[etni] Down the "Etai" memory lane

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Etnians!
    Recent messages concerning Etai conferences have caused me to recall, with 
great pleasure, the many conferences I have attended over the years, in many 
different places.
    My first introduction to Etai was at the Hebrew University, where some kind 
soul gave me the excellent advice of wearing good walking shoes. Those long 
corridors were actually an ice breaker for me then, as I didn't know many 
people. Teachers would say: "Oh yes, we do know where that particular room is, 
we're going there too, why don't you join us" and just like that I met new 
people. It was at one of those conferences that I got  the "push" to start 
using computers in the classroom. If I'm not mistaken it was at one of Jimmy 
Backers sessions.
    I agree that the summer conference at the high school was not among the 
most comfortable of venues. But I actually prefer having lectures in classrooms 
than in some of the hotel rooms. Many were designed for other purposes and are 
poorly lit. On the other hand, I had a wonderful time at 2002 summer conference 
when I stayed over at the hotel. the price was affordable because I shared the 
room with two other teachers, which was really fun ( a bit like being a kid 
again!) and it was the first time that I stayed for the full two days. A 
combination of a "hishtalmut" and a "pinuk".
    Actually, the conference I enjoyed the least was the last summer 
conference. For the first time I had a table at the book fair. Although I was 
very proud of what I was doing I came home feeling deprived of the conference 
experience. I couldn't go to any lectures and didn't get to talk with anybody 
over a cup of coffee or something (o.k, if you know me you know I don't drink 
coffee but you know what I mean) or mill around joining conversations. Just 
tied to the table. 
    My family knows that every summer Etai is "mom's thing" and I'll definitely 
be there this summer too.
See you there!
Naomi Epstein
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