January 31, 2008

5:35 pm
There was no school today again. But this time it actaully snowed! When I got up, there was actually snow outside. Sandie called and told us (me) that there was no school and to tell my flatmates, and that there was going to be a shiur by Rabbi Levy at 5, at school. Which is where I am now.I enjoy multi-taksing.
So what did I do in between the phone call from Sandie and now? Well, I went back to sleep until about 1 pm on-and-pff. Then I woke up and had breakfast, studied a bit for MDA, then out away most of my laundry-- I switched rooms last night because the other room is warmer. So now I'm moving stuff. It's not so much-- I'm almost done.
I have to figure out next week, though. I wanted to go to Rbu and Chaya Leah, because they're in Bayit Vagan, and I have to be there early Sun. morning. I don't want to have to schlep stuff to the youth hostel, where I'll be staying, but I don't know what I'm going to do. If I stay in Har Nof, I need linens, pillows, towels, etc. Then I have to take that to Bayit Vagan Youth Hostel. And I don't want to schlep it. If I go to Rita's

7:18 pm
then I can leave everything there, I just have to figure out how to get to Bayit Vagan Sunday morning.

In short, I'm not happy. Besides being homesick, I'm bored. Yes, the classes are fine, but I like 3 or 4 out of 12 or 13 classes. So I might leave Tuesday night when Dov comes to bring in Basi. That could work. Then I'll just have to get from Chashmonaiim to Bayit Vagan. Maybe I can--

10:20 pm
Took a break to help Rachel bring her stuff down, make dinner, show Jana (new flatmate) around, and take care of Penina. Then eat dinner and talk to Moshe. Oh, and Sandie called. I talked to her for a bit. I think I'm going to leave a couple days early-- instead of leaving at the end of the week, I'll leave after class on Tuesday, and go to Rita and Dov's. Then I'll be there until motza"sh or Sunday, and then start MDA. I think that'll be the best. Because I'm really not happy at Shearim. I think the teachers are great, butt I need more of an equal-level class. Miriam Shaul and Rebbetzin Kaganoff said they could get me a high-level tutor for chavruta time, but...I don't want to have that for only 2 or 3 days...that's not good for me.
I could tutor for those few days-- but is that fair to the person I'm tutoring to give her 2 or 3 days with one person and then the tutor leaves? So I'll talk to Miriam or Esther on Sunday.
I'll talk to Mom in a little bit-- wow, she was supposed to have called already-- and discuss this with her. It was a good thing to try, and I like it, but I'm bored. Maybe I'll try Drisha when I get back to NY, or do some serious chevrusizing (clearly I didn't just make that word up...) when I get back. I'm also looking for different kinds of classes, I think. There was a guest lecturer, Rabbi Manning, for Rebbetzin Pavlov's Level I Hashkafa calss, and he was discussing surrogate motherhood. I went to that one-- with a lot of Level II students as well! That's something I'd like. Midreshet Rachel's afternoon classes are like that, except it's not really designed for jump-in, jump-out. That's the feedback I'll give. I think that this wasn't the right school for me, but sometimes you have to try things that aren't right in order to find what's right.
I know that I do miss learning, and that's something I want to do more of when I get back. Maybe if I was at Shearim for a longer time I'd take up the offer for a tutor, but not this time. I think I'm happier, now that I've made this decision.