Catch-up.

Hello, world!
I've been on the road all over northern Israel for the past few weeks, so I apologize for lack of posts. I spent a beautiful week and a half on the beach at the idyllic sea of Galilee in a constant state of sunscreen and sweat (it's morbidly hot and humid there, with July temperatures well over a hundred degrees), kayaked the Jordan River, broke my left baby toe hiking in the Golan Heights, and stayed at a strictly kosher kibbutz (legitimate Israeli socialist compound; have I explained this already?). I have a psychotic dream to spend some time as a kibbutznik at some point in my life. Learn a language, learn an ideology, learn agricultural techniques...sounds like an experience. Also, Kibbutz Yotvata (my personal favorite) has the most delicious ice cream of all time, which is a plus.

More later.

Attempt.

My current list of unreasonable demands (disclaimer: it’s now 5 AM, so I cannot be held responsible for any sappy, dramatic, idealistic—well, you’ll see)…

REGARDLESS, THE LIST STANDS:
1) One luscious red velvet cupcake, generously frosted
2) A fabulous piece of literature that I find impossible to put down
3) Warm and gooey chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
4) Perfectly temperate night air
5) Ambient indie mood music
6) A stunning new dress
7) A soft, snuggly blanket
8) A stimulating conversationalist to share it all with ☺

Completion.

I'm sitting in complete blackness in front of a semicircle window on the sixth floor of the Center. Jerusalem is dead; tonight's sunset marked the onset of Shabbat, but I can still make out the dimly lit Dome of the Rock among the scattered city lights. The ethereal dome is backlit with a combination of faded colors that makes it shine almost green in the darkness, evocative of some Gatsby-esque ideal. It's 3:40 AM. I'm listening to the first call to prayer of the morning from an East Jerusalem minaret. A security guard just shone his flashlight in my face and bid me good morning.

Also, I discovered Plinky, a site that provides daily writing prompts for your blog just in case you run out of steam. Check it out. Here are some archived prompts I may use in the near future: What's your favorite word? What's the most on fire you've ever been? Write a haiku about the last movie you saw. Give us your unreasonable demands. Defend your vice.

Excuses.

I know, I know; I've been really terrible at posting lately.

My excuse is amusingly described by a Jerusalem classmate of mine here.

Luckily, everything turned out all right--at least, as far as I'm concerned. XD