A'zeh Olam!

....meaning "What a world!"

Yesterday was full of excitement and learning:

Learned that Jews in Morocco speak French

Salad guy below my office told me my Hebrew is improving

Understood about 65% of a 9th grade lesson in Hebrew

Got off the bus at the right stop

Discovered I do NOT like celery in juice

Ate great sushi made by a Chinese man named Jack

Gave a stranger correct directions...in Hebrew

Got the last box of "Mixflakes" cereal at Tiv Taam

Great Success.

When I got into work, Lindsay gave me a feature film to watch: Turn Left at the End of the World (Sof Ha Olam Smola). This is the first full-length fictional film (whoa alliteration) that I've been able to screen at Omanoot. It takes place in the middle of the Negev (desert) during the 1960's, when it was home to many Moroccan and Indian immigrant families. The film follows two high school aged girls, one Moroccan, one Indian, and their blossoming friendship in a place where their cultures clash. A bit on the cheesy side, but if you know me you know I love cheese, so of course I enjoyed the movie. Though the European style of filming is evident since nudity is pretty gratuitous, the overall message of friendship and love is universal. I'm glad I got to watch a movie slightly less dreary as a war film and the documentaries of cultural predjudice. The film shows traditional Moroccan culture...with potions to get your man back, cursing at funerals, and a Henna prior to a wedding with a parade of colorful garments, music, and food. I was interested to find the leading Moroccan family in the film to be speaking French, something I was completely unaware of.

After the film, I went downstairs to get a salad from the little stand below our office, and the man complimented my Hebrew ordering skills (he sees me almost every day). This really means I've mastered fruits and vegetables....I could work at a juice bar now. With perfect timing, Lindsay was heading out to teach a lesson right when I finished my lunch, and offered to bring me along, despite the lesson being taught completely in Hebrew. Of course I accepted, and we hopped on the bus to Ha'Kfar Ha'yarok (The Green Village), one of the biggest youth villages in the country, located south of Ramat HaSharon. There are multiple levels of schools located in the village, including a university AND a petting zoo. Tons of peacocks casually stroll around the Kfar, where many of the teachers, staff members, and students also make their home. Lindsay and Omanoot partnered with another project at the school to use photography to learn about personal identity and multiculturalism. After reading the lesson plan in English, I was able to follow along pretty well...better than I even expected. One of the boys in the 8-9th grade group asked me my name, and well I replied, he joking asked, "Two Lindsays...both Lindsay? Everyone is Lindsay???" Nope, just us :)

On my way home, Leetal got a great idea for us to go get sushi as a celebration of the return of her ATM card! While walking to Bograshav St. is when I quickly found out carrot, celery, and ginger is not my fave meetz (juice) mixture. It was Leetal's choice since she's fighting pre-cold symptoms! We walked up to a popular sushi restaurant, Moon, where the sushi is served trendily served on a conveyor belt...but decided on a more humble location, Shibuya, just a bit further down the street. Sushi is actually VERY popular in Israel...probably due to it being mostly kosher (as long as you don't order shrimp!) What's unique about the sushi restaurant here? Well, the chef said his name was "Jack" and he was from Beijing, not Japan. Also, they called the rolls "inside-out" when served with rice on the outside. Overall, it was mamash taim (very tasty) and we decided it may become our weekly date spot, especially after this week when we will be separated from Thursday-Saturday...WHOA!

The evening ended with a splendid bottle of 2 for 45 shekel wine, a box of my favorite Israeli cereal (which phonetically pronounces as "Mixflakes" as cornflakes are the common name for cereal here) and giggle sesh with Leetal at home....which annoyed the boys next door as always!

Hebrew phrases for today's post:

Yamina: right

Smola: left

B'emet?: Really??
Ma matz-chik?: What's so funny?

Ani koshevet: I think so