Topsey Turvey Day

Today was "V'nahafoch Huh", or Topsey Turvey day, in preparation for Purim. As I mentioned in the previous post, I was very nervous about what to wear, and I forgot to ask the other teachers what they wear on such a day. As a new olah all I ever want to do is just FIT IN and NOT MESS UP! Needless to say, this kind of day put a lot of pressure on me. I got dressed pretty normally, aside from my bubble gum rain boots (it was raining anyway) and some of Ayelet's beaded necklaces. I figured I can always turn my clothes inside out if need be, and if not, I'm safe. I got to school this morning a couple minutes early, and I stayed in my car to scout out the scene. (I pretended I was on my cell phone, lest anyone wonder why I'm just sitting in my car). I was shocked to see that everyone entering school seemed to be dressed pretty normally- students and teachers alike! I'm used to SAR, where you can spot topsey turvey day from a mile away- really clowny outfits and silly accessories. But I was relieved by my assessment, and figured I had made a good decision this morning. Perhaps I was mistaken and it wasn't topsey turvey day after all. Once I got to school I realized that it was indeed topsey turvey day, but it was a much milder form than SAR's. The kids were wearing regular clothing, just inside out or backwards. No mismatched socks or crazy hats. So I snuck into the bathroom and turned my shirt inside out, and I was done. I figured that plus the boots and the necklace, I've really outdone myself. What's funny was that no one understaood how the boots and necklaces fit in. Here I was thinking that my boots looked silly, but everyone kept complementing me on them, and they did so very seriously...though surprisingly no one asked me how much they cost :) . The necklaces too, I got all sorts of comments, but it seemed like no one really understood that they were "lichvod" topsey turvey day. It was a fun day all in all, and most importantly, I survived!