I know, I know, I know … I have to stop whining about the weather, so I’ll keep this short. I’m tired of grey. I’m tired of clouds. I want to walk outside and feel some sun, I’m sure I’m suffering from Vitamin D deficiency, waaaagh!

OK, I’m done with whining. In other news, I had a great couple of days last week. Some friends of mine recently got engaged (hi Gal, hi Nomi!) and we threw them a big party to celebrate. It was originally planned to just be a few friends getting together for dinner but very quickly it turned out to be a guest list that may end up rivaling the wedding itself. So, having the party at a house was out, as were most of the restaurants we know. A quick planning meeting was convened (four of us got together for coffee and then swapped emails … that’s the big planning meeting) and we decided that if it was going to be big, let’s make it big.

We planned an overnight party at a spot to the south of Jerusalem called Kfar Hanokdim. It’s a lovely place with a Bedouin theme; they have various accommodation ranging from cabins for two people to big tents for 25, and the food there is outstanding. So eventually about 100 of us trekked down towards the Negev desert for a traditional Bedouin experience of camping, grilled meat, starlight, and … The Beatles. OK, that bit wasn’t so traditional. But in a moment of utter brilliance one of my old college friends mentioned this Beatles cover band who he’d heard in a bar in Tel Aviv … he assured us they were fun, and not too pricey for private parties.

Oh, wow! They were absolutely outstanding, just a blast. They’re all Israelis, native born each one of them, but they have got The Beatles down cold. We all danced until 2:00 in the morning, then crashed out on mattresses in several communal tents. The next morning there was a huge breakfast … absolutely delicious, with every food you can imagine … and then a relaxing morning of hanging out, catching up with old friends, and discussing who was dating who. This wedding will be one of the first from my crowd, and we’re all curious to see whose comes next.