Thursday, February 29, 2009

10:48 am

Had a tiyul yesterday to the South. We were supposed to go to Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. But there was flash flooding a couple days ago and an American tourist was killed, so Ein Gedi and Nachal David, the path to it, are closed. So we went to the Hidden Waterfall (Mapal HaNistar) via Nachal Arugot. It was pretty-- and it was dry hiking, water, and through trees. Very pretty. The mapal itself was refreshing! There were a lot of groups there, but it all worked out nicely. Not everyone went in, but most people did.

Then we went to the Dead Sea, ate lunch, then went in. A few of us went to find mud, but I ended up going only halfway and turning back because I didn't have shoes...So I hung out with everyone who just went in. The water felt weird-- like you were going to tip over if you moved or twisted your body. I had a couple of small cuts, but they didn't burn too badly-- just stung a bit when I got out. I also got a couple small cuts on the way out-- toes and L hand. More annoying thatn anything else, really.

When we went to change, there was some woman outside charging a shekel to go into the bathroom and 8 to shower...Laurie and I were like, "Our wallets are at the bottom of our bag. We'll pay you when we leave." But she was being a pain and--uch. Just stupidity.

Then we got back on the bus and came back to Jerusalem. I pit-stopped at the MDA station to try to donate blood, but they closed at 5, and it was close to 6. Then I was going to go home, but as I walking by the tachanah I saw one of the girls from the tiyul who was waiting for 2 others, and the four of us went to the shuk and hung out. I might be going to one of the girls next Shabbat. Yay!

What else...oh, yeah, I want to do the madrichim course, which is in May. But I have to be back here for Shana's wedding in June...so maybe I'll come for the madrichim course and stay her euntil the wedding, then go back and start working. Because I"m getting back to the US at the end of March. If I take my boards in the middle of April, I won't get my score until the end of April-beginning of May, then I have to wait for the licensure paperwork to go through, which takes a while. so I can't start working until the middle of June probably anyway. So I might as well do this. Now the money issue...let's see how THAT goes...

February 5, 2008

9:04 am
About to finish the Navi shiur. So- a lot to talk about: Sunday night-- Adele's wedding. A girl from Shearim got married and many of the people from Shearim went to dance-- we all looked so different! Really good! In school you just-- come. Some people put on make-up, but for the wedding everyone got dressed up. The wedding was really nice-- my first Israeli wedding.

Yesterday, Monday, Feb. 4, about 25 of us went to a few of the kvarot up North-- Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess, the Rambam, Rabbi Akiva and the Ramchal, and Amuka. It was incredible. You felt the holiness and spirituality at the kvarot, like it was tangible. Wild. (addition, not in my handwritten journal: I wish I had better words for it, but I don't. It was a spirituality and kedusha, but instead of those being abstract concepts, there was almost a tangible quality about it-- it was in the air, and you could feel it on your skin. I really wish I had proper words for it.) Rabbi Levy came and brought his son Moshe.
--Rabbi Pavlov just told us about a pigua in Dimona-- there were two bombers. The first one blew himself up in a cafe, and one woman was killed and her husband severely injured

12:03 pm
(continuing) There was an MD at his clinic nearby, and after the pigua, he went to treat the wounded, and the first person he found was wearing explosives. So he backed away and called someone, and there was a senior police officer there, and he shot the person 4x, and then the guy wasn't dead, so he shot him again. Really-- hashgacha pratit.

