OMG SNOW

Jerusalem, 1/31/08

It might snow tomorrow.  Not a big deal at all, right?  You're all basically living in snow, and I've been around snow probably at least 4-5 months/year since I've been born.  So when rumors started whispering about the possibility of SNOW IN JERUSALEM on Tuesday, I didn't really believe it.  Of course, it was also sunny and high 60s outside and I was playing basketball in shorts and a sleeveless shirt, so it all seemed pretty farfetched.  But for people who live in Jerusalem, the mere possibility that snow is around the corner is a huge event.  Let me recap the events leading up to the eve of the (possible?) snowstorm tomorrow:

MONDAY - Rumors first swirl in my Ul-pan class about snow.  I look outside, see sun, and go back to trying to nap while my teacher babbles on in Hebrew.

TUESDAY - A strange man opens the door to our Ul-pan class in the middle of the day, cutting off our teacher (Israeli teachers don't get interrupted), and excitedly bubbles out about how "If there's snow coming, you will get an email telling you if class has been cancelled or not.  Make sure you check your email because there might be snow."  Later conversations with students in other Ul-pan classes confirm that the stranger went into every single class to spread this unnecessarily cautious message.

WEDNESDAY (today) - Class is again interrupted, this time by a slew of phone buzzes and chimes.  We all receive a message via the EMERGENCY TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM that reads, "FYI: In case of snow in Jerusalem a Madrich-on-call will be available for any questions or problems: 054-882-XXXX"

A few things:

"A Madrich-on-call will be available for any questions or problems?"  We are dealing with snow, not a Haitian earthquake.  And what possible questions are we supposed to have, exactly?  "Excuse me, there are white powdery flakes falling from the sky... I'd like to confirm that this is the alleged snow and not an anthrax-based terrorist attack?"  I love how they have a madrich (counselor) on-call specifically to deal with issues related to the snow.  I might call him up and ask him where I can find a good hill to sled down.  You'd think the world was ending the way they deal with snow here.

It might have to do with the fact that the last time it snowed in Jerusalem was 1/31/08, in the picture shown above.  It's been over two years since it snowed in Jerusalem, and it was even longer prior to that.  There are people on my trip, from warmer, sunnier hometowns, who have NEVER SEEN SNOW BEFORE IN THEIR LIVES!  It baffles me.  Here I am, thinking I escaped the frigid Champaign winter, happily walking around in a T-shirt and shorts in the sun, playing basketball... and the snow just follows me.  And nobody else is unhappy about it - they're talking about the concept of snow like the Red Hot Chili Peppers are playing it in a concert at the Kotel!

***

With the exception of the snow flurry (bad pun intended) lately, things have settled into a pretty comfortable routine.  I still have yet to go to the shook, but it'll happen as soon as the weather gets warmer.  Ul-pan just dominates the week; everyone's too tired after to do much during the day.  I still want to explore more but there's plenty of time for that.  Basketball and working out and napping are my three main activities right now, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Tomorrow's Thursday, so it's almost the weekend!  Alex is coming in from Tel Aviv so it should be a great Shabbat.  Hopefully it DOESN'T snow tomorrow because, a) I hate snow, and b) if classes are cancelled, we have to make it up on a Friday.  A Friday!  The Day of Rest!  Oy vey.