Laurel' left me behind, we are in a HUGE fight

Laurel went to Haifa for Shabbat and forgotme! As though I am just a thing that she could leave behind, and not a miss vital part of her experience. We are not on speaking terms, though I listened in on her conversation with her roommates so I could write about her adventures.

Thursday afternoon she and her friend Sareet took a bus from Jerusalem's central bus station to Haifa. They were lucky. Right as they got to the platform in Jerusalem the bus was about to pull away, they made on the bus just in time. An easy 2 hour bus ride brought them to Haifa, where Sareet's friend Tom met them. He drove them to a small market, where they bought groceries for the weekend. Then off to Tom's house, which overlooks the Bahai Gardens. Tom said that the gardens are too beautiful to be in Isra

el, that something so breath taking should be somewhere to travel to, not something to see everyday. I wish Laurel had considered that I might never get a chance to see them. I only have her photos to give me a shadow of what the gardens truly are.

That evening Laurel and Sareet enjoyed bamba, and more bamba. If you are unfamiliar with this Israeli treat I will enlighten you. Bamba looks like puffed cheetos, and tastes like peanut butter. I think it is disgusting. Laurel, on the other hand has not been able to shut up about it. She tried it last time she was in Israel and for some reason beyond my comprehension cannot get enough of them. She and Sareet supposedly ate mostly bamba the entire weekend. They also watched movies and just relaxed. It seems a nice way to celebrate Shabbat, just sit and relax. Also, they don't have a TV in the apartment in Jerusalem so I guess it was a luxury to sit back and veg out.

Friday they went to the beach. This I am really upset about. Sitting on a couch, watching tv, and eating bamba I can do without. Swimming in the ocean and soaking up the sun is a whole other story. She said the beach was pure white sand, dotted with cigarette butts and litter. The difference in environmental concerns is very noticeable in Israel compared to the US. Litter piles up along the streets, in the parks, and even on this beautiful beach. Even so, I can assume the water was a sparkling teal with light crashing waves. Laurel said that the Haifa beach could have used the Duluth beach sweep, which recently took place back home.

The next day they went to the market in Dahlia, a town about 30 minutes from Haifa. On the way they stopped at what Tom's friend Haguy said is their, "Dunkin Doughnuts." This was a stand on the side of the road where an elderly married couple sold passers-by crepe like pastries filled with chocolate sauce or cheese and zatar (a wonderful green spice). When they arrived at Dahlia, Laurel and Sareet bought small rugs for their very sparsely furnished rooms in Jerusalem. After bargaining they got them for 45 shekels each, which is about $12. They also bought tasty arab desserts called Knafeh, a sweet cheese with pistachios.

They left Haifa for Jerusalem on the 8pm bus, and arrived around 10:20. They got back on the 18 bus at the central station, and went the wrong way winding up at the end of the 18 bus route. They were sitting on the front of the bus, and Sareet made a comment on how nothing looked familiar. They looked around and they were the only two people on the bus, and the bus driver was asking them what they were doing. They had to go back on a different bus, back the way they came and an hour 1/2 later they were home. Back to a royally ticked off Mo. Laurel owes me big time.

- Mo the Shalom Gnome