Shabbos number 4

After a crazy week there was nothing I wanted more than to have a relaxing Shabbat. For the first time on Host Shabbat, we didn't go to Maya's, but instead stayed at the Dan Boutique with Miriam's parents. Although I love going to Maya's, it was nice having a weekend of nothing but sleep, food, and relaxation. School was easy as it usually is on Fridays and on my break I went up to the marketplace and bought a small chocolate croissant from the bakery. Classes ended at about 11:15, so I packed for the weekend, cleaned the room, took out the trash and hung out until 1:00 when the Bornstein's picked us up. We dropped the stuff back at the hotel and went out to a late lunch at Lavan, a restaurant located inside the Cinemateque where Rosa got locked in the bathroom 8 or so years ago. It's weird how random memories stick with you. Anyways, I had pasta which was AMAZING, and we sat next to the window which showed the most incredible view of Jerusalem. We headed back to the hotel for a nap and woke up a little before seven to go downstairs for dinner. Becca joined us, and we spent the next hour or so talking and eating large amounts of food (especially Miriam and I.. after being on TRY you start hoarding food). We dropped Becca back off so we could see her dorm, which is quite nice for a college dorm, and yet again headed back to the hotel to sleep. Saturday was insanely stormy... like I'm talking serious hail, rain, thunder, lightening and wind. I don't think I've seen anything like it in.. well, ever? We stayed in bed pretty much all day besides meals, and for an hour or so we had tea and read in the lounge downstairs. For the first time all day, we went outside and bought some food and other essentials from the market, then walked to dinner. We ate at a place called Colony, which was very American, but also very hip. It reminded me of a lot of restaurants in Boise... antiquey furniture, excentric lighting, cozy atmosphere, you get the gist. It was the whole Bornstein family, me, Becca's friend, and another family friend who is in the army. I had a burger and some chocolate souflee thing for desert. As it reached 10:00, we went back to the hotel to pick up our things and headed back to the chava. It's always bittersweet coming home. Sad, because it's kind of like coming back to "jail," we're pretty restricted here, but also happy because it's so welcoming and you forget how nice the atmosphere is in the dorms. Sunday, which here is a school day is jam packed and exhausting. I've finished most of my classes and am on a three hour break, but I go back at 3:40-6:30. Two hours of that is AP econ which I'm by myself and get lectured straight for the full time. It's pretty much my idea of living hell, so I always dread it. We have a huge ICC test on Tuesday, so everyone is really looking forward to Thursday when we leave for Kibbutz Ketura. It's a 6 day vacation without school or ICC (WHOO!) and we're going snorkeling, bike riding, among many other things. I'm counting down the days...