SUNDAY:

Today I woke up around 10ish and had to get ready to go to emek refiem to buy bagels for the apartment to break fast with. Some people were already going, but we decided to also go to grab dinner for ourselves. When we got there everything was starting to close! Luckily, there was a supermarket open and we met up with other girls from the apartment, grabbed food, paid, and left (because it was closing). We also were all trying to drink at least 2 liters of water...we were peeing non-stop! When we got home, i read my book for a little and then we began to cook our dinner. It was so weird because it was only 3:30ish! While we were making dinner, I ate lunch. Rachel was drinking so much water (she had 4 liters!) so she was going brain dead and needed to lie down.

After I took a shower, I called my mom and talked to her for a little, but had to go because dinner was ready! We all had pita on our plate and we had salads, noodles with tomato sauce, hummus, mini hotdogs, potato things, and schnitze. So much food! I was so stuffed. After dinner, we got ready for shul and went to the one we went to when we met up with our host family (for that one shabbas lunch). We had to sit downstairs at the other service. It was really hard to hear and so it was so difficult to follow. I did not enjoy it. After the service, people were going to be discussing something (im 99% sure it is called a tish? right?). Luckily, it was in english, but i had no clue what the woman was talking about. Neither did the other people I was with, so we decided to just leave.

On the way back from the short walk, we decided we wanted to go for a longer walk. When we got to our apartments, we changed into comfy clothes. It was so cool! We could just walk on the main road and huge intersections because it is illegal to drive during yom kippur! We laid down in the middle of a huge road (called derach hevron). We then walked and noticed that there were a lot of people at this one intersection, so we decide to walk there. A lot of kids are riding their bikes or scooters. The teens are hanging out and ah it was unbelievable!

We then walked back to our apartments and found out that people were going to walk to the kotel right then! We change into proper kotel clothing and off we went! We went through emek refiem and it was packed with israeli teens and a lot of dogs! i forgot to mention that this is the time to walk your dog! haha. It was about a 45 minute walk, but since it was dark out, it was chilly out. When we got to the kotel, it surprisingly wasnt too crowded! Not a lot of people were at the wall praying. Some of us prayed for a little and then rach and i just sat down on a chair like 20 feet from the kotel and just looked around. It was so nice! Also, when we decided to go find the group, we could walk backwards and look at the kotel (rather than having to turn our heads so we dont bump into a million people). We hung out with the group for a little and then we decided to head back. One brit, named simon, made a good point and said "we are at the holiest place on the holiest day of the year." sababa meod meod!!

The walk back was a lot shorter. But because the fast started so early, it felt so late! I felt like I was walking to the kotel at 2 in the morning, not 9 at night! We sang songs on the way back and it was fun. When we got back to the apartment, rach and i read for a little (im really enjoying the book) and then went to sleep.

MONDAY:

Today I woke up a couple of times. I woke up at 8:30 because i really had to pee (".") and when i came back in, I could hear people praying. It was such a nice sound! My throat was really hurting so i decided to take out my retainers. Some people have sore throats/strep...hopefully i dont have it! I then fell back asleep and woke up at 11:30ish. I had the weirdest dreams that night! 2 of my dreams involved me making food and not realizing i accidentally broke the fast until after i have eaten. Both times i decide that i can still fast because i didnt remember or do it intentionally. My other dream was sarah, drey (short for andrea), steph, mom, and me were at the beach. Steph and drey were playing volleyball and i wanted to play. they wouldnt let me though. They let sarah play and when i ask her to pass me the ball she just pushes me out the way! They wouldnt let me play! I tell my mom and then sarah for some reason is lying down so i shove sand into her face. It gets in her eyes and so my mom comes over and helps her get the sand out of her eyes. I keep on apologizing and then my mom sees some glass stuck in sarah's eye! She takes it out, but it doesnt end up as a small piece of glass, it is a huge knife! Sarah is fine and so is her eye. I also vaguely remember that men were watching and chasing after my family and I saw them while we were at the beach on a ship. but i knew they werent going to hurt us so when i told my mom, she started to panic, but i told her not to. ah so weird!

