Random updates

I was going to load up a “Grave’s Disease Update” but I think I’ll wait. Instead, here’s a bullet pointed list of random updates

1. I will be seeing the doctor for my Grave’s Disease the first week in November. At that time, I’ll do a big post about what’s been going on since June.

2. School is ending its fourth week. I can’t believe it. It is hard, of course. I have some interesting classes and thankfully, I like Modern Hebrew much much better than Biblical.

3. The leaves in Hyde Park have turned. I took on campus pictures today. I’ll try to upload them tomorrow. It’s awfully pretty!

4. I’m curious as to why the eggplant in my green curry (homemade) turned blue-ish after being cooked.

5. I really like my work study job. I work as an assistant to the Public Relations person. The variety of the work is enjoyable and ranges from the mundane (postering, counting postcards) to the interesting (writing first drafts of press releases, researching program notes for PR purposes). But it had definitely affected my school work time. I’m still struggling to maintain a balance.

6. Although I was supposed to have this “horrible, no good, very bad” class of 8th graders this year (at religious school) I’m actually enjoying them–for the most part. And I love the curriculum. Learning about being Jewish through examining other denominations and religions is really fun.

Conscious Consumer? No. Guilty Consumer? Yes.

I went home to Madison this weekend. Of course, I returned to Wisconsin to take in the clean, cold air and the gorgeous trees. And visit my family.  But, it was for another reason too. The sales tax in Illinois is 10.25%. For a grad student, that is a pricey addition to any shopping expedition. I needed some more cold-weather wear.I spent a great deal of the weekend running errands.

I am one of those earth loving, socially conscious (some would say kind of lefty) liberals. I recycle as much as possible (although I admit to occasionally taking the easy way out if the trash can is closest) and aspire to having a backyard or larger apartment which would allow for easy composting (for those not in the know, you can compost with worms indoors!). However, when it comes to my clothes and some of my household products, I just can’t afford to be that conscious. My parents take me to Sam’s Club where I can buy 6 + months worth of kleenex and toilet paper (I go through a LOT of kleenex) in one easy go. I get the regular brand-name stuff. And it’s worth it, even if it isn’t the most ecologically friendly. Never fear, I always feel a pinch of guilt, anyway. It’s just superseded by the excellent prices and the samples that I nosh on over in the food aisles.

Most of my socially/earth conscious friends shop at thrift stores. I don’t. I donate my used clothes to thrift stores, but I am not a thrifter. I’m also not really a shopper. I don’t value the hunt. I wear mostly basics (t-shirts, sweaters, and jeans) and like to be in and out of the mall as quickly as possible. I think that if you are a avid thrift-store shopper, you must value the hunt. You also must value a little more chaos than I have tolerance for. I tend to go into the local mall, enter the same section that I have visited multiple times of one department store (or another), wander, quickly try on, and buy. I don’t like rifling through clothes. I appreciate a good sale (I am a poor grad student after all) but I do not feel the adrenaline that comes from finding an amazing bargain of $0.50 pair of pants. I respect the thrift store people, I really do. And I respect those that can afford to buy all sweat-shop free, organic clothes as well. I aspire to be you. I do.

My guiltiest secret: Living in Hyde Park, I often feel closed-in by the university and the strange culture that surrounds it–I don’t really understand or feel affinity for the culture here. When things get crazy, claustrophobic, or I have a paper looming, I tend to take a vacation…to the South Loop. There, I can wander the aisles freely. Most often I find myself at Whole Foods where I can stock my pantry with dairy replacements and see a different side of Chicago. The people watching is great! and the food is pretty good to (regardless of politics).

Blood Orange Tea and Pumpkin Pie Fudge

School began on Tuesday. The day after Yom Kippur. This is the first quarter where I have “shopped” classes. I’m a pretty decisive person and usually go with what I’ve chosen–even in college. But this quarter has already been different. I first went to Introductory Modern Hebrew. And after class was told to move up to Intermediate. And then, on Wednesday morning, I went to another class–on Midrash. I sat through the class, found it interesting. But after considering my stress levels, decided that this wasn’t the quarter to be taking on Midrash translation. This will be a much easier undertaking after I have more Hebrew under my belt. Instead, I’ll be taking a class on the book of Job, in English. I’ll let you know how that goes next week, since I was not present in class this week–attending intro Hebrew instead. On Monday, I will have another “first” class. But, that one isn’t for shopping. I’ve been intentionally trying to create a balanced schedule that will allow me to be relatively successful. Hopefully, this will be it.

