Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Now, for everyone's favorite blog theme...RANDOM MUSINGS ON ISRAEL!!
- On Thursday night, I had my first train-travel experience in Israel (a shehecheyanu moment if I ever heard one...). It was supposed to be very simple...I would take the train from Haifa to Netanya, where I would then get a cab to the mall at Em Haderech, where the EIE group was stopping on their way back to Jerusalem, so that I could join them for the weekend. So. I got to the train station here, the nice man helped me buy my ticket TO NETANYA and I asked him what time the train left TO NETANYA. He said 7:30. When the train came at 7:30, I got on it, expecting there to be a stop IN NETANYA. But when the man on the train came to look at my ticket, he babbled at me in incomprehensible Hebrew that the train was going directly to TEL-AVIV. It was not stoping AT NETANYA (are you enjoing the caps-for-emphasis thing? Clearly, I am). All in all it was a very frustrating experience that ended with me waiting by the side of the road next to a mall in Jerusalem (no, I never made it to Em Haderech) for the EIE bus to pick me up.
So here's my question - why did the man in the train station tell me that the 7:30 train stopped IN NETANYA??!? The world may never know...
-Classes have officially started for everyone here at the University of Haifa, in spite of a student strike that took place on Sunday (I missed it, as I was sitting in my apartment in Jerusalem listening to Zoe deal with an Israeli travel agent...but that's another story). Here's the strange thing - 2 of my flatmates have yet to emerge for classes. I saw one of them move in on Wednesday, and Rotem says the other one came over the weekend, but we've seen nothing of them since. The third one is here, she seems to understand that she actually lives in the apartment, but the others...who knows
-In my Hebrew class today we read a story called "In every place it's possible to learn Hebrew." It told us that we should shop at the small neighborhood markets (in Hebrew makolet) instead of at big supermarkets because we'll learn more Hebrew from listening to people talk and by asking questions about the food (i.e., "Is the cheese fresh?" or "Have the rolls arrived yet?") Personally, I think the makolet owners' union paid off the authors of the book.
-It's Jewish tradition to face the old city of Jerusalem when praying, so when I led services for EIE at Kibbutz Tsuba (their home for the semester), the chairs were set up facing the appropriate direction. It wasn't until I turned around in the middle of the service that I realized we were praying to an easel with a white pad full of scribbles on it. It had clearly been there for a previous group and just hadn't been moved before we came in. As it was already the middle of the service, I didn't want to draw attention to it and move it. Still, I felt as if we were being seriously sacriligious...though I guess it was better than having the curtains open and praying to the chicken hatchery.
-The Department of Overseas Studies here at the University decided that the best way to get us information is to send it via email. The only issue is that we have to find an open computer in one of the labs on campus to check our email. The academic buildings close at 6 or so, and the labs in the dorms are really small. I think it's their way of forcing us to not be in our rooms...geez. Don't they know that we're all used to living in front of our computers in our own rooms? This is cruel and unusual punishment, I tell you...
And on that note, I think it's time for me to leave the computer lab. More soon, perhaps after our tiul (trip) to the south this weekend!
- On Thursday night, I had my first train-travel experience in Israel (a shehecheyanu moment if I ever heard one...). It was supposed to be very simple...I would take the train from Haifa to Netanya, where I would then get a cab to the mall at Em Haderech, where the EIE group was stopping on their way back to Jerusalem, so that I could join them for the weekend. So. I got to the train station here, the nice man helped me buy my ticket TO NETANYA and I asked him what time the train left TO NETANYA. He said 7:30. When the train came at 7:30, I got on it, expecting there to be a stop IN NETANYA. But when the man on the train came to look at my ticket, he babbled at me in incomprehensible Hebrew that the train was going directly to TEL-AVIV. It was not stoping AT NETANYA (are you enjoing the caps-for-emphasis thing? Clearly, I am). All in all it was a very frustrating experience that ended with me waiting by the side of the road next to a mall in Jerusalem (no, I never made it to Em Haderech) for the EIE bus to pick me up.
