Come Dine

I have finally been to a beach in Israel! Okay, I said that in the last post, but I don't think it counted. I think the official rules say that you have to be on the sand for more than 10 minutes. Everyone from the lab gathered at a beach near Rehovot for Ruthie's leaving party (Fig 1). We had a barbecue with sausages, burgers, chicken wings and hearts, pittas, watermelon and some cakes that were never opened!!?
It was nice but I spent a lot of time hating the sand and wishing I could go in the water without worrying about the sand sticking to me afterwards. So I just paddled a little bit, even though the waves looked very alluring.

I feel like I should have more to report, given how long ago the last post was, but so little happens in my life here. Just failure after failure, trying to obtain this mutated gene for Yael. Work is no longer going really well. I should have listened to Yael when she told me never to get too happy "because it only leads to disappointment and HEARTBREAK!!"
In a couple of weeks I should be working on my own project, which I'm reeeeally looking forward to. And by the end of next week they SAY I will have the internet in my room. Score!

Last night I had a crisis moment and shaved my hair off in true Britney style.

Today I went to work but didn't do any work whatsoever. Instead I played on my Nintendo DS (which nobody in Israel appears to be familiar with), did some Hebrew (finally! but not much), and had a nap in front of an open window. The warm air was very pleasant after the air conditioning froze me to near-death.
After 'work', I went to a little dinner party at Maayan's new flat (Fig 2). I think she initially invited me because of my poor diet and then turned it into a slightly bigger event later on. Only the 'youngsters' (i.e. the slaves and everyone else not studying or in possession of a PhD) were invited. But I forget just how much younger than the others I am! I feel like a little dog who has no idea just how tiny he is compared to the other dogs. I tend to think people are at least 5 years younger than they actually are. Considering the dinner invitation, Debora feeding me up at her flat, and Yael having a dream about me being extremely hungry at her family picnic, I think people might be worrying about my eating habits. Unsurprisingly.

So we made sushi, and ate it with a stir-fry they made before Ohad and I arrived. Then we had a delicioussss cheesecake for dessert, which was actually left over from when Maayan made it for when her boyfriend's parents visited them. As the cheesecake melted in my mouth, so too did all of my worries ^_^

Everyone said they would help me find a cheap room in a shared apartment if I would like, which is great because it turns out that there is nowhere for me to move within the institute.

Now I feel all warm and fuzzy, and ready for bed.

A revelationary week

Sooo last week I finally spent some real time (although not much) in Tel Aviv. I was deep in thought on the train, and realised just how much I enjoy being looked after, and how this needs to change. I need to be more independent, etc etc. Ironically, my friend then asked me to get a public taxi to meet him, and I started to panic and wanted to cry. The first (and last) time I had taken a public taxi, it ended in tears. In the end I got to the meeting place fine, and I feel much more at ease with these taxis now.
We met at Rothschild Boulevard, which is lovely lovely and has some good looking places to eat. There is also a bar there that has a Eurovision night every week, which I had heard of before I came to Israel. It sounds fun :)
When I saw Max Brenner, the chocolate bar, we HAD to go. It specialises in chocolatey desserts, and I think the idea of just going out for dessert is pretty cool. I ate a whole chocolate pizza to myself and it was delicious but I felt like I was going to vomit by the end of it. I also had a spicy hot chocolate, which I was excited about having, but if I have one again I think I shall ask for it without pepper.

Next we walked to the beach. So FINALLY I have been to a beach in Israel!! We stood by the water's edge for a short while and then made our way back because I didn't want to miss the train home. I'm looking forward to going again WITH my camera ^_^

I feel that I learnt quite a bit of myself over the course of the week. I had a bit of a heart-to-heart with my supervisor, Yael, in which she said she had noticed that I am fragile =/
I know that when I finish this placement I will be a much stronger person.

Yael brought a book in for me yesterday about an invisible boy. It is much easier to read than the other book she brought in for me (Spiderwick) because they have put vowels in this book (it's aimed at a younger audience). So today I sat with Noa (one of the slaves) and read half of the first page to her. I sounded like a 5 year old >.<
Yael also brought me a framed poster for my room. It's one of the pictures by the guy who did all the stairs going in different directions and not making a lot of sense. I forget his name. It is black and white and every shape is some weird creature or person. I like it a lot :)

There was a lizard running around the lab last night and I managed to get some pictures of it (see below and facebook). I also got a picture of a bat in flight (see facebook), which is better than the previous one I got. I love the bats so much. I could stand and watch them forever. Maybe.
I just wish someone was here to watch them with me!

I'm starting to feel that I will never have enough time to do everything I want. And I mean daily stuff. There just isn't enough time in the day, it seems. I'm actually glad I don't have more friends because it's difficult enough to make time to see them as it is >.<

Work is going very well :)

And now I'm going to have an Earl Grey and listen to some music before I do some Hebrew or read some papers.