Start off to school. Report my apartment's latest craziness.
Attend Hebrew class where my teacher speaks increasingly quickly in order to finish reviewing in time for us to eat. I cannot think without eating so I stare blankly at the board. We present her with a beautiful necklace to thank her as she was an amazing teacher. She must know at least 5 languages fully and bits and pieces of pretty much every other language.
Head home, take a 2 hour nap to try to catch up on the sleep I have been missing because of the delicious, heavy late dinners we have and the homework that I try to do while my eyes heavily drift shut. Wake up, head to Tmol Shilshom, an adorable bookstore with amazing milkshakes with some friends.
We decide to take the train. We get to the train station and neither of the 2 ticket machines will take our money because there is no change in the machines!!! Decide to take the bus. Which is at least 90 degrees despite the fact that it was a pleasant 75 outside. We sweat and chat with other students we run into on the bus. It takes us an hour to a place that we could have walked to in less time, but it was fun! Meet up with friends and start studying. Our chatter over milkshakes and coffee drives everyone else away. We study hard, preparing for the finals that are stretched out over the next three weeks.
After 2 hours without buying anything else, 5 more friends show up. We pay and start walking towards the shuk so we can pick up ingredients for tonight when we are having a Christmas party! We get distracted by pretty Judaica items and start shopping for touristy gifts.
Make it to the shuk and get distracted by beautiful sufganiyot. We are allll addicted. Also are fascinated by the huge hannukiot that are everywhere and have HUGE flames at the tops. Buy everything we need, my friends sprint to the train, and hop on while I plod to the ticket machine. I did not pick up my student card for public transportation, which is becoming more and more of a hassle. Although, nothing happens on time here, so I never worry about being late cause I have to buy a ticket! But the machines have the same problem! I try to communicate with a woman as she tries to buy a ticket. Finally the machine takes my change and I hop on a train. The other woman is still sprinting back and forth between the ticket machines, hoping someone will pay so she can get on the train. She had already missed 2 when we left. (I gave her my money, but it wouldn't take it!!!!)
Look at all the hannukiot (plural for hannukiahs. Which is the correct term for what we call Hanukah menorahs. Who knew!). They are beautiful, tons of lights in dark windows, all facing the streets.
Walk home with all our groceries, grab our own hannukiot and light them. This involves placing a few more yellow post-its on the hannukiah in friends' apartment, singing the blessing, collecting people and lighting two more in my apartment.
I clean and study as a friend practices the blessing. He stumbles on a word every now and then and I sing it out to him as I pick up my laundry. We have tea and listen to classical music while studying Hebrew and writing papers.
I head to bed as my roommate and a friend make delicious pancakes. I fall asleep trying not to think about how good they smell, hoping that 6 hours will be enough rest for me to get through my Hebrew Final...
Just another night in Jerusalem. Happy Hanukah!
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