Thanks to everyone for the love! Really, things are fine. That first bout of homesickness is always the worst. You (okay, well, at least I ) sort of have to deal with it a bit after any move, whether in a foreign country or not. I was sort of expecting it to come a lot sooner than it did, which is testament to how much I love it here. I made a long list two weeks ago of all the things I'd miss if I had to leave right now; maybe I'll post it tomorrow.

Anyway the last few days have been really productive. I cleaned house, exercised, spent most of a day studying Hebrew (I still have trouble with certian script characters!) and worked a bit more on the portfolio. I also played a bit in an effort to get out of the house and get some fresh air.

Tuesday was really fun; I completely threw off work responsibilities and just roamed around town. I found a fairly large bookstore (large for Tel Aviv) that carries only used English paperbacks right near our place, so I spent some time browsing. I had just run out of reading material so I found it just in time. The selection was totally beachtown rental-house reading: lots of Danielle Steele, grocery store pulp, and westerns; but there was a small classics section and a few quality novels, so it was ultimately worth the visit.



I then went on a search for some cheap umbrellas. Beginning about a week ago, it has rained hard at least once every day, so I started the hike the ten or so blocks down to the mall. I could have ridden the bus but I wanted the exercise, and I was happy I did: by the time I got to Dizengoff Square an open-air flea market had just opened. Being a used-crap junkie, it's hard for me to turn down a chance to browse through any flea market, much less a foreign one. So I had to have a look.



Two nights prior, Luca, Ben's office-mate, came over after Hebrew class and hung out for a while. Talk rambled all over the map, but it touched on the proper method of bartering. Unless prices are posted (which they rarely are, even on some new consumer goods), it's expected the first price quoted will be exhorbitant and you'll have to play offended and barter down to something reasonable. And of course if you're bartering in English you have to work extra-hard to get good pricing. It's going to take some getting used to -- can you imagine me acting offended and walking away as part of some scripted bartering dance?

Well...there was nothing for it but to try. I walked through the flea market mainly just to check it out, but I totally fell in love with something on one of the tables. I asked the woman how much it was (praying it would be cheap), and of course the price she quoted was way too much. Being the chicken I am, I just shrugged and walked away. And I was all justified because I still hadn't found the umbrellas that I went down there for anyway.

But of course I just had to pass the market again on my way back up so I decided to give it another try. I still paid too much -- the woman accepted my lower offer right away (crap! I forgot to subtract that extra zero they add for tourists...), but since my offer was $7.00 it's not as if I spent the savings. And now I have myself an awesome birthday present.



(No, Papa B, it's not just an old box!) I'll unwrap it on the big day. Ben says it's suuuuch a Martha gift -- and haha, yeah, it is. I'm sure you'll all roll your eyes and say, oh, Martha!, but it's worth it, you'll see!

So to make up for all that playing I did Hebrew homework most of Wednesday. I'm not quite out of my script ABCs yet, but I'm getting close. These are mainly handwriting and vowel-reading exercises. Even in the rare instance that vowels are printed (in children's books and new-reader material), they appear as tick-marks above/below consonants.







Now off to do some grocery shopping. I mistakenly bought a can of oysters when I thought I was getting clams for a pasta dish (Shellfish are all imported from Russia -- what self-respecting Israeli would open a non-Kosher seafood business? -- and my Russian is worse than my Hebrew, so I've got to get a replacement)... xo!