L'Shana Tova!

Happy New Year! We are rushing around a bit as we count down the minutes until the start of Rosh Hashana tonigh, but we wanted to write a quick post. We are really looking forward to a fun weekend filled with lots of food, new friends, and trying out different places for services. Today we spent shopping and cooking some dishes that we are bringing to our various hosts throughout the weekend - we made seseame tofu and 2 apple kugels - and we hope everything tastes ok! This is our first time using our little toaster oven - did we mention that we don't have a real oven in this apartment? - so cross your fingers :)

Otherwise, it is certainly evident that it is holiday season here. Here are a few fun things that we have experienced in the last several days that we definitely don't encounter in the US:

-Our 1.5 liter coke bottles have Shana Tova (happy new year) printed directly on the labels
-Every night when we return home to our apartment after class, around 6/7, we hear someone sounding the shofar - a ram's horn that is sounded only for these high holy days - we think they might be practicing for this weekend :)
-Everyone wishes you a Shana Tova - from the receptionists at the hotels, the clerks at grocery stores and even Max's barber - everyone is in the spirit of celebrating the new year
-Apples and honey (foods traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashana) are on sale in the stores - there are also many specials on wine and of course there are round challahs in every store!

We hope you all have a healthy, sweet and meaningful new year!

Love,
Jenny & Max