Did This Seriously Just Happen??

In order for me to apply to music school, I need to get a form from a doctor saying that I, Baruch Hashem, am healthy. Since I am a member of the Meuchedet insurance thing, I went to their big building on Yafo street. I went up to the fourth floor, where they have the family doctors and I asked the secretary where I can go to get one of these forms. She told me to go to room 6, and I went there.

After the person before me exited, I entered, and there was a large, probably Russian, man sitting behind a desk in a red and white Tommy Hilfiger polo shirt. Apparently he was the doctor. I told him that I needed this form to say that I am healthy in order to go to school.

He asks me for my insurance card, and he swipes it, and the next thing I know, without even asking a single question, he prints out a sheet saying that I am healthy and he stamps it and signs it. It took a few seconds for me to realize that this really did just happened. This doctor just printed out a form saying that I am healthy without even asking my name- I only knew his name when I left his office and looked at his stamp.

דוד, זה לא פשוט

Today, I was walking all over Yerushalayim (that part is exaggerated), trying to find an ATM machine, or כספומט- as any American should know. First I went to my bank, Discount Bank, and their ATM was "temporarily" out of service. Then, I walked down a few blocks to בנק הפועלים, but it was absolutely packed- I mean like a 15 minute wait. Next to that was another branch of Discount Bank which was also "temporarily" out of service. I walked to another בנק הפועלים which had nobody there, and that was awesome.

I think it is a good thing, all in all, that Yerushalayim is bustling on Friday.

Cya here soon!

שבת שלום!!

נצחתי ואנצח גמרתי ואגמור

This is the e-mail that I just received from YU that I have officially graduated as of June 1, 2011. This means that I have won. My plan was that I was not going to take the exit exam and to see what happens. If they were to realize, then I would just have to take one like everyone else. But, if they don't realize, then, after three difficult years, I have gotten the last laugh. And this is what has just occured:

Hello Seth,

Your degree was officially conferred on June 1^st. My apologies for the delay in emailing you. Your diploma has been ordered and is expected to arrive no later than 6-8 weeks from June 1^st. Your transcript now reflects that you have graduated as of May 28, 2010.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Can You Guess?

Can anybody guess which member of the extended Stollel crew, stated the following statement:

"My fondest memories from Reishit are definitely the one-on-one Chavrusas that I had learning with my Rabbeim. The fact that these Rabbeim who I truly looked up to would take time out of their day to learn with me, and talk about really anything that was on my mind was truly inspirational."

Hint: check the Reishi.org "Spotlight on Our Alumni" (if you see this post in time), or recognize the picture.

So It Has Been a Year

On this day, May 26, last year I graduated college. I still have not yet received my diploma, but I'm working on it.

To all my friends: enjoy!