11/8-11/12

Sunday:
I wasn't feeling well so I stayed home from volunteering and slept in. Went to optional Shevet class about freedom and how when you are given freedom you are actually somewhat enslaved because you don't aspire to anything. I was the only American in the class, as opposed to other times when I've been the only American and the only girl. Went to Film class, found out about how our midterm was graded, kinda. My group got an A- on the project we did (an analysis of the short film "Toyland") and I got an A for the Midterm grade. We watched a movie called "The Gray Zone". It was pretty graphic and unsettling, more so than any of the movies we have watched so far. Earlier in the day my room (Katie, Julia, Anna, and I) cleaned the apartment. We sweeped and washed and squeegeed the place. It still didn't look very clean but it was an improvement. We have had some cleaning issues here. We make schedules but people don't clean on their days. It's gross and frustrating but hopefully it won't be a problem in Bat Yam where we pick who we live with. [Currently in the apartment there are 15 girls, originally we had 16 but one was asked to leave...That's a fun story on it's own. ANYWAY so originally we were split into two groups for our stipends but it got hectic since we only had one fridge and we had to buy communal items. So we put the stipends together. This didn't work either because it's impossible to shop for 16 girls. So we were given another, smaller fridge and spilt into 2 groups again. My group is me, Katie, Julia, Anna, Rachel, Jessica, Britty, and Emilie-Rose. Things work out pretty well now, we cook and eat together usually.] So we had an apartment meeting that night, like we do every week, with our madricha Moran. She's great. People actually acknowledged that the apartment was a lot nicer and cleaner, but since then no one had actually cleaned on their days.

Monday:
I went to volunteering, the other two girls assigned to my volunteering were both sick on the same day. Yea, right. I should explain how my volunteering has worked out. It was originally me and this other girl. She never showed up so they moved her to a different placement. Then a friend of mine was placed there, but he had allergic reactions to the farm plus he didn't really get along well with the people in charge. Now two girls have been assigned to the farm but they don't want to be there and the farm doesn't really want them there either. Since there are only a few weeks left they have to stay. What this all means for me is that the people who work at the farm
(Chaggai, the manager, and Daniella) love me and think I have this wonderful work ethic and am very responsible. So I'm sort of spoiled there now, especially since I've been sick for a while now. It's unsaid, but it seems I'm given the preferable work. I don't love the work I do at the farm, but I do feel appreciated and enjoy going there.
ANYWAY. So on Monday I went in and made the iguana salad and cleaned her water. I cleaned the rabbit/guinea pig/parrot/mice/rats cages and fed them.
In Ulpan we were doing oral presentations for our midterms. Mine was on Chassan Nassrallah. I thought I was prepared but when I got up there it seemed I forgot the language. It probably wasn't as bad as I thought but it definitely was not too good. I'm not so worried because my other grades in the class are good but it was embarrassing. The person who had Tzipi Livni showed up the youtube video "livni boy" (not sure about spelling..) it was hilarious, check it out. Went to Zionism through the Arts and talked about music. I think my cellphone broke. No wait, it broke Sunday, I called to get a new one because I couldn't hear when people called me. I relieved it that night. Jessica's mom and bubbe were in town and they took our group out to dinner to Caffit on Emek Refaim. They were so nice, her bubbe does not look like a bubbe. I got mushroom ravioli- it was amazing. We all had a great time.

Tuesday:
Went to the Israel Museum. Saw some cool sculptures, one looked like a banana with glasses. Went to a "secret room" with a huge open ceiling. Saw a mini copy of the old city during the time of the second temple. Dead Sea Scrolls. Went to Wolfson Med Center with Katie and Julia because Julia needed to pick up meds. On the way home we stopped at Tal Bagels and saw Laura working. It was so nice to see her, I'm gonna miss her so much. We went home and ate leftovers from last night. Then we went to the Galid Shalit tent where they always have volunteers counting the days he's been in captivity. 1,234 as of this day. After this Katie, Britty and I went to Yael's sem, Nishmat, for an Ethiopian festivial thingie. It was really cool and we got some yummy food- took home SO MUCH pita I don't even understand how we got it all back with us. Been very homesick lately.

Wednesday:
Started antibiotics this morning. Have been on cough and congestion meds for ten days, they didn't work. Slept badly because of my cough so I wasn't feeling too great in the morning. Went to volunteering anyway. When I got there the people who work there asked me how I was doing and I said I was fine and good to work but I obviously wasn't. They told me it was okay if I went home and even called my volunteering madricha, Emma, who also insisted I go home. They gave me some herbs to make tea and I left. I got home and showered and relaxed until Katie came home from her volunteering at the Biblical Zoo. We ate pitas, peppers, avocado, chummus and Deena's homemade matbucha. The apartment was going grocery shopping but I stayed home since I wasn't feeling well. I was gonna wake up when they came back to help put everything away but no one wanted to wake me up, apparently I looked too cute...ha. I started this blog when I finally woke up, most of my friends were at Machenae Yehuda shopping. At
7 Shevet girls went to a seminary and learned about vegetarianism from different torah and rabbinc sources. Came home and finished writing my last entry. Called Ema to say hello. Went to bed.

Thursday:
I was chosen with about 10 other people to go to a JNF 9/11 Ceremony. We left this morning at 9:30 and were there 'till around 2 or 3. There was a ton of important people there but I couldn't appreciate being there that much since I'm not really familiar with who's who in Israel...Hopefully I'll get an email or someone will write about the day so I can tell my mom who I saw, as I'm sure she would be able to appreciate it. We got back and had an auction to raise money for tzedakah. Soon we are gonna eat dinner and then go to our Art teacher's new exhibit at Merkaz Hamakshimim, a Haddassah place. Going to Jenene's tomorow for shabbat, hopefully will meet with Yael earlier in the day to hang out and maybe have breakfast together.