The Holiday season like never before

Hey all,

I know it's been awhile. It's crazy. I have, For the most part, begun checking my e-mails on a weekly basis, if that. Compared to my CMU days of at least once an hour.....it's quite a change. WHile at times I feel very disconnected...It's kind of nice. ALthough the few times I do get on a computer, my e-mail box is a bit overwhelming.

On the language side, I can already tell an improvement in my hebrew. While my speaking is certainly not going to be vastly improved by the classroom atmosphere, After 2 days with my adoptive family over this holiday, I was going pretty fast, but then every time I come back I regress. I am working on ways of getting more speaking experience, but I can already see the improvement in my vocabulary. SO that's pretty sweet.

Speaking of the holidays...This month has been INSANE. Every week there is a new holiday. IN america, we have "the holiday season". AKA christmas and new years. People spends months preparing for essentially one holiday with one following it. THye have NO idea. Here, we have one month JAM PACKED with holidays. Every week it's a new one. First it was rosh hashana, 2 days, then yom kippur, 25 hour fast, then sukkot, weeklong, and we're in the final stretch now, but then there's simchat torah and shmini atzeret. all the while mixed in with shabbat, although this year has been particularly hard because everyone falls in with the sabbath or butting up to it. Basically, every week there's a new one, and it's like two days no holiday, then holiday, no holiday, holiday. While it sounds nice and all, by now, it starts to get a little exhausting! BUt it's been fun to see all the holidays in Israel! I've enjoyed it!

ANyway, as usual, someone is waiting for the computer so I have to run, but I hope all of you are well.

Much love and Shana Tova U'Metuca v' Chag Sameach!