Monday – Day 94
November 1, 2012
After a late night on Sunday due to rehearsals I treated myself with a real sleep in on Monday, lasting all the way to 11AM. Following that I decide to take advantage of the high wind warning and the advisory to stay inside, remaining in pyjamas and playing video games for a good while before settling to work. However, no sooner had I picked up pen and paper when Caitlyn let me know that coffee and snacks were being served downstairs as comforts from the storm outside.
On my way downstairs for a little snack I came across Rigel Swavely, head of the PGC Band and his girlfriend Nikki Limtiaco, two of my favourite people on campus, and ended up sitting and drinking a little coffee with them and watching the wind and rain. At this point I decided to venture outside just to see how bad it was. I wanted to loop around the building and peer in through the window and get Rigel and Nikki’s attention however, after about thirty seconds outside, I was blown right back in as I tried to turn the corner, nearly falling over. That was my last trip outside till the storm had well and truly passed..
After a while of chilling we decided to go back upstairs and work. However, after hearing from me that the lounge piano had been tuned, Rigel jumped at the opportunity and took us into the lounge for a bit of a jam. A ‘bit of a jam’ quickly turned into three hours, and after a while we started getting hungry so we ordered dinner from the one place still delivering and gave the delivery guy a hefty tip. After finishing our food ‘saxy singalong’ began in the lobby of the highrise. This was an event for 9th floorers whereby we all sing together and some of us perform a little too. I then got stuck there till 11PM after a fantastic duet with a french friend of Rigel’s singing a jazz arrangement of what a wonderful world.
I worked finally for a few hours and made it another late night, promising myself to work more productively the next day.
Shabbat/Sunday – Day 85/86
October 23, 2012
Today a good friend Vanessa came over and we talked for hours and hours. After Shabbat came out, played some piano, messed about on the computer a little and just generally took it easy.
The trees on Locust Walk have now changed their colours and it’s somewhat beautiful. I’m really enjoying walking down with so few other people round, and just enjoying the peace and fresh air.
Sunday I worked a little, got my Ruby and Physics work mostly out of the way, and saved the evening for social events. At around two-thirty, I left my room and went to the bookstore to browse their physics collection where about a half hour later I met Melody for coffee, a chat and a walk.
Following that it was to my room for a short break before catching an interview with my Glee Club Mentor, Jonathan Ho (also known as JHo) at Sitar, the delicious Indian buffet.
Getting back a few hours later, my last social event of the evening was to spend sometime at the Rodin front desk chatting to Caitlyn Garcia, a UPenn cheerleader, who was interested in coming to study abroad in Australia. We spent her entire shift discussing the differences and culture of Australia and what the different cities and options were. Unfortunately for her, the girl who was meant to take the shift after her never appeared so she had to spend a good forty minutes trying to figure out what she was meant to do!
After waiting around till it was all sorted, I walked her up to her room and then headed myself into deep slumber.
Sunday – Day 19
August 7, 2012
Today I stayed in to work. Preparing for job interviews, arranging logistics with UPenn (a painful affair) and just sorting my life out.
Leaving my cousins to hang out with more shnatties, I went out with Amy Bortz in central Jerusalem to HaMoshava 54, a new instant coffee place with amazing free samples, and a GIANT 28 NIS frozen yoghurt. Yum.
Following that, Amy and I began to walk home when, we chanced upon a christian tour group from Hong Kong. Knowing that something interesting was likely to occur soon, I stopped Amy and we continued to eat the frozen yoghurt in place. Sure enough, soon they were singing the Hatikva with hands on their hearts and a real sincerity. Nice to know not everyone hates the Jews :P.
I asked the leader of the group what they were doing in Israel and they told us they had been studying Hebrew, Judaism and Israel for the last two years and this was the culmination of all their hard work. A tour to the bible lands to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
They then encouraged us to sing with them Heveinu Shalom Aleichem, and we started dancing too!
After that, they took down our names, so that they could pray for us to ‘make aliyah’ (emmigrate to Israel) in hopes of bringing about the third coming of Christ.