New Year's Eve

Let me preface this entire post by saying I do not so much believe in celebrating the secular new year. As Ido and I agreed one time, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur in the fall are quite enough of an intense, challenging, but ultimately joyful observance thankyouverymuch. And also the 31st of December and all its attendant carryings-on has always, as long as I can remember, felt to me like a set of overwhelmingly high expectations. American popular culture, at least in hipster-drenched San Francisco, tells us that to have a fun New Year's Eve one must have:

*the most stylish outfit
*the most glamorous lipstick
*the most gorgeous date
*the most fabulous plans
*the most romantic midnight kiss
*the most manageable hangover the next morning

I am not good at being the most of anything, generally speaking, and so this set of expectations has been challenging to manange the past oh, eight or so years in San Francisco and really much longer than that, actually since I've been a grown up at all.

Which isn't to say I haven't had some very lovely New Year's Eves. My most favorite one of recent memory was...two years ago? Three? When I went to dinner with Mark and Rebecca at Range in the Mission and then to Luna Park afterwards for dessert and champagne. Last year was also very nice as well when, in a cute new outfit, I went to dinner at Eliza's with Batshir, Dean, and John and then to that very cute, very retro movie theater on California Street to see The Good Shepherd--a movie that includes omance, intrigue, courage, and adventure...all good hallmarks of a new year's beginning.

One thing I'm learning about this year is the lowering of expectations. I had no plans yesterday, no sense of how I might spend the holiday and I didn't really care. This would usually be no small feat in the comparison-prone Bay Area but here in Jerusalem where January 1st isn't even a holiday and the new year is four months old to most people it was very easy indeed actually. In the end my housemates and I cooked and baked and bartended a delicious and enjoyable party for the small group of people we do know here in Israel, Hana's friends mostly, and having bought plastic plates and forks didn't even have much to clean up before going to bed. Plus, so many amazing leftovers! For once I can't wait to pack my lunch in the morning before I go to school.