Finally the program I have been waiting for

Today we had a full day of school. I was too lazy and tired to get up and actually go to breakfast so I ate some of the banana bread Grammy had made me. In Hebrew we had our midterm, It was ok. In jewish history we learned about Poland. Then since I still had leftovers in my room from the night mom and I ate in tel aviv, I ate lunch in my room and finished my homework. Then I went to normal classes. I didn’t have math today b/c my teacher was sick so I had 5th period off. Then I had class with David. Then dinner and then we had a program. None of us originally wanted to participate in the program but it ended up being the best program. It started with trust exercises that none of us took seriously but then we sat in a circle, turned of the lights, got a piece of paper with someone’s name, and passes a string from person to person creating an EIE Fall 2010 web. What happened was that a person got the string, said something about them no one knew, and then said something about the person whose name they had, and then passes the string. We ended up going an hour over on our program time but no one cared. It made us bond so much more. Tonight we had the program I had been waiting for.

All day tiyul= tired

This morning we had early wake up b/c we had a full day tiyul. We got on the bus around 7:30 and had about a 2-hour ride up north to a crusader castle. So obviously we learned about the Christian crusaders. We had a packed lunch of pita, veggies, schnitzel, hummus, apples and some other snacks and then got on the bus for a drive further north up to safed (idk if that is the right spelling- I have seen it spelled 3 ways today). While we were there was learned about the creation of Kabbalah (I have also seen 3 spellings for this today). Then they gave us some free time to shop in the artist colony. There were so many pretty and creative things (candles and calligraphy), but don’t worry I didn’t buy them. Around 6:15 we got on the bus and drove for an hour until we stopped for dinner. Then we got back on the bus and drove back to Tzuba. We got back around 10 and then had to study and shower and such

p.s. sorry i didn't write a lot, i can barely keep my head up

has it really been 10 days?

Today was a regular school day. In Hebrew we learned that our midterm was moved to Thursday so today was review day. Ariella wasn’t here so our class was split up between the other 2 classes for Jewish history. Then we had our general studies. In an effort to have more time to work, I ate leftovers from dinners out with grammy, poppy, and mommy for lunch. Then I went to my classes. After physics I went to visit mom to see what they had bought while shopping in Jerusalem. Then I went back to my classes. I ended up not having extra econ. with d sol so I went to spend a little more time with grammy, poppy, and mommy. Then at 7 we had banquet for the parents. It was in the Belmont lobby with real and actually good food. After speeches and eating and the parents taking pictures we had about 20 min. to say goodbye. I gave grammy a few final things to take home and then their cab came. It was sad to see them go but also kinda enjoyable. All I really know is that the last 10 or so days went by really quickly but I enjoyed being able to spend time with mom, grammy, and poppy. Then we had announcements and found out that the Israeli kids EIE partnered with are not coming this weekend. We were all relieved b/c we have SAT prep and midterms and SAT/SAT2s to study for. Then we had free time/homework time and pretty soon it was rooms in. So as usual my roommates and I did Hebrew homework together and relaxed. Now we are trying to get homework done and get to bed b/c we have early wake up tomorrow.

Day off

This morning I woke up to- Rachel you have to go get your flu shot. Well no one had told my roommate Rachel and I that we were getting shots this morning. So we went to get our shots at 8, still in pjs. We ended up having to wait 15 min after the shot before we could leave thus leaving us with 10 min. to get ready to go on our day off with our parents. I went on the parent’s trip to tel Aviv. This morning we had a tour of tel Aviv’s history but none of the kids that went cared, so we played on playgrounds and ate ice cream instead of paying attention. Then we went to a lunch with all the parents (at an actual restaurant) and shopping. Shopping went well but it wasn’t Ben Yehudah Street so there wasn't really nice Judaica to buy. At 4 mom and I got in a cab and went to her friends office so she could beprepped for her speech. After she prepped we left for tel Aviv University (where mom was giving her speech). Her speech started at 6 and she did a really good job. While she spoke I wrote an English paper and listened to her. After her speech and everything that came with it, her friend drove us to the mall. We (mom and I) ate at a diary restaurant in the mall and then had a cab pick us up. During the ride back to Tzuba we went over my essay and vocab. When we got back we had a half hour in which I looked though my clothes to make sure there wasn’t anything else I wanted her to take and she read my English papers from the year so far. When she left, I did math homework and a little Hebrew but didn’t get to much done b/c what do u know we were told by a madrachim to turn of the lights.