So here's my question - why did the man in the train station tell me that the 7:30 train stopped IN NETANYA??!? The world may never know...
-Classes have officially started for everyone here at the University of Haifa, in spite of a student strike that took place on Sunday (I missed it, as I was sitting in my apartment in Jerusalem listening to Zoe deal with an Israeli travel agent...but that's another story). Here's the strange thing - 2 of my flatmates have yet to emerge for classes. I saw one of them move in on Wednesday, and Rotem says the other one came over the weekend, but we've seen nothing of them since. The third one is here, she seems to understand that she actually lives in the apartment, but the others...who knows
-In my Hebrew class today we read a story called "In every place it's possible to learn Hebrew." It told us that we should shop at the small neighborhood markets (in Hebrew makolet) instead of at big supermarkets because we'll learn more Hebrew from listening to people talk and by asking questions about the food (i.e., "Is the cheese fresh?" or "Have the rolls arrived yet?") Personally, I think the makolet owners' union paid off the authors of the book.
-It's Jewish tradition to face the old city of Jerusalem when praying, so when I led services for EIE at Kibbutz Tsuba (their home for the semester), the chairs were set up facing the appropriate direction. It wasn't until I turned around in the middle of the service that I realized we were praying to an easel with a white pad full of scribbles on it. It had clearly been there for a previous group and just hadn't been moved before we came in. As it was already the middle of the service, I didn't want to draw attention to it and move it. Still, I felt as if we were being seriously sacriligious...though I guess it was better than having the curtains open and praying to the chicken hatchery.
-The Department of Overseas Studies here at the University decided that the best way to get us information is to send it via email. The only issue is that we have to find an open computer in one of the labs on campus to check our email. The academic buildings close at 6 or so, and the labs in the dorms are really small. I think it's their way of forcing us to not be in our rooms...geez. Don't they know that we're all used to living in front of our computers in our own rooms? This is cruel and unusual punishment, I tell you...
And on that note, I think it's time for me to leave the computer lab. More soon, perhaps after our tiul (trip) to the south this weekend!
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Shalom to all from Haifa!
I arrived on Sunday and life has been crazy (but good) ever since. I'm living in a very nice apartment with 5 other students (each of us has a single room and with our own bathroom - cool, huh?), though as is normal with my living situation, the entire area around the building is under construction. One of my flatmates is also American; she's a junior at Rutgers. The others are Israeli and will arrive during the week, since their classes don't start until Monday.
The last two days have been full of meeting people, exploring campus and the city, taking my Hebrew placement test (I'm in "kita bet" - level 2), and settling into my room. There are about 20 of us in the Overseas Program, a bunch of Americans but also people from Denmark, Sweeden, Japan, Switzerland, the UK, Australia...it's a great group. Last night we went to the shuk, the outdoor market in the Hadar neighborhood, which is at the bottom of Mt. Carmel (the big mountain that most of Haifa sits on).
The campus here is gorgeous. Some people compare Haifa to San Francisco in terms of climate, being a port city, etc. The University is way up on one of the highest parts of Mt. Carmel and has an amazing view of the surrounding area - mountains, plains, water, etc. It's pretty distracting when you're trying to study, I imagine, but everyone around here seems to manage.
My first Hebrew class was today - it will definitely be a challenge, but I think my Hebrew will really improve over the next 2.5 months - and my first academic class (Contemporary Israel: History and Culture) is this afternoon.
It's a little hard to get online, since there's no internet hookup in the apartments and the computer labs are crowded (and not all open yet), but I'm trying my best. I'll keep posting whenever possible. L'hitraot! (See you soon)
PS - I need to add to my last post about the last few weeks in Jerusalem. On Saturday night (just before I left), we went to a big park downtown to participate in the second hakafot (processions) of the Simchat Torah holiday. Simchat Torah is a festival celebrating the Torah; there's all kinds of celebrations, people dance around in the synagogues and on the streets (many people also get drunk to help the spirit of their dancing, and this is considered a mitzvah, a good deed ), kids run around with noisemakers and flags, etc. On Saturday night, after the festival (and shabbat) had officially ended, thousands of people came to this park to celebrate and dance some more. It was incredible - on a big stage there was a band and at least 20 guys carrying torahs, and all around were people dancing and singing. So cool and totally an "only in Israel" experience.
