Travel log and photos I took during my visit to Haifa in Israel.
All photos are taken with FujiFilm X-S10, the majority using Fujinon XF 16-80mm F4.0.
A Country of Unknown
I’ve been working on my dual master’s degrees for quite a while now, one from Cornell and one from Technion (Israel Institute of Technology), which is in Haifa. However, Israel remains a big mystery in my “Countries I Visited” because every time I have a chance to travel I always go to Europe or Asia. It wasn’t until this year that I had an opportunity to travel to Israel with Cornell Tech’s iTrek program, so I visited Israel in the beginning of April.
Haifa, was my first stop at Israel.
Coming from China where even a small city contains millions of people, it is hard to say whether a city is large or small. However, Haifa is certainly very vibrant. With blazing sun and a slight haze (not too much), I could see very far easily.
Bird’s Eye View of Haifa, April 2022.
The Bahai Gardens
The Bahai Gardens is arguable one of the most famous spot in Haifa. Honestly, it is so big, beautiful, and bright at night that it is very difficult to miss it.
The Bahai Gardens of Haifa, April 2022.
For Baha’is, the focal point of the Haifa gardens is the Shrine of the Bab, holding the burial site of their prophet who announced the arrival of the religion’s founder in the 1840s. (Source) It is extremely clean, I could happily sit down at the floor of the stones of the garden, without any second-thought that the floor might make my pants dirty. It easily earns one of the most symmetric-centric place I’ve visited.
A marble sculpture at the Bahai Gardens of Haifa, April 2022.
Technion
My other Alma Mater for grad school, Technion, is not the ordinary university, it is enormous. Which, considering the size of Israel and the United States, is pretty amazing.
When I went to the consulate general for my visa, I was talking to an old man next to me and he told me “You are going to the MIT of Israel!” He then added, “My son goes there too, I am so proud of him.”
Technion Logo, April 2022.
I don’t know the exact number, but based on the feeling of getting around here, it feels like 4x the size of the campus of University of Washington. Cornell Tech is just three buildings (one of them is student and faculty housing), which feels like nothing comparing to Technion.
Elyachar Central Library, April 2022.
Just like the University of Washington, the CS department is also the biggest department and gets the fanciest building.
Except this time, I am part of it.
Technion CS, April 2022.
Donating money into this school and have your name on the rooms probably can’t make you divorce. Unlike the UW Gates Center of Computer Science & Engineering, which might be the potential cause of Bezos + Gates miserable marriage.
It’s standard college vibe here. I even spotted a student juggling in his free time, which is always a joy to see.
A Student Juggling, April 2022.
There were a lot of plants, trees, and flowers blooming everywhere. Due to the location and the climate, the flower I found most beautiful was on a tree. It seems like an exotic plant that I haven’t seen before, but that does not stop me from appreciating its beauty.
Flowers in Technion, April 2022.
Street & Scenery Photography
The houses in Haifa are very like other houses I saw in Greece, short concrete buildings that are built against the mountain, and overlook the sea.
A House in Haifa (Doorplate Removed), April 2022.
It is very difficult to describe the air in Haifa. On one hand, one can clearly see the air is not clear. On the other hand, it really doesn’t smell bad. In fact, it smells just like fresh air. I was wondering if it is just too much sunshine that made the aerosol in the air start to deflect sunlight.
Overlooking the city from a narrow pathway, April 2022.
Anyhow, a beautiful city with my third Alma Mater in the other part of the world.
Legal
“Street Photography” usually is done in a public place such as a street, sidewalk or park involving candid images of people going about their daily lives.
However, if you are one of the subjects and my article makes you uncomfortable and would like me to take your picture down, please kindly let me know.
