Far beyond the moon and stars, twenty lightyears south of mars...

I feel a little like I have been living on another plant for the past week or so. Good and bad. At least it was a planet with oxygen. I think. Maybe it was laughing gas. Anyway.

A few weeks ago I went to the Dead Sea which is AWESOME. It is by far the wierdest place I have ever been. It really does look other worldly: no waves, no real beaches, no greenery, no animals. Just this huge expanse of hazy water. In the middle of nowhere. And a bunch of really fat really old german tourists. and there is nothing but these fat german tourists because the water is so salty that nothing grows. AT ALL. and, mom you will like this, there are no animals in there. so you don't have to worry about sharks and fish and things. And the sea is crazy. There are all these salt deposits that have built up and are really sharp and you can't step on them or else you cut yourself and IT BUUURNS. So much. And floating is the most bizarre thing. I told someone here that it was like being an astronaut and they just looked at me and then went on talking. but it really is. you can't put your legs down or else you flip over on your stomach. its just so silly. and eveyone gets all covered in mud. which smells really bad. its just the strangest cross section of humanity you can imagine.

Or so I thought. But that was before Purim. Way wierder. Its like Renn Fayre/ Halloween Israel style. Meaning everyone is way more intense about it. There were huge street parties eveywhere you went and people dancing in the streets and dressed up as everything. i think the strangest thing I saw was a guy dressed up as an Arab (you think that isn't PC?- i saw several people just straight up dressed as black people), dancing on a balcony, waving his gun (maybe fake, but this IS israel), DJing to a huge crowd of people dancing madly below. Just on some random street. I guess it was in Tel Aviv but come on. And during purim it is a mitsvah (good deed) to be drunk. So all the really religous people get drunk. Its just a huge party. We just strolled around. There was also a huge party on our street. Appaerntly we are at the center of the Nachalot neighborhood, so there were fire crackers and herbrew sing alongs and people dancing on top of the cars who were trying to drive through the crowd. quite literally right outside my window. it was fun, a little annoying at about 4am but mostly just fun.

We also had a house warming party recently- it was really nice. eveyone brought food and we all just sat around and relaxed. it is so cool. although my room is a little absurd in and of itself. i found out that it leaks when it rains and that it gets unbelievabley bright at first light. but i'm not too worried about it. actually i'm not worried about it at all. its kinda like camping. you have to get all bundled up to go to bed and then you wake up and its like a million degrees and your foot is in a pool of water. and then you can take a shower in the fresh spring water (code word for really cold unless you wait for it to heat up which i can never seem to do). But it really is great. I feel so lucky every day when i get to go home.

Oh yea. also I'm going to school. I always forget about it. Its really fun. I absolutely LOVE my classes. It is so incredible to hear about things from people who are living them first hand. Everyday I come out with a totally new viewpoint then what I had going in. Its so interesting. Sometimes a little overwhelming, but I am so incredibly happy to just be here and listen to what people have to say. I don't want to sound cheesy, but its hard not to when you are enjoying youself.

Lets see. I think that's it. Actually that's not it at all, but for now. That's it.

LOVE YOU ALL!
(and happy late birthday molly and ellen- your presents are on their way)