so much for forever

Today was an interesting day. We woke up this morning and went on a tiyul about Islam. We spent the morning talking to an imam and learning a little bit about Islam and Muslim people. At around 11:30 we got on the bus and went to another Muslim village for lunch. We had all you can eat falafel. It was really good! After lunch we went back to Tzuba and started general studies. Mom, grammy and poppy, sat in on some of my classes and at 6 when I was done we went into Jerusalem. We were dropped of at Ben Yehudah Street and went shopping for a while. Mommy bought me a really pretty hanukkiah ( we decided I would get one that I would have for the rest of life) and we bought some other presents. But then we all started to get really hungry. So we went to dinner at an amazing restaurant. It was a kosher restaurant but rather then choosing one for the restaurant to focus on they just had 2 sides to the restaurant. We choose to eat in the meat area. They brought out grilled veggies and bread to start. Then I had broccoli (for the first time in months- it was wonderful). Then our main dishes came. Poppy and I had steak and mom and Grammy shared a steak, teriyaki and noodle thingy. It was all soo good! And I even got mom’s leftovers to take home. Then disaster struck. I was getting all our bags so we could leave and my hanukkiah fell out of the bag. It split into a million pieces! I was so upset! Mommy felt bad b/c she knew that she should have warned me it wasn’t fully wrapped and such but I still felt/feel terrible. Mom and I ran back up to he store to see if it was still open but it wasn’t. To try and make me feel better grammy, mommy and poppy made me get ice cream and it kinda worked. Then we went searching in the other stores to try and find the same hanukkiah. We found almost the same exact one but the guy in the store wasn’t very nice. Then we called the cab to come get us cause I couldn’t stand searching anymore for the night. When we got back to Tzuba I hung out with mommy for a while and then went to my room. Now I am writing this and am still sad and feel bad.

No gifts just ice cream

Because today was Saturday we got to sleep in (woohoo!) Then we had services and lunch. Then I wrote my English essay and hung out with mommy. At 6 we had havdalah and then dinner. After dinner we went to an outdoor mall. Mommy was expecting to buy gifts for people but we don’t go to malls like that, we just go places that have American stores, ice cream, and coffee (it sucks). So Yael and I shared a sandwich cause we didn’t eat dinner and then we all got ice cream. Then we went back to Tzuba and I hung out with mommy for a while. Then we had roomie bonding (aka watching the Jersey shore). Now we are going to bed. Sorry that this is very long, nothing interesting happened today.

We're somehow related- lets eat together

Ok so I just remembered I had to write this. This morning I woke up around 9:15, had breakfast in my room, and got on the bus for our mitzvah project. We went to clean up the beach in Tel Aviv. In actuality when we got there around 11:45 we picked up trash from a bike path in the harbor. After about 45 min of cleaning we got on the bus and went to a mall in Tel Aviv for lunch. I wasn’t very hungry and had leftovers back at Tzuba so I just got a smoothie. At 2 we got on the bus and went back to Tzuba. We only had an hour to get ready for services when we got back and my roommate wanted to shower first cause she takes an hour to get ready so I showered in mom’s room. Before we left, Yael and I finished the leftover pizza b/c we knew we wouldnt be eating for another 4 hours. At 4:15 we got on the bus for services. After services, when we got back to Tzuba, we called the cousins and they came to get us b/c we were having dinner at their house (which is 5 min. from Tzuba). Dinner was really good. And it was cool to talk to them b/c they lived in the U.S. for a few years and so we had a lot to talk about (they too miss Mexican food). I have a feeling I will be seeing them often from now on. (Plus their kids go to school on Tzuba and their grandpa lives on Tzuba so they are here all the time). We got back around 11ish. So mommy came to my room and we tried to think of summer plans b/c she wants to go on a family vacation. Then mom had to go b/c it was 12:30 which was curfew tonight.