Happy New Year

No resolutions for me, but I hope everyone has a great 2010!

Wine Tasting Trip

Last Sunday Gal, Jeff, Yuval and I decided to do a one day trip to the wineries outside New York City. We went to Long Island and tasted some of the best thing they do around there.

Hanukkah

One of the most interesting aspects of living in New York is, for sure, the cultural diversity. This cultural diversity can be seen in many aspects, and one that I find very interesting is the religious diversity.

New York has a big Jewish community, and many of my friends at school are Jewish. Last Friday the Jewish holiday Hanukkah started. Hanukkah is an 8-day holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean revolt. Basically what happened was that during this war in this Temple there was only oil to light a lamp for one day and it lasted 8 due to a miracle, until they managed to get more oil.
To celebrate this holiday, the tradition says that for the 8 days of Hanukkah one candle should be lit every day. These candles are put in those traditional Jewish candle holders that you probably have already seen somewhere, they are called Menorah.

Last Friday, I got together with some friends at Gal's house (who is Jewish) and we celebrated Hanukkah by doing our own handcrafted Menorahs (it is a tradition to do that in Israel and in other Jewish communities).
Here are the results:

Adios!

Faustino,

I hope you enjoyed NYC. Have a safe trip back home.

The New York women will never forget this image of you:

A quarter of a century

I finally got 25 years old last week. It is definitely a milestone in my life reaching a quarter of a century. I hope the next 25 years will be as good as the first ones.

Here are some pictures from my party last Saturday at Essex Bar. I celebrated my birthday with other 5 birthday friends from CBS.

My friend (and ex-roommate in Lisbon) Joao Faustino was visiting me and NY for 10 days and also attended this mythical event. My sister was also in town.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Just had to break the news that it started snowing for the first time this fall/winter in NY.
I hope to get some pictures soon and upload them.

Thanksgiving in Washington DC

Thanksgiving is a North American holiday (celebrated both in Canada and the USA) that originated as a time to praise and give thanks to God for the harvest (colheitas, in Portuguese) and other things.

I went to celebrate Thanksgiving in Washington DC, at Jane sister's place, where he ate traditional Thanksgiving food such as turkey and pumpkin pie.

The Yoo sisters having fun in the kitchen

The Thanksgiving turkey

Early celebration of my birthday
Cutting the bird

There was a bottle of Portuguese Mateus wine in the house

Oh yeah!
Oh yeah baby!


Korean bbq dinner

Party in DC.
The White House
Korean war memorial

Vietnam war memorial

Lincoln monument

Jane making fun of president Lincoln

New Jersey state

New York state

The Washington Monument

Patriotic Jane

View of the Washinton Mall

The Pentagon

Washington Monument, this time with the Leiria Monument :)