לילה לבנ ("White Night") & שבת shabbat dinner

Updates! Just had a lovely breakfast of nectarines, plums, and olive bread dipped in olive oil. Yumsies.

When I wake up, I like to open my balcony door and let in the sun and noises from outside. When I'm up early enough, I like hearing the neighborhood wake up...
from the light rail bells to the occasional zipping motorcycle,
        the clattering of metal shades being drawn up to the clinking of breakfast dishes,
                old man voices and ahjumma conversations, and eventually,
                        the best: raucous school children excitedly catching up with each other at the start of a school day...

Here's my balcony:

It's modest, but serves its purpose. If I were living here long term, I'd doll it up with some bright flowers, as many others seem to do. On my walk yesterday around town with Myles, we found some really fabulous back gardens with outdoor walkways and many flowering plants. On my walk to the National Library for another tutoring session, I found some friendly gentlemen:

Okay. Thursday:
One of my roommates took me on an impromptu tour of the Old City as we were running errands. We wandered in the Damascus Gate, through the Muslim Quarter, and out the Dung Gate past the Jewish Quarter. Here's a map for your reference (image credit: wikitravel):

He took me to a lookout where we could see the Western/Wailing Wall, Dome of the Rock, and al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount/Harem esh-Sharif. I learned that he does not believe in God, although he values his religious roots. 

Then we went to the Mehane Yehuda market to fill our fridge. When Myles and I went back the following day (Friday) in search of the Iraqi Market (which we couldn't find), it was especially busy, as families were stocking up for shabbat. 

Aren't these tomatoes so beautiful?! SO RED!

Ooey-gooey rugelach at the famous Marzipan Bakery in the market.

After all of that, I took a bus to Tel Aviv for Layla Lavan* ("White Night"), an all-night arts festival with concerts galore. The bus system is super convenient. You may have read about the arrests and violence surrounding protests last week. Several artists pulled out of "White Night" and there was an alternative "Black Night" festival.

I met up with "Yalies in Israel," which is mostly undergrads minus us at the Div School :). We had a picnic on the beach, which was lovely. There was a sunset behind the clouds. Then... exploration. A highlight was Rabin Square, where there was a "Wi:Party" with Atisuto DJs. It cost 30nis (divide nis by ~4 to get $) to rent headphones. We danced and danced. It made me want to go out dancing more often (and have more Heath House dance parties!!).

*The link is amazing... a shame I only found it now, as I'm writing this post! 

Then those of us living in Jerusalem took a sherut van back at 1am... so tired. Granny me!

Friday.

Felt pretty dehydrated in the morning, but felt better enough to explore in the afternoon. Took the light rail to Jaffa Center, which is a busy city center... reminded me of some streets in Seoul, with all the stores and cafes. I sat with some passion fruit juice and sketched on Ben Yehuda St. 

Met up with Myles and went to Babette's Feast (now called Duba, but if you ask for Babette's, anyone would be able to lead you there) for what my Let's Go Israel claims to be "the best hot chocolate in the world." MM... IT WAS DELICIOUS. Right in-between American and Spanish hot chocolate in thickness, but much richer than anything we have in the States. Look at how happy we are!

I need to go back for their waffles and watch the movie, too.

We walked around Myles's neighborhood in Nayot, and discovered how close it was to the Israel Museum and Hebrew U tennis courts! I hope we can play! Even in this heat, that would be awesome. Then his roommate made us a shabbat dinner of salad, pasta with homemade spicy tomato sauce, rice, chicken/veggie stir-fry, and of course challah and wine (well, grape juice since she doesn't drink red wine). She turned the stove off at exactly 7:10, sundown. Her special gentleman friend who was visiting from around Haifa said the prayers for us after he returned from temple and we ate.