I am now in Tel Aviv, in a hotel overlooking the beach. Tomorrow I will go back to Jerusalem.
Haifa was good. The University of Haifa is, I think, a nice place to study. I wish I had known about that a few years ago. Things could have been very different. Not that they should have been.
I was here in Israel to learn Hebrew, and I think I did quite well. Back in Dublin there are very few people with whom I can speak Hebrew, and it seems like I am also going back to the same job. I was thinking about moving before I came to Israel but decided against it, so I will be back in the same flat as well.
Everything will be as it was. Some stories end the way they started. Some of the best stories do too.
I have not much to tell. Not now anyway. I won't tell you anything political today. I am not in the mood.
But let me tell you about a few friends I have made here.
In the university in Haifa I shared a flat with three people.
One was a Christian from the states who was in Haifa to learn Hebrew and Arabic and study international relations. He is the geeky type and a wonderful flat mate. His Hebrew never ceased to amaze me! (That means it was very good.)
One was from the Netherlands. His Hebrew was also better than mine and he joined a friend from North Carolina on a Kibbutz now. I am sure they will do well there.
The third was an Arab from the Galilee. He is fluent in Arabic and Hebrew and speaks passable English (actually very good English). He is a student of computer science and seeing some of his work I can only judge that he is really good. I told him that with his language skills he can make it in localisation which I believe will be a huge field in a few years, especially in this region and with these languages.
The hotel here has Internet access (wireless) in the rooms. Luckily my five year old iBook still works. I like my computer. I will buy a new laptop within the next few weeks though. My iBook will go to my mother.
I made a few mistakes here. I could have done better. I could have learned more. I think I did well.
I hope I will not forget the people I met here, and maybe I will find the time to go back next year, then without the missiles.
The missiles were really unnecessary.