week 1 part 1

Feb 1: So sorry its been so long since I last wrote. Things are literally insane here. Every waking hour is spent doing something so a spare minute is a rarity around here. Also, the internet is really bogged down during the day, SO the strategy is staying up until 2 when no one else is on. Problem is, it's a little tiring. Anyways, things are really great now. HUGE strides since the last post. People are opening up and things are becoming more routine. I've made a lot of friends and we already went to the Negev and had our first shabbat on campus! Our trip to the Bedouin tents in the desert was seriously incredible and spiritual. We took a three hour bus ride south and when we got out it was about 75 degrees (amazing!). We met some Bedouin folk and took turns riding camels to the site. I was expecting some aluminum shack and some dust, but instead it was this middle eastern villa with beautiful open windows, candles, and tiling. We spent the day hiking, praying, exploring, singing and being together. At night we sat around in groups of five on pillows and ate fresh pita with hummus, vegetables, and other dip. I had great company and we spent dinner laughing and sharing stories. Afterwards we went out around the campfire and roasted marshmallows while people played guitar and sang. The stars were numerous and beautiful, and for the first time, I really felt like this would be a seriously incredible experience. In the morning we hiked out/cameled out near the Egyptian border. We broke into our ICC (Israel Core Class) groups for a study session. My teacher is Alan, who is great and very knowledgable. He explained to us that he wanted us to go out by ourselves in the Negev and speak to God aloud. I have definately been told to go off and meditate or think in peace and quiet, but never have I actually spoken aloud. At first it was awkward. I felt weird sitting by myself speaking to no one in particular, but it got easier. In a few minutes I was going off about everything and anything. It was really powerful sitting on the sand of so many before me. You can sit in Hebrew School or Sunday School for five hours a day and learn, but the kind of powerful connection I felt in the Negev is like nothing you can get at home. In Israel as a Jew, you form a sudden bond to your homeland. It's an incredible place and I will never forget that experience. Later in the day, we returned back to the Chava for a shower and some prep-time before we headed out for our first "free night" of the program. This night, they decided to help us out a bit before actually setting us free to wander completely. They taught us how to use cabs here and phrases to use in them. We headed out for the biggest mall in Israel and were on our way to seeing Maya (my friend who lives here) and Becca (Miriam's sister). It was a really exciting reunion having all four of us together. We meandered around the mall browsing shops and buying odds and ends we needed for school or our dorms. After saying our goodbyes we got back into the taxi and headed home for the chava.

this too shall pass

I dont even know what day it is honestly. I'm so disoriented and so far it's been one hell of a roller coaster. I'm so jetlagged and exhausted I can barely write this... but today and yesterday were really hard days. I miss home more than I ever thought i would. Actually, I miss having friends. I have Miriam, but the other people all know each other which makes it that much harder to break into the group. To quote Joni Michell, "you don't know what you've got till its gone." It's so true. I know that (well hope that) this experience is the life changing one they've been raving about, but I honestly have never felt this isolated in my life. I don't want you all to be worried about me or have a sob fest, but I thought I'd tell it like it is.. since this is my ups and downs of Israel. Anyways, It's insanely hard being away from home. I have realized how much I take things for granted, even the simple things like... friends?! (ha, funny.. but not so funny when you're chilling alone haha). Anyways, the best thing to keep in mind is "Gam Ze Ya'avor".. which in english means "this too shall pass." It's a reminder that when things are the worst of the worst (cough TRY '09 haha), those hard times will pass by soon enough, and that when you're on top of the world, it is important to cherish the moment because these times pass as well. SO moral of the story is: even though this is hell right now.. hopefully the hard times will pass. Oh, and I'm off to ride a camel and sleep in a Bedouin tent tomorrow. Let's cross our fingers I make it back in one piece. thank you and goodnight.

goodbye america..

Jan 25th: I seriously can't believe I'm actually leaving. All the days I counted down, and hours I spent on the phone with Miriam talking about how much longer we still had to go. I remember sitting in my classrooms crossing off days in my agenda and making packing lists. Well, here I am, bags packed and cab coming in half an hour. It's bittersweet; bitter because it means that in reality, I'm actually going to be gone.. separated from my friends and family, but also really sweet, because it means I have new opportunities and amazing experiences waiting just around the bend. Anyways, it's going to be a lot harder to write these as I start actually having school and trips, but I'll try my best and keep reading. Keep in touch, and I love you all!

a few more pictures...