Okay, so back to the kvarot-- We went to Rabbi Meri Ba'al HaNess first, then we drove to to the Rambam's kever, then to Rabbi Akiva and the Ramchal. Rabbi Levy spoke a bit before we went to each kever and told us a bit about each Tzadik. Then we had lunch in Teveriyah, on the boardwalk-- it was great weather-- sun, warm-- by the way, I now understand how you can have all 4 seasons in one day in Israel-- it was winter in the early morning (rainy and cold), spring in the mid-morning (sunny and cool-warm), summer in the afternoon (sunny, very warm), and fall in the evening (cool, crisp). That was a cool experience. Overall the weather was perfect.
Oh, there was a really cool...phenonemon, for lack of a better word. There's a spot in the forest on the way to Amuka where the road angles/slopes down, but if you put the car (vehicle) in neutral, it goes backward-- up the slope. Logically, if the road slopes down and your car is in neutral, the car should go down-- gravity. But on this road, the car goes up. THAT is not normal-- that is supernatural. And wild.
After we got back, I had a yoga class in my apartment; a few people came, and it was good- a good class. As that was going on, the 6th floor was moving up...and that happened all night. Including moving beds. Bracha and Shelly moved one of the beds from downstairs upstairs. The fun part was getting it into the room and moving around the other two beds-- in and out of the room-- including bruises, pokes, and smushed hands. Anyway, sof davar, the beds are in and Bracha and Shelly were up until 5:30 and 4:30 am respectively. Oh, and another girl moved in. So now the apt. has 6 girls' stuff in it-- and there is so much STUFF there and it...looks like moving day.
Well, I have to pack up my stuff today, I'm glad it's a 1/2 day.
Speaking of packing, I'm going to Rita and Dov's tonight! And Sunday I start MDA...and I might not be able to extend my insurance through MDA, which would be a problem because then I won't have Israeli insurance for ~2 weeks...not good. And this pen is dying, so I'm going to end here.

Im Memory of Fred the Treif Bug

10:21 am
In Parshat Toldot class. Rebbetzin Friedman said she’d try to find me a chavruta who’s at my level, which would be nice. I don’t know—I may not end up staying the third week.

In other news, we may not be going on the tiyul (hike/trip) tomorrow. We’re supposed to go down to the Negev, to Nachal Tamar, Har Sedom, and Yam HaMelach. BUT it’s suppose dto rain, which mean flash flooding, which is not for tiyulim (hikes/trips). So the school will decide by lunchtime today.

12:35 pm

In Mussar, by Rebbetzin Tavin. I talked to Sandie also—I think I’m going to ask Miriam if I can tutor during the first class Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday. And Parsha maybe.

I like some of the classes—Interpersonal Relationships (M/W), Megillot (Th) is okay—I wish Naomi taught it—Rebbetzin Sperling is good, I just prefer Naomi’s style. Mussar (S/T) is good, too. Well, it’s okay. Halacha—it’s okay, I just know a lot of it—it’s kashrus [now]. Tefillah—eh. Not crazy about the teacher; I might try another class—but it’s a Level I, so it might be too easy aka boredom. We shall see.

3:20 pm

We talked about Fred the Treif Bug! Not specifically Fred, but what happens to your spoon that take the mosquito out with.

Ending with a quote from Rebbetzin Friedman: "You never really hate someone unless you loved them or felt for them"

10:25 pm

Back in my dorm room. So the tiyul tomorrow has been rescheduled to Feb. 24- I’ll already be doing MDA by then—boo-ya. I’m really disappointed—I mean, I’d definitely rather not go on the tiyul if it’s supposed to pour here and have flash flooding in the Negev, but I’d still rather it not pour…ya know? I’ll see what my schedule is when I’m at MDA.

So they’re brining in a speaker—Rabbi Nossel, who is supposed to be really good—knows his stuff and is really engaging. I think his thing is grammar, which could be boring, but apparently he makes it interesting. We shall see.

In other news, I went to Malcha with Rachel and we met up with Bina. Apparently it’s now the Jerusalem mall. Whatever, same thing. I went to look for cargos—I think I hit every clothing store in the mall—really. And There was ONE possibility,a nd the pants legs were really wide—like double the width I needed. So, um, no success. I need Old navy—ooh, I should check out their website and email Mom…good idea. That will be tomorrow’s project. ‘k, off to shower and go shloofy.


*Sara's comment: fred!
yay fred the treif bug!

Also, flash floods aren't fun. MMY was on a tiyul in eilat when it started to rain. Some girls had made it back to the bus, the rest of us ran as soon as it started to drizzle cuz we knew it would pick up quickly. But it was cool being on the bus and watching the rain (really makes you understand "ka'afikim banegev") and then the rainbow afterwards.*