Some early exploration

A few days ago, we went on a “practical tour” of Jerusalem. Some of the Israeli students organized the tour just to give us an overview of the city center—where to go, where not to go, best/cheapest places to buy things, best restraunts and bars, etc. It was super helpful and also a really cool chance to get to know some other students.Then yesterday, I went back to one of the places they showed us on the tour, the "shouk". The shouk is a marketplace with pretty much anything you could possibly want, as fresh and as cheap as you’ll find in all Jerusalem. Fruits, vegetables, bread, pastries, fish, meat, juices, nuts, dried fruit, olives—literally anything and everything. Even clothing, scarves, bags, hookahs, junk food, kippot. Everything. I was so overwhelmed and wanted to buy everything. They also have really good ethnic food. We ate at an Indian place which was incredibly delicious. I’m getting really adventurous in my food selection which has yet to steer me wrong. So I’m just convinced all food in Israel is good. Even the junk food.

That's our plate of indian food above....delicious.

Also, this is not that interesting, but it's something that I have noticed: there are cats EVERYWHERE here. It’s insane. They’re like squirrels at W&L or rabbits at Woodbridge, only more. And there’s one that really likes my apartment apparently. It has shown up in here a few times, which is impressive because you have to go up a flight of stairs (or in the elevator) to get here. We shoo her out of the apartment but then we’ll hear her meowing and scratching at the door. I have come back to the apartment from being gone several times and seen her sitting outside our door, waiting for us. It’s a trick to get in the door without letting the cat in. I’m developing a special bond with said kitty. There was another cat (I have named him Bernard) who I met while I was waiting for friends to come down and meet me to walk to class this morning. I set my backpack down on a bench so I could look for something inside of it, when Bernard pounced on it. I picked it up off the bench and he followed it, wherever I moved it. He must have smelled the pita and apple I had in my backpack for lunch. Poor hungry Bernard! He and I had a stare off and I showed him who was boss so he went away eventually. Anyway, I'm glad the cats that flock to me are the cute little ones, not the terrifying huge furry crookshanks-esque ones that I have seen in other buildings.