Friday/Shabbat – Day 277/278
May 8, 2013
One positive thing that has started since the end of exams, aside from much cooking on my part, is that I have begun to go running again. I’m not sure quite what motivated me this time, but Ariella is keeping track to make sure it happens every day. Hopefully I can keep it up.
Friday and Shabbat were spent again, trying to enjoy the company of those close to me. Ariel Menche, Aviva’s boyfriend, was again visiting this weekend. At each meal I felt so privileged to be so surrounded by people I cared about. Lunch was predictably a little quieter, but Friday night dinner the table was full of all the most wonderful people I had met during the year. Tonight I truly felt like a Penn student.
Following dinner we surprised Ariel with a birthday cake in his honor, and a little party in Aviva’s room. A friend of Ariel’s from school, a french exchange student came along to and we got along very well (though she didn’t seem to like the USA much). After that I went to a tish upstairs where Louis was complaining that none of the songs were transliterated, however he still seemed to be having a great time. It confused me just a little.
The next day lunch was much the same in terms of people and feelings. However, afterwards I had the opportunity to meet someone new: Eliana Holm, a Ramaz girl with all that entailed. Very sweet, very opinionated. I walked with her and Dovie ‘Barry’ Rosenberg (a bit of a genius too) down to Penn Park and talked about our experiences at Penn. The discussion soon turned to what it was like dating within the Hillel scene and a few interesting articles on the community were discussed (one unfairly attributed to Rivka Holzer). Turns out I still had much to learn but was perhaps happy being in the dark.
After my walk, I chilled on the Hillel porch for a while with Emily Weiss (a student of mine) and Ariella, chatting about CIS and assorted other topics. Then to sleep for a few hours before going out in the evening with the usual crew.
Exchange to the University of Melbourne
April 10, 2013
My dear friends; Aviva Koloski and Caitlyn Garcia were accepted to come on exchange to the University of Melbourne today (Wednesday 10 April 2013)! I’m so super excited! Additionally, Aviva’s boyfriend Ariel Menche of NYU will be coming too.
From Left: Me, Aviva, Ariana Schanzer and Shlomit Heering
Pictured above was ice-cream garnered for free today from Ben & Jerry’s with Aviva and I celebrating and Ariana to her left, who will be potentially coming at a later year. We are above pictured with another friend of ours, Shlomit.
Unfortunately I’m lacking photos with Caitlyn and Ariel but I’ll be sure to take some and put them up (especially as I’m meeting Caitlyn for lunch tomorrow!)
For all of you reading from home, doubtless you will get the chance to meet these exceptional people as they pass through our town and I’m looking forward to spending the next months at home with a little bit of Penn brought back.
Friday/Shabbat – Day 235/236
March 28, 2013
Friday was my usual morning of work and TA training and meeting in the afternoon. Wasn’t feeling so well for much of the day and ended up skipping on the Glee Club trip to Boston. Felt my health would be best served back on campus.
Shabbat dinner was something very very exciting this week. The bi-annual Levine CIS@Shabbat. The dinner for Jewish computer scientists (and Louis Petro #psaklouis). Dinner was lovely, the conversations binary and lively and I felt very much at home. I’ve been getting much closer to Ariella recently, and this was another good chance to hang out together.
Shabbat was Aviva’s birthday and as such a surprise lunch was planned. Ariel Menche, her boyfriend had come in for the weekend and we had a great time surprising her with a loud happy birthday, shortly after she awoke. Lunch went for a couple of hours, again in excellent company, though less nerdy than the night before.
The afternoon was a good ‘shluf’ (nap) before coding again till 5:30AM, when I finally got my latest project complete!