Just want to be done!

Today we had a tiyul but it started at Tzuba. We had a hassidic Jew and his wife come talk to us and answer questions. Some of the kids tried to get into heavy debates with them but we didn’t really have enough time for that. After talking to them we got on the bus to go walk around some Hassidic/orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem. It was interesting to see how everything really centered around being Jewish and the community itself. After the tiyul we went back to Tzuba for general studies/midterms. Luckily I didn’t have any midterms today b/c I was so tired and out of it. After dinner we had announcements and were supposed to find out our roommates for Poland but we didn’t have enough time b/c of SAT English prep. I actually had fun in prep class. After prep class we all ran to the Zula b/c they posted who are roomies would be. I am with Yael! Then I went back to my room, talked to Rachel for a little bit to distress and did some homework. Now I am going to post this and continue studying for my midterms! Woohoo! (not!). I can not wait for this week (all the way until next Sunday when I take the SAT2s again) to be over!

Rain and do nothing days

Yay for Saturdays and staying on Tzuba! I slept until 10:15 and then had services at 11. Then we had lunch and free time until 4. SO I attempted to do homework and got my English essay done! Woohoo! But it also rained last night/today and rain makes me tired so I didn’t really want to do anything. At 4 we had beit midrash which is basically just some sort of religious study. We talked about what the day or rest actually means and what we do at home for Shabbat. Then we had more free time until dinner. Then havdalah. After havdalah we had the choice to either go to the mall or stay at Tzuba. Most kids went to the mall but decided not to. So instead I was able to relax and have some free time and talk to people from home. Then everyone came back and free time continued until rooms in. Then we had roommate bonding (like we do every night). Now we are doing hw/ going to bed.

Happy Halloween!

Today was a great day, even though it started with 3 hours of SAT prep. We had math first and then English. After SAT prep we had study hall (it lasted til 4). I did some homework but still have an essay to write (but it wont take long). I would have gotten more homework done but I was worn out and after SAT prep your mind goes dead. Instead of hw, I got some other stuff done, I sent 2 report a problems to iTunes b/c a song and show I bought wouldn’t download but I got charged for them. I also watched an episode of the good wife, sent a document to mom, decided on a Halloween costume, helped buy snacks for our Halloween party, bought my own Halloween candy, and talked to the cousins and figured out if I could go to dinner tonight (I could/did). At 6 we had services and at 7:30 Shai (cousin) picked me up for dinner. I am so happy I have family within 5 min. of Tzuba b/c home cooked Shabbat dinners are wonderful. Dinner was really good and they could not be nicer. Because today was EIE Halloween (we have midterms to study for on the actual Halloween), and the cousins used to live in the U.S. (aka they celebrated Halloween) I decided to buy Itai and Maya (the kids) kinder eggs as a Halloween treat (they were really happy). I got back to Tzuba to find out that I hadn’t missed any Halloween festivities (I was really happy). So I put the final touches on my costume (I was a Ninja) and went to the party. We took some pictures, had a costume contest, and watched a movie. We watched a movie called Donnie Darko. It was a tad scary and at the beginning I thought I understood what was happening but when we got to the end I was so confused (and now we are all afraid of being confronted by a bunny named frank). Then we went back to our rooms and had some room time. Now I am going to try and un-scare myself so I can fall asleep.

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.