This weekend was a sister visit weekend. We had a lot of fun, beginning with a light meal at Whole Foods on Friday night after her train arrived. On Saturday we had breakfast out with a friend of mine. And then we bummed around and read for a bit. In the afternoon, we worked ourselves northward: stopping first in Lakeview. I easily found parking, which was amazing. I had recently seen a 190 North episode which mentioned the Coffee and Tea Exchange.  I was excited that the store was on the corner. The Coffee & Tea Exchange roasts their own beans and has a large collection of loose teas. It smelled really good inside and I succumbed to temptation to purchase a little loose tea–an herbal blood orange. I’m drinking it now. It has a very light flavor. We also discovered a cute candy store that I had never noticed in the neighborhood: Windy City Treats. We couldn’t resist going in and getting a sample of their pumpkin pie fudge–which was pretty amazing.

The rest of the mostly rainy day was spent taking photos at the Montrose Dog Beach, and then perusing the art along the Ravenswood Art Walk. Both activities were fun, albeit a little chilly.We had a fun sister weekend!

having it both ways

One of the great things about being here at Pardes in Jerusalem is the insta-community you enter. Much like summer camp, but less intense. We’re in classes a lot, which limits the during-the-day friendship sort of interaction to our 2 breaks–morning and lunch. Instead it’s after school and Shabbat. Shabbat can be intensely busy and social. Some shabbats, I have been to dinner, lunch, and seudat shlishit (third meal, which is usually cold salads). After all that walking (no busses in Jerusalem on Shabbat) and socializing I’m ready for the weekend. But school starts again on Sunday. So, no hypothetical “weekend”. The most weekend you get is on Friday. Friday, though, tends to be a day of cleaning, shopping, and cooking–no matter if you are hosting or providing potluck dishes.

Often, I’ve been able to strike a balance between the social carnival and the quiet independence of being “alone”. Alone is quotes because I’m living with 2 other people in a bedroom the size of my college dormroom. But, I’ve still felt busy and surrounded with people.

This Friday-Saturday has been a perfect combination of alone time and social time. Yesterday, Friday, I ran a few quick errands in the morning before packing a daypack and heading to the Central Bus station. There, I caught a bus to Tel Aviv. I haven’t traveled alone in Israel. And I didn’t have a city map, but I did have a guide book with bus routes penciled in by yours truly.

My destination was the Tel Aviv Art Museum. I first visited this art museum for the first time when I was 13, in Israel on a trip with my grandparents. It was, as far as I remember, the first time I visited an art museum and most certainly, the first time I had seen modern art in a museum. I was wowed. And excited to find art that I liked. As most of you know, this did not cause me to suddenly love art–do art history in college or take up art as a hobby. But, I developed a healthy appreciation that is manifested in occasional art museum visits.

Once again, I truly enjoyed my visit to the museum. Of course, now, I’ve been to several museums in the U S and Europe. However, I felt different about my visit to the TA museum. After suffering through numerous exhibits of crucifixes and Christ iconography and symbolism it was refreshing to leave that behind. The exhibits I saw were all different and interesting, and even historic. I saw an exhibit of art created by Eli Shamir. The series of paintings that I saw were portraits and self portraits of Shamir’s neighbors and family in a small Israeli village. Shamir returned to the village to live after a life away. It was all very beautiful and fascinating. I especially liked when Shamir would create self-portraits of him painting portraits.

