There's a small lizard that I found in the bathroom, so I'm sort of too afraid to use the toilet in there now, because I don't really need company. So, I think it's time to go home. Chicago, here I come--I'll be back in a day.

We stayed in Jerusalem a few days ago. We were promised a luxurious room with a gorgeous view of the old city. Instead, our room smelled like egg-farts, and the window faced the ramp into the parking garage. So, um, we went to the Kotel, walked around the city, and ate at a super-kosher Chinese food restaurant (that was surprisingly good ( Read more... )

Yom Kippur in Israel is real boring, especially when you're secular. Everything shuts down--airport, trains, tv stations, radio stations, no one drives (for fear of stoning). The whole country, except for the Arab parts, sort of turns off for a day. While the religious go to temple and fast, the secular walk around and bike in the streets. All my ( Read more... )

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I think I ate too many figs. Uh oh.    

My last few days can be summed up by two bullet points, each of which will be followed by brief explanations.

-No one laughs here.

While waiting to correct a ticket problem at the American Airlines office in Tel Aviv, I befriended another American tourist looking to do the same. The line was long, so we started cracking jokes with each other. ( Read more... )