01.05.05 - 1:22 p.m.

Back from Dahab. It was our most sober new year's eve in some time, as we were nervous about diving the next day & it's not like the nightlife in Dahab is anything to write home about. (Even though I did in fact write home about it; I guess you can write home about anything if you set your mind to it)

We were in Haifa for a few days... it rained the whole time, which kinda put a damper on our trip. (haha... cough... *crickets chirping*) We spent a lot of time sitting in cafes watching the rain, which I actually don't mind so much. I had a worn copy of The Windup Bird Chronicle with me-- borrowed from Shawn, who I think borrowed it from Angi? I like borrowing and lending books. This copy is nearly falling apart; I had to tape the spine; but I like thinking that other people have thumbed through these same pages and it's been passed down like samizdat. I got REALLY sucked into the book once I started it, so much that I finished the whole thing one late night, like eating a whole bucket of ice cream.

It produced indigestion in my brain. The problem with our book club is that we're not allowed to pick books we've already read, but a lot times you don't know if a book merits book club discussion till after you've read it. I finished W.U.B.C. and have so many questions-- what's up with Cinnamon's husband getting butchered? was that woman calling mr. wind up bird with sex chat really his wife? what was the deal with the evil brother in law? etc, etc. But although Az. read the book, she read it a long time ago, so it's hard to discuss with her. Probably the same w/ others, but if anybody wants to chat about the book when I get back, give a holla. Or else I'll just look it up on ye olde internet.

Our "Let's Go" (which should be short for "Let's Go Find A Less Crappy Guidebook") has a short section in the back with emergency phrases in Hebrew/Arabic. Az. has hebrew down, but neither of us know any arabic, so we were thumbing through the 'emergency' section whilst in Egypt just in case. Here's one translation that struck me:

I feel like I'm about to die : hamoot

My first thought was, why is this phrase in the arabic emergency section, but not in the hebrew section ? My second though was: there's a SINGLE WORD in arabic that means "I feel like I'm about to die?" I have to admit though, it ended up being a good phrase to know, as there were several occasions to use it on the cab ride to Dahab.

Az. is shooting me cold looks so I will get off the internet and plunge into the raininess of tel aviv. Rain rain, go away / Come on mother's washing day