A Saturday with Itai

Even if a man is living far from home only for a while, wherever he is, it’s very likely for him to get involved to some new routines in his new environment. As we Spanish say, “Man is an animal of routines”.

So far, one of my routines in Jerusalem has been walking around the old city with Itai on Saturday afternoons. We usually go there at about two or three and get something to eat in one of these small Arab or Christian places –remember that on Saturdays Jewish places are closed-. Humus is the usual meal, but we sometimes get some shawarma or some falafel. Our routes stimulate many talks about politics, religion, the city itself, and many others. I also use these routes to read some posters in Hebrew under his supervision (and I have to say that I’m still very bad at that, but I’m improving). Most of the things I’ve learnt of the city is due to all these shared ours with him.

At this point, some of you might be wondering who the hell that man with whom I’m walking around the city on Saturdays is. Itai is a friend that I made in the Center of Rationality. He studied Mathematics and now he’s doing his PhD in epistemology. It’s definitely one of the best friends I’ve done here in Jerusalem. Apart from Saturday walks and sharing working place, we usually also go out on Thursdays’ nights. In the picture you can see him with two glasses of Sahbar we took last Saturday. Sahbar is a milky drink that people take in the winter. They usually add some coconut, peanuts and cinnamon.