Post-Purim post

Shushan Purim in Jerusalem is quite awesome.

After hearing the Megillah read in a nearby synagogue, we eventually ended up at the Hebrew University party: thousands of students in a parking garage. It was great.

It was at that party that I realized that there was a total of perhaps eight different costumes among all the people in this city (all of the stores were selling the same things). Also, I realized that even if this country hasn't exactly worked out the whole democratic thing super perfectly, the Jewish part is pretty evident, at least in character (a famous Purim song at an extremely secular party had the entire room singing together).

Additionally, Israelis have no hesitations about setting off fireworks literally anywhere and everywhere. Their explosive sounds leave locals surprisingly calm.

And for the record, it's not courteous to get on a bus in Jerusalem wearing a giant, full-body costume that exposes only your eyes. It may or may not scare the Americans.

One last thing---on Sunday, Maya Dimant Lentz (Yes, the Maya) and Rose and I were waited on by a 7-year-old girl at a garden restaurant. But it's okay. Maya's going to be an international human rights lawyer.