Seeing Jerusalem and Finding a Roommate

I finally feel as if I'm in Israel!

Touring the Temple Tunnels and some other sites in the Old City last Friday was such a nice change from my routine of the last several months and companionship improved my mood and outlook. Then on Shabbos, I came close to catching up on my Hebrew (I'd missed two days a couple of weeks ago because of a bad cold).

Last week, I'd had to once again move into an expensive hotel because the Post Hostel was fully booked. That's when I met Sam. She was making a short stop here on the way back to New Zealand after spending some time in England helping her mother move. I told her that she could visit a class at Ulpan Morasha on Sunday. She loved it and impulsively decided to stay in Israel for another six months.

We've been apartment hunting-- and she's very good at it! We've viewed dozens of nice places this week. (How in the world has she found them?!) She seems committed to staying in Israel and has registered at Ulpan Milah.

Aaron unexpectedly offered to come with us tonight to look at an apartment on the corner of King George and Agron. It's very nice and, since the former tenants were with the US Embassy, I'm guessing everything works and there won't be any surprises. It's large and clean; it's furnished, the kitchen is good, and the balcony wraps around half the building. The building is known as "the ugliest building in Jerusalem," but who cares when the inside is so nice? The price isn't too high; most of the apartments Sam found were very expensive. Aaron and Doron were wild about it and I'm ready to get a copy of the contract and have an attorney look at it. (This time I'm hiring an attorney!) However, Sam isn't sure and needs a night to sleep on it.

Edit: Sam didn't want that particular apartment and eventually she left the country. The landlord agreed that I could rent the apartment by myself and add a roommate to the contract when I found one. Instead, I took a job at a hotel, a room in exchange for 40 hours a week working in the lobby.