Fast forward two hours... wrong drinks, overdone steaks, and rice instead of chips. "A little practice is all I need" I reassured myself until the following day when I was in a small local supermarket in Herzliya and asked the owner for drugs (samim) instead of spices (tavlinim). The owner responded rather curtly in English that no drugs were sold in his establishment.

And so, on my return to London, my relationship with Nitza Spiro began. Monday nights for the last four years have become ulpan nights at South Hampstead shul. We have covered topics that vary from the news or international political issues from that week to scientific discoveries, cultural life, reading newspapers, singing songs and watching famous Israeli short films. We read parts of the Chumash (and actually understand it and finding it interesting), sing children's songs (now I can understand what I sing to my daughter), and have general conversation, including Israeli slang which is always a hit with my cool, hip young niece and nephews. We also learn grammar, which for a non linguist can make the Marathon des Sables seem more appealing. Nitza Spiro and her teachers have made learning Hebrew interesting and fun.

I have been taught that although the Hebrew language has a different alphabet, is written from right to left and can seem rather daunting to a novice, it is a beautiful, picturesque language in which learning one word can lead you to a multitude of others. Many words originate from the same root (shoresh). For example the word lishkoa, which means to sink, has the shoresh Shin Kuf Ayin. This shoresh gives you sheka a socket (as it sinks into the wall), shekia a sunset (as the sun sinks down) and shkiat dam blood test (as the needle sinks to the skin).

In Israel I now know what my taxi driver is talking about and respond with a sensible answer, ask for items in the supermarket without offending the owner but best of all I can join in conversations with family, friends and Israelis in Israel.