I arrived on Sunday and life has been crazy (but good) ever since. I'm living in a very nice apartment with 5 other students (each of us has a single room and with our own bathroom - cool, huh?), though as is normal with my living situation, the entire area around the building is under construction. One of my flatmates is also American; she's a junior at Rutgers. The others are Israeli and will arrive during the week, since their classes don't start until Monday.
The last two days have been full of meeting people, exploring campus and the city, taking my Hebrew placement test (I'm in "kita bet" - level 2), and settling into my room. There are about 20 of us in the Overseas Program, a bunch of Americans but also people from Denmark, Sweeden, Japan, Switzerland, the UK, Australia...it's a great group. Last night we went to the shuk, the outdoor market in the Hadar neighborhood, which is at the bottom of Mt. Carmel (the big mountain that most of Haifa sits on).
The campus here is gorgeous. Some people compare Haifa to San Francisco in terms of climate, being a port city, etc. The University is way up on one of the highest parts of Mt. Carmel and has an amazing view of the surrounding area - mountains, plains, water, etc. It's pretty distracting when you're trying to study, I imagine, but everyone around here seems to manage.
My first Hebrew class was today - it will definitely be a challenge, but I think my Hebrew will really improve over the next 2.5 months - and my first academic class (Contemporary Israel: History and Culture) is this afternoon.
It's a little hard to get online, since there's no internet hookup in the apartments and the computer labs are crowded (and not all open yet), but I'm trying my best. I'll keep posting whenever possible. L'hitraot! (See you soon)
PS - I need to add to my last post about the last few weeks in Jerusalem. On Saturday night (just before I left), we went to a big park downtown to participate in the second hakafot (processions) of the Simchat Torah holiday. Simchat Torah is a festival celebrating the Torah; there's all kinds of celebrations, people dance around in the synagogues and on the streets (many people also get drunk to help the spirit of their dancing, and this is considered a mitzvah, a good deed ), kids run around with noisemakers and flags, etc. On Saturday night, after the festival (and shabbat) had officially ended, thousands of people came to this park to celebrate and dance some more. It was incredible - on a big stage there was a band and at least 20 guys carrying torahs, and all around were people dancing and singing. So cool and totally an "only in Israel" experience.
Sunday, October 19, 2003
According to the handy-dandy date line at the top of my entries, it's been about 16 days since I wrote anything here.
Yikes.
Well, seeing as I have to leave for Haifa in about 6 hours and have yet to go to sleep, I think I'll jot down a quick recap of the last two weeks or so, with more details to follow once I'm settled in up north...
- Yom Kippur. There's nothing to say but wow...the entire country of Israel shut down for 26 hours. No traffic lights, no cars, no noise. We walked home in the middle of the street from services on Sunday night, dodging the hundreds of bike-riding Jerusalemites of all ages who came out to take advantage of the absence of traffic. The whole day was very peaceful, very reflective, and ended wonderfully with an apartment full of great people at the break-fast that Zoe and I hosted. Yay for introducing blintz souffle to Brits :o)
- Sukkot in Tel Aviv with EIE (Oct. 9-11). Had so much fun hanging with the EIE bunch and getting to know them all a bit better. I finally got to go to the beach (in October! How cool is that?!). Ate Friday night dinner at Sarah Levitan's uncle's house - oh, the smallness of the Jewish world.