xoxo gossip girl

Jan 23: We started off the day with a bagel and cream cheese, which disappointingly was not that good. Personally, I think I'm partial to Blue Sky at home. Anyways, I managed to watch part of the Bachelor as I got ready and we set off on our Gossip Girl sites tour. First stop was the Van Der Woodsen apartment. I was very excited and so were the cluster of teenage girls also posing in front and taking multiple pictures.. I don't blame them, I almost had a heart attack when I saw it. :) On a more cultural note, (not that Gossip Girl isn't cultural), we stopped by the St. Patrick's Cathedral which is right across the street from the upscale apartments. It was absolutely beautiful inside and filled with people either praying, wandering, or snapping shots. We meandered our way through and set off onto the subway again for the next stop on our Gossip Girl tour. The subway ride was pretty uneventful aside from when we accidently walked down this sketch hallway which I refered to as the pee hallways since it massively smelled like urine. What are we? A third world country? We have toilets.. I dont understand. But, we made it out alive and onto 5th avenue. After taking a walk to Times Square which really isn't all that impressive in daylight, we walked around Rockefeller Center and I noticed a few sites shown on 30 Rock. That was also a highlight of the day. Anyways, we decided we would do that massively overpriced view from the Empire Statesbuilding thing just to say we did and headed in that direction. We were there at the perfect time since there was hardly anyone there and although it was a little foggy from the top, it was also an incredible view. So, after the view from the top we happened upon a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant which was very delicious and headed out to see Constance Billard/St. Judes (Gossip Girl private school). It was a fairly long walk, but we finally made it. It was a little less exciting because a lot more goes into creating the school then is actually there as opposed to the apartments. our way back There were random cars parked in the courtyard, plus it looked a lot smaller than on camera, BUT it was still cool and we made home after giving up on Bendels. I finished watching yet another segment of the Bachelor and quickly got ready to head out for Brooklyn. We went to shabbat services, although missed half of it, (what's new). It was a nice service and I couldn't help but notice that they get really into the songs.. not just loudness, but they all pick different notes and like attempt at harmonizing. It was like a jazz choir, or barbershop quartet or something... I dont even know. After, we walked over to Janet's friend's house for dinner. It was great; food, conversation, and company. I hit the wall half way through though because of the long day and the amount of land we covered today. At about 11:00 we finally made it out the door and back onto the subway and went home. The plans for the rest of the evening, which is technically morning now, include finishing the bachelor and sleep. Also technically speaking, since it is now 1:00 AM I leave tomorrow!! Whoo!

more NY pictures...

“The present in New York is so powerful that the past is lost.”

Jan 22nd: I woke up to my dad almost throwing up about every hour. At about 10:30 I brought him what was left of the ginger ale and got ready to go out and get some more and to explore Manhattan. I picked up a latte and chocolate croissant at the Hot and Crusty bakery, (gross name, I know), and meandered through the streets taking pictures and window shopping. I happened upon Duane Reade, the equivalent to Walgreens and picked up some last minute things I needed for Israel. After another hour or so of exploring and taking pictures, I returned to the apartment and lazed around. We’re planning on getting a bite to eat and taking it easy for the rest of the night.

from D.C. to New York

Jan 21st: For the first time in about two weeks, I finally had the chance to sleep in; a rare thing for a junior in high school. We woke up to a car with a dead battery, (shocker), and had to call AAA to jump it. Trust me; we were definitely excited to return that piece of junk. On our way home, we stopped at King David Cemetery to visit my grandfather’s grave. It was nice to see how many stones were placed on the grave, knowing that he was visited many times. We said Kaddish and headed home to pack for the train to New York. I shoved my stuff back into my two large bags and we headed to the Alexandria train station. It was a 4 and a half hour train ride, although I didn’t mind the time at all. We wrote in our blogs, played cards, read and ate. Finally, we arrived in NYC! When we got into the cab, there was a TV screen with the news playing and a touch screen to other links. It kept us occupied until we reached my Cousin Liz’s apartment. We ate dinner, got set up, and went to bed.

