Update

Dear Diary,

I really have to stop bestowing promises upon your gullible, impressionable minds since now I feel coerced to write about my trip to Poland then Germany. Briefly, Poland was an incredible trip which opened our eyes to the history and the devastation our nation endured. In a grammatical context, the word 'and' can either be a conjunction that connects two independent clauses or a word that groups together similar 'things': I used the latter in the previous sentence when talking about 'history' and 'devastation'. I find it ridiculous how the two are so highly correlated and how it is even plausible to commit such rhetorical accuracy. Why do I envision the past with destruction and see these proponents flowing in harmony down the pond of history? For those of you who are not aware, I went to Poland to visit the concentration camps and to witness the ruins of the grounds where the largest mass murder occurred. 

Following Poland I, ironically, went to Germany where the devastation began. There, I furthered my touring and learned the Holocaust from the attackers point of view. The underlying point of view paralleled the common notion that what the Germans did was awful, but the tours also stressed the harsh conditions German civilians were living under too. Despite its prowess, Germany was no oasis in Europe during her reign of terror. Destruction soared throughout the country and those who fervently opposed the war suffered too. 

The two trips juxtaposed were informative, but as expected when I returned from Germany I needed a darn vacation. I was tired, angry, hungry, thirsty, dead, dumb, ugly,... I was running on minimal sleep for the past two weeks and I just wanted to lie in my bed and cry. Well after a good night sleep I was happy, smart, and handsome again so I was back to my normal self. It should be noted that on the trip to Germany, I finished the longest book EVER: Atlas Shrugged. I really think this book should be a mandatory reading for high school students. This changed my life more than any history lesson or Mark Twain novel. Although I skipped about 50 pages, this knowledge this book grants should be appreciated by everyone.

Ah yes I graduated. Shockingly, I passed my statistics class. Unshockingly, I averaged a 72. The days leading up to graduation were replete with gray clouds hovering upon our emotions, but like most things in life, the anticipation is worse. Graduation and moving on is simply weeding at those who you were never friends while retaining those who are special to you. Although I no longer talk to those friend on a day to day basis, we can text after days without speaking and pick off like we are back in the 10th grade after an intense game of basketball. (yes.shockingly, i played basketball) 

The week after graduation is somewhat of a blur. When trying to connects the dots between graduation and camp, I cannot visualize anything. In fact, lately I haven't been able to recall anything. Crap, do you think it is bad if I am suffering from Alzheimer at the age of 18?

Anyway, this summer I have been working at a day camp as a counselor. This day camp is affiliated with my school, which consequently means the school has some jurisdiction over camp policies. The camp is recognized as a 'Jewish Day Camp', but there is a wide spectrum of religious beliefs ranging from Catholic to Orthodox Jews. The bulk of the camp however are non-observant Jews who only proclaim they are Jewish because either they know a few Hebrew words or because they fast on Yom Kippur. Despite the mixed backgrounds, my Orthodox schools mandates a daily prayer. Although the counselors too are not religious, we are supposed to sing and captivate the kids and so much to my mother's chagrin, this summer was the most I have Prayed since the 7th grade.

 

Unfortunately, during orientation the staff delivering the programs admonished writing about campers in a blog, so I won't be able to tell you stories about the 'fat kid' or the 'suicidal kid'...yaaaa sorry to disappoint you parents but unfortunately we counselors do label your children. How else are we suppose to survive the summer and talk about our campers? Just bear in mind that is all out of love. and tips.

Ironically, the best summer I had was when my father wasn't spending money on me. Most of my school friends either worked with me at the camp or worked at a neighboring camp and were home. The summer extended the binding between me and my friends since the day to day connection was augmented into the summer. Further, I became very good friends with my co-counselor and a counselor from another bunk. For some mystical reason, summer friendships have the potential to become just as deep as those friendships created during the school year.

Camp ended, I was paid, then the family went on a cruise. The cruise was nice since it isolated the family and..well forced us all to hang out. Thinking about it, a cruise is my worst nightmare. No computer, no cell phone, no privacy. Well the cruise was definitely necessary since I was leaving for Israel the following week and my sister was likewise leaving for college. There are too many distractions at home for proper family time, so cruise is the in essence the perfect getaway. Well to kick off the family vacation, Sammy opened up with his rendition of throwing up. We all thought his nausea was from sea sickness but when we docked and his throw-up continued, we later discovered it was indeed a stomach virus. Because we originally suspected Sammy was sea sick and because my E.N.T father did a fabulous job diagnosing him, I felt free to share his beverages and food without abandon. 

 

Now, I'm in Israel. The three weeks I have been here feels like three months. Does the quote “time flies when you are having fun” apply in the converse? Dorm life was a tough adjustment considering I am limited to scarce closet space and thus shoved piles of clothes into the tiniest cracks in my closet. At first there was some semblance to the organization of my clothing such as the pants with the shorts and and sweatshirts with the sweatpants, but despite how ambitious I was to maintain such order, I am now finding my shorts with my winter clothes and boxers with my winter clothes.

Although time is moving with a weight attached to its waist, I really am enjoying my time here. There is a lot of learning but the nights are certainly rewarding. I am becoming good friends with lots of people here and since I now have a routine and am settled time will fly by. Expect more blogs from Israel! 

Lata

By the way, I started writing this blog post in May and then when I would continue writing a week later, there was something else to write about.