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This weekend, inside its bookend of long pieces of travel, was truly wonderful. I left JTS just about after my last class on Thursday, and returned this morning. In between, I met a whole bunch of H's family, friends, and the like. That's the general summary for the weekend- not a lot of formal excitement (although I do now have an engagement ring. That probably provokes excitement, even for people other than me), but a lot of very worthwhile time spent.
Thursday evening, my plane got in early (can you imagine?), and I was expecting to be sitting around for a while- but H checked the flight's status online, and was sitting right there waiting for me when I arrived. We were then that stereotypical couple in the airport, bit the big embrace, paying no attention to anyone else. Then we headed to his place, but stopped off at his folks' home to say hi, and for me to briefly meet his dad, and then, across the backyards, to do the same with his grandma, before we had some dinner with his folks, and went off to his place (where I'll be living next semester) for the night.
Friday he had work, and I spent a relaxing morning before hanging out with H's parents in the afternoon, talking, occasionally managing to help with some of the shabbos cooking, and the like. I think I broke up their usual pattern, or something, because a lot of things were happening at once, and a bunch of them almost got forgotten about, and were remembered at the last moment. But it was a pretty comfortable time, although I kept feeling like I was just hanging around, and wasn't familiar enough with the set-up to really be of much help- but that will, I imagine, come in time.
Friday night, we went to shul (serious low marks for the set-up in the library, where they have Friday night davening. The women's section was poorly set up, and felt seriously marginalized. It turns out that the men hate the set-up too, as I discovered upon mentioning it to H and his dad. We're contemplating writing a letter about it. Dinner was pleasant but a little overwhelming- about 10 people, all told, including us, H's parents and grandma, an aunt and uncle, a couple from shul (whom I'd met and liked when they were visiting their son in Israel, so that was actually a pair of familiar faces in the mix), and a cousin. But I did enjoy listening to them all, even if I didn't quite get myself really integrated.
Saturday was easier- shul was in the main sanctuary, which has a much better lay-out, and I didn't get funny looks for being at an Orthodox shul in a tallit (as H kept reassuring me- it's Berkeley). And then there was the whole business of announcing our engagement there, and co-sponsoring kiddush. That was rather overwhelming at first, but I warmed up into it, especially when H started helping by pointing out interesting items for conversation when various people came over to meet me. Really, we ended up standing in sort of a far corner of the area where they were having kiddush (outside), and people basically just kept coming to us. I'm trying to remember names- we'll see how much success I have. There were an awful lot of people being very excited to meet me. It was flattering, and rather embarrassing, all at once. The better part was seeing how much they all love H.
Then we returned home for lunch, which involved a few fewer people, and somehow it was an easier crowd to get comfortable in. It also included meeting H's best friend from his college-era (and being very relieved that I enjoyed his company), and a remarkable amount of fish (sushi, and then, in various cooked forms: salmon, trout and tuna). (They knew I preferred milchigs, and so that's what they made- they were incredibly welcoming.) Afterwards, H and I went over to his grandma's, and looked at the two family engagement rings in his grandma's keeping, and picked on. It fits too, so- now I have a ring. Wow. It seems to make more of a difference than I thought that it would.
Sunday, we had lunch and hang-out time with H's two particular friends from Iaido (his martial art), including time, in the rain, at what would have been an even more exciting street fair in the sunshine. And then dinner with his family, and back to the airport. H was incredibly sweet, and stood outside the ropes, waiting with me as much as he could, the whole time I was in line for the security screenings. (At the end of which, I got selected for a full pat-down. I don't know why.) Then travel, and home- and this entry is longer than long enough already, so for now, I stop here.
Thursday evening, my plane got in early (can you imagine?), and I was expecting to be sitting around for a while- but H checked the flight's status online, and was sitting right there waiting for me when I arrived. We were then that stereotypical couple in the airport, bit the big embrace, paying no attention to anyone else. Then we headed to his place, but stopped off at his folks' home to say hi, and for me to briefly meet his dad, and then, across the backyards, to do the same with his grandma, before we had some dinner with his folks, and went off to his place (where I'll be living next semester) for the night.
Friday he had work, and I spent a relaxing morning before hanging out with H's parents in the afternoon, talking, occasionally managing to help with some of the shabbos cooking, and the like. I think I broke up their usual pattern, or something, because a lot of things were happening at once, and a bunch of them almost got forgotten about, and were remembered at the last moment. But it was a pretty comfortable time, although I kept feeling like I was just hanging around, and wasn't familiar enough with the set-up to really be of much help- but that will, I imagine, come in time.
Friday night, we went to shul (serious low marks for the set-up in the library, where they have Friday night davening. The women's section was poorly set up, and felt seriously marginalized. It turns out that the men hate the set-up too, as I discovered upon mentioning it to H and his dad. We're contemplating writing a letter about it. Dinner was pleasant but a little overwhelming- about 10 people, all told, including us, H's parents and grandma, an aunt and uncle, a couple from shul (whom I'd met and liked when they were visiting their son in Israel, so that was actually a pair of familiar faces in the mix), and a cousin. But I did enjoy listening to them all, even if I didn't quite get myself really integrated.
Saturday was easier- shul was in the main sanctuary, which has a much better lay-out, and I didn't get funny looks for being at an Orthodox shul in a tallit (as H kept reassuring me- it's Berkeley). And then there was the whole business of announcing our engagement there, and co-sponsoring kiddush. That was rather overwhelming at first, but I warmed up into it, especially when H started helping by pointing out interesting items for conversation when various people came over to meet me. Really, we ended up standing in sort of a far corner of the area where they were having kiddush (outside), and people basically just kept coming to us. I'm trying to remember names- we'll see how much success I have. There were an awful lot of people being very excited to meet me. It was flattering, and rather embarrassing, all at once. The better part was seeing how much they all love H.
Then we returned home for lunch, which involved a few fewer people, and somehow it was an easier crowd to get comfortable in. It also included meeting H's best friend from his college-era (and being very relieved that I enjoyed his company), and a remarkable amount of fish (sushi, and then, in various cooked forms: salmon, trout and tuna). (They knew I preferred milchigs, and so that's what they made- they were incredibly welcoming.) Afterwards, H and I went over to his grandma's, and looked at the two family engagement rings in his grandma's keeping, and picked on. It fits too, so- now I have a ring. Wow. It seems to make more of a difference than I thought that it would.
Sunday, we had lunch and hang-out time with H's two particular friends from Iaido (his martial art), including time, in the rain, at what would have been an even more exciting street fair in the sunshine. And then dinner with his family, and back to the airport. H was incredibly sweet, and stood outside the ropes, waiting with me as much as he could, the whole time I was in line for the security screenings. (At the end of which, I got selected for a full pat-down. I don't know why.) Then travel, and home- and this entry is longer than long enough already, so for now, I stop here.