My other favorite exhibit was called “Fragmented Mirror: Exhibition of Jewish Artists, Berlin, 1907.” This was a collection of works shown in 1907 in Berlin. My favorite piece was not a work of art but a letter, where someone wrote something to this effect “I am not sure that art created by Jews is Jewish art but I am willing to give you permission to exhibit wherever you wish.” This letter cuts to the crux of a universal problem. What makes something Jewish and what does that mean?  Someone else wrote (on the wall) that the Jewish nose was the expression of emotion in Jewish art in that time. I found that interesting to think about, especially since shortly thereafter (well within the next 40 years) the Jewish nose became a source of negative identity and critical humor.

After my museum visit I had a little trouble figuring out how to get to my next destination. I needed a map. Eventually, though I found the right bus that would take me to Nachalot Benjamin. Nachalot Benjamin is a craft festival that is put on every Tuesday and Friday. It was very very warm there (Tel Aviv is hotter and more humid than Jerusalem). But, it was also fun to walk around a look at what the artists were creating. After a brief visit to the booths (I am not much of a consumer) I found a bus back to the station and took another bus back to Jerusalem. I felt so very independent, making my way around a city without understanding all the street signs (and the bus drivers don’t speak english as well as the ones in Jerusalem). It was also nice to travel without someone else’s complaints, anxieties, and demands. With someone else around, I wouldn’t have stood for 10 minutes examining a bus route map before taking action. But instead, I did, and eventually decided to try the other side of the street. I also couldn’t have made it through the museum without feeling like I was waiting for someone or needing to occasionally explain my actions. It was great!

I arrived home with a few hours to spare before Shabbat. I was glad to have some time to relax and cut the fruit I was contributing to the dinner I planned on attending. And off I went. I left unfolded laundry on my bed figuring that I’d be back at a reasonable hour (in the summer, Shabbat dinners don’t usually begin until after 8). However, after an evening of really interesting and fun conversation, I had one of my latest nights yet: after 2AM. But the conversation was great. I enjoyed the company. In short, I relished the community after a day of independent travel.

Tempted

It’s the weekend between week 8 and 9 here in Hyde Park. And it’s Memorial Day weekend. A “holiday” weekend. Which, apparently, falls appropriately at a point where I have to write papers for finals in order to feel successful. So, I am. Or will. Yesterday I wrote notes and a presentation outline. Today, I am blogging instead of starting. I have notes. 2 different files of notes and one outline. I also have the paper proposal open. We are ready. Open yet another new document…

Instead, I am thinking about the Borders rewards coupon sitting in my inbox. 40% off. I am moving soon. I am getting kicked out of my housing and moving everything to a storage unit–which I have not yet reserved. And so, buying another book, especially after a quarter where I ended up buying more than 10 is probably not a good idea. But, the idea of going to borders and paying 5 or 7 dollars for a new book of fiction sounds wonderful (and I have a gift card with $5 left!). Kind of like heaven. What is one more book, especially when it’s so cheap? But, I am a grad student, living off a pittance of loans and other small incomes, and it will add another weight to one of the many boxes of books. This is why Borders sent out a Memorial Day weekend coupon with such a large discount. To tempt me. To lead me, a bookworm, away from my computer and productivity and towards the nearest big box bookstore (or down Lake Shore Drive to my favorite).

anouncements (of a sort)

I now have the camp song “announcements” in my head…the one that has boom chick boom boom boom in it?

Anyway. I have one life announcement and then just some things I’m thinking about.

announcement: I have my summer plans. People that know me in real life know that I had formulated a summer plan, but that plan was thwarted when I was not accepted to the program to which I had applied. Instead, I’m going to Pardes, in Israel, to study Jewish things for the summer. I’m not trying to be vague. I’ll be studying Torah, Talmud, and contemporary issues. Just the sorts of things that will help bolster my phd apps which I have to start writing in the fall. I’ll be leaving for Israel at the end of June and arriving back in the midwest mid-August. I’m hoping to pick up a job for the last month (through school, most likely) to help pay for my life and bills, etc.

Other things:

1. I am very excited to have ordered my first inter-library loan thing here at U of C. And it’s microfiche, which I haven’t used in ions. But, for my religous history class, we need to use primary sources. So, I found this women’s papers!

2. I’m thinking of starting a regular feature called “what am I doing in school” or something like that. This would be easy for me to update. I know I’ve been slow. I just have lots of reading to do.

