Happy New Year!

I had a wonderful dinner last night at Amanda's sister's house, out in beautiful Sea Point (basically, it's right downtown, but is next the the ocean, with fantastic waves). It was Rosh Hashanah, and so it was a big family affair, with running screaming kids and everything - quite nice, I haven't been around that much family in a long time.

It's really been a huge help that my friends Amanda and Jeff are here (Amanda being one of my close friends from Columbia, and Jeff, her fiancee, being my boss). Just the fact of them being close by, and sort of looking out for me has really helped me keep the loneliness at bay. Not to mention that at any disaster (read: car trouble) Jeff gets a call and helps me out of a jam. But also, Amanda's whole family lives here, and has been really welcoming and sweet, totally trying to make me feel like family. Her mother is adorable (and also lives in the house adjoining theirs - an awkward situation in the making, having your mother/mother-in-law floating around all the time), her sister is really sweet (and a fantastic cook) and her brother and his wife have been really friendly and nice. Definitely has made a big difference.

Actually, everyone here seems to be so freaking nice! Maybe it's just the coming from New York, but somehow I'm always surprised at how friendly everyone here is. Always offering to help, offering to take me out, and just plain being pleasant. Bizarre, non?