I went out on Thursday night. I don't usually go out, due to my insistence on the moral lifestyle, but my Brazilian friend used his Latin charm to convince me that once in a while it is good to be in the presence of large numbers of intoxicated people. So, we went out to an area between King George and Kikar Tzion that is packed with bars, some indoor some outdoor, some hippy-looking, some sheik. It was insanely packed, more packed than any cluster of night spots in New York. A cool place was Agon, which has, like many of these bars, an inconspicuous entrance, but turns out to include two courtyards, several bars and all sorts of space in between. There were at least 300 people in this place alone. An interesting mix goes out in Jerusalem. American yeshiva students studying here for a year, Mizrahi Jeruselamites, American tourists, non-American tourists, religious, secular, speaking a mixture of French, Spanish, English and Hebrew. There was alcohol to drink, nargilah to smoke, food to eat, quite fun I suppose. I did get the distinct feeling that most people were aged 18-22 though. Some of the more upscale places a bit farther from the frenentic bar scene had an older crowd and were, clearly, more expensive. As I now actually understand Hebrew, I determined that in many of the bars there exist, in fact, two price systems. One for locals and one for drunk Americans with their parents' credit cards who don't know the difference and couldn't care less. The restaurants, however, being respectable establishments, maintain a fair pricing system for all. I discovered a 24-7 restaurant that serves really high quality food. Generally, 24-7 means something fairly nasty, but this was quite the opposite.

I had some converstations with the most random, and interesting, people, but the highlight of the night was the onion and cheese quiche at 3am. It was flat out amazing, as was the side salad. For $10 it better have been. Ok, maybe there were other highlights, but only a picture would serve to adequately describe those.

This Shabbat I decided to stay at the Ulpan, and spent Saturday biking to the southeast. I explored Arnona, a very nice Jewish neighborhood that, although upscale, is still reasonably priced. Further to the south of it is Kibbut Ramat Rahel, to which most tourists get taken. It's on a hill and has a good view of the southern parts of East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and assorted Judean Hills. It also has a view of the Malha Mall area where the stadium is located. Next to the kibbutz is the Arab village of Abu Zahr, which explored only a little bit before it became clear I don't really belong there and need to get pedalling in the opposite direction. East Jerusalem is really strange. Jewish and Arab neighborhoods are a few hundred meters away, but they might as well be in different worlds. I also did some biking today, and explored the UN area of Armon Hanatziv. This hill probably has the best view eastward into the Jewish heartland.

In preparation for Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Independence Day), flags are being put up all over the place. Balconies, windows, lamp posts, store fronts, car antennas and all sorts of inventive places. Pride is a virtue the rest of the West better recover if they hope to survive.