weirder dreams

Somehow I was inside peasant's quest, though it was a weird real-life version. I had a sword, and there were all these random people after me. At one point, I was hiding in my basement with Celine.

Then we were in anth class, though the classroom was completely different, and people were reminiscing about the good ol' days when they gave us Chip's Ahoy cookies in school, which they had stopped doing recently.

I talked to the guy sitting next to me, and he had gotten a 39 on his anth test, and he asked to see mine. It turns out that there was a question on the mishnah [yes, this was anthropology...] and I wrote in Hebrew for at least part of the test. The guy was impressed. I'm not sure how professor Urban or Teagan would have graded my test with Hebrew in it, but it made sense in the dream.

Then someone was talking about the cool tableclothes they had at the chinese restaurant, which were disposable, but made out of a cool material, and you could get them for free there. I was considering going in and swiping some for a shabbat meal some time. Then I woke up.

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Having woken up, I decided I needed 10 minutes more of sleep.

I was in Towne now, and they randomly were having another career fair for engineering, and I found the person who gave out the cool light-up pens. I asked the woman there if I could have 2, and she said sure. So I gave one to Avidan, since he had given me his in real life, and the other I was giving to Ari Levine.

The only problem was that it wasn't kosher. Though it's a pen! Which is what I told him, but he said something about maaris ayin [looking like you're doing something wrong, that might cause people to think that something forbidden by halacha is actually permitted, thus causing them to sin] and how the pen looked edible, and someone might think it's kosher. It's a light-up pen! Who would eat a light-up pen?!?!?!

Next time I see Ari, I'll ask him about it, and he'll have no clue what I'm talking about.

A job I'm not sure I'm good for

To any of you who know me in real life- I'd appreciate your input [anyone else can comment, too, but this is a question regarding my personality and ability to do things, and my LJ is not fully representitive of me.]

On Friday on my way down to Maryland, I got a call from Mr. Raskin [of the Providence frum community] asking if I wanted a certain job with an agency that give student loans and donates all the profits to Tzedaka, which pays 11$ an hour. [To give you a comparison, I make 8$ an hour mashing and 6.90/7.10 an hour at Adler's]. He said to call Rabbi Schwartz of the Providence Kollel.

So I called Rabbi Schwartz, who said he was going to the conference on Sunday. His job originally was to find RI people from Brown, Johnson & Wales, etc. And then when he talked to Mr. Raskin, they thought that I might be good for Penn.

I talked to a representative today. Basically the job entails talking to people, going to events, and handing out materials, etc. They even said they would be willing to sponsor events if they're dignified, apolitical, and non-controversial. It's not really so much selling something, since it would be for people who need student loans anyways, and if they're getting the same rate they might as well have all the profits go to Tzedakah. They don't wnat people who don't need loans to take them out, and if the otehr bank gives a better rate, then we tell the person that. They expect 20-25 hours a month of work [so 5-6 hours a week], and understand if there are finals and stuff like that.

2 people [Elie Gitler and Josh (something or other)] are already representing Penn, though the lady, Leah, said it would be good to have a girl on the team as well. She also said that people could host me for a shabbat in NY [so it really is a jewish organization].

The organization sounds really nice, and what they're doing is a great thing. I'm just not sure I would be good at the job. I'm outgoing, but I'm not so outgoing with strangers, and the idea of approaching individuals makes me a little nervous. Sitting at a table at an event, talking to people and handing out materials is more of something I can do. But I'm not sure if I'm really a go-getter.

On the other hand, maybe this is a skill I need to develop, and this could be a good opportunity. And 11$ an hour [plus bonuses after you've gotten a certain amount of people signed up] sounds quite nice. Especially since I'm the expensive child, and Jon has a scholarship to WPI [Penn, being an Ivy, doesn't give merit-based scholarships], and his teaching assistant job [PLA as they call it in WPI-land] and he's worked for the past few summers, and this will be the third summer in a row that I'm not working full-time [beyond a few weeks at Adler's]. Though at least this time I'll be getting credit, and doing thesis research, and I might get grant money for flight expenses and stuff. I feel guilty about being the expensive child. Some of it is beyond my control [like the lack of Penn scholarships] and it I am trying to get the best education I can, and grad-school will be free since I'm making aliyah. Maybe I'll be rich some-day after finding an ancient store of gold, and I can buy my parents their very own apartment in Jerusalem and make up for everything I've spent. Other than that, I'm trying to not spend money on anything I don't need. For example, clothes. I'm losing weight, but I'm not going to buy a new wardrobe until summer break, when I'll be in Israel and clothes will be cheaper and I'll hopefully be the weight I want to stay at. What's the point of buying clothes now that won't fit in another few months? And maybe I can sell kippot again once I'm done with the wedding ones. No one else get engaged until I finish Raphi and Dassi's kippot! [Or don't ask me to make kippot for you...]

On the other other hand [I have 3 hands now!] Barry just said I could definitely have a permanent shift mashing next semester. Which is also a job that is for a good cause [kosher food for us] and although it doesn't pay as well, it's easy, and I love the dining hall staff. Maybe I can do both jobs, and actually have money.

random ramblings

I finally finished the discussion question. When simple things take me this long, I start doubting my intelligence. I shouldn't have wasted all day in Hillel. I should have worked out, and biked to center city [to get a clear spacer for my nose-ring so it isn't visible when I'm in Providence] and worked on my paper [ok, I can't do that yet, the books are taken out for now, and I'm waiting for one to be delivered from CJS]. At least I mashgiached for an hour. And in 15 minutes it's Pennumbra time!

I need to write for them. I need to write. Period.