so last weekend was purim. i sort of recollect going to temple like twice growing up during purim and something about esther and like drinking or cookies or something. well s.o.b. have i been missing out! purim is the greatest thing ever. like how i never knew that we had a holiday that combined the frivolity of halloween costumes and the gluttonous drinking of st. pattys day is beyond me. the actual point of the day is to be so drunk you cant tell good from evil. i mean i personally dont see how thats a good idea, but it sure is fun, and didnt even require me to adjust my moral compass... JUST KIDDING. now i actually sort of know the story now, and those cookies (hamantachen to be more yiddishly precise, you know alex my special jew treats from peaberry) are delicious, serena made some fierce homemade ones mmmsies.
to celebrate the chag my friends and i went to tel aviv. i dressed up as an american indian, HOW(politically correct)! we had some fire whiskey on the boardwalk (no open container laws = why pay exorbitant prices at bars when you can drink vodka in plastic cups on the streets). then we hailed a metal horse and we all headed to the florentine neighborhood where it was just one GIANT street party. score 1 for not paying any covers that night! good times, at some point serena and i left the tribe to head back to our wigwam (read: hostel). we woke up the next morning, met up with everyone and beached it all day...and the next day. the weekend drew to a close dining on fish and chips and sipping cold beer out of the pitcher at mikes place. SUCCESS.
florentine neighborhood:
us in costume:
things are totally winding down here in Beit Shemesh, it being my last week and all. last night was my last meeting with my hebrew tutor, i mean we dont like ever speak hebrew but thats no biggie. he tells me about his new job and teaches me interesting little factoids about israel history and holidays, all whilst bringing me gifts every week. since this was our last meeting i got a bottle of red annnnd a book on israel "then and now". how fun. my roommates insinuated it might be kind of inappropriate that a middle aged married man with several children brings me presents (usually those bearing alcoholic content greater than 12%) every week. i think its perfectly normal, they just dont get our relationship! whatever, im going to his house this friday evening for a special shabbaz meet and greet with the fam, which should prove to be lovely.
i drank all of the wine he brought me while chatting online last night and it was fun (as much fun as drinking alone can really be). although this morning i was slightly nauseous, but not even that could keep me from my last day at the gan. the other teachers chipped in and got me a little gift, which was so nice of them and all the kids told me they loved me in several languages (english was one of them!), dont get me wrong they still physically abused me, but in between that they were so sweet. (quick little side, everyday at gan the kids sing bokker tov {good morning} to everyone in the class and those that arent there that day, for everyday i was in america they sang layla tov {good night} to me because of the time difference. even YOU probably think thats some sort of adorable). also randomly sonia our crazy russian rakezet {liaison} showed up and made me take a bunch of extremely awkward posed pictures with the children and some wretched art projects i did earlier this year. cute! im going to miss those smelly little kids. heres a couple of fun pictures of them dressed for purim.
so tomorrow is officially my last day of volunteering here. then ive go the weekend and track II is over, cue the last leg of our israel journey: tel aviv. im so not mad about that. its the end of march and its already 100 degrees out everyday, im already rawkin a pretty sweet base tan. its difficult to prep myself for it, but im sure ill be able to manage laying on the shores of the mediterranean everyday, having actual nightlife (not that i ever leave my apartment), being able to forget about that pesky shabbat thing, and being able to eat as much non-kosher food as possible. deal!
oh also my parents are coming in 2 weeks
so EXCITED
