Happy Almost Thanksgiving

It has been a relatively quiet week so far. This is nice because I am learning to appreciate the beauty of "downtime" in this, my post-collegiate life. But, honestly, it makes me a little panicky about not fully taking advantage of Dorot and Israel.

Sunday: Yom Rishon (very confusing, by the way, that Sunday, not Monday, is the beginning of the week)

Shoom d'var. (Nothing). Little bit of reading. Little bit of writing. Little bit of homework. Lots of emails. Lots of resting to recover from my fun-filled weekend in Tel Aviv. Had dinner with my friend Navah. Watched an episode of The Wire with Max.

Monday: Yom Sheini

Hebrew homework. Meeting with Rebecca to start planning our seminar day on the Politics of Archaeology. (I'm embarrassed to admit that I have written this word maybe 50 times since being assigned to this topic and I still have to use spellcheck.) Hebrew lesson with Sharon. First lesson on the future tense. Very difficult. Made banana bread. Ate dinner with Max. (Vegetarian chili he made.) Drank mimosas (pre-shuk pancake party leftovers) with my neighbors upstairs. Talked politics. Watched an episode of The Wire with Max.

Tuesday: Yom Shlishi

Walked neighbors dog. Saved dog from being attacked by very scary cat. Meeting with Mara and Neil (and Rebecca) at Cup of Joe (cafe) to talk out preliminary logistics for Politics of Archaeology Day. Ate delicious muesli and yogurt (on Dorot). Sat in park and read. Learned with Noam Zion. Read the Torah. Talked about the Torah. Talked about the story of Sarah, Avraham, and Hagar (Noam calls it the Troubling Triangle.) Read midrashim (commentaries on and stories about the Torah), literary commentaries, and feminist criticisms on the story of Sarah, Avraham, and Hagar. Ate leftover chili for dinner. Took bus to Pardes for Aviva Zorenberg's weekly Parshat haShavuah (weekly Torah portion) class. Got there late and had to sit in the back. Had trouble concentrating. Watched an episode of The Wire with Max.

Wednesday: Yom Reve'i

Enjoyed full access to Max's computer. (He was volunteering with his co-worker Charlotte, helping 4-year-old Arab students pick olives.) Made contact with AACI/JELLY and might volunteer there. (Association of Americans and Canadiens in Israel/Jerusalem English Language Library for Youth.). Set up meeting for next Sunday. More Hebrew homework. Hebrew lesson. Strugged with past tense. Learned great new word. (I miss someone or something is meet-ga-a-ga-at.) Had unproductive, lazy afternoon. Went to the shuk. Ate dinner with Max. Decided not to go to Hartman Institute Open Beit Midrash. Did lots of paperwork for to get reimbursed by Dorot for things. Will probably watch an episode of The Wire with Max.

I meet-ga-a-ga-at you all!