Adventures in Israel: pay attention my friends cause class is in session

we finished the alef bet in class today. we started practicing reading with and without vowels. i am proud to say that i am picking it up pretty easily. i mean, i cant really remember the random words people keep telling me when i talk to them around the kibbutz, but i can sound out the words (now that i know how to read script). the teacher gave us a paper with words that are similar to the ones in english for us to sound out and it was really easy for me. there were also some cities in israel that i didnt know that had no vowels for us to try, and i was able to read them and get most of the vowels correctly. needless to say, i'm in a good mood right now. i am not lost in the class at all or anything. so thats good. i am also picking up some russian, because there are a lot of people from russia here. its cool. the only shame is it is kind of hard to get off the kibbutz sometimes. i mean, we can, but every other day i have to work in the evening helping to prepare dinner, so i dont have enough time to go anywhere, and on the days i have class, we dont end until 3 so there isnt much time either. and we only have shabat off, but nothing is open and the busses and trains dont run so much, and i havent even figured out the bus and train situation, so i dont get off the kibbutz much. hopefully, that will change soon enough.

i am making lots of friends here. almost everyone is really cool. there are a few people i dont like, but i'll survive. our first trip is comming up. we are going to tel aviv on the 20th for a day trip. i'm excited.

i have a 'kibbutz family' here. that means i can go have dinner with them, and hang out with them sometimes. its to help me learn hebrew quicker and just have another place to go. my kibbutz mother is named sagit (i dont know if that is how to spell it). unfortunately, her life is kind of crazy i think because she keeps saying she will call me, but she doesnt. and i cant call her because i dont have her number. i'm gonna try to figure this out, but i am a little dissapointed she hasnt called me yet.