Greetings from the Bloomsbury Shetel

Day three of my Yiddish Summer School. I'm sitting struggling with Hebraic letters along with the other beginners. We doggedly copy weird pictograms over and over (metaphorically with our tongues protruding). We try to encourage each other - Tes I mutter looks like a 'cat tail', Fey to another student is a 'Swiss Roll' yes with icing on the top... Gimel is a girly high heel shoe, Nun is like a flat sensible shoe worn by nuns... only another 35 or so to master...

But you know my brain has needed this workout. Sunday and Monday I was knackered but today I feel ALIVE ! Learning, growing - I can feel my brain expanding and knowledge filtering through. Its a good feeling. The school is very international with students from Riga, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Czech Republic, South African exiles. A small contingent from Scotland and my teacher from Edinburgh.