Ma akshav?

As the closing of my program nears, my life begins to change once again. It's a similar feeling as to when I left college and moved to Newport Beach. Irvine and Newport are 15 minutes apart, but I felt a world away from my friends and familiar places. Living in a new neighborhood definitely has it's perks though. I used to think I walked a lot in Tel Aviv, but now I REALLY walk this city. My current apartment is about a 40 minute walk to wor, 30 minutes to my old apartment and the shuk. While taking the bus or a sherut only costs about 5.50 shekels, I'm trying to stick the budget I gave myself when I got paid from babysitting so I can't ALWAYS take a cab. The best part is the people watching; Dizengoff is such an eclectic street full of amazing cafes, shopping, and the best fruitshakes! I believe I've mentioned my favorite frozen yogurt place with the chocolate sauce on here before, Tamara, and I've now discovered my favorite fruitshake place is owned by the same people...go figure! It's similar to Jamba Juice, but with real fresh fruit, juice, and no added sugar. My typical order: Toot (Strawberry) - Banana - Ananas (Pineapple) with meetz tapuzim (orange juice). Yum! Even better than the food is the people watching. Today on my walk I saw an Ethiopian man wearing a Barack Obama shirt, and another guy wearing a shirt that said, "I'm not gay, but my weiner is." (It had a picture of a dachshound) Awesome!
Last weekend, I hired a real Israeli Soldier to help me with my cockroach dilemma. (Yes, he sat in my sink for almost a week!) Yoni bravely pulled the body out with his bare hands, and flushed him down the toilet....or so we thought! After he left, I went to use the bathroom and there was the cockroach still floating in the toilet bowl! I thought maybe it was a mean trick he played on me, but it turns out they just don't flush. Yuck!
Speaking of bugs, yesterday I ate at an adorable cafe for Israeli breakfast and internet usage. My food was amazing...three-egg omelette, fresh grain bread, Israeli salad, a variety of cheese, tuna salad, fresh orange juice and coffee...all for only 36 shekels! I was very excited, until a bug flew out of my salad...The waiter quietly took my bowl and brought me a new one. No comps in this cafe...It's no Mama D's, but I wasn't upset anyway. Bugs are inevitable.
Anyway, what am I going to do now? Most of you may know, but I was able to convince my Dad to visit Israel for the first time (after months of Jewish guilt)! Though my program ends August 16, I will be living in Tel Aviv for two more months from today, anxiously awaiting his arrival. But before he, Melissa, and Lizette come, Betty, is coming to travel with me for two weeks! We're going to Turkey and Greece, and I'm so excited for it! So what am I doing for the next five weeks? I was wondering that myself. Since I have babysitting and horse-volunteering, dance class, and Omanoot, I'm already pretty busy. But, to make myself even MORE busy (and my Daddy a little happier) I decided to take a part-time (paying!) position at Oranim, the company that brought me to Israel. I would consider myself one of their success stories, so it makes great sense to have me conduct phone interviews with potential participants interested in their programs, so I can give them first-hand knowledge. Plus, it's just another group of young people to make friends with while I'm here. And, obviously, I love talking!
For now, I'm just enjoying my time here...wishing it could stay like this forever. I love Israel. I love Tel Aviv!

Hebrew phrases for today's post:
Meltzar: waiter
Horim: parents
Etmol, hayiti b'bet cafe ve shatiti meetz tapuzeem: Yesterday, I was in a cafe and drank orange juice.
Akshav, ani garah rachok meh ovodah sheli: Now, I live far from my work.
Leefney she'ani chozeret habaita, ani metaiyelet le'Yavan ve Turkia: Before I return home, I'm traveling to Greece and Turkey.