a busy week

In what might be the last post before my post-Ulpan pre-Semester break (during which I'll be backpacking for 7 days in the Golan and Galilee), I'm not sure really what to post, because there hasn't been anything amazingly noteworthy, just a series of very cool events. So, here goes.

Last week my friend Meredith (who grew up in Cincinnati) made "Skyline Chili" which is apprently a very famous and delicious Chili in Ohio. They sell spice packets, and her family sent her 12 (more than enough for a year's worth of Chili) and she treated some midwesterners, a Floridian, and me, to Chili. It was surprisingly tasty. Really weird though - it's spagwetti, topped with the chili, and then cheese, beans, and onions. Meredith's account (and some very funny pictures) can be viewed here: http://buckeyeinisrael.blogspot.com/

Wedneday we had a song session in Ulpan; each class learned a song and then performed and taught it to the whole group. Kitah Daled learned a song called "Halavai" (which means "I wish/pray") and is by Boaz Sharabi. We also did a dance. Here's a picture of my class dancing and singing:







Thursday afternoon I went to the Museum on the Seam (the Coexistence Museusm to some of you) with Jaclyn and her SO Adam (who I know from Marin; blogged about in early July). The exhibit was called "Heartquake" and was about the "anxiety of the uncanny," something Fruedian to do with cross-cultural anxiety and something or other. It was okay. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to get out of it and a lot of the pieces were very weird. And a little disturbing. Adam's account of the museum, along with some neat pictures, can be seen here: http://adamcarlcohen.blogspot.com/

Thursday was also my friend Ari's erev birthday, and to celebrate a group of us went to a delicious and scrumptious Tapas bar (yes, Jerusalem is becoming even more international and global) for dinner. Then we went to a karaoke bar down the street where a good portion of our class met up with us for an evening of karaoke. Here are some pictures of people at dinner:


Lisa, Jim, Jason


Ari and Jaclyn


Ari and Me


Meredith and Me



Ari, Jaclyn, Lisa, Jim
(I think there was some confusion about where people should have been looking for this picture.)


The next day (Friday) I spent on the beach in Tel Aviv as part of another birthday celebration (during this week in August 8 of my classmates have birthdays. 8 out of 42. Crazy). Tel Aviv is a janky city. It's a lot like LA - a beach city, pretty people, hot and muggy, sprawling, industrial, cosmopolitan, kinda rundown, and it never sleeps. It was weird to be there on a Friday night and not have the city shut down as Shabbat comes in. In some ways, I'm getting very attuned to the onset of Shabbat and how the city settles down. I missed it. Here is the beach at sunset:







Saturday (talking about the city settling down) I left Jerusalem again for a hike, the first "official" big group hike of the year. It was awesome. We went on a tryptch of a hike, to three locations to see different historical ruins in the Judean hills. It was really nice. The best part was we needed to rent cars to get there, and I got to drive one of the cars because I'm 23 and can drive a manual. It was great. I miss driving, but I'm mostly pretty happy to be relying on bus, bike, and feet to get around.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the last day of Ulpan. Wednesday we have an all-day tiyul to Tel Meggido as part of our Biblical history class. I'm super excited. Thursday I have off, and then Friday we leave on a backpacking adventure.