Random highlights from my week at the JC

This was a way fun week that was busy but way fun. One thing I love about being here is that every week is different, it really truly is. We always different activities and trips every week, classes at different times, random activities, and varying stress levels depending on the number of tests we have. This week we had a model Seder led by my Jewish teacher Ophir which was really neat. Seder is the Jewish Passover and so we had the meal and sang songs and everything. I was really impressed with all of the decorations and everything they put up and it was really fun, but also long. We started at 5:30 and didn't get done until 9:30!

Usually people wouldn't care that much because it was a wonderful thing to experience, but we had a midterm and a quiz the next day and people were panicking because they hadn't really studied and were planning on studying that night. That was my plan too, and since the Seder went so long, I realized that it was going to be a really long night. I studied for a little by myself and then started studying with my friends Amy and Craig probably around 11:00. We studied for awhile with enough laughing and talking to keep it fun and it just kept getting later and later. Around 1:30ish our friend Holly joined us and we just kept going and thinking up random ways to remember dates and names. We had some good study music going and did anything to keep us awake from dancing around to laying on the ground hiding in our sweatshirts. If they hadn't been there I would have just gone to bed because I was really tired, but they helped keep me awake which was good because I really needed to study. Anyway, we went hardcore until I finally crawled into bed at 4:00 am when I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I set my alarm for 6:30 am because I really needed to study more, but the next thing I knew it was 8:00 am and luckily our friend called to wake us up or we would have missed our class! I ended up doing fine on my tests and everything and we all agreed that it was actually a really fun night. I don't plan on studying way late every night, but since I had to, I am glad that it was such a fun experience. Hooray for school, I just wish they didn't give us so much work...

After our tests were over we had time before lunch we played ultimate soccer, which I think I have talked about before. We play a lot and it is way fun, though I am pretty sure that I broke my big toe from kicking the wall really hard (I was aiming for the ball...)It is way fun and thought I would post a picture of some of my soccer cronies. Yes, that is sweat that you see...

This week I also went to Ein Kerem with a bunch of friends, which is the place where John the Baptist was born. We saw a bunch of churches and stuff and it was a fun relaxing afternoon because we could set our own schedule and had plenty of time. We also got into a Russian convent and luckily our friend spoke Russian so that we could understand them. I am getting tired (I am still trying to catch up on sleep...) and am not sure what else to say about Ein Kerem, but I will post some more pictures from it later-hopefully tomorrow. I am going to be in Jordan for four days, but check back later this week and I will post more updates. Happy Halloween to everyone, eat lots of pumpkin stuff for me! This is my friend Swinterton and I at Mary's Spring which is apparently where Mary drank from. She came up to a church here to visit her cousin Elizabeth after she found out she was with child.