CHAYYEI SARAH RELOADED
Last weekend, Chayyei Sarah (J.A.’s single soul sister in Jerusalem) went to a singles weekend in Tiberias, Israel. It was an experience like no other, in which Our Heroine suffered untold singles-related slings and arrows, ducking social ineptitude and poorly-planned program elements like machine-gun fire. She survivedâ€â€as heroines often doâ€â€heroically, living to blog (and blog and blog) another day (and another day and another day).
As she relived the weekend for her readers, she understood that she needed support, and has asked for it:
The Shabbaton was . . . emotionally a lot . . . and while writing about it is helping me to “process,” the interaction with other people out there helps a lot too. Even if you don’t think you have something profound to say, please say something, even if it’s just “nice post” or “this gave me something to think about” or “you have a typo.” Writing about the Shabbaton is dredging up a lot of the feelings of isolation, and your feedback helps me to not feel like I’m blogging in a vacuum.
As she reflected on the “Lost Weekend†(my title, not hers) she recalled the incidents in the order that they transpired. But because of the way blogs work, the newest posts are first, leading to disjointed reading.
Her enterprising editor friend is pleased to present for your reading this chronological account of CS’s weekend, chapter by renamed chapter. Click to the link below each chapter title and make sure to share your comments with her, as well as with me.
Feel her pain, for it is also ours.
Chapter One: In which Our Heroine senses a mild disturbance in the Force
Chapter Two: In which Our Heroine measures up the competition
Chapter Three: In which Our Heroine discovers which Harry Potter character she would be
Chapter Four: In which Our Heroine’s Friend has her chanukkiyah (Chanukah menorah) highjacked
Chapter Five: In which Our Heroine resents an announcement
Chapter Six: In which Our Heroine begins to feel depressed and tired
Chapter Seven: In which dinner is served and people are rude
Chapter Eight: In which Our Heroine has had enough and is still trapped for Shabbat
Aside: In which Our Heroine bravely explores the subject of physical appearance and the subjectivity of attraction
Chapter Eight: In which Our Heroine breathes again, which is a good thing, because she’s already named the previous chapter “Chapter 8â€Â
Chapter Nine: In which Our Heroine is flattered and confused by a man’s attention
Chapter Ten: In which our Heroine meets Voldemortâ€â€oops, I mean Hairbun
Chapter Eleven: In which Our Heroine does not declare bankruptcy and instead meets a Smug Unmarried American
Chapter Twelve: In which Our Heroine does battle with a donut interloper
Chapter Thirteen: In which Our Heroine gets stuck in a conversational loop
Chapter Fourteen: In which Our Heroine stabs it with her steely knives, but she just can’t kill the beast
Chapter Fifteen: In which Our Heroine seeks a prayer before eating
Chapter Sixteen: in which Our Heroine depends upon the kindness of strangers
Chapter Seventeen: In which Our Heroine does some learning
Chapter Eighteen: In which Our Heroine walks in Tiberias and through history
Chapter Nineteen: In which lunch is served
Chapter Twenty: In which Our Heroine receives an intriguing offer
Chapter Twenty-One: In which Our Heroine wishes she knew more Sephardi customs
Chapter Twenty-Two: In which a Cohen atones and Our Heroine prays for a soulmate
Chapter Twenty-Two and a half: In which Our Plucky Heroine pitches her Azzam Azzam story and encounters journalistic snags but remains optimistic
Chapter Twenty-Two Again: In which Our Heroine loses count of the chapters again but summarizes her experience with a valuable lesson
Shabbaton Chroniclesâ€â€Revolutions: In which Our Heroine reflects on her experience and makes some decisions
THE END [???]
Wow!
That’s all I can say: Wow!
Oh,and the titles make me laugh. And, darn, I can’t believe I miscounted. Oh, well.
And: Thanks!
Sarah
“Our Heroine suffered untold singles-related slings and arrows, ducking social ineptitude and poorly-planned program elements like machine-gun fire. She survivedâ€â€as heroines often doâ€â€heroically, living to blog (and blog and blog) another day (and another day and another day).”
This made me laugh out loud. I love it when others mock my pain . . .
Thanks for organizing. I had tried to read it before, but it was kind of fr4agmented and confusing due to blog ordering.
Thanks for this great recap, Esther. I read all the Chronicles backwards because I couldn’t NOT, but it’s wonderful to revisit via your hilarious Lemony-Snicket titles! This really is a great saga captured, and even better to hear Sarah say she loves it that you mock her pain! It just keeps getting better.
Fabulous recap. Love the Harry Potter references.
What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. This Series of Unfortunate Events must have been good for something.