Drisha update/shabbas

[theyellowhobbit]

So I never talk about Drisha in here. I don't know why. Maybe I'm just lazy or something.

So second session started. They only have 2 gemara classes, which presented me with a dillemma, since I was in intermediate talmud. Day 1 I tried beginner's, but it moved so slowly. So then I tried advanced. And surprisingly, I can keep up, especially since most of class is shiur, and we hardly have chevruta. And if you don't finish in chevruta they just go over it in shiur. we spent an entire week on one sugiyah.

I stayed for night seder on wednesday, which meant I was learning until 9pm. we were doing crazy aggadata. people lost their eyes [in the story].

I also moved up to advanced tanach. I might also try advanced halacha, depending on how adventurous I feel.
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So I went to RI for the weekend, for the Kotlen family reunion. I was exempt from all of the activities on Friday night and saturday because of shabbat, which Jeremy and I spent on the East Side of Providence, where all the frummies live.

Friday night we made an early shabbas at the Yavner's. I decided, on a whim, to go to services, even though they never sing in providence, ever.

and lo, and behold, they sang everything. like everything that could eb sung, they sang. a complete carlbach service. I didn't believe it! every time they sang a song I was like "i bet that's it, they're not singing the next one" and then they did!!!!

I was the only girl, which was a bit annoying when all the men were dancing, but oh well. I got a carlbach service and none of the other women in RI did.

Before services started [when they had no minyan yet] I talked to Rabbi Balori, who Aaron knew from when he used to live in Baltimore, and told him that I had met Aaron and that he wanted to be in touch with Rabbi Balori. Yes, I remember everything. That was my one nice deed of the day. I'm so nice.

Then we had dinner at the yavner's, which was fun. And the food was even better than normal, because Esta made all thesereally good things she usually doesn't make, like potato kugel.

then jeremy went back [he was staying at the diamonds] with esta and yisroel walking him, and i read the rest of Magic Steps and then i went to bed.
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I thought with all the sleep i got that it was going to be 10:00 when i woke up, but really it was 8. which meant i got to services in time to hear the second half of torah reading.

then was lunch at the diamonds'. surprisingly, i got to meet the diamonds' 18-year-old son, Avi [usually the community is strict about guys and girls not talking to eachother].

then i went back, and went on another reading splurge, finishing Street Magic. So there's the first half of "The Circle Opens" quartet by Tamora Pierce. Perhaps I can finish the third book, Cold Fire tonight.

I went back to the diamonds' for shalshuddis at 7. And then I played fluxx with chani and ruchama, because what shabbas is complete without fluxx?

then shabbat ended, and we had to get back to the hotel, which was a bit of an adventure. i only knew how to get there from the highway, so we had to go around twice. but we found it.

Jeremy was supposed to do havdallah, but we got to teh hotel at 11, and most people were going to bed by then. I missed the group picture *tear* [/sarcasm]. so after being there for 2 minutes i was given permission to go home and sleep.
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Today we had the picnic at our house. most of the time i was inside. my cousins Joclyn and Elizabeth like anime, so we were watching "X" inside. It's one of those ones about the world ending. That seems to be a common anime theme.

then me, jon, jeremy, Joclyn, and Elizabeth all went to best buy, so jeremy could get an ipod for his friend in israel.

people went out for dinner. of course, there are no kosher restaurants in RI, so Jeremy and I didn't go. but we found the stash of marzipan, and had that, plus cashews and sparkling grape juice for dinner.

then everyone came back, and we watched fireworks, which we could see quite well from my parents' room on the 9th floor of the holiday inn.

the end, for now, until another update.