Happy things from my first two weeks

Here is a list of things that have made me happy.

1) When Alissa was sick (that part didn't make me happy, don't worry) I walked two blocks to the supermarket in flipflops to buy her ginger ale. While I was there I wondered what I could possibly make for dinner with our current limited facilities, when I realized that all the prepackaged cooked chicken is kosher here.

2) In the US kids are always told never to take candy from strangers. Here is happens all the time. This morning a mother boarded the bus with her infant and toddler. The toddler was throwing a tantrum and wouldn't sit down. A random old lady held a taffy in front of the toddler and kept it there until the toddler calmly took it from her and sat down.

3) Last night Lisa and I were already running late when we got stuck in a traffic jam... caused by a hachnasat sefer Torah in front of the Mercaz HaRav Kook yeshiva. Kids were holding lit havdallah candles. The Torah was crowned with colorful feathers and carried under a chuppah. There was a truck leading the parade with spinning colorful lights and blasting music. I think I should keep a camera with me at all times.

4) Raphi Fischer has an Israeli accent. It cracks me up, that's all.

5) Burgers Bar. 'Nuff said.

6) I waited 4 years to wave my teudat zehut in Rav Milston's face and say "I told you so." He told me that this year they accidentally gave the shana alef girls aliyah visa forms instead of student visa ones... "accidentally."

7) One of the guys who works at the Moriah bookstore in the Old City remembers me every year, and he was thrilled to hear that I made aliyah.

8) I've been to Chashmonaim (a pretty much entirely American community) 6 times in the past 4 years. By now there are kids I recognize every year as they get older. This past visit some of them were actually speaking Hebrew.

9) Did I mention that Raphi Fischer lives in Israel?

10) I wake up every morning to loud people outside my window, I dodge slimy cats (not counting Harriet the Spy, of course) on the way to the bus stop, I spend twenty minutes on a bus with even more loud people, then spend four hours learning Torah with the hills of Jerusalem in the background. And still, sometimes it isn't until late at night that I finally pinch myself and think "woah, I finally did this."