I must be getting old. i never used to have problems with jet lag but i swear if i wake up at 4 am again i am going to lose my mind--not to mention heidi might kill me if i keep calling her at 730am.  So, here we are, picture time. First things first, this is Layli--my partner in crime for Haifa adventures this trip.

The last day i was there, we went to Akka--to the market to get presents.  The fish market really smells bad. I always forget that. The second picture is there 1. because of the hats, which were dope, but 2. because the owner misunderstood Lay and I laughing at each other for laughing at his stuff and started screaming at us. Uf.

 

Then we went to Bahji...where the Shrine of Baha'u'llah is so that i could say some final prayers. I wanted everyone to know how hard the gardeners there work....so i caught the Bobcat in action. One time--like a decade ago, i got to drive one of those things---FUN!!!

 

 

Then after dinner i went to the Shrine of the Bab---hey, a girl has to get all the prayers in she can while she has the chance!!  So i took some artsy shots of the orange tree and the view from my little Meditation spot in front of the Shrine.

Which leads to the Tel Aviv airport on the way home--having barely made it through security wearing a KiserNY sweatshirt designed to look like the kefia palestinian shawls.  Anyways, the Orthodox guys were doing what they do best---talkin to God. Usually i get to see it in the lavatory area of the planes---so i was pleased they seemed focussed on pre-plane praying this time around.

 

I'm a slacker.

More than that, i just really haven't had much to say. Coming home always does me wonders--in proportion to how out of it i am.  This trip was the required level of rough. It took me three days just to get to the point where i wasn't exhausted at 5pm...seriously it was lame, i felt like i was an old woman waking up at 5 am and crashing out at 5 pm (which of course is like my normal nocturnal schedule in seattle).

 

Anyways, i finally woke up right about the time one of my friends from Seattle was here on three-day--not that i saw him for more than a minute--but it was really good to share a moment of this experience. i am pro-friendship isn't just one place.  AND his being here gave me an excuse to kick it with Isra :)  A lot of the kids with parents who serve here have been here during my trip--which is another big plus. Layli and i were on the same flight from London. For the record, Heathrow sucks. Yotels rock.  The little cabin that let me sleep could not have come in more handy. I don't sleep on planes---so by the time i got to London i had been up for like 24 hours and was NOT a happy camper.  Lay and i got to sit together coming into Tel Aviv b/c the Orthodox armed guard who was supposed to have the window seat was willing to give it up not to have to sit next to the american girl.  Plus, we remembered that if you go through immigration together it goes faster. Five minutes in and out. THANK GOD.  

 

The good thing about being here is that i have had a lot of time to get my head screwed back on straight. I've been able to spend time with the rents, some of the folks i adore most, as well as make some unexpected new friends.  I wish i had a bunch of funny stories to tell--but somehow the randomness of Israel just doesn't translate.  New Years eve, the guy doing the countdown (esre, tesha, shmoreneh, uh.....) forgot where he was at and we missed a second or two. There was a moment of cheering in the cafe and it was over....hella anticlimactic...aight, you had to be there for that to be interesting.  The US Navy was here for the last few days---i thought i came here to escape big white boys (oh wait, we only have skinny white boys in seattle)--but Bush is coming or something.  I've drunk about a gallon of Chai from Douzan, eaten at all my favorite middle eastern joints--had some great Fool at Allenby, tried to get into Heroes to no avail, and spent a good deal of time laughing...but again, none of that is amusing for anyone else.

 

Hmm, i'm gonna have to either come home or start making up funny stories. I really could have done with another week here, but i'm happy to take what i can get. it will be well over a year before i get back here again i think, so i gotta go shopping to stock up on arabic coffee and shisha tobacco this week :)  Send me them last minute requests!!