I got up at 5:30. Or was it 5. Maybe I should say I woke up at 5:30. I may have been up before that. I left the house at 6:30. What did I do for an hour? I remember eating a quick breakfast and having worship. But that didn't take long. And I tried on 2 pairs of socks because the first pair didn't feel right. I noticed the light on the washing machine, reminding me of the clothes I meant to hang out, but it turned cold and damp, so there they sit. I'll probably have to re-wash them. We caught an early bus, which was nice because it wasn't crowded. Al dropped me off at a coffee shop near Milah at 7. So I have to kill time for 2 hours. The coffee didn't set too well. I don't NEED coffee this time of day. By ten o'clock I will. So I get into the building as soon as they unlock it, but I'm not really supposed to be here. It looks like there's been an earthquake. In the front hall is a tipped-over cabinet, some boards, an upside-down paint bucket, piles of broken cement and plaster dust, scattered junk mail, and what looks like a large A-frame doghouse. The cleaning lady tells me they're not open yet, and I think she's implying I should leave, but I don't because it's cold out.If she comes by again I'll ask her to hold the door open so I can get this wheelchair out. (I got in ok because I was motivated--it's cold and windy out there!) As I get warm sleepiness comes upon me. Maybe I'll finish the coffee after all. Getting up at 5:30 doesn't bother me, provided I do it every day. I'm afraid that today will be one of those days when I am tired all day, but going on adrenalin, which feels good in a way, but I won't be able to relax at all and I'll get tireder and tireder. (Yes, I know, tireder isn't a word...but it is now.) I'll lose my focus (did I ever have any?) my ability to make decisions (I had SOME, didn't I?) and my efficiency (don't say "what efficiency?"). I've heard surgeons and airplane pilots do that a lot. Fortunately, in my case, no lives are at stake.
I know lots of words in Hebrew, but a simple word like "the" slips my mind. I'll have to practice saying the chair, the table, this chair, this bed. "The" has no gender, but "this" does. Different languages have different genders for the same thing. House is feminine in Spanish and masculine in Hebrew. The development of language would be fascinating to delve into, if it were possible to trace how it happened. Why in some languages did they get in the habit of speaking in the front of their mouth, others in the back. Some keep their tongue close to the top of their mouth, and some widen it out. Does that reflect personality in some way? In other ways many languages have things in common--even languages that we consider unrelated. Like, (pretend I didn't say like) how many languages use "mama" and "papa," or something similar. And the words for "six" and "seven" always start with "s," at least in Russian, Hebrew, Hindi, and several Latin-based languages.
Al is at the university. I'll have to take good notes, because this will be the second day of missed class for him (although he knows most of this stuff anyway). (Yesterday we were renewing our visas.) A couple students have dropped out, and a few more have dropped in. After taking a test, which wasn't too hard, I have time to kill. I suppose I could stretch out on a bench and go to sleep. I have seen others do that--but I am not quite that bold. There is always the possibility someone will come along and ask "Are you all right?" which is extreemullly embarrassing--why shouldn't I be? May because I am old. Relatively. (I said, relatively.) Maybe it's the position that makes the difference. If I curl up and pull my coat over my face I will look miserable. If I lie on my back with my arms folded I will look like I'm intentionally taking a nap. (Maybe?)
Anyway I decide to kill time with a library book. This is the first book I have successfully read in Hebrew. It's about 17 short pages long. (Short pages, not-so-long book). It's about two farmers who are brothers. Or should I say two brothers who are farmers. Anyway one brother has a wife and three children, and the other has no wife or children. They do all their work together. At harvest time they divide the wheat into two equal piles. During the night, one brother starts thinking, "My brother has a wife and children to provide for. It isn't right for me to have so much just for myself, so I'll give him some of mine." So he gets up and takes some of his wheat and adds it to his brother's pile. Meanwhile the other brother can't sleep. He starts thinking, "My brother has no one to take care of him when he's old. I should give him some of my wheat." So he gets up and adds some of his wheat to his brother's pile. In the morning each brother notices that his pile is exactly the same size as it was before, but neither says anything. That night they do the same thing again, and the next morning the piles are still the same size. The third night...they meet each other!!! According to the story, God blesses the place where they met and Solomon built the temple there.
Al gets back from taking a 3-hour test in Hebrew at the university. On the way home I see a little boy gathering large sticks and making a large-size tepee in an overgrown park. We stop at the market for vegetables. I'm still wide awake from this morning's coffee. So why did I just drink some more coffee. Oh well, it's daytime. I'll be able to sleep as soon as it's dark.
More to come.
