Shots of Soup for the Soul

Week Two in the Land of Milk and Honey

I’m on a train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. Got home last night at 5 and woke up at 9 to get to work at 12, yet I still ended up running (gracefully, like a graceful lamb. That trips sometimes) and nearly missing the train that winds its way around the mountains of the country. I wish I had energy to stay awake and appreciate the mountains.  Jerusalem, as expected, was amazing! In my 3 nights there I had experiences an impressive range of Israeli beer and cuisine, rendezvoused with my cousin who’s the only one of my generation in my family who’s similar in age and interests to me (the others have babies and husbands…). With her I went to an over 22 bar. It’s crazy that even though I’m legal and all I STILL can’t get into the good places alone.  Jerusalem’s party-street is overflowing with foreign youngsters, 18year old Americans who don’t know how to drink (legal at 21 in the states etc) and pass out everywhere or run around shouting ‘uuuhh mayyn I’mm soo sloshhed’. They party in places which blast ‘my humps’  and through the windows one can see these such humps grinding all over each other. My first night, where I went out with my South Africans we struggled to find anywhere great. I was a bit worried to be honest. Ready to go back to Yavne! But night 2 and three, where I was with real Israelites did I finnaly begin to see the Other places. Nice, Authentic, no Humps you know.

I also went to an amazing soup restaurant with my Israelis. That was incredibly cool, All they serve is soup, orange lentil, brown lentil, green lentil, or yam. The Most Delicious. And in case you can’t decide which lentil soup you want, you get brought samples in tiny little shot-glasses!

The Israelies I was with knew everyone. And some people recognised me. And everyone looked the same. Basically, in this country everyone looks the same. Good thing it’s overflowing with gorgeous people. But because its small, everyone either looks like someone you know, or you know them. Usually if you’re a foreigner you know someone who knows them.

Whilst I’m not excited to be heading away from Jerusalem, I think its ok. Because seeing my Israelies was so nice, and being with my own south African peeps was so amazing, that I know I’ll be back. And I’ve still got mountains of touring to do. Much to be done, but very little time. Or organisational skills. There is still much I havent told you all. Cant tell you that the front seat has moved to the back seat, or how eating creamcheese at 3am has become a tradition, havent told you how I havent conditioned my hair for weeks and am onece again developing natural dreads, or how I'm learning to listen, and trying to understand. I havent written about how bad I've begun to miss people, how I write tearful emails to my parents before deleting them because I dont want to worry them. How much an existential crisis can grow and develop over a short space of time... I havent told you about work, and how its become meaningless, rhythmic already which scares me shitless, because it was all about meaning. Week two, we'll have to see where it goes. awe