I love great weekends

On Thursday night, I went out with a few of the girls to a club after some drinks at a bar. The occassion? Ushering in the sweet month of December with a vow that it would be more exciting than November (though really, it's never boring here). Usher it in we did, with some drinks, dancing, and new 'Raeli friends. The revelry only ended at around 3:30 am, at which point we made our way home. I love my friends here so much - every minute is another ridiculous story. We can argue the merits of being a Diaspora Jew and a Zionist over a well-prepared dinner one evening, and act like freshmen sorority girls and take absurd photo montages the next.
I woke up on Friday at around 13:30 (time here is military, remember - which, after a few weeks of quick frustrating math in my head and being late to class, I've grown to love and see the merits of) and got ready to go out. I spent Shabbos with my Orthodox cousins in Har Nof, a religious area of Jerusalem - Tzvi, Mimi and their eight boys. I arrived all decked out in long skirt and high neck, and from the beginning it was like it had been only last week that I spent time with them, not 6 years - I saw them at the Bar Mitzvah a month ago, but we weren't able to really talk, of course. They are such warm, welcoming people, and I find it really incredible how they both have full-time jobs and a home to take care of and studying to do, and yet are such loving, attentive parents to each of their children ... and to the many others which constantly come in and out. The kids themselves are great - I spent more time with the younger ones since the older ones were away at Yeshiva, and by the end we were playing with magnets and trucks, they were laughing at my accent (their Hebrew is SO Ashkenazic it's hard to understand) and they were exposed for the first time to a nose ring (which then became my nickname - lovely). Dinner was fantastic, and it was so wonderful being all together and having stimulating conversation with everyone there - 6 of the 8 boys, Tzvi and Mimi, and two other guests around my age from a neighbouring yeshiva. Turns out one of them is my cousin, of course. I stayed with them overnight - my roommate was Yona, the five year old, who woke me up early by jumping on me, giggling and chanting 'Ring! Ring Ring!' Shabbat was filled with playing with the kids, talking to Mimi, many meals between the prayer times, and some truly invigorating 'downtime,' which involves everyone settling down to nap, curling up with a book, starting a game of chess, or in my case, a bit of all three. I ended up trying to explain Gary Larson comics to the youngest cousins. Have you ever tried to do that, especially to kids whose first language is not English and couldn't recognize political satire if it bit them? It's funny.
I left after Havdallah , which was a beautiful, quick ceremony - the lights were turned off as the blessing over the candles was said, and it was lovely. I could truly feel the spirituality invested in it. Immediately as it was over, lights were turned off, music was turned on, cell phones came out, and the honking began. Shabbos was a real rest, in every sense of the word. It feels so meaningful to truly celebrate the Shabbos as commanded, and though it's not something that I could do on a regular basis as I'd feel hypocitical not believing in the full message of it and the charge from which it came, I enjoy it so much.
I went back to my apartment to shower and change, then took a shuttle to Tel Aviv to meet up with camp Mishlachat. We went to Daniel's house - 'we' was Talya, who I have seen twice since coming here, and Shaki and Alechko who I hadn't seen yet and from whom I got those fabulous hugs I always look forward to. We had a great time reminiscing and catching up on what we've been doing since camp - and I got to hear some crazy stories from the summer to which I was not party but had heard rumours of, and last night was privileged with full epics, reenactments and all. I stayed over at Daniel's, and we had a wonderful time just watching TV (I love Hebrew subtitles) and talking, and then he drove me back in the morning - he lives in the building beside me since he's a Hebrew U student as well.

The UNHCR staff are all in Morocco for a conference this week, so I'm not going in to work on Monday. I'm taking advantage of it to do some work, go to the gym before the 17:00 rush, and go downtown to do a few errands then meet up with a few friends for some gift shopping. Chanukkah is fast approaching, and though I won't be able to give gifts to all, I'd like to find some special items for a few people.

Seems like it should be a good week - Rothberg talent show (which is going to be hysterical), some live music and a dinner planned, a possible Haifa trip this weekend, working on my paper about the Sinai Campaign, and some more work on the things I do all the time ... ie. try to figure out my future, only to change it the next day.
I'm trying to accept the fact that it seems as though volunteering in Africa during the winter break is just not going to work out. The plane tickets are so expensive, which is a bit ironic when you think about the fact that the majority of people on the continent live on less than a dollar a day. Sad that wanting to help has to be cost-prohibitive. But that's all right - I know that I'll get there to volunteer someday, and for a longer time. During the break I'll volunteer around the country, perhaps get a job if I can find one and can get my visa, and the few friends who are also staying here over the break are planing some great trips around this fair land. I can also work on a few of my longer-term projects then.

So, I wish for all of you strength to deal with the above-average amount of absurdity in the Canadian government this week (Stephan Dion on the 4th ballot?? Quebec is a 'nation within a nation'??) and a shavua tov.