Sukkot In Yerushalayim

Not much to report these days. I'm finally settling down into a routine, exercising again, and working evenings. The shidduch (dating) scene is a lot tougher than I thought it would be, but most things worth doing require hard work. The main problem is actually getting dates. I hear whispers (mostly through my cousins) of people asking about me, figuring out with whom I should be set up, but it doesn't always amount to much. People see me on Shabbat, they have the nice thought of setting me up, and then within a few hours it slips their mind. Because they never come directly to me, I can't really follow up after them.

Well, I do have a date tonight, and hope springs eternal.

In the mean time, Sukkot is moving ahead full steam, so here are some pictures. I went downtown to meet a friend for breakfast, and got a nice view of downtown Jerusalem during sukkot.

During the festival, one must eat all their meals inside of these sukkot (temporary dwellings made from vegetation.) In order to stay open, many restaurants in the city build their own Sukkot for outdoor seating.

A restaurant sukkah.

Sukkot in the Ben Yehudah area.
I decided to visit the Kotel (Western Wall) in the old city while I was at it. The city was extremely crowded. Reminds me of early 2000, before the intifadah.

Walking down the main strip.

The Yemenites have these absolutely enormous etrogim (the big fruit he's carrying.) They leave them on the branchces for several years to get nice and large.

Rishon L'Tziyon, former chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu. (He's the one with the turban and fancy coat.) Taken in the Jewish quarter of the old city.

The cotton candy man.

At the Kotel, learning to shake a lulav.

Another one of those enormous etrogim.

Musicians sitting in the city gate playing.