Checking In

This will be a relatively short post, as not a ton has happened in the past two days. Yesterday was my last Shabbat with the fam before their trip to America. I was worried this would mean a hallah-less three weeks, but it turns out that like a dozen families in the area have volunteered to take me in under their wings and keep me full and plump until the Morrises return.

For the record: this is hallah.

Usually, two to three loaves are served at each Shabbat meal to be divided among ten to fifteen people, and I kid you not, I end up consuming at least one loaf all by myself.

Anyways, bottom line, I maintain my roundness that comes from scarfing down a thousand carbs worth of bread three times a week. I should come back to Harvard looking like

Minus the purple

Right after the end of Shabbat at sundown on Saturday, the fasting day Tish'a B'Av began. It is a day of mourning meant to recognize the destruction of the Jewish temples in Jerusalem thousands of years ago as well as the numerous tragedies that have befallen Jews in the time since then. That means all religious Jews over the age of thirteen abstained from eating and drinking all day. And I was over in the corner like--

No, but actually, I'd spent the day attempting to eat surreptitiously in order to prevent any food envy, so I spent most of my afternoon esconced in my room nibbling on a random bag of nuts I'd found in my backpack. Nomnomnom. Dinner was awesome though; it was kind of excited to not feel guilty about eating for the first time in 24 hours!

Finally, I booked one of my last few trips today. This weekend, I'm heading south to Eilat, Israel, and then east to Jordan, home to Petra, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World!

As I said, this is a pretty short post. But I'm really enjoying myself, and I love this country more every day.

xox,

Aubs