Shabbat shalom!

Today there is nothing to do. Everything is closed and quiet for Shabbat. I thought it would be a nice opportunity to catch everyone up on Israeli life.

So, after 2 days of wondering around and aimlessly exploring, we finally had our Ulpan orientation on Thursday morning. All 89 Ulpanists met in the moadon ( clubhouse) and drank wine (at 1030 am) to mark the start of Ulpan. We received our Hebrew class placements and our work assignments. Neither of these turned out the way I had hoped.

I was placed into kitah bet (second class) for Hebrew. That means that I am not starting from the beginning in kitah Alef. Kitah bet is like Spanish 2. I stayed after and talked to my madricha (teacher). Her name is Tamal and she is lovely. She is the one who chose me for her class...she gave me the oral Hebrew exam. I told her that I thought I wasn't quite ready for kitah bet and she said she thought I had a lot of determination to relearn my Hebrew and that I should stay in bet. She said speaking Hebrew is like riding a bike...you never really forget how, the skill just hides in your brain until you want to use it again.

As for my work...i got fish. I get to work in the koi fish farm. There are 8 Ulpanists assigned to the fish farm and I am the only girl. It is dirty work but I thought my friends from the cvc would get a kick out of the fact that I get to throw fish around all day. FISH! The fish farm is called the madan. Tomorrow is my first day of work so I am sure I will have a lot of stories. At 5:30 tomorrow morning, a van will come and pick us up and drive us to the madan. Then we clock-in and enjoy a mandatory coffee break for 30 minutes before work. Then, we play with koi fish until 11:30am and then the van drives us back to the Ulpan and we go to school for the Rest of the day.

I am still so tickled that I will be working with fish...life is funny.

Yesterday was the start of Shabbat so we only had until 2pm to get errands completed before the kibbutz and the stores shut down. Sarah, Danielle, Dan the Canadian, my friend kelly from Australia, and I walked 3 miles down the highway to a shopping mall called mall zigrot. We had lunch at aroma...the Israeli version of Starbucks. then we went shopping. I was on a mission. I needed a hair dryer because mine blew up. Anyone who has traveled before probably knows all about this. I also needed a pillow. Then I bought a shirt that says "I wish I was a pit bull" because it made me laugh. Then we picked up 3 bottles of Shabbat wine and headed home.

Upon our return, Dan, my German friend vidhura, and I walked to the petting zoo and then to the beach to watch the sunset. It was a great day.

Every Friday night at Ma'agan Michael there is a kibbutzwide Shabbat dinner. They put table clothes on the tables in the heder ochel (dining room) and everyone lights the candles together. They also serve wine. It is really nice. It feels special. after dinner, at the coffeeshop, they serve complimentary cappuccinos and cake. The whole kibbutz comes out. Then...at 11pm, they open the pub for dancing. Friday night is a big night on the kibbutz. I think I might adopt a kibbutz family so that I have somewhere more intimate to light the candles before going to dinner.

Today, sarah and I are going to clean our room from top to bottom because she found a cockroach on the floor.

That brings us to now.

I miss everyone so much. Please keep reading and commenting. It makes me feel less homesick and very very loved. You guys are my life.

With undying love for olives, bleach, my new blow dryer, UNO, and FISH!

I respectfully remain,

J. Michael Hess Webber