Ah, how the army loves to send me home

So, as I told you last week, we had an exercise on my base this week and were all told that we would be sleeping on base all week. In preparation for this I spent Saturday night packing, making cookies with my friend Dov, and then going out and staying up way too late. I lugged my big bag to base (which was mostly full of bedding) and tried to mentally prepare myself for five solid days with the underwear kids. Well first thing I found out was that Roi (with the red undies) was sick and going to be out all week. This is kind of a bummer because he is one of the funnier guys and kind of relaxes everyone. Almog (who likes to dance in his underwear) had class that night so he also would not be sleeping there, and Lihi (the other english teacher) and I were beginning to worry that it would be just the two of us and Boris. 

Luckily, our commander came in at around 5 and told us that the two of us could go home for the night and would spend the rest of the week on base. 

Well, this luck continued through the rest of the week and I ended up not spending a single night on base. Which just improved an already good week. The good part about being in the middle of an exercise was that, aside from the occasional alarm that sent us into the bomb shelter (which is also my office), nobody really had much to do this week. Lihi was bored out of her mind and couldnt understand how I do this every day. Boris slowly grew creepier as the week went on and kept walking into whatever room I would be sitting in and winking at me. Chezi (one of the older religious officers) spent the week playing Adar pranks on Shimon (another older religious officer), which got Ofer started, and he kept walking into rooms and making his phone play a farting noise. For grown men, they all have the sense of humor of five year old boys.

Aside from all that, we just spent alot of time talking. I learned all about Lupo's stepdaughter, Shimon gave us a long lecture on why kosher meat is healthier, and Shachaf and I had a long debate about belief in God and religion. We discussed homosexuality in Judaism, the crappy food in the cafeteria, and college drinking habits. 

We also finally undertook the video project they have been talking about for months and four of us headed out to the F-16 hangar and filmed a short movie about the importance of technicians following their instructions precisely. Lihi starred as our airheaded technician and I got to play with the videocamera. And I got to touch the airplanes, which just always makes me happy. 

There was also alot of talk about my non-jobness, and by the end of the week the whole office had sort of pulled together to make me a job. Its stuff we have been talking about for awhile, but they are going to train me to be a teacher and then they are going to help me make up a syllabus to help older officers improve their english. I will still be teaching in hebrew, but they are going to start me with small classes and we'll mainly be working on word review.

It is not really what I wanted to be doing, but at this point I know I am not going to be switched anywhere, and as Lupo told me, there are not many places in the army like our office. The environment their is pretty unique and we have a really good group of people that I have become friends with. Plus, I have gotten pretty used to coming home every day, I like my base, and I am branching out and making more friends there. So the army is not what I expected and sometimes it is a challenge to see that this isn't quite what I wanted. But I know it is helping me in so many ways, in my hebrew, in my understanding of Israelis, and in my understanding of myself. I am more confident, more assertive, and I am more ready. I am ready to choose a career, I am ready to find a school, and I am no longer scared of changing, and of putting myself out there, and of taking control of things myself.

Anyway, I have a super long weekend ahead of me, as they gave me off for Purim on Sunday, and then I took off for Shushan Purim on Monday. My roommate has planned a women's megillah reading in our apartment for Monday morning, and then we are having about 20 people over for a big festive meal that afternoon. We have to do a ton of cooking and Im a little worried we wont have enough chairs, but Im really excited to have all my friends over eating and drinking and looking ridiculous. I love Purim! I hope you all have a great one and please send me pictures of your costumes!!

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!!!