Re-post

I've been a little bummed lately cuz I finally got off my arafat kick and actually typed a pretty good blog the other day, but it was somehow lost during the upload process. I think all the pictures I was trying to post may have caused the problem. I'm gonna try to post the pictures again and we'll see what happens. No promises on recapturing the thoughts I had put down, but maybe you'll be able to get an idea of what I've been doing.

Before I get down to business, I'm wondering if the background on the blogsite is bothering anybody. Initially I received some negative feedback regarding the map and the fact that it interfered with some readers concentration as they tried to understand exactly what I was trying to say. We lightened the tone a bit, and I'm now wondering if this has been helpful at all. I welcome any feedback concerning the background.

OK, as for my time the last couple of weeks, it's been rather interesting. I finally ate falafel and schwarma with my nephew, spent an afternoon walking the walls of the Old City, helped make a surprise birthday party for one of the guys (and his twin sister) in our ulpan class, went back to my teachers family in Maale Chever the last two Shabbatot, started working on Tuesdays in the Shomron picking grapes and olives, watched the IDF close off the entire West Bank for several days due to arafats untimely passing(why couldn't it have happened 30 years earleir?), started planning a possible Channuka trip, travelled to Kever Rachel in Bet Lechem, and realized that I don't have to ride in a Nesher taxi back to the airport to leave my beloved Homeland. This was definitely the highlight of the last ten days. In the past, every trip to Israel always seemed to include the inevitable depression that set in about a week before vacation ended as the reality of departure began to sink in. I, like most other tourists, would take that fateful step of calling Nesher to arrange for the final ride thru the country back to the airport. What a wonderful feeling to look up one day, see the Nesher sign, and realize how blessed I am to be living here now. So many of our ancestors never got the opportunity to step foot on this precious soil, and now I am trying to build a life here. Thank G-d I don't have to think about Nesher for a long, long time.

Oh, as for the new falafel/schwarma-less streak, it has offically begun. But I expect this go-round to be much more challenging as I have several falafel/schwarma loving friends coming from the States to visit this month. Additionally, I'm not sure what tangible benefits I would receive by staying away from such delicacies when I'm already beginning to cave in to the sweet smelling presence of the fluffy, powder-sugar covered, strawberry jelly filled sufganiyot, which have magically appeared on every street corner in Jerusalem.

Miss you all.

PEACE



Falafel nite


You ain't getting shit fat boy, we're closed




Tuesdays in the Shomron




Erev Shabbat Rugelach Shopping


My niece


Hot Chick with 9mm at the shuk day arafat died


Artist's rendering

posted by Avi G @ 21:15