Its funny- for some reason when Avi first created a Blog on our website I found it annoying- almost offensive. I felt very uncomfortable with on-line journals in general and I felt like my cute little website was being intruded by post-modernist, new age agenda. However in the last several weeks I have been reading more and more of other people’s blogs on the web, mostly ones that Avi has recommended, and I am starting to think they are really great. Of course many of other people’s ideas bug me like crazy but hey there is always a comments section so I have been doing a little bit of critiquing which is always fun. With our physical distance from so many of our friends and family this year, posting our weeks highlights and other random thoughts on our site truly makes a lot of sense. Its a lot better than sending out 20 e-mails with the same info in them. So, I decided to get over my technology phobia and write a little bit of my own.
I started Ulpan about three weeks ago and let me just say it is very intense! I go six days a week, Sunday through Friday from 8:30 -1:00. I started out in level Gimmel( Upper-level Intermediate), and quickly realized that it was perhaps a little bit hard for me. Crying everyday and coming home exhausted and grumpy should not be normal. Anyway I swallowed my pride and went to the head of the Hebrew department to talk about a switch, she completely agreed with me that switching into Level Bet would be the smartest thing to do. (I had actually placed into Bet with the placement test but with the prompting of my Hebrew professor at Maryland decided to try out Gimmel). As soon as a switched into Bet I had a total change in my moods. I came home happy and energetic, my homework generally takes me less than 30 minutes as opposed to the three hours a night I was investing in my Gimmel homework, and I am finally learning Hebrew! My teachers are awesome and I am finally filling in some major gaps in my Hebrew education. I just need to get over my fear of talking!
Ever since my ulpan switch I have been able to have some more time to enjoy Jerusalem. I try to take a long walk every afternoon. I am not quite at the intensity I was in my walking during my year in seminary but its a lot harder during August than February! We Baltimoreans don’t realize how hot it is when we first leave our apartment because we are so un- used to this dry heat and then a little while later we are just wiped out! I still can’t actually believe that we are living here! We have been so busy that I have not had time to digest it. I can’t wait for Ulpan to be over (September 23) because i will have vacation from then until october 15 and hopefully we will be able to do a little traveling. Speaking of the academic year starting – I have been feeling kind of down about it ever since I met with my academic advisor (i.e.: the bitch from hell). She was not very pleasant and at different points during our meeting she told me she hated Ancient History, that I should take more Modern History (hmmm could that have anything to do with her being a Modern History professor?) and when another teacher walked into our meeting she handed my transcript over to him and then engaged in a conversation about “her” while I sat patiently and quietly as not to interrupt them! HRUUMPH!!
Lets just say I was not pleased. But I met a really cool girl who has similar future goals to me (Professor, ancient Jewish History), and told me her advisor is not only really cool and nice but he is an ancient historian. So I am now hoping to switch to him as my advisor! So I guess we will see… I will keep you posted! But now I am tired and have school tomorrow (sigh- I MISS SUNDAYS!), so this is it for me.
Elina, It is great to read your journal-like entry on your blog. I am glad you are in the right Ulpan class now. Good luck with switching to the new advisor.