorsement?) I miss that.
From the airport, it was an easy journey to our rental apartment, situated on a quiet cul-de-sac adjacent to the cookie-named "Milano Square," in north Tel Aviv. Our first walk to the beach was especially rewarding, since we immediately ran into a friend from high school, Matthew Weinstein. A few minutes later, Isabelle's brother arrived. I've heard of "Small-timore," but "Tiny Aviv"?
Anyway... since this blog is ostensibly about my work, I should probably mention that it's All Systems Go (again), after having purchased Tuesday my reader's subscription at the Sourasky Central Library at Tel Aviv University. This sculptural building (see the image above), designed in the mid-1960's by architects Nadler Nadler Bixon, will be my home-away-from-Morgan for as long as I need a place to focus. The reading areas within the TAU library are not quite as plush as those at American universities, but there's something reassuring about the plain (bland?) finishes of Israeli brutalist architecture. It appears that I missed an exhibit about the library's design... I'll have to score a copy of the catalog, if there is one.
My first two days in the library allowed me to review my progress assembling readings for the course, and to assemble a preliminary draft of the course syllabus. Everything seems to be in order, except for the sessions concerning how the supply of water affects urbanism and design. Here's what how the course schedule has shaped up:
Week 1 JAN 21 A: Introduction and Class Overview (Lecture) JAN 23 B: Topics in Environmental Sociology (Lecture)
Week 2 JAN 28 A: Guest Lecture: Water in Culture and Religion JAN 30 B: Water for Nation Building (Reading Review & Lecture)
Week 3 FEB 04 A: Geography, Resources, and Spatial Systems FEB 06 B: Water Resources and Geography (Reading Review & Lecture)
Week 4 FEB 11 A: Supply Water Systems & Applications (Lecture) FEB 13 B: Supply Water Demand Management (Reading Review & Lecture)
Week 5 FEB 18 A: Waste Water Systems (Lecture I) FEB 20 B: Waste Water Applications (Reading Review & Lecture II)
Week 6 FEB 25 A: Water Manufacture: Desalination & Other Processes (Lecture I) FEB 27 B: Water Manufacture: Desalination Case Studies
Week 7 MAR 03 A: Water Manufacture and Energy MAR 05 B: Water Manufacture and the Environment
Week 8 MAR 10 A: Information Systems in Water Management MAR 12 B: Student Presentations I
Week 9 MAR 17 A: -- No Class (Spring Break) MAR 19 B: -- No Class (Spring Break)
Week 10 MAR 24 A: Water Management Policies and National Politics MAR 26 B: Water and Transboundary Politics (Reading Review & Lecture)
Week 11 MAR 31 A: Urbanism, Planning, & Water Resources (Lecture) APR 02 B: Architecture and Design (Reading Review & Lecture)
Week 12 APR 07 A: Water Planning, Consumption, and Conservation APR 09 B: -- No class (JK Out)
Week 13 APR 14 A: Assignment Review (Symposium Preparation) APR 16 B: Assignment Review (Symposium Preparation)
Friday APR 17 Symposium: Design, Health, and Water Manufacture + Management
Week 14 APR 21 A: -- No class APR 23 B: Symposium Assessment (Discussion)
Week 15 APR 28 A: Class Conclusion & Review of Topics to Date (Lecture & Discussion) APR 30 B: -- No class
Week 16 MAY 05 A: -- No class (Grades Due for Graduation Candidates) MAY 07 B: -- No class
My next step will be scheme up student work assignments for the semester in order to complete the draft syllabus before moving on to preparing my lectures.
For now... the weekend!
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