Shabbos At Camp

Shabbat at camp was much nicer than I expected- I had time to rest (I slept a Lot), and got to sit down for parts of dinner and lunch (and probably could have for Seudat SHlishit if I'd really wanted to), and things in the kitchen were generally pretty calm- much easier going and calm than during the week. So it did feel like shabbos, and I got to daven actually at shul with a minyan this morning through the end of the torah service, and again for ma'ariv. I was told I ought to go daven kabbalat shabbat wtih them too, and I did, but I felt funny, because I felt like I was supposed to be in the kitchen, and I felt guilty for not being there, and very conscious of time, because I knew I ought to get back. So- next time maybe I'll figure things out a little bit differently. In general, folks in the kitchen have been turning out to be very nice. (You would have heard a different story from me a few days ago- I was pretty grumpy on Thursday for some reason. There was a lot of talk among the kitchen staff who don't live at camp about who was going to come in to work dinner which day, and in general having time off, and as far as I know, I'm on pretty much every meal, and I was just feeling sort of jealous. On the other hand, I can decide on my own schedule during work to some extent, and sit down for some meals- something that our kitchen steward doesn't seem to get to do- or thinks he can't do. I want to swap off with him or something, but he insists that this is why they pay him (not like they don't pay me too), etc.

Over Shabbos, we had someone else come in who is often the mashgiach for the kitchen when they have weekend groups in before or after camp, and he was running things more as chef or whatnot- but I was also on, of course. It was sort of odd for him, who knows the kitchen like the back of his hand, and knows the camp and the people and whatnot, to be asking me questions about what I was ok with- could he tear tinfoil to cover things over shabbos, if the camp staff was making shabbos early, could he keep on working until real candlelighting time, etc. It felt weird, but it made me feel actually useful and like I know something, etc.

And then this evening, I got a phone call from jakal88, which was very nice- I didn't have so much else for plans, although a lot of people were going out, and none of it quite interested me, and I don't know the people enough to want to go and just hang out, so I hung out here, and then getting a call was great. But well, I'm working breakfast tomorrow, at least briefly, so off I go.

Shabbos At Camp

Shabbat at camp was much nicer than I expected- I had time to rest (I slept a Lot), and got to sit down for parts of dinner and lunch (and probably could have for Seudat SHlishit if I'd really wanted to), and things in the kitchen were generally pretty calm- much easier going and calm than during the week. So it did feel like shabbos, and I got to daven actually at shul with a minyan this morning through the end of the torah service, and again for ma'ariv. I was told I ought to go daven kabbalat shabbat wtih them too, and I did, but I felt funny, because I felt like I was supposed to be in the kitchen, and I felt guilty for not being there, and very conscious of time, because I knew I ought to get back. So- next time maybe I'll figure things out a little bit differently. In general, folks in the kitchen have been turning out to be very nice. (You would have heard a different story from me a few days ago- I was pretty grumpy on Thursday for some reason. There was a lot of talk among the kitchen staff who don't live at camp about who was going to come in to work dinner which day, and in general having time off, and as far as I know, I'm on pretty much every meal, and I was just feeling sort of jealous. On the other hand, I can decide on my own schedule during work to some extent, and sit down for some meals- something that our kitchen steward doesn't seem to get to do- or thinks he can't do. I want to swap off with him or something, but he insists that this is why they pay him (not like they don't pay me too), etc.

Over Shabbos, we had someone else come in who is often the mashgiach for the kitchen when they have weekend groups in before or after camp, and he was running things more as chef or whatnot- but I was also on, of course. It was sort of odd for him, who knows the kitchen like the back of his hand, and knows the camp and the people and whatnot, to be asking me questions about what I was ok with- could he tear tinfoil to cover things over shabbos, if the camp staff was making shabbos early, could he keep on working until real candlelighting time, etc. It felt weird, but it made me feel actually useful and like I know something, etc.

And then this evening, I got a phone call from jakal88, which was very nice- I didn't have so much else for plans, although a lot of people were going out, and none of it quite interested me, and I don't know the people enough to want to go and just hang out, so I hung out here, and then getting a call was great. But well, I'm working breakfast tomorrow, at least briefly, so off I go.