So it looks like I forgot to write anything about Passover--after the seder, which I keep trying to write as "seders," American girl that I am--or about the rest of my vacation in general. Which ends tomorrow, by the way. Am I sad? For the first time, not particularly.
Now, don't get my wrong: I will never, not in a million and a half years, tell you that I enjoy going to class. Never. But, I hope it will not come as such a surprise to hear me say that I miss seeing people. Yep--I, Ariel Hirsch, am a social human being. (For the record, I learned last night from a group of psychology majors that the term "antisocial" does not merely refer to people who aren't chillers. Those people are "asocial." The "antisocial" ones are those that kill cats when they're kids, and grow up to kill humans. I am proud to say, ladies and gentlemen, that I am NOT antisocial. Asocial at times, perhaps, but certainly not even that after a full two and a half weeks of forced solitary confinement.)
Okay, that last part was an exaggeration. It hasn't been a full two and a half weeks. I had a lovely time with my cousins earlier this week at Maya's bat mitzvah, for instance. The Schoris threw a great party--white benches, cute DJ, good food and all--and Maya and her friends put on a great little (oxymoron?) dance to "Umbrella." A lightening-fast costume change, and the four girls were in matching leggings, plaid shirts and hair clips. And guess what? They actually USED umbrellas in their dance! Genius. (It really was cute though: every other dance phrase ended with Maya in the middle, the other three girls usually pointing their hands or umbrellas at the bat mitzvah girl. There was no doubt who was the queen of this little shindig :P .)
When I wasn't stuffing my face with squares of pareve cakes--revealed to me after a short period of dismay at my initial (and, thank goodness, wrong) perception that all the desserts were dairy--I was with the little kids, after having been asked personally by little Lihi Hutt to swing her on the swings. There, we met her friend Leah, who had the most amazed reaction to my statement that I was from the United States that I have ever been privy to hear ("You're from the United States? Wow."). As it turns out, Leah actually knew some words in English (colors, most of them translated correctly), and when asked how she knew such great words, she answered that she had an aunt in the United States. "Where in the United States," I inquired, interested. "In the United States..." was Leah's reply. And then it hit me: "Leah, did you know that there are fifty whole states within the United States? Do you know which one your aunt is from?" "No...She's from the United States!" And that was that. I knew fifty states was overkill anyway. Alabama's all we need. Would anyone like a grit?
Before I left the party, Goni asked me to take pictures with her in the photo booth (the other main attraction of the party, after Maya), which I did oh-so-willingly. Then, we had the following heartbreaking interaction:
Background: Gadi, Dana, Goni, Alon and Yoav are going back to California this week
Goni: So I'll see you...um...
Extended pause while both try to think of the next time the two will be within a reasonably travelable distance of each other--the six and a half year old in probably less complicated terms.
Ariel: I'm sure we'll see each other again soon! Either in Israel or in the States. And you can call or
email me whenever you want to.
Goni: Brightening up at the idea: Okay! I can email you on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, and
call you...everyday!
Ariel: That sounds great! While being ushered out the door by Daphna: I'll talk to you soon, Goni!
Goni: Slightly frantic: Wait! I don't have your phone number!
Ariel: Realizes that Goni's right, but cannot escape the inexorable force of Daphna's urgent ushering:
I'll email it to your dad. Promise!
Have no fear: I sent Gadi my phone number and email address later that night. Waiting with great anticipation for my first email/phone call.
The rest of break has been quiet. I finished my book for Hebrew (266 pages, almost no dictionary usage!), worked on a presentation for Rabbinic Lit class about Kol Isha (it made me resent the rule a little bit more, instead of instilling within me a new appreciation for the halacha, as I'd hoped), learned how to make schnitzel from my Israeli apartmentmate, found a cockroach, ate a bit of ice cream, had a shrunk potluck Shabbat dinner or two, and I think that's about it. Most people have been gone for break--Italy, Greece, Istanbul, Hungary, US, Ein Gedi, to name a few destinations--leaving the prospects for social things pretty limited. That's why I'm almost happy that break is over. Classes, no, but people? Yes puhLEASE.
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