Long week!
Well, I wanted to keep this thing more up-to-date (in Kansas City), but life has been a race for the past seven days, and LJ just hasn't been able to keep up. :o)
I'm back in Charlottesville, living in a CHUVA (Cooperative Housing at UVA) House with three other people (+1 boyfriend). I moved in on Sunday, and most of the week was pretty lonely. There was only one other guy here, and we kept opposite hours, so I was always coming home alone, fixing myself dinner, and going to bed without talking to anyone (except friends and family on the phone). However, as of Thursday, I've started to renew my social life. I went to a CHUVA barbecue for a couple hours, then on Friday, I had Shabbat dinner (also at a CHUVA house but with only one other CHUVA person). Today I'm having lunch with Mary, and Sunday I'm going to see Daniel Weiss perform a juggling act. Next week, I'll have dinner with my fellow counselors, dinner with my brother, I'm seeing a play, and I'm going home for the weekend. So, things ar certainly starting to pick up!
On the work side of things, Camp CBI is exhausting. I have about eight rising 2nd and 3rd graders as well as a panoply of kids at before-camp and after-camp. I arrive around 7:30am and leave around 5:30. (Even on the days when I don't do after-camp, I still tutor for an hour or two.) Since I'm so busy during the day, I usually get to bed around 10:30/11:00, so when I don't get home until after 6 (I usually give someone a ride and then find some reason to go to the grocery store - though hopefully less shopping next week), I only have a couple hours of me-time before going to bed! Now I know a little bit of the life of so many Americans who work all day and then come home beat. I don't mind, actually - I'm glad to have the experience. Plus, working with these kids, though a change from my normal routine, is great practice for being a rabbi.
The Camp is really interesting. I have one student who is very loudly assertive about never having said Motzi (blessing over bread) while I have two Orthodox students. It's a very diverse crowd, yet they all play and have fun together. I think I liked Camp Kayitz (Roanoke) more because it had much more of a feel of Judaism about it (rather than just Jewish kids hanging out together). At Kayitz, we had morning services and the theme always had something to do with Judaism. The only Jewish things we've done at Camp CBI so far are a few Hebrew songs that the kids don't understand and a two-hour Shabbat program on Friday. So the focus is much more social than educational, which I see as a lost opportunity. Maybe I'll pass on my comments at the end of the camp.
Anyway, I've got to run off to lunch now. Hopefully I'll be able to update this week if anything exciting happens!
QotD:
Pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni. Pi co lo mi ni pi co! Lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi! Co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni.
~The nonsense song I have stuck in my head
SPDWotD:
I left my SPD at home - check back next week!
I'm back in Charlottesville, living in a CHUVA (Cooperative Housing at UVA) House with three other people (+1 boyfriend). I moved in on Sunday, and most of the week was pretty lonely. There was only one other guy here, and we kept opposite hours, so I was always coming home alone, fixing myself dinner, and going to bed without talking to anyone (except friends and family on the phone). However, as of Thursday, I've started to renew my social life. I went to a CHUVA barbecue for a couple hours, then on Friday, I had Shabbat dinner (also at a CHUVA house but with only one other CHUVA person). Today I'm having lunch with Mary, and Sunday I'm going to see Daniel Weiss perform a juggling act. Next week, I'll have dinner with my fellow counselors, dinner with my brother, I'm seeing a play, and I'm going home for the weekend. So, things ar certainly starting to pick up!
On the work side of things, Camp CBI is exhausting. I have about eight rising 2nd and 3rd graders as well as a panoply of kids at before-camp and after-camp. I arrive around 7:30am and leave around 5:30. (Even on the days when I don't do after-camp, I still tutor for an hour or two.) Since I'm so busy during the day, I usually get to bed around 10:30/11:00, so when I don't get home until after 6 (I usually give someone a ride and then find some reason to go to the grocery store - though hopefully less shopping next week), I only have a couple hours of me-time before going to bed! Now I know a little bit of the life of so many Americans who work all day and then come home beat. I don't mind, actually - I'm glad to have the experience. Plus, working with these kids, though a change from my normal routine, is great practice for being a rabbi.
The Camp is really interesting. I have one student who is very loudly assertive about never having said Motzi (blessing over bread) while I have two Orthodox students. It's a very diverse crowd, yet they all play and have fun together. I think I liked Camp Kayitz (Roanoke) more because it had much more of a feel of Judaism about it (rather than just Jewish kids hanging out together). At Kayitz, we had morning services and the theme always had something to do with Judaism. The only Jewish things we've done at Camp CBI so far are a few Hebrew songs that the kids don't understand and a two-hour Shabbat program on Friday. So the focus is much more social than educational, which I see as a lost opportunity. Maybe I'll pass on my comments at the end of the camp.
Anyway, I've got to run off to lunch now. Hopefully I'll be able to update this week if anything exciting happens!
QotD:
Pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni. Pi co lo mi ni pi co! Lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi! Co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni pi co lo mi ni.
~The nonsense song I have stuck in my head
SPDWotD:
I left my SPD at home - check back next week!