Basil Lady

This week, I have been taking one-on-one Hebrew lessons in the morning. I'm finding it really helpful, because the learning that I did on my own was pretty scattered. I've been trying to speak Hebrew on the street with people, which is a bit frustrating. I will ask a question, and then they respond so quickly that I don't understand. I give them a helpless look that probably falls somewhere between looking frightened and looking like I just ate a sour piece of candy.

I thought all hope was lost until I ran into a nice guy on the street who didn't know English. He looked about 45. Our conversation went something like this (in Hebrew):

Man: What time is it?
Me: What?
Man: What time is it? (pointing to my wrist)
Me: ...Nine.....fifteen.
Man: Are you from America?
Me: Yes
Man: New York?!
Me: Near there.
Man: Do you like Israel?
Me: What?
Man: Do you like Israel?
Me: Yes it's nice.
Man: Do you have a boyfriend?
(Luckily, my Hebrew teacher taught me that when someone asks if you have a "friend" it means a boyfriend. Otherwise, I would have said 'yes, many!'"
Me: No.
Man: I love you. (Picks a flower from off the bush and hands it to me). 

So, that was weird.

Anyway, here is a picture of my Hebrew teacher and me. We looked like twins today (minus the baby bump). Even the same sandals! She is very sweet, and most importantly, very patient with me. She even laughs at my jokes sometimes:

What else? Tonight there was a "meet and greet" at my school. There were a lot of really nice people, and I had some great conversations. When I got home, I looked in the mirror and realized I had a piece of basil between my two front teeth. Awesome. Great first impression, Lauren. Just call me "basil lady."

Here are some more fun pictures from the past few days:

After an overwhelming trip to the grocery store, my friend and I made a home-cooked meal! This was our first attempt at shakshuka, a middle-eastern dish. Let's just say that we have some room for improvement.

 Yum!

Andrew and Kyle play "shesh-besh" (backgammon), a popular game in Israel

Pictures of my apartment and the 'hood coming soon!