Shana tova!

!שנה טובה
Happy new year!
新年快乐！
（I'm training my computer to be multicultural.)

A new year indeed. I have rather high hopes for it. :) I did pick a great time of year to be here, experiencing the High Holidays in all their glory. It's been awesome, especially since we got a long weekend. Highlights include a pool party, Shabbat dinner in Nahariya (so...much...food... Matan's grandma works some kind of magic in that tiny kitchen), lazily rafting the Jordan River with friends, eating insanely good kebabs, watching District 9 (who knew an alien refugee movie could be so good?), visiting the Agamon Ahula Lake for bird (and otter) watching, and getting beat pretty bad at ping pong.

A standard Jewish tradition for Rosh Hashanah is eating apples with honey to welcome in a "sweet" new year. Great idea--brilliant in fact. And this weekend of apple-eating has reminded me that it is APPLE SEASON at Cornell. Which means, though I am up to my neck in hummus and other good things, I am missing the Ithaca Apple Fest, Cornell apple cider at the dining halls, apple tasting at the Orchards, apple picking with residents, and the apple vending machine. It burns...

Updates on last week:
1. I've really enjoyed "teaching" English (helping with homework, explaining things or just chatting) to some of the Beit Ruth girls. There are a couple who have really basic English, but they want to learn so badly, and they've told me to only speak English to them when I come. It's amazing, how willing and eager they are to practice and learn more. Quite inspirational, in fact, for my Hebrew. It also makes me want to focus on teaching when I go to Taiwan, since I don't have other plans yet, and it means spending some good time around kids.
2. Last Monday night, I translated again for two Chinese men I translated for two weeks before that (now three weeks ago). Back then, they were about to go to court to get back a rather large sum their employer withheld from them. This time, though, I was told they had won the case and were sorting out final details before heading back to China. JUSTICE. It felt amazing to just watch the process, know the story, get the happy ending...I can see how satisfying the life of a lawyer could be. Er, sometimes. When the law works the way it's supposed to...

Well, lots more to say, but this was written two days ago, and I didn't get to finish it. Oh well. Matan and I are seeing our buddy Alon tonight in Be'er-Sheva, and tomorrow we head off for a three night backpacking trip in the desert/Dead Sea! I'll have mad updates soon enough.