New Years Eve in Urbana was a lot of fun. I joined Paula for Shabbos dinner with the jewish group on campus. It was amazing to listen to them pray in Hebrew, they read aloud at a phenomenal rate. I don't know if I could come close to it in English. Dinner included three different courses all cooked by the hostess for roughly 25 people. Everyone sat around four tables placed together into a big rectangle. During specific portions of the meal certain prayers were said and we went around the table introducing ourselves and what we like about Shabbos dinner. Being my first time there, I could only say what stood out most, the familiar family attitude everyone takes to one another regardless of how well they know each other. The best thing I can relate it to is being Italian. When you tell someone your Italian and their Italian you feel like you're family and have known each other forever, there is immediate acceptance.

After dinner Paula and I went back to her place and hosted a party with her friends, and some people that I know/have meet before. Great social event with some cards and drinking. Midnight was a bit anti-climactic, but that didn't stop us from hanging out till about 3am.

The rest of the weekend was nicely relaxing, something I can't say for the rest of break. Brother's getting up at 7am for school is no fun, and I had been sick the beginning of last week. Hopefully next week goes better.