too much for one entry!

or trip! its hard to keep parting about things that happened a week ago - but i will try my best!

the second day of our trip we went for our first "hike" which was really more of a walk thru a kibbutz, and then back up and talking and then across a road and to an old farming area, where we got to see some pretty cool irrigation canals. We also talked a bunch about olives, almonds, grapes, wheat and other flora of israel.

then we had a big spread for lunch, we were denied our first taste of BAMBA and we sang happy birthday to mike. Then back on the bus and onto a bit more walking, then CAVES. really really really cool man-made caves that the jews hid in during some revolution against the romans. we also drove past the field where david fought goliath. which is pretty cool to think about.

on a side note this day was a bit of a struggle - but i peed when i woke up, and then i didnt pee again til we got back to the hotel! thats about 10 hours. which i know is probably bad for me, or whatever, but i do not like to pee outside, and i didnt have to!

the caves were super cool though, they actually were made from the water cisterns that the jews had beneath their houses and then connected thru little tunnels, and Michael (except pronouced the jewish way, duh!) called the big meeting room "the JCC", which was in the center of a bunch of tunnels and make shift living spaces.

then we got back, had dinner and then met for Shabbat preparations. but that started off as a meeting, which i slept thru (uncomfortably squished on a couch with 4 other people) and then almost went to bed. BUT I DIDNT! hooray!

because i was tired i decided to go with the singing group because i figured it would require a lot less work than the skit group and the d'var torah group. and the singing was AMAZING! the songs were so nice and we were singing in this wonderful group led by Pesach. and i know it sounds very unlike me, but it was just so fun, and lively! we sang a lot of these crazy songs called either Ni-Ni's or Niguns. and i can try and sing them for you when we get back, but i cant promise they'll be tuneful.

then i was tired ( oh so tired!) but i couldnt handle missing any more songs so i told everyone the time ELEVEN FORTY TWO! and everyone wanted to go to bed too, but Pesach said stay for just one more song, and since i'm a huge pushover i did. and then he sang a song by Rabbi Jon Bon Jovi (as opposed to the other rabbi songs we had been singing) and then we all sang living on a prayer!

THEN we went to take the elevator from our room in the basement up to our floor (the 6th) and in my elevator we all started singing on the way up, and even kept singing when the doors opened in the lobby (everyone stared at us) and then when we got to our floor more of our chevre (group/friends) were there and then we all kept singing more! and of course it was still nice and beautiful. but people kept telling us to keep it down and be quiter, so i decided that the time had finally come...BED!