Day 17 - I Scream, You Scream...

Today I took it a bit easier at work. I got in after 9, which is unusual, and spent most of the day reading papers and finding more papers and plotting my existing data in new ways. For lunch I met Clay and Tanmay and we ate at Jubilee. My fake pizza was actually quite a disappointment, which led to my being hungry again much sooner than usual. Since most of the on-campus cafeterias here are subsidized, it's a whole lot of food for not much money so I tend to eat large lunches. This also works out because everyone tends to eat dinner late.

I left work around 5:30 and again noticed how nice the weather was as I walked home. But this time I decided to actually take advantage of it. I changed into shorts, grabbed postcards and a book, and went to sit on a hill outside the dorm. After only 20 minutes I was so miserable from the bugs, though, that I had to come inside. I noticed Clay reading in the lobby, so I joined him. I discovered that the lobby is just as good as the kitchen for catching people as they walk by and chatting. We saw Tamara, Dave, Nina, and Dan, Lily, and other people on their way in or out, and even had some reading time in between.

But dinner was on my mind, and I was determined to break my ridiculous 16-day streak of living in Israel without consuming falafel or schwarma. Clay said he'd go with me even though he wasn't extremely hungry, but we waited long enough that our group expanded to include Tess, Jonathan, Daniel from MIT, grad student Dan, Jordan, Stephen, Rachel, and Lisa. We walked down Hertzl street for about two blocks and found a bunch of adjacent eating establishments, which was great due to our group's size. I led the falafel movement, with Daniel, Stephen, Clay, and Dan following in my footsteps. Since I got mine first, and they were frying the falafel as we ordered, I was done by the time Dan got his, so I ordered another half, this one with potato slices, before we rejoined the other part of the group outside at some tables. Dan and I then got some delicious gelato, and we sat for a bit before heading back to Clore.

At around 9:45 we left once more for the Kukula, a bar on the Hebrew University Rehovot campus (across the street), which houses the agriculture department. They had both soccer games on, which made Ari very happy. Soon Ran and Tali showed up, and my favorite part of the night followed: Ari, Tali, Ran and I shared a container of ice cream while watching two UEFA Euro tournament games in a bar in Israel. The bar sells ice cream. The bar sells ice cream. And provides spoons. It was glorious.

As we ate, Jonathan, Stephen and Jordan, who had accompanied us to the bar, relocated with some of Tali's friends to a table outside. After we finished our ice cream we followed, and we hung out, watched two of the Israelis in the group practice swordfighting with wooden katanas, and ate pretzels. It was a great time. We got to talk a bit more easily on the walk back to Clore because it was quieter and the sidewalk split us up, but everyone was really nice and I think we may make this a weekly gathering.

Of course another day has passed without pictures. I hope you all survive. Withdrawal can be tough.