anyways, Rach also woke up so we decided to just read in bed for a couple of hours. Around 1:30ish, britty comes in because she got back from shul. she went to a different shul with some people and loved it. I think we will start to go there for shabbat and other services. People then come into our room and we all just talk, read, and some nap. My throat is still hurting whenever i swallow. it sucks! At 3, emilie lets us know that in a half hour people are going to leave for the kotel. We slowly get out of bed, get dressed and ready to go. Rach makes bagels with cream cheese for her, me, and britty. so nice of her :) I carry the food in my bag along with a water bottle and my bus pass. The walk isnt too bad, but we are all just drained. I forgot to mention how nice it was outside. It was windy and such a nice temperature. unbelievable! We finally get to the kotel and sit for only a couple of minutes.

We then go to where aish people were praying. so many steps! we couldnt find the women's section though so some of us decided just to go overlook the kotel. It was beautiful because all of the men were wearing white (tallits). We end up walking back down and me and nickola find a place to sit on the ground. I had rachel's machzur (she wasnt with us) so nickola and i read stuff in english. More and more people from our program gathered around us in a circle and we all just sat there, counting down until the fast was over, like it was new years! Some people were asked to pass snacks out to people. there were so many people there and i doubt everyone got food. it was cool that the kotel had food, though. Rach's brother walked past our group and we chilled with us for a little and me, rach, and britty decided to follow him back up the steps to aish to say the shema, hear the shofar, and then break the fast!

We davined for a little and after we heard the shofar (even though aish had food), we ran outside and right when we were about to devour our bagels, someone said that we first have to do havdallah..huh?! havdallah finished, so then we ate and rachels brother went into the mob and came out with a huge water bottle and a big handful of ruggulah. it was delicious. We also saw chelsea so we hung out with her for a little. Rachel's brother knew where a break fast meal was so we walked about 2 minutes and there was fruit and ruggulah and cookies and other yummy things. We took a lot and sat outside. Ill let you know whose house it was in the next blog. We were all stuffed! After a long time, we decided to split up and head back to our places. Rach, Britty, and me were all so happy we brought our bus passes. We had to wait so long for a couple of busses and it was cold out. We get on our 2nd bus to take us to emek refiem and all of the sudden...i see...KENDALL! ah!!!!! We talk until she has to get off and she invited me over to stay with her and her fam for sukkot. Im gonna figure something out so i can at least stop by! She left her book on the bus but we stopped the bus to give it to her. We were cracking up because right before she got off the bus she dropped her cell phone and it slid around! When we got back to the apartment, one of kendall's friends from camp, Orly, told me that kendall left her wallet on the bus. oy! I dont think she ended up finding it.

I was supposed to meet up with kendall, rachel brown, orly, and shoshie tonight, but it didnt end up working out. I then went on my computer and skyped with my great grandma (bubbe shayna) and my family!!!! She was so taken aback because she didnt understand what was going on! It was really nice to see her. But to talk to her, i had to call my house to tell my mom to allow steph to go on the computer...how did i know steph and everyone was home?! ha...i wont tell everything steph, ill just say it was luck?! I also talked to rachel brown for a little, which was nice.

I then got ready to go to ben yehuda for a little. I decided to try out my clubbing shoes again, this time though, i forgot my sandals. lo tov! It was so painful for me to walk and after splitting a yummy crepe (with nutella and colored sprinkles) rach walked me to the bus stop and i went home. but i forgot to mention that i bumped into orly on ben yehuda! it was really nice to see her, but i felt uncomfortable wearing high heels. I cant wait until we all just meet at a beit cafe and catch up. it was nice to get home early-ish? (not early, but just earlier than everyone else). I got to talk to a lot of my extended family on skype because it was their break fast. i dont miss home, but i do miss seeing everyone and just being with everyone! i have an idea...everyone come visit me during pesach!!! ah it is 2:30am and i have to be ready to go at 9. people are just getting back...i dont know how they are going to get up in the morning.