Arad 9

Week of 5/2

Monday 5/3 – volunteering. They didn’t need me in Orange Beam so I was in Kangaroo with Jessica. Jessica came in late b/c Sunday night after we got back from Tsfat she and Katie went to Be’er Sheva to go to the doctors. Katie got her eye finally looked at by real doctors and Jessica got her extra toe cut off—blister. There was no communal lunch so Tal took us out for falafel. She wouldn’t let us pay.

We just relaxed and packed for a week in Jerusalem

Tuesday 5/4 – MASA – Everyone left at 7 AM for Jerusalem for a Mega MASA event. B/c of BFL and David Project, nothing was new for me. The speakers were still good. The Hillel Lady, Esther, did the same lecture that she did for us during BFL. All the BFL swarmed her before hand to calm her down and just say hi. Natan Shransky spoke which was amazing. We then had the BFL graduation. Katie, Jessica and them sufficiently embarrassed me. They were worse then mom, only b/c they were able to get closer b/c we weren’t that many people. Jordana and someone from a different BFL group spoke. We got the brochures of our projects; it is so cool to see them in print and everyone else’s projects. It makes it more real. There was lunch of falafel or other booths. It was really nice being with all three sections and other programs for the day. There were booths with different organizations that will be on our college campuses. We saw Zeev from David Project who was excited to see us—such good hugs—and was excited that we are going to the fellowship this summer. But apparently if I decide to go to IDC I cant go. But his brother is a professor at idc so I should go there. We will see what happens. Dinner was a really bad sandwich. We saw Britty—she doesn’t want to go to GW anymore, she wants to join the army. I always knew that she’d make Aliyah but I was surprised that she is giving up GW. Man I miss that girl. We just relaxed, got tickets for the show and went through security. Security was tight because Bebe Netanyahu is coming to talk to us. Jess and I went through security and since we had our tickets we went in and just sat down. We were sitting there for like 20 mins before we got kicked out—they were doing sound and what not. We went out, and just laid down on the grown before we were actually allowed to go in. When everyone was settled inside someone introduced Natan Shransky who talked for a bit and then introduced Netanyahu. It was so cool to hear him speak! We then watched a clip of Crystal Ariel, who MASA has followed for a bit throughout her adventures on Nativ. She is a friend of Britty that we know. The HaDag Nachash concert was lots of fun. Mike was drunk, which was very surprising. The concert ended and we said bye to the scouts. They were there for the concert, but had their own stuff during the day.

Jessica, Katie, Naomi, Hailey, and I stayed in Jerusalem. All of the arts kids had stuff in Jerusalem the following day and for the rest of us. we are just never in Arad.

Weds – 5/5 – Cinco De Mayo – Jessica and I woke up at about 10, showered and went to the Coffeeshop to blog and have a nice breakfast. We didn’t leave till past 2. It was Grandpa’s Yartzite and Jenny’s English Yartzite. So I didn’t go out the night before with Hailey and Michal. Jessica and I went back to Katie’s to drop off the computer and then walked to the Shook to buy candy for Boaz and banana clips for our hair. We then walked to Ben Yehuda so that Jess could buy a shot glass for Lori. While there, there was some kind of dance competition. We watched that for a bit then when back to Katie’s where we started Alice in Wonderland.

Weds night was Boaz’s induction ceremony at the Kotel. Jessica got a ride with his family so that they could get there early while Katie, Elana, Naomi, Orly and I walked there a bit later. We got there and it was pretty packed. I called Jessica to find out where they were and we finally caught up with her and Boaz’s family—grandpa, dad, mom, brother and two sisters. As usual, I’m too short to see what is going on. Elana went on katie’s shoulders for a bit to take some pictures. I had to put katie’s hoops in my ears. My ears were almost closed, need to wear earings more often. After the ceremony where all of the soldiers run up and receive their guns we all gathered and took many pictures. Katie snuck one of jess and boaz kissing. We had some chips and then separated from each other. Awkwardly we keep running into boaz’s family on the way out. We went through mamilla, and I got an aroma sandwich. We didn’t get back to Katie’s till like 11 so we just stayed in and relaxed. Other people filtered in at different times and eventually we all went to sleep.

Thursday 5/6 – We all woke up at different times. Elana left at like 5 so that she would make it back to arad in time for the ropes course siyuur—the rest of us just didn’t care to go back to Arad. We finished watching Alice in Wonderland. Jessica, Katie and I left to go meet Moran on Emek Refaim for brunch for her BIRTHDAY! We were planning on buying her a balloon or something. We figured that we would find a place that sold balloons. Katie ran into an old rabbi and talked to him for a bit while we went to go find a balloon. We went to a shop that has plants. They had balloons but you need to blow them up yourself. The three of us took turns blowing it till it got big enough. We tied it and set out on our way to CafeCafe. It POPPED! on our way over. We were so upset. We collected the pieces and still continued. We sat down, Moran wasn’t there yet, and decided that we would order a dessert now to surprise her later. So Katie went to the “bathroom” (kitchen) to look at them when Moran was coming in. We had a lovely brunch. Jessica and I shared French toast and Muesli. Katie jess and I finished off Moran’s French toast. Katie hints to me that I need to go to the bathroom. Oh, that’s right, excuse me please. Katie can you help me find the bathroom please? Ughhhh. Okay. So we tell them that we want the waffle. I do go to the bathroom. Moran asks if we should get the check and go. No, I’m not ready yet. Then comes out the Belgian waffle with Birthday Happy written on it. Boy, was that yummy. We then take some pictures and get the bill. We don’t let Moran pay but we do let her use her frequent member card thing that got us 10% off. We leave and take another picture on the way. We all go back to Beit Ar El and on the way we ran into Nathan Chesterman and Scott Rothschild. They didn’t know that it was Moran’s bday. Everyone was going to class. We went to go bother people—madrichim and staff—but only b/c they love us.

