Feb. 20

Again, I apologize for spelling errors; i really can barely read what I'm typing. Also, since I always spread out my posts, they may be all over the place, but I guess that's how time feels here anyways.
Since my last post, I'm still working and studying most days. My hebrew is getting better. I try to speak Hebrew with my Israeli friends, but it's hard to understand what they say to me becuae they have their own slang, and speak very fast. Work can also be confusing too because I have told the woman I work for to speak to me in Hebrew, and she does. This means though that she'll tell me to do something, and I won't end up doing it since I dind't hear her telling me. She doesn't get angry with me, although maybe sometimes she gets impatient. Thats the attitude of the Israelis I've encountered; they're friendly, and personable, but they're stern, and they know what and how they want things done.
On Monday we did a day trip to Jerusalem. It was a cold, but fun day. The drive up was green mountains, and valleys. We started out at Yad Vashem- the Holocoast memorial, museum. Our tour guide walked us through it, telling us about certain stories, and letting us explore on our own also. Many people left crying. It was the type of museum that plays to your emotions, and the exhibits were very symbolic. After we climber Mount Herzel. It was quite pretty, it had a lot of tree, and flowers, as well as memorials. Our tour guide brought his guitar and sang us a few Hebrew songs, it was kind of cheesy, but fun. We then walked around the old city of Jerusalem. I have a bunch of pictures, but I'm not sure how soon I can get them up. We were high up walking along the streets, along parts of the wall. For people who were scared of heights, it wasn't a good time, ubt for me, I got to see the view from above.
We then went to the Western Wall. The girls side of the wall is so small compared to the guys side. There were lots of religious people. I went up and leaned against the wall, since thats what it seemed like everyone else was doing. It was strange to be there, in this place that has such a rich, and interesting history. Some people told me they cried when they went to the wall. When we left the wall we had to walk backwards, so our backs didn't face the wall. On the way in, everything seemed liked it was on rewind with people going backwards.
We then went to see this cheesy 30 minute movie about the history of Jerusalem. It was one of those movies where your seats move, like you're on a roller coaster. It was awful, and they were trying to fit to much history into it, so it wasn't really my favorite thing. However they did have a coffee vending machine, with real(er) coffee then the nescafe stuff I've been drinking.
We were then given a bit of free time to walk down one of the main roads. Most people just went to eat shawerma. I roamed around with friends, and bought myself a small hand drum. It's low quality, but it does what I need it to do. I had the oppertunity to bargin down from the original price he gave me, since it would have been way overpriced. One of the oddest things I saw in Jerusalem was on this street. There were three religious men dancing in the middle of the street to techno music, trying to sell CD's or something. We danced for a few seconds too. One of them black- he had the greatest pay-ot(i don't know how to spell that) I've ever seen.
Since Jerusalem, it's jsut mostly hanging around with friends. It might get boring at some point, but for now everyone here seems to ahving a good time, and getting close. Yesterday I spent close to an hour teaching my friend from France, Stephen, some English. He speaks Hebrew, but since two thirds of the people in the program don't speak Hebrew at all, the common language is mostly English. Also, the people who do "know" Hebrew, like me, still can't really hold a convarsation in Hebrew, so I think he was feeling a bit lonely. We had a good time though. I spoke English very slowly to him, he'd write some notes down. We were laughing a lot though since if he didn't understand what IU was saying in English, I tried looking it up in the Hebrew dictionary, and at that point, he wouldn't necessarily understand. Yaakov from hina is doing quite well in Hebrew and English. He came here knowing pretty much nothing, and now he can at least have simple conversations.
Thats all I can think of for now. This weekend, I think I'm staying in the Kibbutz, but you never know. Things are very spontanious here. Anyways, I hope everyone is safe, and healthy at home, and write me letters!

Elana Cipin
Ulpan, Kibbutz Na'an
Israel
76829

I hope that's the right order...