Winter in Israel is quite different from winter in New York City. As I am from New Jersey and went to school in Pennsylvania, I am used to wearing long, puffy winter jackets, scarves, hats and gloves. Here, the winter averages about 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit, but there is a lot of rain! Also, because of the flat land in Israel, when it rains it is likely to flood, especially in the south of Israel where the Negev Desert is located. Israelis typically find this weather to be very cold and wear winter jackets here, too, but my American friends and I are loving what is a warm winter for us!
There are stray cats everywhere. I think I probably see an average of 20 per day just going to and from school! They are cats of all different breeds, and they usually keep to themselves. Some of my friends like to pet them and feed them. There is one cat in particular that waits outside my building every morning for a man to give it a snack. In the mornings, I have also seen some crows outside of my apartment building.
