I don't know why I always visit Israel in the beginning of the year, it's clearly the worst time, with heavy rains flooding the streets every two or three days. But it was on the way, and I wanted to see my friends. So, I decided to at least make it an experience that I didn't have before, meaning I would be staying in Tel Aviv instead of the sleepy town where I spend my years as a student here. I did ask two of my close friends to host me, but apparently there are people that have jobs and who need to get out of bed every morning, who'd have known. I was ready to book a hostel when I saw this super interesting post on AirBnB: a community center called Shevet, super cheap but also in a somewhat questionable part of south Tel Aviv. But I was intrigued by the possibility to meet so many different locals and really, what's the worst that can happen? Yes, I know, don't tell me. Feeling guilty about not being able to host me, a friend offered to pick me up from the airport towards my new home for several nights. On the way, we stopped to have humus, and although it wasn't the best, it filled a hole, literal and figurative, that I didn't know existed. Well, Shevet delivered what it promised, a mattress in a large, comfy looking, living room, bathroom and kitchen. And lot's and lot's of interesting people. Unfortunately, not much else. What I missed most was warmth. Already in a country where insultation is a foreign word, the building was drafty as hell, thanks to it's thin walls. And in the absence of any kind of heating element, our group regularly looked like an arctic expedition. Due to unfortunate circumstances my friend didn't manage to spend some time with me these few first days, so all I had left was strolling through the city, hating the traffic lights and the traffic and trying to find a nice cute cafe where I could write. And see there, I found Bucke Cafe, which wasn't particularly cheap, but they had wifi and lot's of workspace and an exquisite Tofu curry. Definitely worth it.