- Roommate trip to the Dead Sea (Oct. 14-16) Zoe, Jaimee, Helayne and I found a last-minute deal online for a Dead Sea hotel/spa - the Lot Spa, to be exact (check your bible if you don't get the reference). The weather was gorgeous, the hotel was great. We went to see David Broza (Zoe: "The Israeli Eric Clapton." I'll go with that since I can't think of a better description.) at Massada on Tuesday night - an excellent show. Wednesday night we snuck into one of the really nice hotels down the road to hang out in their bowling alley/snack bar/pool hall and consequently got harrassed by two obnoxious teenagers. The best moment of the evening: Jaimee, pulling her best "I'm an adult and I'm pissed" face, yelling, "Dai (enough), zeh dai! (that's enough)" at them. Gotta love it.
- Yesterday I got my haircut at a place on Derech Beit Lechem by a guy who's originally from Boston. His wife is from Ann Arbor, she went to BU, and they're good friends with the rabbi from my Hillel (since she went there). Again with the smallness of the Jewish world. All I have to say is...oy. (Finish that movie quote and I'll be very proud)
So tomorrow I head to Haifa and attempt to get myself back into actual student mode - yikes! Hopefully it won't be too painful. I'll be sure to let you know as I adjust...for now, LAILA TOV (Good night!)
Yikes.
Well, seeing as I have to leave for Haifa in about 6 hours and have yet to go to sleep, I think I'll jot down a quick recap of the last two weeks or so, with more details to follow once I'm settled in up north...
- Yom Kippur. There's nothing to say but wow...the entire country of Israel shut down for 26 hours. No traffic lights, no cars, no noise. We walked home in the middle of the street from services on Sunday night, dodging the hundreds of bike-riding Jerusalemites of all ages who came out to take advantage of the absence of traffic. The whole day was very peaceful, very reflective, and ended wonderfully with an apartment full of great people at the break-fast that Zoe and I hosted. Yay for introducing blintz souffle to Brits :o)
- Sukkot in Tel Aviv with EIE (Oct. 9-11). Had so much fun hanging with the EIE bunch and getting to know them all a bit better. I finally got to go to the beach (in October! How cool is that?!). Ate Friday night dinner at Sarah Levitan's uncle's house - oh, the smallness of the Jewish world.
- Roommate trip to the Dead Sea (Oct. 14-16) Zoe, Jaimee, Helayne and I found a last-minute deal online for a Dead Sea hotel/spa - the Lot Spa, to be exact (check your bible if you don't get the reference). The weather was gorgeous, the hotel was great. We went to see David Broza (Zoe: "The Israeli Eric Clapton." I'll go with that since I can't think of a better description.) at Massada on Tuesday night - an excellent show. Wednesday night we snuck into one of the really nice hotels down the road to hang out in their bowling alley/snack bar/pool hall and consequently got harrassed by two obnoxious teenagers. The best moment of the evening: Jaimee, pulling her best "I'm an adult and I'm pissed" face, yelling, "Dai (enough), zeh dai! (that's enough)" at them. Gotta love it.
- Yesterday I got my haircut at a place on Derech Beit Lechem by a guy who's originally from Boston. His wife is from Ann Arbor, she went to BU, and they're good friends with the rabbi from my Hillel (since she went there). Again with the smallness of the Jewish world. All I have to say is...oy. (Finish that movie quote and I'll be very proud)
So tomorrow I head to Haifa and attempt to get myself back into actual student mode - yikes! Hopefully it won't be too painful. I'll be sure to let you know as I adjust...for now, LAILA TOV (Good night!)
Friday, October 03, 2003
More fun observations from the Holy Land:
-Israelis are amazingly friendly as soon as you've met them once. No one smiles at each other on the streets here, but as soon as you meet people, they insist that you call them if you need anything, invite you to their home, offer to give you the number of a sister-cousin-brother-in-law who lives around the corner-thirty miles away-in the next town from you. It's unbelievable...I spoke to a store owner this morning who has met my father, has never spoken to me before, and yet was immediately ready to help me with anything I might need here. It's pretty cool.