NObama

Jan 20th: The 5:45 alarm didn’t have its usual pang of annoyance, because today was Inauguration day and you could tell the city was already alive. We made it relatively quickly on the metro regardless of news reports of two hour waits, although it filled up very quickly short after. I could have sworn we were in Tokyo as we stood smashed into a subway car, but the air was filled with anticipation and excitement. The car seemed to bond together as we yelled “hello no!” to the poor people trying to thrust themselves into the already brimming metro. Obama buttons, hats, sweatshirts, and scarves were everywhere and we finally exited the metro and walked the rest of the way. It was truly amazing to see the sheer mass of people here for this one event and also inspiring to see the thousands of African Americans ready to see Obama sworn in as 44th president. We were all here together, as the American population, and I have never felt so connected to my country, as I did then. That patriotism soon faded as we fell upon the “line” designated for those of us purple ticket holders. It was more of a mass free-for-all, then anything resembling a line. No police men directing us, no signs, no organization whatsoever. After about an hour we funneled into an intersection where things were getting even more crowded. We were literally smashed together leaving us barely enough room to breath. People’s elbows were in each others backs, hair in mouths, and arms unable to move except for my hands clutching to my dad hoping to avoid separation. Things got even more heated when an ambulance attempted at getting through the madness. A man was screaming for us to back up, yet there was absolutely no where to back up to. I felt pretty bad for whoever was suffering from some type of medical emergency, because it took about 10 minutes for the ambulance to make it through the intersection. Shortly after, I heard a whistle and saw the crowd parting down the middle. Looking behind me, I saw Samuel L. Jackson escorted by a police man. We were all a little jealous seeing that life would be a lot easier being a celebrity. After a few snakes on a plane comments, the crowd went back to it’s normal claustrophobic chaos. Following about an hour and a half of confinement, there was a breakthrough. People started running, and we bounded after them. Hope filled the air as we thought the gates had opened again and we would make it onto the mall. The spark of hope soon fizzled out as we reached yet another massive horde of people, all of which were thoroughly confused as to what was going on. Time ticked by and we kept nervously checking our watches hoping to be let in on time. Patience was running low and the crowd was getting restless. Everyone would chime in chants such as “Let us in, let us in” or “PURPLE-PURPLE” as they thrust their tickets in the air. We all knew we weren’t being proactive, but it made us feel a little better about the situation. Yelling can do that. I looked back and an elderly African American woman stood behind me bracing her walker and clutching a small radio. A man yelled that Biden had now taken his oath and that Cheney was out. The crowd erupted in applause and cheers. It quieted down, and we all stood either on phones, hand held radios, or conversing to those next to us. A few minutes later, thundering sounds went off and everyone panicked. We all feared the worse and ducked, swore, and eye’s widened in horror. Was it gunshots? A bomb? A second later, we realized it was only the cannons marking Obama as 44th President of the United States. The mass silenced. The woman in her walker looked down, deeply saddened that the moment had passed without the chance to see it, but also a sense of joy that it had happened. The crowd dispersed and disappointment flooded the streets. We wandered to find a place to attempt at hearing the speech. In a few minutes, all was quiet. People from all walks of life clustered around phones, peered into windows to watch TV screens, and attempted to make out the speech through the gates separating us from the festivities. It was 18 minutes of peaceful, tranquil, silence. Okay, so I didn’t get to see it happen, but honestly, it was a feeling I can’t even explain in words. I felt like a chapter had ended and a brand new one had just begun. Not only on my own new life adventure, but in our nation as a whole. It is a new day, and a better one at that.

The adventure begins..

Jan 19th: Before heading into downtown D.C. to pick up our Inauguration tickets, we had to pick up the rental car from Rent-a-Wreck. Let’s just say it’s not the classiest of joints. After going through some random office to get into the main office, because the front door was jammed, my dad realized he had left his driver’s license in his pants pocket from the day before. So, we got a cab, drove all the way back home and then back again to Rent-a-Wreck, this time with license in hand. This should not be a surprise for any of you who have been on a trip with the Fink family. The front desk woman was slightly amused, although it was hard to tell due to lack of personality. She explained to us that while we were gone she had given away our car, and she would try and find something for us out back. Pointing to a (excuse my language) shit car, she said she would wait outside to make sure it would start, because it hadn’t been used for four months. This should have been the queue for us to request another car, because in addition to the faulty breaks, there was also the lack of defroster, weird dusty smell that came from the air vents, and the broken heater. Anyways, we took it regardless and drove to the metro station to head into the city. After emerging from the metro, we were bombarded by a mass of people, vendors, and Obama paraphernalia. My cousin Andrea and Uncle Marc called us and saved us a trip to pick up the tickets, so we met them at the Reagan building for lunch and the tickets. After some sushi and conversation, we headed out to the boondocks for a dinner arranged for my Dad and his fraternity brothers to catch up after 25 or so years. I spent the evening listening to many stories about their college experience. Whether it was the guy who drank so much he never moved from the couch, or the time where they knifed a ham to someone’s door in protest, it made me wonder what college life is really like. Ha.

“You never really leave a place or person you love, part of them you take with you ,leaving a part of yourself behind.”

Jan 18th: After doing some last minute packing in the morning, we set off for the airport, two large bags in hand and two cars full of friends and family. As excited as I was, it was really difficult leaving behind my mom, sister, and all my friends. I think I made it about five minutes before I burst into tears in the security line. After a long day of being on the plane and hanging out in the Chicago airport, we finally made it to D.C. where Faith Klein, my grandmother’s friend, picked us up. We drove home, ate a bowl of soup, and then fell asleep shortly after.