Long time no blog!

I have been too tired or too unmotivated to blog lately, but I must say that I love being in Jerusalem. The other day when I was rolling my briefcase up the hill, I thought, "dang! I am in Israel! Heck ya!". Today, was a day off and I thoroughly did it up. I walked a lot today, which is good for me and Love Bug, though I mostly felt like my face was melting from the heat. Still, it was a lot of fun going to Yad L'kashish, one of my favorite Israeli organizations/shops. I made my way to Ben Yehuda street where I met the famous Ann of the Ann kippot at 6 Ben Yehuda. (She goes by Chana). I met up with Nina and Matt at Khalifa shoes where they helped me buy the Naot I was meant to get. I love them! Thanks, guys!

They left me in the store to go to the shuk to meet up with Deborah, Nina's host sister, at the shuk for traditional Friday afternoon kubeh, which I think are some kind of fried meat wrapped in dough. When I tried calling Matt to find them in the overwhelmingly packed shuk, I couldn't get through. So, I asked some older men who were sitting at the lotto place where I could find a kubeh restaurant. They looked like the types who had spent many an afternoon sitting around smoking and drinking coffee in the shuk and would know how to direct me. They pointed me to the Shuk HaIraqi, the Iraqi shuk. After some turns, I went to the first place I saw which looked packed. This must be the place! And it was! Miraculous!

I spent the next few hours following Nina around to her favorite places around the market. I ate a halva cream filled boreka (sooo good!) and drank a delicious watermelon fresh juice. We went back downtown to a really cool music store where we checked out a lot of great Israeli music. I got some Hebrew and Israeli cds for children. So excited about them! Some I know from when I was little and I can't wait to sing them with Love Bug and others.

Now I am chilling in my room before I get ready for Shabbat. I asked Pardes to set me up for Shabbat meals. I know tomorrow I have lunch with Pardes board member Suzanne Singer, but tonight, I am going to a huge communal meal for 20s and 30s tourists and others paid for by Pardes. Still, it could be a bit much, so I am hoping to just eat and head home early for more resting after an exciting day.

Shabbat shalom!