Au Revoir, Shoshana!!!

Thursday morning we finally moved to Jerusalem. We boarded the short bus promptly at the predetermined time of 10 am...and then left 45 minutes later... *some* people are not as prompt as us. Our apartment is a PALACE! Five bedrooms, a living area, a dining table with more chairs than people, two toilets, and a shower! No more shoilet for this girl (Sorry, Molly). I have more shelves than I have chotchkies. Right after the brief tour of the Student Village, Sarah left me for Tel-Aviv. I shed a single tear, than did some grocery shopping. Thursday night we (Jenn, Oriel, and I) went to Jaffa Street to celebrate Shushan Purim. Apparently, Jerusalem - being a the walled city that it is - gets an extra night of Purim...but then again people were partying it up in Tel-Aviv well into Sunday...so.......

Veruca Salt, Mike TV, Violet Beauregarde, and Agustus Gloop

Can we talk about the craziness that is Shushan Purim?! Oh. My. Goodness. It was like Halloween met Mardi Gras, had an illegitimate child, and that child ran off with a music festival. (but not many promiscuously clad as you might think) People were teeming throughout Jaffa and more on Ben Yehuda Street. The thing is... the light rail (metro) runs right down the middle of the street. I'm surprised that more people didn't get run over by the slow moving train.

Another thing! Every few minutes or so, someone would set off a firework or a cap gun or some loud noise reminiscent of an explosion. WTF, JERUSALEM! You'd hear the explosion, people would scream and duck, then we'd realize it was just a firework and laugh it off. MULTIPLE TIMES. Fool me once, shame on me... fool me for the 17th time, I'm kinda tired of the explosions. One would think that people would not appreciate the faux explosions.

Friday, we went to the Shuk - did a lot of shopping for the apartment. We made a Shabbat dinner, then we watched The Vow. Saturday, we walked to Hebrew U and went to the only coffee shop that was open in what seems like a mile radius. I know that's a gross exaggeration, but I cannot know for sure because we are forbidden to go in two directions out of the Village.

Sunday: The Israeli Monday! Today I started my internship. (Now I'm sorry for all of you who are reading my blog on behalf of your children who are here with me... Most of them are in Tel Aviv, so from here on out, most of our experiences will be different... I'll probably slow down the blogging anyways because who really wants to hear about the 6 hours I spent researching food advertisement policies to minors in the US and Europe?) I'll still blog about the adventures we have when your children are with me.

Anywho - Today was a very productive day at my internship. I have 3 projects already! My boss is going to a conference in Copenhagen next week (take me with you!!!) so I have been researching like a fiend for her. Thankfully I wrote my third policy paper on the topic of her conference - MPHers, you know what I'm talking about. (Take that, GW!) (I'm 100% certain I won't need a policy paper on H1N1 or gun laws in national parks.......bummer.)

We still don't have internet in our apt. So Sarah and I are sitting downstairs in a children's park using the convenience store's internet. Hi, my name is Julie, and I'm required by law to tell you I just moved in next door.......

Ok, I'm freezing, and the Dude is probably ready by now.... The Jerusalem Dude takes 2-3 hours to heat up...but he is bigger than the Tel-Aviv Dudes, so he lasts longer.