Finally, an update
Good afternoon all!
As of yesterday evening I'm home sick. I spent all of Wednesday morning in bed at midrasha and eventually gave up and got on a bus. So here I am, updating at long last.
Before I start, you know, actually updating, I thought that I'd mention that today is כ"ט בנובמבר. I.e, exactly sixty years have passed since the UN voted on forming a Jewish State. (Which, now that I think about it, makes the whole Annapolis thing horrifically ironic.)
So while most things that happen in my life just at this time aren't exactly interesting when conveyed in an LJ post, there are still a few things worth mentioning. First of all, I started taking darbuka lessons. About a month ago, we had a ma'agal metofefim at Bruria on Motzei Shabbat. That is to say, one of the ladies in one of the programs at Bruria is also a musician lady and brought darbukot for everyone and we spent about two hours doing all sorts of stuff with them. (I'll just mention that one of them was sitting blindfolded and playing solos in turn, whatever came to mind.) We had so much fun that said music lady decide to start a darbuka chug once a week. So by the end of the year I should, to a certain extent, know how to play a darbuka. Which is very cool, lol.
Also amusing is that my roommate, Ofri, decided to start a choir that meets once a week. (She has an absolutely amazing voice and has been playing piano for an impressive number of years.) I, being quite aware of my musical talent, or lack thereof, didn't go the first week. I slept instead. :) But the next morning I got some very stern talkings to by my roommates about room solidarity and so on and so forth. Thus it happened that this Monday night I, Naomi Kessler of no musical ability, went to the choir meeting. I came planning to be a spectator only mind you. So while they were doing exercises I laughed myself to tears. (You try watching fifteen girls going neem-neem-neem and keep a straight face, lol.) But once they started singing I joined in, and (wonder of wonders) it was really fun. We were singing a really pretty song, with three kolot (I don't know the official musical terminology in English). I don't think I'm going to go regularly because I don't have that kind of time, but it was certainly an experience, lol.
We spent Shabbat in Efrat with our Ram (HaRav Shuki) which was really fun. Of course, the circuit breaker blew Shabbat morning so we had no platot or refrigerator, but that's besides the point, lol. So lunch was kinda cold, and we had to throw out all the food after Shabbat because it had been sitting out all day. Also of note was the fact that at ten o'clock Michal (a friend of mine who's in charge of Shabbat stuff) asked me if I would be willing to write a dvar Torah for Shabbat. Mind you, we were leaving for Efrat at a quarter to two, and I still had to shower and pack before then. Not to mention the fact that I'd been planning on reading Melachim Bet and finishing masechet Trumot (mishna) during that time (seeing as I had to finish both by Sunday). So instead I spent all morning in the Beit Midrash trying to put something together that wouldn't be horribly embarrassing in front of HaRav Shuki. (Don't worry, it all worked out ok.)
I should also to mention that sunset in the Gush is absolutely amazing. :)
On Motzei Shabbat, we all went to a winery in Kibbutz Tzor'ah to celebrate Emma (my chavruta)'s birthday. (She organized and funded it...) We all had to come wearing something we wouldn't ordinarily wear, so the hour and half between when we got back from Efrat and when the bus to Tzor'ah was leaving was fairly hysterical. (For all those curious, I wore make-up, a short skirt and Uggs. All week people have been bugging me about how I should dress like that all the time, lol.)
Oh, and I've finally learned how to knit. :)
I guess that'll do as an update for now.
But before I go, because the world is beautiful, check out the LJ community photopositive. That's all. :)
Toodaloo!
Me.
--To the borders of infinity and beyond...--
As of yesterday evening I'm home sick. I spent all of Wednesday morning in bed at midrasha and eventually gave up and got on a bus. So here I am, updating at long last.
Before I start, you know, actually updating, I thought that I'd mention that today is כ"ט בנובמבר. I.e, exactly sixty years have passed since the UN voted on forming a Jewish State. (Which, now that I think about it, makes the whole Annapolis thing horrifically ironic.)
So while most things that happen in my life just at this time aren't exactly interesting when conveyed in an LJ post, there are still a few things worth mentioning. First of all, I started taking darbuka lessons. About a month ago, we had a ma'agal metofefim at Bruria on Motzei Shabbat. That is to say, one of the ladies in one of the programs at Bruria is also a musician lady and brought darbukot for everyone and we spent about two hours doing all sorts of stuff with them. (I'll just mention that one of them was sitting blindfolded and playing solos in turn, whatever came to mind.) We had so much fun that said music lady decide to start a darbuka chug once a week. So by the end of the year I should, to a certain extent, know how to play a darbuka. Which is very cool, lol.
Also amusing is that my roommate, Ofri, decided to start a choir that meets once a week. (She has an absolutely amazing voice and has been playing piano for an impressive number of years.) I, being quite aware of my musical talent, or lack thereof, didn't go the first week. I slept instead. :) But the next morning I got some very stern talkings to by my roommates about room solidarity and so on and so forth. Thus it happened that this Monday night I, Naomi Kessler of no musical ability, went to the choir meeting. I came planning to be a spectator only mind you. So while they were doing exercises I laughed myself to tears. (You try watching fifteen girls going neem-neem-neem and keep a straight face, lol.) But once they started singing I joined in, and (wonder of wonders) it was really fun. We were singing a really pretty song, with three kolot (I don't know the official musical terminology in English). I don't think I'm going to go regularly because I don't have that kind of time, but it was certainly an experience, lol.
We spent Shabbat in Efrat with our Ram (HaRav Shuki) which was really fun. Of course, the circuit breaker blew Shabbat morning so we had no platot or refrigerator, but that's besides the point, lol. So lunch was kinda cold, and we had to throw out all the food after Shabbat because it had been sitting out all day. Also of note was the fact that at ten o'clock Michal (a friend of mine who's in charge of Shabbat stuff) asked me if I would be willing to write a dvar Torah for Shabbat. Mind you, we were leaving for Efrat at a quarter to two, and I still had to shower and pack before then. Not to mention the fact that I'd been planning on reading Melachim Bet and finishing masechet Trumot (mishna) during that time (seeing as I had to finish both by Sunday). So instead I spent all morning in the Beit Midrash trying to put something together that wouldn't be horribly embarrassing in front of HaRav Shuki. (Don't worry, it all worked out ok.)
I should also to mention that sunset in the Gush is absolutely amazing. :)
On Motzei Shabbat, we all went to a winery in Kibbutz Tzor'ah to celebrate Emma (my chavruta)'s birthday. (She organized and funded it...) We all had to come wearing something we wouldn't ordinarily wear, so the hour and half between when we got back from Efrat and when the bus to Tzor'ah was leaving was fairly hysterical. (For all those curious, I wore make-up, a short skirt and Uggs. All week people have been bugging me about how I should dress like that all the time, lol.)
Oh, and I've finally learned how to knit. :)
I guess that'll do as an update for now.
But before I go, because the world is beautiful, check out the LJ community photopositive. That's all. :)
Toodaloo!
Me.
--To the borders of infinity and beyond...--