New addictions and Rosh Hashanah

I now see why people become gambling addicts. For the first time in my life last night I played blackjack and gambled. What was the outcome, you ask? I tripled what I put in and walked away with $40 USD more than I started with. Groceries for a week! I won't make too much of a habit out of it, but it's definitely rewarding .

On a completely different note, my trip to the refugee camps has been postponed. I was supposed to leave next Wednesday but because of re-registration in the camps there are (apparently) a million-and-two activities going on and nowhere for us to stay (the UNHCR guest house is full and there aren't hotels or anything around there). When I first heard, I was pretty pissed. I know that a large part of being here and working here is being flexible - particularly time-wise - but this was going to be my escape from the city, my time to be out in the field, to be autonomous, to be the only intern working on a project (as awesome as it is to work with other people, sometimes it's also nice to have something that's yours, you know?). Instead of next week it's moved to the beginning of October and we actually come back on my birthday (the 10th). The switch just forced me to take a step back and reorganize my thoughts and my mentality. A firm grip on time just doesn't work out here. And that's okay. But I need to remember and respect that, instead of getting frustrated.

Lastly, the other night one of the fellows and I made Rosh Hashanah dinner for the GRS interns and fellows. It was a veritable feast! With crunchy sweet apples, notorious Zambian honey, bread that is braided and soft like challah (what it's doing in Zambia, I have no idea!), orange-lemon-rosemary roast chicken, balsamic gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, minted cucumber tomato salad and an apple honey bourbon cake with vanilla ice cream, we dined like kings. The highlight was the vuvuzela as the shofar - pictures will certainly be up soon, but to say the least, it was epic. Epic and nice to both have that connection to what I associate with home, and to share it with people here (for a few of them it was their first Rosh Hashanah dinner). Spreading a little Jew love here and there. Shana tova!