Wonderful Wednesday

The papers Ugh! How dated! I mean The Internet is full of the miracles of the states, but being a) self centred (in the loveliest of ways) and b) not American, I'm focusing on wonders closer to home. I'm resisting the urge to be anti-American and state my relief at not being part of a state that puts it's leaders on MTV and talk shows. Oops.. just did it. Did anyone notice??

1. A wonderful joyous moment today when I realised that I had understood at least three minutes of my class without even noticing! Didn't even consult my trusty right-hand man - which comes in the form of an electronic dictionary. It only lasted a few minutes, and luckily isn't the only part of the class that I understood (I had to concentrate harder for those bits.. However, and here I really mean HOWEVER it really made up for the other moments in class where I wonder a) what the hell are they saying? b) what the hell am I doing, c) surely everyone else knows that I am a fantasist and don't understand a thing.. All very distracting thoughts in their own right. The bottom line is; after a week in University in a language in which I am only a provisional licence holder (at best), I am still standing. Ready, well almost ready, to fight a new week.
2. The joy of a really compulsive read! I am almost finished reading "The Song of Names" by Norman Lebrecht. There are many qualities to books, and since I haven't finished this one, I am not ready to declare judgment on it. However (favourite word for the day??) it did manage to swallow the whole 4A bus today. That's saying quite a lot for a book. Anyone who has had the joy and honour of the Katamon/Har Zofim bus route will understand..
3. My American number! It's so nice and normal to have a landline again - any landline! But this one is particularly special since it looks like Philadelphia number and is free calling "back home". Now I just have to find more time to spend on it..

Rainbows and Registration

1. A wonderful weekend with the Hippies down south. A super drive with amazing views, reminding me a) how big and b) how wonderful this ol' state of mine is. I need to get about it more, travel more, get to know it better etc.
   
2. Despite all of the above, including waking up at 7.30am to witness the most peaceful desert scene, crashing out in my own bed was great. The stars the night before were INCREDIBLE! If only a photograph could capture even an idea of how wonderful it was to lie by a campfire, looking up at the sparkly carpet of stars.
3. Registering for Uni.. am freaked out of all proportion. However, it's going to be fine. This whole thing is going to be an exercise in the science of "It's going to be fine". Ok, so I don't know exactly where my classes are, what classes to do or what the hell they will be about, ok that I am going to lose three evenings a week to be in Ulpan, ok that this is probably the hardest, the real-est thing I have done in Israel so far, in fact anywhere so far.. ok ok!! It's going to be FINE!!
   

(any reassurances/offers to attend courses for me/offers to write papers for me etc will be welcomed with open arms.)