I have learned a lot in the last 24 hours. For instance, when the cops come to our street and broadcast something over the loud speaker they are actually telling the taxi drivers, who are ALWAYS parked out in front of our building, that they cant park in front of our building. This little gem was learned last night when I decided that, instead of going out, I would hangout downstairs at of the restaurant underneath our apt. Recently, we've started saying hi and chatting a bit with one of the restaurant owners so last night when I was walking home at around 12:30 I pulled up a chair...and stayed until 5 am...

It was like a show out there! Allenby really is the craziest street in Tel Aviv and I was thoroughly entertained. I had lots of caffeinated drinks bought for me - my restaurant host, Elias, and some Arabs who were just hanging out after a party. I met the two hippy-esque girls who are squatting in the apt across the street from us. They were pretty young and surprisingly clean looking. I finally got to talk to this friendly looking homeless guy who hangs around our neighborhood. It turns out hes Russian but grew up in the US and so his English is perfect. Hes likely a paranoid schizophrenic or something, as it took him a while to decide that he would come over and talk to us with me there. He needed to know my sign first  - Virgo, which he said means I am self-centered - and only after an hour of going away and thinking about it did he decide I was ok. Hes very interesting and college educated. According to Elias his family is well off and gives money to one of the street vendors for whenever he needs it.

Very random night.

Today I tried unsuccessfully to sleep late - likely the caffeine - and then went to the beach for a while. It was a beautiful day and on the way home I decided that I would finally stop and chat with the Hare Krishnas and find out more about what they are about. I got one guy to tell me a bit about why they are there singing every weekend, but he was more interested in trying to get me to give him ten sheckles as a donation in exchange for a brochure that  would save him the trouble of having to explain it all to me and make my life better. I respectfully declined but stuck around to watch them dance and recite the mantra for a while longer. While I was there an older Israeli man approached me and told me that the guy I had been talking to used to work at the hospital with him but was fired after he was caught trying to distribute Hare Krishna materials at work. The Israeli guy then told me that Israel was a Jewish state...uh thanks...and asked what religion I was.  When I responded that I didnt have a religion. He smiled and said well you have to be something, your parents are something right? I responded that they were both catholic at one point, and he said well then they took you to church and got you baptized and gave you your name right. Uh no. He just couldnt wrap his head around it. By the end of the conversation all I got was a humph and a questioning look.

Its been an interesting 24 hours.