3. I’m really really glad it’s the weekend and that I don’t have class on Fridays. It feels good to sleep in.

4. This is what I’m looking forward to this weekend: sushi and trader joe’s tonight, a hair cut (yay!) and possibly lunch in logan square tomorrow (always fun) , and tea with a smithie on Sunday. Oh, and lots of school work, too. Of course.

The New Class Review

It’s Monday of the second week of the quarter. All of my classes have met once. And today’s, of course, has met twice. This quarter will be good, I think. The first year of grad school is about finding balance, and figuring out what works best for your learning style. Of one thing I’m certain: quarter system is NOT for me. I really struggle with the accellerated nature of our classes. I basically need to have 3 final paper ideas by next week. Which will only be our third meeting. Ugh.

I’m taking an assortment this quarter, based on what programs I’m planning on applying to next year. I’m taking a class on women in American religious history, a class on scriptural authority in rabbinic literature, and a class on Orientalism. One of the best parts of this quarter is the new faces. Our cohort is so big that I haven’t met everybody. So this week and last, I’ve met 3 new people! Apparently, one has seen me before and remembers me because I have a cute, short hair cut. Which is really nice of her, and a funny way to remember someone you don’t know…

Other exciting things of note:

On Friday we (friends and I) went to see Marjane Satrapi, writer of Persepolis. She was amazing! and it was fun to hear someone like that speak in a very un-U of C environment (we were at Columbia College).

And on Saturday, I went out to Logan Square to hang out with my Smith friends. Which was fun, nice, and normal. I made Hazelnut-Spinach pesto pasta with walnuts as a substitute. It was sooooo green. What was fun, though, was infusing the olive oil with a rosmary sprig. You could really taste the rosemary in the pesto. We had a few other things as well, including some really yummy chocolate-mint bars too.

I also helped out at the Divinity Students Association book sale on Saturday. I helped sort books. And tomorrow, I will help sell for a couple of hours. I am not planning on buying anything, no matter how tempting (unless it’s a school book).  It was a really nice couple of hours hanging out with people I don’t see as often.

All-in-all a good weekend.

weekend

• This weekend my sister came to visit. It wasn’t the most amazing visit of all times. Snow kept being dumped, all of Saturday which made it NO FUN. We tried to go to the Museum of Science and Industry. It was a very wet process. And, we discovered, after wandering around, that growing up going to the museum made it a rather boring adult experience. And there weren’t any special exhibits to look at.  But, at least January is free month (there) so it was worth the price
• I don’t usually do a friends thing for my birthday, since it falls between Christmas and New Years. But this year, I decided it was about time. The last “birthday” celebration I remember (with friends) is 8th grade and I threw a summer party. This time, I invited my closest Chicago friends and went out to my favorite Logan Square Mexican spot (El Cid II). There were 7 of us, only 1 person +husband ended up sickly  (sadly). First, I have to comment on the number. For me, this is amazing (not that I don’t have more than 7 friends, but after the last 2 years of living in Madison where I couldn’t have invited more than my sister and her friends to a party, this is amazing! and 3 of those friends are Smithies (that came, there would have been 4!), and my sister was there. But still. I was so grateful and it reminded me of some life positives (which in the rush of grad school stress have been slipping away). Back to the “party”. My question is why did I choose to do this? I feel strange getting so much attention, in fact it makes me want to crawl under the table (and I probably make horrible faces). It was fun to get everyone together though–these people that I love. And then, I feel guilty for them paying for my meal because we were almost all poor grad students.  But it was fun. I need to remember that. And I didn’t crawl under the table when attention was put on me (I don’t get this feeling with family, oddly). And we had yummy food and good company.
• At religious school today we went to a Catholic church. It was quite the experience for all of us. I was surprised how strongly ideological the teachers were, especially when interacting with my (very left, liberal) students. Of course we had differing opinions. But, still. It was, though, a fascinating and memorable experience.

It’s Time for 5

I missed Friday, so here goes.

1. I have my Hebrew final on Monday, which means that I’ll be done with the intensive part of the class. I’m so glad, it wasn’t my ideal learning setting. I did like the teacher.

