Blooooggggggg (I couldn't think of a clever title...)

Happy new year to all you Jews out there, everyone else, happy start of school...? For Rosh Hashanah, Julian and I went with our host dad to a kibbutz (Givat Hayim) that his friend lived on where we had that biggest holiday dinner I've ever been to, but it doesn't take much to beat the size of our family functions.  There were 30-40 people from all over Israel -- the lady who was hosting the dinner had posted on a message board inviting anyone who didn't have family to go to for whatever reason like divorce or travel plans.  Everyone was super friendly and there was so much food and it was all very good (minus the gefilte fish that I obvs didn't touch).

Avi, Julian, and me

The next day I went to services because I couldn't be in Israel for the High Holidays and not see what it was like.  Not surprisingly they were long and boring and hot and incomprehensible and we woman had to to be shunned to the back on the 2nd level.  I then joined my friends Arielle and Michelle at their host family for lunch where I played chess with a hilarious 7 year old boy AND BEAT HIM 3 TIMES!  When I told the mom, originally from Maryland, that I was from the Valley, she commented that I didn't look like a JAP which I thanked her for.  The rest of the weekend was spent watching Entourage and other random stuff on our computers which makes dead holidays like Shabbat more interesting.

We've started working in our schools, and by working I mean hanging out with high schoolers and talking about fun things like T.V. and sports and music.  In 11th and 12th grade here, the kids have oral English tests where they pretty much just have to talk about their lives and our job is to practice with them.  We've already heard some funny lines (besides all the annoying Justin Bieber fanatics everywhere).  A kid asked me at least 10 times if I liked to live in California because of earthquakes and if they were scary.  I said no not really, they usually aren't a big deal, and then I shook the table and said that was how it is and he thought that earthquakes seemed fun.

I haven't started volunteering at the motor disabilities place but I will on Sunday.  My Hebrew is improving I think/hope.  I'm working on my USC application which is tedious and frustrating...I forgot what applying to colleges was like and I don't really want to have to do it again!

Going to sleep now.  Tomorrow we are packing food for the holidays and Thursday we are going hiking in the Israel Valley which should be fun!  (Especially because the weather has cooled down a little and it's really nice out now)

If you want to mail me a beautiful package, our address is:

Har Metzada 89/17ב (that is the Hebrew letter bet for you non-Heb people, I think a B will get to me too  though)

77711

Ashdod Israel

Loves youuuu