Sing for the Moment

The week after returning from a grand trip, such as my days spent in Greece, is always an ambivalent time.  By the end of such trips, especially ones with armadas of mosquitoes, the prospect of sleeping in one’s own bed appears as one of life’s greatest pleasures.  Still, adjusting back into the swing of things is not an easy feat.  And since my mosquito bites have not completely subsided, I find myself itching to go back.  The beauty of written words and pictures is that they impeccably capture many of the illustrious scenes that the mind cannot recreate only a short time later.  But my family will be on their El Al flight in four days, and I’m also scratching myself until they get here.

With the vast majority of Rothberg students evacuated from the premises of the kfar, the last men and women standing have been growing ever closer to each other, trying to salvage each last day in each other's presence.  Possibly the most fun I’ve had this week was when a group of us ventured off to the city center for a late night karaoke excursion.  Most did not leave until 5 AM, although I departed about an hour before that, for I had still had finals and essays to complete.  Until nearly dawn, we sat there, taking turns at ballads and chart toppers, and even a couple of Eminem songs.  But after losing ourselves in the music (Lose Yourself was one of the songs I rapped), sleep beckoned, and I was glad that I had my own air-conditioned, pest-free room to return to.

When I arose the next morning, it was time to begin work on my law essay.  The concept of taking it had only been a dreadful fantasy for some time.  When it became incumbent upon me to undertake the task, I labored for hours to complete it.  I’ve never written one of those before, so we’ll see how it goes.

The rest of the week was pretty low key.  I’ve played a lot of basketball, which has been tremendously cathartic.  I’ve gone out just about every night with my remaining friends.  Two shuk trips have become manifest in my week, an always welcomed rarity.  In order to acquire the necessary ingredients to cook Shabbat dinner, I returned there on Friday afternoon with my friend Bari.  I purchased all needed accoutrements, i.e., chicken, wine, challah, veggies, etc., to throw a lavished Shabbat dinner with my friend Dana.  I further honed my couscous skills, and there we sat at Shabbat dinner, munching away, conversing, and trying hard not to fathom that the walls were closing in on our time in the student village.  It would be both of our last Shabbats in the kfar. 

It’s funny, my shortest blog entry runs parallel to the week that there are the fewest people left here.  I think it goes to show that life’s greatest and deepest experiences are inextricably linked to the people that help make them.  At this point, I’m counting down the hours, instead of the days, until my family’s arrival here, with eager anticipation mounting with each glance at the clock.

My roommate and great friend Roee leaves Jerusalem tomorrow, and after that I’ll be left to my own devices.  This upcoming week, until my family reunion that is, I’ll be savoring each breath here, doing some last minute gift shopping, cleaning (A LOT!), and hopefully journeying to Ashdod for a day on the beach with my friends Lauren and Eleenor.  My second ending in Middle Earth has been realized, and while in limbo here, I have been prescribed great advice from the real Slim Shady: to sing for the moment.

L'hitraot,

Zac