view from my airplane seat

Monday, May 4, 2009

Jerusalem is crazy and wonderful

Today I received my teudat zehut!!! (my official Israeli identity card) it was very exciting. I also received my financial assistance from Nefesh b'Nefesh so I have much to smile about today :-)
As I rode the familiar bus ride up the twisting highway into Jerusalem, my heart lifted. It's a feeling of exhiliration that only Jerusalem can inspire.
Jerusalem is a truly wonderful and crazy place. Almost as soon as you set foot on the ground you can sense the madness, the intensity, the vivacity. I decided to take a city bus to save some shekels and almost immediately regretted it. I felt unsafe for the first time since I've been here. Even though it's probably totally irrational, I thought about bus bombings and felt the tension of all the people on the bus and just had a flash of fear. It's funny because I feel completely safe in Tel Aviv, but Jerusalem makes me nervous sometimes. At least it does in the downtown central areas. All I can say is, when I returned to Tel Aviv this afternoon, my sense of calm renewed!
Today I also had the joy and pleasure of lunch with my dear, dear friend Aliza in the Jerusalem shuk (market). I had the most delicious salad - I couldn't tell you what half the vegetables in it were called, but my mouth didnt care! it was scrumptious.

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