The De-Evolution of an Evening

As Promised
I returned (via a pretty long walk - I need to clock it one of these days) again to the Machaneh Yehuda market this week to enjoy the music and atmosphere, celebrating 100 years of the market's existence. It proved to put a smile on my face yet again - and kept me beckoning for more: next week I'm interested in getting there in the mid-afternoon so I can actually see more of the street artists perform their dancing and different acts, aside from just the awesomeness of the late night bands.

Just Like Home
Sometimes my family, at the behest of my dad, would have 'home-cooked' meals. Not necessarily fresh salads and hot, just-prepared foods - instead they would be a smorgasbord of whatever oddities were in the house (sometimes much to our surprise, rarely to our delight). That memory replayed at the ulpan tonight. We had pancakes alongside potatoes in a cream sauce with a mild selection from the nightly salad bar. Despite being a huge proponent (perhaps the only one) of the food here, even I was a bit put off by the lack of nourishment and options served to us. Pancakes and southern-style potatoes? For real?

Small World Connections
During my first visit to Meir Market, the local mini-market halfway up the mountain on which the ulpan is situated at the base, I made some small talk with Giselle, the shop owner (pictured). She asked me where I am from and kept probing for more particulars. In the end, we realized that her sister, who lives in my hometown of Wilmette, is friends with my parents. This would have been a bit more of a likelihood had Giselle and her sister grown up in the Chicago area - or even in the States - but they were born in Morocco, grew up in Israel and her sister Anita has since moved to the Chicago area. Quite a funny connection in the least likely of places - and just one of many I've had here.

Non-Descript Precision
Directions received from Israelis should be taken with a grain of salt and compared against reports from other passersby in order to best understand the myriad of opinions on arriving at a certain point. Their general lack of interest to go great distances by foot (and 'great' is exaggerated like you wouldn't believe) is somewhat ironic since the country is so small that one might think that the perception here would be that anything is accessible. Yet, a 20 minute walk is a journey and anything more than that is beyond imagination. Over the years I've asked for directions so many times here that I should know the formula and be familiar with how to get anywhere: "go all the way straight, keep going straight and at the end turn left (or right)." Still pretty new in the area, it is only fitting that the street signs are not properly labeled and sometimes just act like additional lighting instead of informative placards that might actually indicate where you are. Probably too much to ask for at this point; I'm sure I'll be fine by making a turn somewhere at the end of the horizon. It's working well thus far.