At the beginning of the month, my new roommate, Asaf moved in. He is a law and economics student in Rishon Letzion, so we often have quiet nights studying and doing homework; I study Hebrew and he studies college-y things. Sometimes on Fridays we'll have coffee together on the balcony while watching the happenings of the city. Sometimes we order in pizza for dinner. His family lives nearby, so he bring us homemade food once a week. He also brings his laundry home to them. Living together has been great. We get along really well, and we are both respectful of each other's space. Hopefully we'll start speaking Hebrew too, but for now, it's just nice to have someone who can help me order things online in Hebrew and read my package slips from the post office.
This past weekend was Purim. It is a month long endeavor in the preschools around Jerusalem. Some days you see kids in crowns, the next they have face paint, the next is pajama day, the next they have crazy hats, and then finally a week of full on costumes. For the bigger kids and adults, the festivities last the better part of a week. We had a four day weekend filled with lots of yummy "Oznei Haman" (traingle shaped cookies), singing, dancing, and dressing up. On Friday, a friend and I went to a couple of bakeries and bought a few treats from each. After eating them on Shabbat, I decided which bakery was my favorite and stocked up for Purim. I went to a couple parties, both in the streets and at a friend's place, and I heard the Megillah read in a cool synagogue near my apartment. The person who was reading the story of Purim, the Megillah, used funny voices for the different speakers throughout the reading. The next day he kept the silliness to a minimum and managed to read the whole thing in just under a half hour. It was quite impressive; the previous reading the night before was just about one hour. It was nice to have a couple days off of work and ulpan, and I got to see a lot of friends from Israel and from home. Aside from the festivities, I have been learning Hebrew, working, and cooking up a storm. I went on a soup kick for a while: veggie soup, lentil soup, etc. I want to try split pea next, but the weather seems to be warming up, so we'll see! I also finished my grad school applications. I have an interview at the Hebrew University next week, and I just submitted my application to the Technion, so we'll see where I end up!
Now. What you have been waiting for: It was so Israeli when...
...I was at the shuk, and I overheard a man telling his friend he had already had 8 beers that day. It was only 4pm and the guy must have been in his 50s.
...I was at the shuk, and after paying for strawberries and waiting for my change, I realized something was up. I had made the transaction in Hebrew and was worried that maybe I didn't understand something. The total was 11 and I payed 21. I kept looking at the guy and he kept telling me I got a good price. I kept saying I know. Eventually I said something. That I was waiting for change. I asked in Hebrew: Achat-Esrei, zeh 11. He said yes, and I told him I paid 21. (We were back to speaking in Hebrew after the word "11".) He promptly gave me change and thanked me so much for correcting him so he wouldn't owe me money and so it wouldn't be on his conscience. He must have told me 4 times that I saved him! Only in Israel do they thank you for correcting them.
...I was waiting for a friend when I saw a guy driving down the street with a mattress balanced on the roof of his car. There were no strings. He simply reached up to put his hand on top whenever he was about to stop.
...I was walking down the street in a costume for Purim and so was everyone else.
...My friends and I were on the roof for a Purim meal and we see a little child (maybe 2 years old) walking down the street. A couple of us go down to find some parents. No big deal. They were a block ahead of the little boy.
...I tried to order an espresso maker online. I got a call from a guy the next day, in Hebrew, saying that he can't accept an American credit card. After going back and forth and talking to his supervisor and calling me back, I think he accepted my card. I got a package slip in the mail two days later, and what I assume to be my espresso maker will be delivered tomorrow. My credit card still hasn't been charged, though. We shall see whats up!
...more Israeli things happened, but I was too Israel and too busy to write them down.
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