-We changed the clocks back last night (for my thoughts on time, see the previous post...) and I was complaining to Zoe's friend Dina yesterday that I would never have known it was happening if someone hadn't told me specifically. I feel like it's all over the place in the states - on the news, in the papers, on calendars (Zoe says that's because Americans are stupid...I said she was stupid. It was a highly adult exchange). Dina reminded me that I'm not watching the news here (I read the paper in english online), going on public transportation, or really participating in normal Israeli daily life. Plus, they change the day for changing the time every year (and Americans are stupid??), so it's not on calendars. I still feel like half the people I know won't realize that the time has changed until they try to watch "Buffy" tonight on Star Asia and realize that something else is on instead.
-For some reason, there's almost always a different receptionist whenever I go to the Shalem Center in the afternoons. I don't really know what goes on there, since I don't really work there, but it's still strange. This week, there was a new one, a guy, who apparently really likes Mandy Moore and Avril Lavigne because he played about 4 or 5 songs by the two of them over and over and over all afternoon the other day. I felt like I was trapped in "A Walk to Remember" or a thirteen-year-old girl's room. Perhaps both. It was awful.
-Zoe and I have slowly moved further and further back from the front of the room in our ulpan class. This has not stopped the multi-lingual population of our classroom from using Zoe as a human dictionary whenever possible. This happens even more frequently after the Argentinian man freaked out at the teacher the other day for translating things into French, Russian and English, but not Spanish. Poor Zoe is starting to become a-lingual from the effort of keeping English, French, Spanish, and Hebrew going in her head all at once. It does provide for some entertaining moments, however, which leave Zoe and I cracking up in the back of the room and the rest of the class pointedly ignoring us.
TGIF is all I have to say...I love that Friday is a real weekend day here. It makes the week much easier to get through :)
-Israelis are amazingly friendly as soon as you've met them once. No one smiles at each other on the streets here, but as soon as you meet people, they insist that you call them if you need anything, invite you to their home, offer to give you the number of a sister-cousin-brother-in-law who lives around the corner-thirty miles away-in the next town from you. It's unbelievable...I spoke to a store owner this morning who has met my father, has never spoken to me before, and yet was immediately ready to help me with anything I might need here. It's pretty cool.
-We changed the clocks back last night (for my thoughts on time, see the previous post...) and I was complaining to Zoe's friend Dina yesterday that I would never have known it was happening if someone hadn't told me specifically. I feel like it's all over the place in the states - on the news, in the papers, on calendars (Zoe says that's because Americans are stupid...I said she was stupid. It was a highly adult exchange). Dina reminded me that I'm not watching the news here (I read the paper in english online), going on public transportation, or really participating in normal Israeli daily life. Plus, they change the day for changing the time every year (and Americans are stupid??), so it's not on calendars. I still feel like half the people I know won't realize that the time has changed until they try to watch "Buffy" tonight on Star Asia and realize that something else is on instead.
-For some reason, there's almost always a different receptionist whenever I go to the Shalem Center in the afternoons. I don't really know what goes on there, since I don't really work there, but it's still strange. This week, there was a new one, a guy, who apparently really likes Mandy Moore and Avril Lavigne because he played about 4 or 5 songs by the two of them over and over and over all afternoon the other day. I felt like I was trapped in "A Walk to Remember" or a thirteen-year-old girl's room. Perhaps both. It was awful.
-Zoe and I have slowly moved further and further back from the front of the room in our ulpan class. This has not stopped the multi-lingual population of our classroom from using Zoe as a human dictionary whenever possible. This happens even more frequently after the Argentinian man freaked out at the teacher the other day for translating things into French, Russian and English, but not Spanish. Poor Zoe is starting to become a-lingual from the effort of keeping English, French, Spanish, and Hebrew going in her head all at once. It does provide for some entertaining moments, however, which leave Zoe and I cracking up in the back of the room and the rest of the class pointedly ignoring us.
TGIF is all I have to say...I love that Friday is a real weekend day here. It makes the week much easier to get through :)
