My family is here! (well, some of them, anyway)
I realize I haven't posted since Wednesday, and I also acknowledge that the last two posts were not about what I've been doing. Therefore, some memorable moments of the past few days:
On Tuesday we had a Chabad presentation that took up the entire evening. We had speakers, lectures, small group discussions, and dancing. I'm afraid to say that my interest waned by the first speaker, and I left relatively early to read my book (see below). However, the Chabad speaker meant that we did not have our American shiur with Rav Bigman. There were also a lot of earth-shaking, window-rattling, ear-pounding sonic booms, from the planes that were taking off from the local army base
Wednesday, as usual, was community service day, and this time, I managed to make the van to kibbutz Gesher. When I got there, however, I was informed that Or's mother, Tali, was in Beit Shean. I thought I would have to watch him alone, which is not something that I am prepared to do, nor something I particularly want to do. Fortunately, she had a hired babysitter watching him, rendering me a useless and bored observer. I mostly watched as they ran around the playground (which included a spell on that machine that you spin and then throw up in), played pick-up sticks, and as Or threw a tantrum.
Thursday was a normal day, though I did continue with my struggle with focus issues. I am finding it increasingly difficult to focus, and with two of my chevrutas gone (Eitan in the USA, Yotam with a medical difficulty back home), independent study is hard. There are many factors, and combined they form a beast hard to conquer. There is the issue that I have books to read, and the blog to work on. There is the fact that some of the Israelis are not as serious as the Americans (who had to fly halfway around the world), and the whisper that some of them are at yeshiva only to get out of the army for a year. Then there is the seed of doubt, that maybe yeshiva life isn't for me, that I'd rather be learning the sciences and writing, not instead of, but in tandem with. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to clear my head over the upcoming Chanukah break.
Thursday afternoon and night I read my new book, "Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire. It was great prose, twisted and elaborate, with a plot that was deliciously rich and complicated, and it showed that the author did his homework and research. Some outstanding characters and interactions, but the most intriguing were Maguire's thoughts of good and evil, the origin of evil, and the concept of fate and destiny. Overall, it was a good read, and I'm looking forward to reading two more of his books that I have with me. Most intersting was comparing the book to the award-winning Broadway musical of the same name (I saw the original cast, with Tony winner Idina Menzel as the Witch). Then, comparing the "Wicked"s to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" book by L. Frank Baum, the MGM masterpiece "The Wizard of Oz," and even the musical "The Wiz." I was up until 3:45 a.m. finishing the last of the book.
I also saw "Shrek 2," which I (hopefully) will coment on tomorrow night.
Today, Friday, my family arrived at Ma'aleh Gilboa! Well, not my whole family, just my mom and Matthew and Freddy. Yay! They brought gifts, and I gave them the grand tour of the yeshiva that you, dear reader, almost experienced through the last post. They're here for Shabbat, then I go with them back to Jerusalem for Chanukah. It should be fun.
Last note: today is Matthew's birthday, and he got to spend it with us at YMG! His Bar Mitzvah is next week, but his English birthday is today! So let us say together:
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to Matthew,
Happy birthday to you!
On Tuesday we had a Chabad presentation that took up the entire evening. We had speakers, lectures, small group discussions, and dancing. I'm afraid to say that my interest waned by the first speaker, and I left relatively early to read my book (see below). However, the Chabad speaker meant that we did not have our American shiur with Rav Bigman. There were also a lot of earth-shaking, window-rattling, ear-pounding sonic booms, from the planes that were taking off from the local army base
Wednesday, as usual, was community service day, and this time, I managed to make the van to kibbutz Gesher. When I got there, however, I was informed that Or's mother, Tali, was in Beit Shean. I thought I would have to watch him alone, which is not something that I am prepared to do, nor something I particularly want to do. Fortunately, she had a hired babysitter watching him, rendering me a useless and bored observer. I mostly watched as they ran around the playground (which included a spell on that machine that you spin and then throw up in), played pick-up sticks, and as Or threw a tantrum.
Thursday was a normal day, though I did continue with my struggle with focus issues. I am finding it increasingly difficult to focus, and with two of my chevrutas gone (Eitan in the USA, Yotam with a medical difficulty back home), independent study is hard. There are many factors, and combined they form a beast hard to conquer. There is the issue that I have books to read, and the blog to work on. There is the fact that some of the Israelis are not as serious as the Americans (who had to fly halfway around the world), and the whisper that some of them are at yeshiva only to get out of the army for a year. Then there is the seed of doubt, that maybe yeshiva life isn't for me, that I'd rather be learning the sciences and writing, not instead of, but in tandem with. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to clear my head over the upcoming Chanukah break.
Thursday afternoon and night I read my new book, "Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire. It was great prose, twisted and elaborate, with a plot that was deliciously rich and complicated, and it showed that the author did his homework and research. Some outstanding characters and interactions, but the most intriguing were Maguire's thoughts of good and evil, the origin of evil, and the concept of fate and destiny. Overall, it was a good read, and I'm looking forward to reading two more of his books that I have with me. Most intersting was comparing the book to the award-winning Broadway musical of the same name (I saw the original cast, with Tony winner Idina Menzel as the Witch). Then, comparing the "Wicked"s to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" book by L. Frank Baum, the MGM masterpiece "The Wizard of Oz," and even the musical "The Wiz." I was up until 3:45 a.m. finishing the last of the book.
I also saw "Shrek 2," which I (hopefully) will coment on tomorrow night.
Today, Friday, my family arrived at Ma'aleh Gilboa! Well, not my whole family, just my mom and Matthew and Freddy. Yay! They brought gifts, and I gave them the grand tour of the yeshiva that you, dear reader, almost experienced through the last post. They're here for Shabbat, then I go with them back to Jerusalem for Chanukah. It should be fun.Last note: today is Matthew's birthday, and he got to spend it with us at YMG! His Bar Mitzvah is next week, but his English birthday is today! So let us say together:
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to Matthew,
Happy birthday to you!
posted by Yoni Bain | 4:58 AM
4 Comments:
yoni, if you liked Wicked have the sequel Son Of A Witch. i could bring it to Israel hoping you'll finish it within the time im there.
An early mazel tov on your brother, Bain #4 (Matthew)'s bar mitzvah. Have a great time with your family!! My daughter Sarah's bat mitzvah was also Shabbat Chanukah. Please pass on my mazel tov's to your parents. Wishing you and your family the best...Tina ("Wicked" WAS great--The Wizard of Oz is so different to watch now...)
Yo Yo Yoni,
Just wanted to pass along a hearty Mazal Tov to your whole family on Matthew's B.M. from Jeff and the entire Feld family.
Just wanted to share an unrelated experience my cousin had when he arrived in Israel this week:
As the El Al plane settled down at Ben Gurion airport, the voice of the captain came on: "Please remain seated with your seat belts fastened until this plane is at a complete standstill and the seat belt signs have been turned off. We also wish to remind you that using cell phones on board this aircraft is strictly prohibited. To those who are seated, we wish you a Merry Christmas, and hope that you enjoy your stay. And to those of you standing in the aisles and talking on your cell phones, we wish you a Happy Chanukah, and welcome back home."
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