Another pic...

This is an attempt to post a better picture of myself. I hope it actually comes out better. The 2 things I have to say are that my hair is not that short and not that straight...
Edit: AAARGH!!!! It didn't work!!!! Never mind, I have no patience for this now. I'll deal with it another time.

Weekly Update

Well after I put all the details in the Eilat post, I don't think I have much to say, because not much else happened (or had time to happen this week), other than... IT'S CHANUKAH!
Have a good week!

Eilat

So, for the first time this year, like all traditional Efratians do on Chanukah, my family packed up and went to Eilat for a few days. We left on Monday, right after school and got back tonight. It was a lot of fun, and I didn't run into too many people I know...
I have to say, the first thing I thought when I got there was that it reminded me of Las Vegas. I was there two summers ago, and certain parts of our very picturesque hotel just made me feel like I was inside the Paris hotel again.
So what did we do? A hike, an IMAX 3-D movie, the aquarium and its extra activities, a lot of hanging out at the hotel's own fake beach, and some sand dunes on the way up.
I think that covers it. Chag Sameach!

Happy Chanukah!

:-)

How was your week?

So after a long series of slow weeks, this week I had a late night almost every night:

• I got my first digital camera. Finally!
• I saw Harry Potter 4 and loved it.
• I saw Les Miserables and... OK'ed it.
• We had an "Erev Kita"- a class get-together after school- tonight.
• 2 tests...
• Check this out: http://www.flowgo.com/index.cfm?action=view&id=12580&scid=0 - I just randomly came across it and thought it was cute... for HP freaks (like myself, in case you had any doubts) or people who like to make fun of HP...

Have a good week and a great Chanukah!

Les Miserables

Well, I can't believe I'm actually posting about this. But never mind that...
Tonight I went with my mother and sisters to Hebrew U's Hillel House production of Les Miserables, and I didn't hate it. I'd never seen it before and I had no intention of doing so, but my mother wanted us to go so we went.
The plot was OK but I think any story that has two people alive at the end is a bit tragic. Just a bit. The music was not really to my taste, but that's what it is.
The cast was very good, especially considering that this was a little university production. And we got there and found out that one of my (many) 2nd cousins was actually in it.
I don't feel the need to see it again, but at least now I can say I've seen the world's most popular musica.

Harry Potter 4!

Well, I finally did it. I saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire today. I loved it!!!! I have never raved about a HP movie like I raved about this one. I seriously had a desire to go right back into the theater and watch it again. I just can’t get over it. I never felt so much emotion in a HP movie, and I applaud everyone involved for that. It probably has to do with the fact that this movie has the first death, but it was just so good! Of course, if you asked me to criticize it I would go on and on, most of the criticism focusing on Michael Gambon (Dumbledore) who is just too cold. I’m really worried about his character in the next movies- I just can’t see him doing it well. I loved what they did to Cedric, how they emphasized his nice personality (which I never really noticed that well in the books) so it would be sad when he died. And on a similar note, I was really disappointed at Sirius’ absence- what was that all about??? The rest of the actors did a good job, though I didn’t get why everyone was raving about Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort). All that said, I think my favorite part was when Dumbledore said you have to be 17 to enter the Tournament. I just turned 17 yesterday, and I was with a friend who also had her 17th birthday last month.
And I just had to point out, if you haven’t read the book, DON’T SEE THE MOVIE! The girl next to me hadn’t read it, so she was always asking her friend questions and pretty much driving me crazy.

Happy Birthday to... me!

Yes, today I am 17.
In addition to our traditional dinner out which we pushed off till next week, my mother made my favorite for dinner tonight- fettucini alfredo, and a cake.
But what really made my day was this: When my mother was at the library today with my little brothers, she noticed a book which was my absolute favorite when I was about 5: Laura Charlotte by Kathryn O. Galbraith. So she took it out for me, and I was positively over the moon.

That was my birthday.

Another week's gone by...

• Shabbat Irgun was a lot of fun! And I didn't even stay up too late...
• Some tests...
• A birthday card from Jo Rowling.
• Taking 4 hours to get home.
• We have a ton of guests for Shabbat!
• My birthday's on Sunday!

Have a good week!

4 hours to get home!

I left school at 4 today. School is a 1/2 hour ride from home, except that I didn't have a ride today. When I don't have a ride, I take the 21 bus to the Central Bus Station and from there take the 5:00 bus to Efrat and get home at 6:00. So I was waiting for the bus, and around 4:40 they announced that there was something that looks like a car bomb on the road to Efrat, the road was closed and would likely not be opened for about 3 hours. So before doing any research, I called a friend of mine in Yerushalayim. I knew she was planning on going to the new Harry Potter movie which I haven't seen yet and really want to, so it wouldn't be a big deal if I joined her for that. She said I would be welcome to come with her but they were going to the 7:30 movie. I then proceeded to do more research about whether or not to go home. I found someone to ask and was told the buses would still be running, but taking different roads which would obviously take more time. So I scratched the movie idea and planned on taking the 5:00 bus. The bus came at 5:45 because it took that long to get to the station, just when I was about to consider finding a better way to get home. I got on the bus, and it did its regular route but then went a different direction to get to Efrat. We were on the bus for 2 hours, crawling most of the time, and I walked into the house at 8:00.

Look what I got!!!

6 days before my birthday, I checked my e-mail and found out I got an e-card from none other than Jo Rowling. For those of you who may not know, I am a huge fan of hers. How cool is that?

The week that was...

• A lot of studying... 2 big tests this week and another one this Monday that I really need to do well on.
• Shabbat Irgun is this weekend! I'll be up till ? A.M. in the Snif (Ezra Efrat) tonight, and I'll be there tomorrow night and after Shabbat.
• Oh, and we think the mice are gone. Bli Ayin Hara...

Well, this was definitely not a slow week, but there wasn't much besides studying...

Have a great week! :-)

Mice!

Yes, my house has mice. We caught one this morning in a mousetrap, but we don't know if we have more. Meanwhile, I'm becoming really paranoid. I seem to think there is a mouse in my room, and I'm scared to be too quiet, because if the mouse comes out or makes noise on the assumption that there is nobody awake in the room, I will freak out. And I'm convinced that something inside the walls was keeping me up around 2 A.M. last night, but I may have been dreaming...
We have 2 mousetraps where droppings have appeared, and the exterminator's coming tomorrow. I would really love to be rid of them...

The past week...

• I've been writing...
• I've been going to sleep later and I'm not thrilled about that. Thank Goodness I don't have school tomorrow...
• Kislev and December both start this week! I can already smell Chanukah, and my birthday isn't too far off either!

Oh, well. It appears I've had another slow week. Have a good week!