Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Getting into the swing of things, by David Weltman


Getting into the swing of things

Orientation has really been getting going. Intense study for Ulpan continues, the test at the end of our intro to emergency medicine course begins to cross our minds, and we’re beginning to see the importance and loss of a Sunday as a day off. And yet, this hasn’t stopped us from having a good time!

Mmmm, Cholent.
Every weekend, many of my classmates—myself included—have been taking weekend getaway trips to places like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. While I had also spend some weekends away, my classmate Moshe and I decided to instead take up the offer of one of our teachers to come over for Shabbat dinner, and then host a lunch of our own the following day. It turned out to be such a nice and relaxing Shabbat. The Margolis family were wonderful hosts, and we are thankful to them for their hospitality. Plus, a vegetarian Shabbat dinner was a nice respite from the norm. Lunch was also amazing, thanks to our guests. I whipped up a cholent/chamin/beef stew (or whatever else you want to call it—could’ve used a little more salt), and the rest was basically potluck. The company was great, and we ended our meal and dove into a heated game of Settlers of Catan, which, coupled with my reading of the epic saga The Lord of the Rings, made for quite the adventurous Shabbat.

I also have been able to get into the city a bit, which has been a plus. I saw the conclusion of the Batman trilogy, a great work in my opinion (although others in my class disagree). I met up and went out to lunches and dinners with friends, bought a new bike (which is currently getting repaired), and bought some new items for my future home here in Beersheba. All in all, a really solid start, and I hope to be able to see and do even more in the weeks ahead!!! - blogger of the month David Weltman