We go to the office looking for Boaz. He isn’t there. Jess makes him a sign while Katie and I talk to Joel and Judy re Cairo and getting more Passports. We are allowed to go to Cairo if our parents approve. Yeah, right. So we scratch cairo off our plans but we still want Petra…yeahh next weekk!!!. It keeps getting bigger and more complicated which I don’t like. Joel didn’t like it that we were in Beit Ar El and not Arad but we explained for the millionth time how stupid the schedule is. On Weds there is only Hebrew for an hr so why would I be there? Lunch and learn is optional and its not the same with out BG. This weeks siyyur to the ropes course just doesn’t interest me.

I left Beit Ar El to meet up with Sharon for coffee at the CBS before she had to go to Tel Aviv to see her family. We caught up. She invited me for Shabbat but I have plans. It was really nice catching up with her. I went back to Beit Ar El. The girls were in our old apartment—the Shalem boys’ apartment. Katie was cleaning, b/c she said she would if they friended her on FB. But b/c Ezra doesn’t have FB he can’t friend her and therefore she doesn’t need to clean it. But she still helped out just b/c she is Katie. Jessica was blogging. The boys kept teasing her b/c she was there for so long. I read for a bit and then we left. From like last week we were planning on getting sushi at Sushi Rechavia, for old times sake. The only problem was when. We decided to get sushi on Emek Refaim instead of Rechavia. So we split a veggie and tamakura? Combination—something that we used to split between 4 people (+Britty) now by three people. It was so much sushi! So good. Then we walked back to Katie’s to quickly change and go to the Kotel for another induction ceremony. Katie Hailey and I went.

So a couple of weeks ago we had a siyyur to an IDF Nachal Base by Arad, where we met a bunch of Lone soldiers. Some of them we knew before hand, some were new and what not. Anyways, it was all their ceremony last night. We got there a bit late, but we saw the same ceremony the night before, but we kept running into everyone: Myles, Nate, two Joshes, Jeremy, Aaron, Shoshy, and others. It was so nice seeing everyone. They were happy that we came b/c they don’t have family here. They are each other’s family now.

I was planning on maybe seeing Shawna for some coffee but she was too tired, but I will see her sometime before I leave for home, less than a month :(

So we went home. Relaxed, and changed. I talked to my parents and seth for a bit. Katie and Hailey made banana bread that we would have for breakfast for fri morning and then we went out. Hailey and I got 7 shck beers. We saw a bunch of kids. Almost all of sec 2 was in Haifa at a big party at UltraSound so there wasn’t much YC out. The beginning of the night we were with Yosef and Yoni till they left. I was with Naomi and some of her friends—Josh, Levi and someone else who’s name I can’t remember. Levi I know from preschool, Levi Morrow. Eventually all the soldiers came out. They were all drunk!! Jeremy was burnt and really red and kept singing Erev Tov Lach. They were all just adorable. We were hanging out a lot with Nate and his sister, Emily. They hadn’t seen each other in a year. It made us really miss our siblings. We saw Mikey—he is leaving for home on Sunday. That almost made me cry. Not that it was Mikey, but some of us—us that have been here from the start, not gotten kicked out, are leaving…it makes it more real that the end of Year Course is coming.

We went home at like 3ish and went to sleep.

Friday 5/7 – We all woke up at different hours and people left. Naomi for her aunt’s. Jessica for Boaz’s. Katie and Hailey went to the shook to buy stuff for Shabbat. I stayed in and just relaxed and worked on some stuff for Petra and blogged. Tonight we are having Shabbat dinner here and then walking to Beit Ar El to hang out with some of the Shalem kids. I talked to Cara for a bit and that was really nice, I miss her! I’m game for a chill Shabbat since we have been so crazy busy and the last couple of weekends have been nuts!

[(Added 5/28) At the Shalem boys apartment—our former apartment in Jerusalem we hung out on our old balcony. Ari and I realized that we have all the same friends back home and talked about going on a road trip this summer…only problem is that neither of us have cars. People came and went and eventually Mike came by. I talked with Mike for like ever. Katie and I stole toilet paper and walked home together.

Satuday 5/8 – We went to Katie’s neighbor for kiddish. It is so interesting listening to old ladies who made Aliyah years and years ago bash people back home and the liberal people. I’m from California so I must be going to Berkeley and participating in that craziness. We went back to Katies and just relaxed all day.

Shabbat Shalom L’Kulam!