Update

For those of you who might be interested in day to day happenings in my life, here's a few things I've experienced in the last month or so:

1. One flatmate had 7 family members visiting, all of whom stayed with us for about a week in November. Crowded, but fun.

2. I went on a 3 day excursion to the Jezreel Valley...

3. Where I found my "Christmas Stick"...it was almost like a Christmas tree hunt at home...but not really.

4. Almost everyone on campus went off to Egypt for 8 days.

5. I finished my last paper (on Angels in Classical Rabbinic Literature) of the semester.

6. I set up and decorated the fake tree that previous inhabitants had left in my flat. It's still not as cool as the Christmas Stick, which was decorated by a friend, but it's festive.

7. We had a Christmas Party for the remaining JUCers who weren't in Egypt. We played Christmas music and ate Christmas cookies and drank chai. And then we played "Signs."

8. Everyone came back from Egypt, only to leave again, this time for home, within the next 24 hours. So, many good-byes were said.

9. A flatmate tried to go home, flying standby, but instead showed back up at home at 4 am with two other passengers who were not allowed on the plane. A few days later and they still haven't managed to get on a flight. Hopefully tomorrow!

10. After a series of calls, I finally found someone who could fix our washing machine, and he finally came today, and it finally works again. Thus, I finally have clean underwear! Semper ubi sub ubi, as my students used to say.

11. I paid a bill today (at the post office, of course, were all bills are paid) and took my depressed not-yet-home flatmate to get some coffee beans in hopes of increasing the cheeriness quotient of the house.

12. Our surprise guests took us to see "Avatar" tonight. With no comment on the plot or intended messages of the movie, it was beautiful, and the 3D effect was well done.

13. First day of winter! And also the warmest day I've experienced here for about a month.

14. Other guests are expected to show up Wednesday morning. Lots of chances to practice hospitality!

15. Christmas is coming...but here in the "Holy Land" life goes by, pretty much as usual. It will be an interesting Christmas.