2. Today I went Northwest, to my old stomping grounds. First to Roscoe Village for a hair cut. Yay! although my sister says it looks like hers. Then to Targe and the old Logan Square house where we sat on the patio and ate dinner listening to the loud mariechi-esque music coming from across the alley. It was nice.

3. I’ve been wishing for my porch/deck this weekend. I’ve been trying to study and look down at the apartment’s side yard, wondering how appropriate it’d be to set up by the leaning fence with my books. Deciding no.

4. Last weekend I had a wonderful time with my sister. We did it all. We went to Chinatown and had a delicious lunch and walked around in the rain. We went to Millenium Park. It was raining so much that the water was just streaming down the stairs. She took some good pictures though. We met my friends at Borders, where we were able to watch the Joffrey dancers rehearse across the street. And then, she won $25 Wicked tickets. So, of course, we HAD to go. And we had amazing, 2nd row seats and it was incredible to watch everything so up close (last time it was so far away) and see the details. Loved it! And that was it. She hung my pictures for me while I was teaching. Thank you! And I miss her this weekend.

5. I went to the “famed” Medici this week. It was lovely on the patio. I walked a lot. I have not gone to the lake. And that seems strange, since I am so drawn to water. This coming week is orientation, so I’ll have more time.

it’s fall so it’s raining

Last week we had the remains of Gustav, now it’s just raining for raining’s sake.

I had a pretty good weekend.  I was able to run errands and discovered a near-ish by home depot and Whole Foods.  The Whole Foods is good because I can buy cases of soy milk  boxes (individual sized) for cheaper. I also managed to stock up at Trader Joes and visit a nice Borders (just to kill time).

Dinner was with friends in Lakeview at Pompeii Bakery. The restaurant hearkens back to the day when there was only 1 in Little Italy. It’s a nice place but their speed of service (for an order-at-the counter type) is pretty irregular. Allison and I went to the original in Little Italy a couple of years ago (when we saw Wicked). After dinner we wandered around the neighborhood, stopping in at both Borders and Barnes and Noble. What can I say, we like books! It was startling to realize that instead of the requisite Badger gear that I’m used to seeing around there was Cubs gear! Strange…

Sunday was a busy day. I had religious school orientation in the Gold Coast, so I took the bus and El from Hyde Park for the first time. I got down there on a Sunday in 45 minutes, which was quite encouraging. The orientation was fun. I liked that it included all the madrichim (high school aides) and the teachers. The teachers were all friendly and interesting. It was a much more social experience than I had in Madison. We did ice breakers and broke off into our teaching teams. I have 4 madrichim for my 24 kids, but only 2 were there. They’re both basketball players! so, in our “team” photo, I said that they should stand on each side of me like tall bookends. They probably thought I was weird. During the orientation, it was emphasized repeatedly that kids come to this congregation with varying degrees of Jewish experience and have so many different family structures (both dual/single parent/lgbt/adopted homes but also varying types of interfaith and nationalities). I really liked that emphasis. And there were role-plays done to illustrate what kids might think from what you might say. Good reminders all around. And, before going to orientation, I had already planned on making my first lesson about the diversity of observance/practice in Reform Judaism (the first denomination on our comparative journey). So, that was fun and the bagels/food spread were amazing.

At 5 (busy day!) I had my first rehearsal with Lakeside Pride (yay!) It was so nice to be cheerfully welcomed back. The band has changed so much, especially since they’re involved in search for a new conductor. I really liked the old one, but I understand that he needed to do other things with his time. The conductor team seemed to run smoothly and I got to talk to people I should have met before. My whole section changed while I was gone. Mostly, because people now have kids and are too busy for band. I like the guys in my section, they seem very nice and fun. The organization has more men than women, unfortunately, that’s the way it’s always been. There’s an “ok” amount of ethnic diversity, but the gender balance leans towards the men. My section used to have 3 women, not it’s just me! And the Trombones are currently even…tubas just guys. It’s fun to sit on the top of the risers and look down….

This week is more Hebrew and prep for my first religious school class. Now,if it would only stop raining…