It's Sunday

I found Ben Jehudah street today. Big accomplishment. To safe guard myself from getting lost, I write down the streets where I turn. Everything looks the same here to me. It's all white stone. Anyway, I'm having a good time. Figuring out where to go for what and everything like that.

I started my Ulpan (the hebrew immersion class) and I'm going to find a different one, if i can. The one I went to today is just me and a lady. A CRAZY lady at that. I mean, she's nice and all but she speaks almost no english (which, yes I get that the point of an Ulpan is that you don't speak english)... but it's EXTREMELY frustrating to not be able to understand anything. We'll see. It's only been a few days, but i miss hearing english. Actually, I just miss being able to talk to people.

Speaking of which, I made a friend. His name is Ben. He works at Steve's Jerusalem Packs which is like a backpack store. He is orginally from New Jersey but moved here 13 years ago with his family. We're the same age, which is cool. Anyway, if this Ulpan thing doesn't work out, he's going to be totally sick of me by the time the congregation gets here on the 28th.

Last night, I couldn't sleep at all. Every noise "woke me up". I use woke me up loosly as I never really fell asleep. Finally the sun came up at about 6 and I pretty much passed out. And woke up at noon... to the sound of the woman upstairs yelling at her son. I know they were fighting and not just talking (as it seems to me that everyone yells here pretty much full time) because the son kept yelling back "LO LO LO, IMA!" which means NO NO NO, MOM!. I'm going to start using that one at home. Good news for the people I live with.

Yesterday, I found the Western Wall and hung out there for awhile. Please remember the next time you are there that you have to walk away from it backwards. If you do'nt know that like, say, ME, then people will yell at you in Hebrew. People will also yell at you in Hebrew if you walk into their OPEN STORE and then are on break. How do you know they are on break? Because they say "LADY, this is break, no?".

About the western wall, I have been many times now to the wall and each time I expect it to be something it isn't for me. Maybe I should say something it isn't yet. I put my prayer in the wall just like everyone else and I touched my hands to the white stone, just like everyone else. But I don't feel anything. Maybe this isn't the place that is supposed to feel holy for me. I hope there is a place like that.

Anyway, that's all I know. Well, that's not true. But it's all I can think of right now.

I miss you a lot. And that's a fact.
Love, Alexis