A day in the life of a Yiddish Book Center Intern
Oy,
I was going to write more often and that translated into not writing at all. But, having just read Victoria's blog, I am sufficiently inspired to tell folks what is going on in my life.
The trouble with never updating a journal is that it is hard to know where to start. So, I will start with the schedule for the day:
1) wake up too early. Shower, dress, breakfast, reading. Pack a lunch? But my bread went moldy so that will make things difficult.
2) Go to class. Our verb quizzes will be handed back which will result in laughter or crying. Try to speak Yiddish. Read a page about Yiddish in Yiddish. Talk about Yiddish etymology. Sit next to this really cheerful guy, who will occasionally turn to me with a big smile on his face and a thumbs up - and watch another girl accross the way fall asleep. Drink tea.
3) Go to class. Talk about Jewish female immigrant writers and how they were disadvantaged and what they wrote about and why none of them were able to be famous/sustain success. Talk about the Bund. Nice, young, teacher will make jokes that aren't funny and ask us a lot of questions. Boy who thinks he is funny will make non-funny comments. Other folks will say really smart things. I will drink tea.
4) Go to lunch, which I may or may not have packed. If I have not, I will go to Atkins, a local foods market, and pick something up, and probably buy new bread. If I have packed lunch I will eat it inside in the kitchen because today is cold and rainy. Afterwards I will either sing Yiddish songs or work on reading Yentl in the original Yiddish. Or maybe I will practice for the GRE's, or read a little of my book of Cynthia Ozick essays.
5) Go to the warehouse in Holyoke. We will all get into vans and make our way to Holyoke, listening probably to klezmer music (I'm in an alternative universe where klezmer is the coolest, hippest music to listen to, and I don't listen to it nearly as often as these folks. Where am I?) We have moved to a new system so that rather than putting books in boxes we are marking off which books need to box, since we won't have time to box all of them but this way folks who don't know Yiddish will be able to finish the job because they won't have to know which book is which. I'm working with a fun person that I love to talk to, which is a problem because we don't get much done.
6) go back to the dorms. lay down for a little while, maybe. Do the reading for tomorrow, and probably also for Friday (there is a lot for Friday and my parents are coming tomorrow night to visit) Cook something for dinner, probably involving frozen soy nuggets, cabbage, kidney beans, and cheese, as those are some of my only ingredients (I figure that since I'm leaving soon I don't want to buy new food because it is better to use what I have, but that makes for some interesting meals). Maybe go to the craft store with some folks - if so, the evening may involve being crafty. Incidentally, still have some fingerpaints from a different craft store adventure, and may find someone to play with them with me tonight.
7) listen to country music, or something, and then go back to the klezmer
8) call Daniel.
9) lament that I've eaten all of my cookies and have none for dessert. Maybe walk to Atkins and buy cookies.
10) Go to bed.
Anyway, that is pretty typical for the whole summer. Sometimes the dinner is different. Also, often we have programs to go to - last night I saw a movie called "My Mexican Shiva", the night before I heard a klezmer band. There is a program tonight but I think I need a night to do some reading/cleaning, etc. before Mom and Dad arrive. I haven't seen Dad since January and am very excited for my parents' visit!!
OK - that's all folks, I have to bet ready to go to the Book Center.
As they say in Yiddish, Zayt Gezunt!